Bound Newsletter 2.8.2026
Athlete of the Month - Hannah Spratlen
Hannah was introduced to CrossFit Bound through her mom, a longtime member, but it wasn’t until she stumbled across a CrossFit Games documentary that something clicked and inspired her to give it a shot. Walking into her first class was intimidating—she was young, inexperienced, and surrounded by strong athletes—but she kept showing up. Over time, CrossFit became a grounding routine that improved her mental health, built confidence, and taught her the power of discipline, consistency, and being strong both inside and outside the gym.
1.How did you first hear about CrossFit Bound, and what made you decide to give it a try?
My mom introduced me to CrossFit Bound. She’s been a member of Bound for almost 10 years. It’s kind of funny, though, because quite frankly, I never cared to ask her about it until a few years ago. Oddly enough, I stumbled upon a CrossFit Games documentary on YouTube. For the first time, I saw female athletes completely annihilating workouts and throwing around weights that were incredibly heavy, as if it was nothing. I was inspired by them, and I wanted to give it a try. It didn’t take much convincing on my end for my mom to sign me up.
2. What were your first thoughts walking into the gym for your first class?
I was so intimidated. I was the youngest one in the room, and I had never touched a barbell in my life. I could tell that everyone was so strong. Rock music was blasting from the speakers and people were sprawled out on the floor, drenched in sweat. I asked myself, “What the heck did I get myself into?”
3. You juggle school, social events, and training. How do you manage your time and stay consistent?
Going to the gym is a no-brainer for me. I have to go, or else I’ll go crazy. Sometimes, I have to be flexible and plan my workouts around school and social events. I just have to be really intentional with my time. I love routine, so I keep a strict schedule for the gym when I can. I like to go the same four days at their respective times every week, and I try not to drift from that schedule.
4. What role has CrossFit played in your life outside of the gym?
CrossFit has drastically improved my mental health. In my junior year of high school, I really struggled with anxiety and depression. I would have frequent anxiety attacks, and I struggled getting up each day. It was hurting my performance in school and sports, and it was affecting my relationships with others. Honestly, I had never felt more isolated in my life. By my senior year, I quit my high school sport (swimming), but I tried my best to remain consistent in the gym. Slowly but surely, CrossFit became my outlet. By going to the gym each day, I finally felt like I could take control of my life. CrossFit pulled me out of that dark hole. CrossFit taught me what it truly means to be disciplined. It doesn’t matter how motivated or unmotivated you are. Discipline is being committed to the process and showing up even when you don’t want to. Show up on your best day. Show up on your worst.
5. How has training helped you during busy or stressful times at school?
Training clears my mind. Whenever I’m stressed about school, I gravitate towards the gym because it gives me an hour to not think about anything. I study for hours on end, so moving my body is a great way for me to take a break from academics.
6. What’s a PR, skill, or moment in the gym that you’re especially proud of
I'm really proud of my improvement with gymnastics skills. I can finally do large sets of toes to bar and I just learned how to do kipping handstand pushups.
7. How has your mindset toward fitness or your body changed since starting CrossFit?
CrossFit has helped me form a positive body image. A lot of girls my age, and just women in general, do anything to be skinny. I know so many people who massively underfuel and do workouts that claim to “slim and tone”, but they don’t see the bigger picture. There is nothing wrong with wanting your body to look a certain way; how you go about it matters. The women at CrossFit Bound are strong, badass women who treat their bodies well. They are a prime example that you can lift weights and test the limits of fitness. Being strong is so much more important than being able to wear a size extra small. CrossFit has taught me to have a healthy relationship with food and with my body, and I’m so grateful for that.
8. What does support from your family—especially your mom—mean to you in your fitness journey?
Support from my family, especially my mom, means feeling seen and encouraged even on the hard days. When I doubt myself, her belief in me helps me keep going and reminds me that I’m capable of more than I think. She’s the perfect example of what it looks like to be disciplined and stay consistent.
9. What advice would you give to other students who think they’re “too busy” to train?
You are not too busy. If fitness is truly important to you, you will make time. You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems. Build a routine that fits your life as it is, not the imaginary version where you’re suddenly less busy. Start small, but be consistent. Stop waiting to feel motivated.
