| Welcome to the first newsletter of 2025! We’re introducing a new format this month: highlights, events, and what’s going on this month first, and then wrapping up programming. Here’s what’s coming – – BTS Holiday and 12th Anniversary Party – THIS SATURDAY! – 2025 Member Referral Program! – NEW BTS Monthly Member Survey – Member Shoutouts! – Programming Peak into 2025 – January Programming Focus – Wrap Up: Goal Setting and Accountability |
| Birdtown Strength Holiday and 12th Anniversary Party – THIS SATURDAY! Join us to celebrate another year of Birdtown Strength at our 12th Annual Holiday and Anniversary Party at 7:00pm on January 11 at Plank Road Tavern. More info here – https://fb.me/2elc9UvPX9GkJnO. Stay safe friends, $10 off Uber ride to or from Plank on BTS. Use code: rPiGPV85SRW. |
| 2025 Member Referral Program! The simple version: refer a new athlete to Birdtown Strength and in a few months, you’ll get a credit on your bill. The longer version has a few more brackets around it: -Program includes net new athletes to BTS who sign up for a six-month plans – New athlete must include current BTS athlete’s name in registration, or include in email when scheduling fundamentals / start date New athlete must be in good standing (all bills paid) for three months, then in Month 4 – the referring / current BTS athlete gets a $50 credit on their account if the new athlete selected an unlimited plan or a $40 credit if the new athlete selected a 3x month for the six-month commitment |
| NEW BTS Monthly Member Survey: CLICK ME! We’re always welcome to feedback, but want to coordinate this in an easy to submit, consistent manner. We’re going to aim for short surveys (5 questions) each month focused on one or two particular topics + a free for all response space. You joined BTS to improve your fitness – so we’re starting there: Programming and Providing a Personalized Experience at the Gym. Click the button above or here to respond – https://forms.gle/G2DdXWxa3AXRrzEY9. |
| Member Shoutouts! Time for some celebrations – in the last month, Amy LaMantia hit 1,000 classes and Jaime Zachar reached 1,250 classes! These two have been with us for 8+ years. That is some excellent consistency over time. Milestones big and small need more recognition. Shoutout to some of our newer athletes Cat McMillion and Will Vance with 10+ classes, Andrew Badalich with 25+, Beki Bell, Mary Cae (MC) Tillie, and Jayna Maxwell also hit a 50+ class marker since December 1. Keep up the great work friends! |
| Programming Peak into 2025 We’re breaking this year down by quarters – we’ll have four main phases, and four main cycles! Phase 1 – Jan, Feb, & March IGNITE: Preparing for the Open & Higher Effort Workouts CYCLE 1: Tempo Front Squat and Deadlift BENCHMARK TEST: Fight Gone Bad Phase 2 – April, May, & June STEAD BURN: Refining Olympic Lifts & Building Aerobic Capacity CYCLE 2: Olympic Lifting BENCHMARK TEST: Nasty Girls / Nasty Girls v2 Phase 3 – July, Aug, & Sept ADDING FUEL: Big Power Lifes & Anaerobic Threshold CYCLE 3: The CrossFit Total BENCHMARK TEST: Holleyman Phase 4 – Oct, Nov, & Dec REIGNITE: Finish Strong, Build Gymnastics, & New Lifts CYCLE 4:The Other CF Total BENCHMARK TEST: Death Row Each week we strive to bring you a week that is varied, challenging, and fun. Variety is NOT random, but comes in a few different forms. First, we provide a wide variety of stimuli each week to challenge and engage athletes. Variance here comes in the form of movement (major movement function, movement patterns, and movement combinations), loading, and volume. Second, the time domains vary to ensure we go short, medium, and long in our workouts each week to train different metabolic pathways. Third, format of workouts programmed vary…FOR TIME, ROUNDS FOR TIME, AMRAPs, EMOMs, INTERVALS, & FOR QUALITY. All of these factors are taking consideration weekly in building the most comprehensive and fun week possible. Last, but not least, we offer scaling options on a daily basis. Each day you’ll see a defined workout on the main white board, paired with a “Fitness” version on the white board wall. This alt WOD is the moderate skill version of the main workout. The Fitness track limits on movement complexity, loading, and overall volume. Both the main WOD and Fitness can be adjusted up or down to suit the needs of any athlete. If you have needs beyond those of Fitness, talk your coach! They’re there for you. |
| January Programming Focus We’re starting this year off strong with our IGNITE phase (Jan-Feb-Mar)! In this first phase of 2025, we will be focusing on Preparing for the Open and Higher Effort Workouts . We kick off our first strength cycle of the year THIS WEEK, focusing on tempo work for the Front Squat and Deadlift! The cycle starts with a test of 1-Rep heavy efforts for both lifts then moves into a 6-week work-up using various tempos. This is going to keep athletes under tension for longer, getting them stronger and more confident with different positions of the lifts! The beginning of a new year also brings around the CF Open. The key to success in the Open is exposure to those style workouts. With this in mind we will see (1) historic Open workout each week in January to get ready for the 2025 workouts! In addition, the Open almost always tests different skills and we will help athletes prepare for those tests. In the programming, we will see at least (1) skill session per week dedicated towards some of those ‘trickier’ Open movements to help athletes build more skills and more confidence. Lastly, we will see our testing workout for Phase 1 of this year’s programming, Fight Gone Bad! Each phase will have its own testing workout that will be tested and retested. Throughout each Phase we will continue to see other big name workouts but the Phase test/retest will be something that we want all athletes to pay attention to. We believe this will feel less cluttered each month and really allow athletes to focus on crushing their retest! We are excited to kick off 2025 – so let’s get to work! WEEKLY ACTIONABLES & MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS 2x Weekly Tempo Strength Sessions Weekly Throwback CF Open Workout Weekly Skill Practice for CF OPEN Weekly Partner Workout (Optional) Hero Workout Classic Workout: Cindy/ Mary Benchmark Workout: Fight Gone Bad TEMPO STRENGTH CYCLE (1/6-2/21) Week 1 – 1RM Front Squat & Deadlift Week 2 – 5×4 FS / DL Week 3 – 5×3 FS / DL Week 4 – 5×2 FS / DL Week 5 – 5×1 FS / DL Week 6 – Deload Week 7 – Retest |
| Wrap Up: Goal Setting and Accountability Can’t send a New Year newsletter out without touching on goals. One intention of the survey this month is to learn more about you and your goals. We want to be able to cater your BTS experience more specifically to what you are working towards. Share them via the survey, respond here, or ask a coach for help with defining some goals. Getting that goal out there is one more step to be held accountable in making it happen. “By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands — your own.” — Mark Victor Hansen My goal buckets: life, gym, wellness. My goal durations: ongoing, set the habit, by end of Q1. (1) work towards a more consistent schedule, (2) provide coaching feedback to at least one coach per week after attending one of their classes, (3) 675,000 steps by March 31! (7,500 steps / day x 90 days). There’s many more in the back of my mind. But if everything is a priority, then nothing is. Narrow your focus and dig in. Don’t forget – “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” — Stephen King Yours in fitness, Jillian and Team BTS |
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