We are so proud of our one and only Stacey Magnesio and all the hard work she’s put in to go compete as an individual at the 2016 CrossFit Regional Competition. Here are a few words from her adoring fans.
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our May Athlete of the Month is Lauren Fritz! Lauren started her journey with us just over a year ago! You’ll typically find her here with the chicken o’clock (5:30 am) crew, starting her day the best way we can think of! This purple haired beauty brings an awesome energy to the community. She’s a hard worker and we’ve loved watching her grow and progress this far. Every day she makes new strides and we’re excited to see just how far she will go. We’re so happy to have Lauren as our May Athlete of the Month. Congratulations Lauren!
State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Lauren Fritz (Fritz, Fritzi)
Words to live by?
Animals are friends, not food ☺
What is your fitness background?
Danced up until college, then drank whiskey
How long have you been CrossFitting?
Literally one year- Just had my CFA anniversary <3
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
Before signing up for The Prep I went to a night class where Nole was coach. I didn’t have double unders so I had to do 300 singles and then some running, pretty sure it was an AMRAP… somehow I still ended up signing up for The Prep even though I couldn’t walk for about a week.
What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The recreational drinking at the events I love to watch.
Current Training Goals/PRs?
Now that my faith has been restored in my ability to do DUs, I’d say to get more efficient at them and string more than 3 together.
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
It can be intimidating at first… and even a year later… but CFA really is the best community out there. I can’t imagine ever switching.. well, unless everyone else leaves and CFA gets all new coaches/members. I probably wouldn’t like them as much.
What is your cheat meal go to?
queso, mac and cheese, BBQ pizza… I’m drooling
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
2016 Open, I was able to do some of the work outs RX, when usually I take pride in scaling 🙂
I also have a whole new crossfit attitude since The Open, I am positive that no workout can suck as bad as 16.4 and 16.5. 
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
My favorite exercise is a cross between a lunge and a crunch. Its called lunch.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I enjoy the sun and being outside, but I can spend hours on the couch watching TV.
Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I lack a competitive nature at the gym… but when it comes to board/card games, shit gets real.
Longhorns or Aggies?
Hook’em
Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
I complain, a lot, but thank you to the coaches and members for pushing me and believing in me, even when I don’t. Ya’ll are amazing.
It is so exciting for us to see so many of our folks getting out into the community to compete! We had a handful of folks get out and compete in March and we couldn’t be more proud. Great job on all your accomplishments CFA! Keep up the great work!
Jay Rod, Erica Cuellar, Robyn Schoen, Jamie Williams, JoAnna Brand, Emma Junkin and Mike Ruhlin did the Spartan Sprint.
JoAnna Brand, Jeanette Guerrero, and Mike Ruhlin ran the Beer Relay
Daniel Arredondo and Jeanette Guerrero ran the Texas Independence Relay
Join us in Dallas to support Stacey this month (5/13-5/15) at Regionals!
If we missed anyone please be sure to shoot us a message. If you have an event coming up in April, let us know!
Contact info@crossfitaustin.com with your competition details!
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our April Athlete of the Month is Zachary Perl! Zach joined the CFA community back in October. You’ll typically find him here in theafternoons, cracking jokes and givingthe coaches a hard time (all in good fun). He brings an awesome energy to his classes and to the community as a whole. He’s a hard worker and we are excited to watch him continue on the positive path he’s on. Who knows what this guy is going to accomplish?! We’re so happy to have Zach as our April Athlete of theMonth. Congratulations Zach!
State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Zachary Perl (Perl, Zoltan, Doctor Perl)
Words to live by?
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” – Hunter S. Thompson
What is your fitness background?
My fitness background used to consist of lifting the Xbox controller and eating pop tarts, but eventually I fell in love with weightlifting and football in middle school. Later, I went on to make the Rugby/Keg Race team in college.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
I’ve been at it for a little over a year so far.
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
Let’s just say it was painful. I moved down to Texas and I had spent about 2 months sleeping on a concrete floor. These are not ideal conditions before your first WOD.
What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The knowledge. CFA has so much to offer if you want to learn about the body, the movements, and the techniques. Being an athlete is one thing, but being able to properly teach athletes is what makes CF Austin elite.
Current Training Goals/PRs?
For the 2017 Open I’d like to finish in the top 15%…that or defeat a black bear in hand-to-hand combat.
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Just breath (literally and figuratively). I’ve had so many days where I’ve said, “Okay that’s it… I quit. I’ll never be as good as [insert athlete’s name here]” but it’s really not about that. It’s all about the community, and it’s all about being happy with you. If you can finish just one WOD, you’re doing more in one hour than most Americans do in one month.
What is your cheat meal go to?
Pretty much anything that has cheese and bacon melted on top of it. Extra love if you add Sriracha sauce.
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
One of my proudest moments was finishing my first competition. It was 10 minutes of Push Press, 50ft sled pulls, and then pushes. I almost died. Some little old lady came over and gave me a cookie after it was over and it all sunk in.