10. What goals are you working toward right now?
One of my biggest goals is to attend the University of Georgia in the fall. I just submitted my transfer application, and I’ll hear back sometime in March. I also want to maintain a 4.0 GPA for as long as possible. It’s a stretch, but I definitely think it’s possible. If I have the opportunity to attend UGA, I really want to find a good CrossFit gym in Athens. My 2026 CrossFit goals are to do a bar muscle up and back squat at least 200lbs.
Bragging Board:
Welcome Samuel Allen Stark
Sam informed me that both momma and baby are healthy and happy! Congratulations buddy
Dont know how I forgot
But a congratulations is long overdue for these two are there engagement recently and news of another family member on the way!!!
Mary and Jesus competed at the V-Day Massacre
Finishing in 7th place against some tough competition - congrats you two!
Several Hang Power Clean PRs from this weeks Clean Complex:
Natalie Gordon with a PR at 140.5 lbs
Hannah Spratlen with a PR at 120lbs
Sheri Kindred with a PR at 110lbs
Check Out our Weekly Training Highlight Reel Below
Upcoming Brithdays & Anniversaries
Anniversaries
5-Years
- Brian Chambers Feb 22
4-Years
- Hilary & Trevor Maloney Feb 14
3-Years
- Ruben Rivera Feb 3
2-Year
- Greg Dafini Feb 12
- Jim Blackhall Feb 15
1-Year
- Elaine Dunbar Feb 7
- Sam Porter Feb 20
- Paulette Colon Feb 28
- Sabrina Melo Feb 2
Birthdays
Matthew Heaton Feb 9
Mandi Nobis Feb 9
Kamila Hernandez Feb 15
Savannah Haygood Feb 17
Jenni Pettit Feb 17
Jennifer Hughes Feb 19
Ryan Allen Feb 21
Miles Pettit Feb 26
Upcoming Events & Clinics
Gymnastics Clinic - February 7th from 10am-12pm
CROSSFIT OPEN - FEBRUARY 26 through MARCH 16
- Jan 14th is the opening day for registration. Let’s represent this year!
- HERE are more details.
Barbell Club starts back on Thursday February 19th
Friday Night Lights
Feb 27
March 6
March 13
Olivia Kates Path 5K in celebration of Olivia Pugh to benefit the Oliva Kate Pugh Strength and Shield Scholarship to Harrison High School Seniors
February 28, 2026 @ 8:30am
Sign Up By Following this LINK
CrossFit Journal Article of the Week: The Illusion of Fitness and Earning Intensity: How CrossFit Breaks the Comfort Trap
By Stephane Rochet, CF-L3
I’ve written several articles about implementing CrossFit intelligently by judiciously using intensity. We must earn the right to push by first mastering movements and then slowly adding weight or speed to find the edge of technical competency through threshold training. I’ve harped on not going too hard, too soon, too often. This is my counter to the refrain from fraudulent competitors and outsiders, as well as individuals who speak out of both sides of their mouths about topics they know nothing about, claiming CrossFit causes injury.
Applied as intended, CrossFit forges elite fitness, changes lives, and pushes away the misery of chronic disease. CrossFit overzealously applied does the same thing with a little added risk of tweaks and niggles along the way. It’s when CrossFit is applied by someone who won’t leave their ego at the door and thinks they know better than anyone else — including their trainer — that things can get a little messy. This is true of any endeavor. There are often dire consequences for being an ass.
Intensity Isn’t the Enemy
Hopefully, my constant promotion of the mantra of mechanics and consistency before intensity has not sent the message that I think intensity is bad. To the contrary, it is a critical part of any fitness program. Intensity is the key to the amazing results we’re chasing, which is why intensity is a central tenet of our program.
The thing is, working out with intensity — and I’m talking about relative intensity — is uncomfortable. Pushing load, speed, and reps hurts. It’s much more comfortable to sit on a machine, do a set, check our cell phone, do another set, check our cell phone, do a last set, towel off the beads of sweat on our brow, get up and find the next machine, and repeat this slow, meandering process. When someone tells me they’re in the gym for two to three hours a day, I know what their workout looks like, and their scrawny legs and lack of traps confirm my suspicions.
Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, has stated, “Nobody ever got fit, or even close, through a combination of long slow aerobics and bodybuilding routines.”
The Comfort Trap
Yet many of us have fallen into this fitness trap because it’s relatively easy, even pleasant. We convince ourselves we’re doing the right things. The truth is, a routine of Zone 2 work on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, combined with the same weight training regimen day in and day out for years on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, is not the path to elite fitness.
