Bound Newsletter 4.12.2026
13 Years of CrossFit Bound: Grateful, Humbled, and Built by Community
Thirteen years.
It’s hard to put into words what that really means. What started as a vision—to create a place where people could train hard, improve their health, and push their limits—has become something far greater than I ever imagined.
CrossFit Bound isn’t just a gym. It never has been.
From Kennesaw to Acworth, Marietta, and beyond, this place has been shaped by the people who walk through the doors every single day. And after 13 years, the overwhelming feeling is simple: gratitude.
Grateful for every early morning class.
Grateful for every late-night workout.
Grateful for every person who trusted us enough to start when they weren’t sure they could.
And humbled—because the real success of CrossFit Bound has never been about programming, equipment, or square footage. It’s always been about the people.
I’ve watched complete strangers walk in and, over time, become training partners, friends, and family. I’ve seen people hit milestones they once thought were impossible—not just because of what they did individually, but because of the encouragement around them. The fist bumps after a tough workout, the cheers during a heavy lift, the “you’ve got this” when someone wants to quit—that’s what makes this place different.
That’s what makes this place work.
There’s something powerful that happens when a group of people chooses to show up—not just for themselves, but for each other. When effort is shared. When success is celebrated collectively. When no one is left to struggle alone.
That’s CrossFit Bound.
Over the years, we’ve seen PRs, competitions, transformations, and accomplishments of all kinds. But the moments that stand out the most aren’t always the biggest lifts or fastest times—they’re the moments where someone didn’t give up because the person next to them wouldn’t let them.
That’s the culture. That’s the standard.
And that’s why we’re still here 13 years later.
To every member—past and present—thank you. You are the reason this place exists. You are the reason it continues to grow. You are the reason it matters.
Here’s to the early days, the current moment, and everything still ahead.
13 years in—and we’re just getting started.
Bragging Board
Congratulations to Nick white and his wife on their first child coming October 2026!
(hopefully its the 11th :)
Michael Rivera
Took 6 minutes off his Hyrox time in Miami 2 weeks ago. Keep up the good work!
2026 Hero Month shirts
Here is our 2026 Hero Shirts - I have samples in the front area hanging on the bottom right Tshirt rack for you to look at to determine the size you may need. These are available for pre-order through wodify (you can purchase directly through app under the ‘buy’ tab on home screen).
We will have the navy blue for both womens crop tops and a tri blend t shirts.
Any questions please reach out to info@crossfitbound.com
Deadline to order is April 25th
Crop Tops - $32.99
Tri Blend Tshirts - $29.99
Weekly Training Highlight Reel is in the Works
How to Use the CrossFit Bound Member Vault
The Member Vault is your go-to resource for everything—from your first class to long-term progress.
But here’s the key: you don’t need to do everything at once.
👉 Start simple.
In your first few weeks, focus on:
Showing up consistently
Learning movements
Getting comfortable in the gym
As you progress, begin building habits outside the gym:
Sleep
Hydration
Nutrition
Daily movement
Over time, you’ll explore deeper topics like training, scaling workouts, and nutrition to improve performance.
How to use it best:
Use it when you have questions
Go back when you feel stuck
Improve one thing at a time
The biggest takeaway?
The members who see the best results:
Show up
Stay consistent
Listen to coaching
Build small daily habits
Keep it simple:
Show up
Move well
Track habits
Stay patient
That’s how progress happens.
CrossFit Bound Standard:
Lift Heavy. Breathe Heavy. Develop Skill.
But first… show up.
The Member Vault is password protected. If you are a member and need access please email info@crossfitbound.com for password (or ask a friend/member/coach in class)
Upcoming Brithdays & Anniversaries
Anniversaries
9-Years
Alex & Meg Willis April 3
5-Years
Brooklyn Shaw April 14
Laura Rutland April 28
2-Year
Kalob Apodaca April 2
Birthdays
Fatih Sen April 13
April Zacharis April 14
Katherine Garey April 15
Elizabeth Tillman April 19
Sabrina Melo April 20
Nick Hadley April 23
Mary Lubbers April 24
Ken Wysocki April 25
Missy Ureda April 26
Upcoming Events & Clinics
HERO MONTH begins May 1st
be sure to write down your the Hero WOD you want to do and the Hero Wod you do not want to do on the white board in the gym.