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
It would be called Gold’s Gym Gone Bad. It would be a 15-min AMRAP of gym selfies, bicep curls, and protein shakes. Extra credit: Take one mirror-pic with your homie EMOM.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I’m lost somewhere in limbo between being a hillbilly and a nerd. I spend most of my time outdoors: Hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, snowboarding and drinking (on a patio of course). When I’m inside I play the guitar, read (usually Stephen King novels and comic books), play video games, and watch Bob’s Burgers.
Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I’m pretty much an open book, but I did set a couch on fire once…
Longhorns or Aggies?
HAH! I bleed gold & blue…and moonshine. Let’s Goooooooo, Mountaineers!
Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Thanks for having me CFA. I joke a lot but I’m beyond serious when I say you’ve become my family. Thanks for all of the support and patience on my journey through Crossfit. Much love, y’all.
It is so exciting for us to see so many of our folks getting out into the community to compete! We had a handful of folks get out and compete in March and we couldn’t be more proud. Great job on all your accomplishments CFA! Keep up the great work!
Sarah Dacy and Nick Piacente represented Austin Weightlifting at the Iron Cat Open.
Nick: 6/6, hit both a Snatch and Clean & Jerk PR-109/135!!!
Sarah: 5/6 & hit a Clean & Jerk PR – 42/60!!
Kim Peabody and Nicole Seltman partnered up to conquor The Horrible Hundred!
The ladies finished 6th out of 23 teams!
We especially want to congratulate everyone who participated in The Open. We saw so many folks get PRs, firsts of this or that, and just become all around badasses. Thank you guys for reminding us how awesome our community really is. Congrats!
If we missed anyone please be sure to shoot us a message. If you have an event coming up in April, let us know!
Contact info@crossfitaustin.com with your competition details!
Today, we’re excited to launch The Expert Series. Each month we offer The Expert Series we will host a guest coach who is the best of the best in their field of expertise. Our subject matter experts will offer a specialized class for the month. Primarily we will focus on the sports that are featured in CrossFit training such as Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, powerlifting, running, rowing, etc…
CrossFit Austin is proud to welcome Ursula Garza Papandrea as our Expert Series guest coach this April. Ursula is widely regarded as one of the absolute best Olympic Weightlifting coaches in the United States. She’s one of only 25 coaches designated as Level 5 Senior International Coach by USAW. This is the highest designation a coach can receive from USAW. Most recently Ursula guided her men’s Weightlifting team to the 2014 National Championship.
REGISTER HERE
Dates:
Saturdays April 16th, 23rd, 30th
Time:
10 am – Noon
Price:
$75/session or $200 for all 3 sessions (limited to 12 athletes / session)
Experience Level:
This is an Intermediate to advanced course. Athletes should have at the very least a year of experience utilizing the snatch and clean & jerk consistently in their training program. This is not a beginners course, athletes should have a strong understanding of the two classic lifts (Snatch and Clean & jerk) and also be familiar with accessory lifts such as the back squat, front squat, push press, pulls, etc. If you have any question as to whether you’re prepared to take the class please contact us at info@crossfitaustin.com.
Pre registration:
Monday April 4 – April Wednesday 6th (This will be for CrossFit Austin members and coaches only)
Open Registration:
Thursday April 7th until spots run out
Full Bio:
Ursula Garza Papandrea is an elite international athlete and the one of only two women to attain USA Weightlifting’s Level 5 Senior International Coach. She is one of only 25 such coaches in USA Weightlifting and the only Level 5 coach in Texas. She has trained athletes that have represented Team USA at the Junior World Championships, University World Championships, Senior World Championships, Pan Am Games, and Olympic Trials. including the 2014 Men’s National Championship Team Texas Barbell.
Ursula has extensive national and international experience in competitive weightlifting as an athlete since 1987. She’s a Two-time senior national champion, two-time Olympic Festival champion, 5 time world team member (1992-1996), and former record holder in both snatch (master’s) and clean and jerk.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science, and a Master’s Degree in Political Science and has had a career as a Professor at Austin Community College since 1994. In 2009 she competed again, winning Master’s National Championships(best lifter award) and again in 2010. She is CrossFit Level 1 certified and have been part of the CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification Staff since 2009. She also instructs the USAW Level 1 Sports Performance courses.
The next cycle of The Prep at CrossFit Austin will start on Monday, April 4
REGISTER HERE
THE PREP COURSE
[what] What we like to call “The Prep” is designed to introduce new clients to the fundamentals and essential movements often seen in our group classes. The Prep is a course that teaches proper movement, recovery, mobility strategies, and a crash course on nutrition & lifestyle. This beginners program ultimately gives our clients the tools to make their time at CrossFit Austin life changing. We’re not just movers and shakers at CrossFit Austin – we’re thinkers, too. Producing athletes that train smart, work hard and also know their stuff is what we’re all about.
