Junkie Journal

Sean Johnson • April 14, 2025

April Updates And What's Ahead 

The Junkie Journal πŸ‹οΈ‍♀️ | April Updates & What's Ahead 

Happy Monday Junkies! 

We’ve got some exciting things happening around the gym this month, and we’re here to make sure you’re in the loop (and inspired to get after it πŸ’ͺ). Here’s what’s new, what’s next, and why now’s the time to lean into your training and your community. 

πŸ” Hybrid AF Access is Here! 

We’ve officially launched our new Hybrid AF door lock system, giving max members and open gym only members extended open gym hours 7 days a week until 10 PM! We went from 30 to 88 hours of open gym available weekly!! 😲 If you need help getting the app, let me know!  

πŸ‘‰ 3 day members...interested in an upgrade to access more gym time? Ask Dawn to share your options...we have discounts available AND any upgrades go in a drawing for a free month of membership! ! 

Whether you're chasing gains after work or getting a weekend sweat in, you now have more freedom to train on your schedule. 3-day members, reach out if you’d like to upgrade and enjoy the same perks! 

πŸ‘‰ Read more in our latest blog post to learn how it works and check your access: 

BIG NEWS! Open Gym just got more OPEN 

🌸 Grit & Grace: Women’s Workshop – April 19 

Join us for the second workshop in our GRIT and GRACE series with Coach Paisley!   

Grit and Grace - a workshop series for women 35+ who are interested in learning more about how to manage and improve our health and athletic performance during perimenopause and menopause.    

WHEN & WHERE - 11 am, April 19th @ StormKing Athletic Club  

Our guest speaker is Dr. Detorres owner/ founder/ medical director of Coastal Health. Read more about her here … dralishadetorres.com/the-team and check her out on Instagram @drdetorres.coastalhealth 

TO REGISTER πŸ‘‰ Visit the link at https://honest-at-home.kit.com/posts/the-next-grit-grace-workshop-is 

πŸŽ’ Spring Ruck Challenge: Load Up & Level Up 

It’s time to get outside, load up that ruck, and start stacking some miles! Our Load Up & Level Up Ruck Challenge kicks off this week and you have until the end of May to finish! All bingos get one ticket in the drawing!  

🎯 A ruck bingo card full of fun weekly challenges 

Whether you're in it for fitness, fun, or a little friendly competition—this challenge is a great way to add some low-impact endurance to your spring routine. 

πŸ’ͺ Ladies Lift: New Series Starts Soon 

Calling all strong women (and those who want to be!)—our next 6-week Ladies Lift series is launching soon! Expect expert coaching, community support, and confidence-building gains. It’s one of our most loved programs for a reason. Reserve your spot...send an email to stormkingcrossfit@outlook.com 

Max Unlimimted Members: Included! 

3-day members: Only $50 

Non-members: $105 

πŸ“… Thursday May 1 @4:30pm 

🧠 Education Corner: Why Rucking Rocks 

Did you know that rucking (walking with a weighted backpack) is one of the most effective forms of functional endurance training? It’s low-impact but highly beneficial, building muscular endurance, improving posture, and torching calories—all while giving you a reason to explore the outdoors. 

And bonus: it’s scalable to any fitness level. Just adjust your weight, pace, or route. Plus, the community accountability adds a powerful motivation boost! 

 

Stay strong, stay connected, and keep chasing progress—whatever that looks like for you this week. πŸ’ͺ 

