Bound Newsletter 9.14.2025
Choosing What We Think About and Live Out
With everything going on across our country lately, it’s hard not to feel the weight of violence, division, and uncertainty. These moments can stir up emotions in all of us—anger, sadness, frustration, even fear. As both a believer and the owner of CrossFit Bound, I’ve been asking myself how we can respond in a way that builds up instead of tearing down.
One verse I keep coming back to is Philippians 4:8:
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Whether or not you share the same faith, I think we can all agree on this principle: what we fill our minds with shapes who we become. If our thoughts are consumed by negativity, anger, and division, it’s only a matter of time before those things show up in how we treat others. But when we focus on what is good, pure, and admirable, our actions and words reflect that.
This idea connects to another passage, Galatians 5:19-26, which contrasts two very different ways of living. On one hand are things like hatred, discord, jealousy, and selfish ambition. On the other hand are qualities often called the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Even if someone doesn’t come from a biblical perspective, those second qualities are things we all value in community and relationships. They’re the things that make a place safe, supportive, and worth being part of.
At CrossFit Bound, we strive to be that kind of place. Fitness is at the center of what we do, but it’s also about the environment we create together. When you walk through the doors, my hope is that you feel encouragement, kindness, and respect. We don’t all think the same, we don’t all believe the same, but we can agree on this: the way we treat one another matters.
We can’t control everything happening in our world, but we can control how we think, how we act, and what kind of community we build together. My prayer is that we all continue to lean into what is excellent and praiseworthy—lifting each other up, inside and outside the gym.
Because in the end, our thoughts shape our actions, and our actions shape the kind of community we leave behind.
Bragging Board
Jen Wells crushing the Adaptive CrossFit Games 2025 finishing
Finished 6th Overall with a 2nd place finish in The Crucible Event with Max Calories and Max Lift in Barbell Complex
Athlete of the Month - Tyson Kimm
Tell us a little about yourself! (Work, family, hobbies outside the gym)
Matthew (Tyson) Kimm -52. Married to Caroline. Five children: Carson 16, Hadley 15, London 13, Kason 11, Charlie Mac 7. We attend Northstar Church.
Owner at Perfect Game (96-Present). Played in the minor leagues with the Phillies (95-96) and for Creighton University (92-95).
My entire life has been centered around baseball. I grew up in the small town of Norway, Iowa (pop. 600). I was lucky enough to be part of many state championship teams. My dad played, coached and managed in the big leagues so being at the ballpark was my childhood. Now I spend lots of time hauling kids to sporting activities and dance. I coach Charlie Mac in basketball and Kason’s baseball. I enjoy traveling with Caroline, especially skiing, and being out West in the mountains. I started Crossfit around 2013 but took 5 years off before starting back up at CF Bound around Covid.
2. With such a demanding schedule, how do you make time to prioritize your health and training at CrossFit Bound?
Work started getting in the way of the 9 am and Noon classes, so I started attending the 5:30 AM class religiously this May.
3 What motivates you to show up and put in the work, even on the busiest days?
I want to improve my body. End of April, I made it a goal to show up every weekday and I’ve just kept it going no matter how little sleep. I think I’ve missed two workouts. The coaches, members, and even my wife have gone out of their way to make positive comments about looking better and getting after it at the gym. I’m thankful for that motivation.
4 What’s your favorite part about training at CrossFit Bound?
I have many favorite parts. I love after workouts that I feel mentally strong. I’m winning the day before 7 AM. I really enjoy the people. Everyone is encouraging and kind. I feel very lucky the coaches and athletes are super knowledgeable helping me improve and stay injury free.
5 What accomplishment inside or outside of the gym are you most proud of?
The early years at Perfect Game were extremely difficult. It took six years to turn a profit and we missed payroll three times. I think most people would have quit, but we didn’t. Crossfit is comparable, it’s not easy but extremely rewarding. But, getting Caroline to marry me is probably my greatest accomplishment ;)
6 How has CrossFit training helped you in your daily life, career, or personal growth?
My body and mind are as strong as ever. My mobility is improving. I’m not as sore in the mornings. I feel really good right now. It’s easier to have a positive outlook and set a better example for my kids.