Train Smart | We’ll teach you to lift & move proficiently
Dedicated time working on the technique of CrossFit Movements over the course of 12 classes, with technical consistency being a focus. Regular exposure to the movements will adequately prepare each client for success in the group class environment. Quality over quantity in your movement is our goal.
Work Hard | We’ll teach you to recover effectively
The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts. It’s in this time that the body adapts to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. Learning what and how to fill this time outside of the gym is our goal.
Think Well | We’ll teach you to eat efficiently
The individuality and uniqueness of our clients are what makes our community a phenomenal place to thrive in their training. Nutrition can’t be ‘cut and paste’ for each individual – there’s no cookie cutter way to properly eat. Revolutionize the way you view nutrition and eat over the course of 12 classes and learn what works best for your ID.
[structure] The Prep = 1 Month of CrossFit Austin
If there’s one thing we take seriously, it’s quality over quantity. Yes, we care about each and every person who walks through our doors on a deeper level. You aren’t a dollar sign or a name on a sheet. You’re a member of our family. In our opinion, there’s no way to teach anyone new to CrossFit quality movement and technique in a short amount of time. Thus, our introductory course that isn’t a cram session squeezed into a few day’s time. It’s an investment of a month on both ends. You meet with your coach 3x/week for 4 weeks, learning the ins & outs of what CrossFit and CrossFit Austin is all about.
1 month | 12 Sessions
Just show up; we’ll do the rest. The Prep course you enroll in will meet 3x/week for 4 weeks. Structured like a CrossFit Class, your Prep course classes will be at the same time each day throughout the course length for 1-hour. Just show up, we’ll do the rest (we mean it!) – Your coach leads you through the hour class, from welcome, to warm-up, to workout with the learning in between.
1 Coach | 6 athletes
The Prep Course is limited to 6 clients per course to ensure everyone gets quality, semi-private coaching, and our coaches can focus on teaching instead of managing.
With limited space in each course, wait-list opportunities are available.
>>Click here<< to see a schedule of our upcoming Prep Courses
Learn more about the CrossFit Austin coaches leading The Prep here.
Pricing:
Group Prep Option: $200
Course Times:
{6:30 am on M/W/F} or {6:30 pm on M/W/Th}
4 weeks beginning April 4!
About two years ago, everyone’s favorite bearded CrossFit superstar Lucas Parker posted this on instagram:
Since then the world realized “You’re only cool if you stretch your groin”.
In all seriousness regular stretching and foam rolling your groin has a myriad of benefits from helping relieve knee and lower back pain to improving the bottom of your squat, and giving you a stronger set up position in the Olympic lifts. I like the KISS method for mobility so you won’t find any bands or fancy contraptions in our stretching series below. Good ole fashion gravity will be doing the work in these stretches, and the whole routine should take no longer than 10 minutes. Lastly it’s important to remember not to be over aggressive when stretching, if a stretch gives you excessive pain or any numbness discontinue immediately.
Groin on the Wall Stretch
- Lay flat on your back with your butt all the way against the wall
- Let your legs fall to side and spread as far apart as possible
- Relax your feet do not pull your toes back or flex your calves
- Take long deep breaths through your belly, gently increase the stretch as you exhale
Frog Stretch
- On your forearms and knees, face down on the floor point your feet out, and let your your knees spread wide
- Using your forearms to gently push your hips back and keep your chest as close to the floor as possible
- Take long deep breaths through your belly, gently increase the stretch as you exhale
Lizard Stretch
- This stretch will also incorporate the hip capsule and hip flexors
- Kneeling on one knee, lower your hand or forearm to the ground
- Try to keep your torso as close to the “up” leg as possible
- Take long deep breaths through your belly, gently increase the stretch as you exhale
Standing Groin Stretch
- Standing up prop a straight leg up on a box or elevated surface so your foot is above your waist
- Increase the stretch by slowly squatting with leg you are standing on
- Take long deep breaths through your belly, gently increase the stretch as you exhale
Those are the stretches now here’s the routine.
3:00 Groin on the Wall Stretch
2:00 Frog Stretch
1:00 Lizard stretch right leg
1:00 Lizard stretch left leg
1:00 Standing Groin stretch right leg
1:00 Standing Groin stretch left leg
This is a great series of stretches to do on a daily basis at night or in the morning if you have “tight” hips or are experiencing some knee ache while squatting. Its also great to do before class especially on days that include lunge, squatting, or Olympic lifts. Enjoy!
-Coach Wes
Check out these mobility tips from Coach Tim!
March 25th
Athlete Check-In at 6:30 pm
Athlete Check-In at 6:30 pm
First heat starts at 7:00 pm
Join CrossFit Austin and Airrosti for the biggest and best Friday Night Lights celebration. Come to cheer on your fellow CrossFitters participating in 16.5 and enjoy great music, food, beer, wine and enter win free swag provided by Airrosti. The first 20 participants to register for heats receive a free Airrosti t-shirt. Hope to see you there!