πŸ’₯ Questions? Need help with goals? Book a session with Coach Dawn—we’re here to help you thrive, not just survive. 
January 26, 2026
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January 20, 2026
Junkie Journal — Gold stars for those that read to the end πŸ˜‚ πŸ‘This Week’s Programming Focus This week’s programming is built around strength you can repeat and conditioning that forces you to stay sharp when your breathing gets loud, haha. πŸ‘‰ 8–5–3 strength waves on our foundational lifts (Back Squat, Push Press, and Deadlift) paired with metcons that test your ability to hold form under fatigue, manage transitions, and keep output high. This isn’t random volume — it’s intentional loading, solid rest, and smart progressions so you can train hard without wrecking yourself. 🧱 Why 8–5–3 Works The 8–5–3 format blends strength + muscle-building + confidence under load in one session. The higher reps build control and consistency, the lower reps let you push heavier, and the rest periods keep your lifting high-quality — not sloppy. You should leave each strength piece feeling like you built something real… not like you got lucky. This is a lot of volume...use the first wave as a primer for the next two waves. βœ… Back to the “Boring Basics" You’ll keep seeing a lot of what we’ve been leaning into since the start of the new year: a return to foundations. Foundational lifts, foundational movements, and simple training that works. We’re not chasing novelty — we’re stacking reps, building strength, and improving the basics week after week. Programming doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. It needs to be consistent, repeatable, and done with intention. πŸ”₯ Conditioning with Purpose This week’s conditioning hits multiple gears: short EMOM sprints, a “death by” grind, a longer Thursday piece that rewards pacing and grip, and a Friday classic (Diane) that demands strength, composure, and smart breathing. Different formats, same goal: move well, stay steady, and finish strong. 🧠 What We Want You Thinking About This Week Lift with control first — intensity comes second Choose loads you can repeat with good mechanics πŸ“Š One Simple Challenge Log your lifts in Wodify. πŸ”₯ New Year Challenge Check-In! Speaking of challenges… who’s doing a New Year challenge right now? πŸ‘€ Maybe it’s steps, hydration, tracking macros, lifting heavier, more protein, less screen time, or just showing up consistently. Is it working for you so far? We’d love to hear what you’re doing! Sean and I are repeating a year-long challenge we attempted back in 2021: 10,000 steps a day. (Sean crushed it… Dawn did not πŸ˜‚) BUT we’re back at it and so far so good. The hardest days are definitely travel days or sick days, but otherwise it’s been awesome for getting us moving more in the afternoons and evenings since we’re both early morning workout people. It’s a simple habit — but it makes a big difference. 🚢‍♀️πŸ”₯ Want to move more this year? Join us — start today and let’s do it together! πŸ‘ŠπŸ’š πŸ”₯ Saturday Feb 7th Pop-Up Workout — FREE! πŸ”₯ Coach Paisley is hosting a FREE pop-up workout on Saturday, February 7th at 11:00am! πŸ’ͺ StormKing members — everyone is welcome to join, no matter what membership you’re on. And yes… friends + family are welcome too! πŸ‘ Come sweat, have fun, and bring someone with you! πŸ’š πŸ’– SAVE the DATE! πŸ’– Our next Ladies Book Exchange — Galentine’s Edition! πŸ“šβœ¨ πŸ—“οΈFriday️, February 20th πŸ•• 6:00 PM Hosted by Debbie Givens and Danielle Sily...join us for community, laughs, great conversations, and books you didn’t know you needed. πŸ’• Bring a book you loved, swap it with someone new, and enjoy a fun Galentine’s night with the StormKing women. β˜• The Coffee Box is FOR LEASE! β˜• We have an exciting turn-key business opportunity available — The Coffee Box is officially for lease! If you or someone you know has been dreaming of owning a coffee shop (or launching a small business in a prime spot), this is your chance. πŸ‘‰ Please help us spread the word! πŸ™Œ
January 13, 2026
Junkie Journal — This Week’s Programming Focus This week’s programming is all about building strength with intention and applying it under fatigue. You’ll notice a consistent theme across the week: πŸ‘‰ 5–3–1 strength waves paired with short, focused metabolic work. This structure allows us to train heavy, move well, and still get the conditioning stimulus that keeps functional fitness effective and fun. 🧱 Why We Repeat the “Boring Basics” Real, sustainable fitness isn’t built on novelty — it’s built on consistency. The same foundational lifts, simple rep schemes, and repeatable conditioning pieces done week after week are what actually drive long-term strength, resilience, and confidence. Flashy workouts might feel exciting in the moment, but progress comes from showing up and executing the basics well — over and over — even when they’re not glamorous. Good programming doesn’t need to entertain you. It needs to work. And more often than not, the workouts that feel “simple” are the ones quietly doing the most for your health, performance, and longevity. This is how fitness becomes a lifestyle — not a phase. 