Bound Newsletter 10.12.2025
Lessons from the Field: One Shot at a Time
“It’s just one shot. You missed. It sucks, but it’s done. You can stay stuck on the miss, or you can learn from it and get better for the next one.”
This past weekend, my son Carson had the kind of experience that every bowhunter dreams about — and fears. The biggest buck of his life stepped into range. He drew his bow, calmed his breathing, and waited for the perfect moment. Everything was lined up.
Then he released.
In an instant, the arrow clipped a branch, deflecting high and sailing just over the buck’s back. The deer bolted, and the woods fell silent.
Carson’s excitement turned to frustration. He had done everything right — until that one branch. He dropped his head, replaying the miss over and over.
I looked at him and said, “It’s just one shot. You missed. It sucks, but it’s done. You can stay stuck on the miss, or you can learn from it and get better for the next one.”
That conversation stuck with me — because it applies far beyond the woods.
In training, nutrition, and life, we all take shots. Some land perfectly. Others miss. You can hit your lifts all week and then have one off day. You can eat clean meals for days and then crush a pizza and a pint of ice cream. You can sleep great all week, then toss and turn one night.
Those are just missed shots.
But too often, people focus on the one bad meal, the one poor night of sleep, or the one workout they skipped — and let that define their progress. The truth is, one moment doesn’t undo all the work you’ve put in. Just like Carson’s arrow, it’s one shot out of many.
What matters is what you do next.
Do you get back on track the next morning, fuel your body with purpose, and stay consistent? Or do you let one miss spiral into a pattern of frustration and regret?
Improvement — in hunting, fitness, or nutrition — doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from awareness, adjustment, and persistence. The best lifters, the healthiest eaters, and the most disciplined people in the world aren’t perfect — they’re just consistent. They take the next shot.
Carson didn’t tag that buck, but he learned something far more valuable: one miss doesn’t define the hunt — or the hunter. The same goes for all of us.
Missed a lift? Ate something off plan? Slept terribly? Don’t let it derail you. Learn from it, refocus, and aim again.
Because progress — in life, fitness, and nutrition — is built one shot at a time.
Bragging Board
Travis Tucker hit 195lb strict press for 2 reps (still impressive)
Let’s Welcome New Members
Missy Ureda is back - excited to have her join our classes again!
Charles (Bo) Johnson
David Harris
Artiom Markelov
Upcoming Anniversaries & Brithdays
Anniversaries
1-year
Mathew Heaton Oct 14
Travis Tucker Oct 22
Javier Hernandez Oct 26
Jermaine Johnson Oct 28
4-year
Jeff Mayr Oct 26
Birthdays
Brittany Karneol Oct 18
Davis Ureda Oct 18
Francis Rivera Oct 19
Richard Blatchley Oct 22
Laura Rutland Oct 23
Natalie Gordon Oct 25
Upcoming Schedule & Events
Join the HYROX Sim Changemaker Challenge!
CrossFit Bound athletes—train with purpose! Noble Clay’s motto, “The fit will fight for those who are not,” is at the heart of the HYROX Sim Changemaker Challenge on October 25th in Norcross, GA. This half-HYROX event is not only a great tune-up for Atlanta HYROX the following weekend—it’s also a fundraiser supporting Noble Clay’s mission to strengthen communities through fitness.
Why you should participate:
Test your functional fitness in a HYROX-style competition
Support a powerful local cause
Train alongside elite athletes focused on positive change
Prepare for Atlanta HYROX the next weekend
Represent CrossFit Bound while giving back
Special Offer for CrossFit Bound athletes:
Use promo code: BOUND (ALL CAPS) to claim 50% off registration—available for a limited time until October 3rd!Bonus: The first 150 participants receive complimentary Lululemon performance gear (shirt + shorts worth $140!)
Don’t miss this chance to push your limits and make a real impact in our community.
Gymnastics Handstand Focus Class - November 1st from 10:30-12 with coach Nicole Corey
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: Cardiorespiratory Endurance
A Clinical Vital Sign for Chronic Disease Prevention
Prepared by the CrossFit Medical Society; with contributions from Dr. Tom McCoy, Dr. Janette Watkins, and Jennifer Pishko, MSNE
Key Takeaways:
CRF Strongly Predicts Health Outcomes: High cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most powerful predictors of all-cause and disease-specific mortality.
Each MET Matters: Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) is a standardized unit used to express the energy cost of physical activities, defined as the amount of oxygen consumed at rest, equivalent to 3.5 mL of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (3.5 mL/kg/min). It provides a simple way to describe exercise intensity and compare cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels across individuals. Fitness improvements are dose-responsive. For every 1-MET increase in work capacity an individual can perform, there is an associated reduction in all-cause mortality.
Aesthetics don’t matter: Unfit individuals, regardless of BMI, face 2–3 times higher mortality risk.
