It's been a couple of weeks since we wrapped our deadlift cycle - but don't think we forgot about how hard you guys worked or the MASSIVE gains we saw over the nine-week cycle. It's definitely worth celebrating. So let's do it. Regardless of the number you posted, every single one of you guys has a reason to celebrate because you have a body that is able to deadlift. It's such a gift to be able to run, move our bodies, and other objects. Don't take that for granted. 
Finally, one of our newest members, Zach Lozano currently holds the top spot after pulling a 30 pound PR of 455 pounds. Zach has been an AWESOME addition to the box and a 500 pound lift really just seems like a matter of time. You all did an incredible job and we're so extremely proud of everyone of you. On the last day of the cycle, that whiteboard was littered with circled numbers. That makes all of us coaches so dang happy. We love you guys. Keep up the GREAT WORK! Whit and Chris
Huge ladies lifts
Julie Crowley - has been coming to our box for 2 months now and we have loved having her in our classes. She has a great form on her deadlift, which makes coaching her fun. Last Thursday she hit 265 on her deadlift, making that a new PR by 10lbs. Julie says she didn’t think she was going to be able to lift that weight because she failed the first time she attempted it. She didn’t know she hit a new PR until after she completed the lift and added the weights on the bar. “I can never count what goes on the bar, it messes with my mind," she said. Brenna Lodge - During Open WOD 16.4 Brenna lifted 155 pounds 37 times, and counted that as a huge victory because 155 wasn't that far from her 1 Rep Max. Only a few short months later, she hit 200, increasing her max by 20lbs! Brenna this is AWESOME, keep working on those gainz ...with a "z". Jen Catron - Jen was another who approached the 155lb barbell in March, hoping to get through 50 reps in 16.4’s Open WOD. Her old 1 RM was 180lbs but, as she told me, she hasn’t been able to get past 165 for quite some time. Well you did it Jen! Congratulations for hitting freaking 200 pounds and increasing your old PR by 20 pounds! Haley Hall - Haley recently came back to CrossFit Renew after spending some time away and we are so excited to have her come back! Haley said that she was hoping to hit 230 on Monday and she seemed pretty confident. After lifting 225 she asked me if she should go for 230. Of course she should and, of course, she nailed it. Sadie Flynn and Becca Harris - Sadie and Becca have been chasing each other throughout this entire cycle. When Sadie sprained her ankle playing soccer, she accepted the fact that she would probably not be hitting any PR's during her recovery. But on the last day of the cycle, she had her bar loaded at 290# and said "This will be a PR if I can hit it". And she did. Now she's only 10lbs away from the 300 club but still 15 pounds away our leader in the clubhouse, the great Becca Harris. Becca added to her ever-growing legend by increasing her PR by 35 pounds with a lift of 305 pounds on the final day of the cycle! That makes her the ONLY female in the gym to pull a deadlift over 300 pounds. That also makes her one of the first people to get to check one of the goals off the Goals Board! What a boss.
Massive men's lifts
Cole Erderly - Cole Freaking Erderly (that's his legal middle name...true story) has been one of the coaches favorites over the last few months. If you guys know Cole, you know he has been coming consistently to CrossFit for more than six months now. He tackled the Open this year only having started CrossFit a month before and his dedication and hard work was evident during this 9 week cycle. At the start of the cycle Cole’s 1 rep max was 265. He finished with a pull of 315 pounds and that 50 pound PR is the largest we saw in our box during this cycle. Charles Menzes - Charles attacks every workout with intensity but has always been careful around the deadlift, making sure he does not revisit an old back injury. Before taking 6 weeks off to heal, he had hit a PR of 335. We celebrated big time when he passed this old PR, hitting 365 on the last day of the cycle! Charles, well done for listening to your body and pushing yourself when you know you have more! You are proof that hard work and REST pays off! Thanks for the reminder and nice work on this PR, I see a 400# in your future. Dakota Cartwright - Dakota is the kind of athlete that every coach wants to have in their box. Fun fact about Dakota: he's a West Texas boy who loves classic hip hop making him Chris's best friend for life.
When it comes to CrossFit he's a fast learner and TERRIFIC mover. He is another who has been dedicated, worked hard and comes to classes consistently. He improved his deadlift by 20lbs during this cycle making his new PR 325! Beast mode. Vasko - Yes he has a first name but who ever calls him "Michael'? All the greats go by just one name: Ronaldo. Madonna. Prince. LeBron. Edsel. Vasko is just the best. He's always excited to be at the box, he says hi to everyone, and he finishes every WOD by saying "That was fun. Lets do it again". There are people who would say that as you age your ability to do things like CrossFit decreases. To them I would say "You need to meet Michael Vasko". At age 63, Vasko still comes in everyday ready to bring it, and he brought it to the tune of a 310 pound deadlift. Thanks for proving to all of us that you can do CrossFit regardless of age! Gerry Flynn - Gerry has has a lot of experience in power lifting which is very evident when he approaches the barbell. He also has a great beard, great hair, and thick skin because he's married to Sadie and she's like SUPER DUPER HONEST. Back to deadlifting...Gerry takes his time to set up and make sure his whole body is engaged before going for a lift. He maintained almost perfect form when he hit 445# on Thursday - increasing his PR by 20 pounds.