Hero Shirts are available for Pre-order as well in the front on wodify.
Education: CrossFit Journal Article “Sound Hip Function: The CrossFit Secret to Athletic Power You May Be Missing”
by: Stephane Rochet, CF Lvl 3
Sound Hip Function: The Athletic Foundation You’re Already Training
Let’s be honest, “sound hip function” doesn’t exactly sound exciting. It sounds like something physical therapists discuss over coffee. But here’s the truth: this is the difference between moving well and moving powerfully. This is what separates the Michael Jordans and Usain Bolts from everyone else.
And if you’re doing CrossFit? You’re already training it. You just might not know it yet.
If you’d rather watch and listen to this conversation, you can do that here.
You can also find our other information on common movement themes here:
What Is Sound Hip Function?
Coach Greg Glassman used to say that sound hip function is “absolutely necessary and nearly sufficient” for elite athletic performance. Think about that. Nearly everything you need for explosive, powerful movement comes down to how well your hips work.
When you watch elite athletes, whether it’s a baseball player crushing a home run, a sprinter exploding off the blocks, or a basketball player changing direction on a dime, one thing they all have in common is exceptional hip function. They’re incredibly strong in their posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) and excel at flexing and extending their hips.
The best part? This isn’t just genetic. Sound hip function can be trained. And every time you step into a CrossFit gym, you’re training it, whether you realize it or not.
Hip Function Isn’t Always About Movement
Here’s something that might surprise you: sometimes assessing hip function means looking for what’s not moving.
Take a strict shoulder press. Your hips shouldn’t move at all during this lift, but there’s still a critical demand on the musculature around your hips. Your glutes should be flexed, your quads engaged, and your hips fully extended as you press the bar overhead. That rigid position is your foundation for pressing.
If your hips move even a little, you’re leaking energy — power that should be traveling from the ground, through your hips and core, and into the bar is instead escaping into unnecessary movement.
This same principle applies to:
Strict handstand push-ups: Maintaining full hip extension throughout the movement.
Strict pull-ups: Holding that hollow position requires hip engagement.
Push-ups: Avoiding the “snaking” motion where your hips sag or pike.
In all these movements, sound hip function means creating a stable, rigid platform. Your hips do their primary job: stabilization.
The Power Pattern: Flex, Extend, Repeat
But hip function isn’t just about staying still. The real magic happens when your hips move explosively.
The fundamental athletic pattern is simple: flex the hip, then powerfully extend it. This pattern shows up everywhere:
Sprinting
Jumping
Changing direction
Throwing
Kicking
Swinging a bat or racket
Any movement where you’re trying to generate force
In CrossFit, you see this pattern constantly.
Push Press
The dip phase creates hip flexion; your knees bend, and your hips drop back, loading your glutes and hamstrings. Then you violently extend your hips to drive the bar overhead. Because you don’t re-bend your knees in a push press, it’s all about that single, powerful extension.
Push Jerk
This movement adds complexity. You still flex and fully extend (absolutely necessary to get maximum force into the bar), but now you also reflex your hips to receive the bar overhead. This requires precise timing and neuromuscular coordination.
Olympic Lifts
Watch a skilled weightlifter perform a clean or snatch. What stands out isn’t just the speed; it’s the blinding flash from full extension to reflexion under the bar. They extend their hips powerfully off the ground, then retreat under the bar by reflexing their hips at incredible speed.
Broad Jumps
Flex your hips as you load, rapidly extend as you launch yourself forward, then reflex to land safely. That rapid extension, especially those last few inches where you hit full hip extension, is where the power comes from.
The Faults That Kill Your Power
Understanding proper hip function helps you recognize when things go wrong. Here are the two main culprits: the muted hip and incomplete extension.
The Muted Hip
A “muted hip” doesn’t mean you failed to extend; it means you failed to flexwhen you should have.
In a push press dip, for example, some athletes push their knees forward, and their hips follow, staying in extension. The hip never creates that angle between the knee and torso. It’s just a straight line down. Without hip flexion, you can’t engage your glutes and hamstrings to drive the bar up. You’re leaving massive amounts of power on the table.