🎯 Strength Focus: 5–3–1 Wave This week’s weightlifting continues with 3 waves of our 5–3–1 rep scheme. Our lifts this week are Bench Press, Front Squat, and Shoulder Press. Why we love this format : It encourages progressive loading without rushing It allows you to build toward a heavy, confident single It reinforces good movement patterns under increasing load It’s sustainable — heavy enough to drive strength, controlled enough to recover well Pro Tip πŸ‘‰ Use the first wave as a primer. The first 5-3-1 wave should help you assess how your body feels that day — bar speed, stability, and confidence under the load. The second and third waves are where intention matters most: choose smart weights, move with purpose, and prioritize quality over ego. πŸ”₯ Conditioning with Purpose Each day’s metcon is designed to complement the lift, not compete with it. Monday and Friday AMRAPs challenge upper-body stamina, core control, and breathing after pressing Tuesday’s every-3-minute interval is a longer aerobic grind — steady output, repeatable effort, no redlining Wednesday EMOM reinforces hinge mechanics and unilateral leg work while keeping intensity manageable Thursday’s longer EMOM tests pacing, coordination, and leg endurance — the goal is consistency across all 22 minutes Different formats, same goal : move well, manage your effort, and finish strong. 🧠 What We Want You Thinking About This Week Lift with intention — don’t chase maxes just to chase them hoose loads you can repeat with quality Pay attention to breathing and transitions in the metcons Treat every workout as data, not judgment πŸ“Š One Simple Challenge Log your lifts and workouts in Wodify. Progress isn’t always dramatic — but it is measurable when you track it. Consistency compounds. This week is another brick in the foundation. πŸ’ͺ
January 6, 2026
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December 22, 2025
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December 15, 2025
🌲 Junkie Journal — Dec 15🌲 πŸŽ„ Christmas Workout — Saturday, Dec 20 at 9am! All are welcome — bring your friends, family, and festive holiday spirit! We’ll be tackling 12 Days of Christmas HYROX-style workout, moving both inside and outside, so dress in layers and wear your festive Christmas gear. After the workout, plan to stay as we celebrate our community with: πŸŽ–οΈ10-Year Member Hoodies πŸŽ–οΈSpirit of StormKing Award 🎁Annual Coaches Gifts One of our favorite traditions — we hope you’ll join us. β€οΈπŸ’š πŸ’ͺ Programming This Week Our strength days (Mon/Wed/Fri) feature three big lifts: πŸ‹οΈ‍♂️Clean & Jerk πŸ‹οΈ‍♀️Back Squat πŸ‹οΈBench Press Show up ready to move well and finish the year strong. πŸŽ… Holiday Schedule Christmas Eve — Dec 24 *Last class at 12:00pm *No 4:30pm or 5:30pm Christmas Day — Dec 25 CLOSED Dec 26 No 6am class First class at 9:30am 🍡 The Coffee Box — New Tenant Opportunity We are currently looking for new tenants for The Coffee Box! If you or someone you know is interested in running a turn-key business in downtown Port Angeles, please reach out. The space is fully equipped and ready for the right person or team to step in. Your referrals help more than you realize! πŸ’› A Personal Thank You Thank you all for your kind condolences after the passing of my dad last week. So many of you reached out with messages, hugs, and prayers for our family. Your love and support have meant so much. πŸ’“ “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
December 2, 2025
Junkie Journal – Thanksgiving Week Wrap-Up πŸ¦ƒπŸ”₯ What a great Thanksgiving morning at StormKing! Our Hyrox-style community workout brought in a super turnout — including many new faces from around Port Angeles. The energy was electric, and it was so cool watching seasoned Junkies and first-timers crush the stations together. πŸ’₯ Stay tuned… we’ll be hosting more Saturday Hyrox community events in the new year! πŸ† No Excuse November Burpee Champion A HUGE shoutout to Leslie Arango — our No Excuse November Burpee Challenge winner! Leslie completed 5,100 burpees from Nov 1st to Thanksgiving Day… an average of 189 burpees every single day. Absolutely unreal discipline and grit. πŸ‘‰ Give Leslie a big congrats when you see her in class! πŸŽ„ Coaches Christmas Goodie Bags – Next Week! One of our favorite StormKing traditions is back! Starting next week, we’ll put out Coaches Christmas Goodie Bags — a fun way for members to gift their coaches a little Christmas “thank you.” Ideas: home-baked goodies, chocolates, gift cards, small treats, or even a little holiday cheer in a bottle. πŸ˜‰ Let’s fill their “stockings” and show our appreciation for all they do! πŸŽ… Christmas WOD – Save the Date! Join us Saturday, December 20th at 9am for our annual Christmas WOD! This festive workout is always one of our biggest community days of the year. During the event, we’ll also be gifting: ✨ Our Coaches ✨ Our 10-Year Members ✨ Our Annual Spirit of StormKing Award Recipient Mark your calendars — we want you all to be there! πŸ’­ Inspiration for the Week “Consistency turns effort into progress, and progress into strength. Show up for yourself — even on the days you don’t feel strong.” “But those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” — Isaiah 40:31