7 What advice would you give someone who says they’re “too busy” to work out consistently?
I call BS. No excuses. Make it a priority. Show up and everything else takes care of itself.
8 What’s one goal you’re currently working toward in the gym or in life
Simply, my goal is to workout every weekday and stretch afterwards.
Upcoming Anniversaries & Brithdays
Birthdays
Greg Brooks Sep 17
Javier Hernandez Sep 20
Eriko Moore Sep 22
Grant Griffin Sep 28
Sarah Little Sep 28
Trevor Lampe Sep 29
kara Everill Sep 30
Anniversary
1-year
Tiffany Rivera Sep 17
Joshua Bristow Sep 30
Dalton Brumfield Sep 30
2-year
Levi Samples Sep 27
Natalie Gordon Sep 28
Santez Kindred Sep 30
Upcoming Schedule & Events
Melanie Venable has put together a ‘team’ for the upcoming Savage Race. The team is called ‘FRIENDS BOUND’
Need a training plan to get ready Bound Endurance is implementing a 5K program for this summer. 2 Days a week of running.
Amicolola Falls Marathon - December 6, 2025
Full and Half Marathon route in the famous Amicalola Falls State Park which boasts miles of trails, catering to various fitness levels and preferences. The park's trails meander through lush forests, alongside bubbling creeks, and offer stunning views of the 729-foot Amicalola Falls—the tallest cascading waterfall in Georgia .
Jess and some others are already signed up
The Conquer ‘The Toughest Backyard Ultra’
$150 to sign up, and at the start of the race runners will be given a $100 bill to carry the entire race. The remaining $50 goes to the park fees, volunteers and insurance. If the runner desires to stop or times out of the race, they will place the $100 bill into a glass case for the overall winner to claim at the end. Two years into the planning to discover the toughest location to pull off a backyard ultra and we found it at the famous AT approach trail in the Amicalola Falls State Park. The loop starts at the top of the falls with the rugged East Ridge trail leading down to the bottom parking area to pick up the lower Mountain Laurel trail and then up the AT Approach trails with 605 steps back to the top of the falls.
Simple: Each runner will have 1 hour to complete the 4.1-mile loop (1,065ft of elevation) every hour until only one person remains.
Helen Holiday Half & 10K Race - December 13, 2025
discount code ‘Helen10’. *thank you Jen Wells!
CrossFit Journal Article of the Week: Am I Even Doing CrossFit
by: Stephane Rochet
Social media is a powerful tool for coaches and athletes alike. With YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, we can acquire skills from world-class coaches like Tony Holler and Mike Burgener, learn all about VooDoo floss, or get a great nutrition tutorial. Unfortunately, there’s a negative side to the social aspect of these platforms, and that comes from the keyboard warriors who spout nonsense.
For example, despite all the articles on the value of scaling workouts posted online by thoughtful, intelligent, highly skilled coaches, there are always a few detractors ready to chime in that if you’re always scaling workouts, you’re not doing CrossFit. This is NOT true. Still, this sentiment needs to be addressed because such comments might make someone question whether they are fit enough to do CrossFit, if they’ll ever be capable of doing CrossFit, or if they even belong in a CrossFit gym. It would be a tragedy if these patently false remarks dissuaded someone, whose health and life would be transformed by CrossFit, from taking it up.
