Perhaps there’s nothing more important than one’s health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov, physical activity has both immediate and long-term health benefits.
Brandon and Emily Romanos, owners of CrossFit Vengeance in Chamblee, explain the benefits of fitness and good nutrition habits, and how CrossFit can benefit one’s overall health and well-being.
While any movement is good, Brandon and Emily explain that CrossFit offers:
Constantly Varied Workouts: Unlike traditional programs that stick to repetitive routines, CrossFit workouts change daily to keep things engaging and prevent plateaus.
Functional Movements: Instead of isolated exercises (like bicep curls or leg presses), CrossFit focuses on compound, functional movements, which translate directly to real-life strength and mobility.
High-Intensity Workouts: CrossFit applies the principle of intensity by using time domains, rep schemes, and competitive elements to push effort levels, leading to rapid results in strength, endurance, and fat loss.
Scalability for All Levels: While some programs cater to beginners or elite athletes, CrossFit is scalable allowing anyone to participate and progress.
Community and Accountability: CrossFit fosters a strong sense of community, where members push each other, celebrate personal records, and create lasting friendships.
General Physical Preparedness (GPP): CrossFit isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about preparing for the unknown and unknowable, making you fit for life rather than just looking good in the mirror.
Nutrition
“You can’t out train a bad diet,” Emily says. “The easiest way to think about it is that your nutrition and diet is 80% of the fitness pie, while training and working out make up 20%. If you're not properly fueling your body and providing it with the necessary nutrients to function, you'll struggle to see results, make improvements, build strength, or lose weight.”
If you're new to nutrition, Emily, the in-house nutrition coach, suggests these eight key points:
Prioritize Whole Foods: Eat lean proteins, veggies, fruits, healthy fats and quality carbs. Minimize processed foods and sugary drinks. Shop the perimeter aisles of the grocery store.
Balance Your Plate: Focus on quality servings of proteins, carbs, veggies and fats.
Don’t Starve or Overeat: While a calorie deficit is required for weight loss, eating too little will result in having no energy to work out, and eating too much, regardless of what it is, will cause weight gain.
Hydrate: Drink at least half your body in ounces of water each day.
Focus on Protein: Crucial to build lean muscle mass, recover, and to keep you full.
Plan Ahead: Prep food ahead of time to take the guesswork out of what to eat and to prevent making poor diet decisions.
Avoid Extreme Diets: There’s no need for crazy restrictions. Each macronutrient (carbs, proteins, fats) plays an important role in your body. Instead, focus on consistency and quality food choices.
Start small and build good habits by choosing one or two things to work on each week. Progress comes from small, sustainable changes and habits - not perfection.
Short-term and Long-term Benefits
Benefits can vary with any fitness program.
Short-term benefits (defined as the first few weeks to months) in a CrossFit program include:
Improved Cardiovascular Fitness: The high-intensity nature of workouts quickly boosts heart and lung capacity, leading to better endurance.
Increased Strength and Muscle Tone: Functional strength improves rapidly due to compound lifts and high-rep bodyweight movements.
Enhanced Fat Loss and Body Composition: The mix of strength and conditioning torches calories and increases metabolic rate.
Better Mobility and Flexibility: Constant movement patterns help increase joint range of motion and reduce stiffness.
Mental Clarity and Mood Boost: The intensity of workouts releases endorphins, reduces stress and improves mood.
Quick Gains in Athleticism: Coordination, balance, and agility improve due to varied workouts,
Long-term benefits (defined as months to years) in a CrossFit program include:
Increased Bone Density and Joint Health: Weight-bearing exercises reduce the risk of osteoporosis and strengthen ligaments and tendons.
Sustained Fat Loss and Muscle Retention: Unlike crash diets or traditional cardio, CrossFit helps maintain a lean, strong body for life.
Lower Risk of Chronic Diseases: Regular training improves insulin sensitivity, reduces blood pressure, and can lower the risk of conditions like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Better Longevity and Functional Independence: Training functional movements ensures the ability to perform everyday tasks (lifting, squatting, carrying) well into old age.
Stronger Mental Resilience: The intensity and challenge of workouts build grit, discipline, and confidence that translate into other areas of life.
Improved Immune System: Regular exercise strengthens immunity, reducing the likelihood of illness.
Lifelong Community and Support System: The community provides motivation and accountability, making it easier to stick with fitness for the long haul.
CrossFit Coaches Make a Difference
Coaches provide value beyond just leading workouts. They inspire, educate, and build a community where people thrive. Their expertise, passion, and commitment create an environment where people progress safely, stay motivated, and build lasting fitness habits. Key benefits of having dedicated coaches include:
Expert Guidance and Safety: By teaching proper form and technique, coaches reduce the risk of injury. They provide feedback, correcting movements to improve efficiency and performance. They participate in the methodology, allowing them to have first-hand knowledge and experience with the programming, movements and standards.
Personalized Scaling and Progression: Whether you’re a beginner, elite athlete, or recovering from injury, coaches help modify workouts to fit individual needs. They track progress and help break plateaus and reach new personal records safely.
Motivation and Accountability: Coaches bring energy and enthusiasm making workouts engaging and fun, and help members stay accountable by setting goals, and celebrating progress.
Community Leadership and Support: Coaches foster a tight-knit, supportive environment. They help integrate new members to ensure everyone feels welcomed and encouraged. And they build relationships, creating a culture where people genuinely want to show up and improve.
Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coaching: Coaches provide nutrition tips, recovery strategies, and lifestyle advice to support members beyond the gym. They encourage smart training habits, balancing intensity with recovery to prevent burnout.
Competitive and Performance Development: For athletes looking to compete in CrossFit, Hyrox, or other fitness events, coaches help to fine-tune skills, improve efficiency, and build game-day strategies. They push members beyond their comfort zones, helping them realize they’re capable of more than they thought.
Emily and Brandon’s advice is to just get started, wherever you are in your fitness journey.
“A common quote we share is you don’t find God and then go to church,” Brandon says. “So you don’t need to get fit to join CrossFit Vengeance. We are here for everyone that is at any step of their fitness journey. Member safety is our top priority and we have established an On-Ramp Program. Our On-Ramp Program is a 90-day commitment designed to teach the core movements and standards we see in the CrossFit Methodology along with the language used.”
Fitness is a lifestyle. Brandon and Emily stress that your fitness is rented, so like any fitness program, you can and will lose conditioning and strength if you don’t continue to work out.
CrossFit Vengeance is located at 5463 B Peachtree Road in Chamblee. For more information, visit crossfitvengeance.com.
Disclaimer: Consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.
Brandon and Emily Romanos contributed to the writing of this article.
"We are here for everyone that is at any step of their fitness journey." Brandon Romanos, CrossFit Vengeance
Get moving with CrossFit
· Efficiency – You get strength training, endurance, and mobility work in one session, making it great for busy people.
· Results-Driven – Whether it's fat loss, muscle gain, or performance improvement, CrossFit’s mix of strength and conditioning delivers measurable progress.
· Mental Toughness – CrossFit pushes you beyond your comfort zone, building not just physical strength but mental resilience.
· Fun and Competitive – The dynamic workouts, leaderboard, and community-driven atmosphere make it enjoyable and addictive.