It’s time to celebrate the triumphs, the quirks, and the sheer dedication of our incredible Anthem community! We are officially kicking off the nominations for the 2025 Anthem Awards. You, the members, will have the chance to recognize your peers for their unique gym personalities across 14 hilarious and heartfelt categories (like The Over Strategizer and The Bag Lady). Nominations will be open from December 1st through December 13th! Please note that the final two, most prestigious honors—The Most Improved and The Most Consistent—will be determined by the Anthem Coaching team based on objective performance and attendance data. Be sure to submit your votes at Anthem, and join us to cheer on all the winners at the annual Anthem White Elephant Party on Friday, December 19th!
Addicted to Chalk Award
This athlete’s hands look less like human skin and more like freshly baked powdered donuts. They apply a liberal coating of chalk for every single lift, whether it’s a 300 lb deadlift or a 10 lb wall ball. If they run out, they might panic-sprint to the next bucket.
Over Strategizer Award
You can find this member spending the first five minutes of the workout staring intently at the whiteboard, drawing diagrams, whispering to themselves, and calculating the exact optimal rep scheme, set breakdown, and rest intervals—only to abandon the plan entirely after the first round.
Most Dramatic Award
No matter the workout or the lift, you’ll think it was a max effort. You’ll find them rolling on the floor in the fetal position even if all they’ve done is the warm-up.
Involuntary Noise Award
They communicate their effort purely through noise. Every heavy lift is accompanied by a primal scream, every failed rep a guttural groan, and every burpee an involuntary yelp. You don’t need to see them to know exactly where they are in the workout.
The Moist Award
This member leaves behind irrefutable, moist evidence of their hard work. After they get up from the rower or the floor, a perfectly defined outline of their torso, limbs, and maybe even hair or their bald head, is left shimmering on the floor. Need a towel or three?
Professional DJ Award
They are always the first to commandeer the music. Their mood is directly linked to the music selection, and they will dramatically change the playlist five times during the warmup. Their taste ranges wildly, often shifting from heavy metal to early 2000s hip hop mid-WOD.
The “Best” Listener Award
Explanation: They hold a full, engaging conversation with three different people simultaneously—all while the whiteboard meeting is going on. Their rest time is spent catching up on the weekend gossip, and their volume never dips below “enthusiastic.” They’re the first to ask, “wait, what are we doing?”
The Laziest Fit Person Award
This person is clearly strong, fast, and capable, but they are absolutely dedicated to minimal effort. They will take the longest possible route back to the chalk bucket, milk the rest periods until the coach glares at them, and magically forget to count their final reps. They know their limits, and they hover just under them.
All The Beverages Award
This athlete’s water bottle is never just water. Their gear includes a thermos of coffee, a shaker bottle of pre-workout, a separate shaker bottle of intra-workout amino acids, and maybe a post-workout protein shake lined up—all before the WOD even begins. Hydration is a complex, multi-stage process.
The “Bag Lady (or Man)” Award
Explanation: This athlete arrives with more luggage than an airport terminal. Bag for clothes, tote for shoes, backpack for supplements, and a cooler no one dares to open. Somehow still asks “has anyone seen my knee sleeves?”
“We’ll do it Live” Award.
This athlete believes warming up is a conspiracy invented by physical therapists. Shows up 5 minutes late, does a :15 squat hold, a sip of water, and attempts a 1RM. Muscles? Cold. Joints? Audibly creek. Confidence? Unshakeable.
RX or Die Tryin’ Award
The athlete would rather give up their big toe than scale a workout. RX weight 225? 225 it is. Even if it takes 47 minutes, 15 rest breaks, and a small existential crisis. They’ll be unable to walk for 3-5 business days afterward but, by God, they RXd. Frequently mentions the phrase “mental toughness”.
The Sunshine Award
This athlete arrives everyday radiating positivity and good vibes. Claps for everyone, encourages strangers. Yells “you got this!” When you most certainly don’t “got this”. They don’t just lift weights, they lift spirits.
Unprepared and Unafraid Award
This athlete is just happy they made it to the gym that day. Gym bag consists of some shoes and a half eaten banana that looks too old even for banana bread. Running on 3 hours of sleep and the rest of their kids capri sun, they are thrilled to see adults for an hour. No workout is too scary when you compare it to what’s living under the car seat in their back seat.
The Most Consistent Award
This award goes to the unsung hero of the gym floor. You can set your watch by this person’s attendance. They show up, they put in the work, and they never make excuses. Their progress might not be flashy, but it’s constant, steady, and inevitable. They understand that success isn’t about one great day, but about stacking good days together—and they do it more reliably than anyone else.
The Most Improved Award
This award celebrates the athlete who has made the most significant transformation over the past year. This person didn’t just get better; they tore down barriers. Whether it was finally mastering a complex movement like the Muscle-Up, crushing a previous personal record by a huge margin, or showing an incredible jump in endurance and stamina, this winner demonstrates that dedication and focused effort produce incredible results. They exemplify the power of habits–consistency, nutrition, and working their weaknesses.