What CrossFit Is
CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity. So, if you’re doing movements like squats, deadlifts, presses, Olympic lifts, lunges, pull-ups, push-ups, running, biking, and rowing, that’s a great start. If today’s workout differs from yesterday’s and tomorrow’s is different again, you’re on the right track. If you’re pushing yourself to get better technically or nudging yourself to maintain great technique while you’re feeling discomfort, even if you’re using a PVC pipe for your barbell or a band to assist your calisthenics, you’ve got a CrossFit mindset. Put all these together consistently, add a diet primarily of whole, unprocessed foods, and you’re definitely doing CrossFit.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in doing the prescribed (Rx’d) workout as a point of pride. However, the prescribed workout of the day is written for the most advanced athletes, those who demonstrate great technical mastery across all movements at high load and high speed. It can take years of dedication and practice to perform the Rx’d version of the workout every day, and that’s more than OK. More often than not, most of us need to scale loads, volume, or sometimes movement patterns. Some people come to CrossFit for years and never do the Rx’d version. This does not mean they’re not doing CrossFit.
The wisest CrossFit coaches, like Adrian Bozman and Pat Sherwood, understand the importance of scaling for maximizing our results over the long term and suggest scaling more often. Scaling is not a sign of weakness but a strategic tool to help us progress. Proper scaling preserves the intent of the original workout while matching it to our technical ability and fitness level. Again, changing the workout does not mean we’re no longer doing CrossFit. Scaling is a huge part of CrossFit. It’s what makes this strength-and-conditioning program and the amazing results accessible to anyone. It’s literally part of the culture and part of the science.
How ludicrous would it be to tell someone they weren’t really playing baseball because they didn’t hit a home run every time at bat, or they aren’t really playing basketball because they can’t dunk? People would scoff at such statements, just as we should laugh at the trolls claiming scaled CrossFit isn’t CrossFit. Scaling is the active implementation of CrossFit programming following the charter of mechanics, consistency, and intensity.
First, we develop competency in CrossFit’s movement patterns, often breaking the movements down into progressions for easier assimilation. Then we consistently practice these movements without pushing intensity to develop mastery at many rep ranges and loads. This is all done through scaling. Only once sufficient technical competence has been achieved do we slowly ratchet up the intensity based on the athlete’s capacity. Even the addition of intensity is scaled to the individual. Over the years, we’ll encounter fewer exercises we’re not good at, so we’ll preserve the movements in the workout. However, most of us will consistently encounter loads and rep schemes we must scale to our ability. We make the changes, get a great workout, and enhance our fitness and health. This is all part of doing CrossFit. By scaling workouts, not only are you doing CrossFit, but you’re doing it how it is intended to be done.
What CrossFit Isn’t
Before people argue that “everything is CrossFit then,” let’s be clear about what does not count as CrossFit.
Going to a gym and relying solely on machine-based exercises, even if you do them in a circuit fashion, is not CrossFit.
Doing a program based primarily on isolation movements like leg curls, leg extensions, chest flies and curls, or rehab exercises using bands and stability balls is not CrossFit. While these methods are far superior to not moving at all, they’re not CrossFit, and you won’t get anywhere near as fit as you will with CrossFit.
If your strength-and-conditioning program doesn’t implement heavy days regularly or doesn’t combine weighted movements with calisthenics and/or running, rowing, or biking, you’re not doing CrossFit. Joint issues or injury aside, full range of motion in functional movements is expected if you’re doing CrossFit.
If you don’t leave your ego at the door, you insist on doing workouts as prescribed and then allow your technique to crumble under the intensity as you chase another athlete or time, you’re not doing CrossFit.
If you’re just doing random high-intensity circuits, you’re not doing CrossFit.
If your diet is filled with processed foods, includes portions that exceed your needs, and pushes your health markers in the wrong direction, you’re not doing CrossFit.
The requirements for CrossFit are simple. First, diligently learn and practice the gamut of functional movements performed in CrossFit, starting with the most accessible version or progression you can do. Once suitable technique has been achieved across various movements, nudge the intensity in your workouts and learn to cope with being uncomfortable. Whenever a workout is programmed with a movement you struggle with or loading or volume that exceeds your capacity, scale! Combine these methods with a sound nutrition plan, and you can rest assured your CrossFit game is on point. You can ignore the keyboard agitators and let your results speak for themselves.
Everyday Hero CrossFit Challenge / partnered with Mayhem