Incomplete Extension
You can have 98% hip extension and still miss the most important piece. That last little bit of extension, those final few inches, is where the power comes from. It’s where you feel that “pop” of force as it transfers into whatever you’re moving.
When you fully extend your hips in a push press and feel that pop, suddenly the bar flies overhead. In a broad jump, that complete extension launches you farther than you thought possible. It’s a light bulb moment when you finally feel it — “Oh, THAT’S what they mean by using my hips.”
The Third Element: Speed of Transition
Here’s where athleticism really shines: it’s not just about flexing and extending; it’s about how quickly you can transition from extension back to flexion.
Great athletes can flex, extend, and reflex their hips in a coordinated, lightning-fast sequence. This is what you see when someone sticks a clean or snatch, lands softly on a box jump, or changes direction on the field without losing speed.
And yes, you can train this in CrossFit:
The receiving position of a clean.
The catch in a jerk.
Sticking your landing on box jumps.
The speed at which you drive elbows through in a clean.
How quickly you turn your hands over in a snatch.
As you refine your technique, you’re working on bar path and elbow position and training your nervous system to fire that flex-extend-reflex pattern faster and more efficiently.
Why This Matters for You
You might not be competing for an Olympic medal or playing in the NBA, but sound hip function still matters enormously for your training and life.
When you learn to properly flex and extend your hips:
You generate more power in every movement.
You reduce injury risk by using the right muscles for the job.
You improve in multiple movements simultaneously because the pattern transfers across everything.
You become more athletic in how you move both in and out of the gym.
Think about it: the ability to rapidly flex, extend, and reflex your hips is what allows you to catch yourself when you slip, jump over an obstacle, or react quickly in sports. It’s functional athleticism.
CrossFit Trains This Naturally
Here’s the beautiful part: if you’re following a well-coached CrossFit program, you’re already training sound hip function across multiple contexts.
Strict presses teach you to stabilize your hips under load. Push presses and jerks train explosive hip extension. Olympic lifts develop the speed of your flex-extend-reflex cycle. Box jumps, broad jumps, and kettlebell swings all reinforce these patterns.
The movements we do in CrossFit naturally develop the hip function that makes you more powerful and athletic. You just need to understand what you’re training so you can focus on doing it well.
What To Focus On
Next time you’re in the gym:
In static positions (press, handstand push-up, pull-up):
Squeeze your glutes.
Keep your hips fully extended.
Create a rigid platform; no energy leaks.
In dynamic movements (push press, jerks, Olympic lifts):
Actually flex your hips in the dip; don’t just bend your knees.
Drive to full extension and feel that final pop.
Move quickly from extension back to flexion when required.
In all movements:
Pay attention to what your hips are doing.
Feel where your power comes from.
Notice when you’re leaving force on the table.
Sound hip function might not sound sexy, but it’s the foundation of athletic power. It’s what allows you to generate force, move explosively, and transfer power effectively in every movement you do.
Recipe of the Week: Lean Garlic Dijon Pork Chops
High Protein • Low Fat • Family of 4–5
Nutrition
Protein: 35–40g
Carbs: 2–3g
Fat: 5–7g
Low-Carb Side Options (Pick 2–3)
1️⃣ Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper
Roast at 400°F for 20–25 min
Low carb, high fiber, super filling
2️⃣ Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry
Cauliflower rice sautéed with garlic + soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
Add green onions for flavor
Great rice substitute, very low calorie
3️⃣ Cucumber Tomato Salad
Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion
Toss with vinegar + a splash of olive oil
Light, refreshing, balances the meal
✅ Why This Meal Works
✔ Lean pork = high protein without excess fat
✔ Simple ingredients = easy for busy families
✔ Crockpot or oven flexibility
✔ Keeps carbs low while still satisfying
Ingredients
For the Pork Chops
5 lean, boneless pork chops (loin cuts, trimmed of fat)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp الإيطalian seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Instructions
Season pork chops with salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
Heat a skillet over medium-high and quickly sear chops 2–3 minutes per side (locks in flavor, optional but recommended).
Add pork chops to crockpot or baking dish.
Mix broth, Dijon mustard, garlic, and apple cider vinegar.
Pour over pork.
Cooking Options:
Crockpot: LOW 5–6 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours
Oven: 375°F for 25–30 minutes (covered)
Low carb, high fiber, super filling
