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Wanna Train Like a Games Athlete?

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Territory, delivering really friggin tasty meals (made without gluten or dairy ingredients) to your home or CrossFit gym. They do the meal prep while you spend more time outdoors, with your family, hitting PR’s or whatever makes up your Territory.

Located in the D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, SoCal or NorCal area and want to start offering healthy, macro and paleo-friendly food options at your affiliate, just ask Territory how to get started.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOX

Sneak peak look at the Reebok Nanos athletes will be wearing at the CrossFit Games. CrossFit Mayhem’s Elly Kabboord and IABMFG collaborated on a new line of patriot booty compression shorts that are now available. A 3-year-old Kristin Holte was already training for the 2017 CrossFit Games bike event. Beyond the Whiteboard announced that this week they’re launching a redesigned mobile app.

COMING SOON…“Chasing Excellence,” a new book by Ben Bergeron with a forward by Katrin Davidsdottir, telling the story about building the fittest athletes in the world.

WHAT TO TELL YOUR FRIEND WHO THINKS THEY WANNA TRAIN LIKE A GAMES ATHLETE…

You know nothing Jon Snow. The truth is, you really don’t. But apparently there are enough crazy and curious people out there that Deka CrossFit put together a single-day training camp so athletes could experience a day in the life. The camp was led by Michelle Letendre, who’s coaching Games athletes Carol-Ann Reason-Thibault and Patrick Vellner. We’re wondering if any of the athletes made it in for Sunday’s WOD.

WHAT TO TELL YOUR PROFESSOR WHEN YOU SEE HER IN THE SCHOOL WEIGHT ROOM…

Oh you lift here too? At least that’s what students at Pepperdine University are saying to Laurie Nelson. The 71-year-old professor who teaches pre-med just took gold in weightlifting at the World Master’s Games — basically the Olympics for those over 35. How’d she get started lifting all that weight you ask? You guessed it, CrossFit. When one of her former students opened an affiliate, he invited her to come workout and the rest is history.

THINGS TO…

WATCH: The Strongest 72-Year-Old

Check this out. Finnish Esko Ketola, at the ripe age of 72, but he’s still squatting with three wheels on the barbell. Why you ask? “If I quit training I’ll soon be an old frail grandpa.”
CHECK THIS OUT.

HEAR: Preparing for the Games with Ben Bergeron

What do the final 30 days of CrossFit Games training look like for Ben Bergeron’s athletes? Can they get measurably fitter or stronger in that time frame? What kind of fine-tuning are they working on? Ben Bergeron answers these questions and more in this episode of Chasing Excellence.
LISTEN UP.

EAT: 5 Ways to Cook with Honey You Never Thought Of

No, honey is not just for tea, toast and morning oatmeal. Honey might seem a little sticky to start cooking with, so Carrots ‘N’ Cake put together these five recipes to help you get started with nature’s favorite sweetener.
BUMBLE BEE.

CHALK UP AFFILIATES

STORY SERIES: How has CrossFit helped you achieve a goal?
“So many small goals have been accomplished since I’ve started doing CrossFit…OHS, pull-ups, squats w/depth!! I have OA from military injuries and since I’ve been in CrossFit, flexibility is the greatest goal I’m achieving and gaining. Six knee surgeries and shoulder reconstruction I let go made movements tough. Chris Tenkman’s constant coaching has helped me to achieve and attempt the Games Qualifier at RX:) Thank you.” — Darryl Miller, Elite Coalition CF in West Chester, Ohio

Share Your Story.

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Hope Cicero wants to make it to the CrossFit Games. This 34-year-old mother and nurse placed 150th worldwide in the CrossFit Open and 13th at the West Regional. Next year she’ll be old enough to compete in the 35-39 Masters Division.

“Growing up, I hated my big thighs. Now, i’ve learned to appreciate these big, strong thighs that can lift some weight!” she told a Billings, MT tv station.

CHALK UP READS

“In Depth With Olympian Weightlifter Morghan King” by She Thrives

Standing 5 foot nothing and weighing in at a whopping 105 pounds, you may expect Morghan King to be quiet, shy, or otherwise little, and frankly, you’d be wrong. This weightlifter (who was born and raised in the Seattle area) is as fun, bubbly, funny and chatty as they come, and I had such a great time hanging out with her and chatting about her trip to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she came in 6th.

She has one of those personalities that makes you feel like you’re best friends, even if you’ve known her for an hour, and she was constantly making us laugh with her quirky and outgoing style while we chatted in her gym in Bellevue, WA, while the CrossFit Regionals played in the background. She has recently relocated to Arizona, where she is opening a gym with her fiancé and coach, Dean Kruse, called Falcon Weightlifting, where she will continue to prepare and train for the 2020 Olympics. So go get cozy and settle in and prepare to be inspired! Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

“7 Movements You Need to Do More” by Athlete Daily

Most training programs have holes and we, as human beings, have imbalances that can make things even worse. While we’ve detailed the importance of carrying external loads and approaching mobility for ankles, hips and shoulders in a different way, the best solution –of course– is to become a stronger, more-balanced athlete with your everyday programming.

These seven movements are by no means an exhaustive list, but they should be a fairly regular part of your routine if you want to prevent injury, gain better mobility and stability  for your lifts and develop strong glutes and core.

When should you do them? If you’re on a strict program -say, a one-hour CrossFit WOD – arrive 15-20 minutes early and do 1 or 2 as a primer before that day’s training or a post-workout cashout. They could also be loaded up in challenging weights and sets as accessory work (go heavy and close to failure) or used for light, tempo-style circuits on active rest days.

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