When we adopt this pattern of training, we’re clinging to an illusion of fitness and toil while sitting squarely in our comfort zone. We tell ourselves we’re working hard even though we have no way to quantify this. In fact, the weights we lift, reps we complete, and distances we cover have remained stagnant for years, while the list of things we can’t do keeps growing. If we were to measure our power output for our workouts, we would find it to be minimal.
CrossFit Grandview
Worse yet, we look at those crazy people blending Olympic lifts, powerlifts, gymnastics, and running, biking, and rowing, all while breathing hard and taking few and short breaks, and we know they are a special few zealots who can work out this way. We also nod knowingly to ourselves that, while they may look fit and strong and back it up by doing things we can’t even comprehend, they’ll soon get hurt and be forced to quit. We know better, we tell ourselves. So, we stay where we’re comfortable. Mired in mediocrity. Hanging on to average fitness. There’s a motivating tagline.
This illusion of fitness we’re living in is actually complacency. As Jordan Peterson says, “Complacency is the death spiral of the comfortable.” Whether in business, sports, or our profession, when we settle in and do only what’s comfortable, we’re losing ground. We’re getting worse. We’re dying.
The Path Forward
How do we fix this? We need to ignore that feeling in our gut that makes us nervous because we know Fran, Helen, Cindy, or any one of a thousand nameless challenges is waiting to test our body and mind.
We need to do the opposite of what our body is telling us.
We need to pull away from the “easy” globo-gym-style workouts and gravitate toward, even seek out, challenges.
We need to embrace the struggle of dedicated practice to learn challenging movements, the strain of lifting heavy weights, and the suck of intensity.
This is how we chase excellence and forge elite fitness.
How do we know if we’re on the right path?
When we fail often, when we feel uncomfortable, when we have to face fears, and when we don’t want to do it but we do, that’s how we know we’re chasing excellence. This is the only way we grow and fulfill our potential in any endeavor. We must take pride in wrestling with complacency, finding discomfort, and not clinging to the illusion of safety and lackluster results. Pushing ourselves this way is the essence and spice of life, and the rewards far outweigh the sacrifice. Ultimately, this is one of the greatest gifts CrossFit has given the world.
The Unexpected Gift
All this talk about being the best we can be and paying the price sounds so serious. And it is. Quality of life, and actually staying alive, is on the line for millions of people. But the hard work and shared suffering actually create a close-knit community that is the social hub for millions. It’s with our CrossFit group that we enjoy BBQs, events like marathons, Hyrox, Spartan races, or long hikes. These are the people with whom we play sports and go camping, travel, and raise our kids. They are family. These are the people with whom we laugh and cry and who shape the very fabric of our lives. The fun, life-defining moments and the family feel are a consequence of the work. This is another precious gift, although somewhat unintended, that CrossFit has delivered to the world.
So no matter how hard the workout, no matter how shitty our performance, when we’re living the CrossFit lifestyle, we always need to remember (to paraphrase an old Marine friend of mine): “If we’re not having fun, we’re f*cking it up!”Ring push-ups
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Ginger-Garlic Chicken & Veggie Rice Bowls
Instructions
Cook the Rice
Cook white rice according to package directions. Set aside and keep warm.
Make the Sauce
Whisk together soy sauce (or coconut aminos), olive oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.
Cook the Chicken
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add a little oil, then cook chicken for 5–7 minutes until golden and fully cooked.
Pour in half the sauce and toss to coat. Remove chicken from pan.
Cook the Veggies
In the same pan, add broccoli and carrots.
Sauté 4–6 minutes until tender but still crisp.
Add remaining sauce and stir.
Combine & Serve
Return chicken to the pan, toss everything together, and cook 1–2 more minutes.
Serve over rice or mix together for bowl-style meals.
Why This Works 💪
High protein for recovery and satiety
Simple carbs (white rice) to fuel active families
Low sugar sauce with no bottled junk
Easy to scale for meal prep or leftovers
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serving size: 1 bowl (¼ of recipe)
Per Serving (Approximate)
Calories: ~520 kcal
Protein: ~45–48 g
Carbohydrates: ~45–50 g
Fat: ~12–14 g
Sugar: ~4–6 g
Fiber: ~5–6
Ingredients
Protein & Base
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
3 cups broccoli florets
2 cups carrots, sliced (coins or matchsticks)
Low-Carb Flavor Sauce
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (or 1 tsp ground)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
Optional heat: red pepper flakes or sriracha (to taste)