A 2025 umbrella review by Lang et al. published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reinforces the critical role of fitness in long-term health and disease prevention [1]. This comprehensive analysis synthesized data from 26 meta-analyses, incorporating 199 cohort studies and over 20.9 million observations. The conclusion is clear: cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is among the most robust predictors of morbidity and mortality, exceeding the predictive power of conventional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. For CrossFit coaches, this presents a vital opportunity to redefine success—not just in terms of physical performance, but as a means of promoting health and reducing the risk of chronic disease [2].
The findings are compelling. Individuals with high CRF had a 53% lower relative risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with low CRF [3]. High CRF is defined when an individual can complete greater than 12-METs in one bout of exercise. Comparatively, low CRF is less than 8-METs [4]. The ability to perform 1 additional MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) was linked to an 11–17% reduction in relative risk of mortality. These benefits extend well beyond heart health: high CRF is associated with substantially lower relative risk of developing heart failure (by as much as 69%), as well as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, dementia, depression, and several cancers [5].
Crucially, these associations exist regardless of body mass index. In the study by Lang et al. those who are overweight or obese and physically fit do not face higher mortality or cardiovascular risk than their leaner counterparts [6]. Conversely, being unfit—regardless of weight—was linked to 2–3 times higher relative risk of death [7]. This underscores a critical shift in how we discuss health and body composition in the gym. It’s not about appearance—it’s about physiological function. And as the data shows, CRF is one of the most powerful and modifiable indicators of that function.
Programming that emphasizes constantly varied, functional movements executed at high intensity has been shown to increase CRF. Participation in structured CrossFit training has been shown to produce meaningful gains in cardiorespiratory fitness. VO₂max is a key measure of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and can be expressed in METs, where 1 MET equals 3.5 mL/kg/min of oxygen uptake. In the StartXFit study, CrossFit beginners improved their average VO₂max by approximately 6 mL/kg/min (about 1.7 METs) over nine months of training [8]. Notably, participants in the lowest baseline fitness tertile showed the greatest gains, likely achieving improvements of roughly 2.5–3 METs. Such substantial increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are especially meaningful, as each 1 -MET gain is associated with an estimated 11–17% relative reduction in all-cause mortality risk. This highlights the particular value of structured, high-intensity functional training for those starting with low fitness levels [9]. This principle is central to the CrossFit methodology. The Level 1 Guide identifies cardiorespiratory endurance as one of the “10 General Physical Skills” essential for fitness and health. It is defined as the “ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.” CrossFit training—through repeated efforts of dynamic, full-body movements—maximizes this ability, improving VO₂ max [10].
So how can CrossFit coaches translate this science into practice?
First, we are improving a metric that predicts members’ longevity and quality of life. We don’t need medical equipment to make an impact. The CrossFit stimulus itself, when appropriately scaled and consistently applied, drives the kind of systemic adaptations that build CRF. Coaches can use time domains, pacing, and thoughtful progressions to ensure athletes are hitting the intensities required for cardiovascular adaptation, while also respecting individual capacity and recovery needs.
Second, we can educate athletes about why CRF matters. Many still believe health is about body weight or blood pressure alone. But helping them understand that their ability to move, breathe, and recover is a more powerful indicator of health outcomes than their appearance can be liberating—and motivating. It reorients the conversation away from aesthetics and toward functionality. This aligns closely with CrossFit’s core philosophy: "fitness as work capacity across broad time and modal domains [11]."
Third, we can work to make CRF visible. While most gyms don’t have metabolic carts or lactate threshold testing equipment, we can still track fitness in practical ways. Benchmark workouts can serve as proxy measures of aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Coaches can create repeatable test-retest opportunities, giving athletes tangible evidence of their improving CRF over time. It’s not just about PRs—it’s about long-term progress in performance and health.
It’s also worth noting the mental health benefits. The Lang et al. review found consistent evidence that higher CRF is associated with reduced risk of depression and cognitive decline [12]. In addition, a 2020 article in the BMD Medicine Journal looking at a 7-year prospective cohort study with 152,978 adults showed that low and medium CRF were associated with 49% and 14% higher odds of depression or anxiety, respectively, compared to high CRF. Individuals with both low CRF and low grip strength had nearly 2x the odds of developing such disorders [13]. This intersects with growing awareness in the CrossFit community of the links between movement, mood, and mental resilience. High-intensity training supports not only physical, but emotional well-being—a dual benefit that coaches should continue to preach.
This work contributes to a broader movement advocating for fitness to be recognized as a medical necessity rather than a luxury by clinicians and fitness professionals. With increasing chronic disease rates and growing pressure on healthcare systems, effective preventative measures like CrossFit training are becoming crucial. CrossFit coaches are uniquely positioned to drive this change, thanks to our combination of technical expertise, motivational abilities, and community engagement.
The message is clear: cardiorespiratory fitness improves healthspan and lifespan. And that makes CrossFit affiliates more important than ever.
Whether we’re training seasoned athletes or beginners, we’re contributing to one of the most powerful health interventions available. CRF is the new vital sign—and it’s one we can help improve every single day. In a world where chronic disease is often seen as inevitable, CrossFit stands out as a method that not only builds better athletes—but builds better lives.