November 26, 2025
πŸ’₯ Junkie Journal | Thanksgiving Week Reminders! We’re kicking off the holidays with our Black Friday Flash Sale! πŸŽ‰ $25 in ‘25 — Join StormKing and get your first month for just $25! The sale runs Black Friday through Cyber Monday. We must receive an email during that time. stormkingcrosssfit@outlook.com πŸ‘‰ Members — help us spread the word! Tell your friends, family, or coworkers who’ve been thinking about joining to jump on this deal before it’s gone. Don’t miss our Thanksgiving Day HYROX Community Workout! πŸ¦ƒ Thursday, 9AM — one class only. Bring your friends, family, or a partner and join the fun as we tackle a HYROX-style workout together before the big meal. πŸ’ͺ We’ll also be announcing the winner of our November Burpee Challenge that morning — who’s taking home that pie? πŸ₯§ We’ve had great interest in HYROX that we’re thinking about making a “HYROX Saturday” a regular community monthly event! Send us your feedback if that’s something you’d love to see on the schedule. Short week, big energy — let’s finish November strong! “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” – Psalm 107:1 From all of us at StormKing Athletic Club, Happy Thanksgiving! πŸ‚ We’re so grateful for this amazing community — thank you for showing up, putting in the work, and inspiring each other every day. πŸ’š
November 18, 2025
πŸ‚ Thanksgiving Week at StormKing We’ve got something special lined up for the holiday! On Thanksgiving Day Nov 27, join us for a Hyrox-style workout at 9am. It’ll be one big group class, and family members are welcome to jump in! You can tackle it solo, in pairs, or as a team. Big thanks to Joe Descala for the workout idea — he’ll be testing it out as his birthday workout on Wednesday, November 26th during the 9:30am class. If you can’t make it Thursday, come Wednesday to run through it with Joe. Heads up: if you go solo, plan for an hour or more of work! Should we make Hyrox Saturday’s a regular once a month group workout?? πŸ‚ Thanksgiving Gym Schedule Monday-Wednesday normal class schedule Thursday - one workout at 9am Black Friday – first class at 9:30am, no 6am class. πŸ₯§ Burpee Challenge Finale Thanksgiving Day also marks the final day of our No Excuse November Burpee Challenge. We’ll crown the champion with a Thanksgiving pie for the most accumulated burpees. Finish strong! πŸ“… Programming Highlights This week’s programming is packed with variety and challenge: Weightlifting Days: Bench press, deadlifts, and snatch Tuesday: Benchmark Hateful 8’s Thursday: Intervals featuring HSPUs and pistols Dont forget Pulse Tuesday at 5pm! It’s shaping up to be a great week of training! πŸŽ‰ Member Anniversaries We’re celebrating some incredible milestones in November and December: Leslie Arango – 6 years Ty Hathaway – 10 years Julie Dostie – 12 years Connie Walker – 12 years Kathy Brauen – 12 years Bear Nesset – 12 years Dan Roening – 12 years Ranjeet & Omar Seera – 12 years Brian Winter – 12 years Your dedication inspires us all — congratulations! 🚢 Year-Long Challenge Teaser Sean and Dawn are gearing up for a 10k steps per day challenge for 365 days in 2026. Sean completed this back in 2020, and we’re ready to take it on again. Who’s interested in joining us for this year-long commitment? It’s a simple but powerful way to build consistency. ✨ Grounded in Gratitude As we head into Thanksgiving, let’s remember the strength that comes from gratitude and perseverance: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
November 11, 2025
πŸ“° Junkie Journal – November Update! πŸ’ͺ Member Spotlight: Huge shoutout to Katherine Brauen, who crushed her Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Spain! We are so proud of you and all the hard work you put in to represent SKAC on the world stage. πŸ‘πŸ‘ πŸ’₯ No Excuse November Burpee Challenge: We’re nearly two weeks in — how’s your count looking? Keep logging those reps wherever you are! Every burpee counts toward your total before our Thanksgiving Day Workout. The most accumulated burpees wins a Thanksgiving pie! πŸ₯§ πŸ‹οΈ‍♀️ Programming This Week: We’re pressing into some strong work with Push Press, Bench Press, and Back Squats. Mid-week brings a new Hero WOD “Pat”, and Thursday’s chipper will challenge your endurance engine. Get after it! 🚴‍♂️ Tuesday Night Pulse – 5PM! Perfect time to shake off the winter chill with a fun cardio sweat sesh. Have a friend, coworker, or neighbor curious about Pulse? Bring them along to try it out! 🧸 Facility Updates: *Our accessory equipment area is newly cleaned and organized — please return items where you found them after use. *The kids’ space is refreshed and disinfected! Toys are now stored in bins in the closet. Parents and kiddos — help yourselves and enjoy! πŸ¦ƒ Thanksgiving Day Workout – Nov 27 @ 9AM! Join us for a Hyrox-style workout — go solo, partner up, or form a team. Bring your family and start your Thanksgiving off with some fitness and fun! or form a team. Bring your family and start your Thanksgiving off with some fitness and fun!