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The Fittest Gamer on Earth

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is sponsored by Ragnar Relay, running relays in some of the most breathtaking locations around the world like Napa Valley and the Northwest Passage. So you think cause you’re not a runner that you can’t do a Ragnar Relay? Well, think again. Ragnar relays are broken up so each runner only runs three legs with around eight hours rest in between. Plus, with the new CrossFit division, you’ll get the chance to compete just against other affiliates. Check it out. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Every living thing moves…One whole section of the philosophy of healthy living can be compressed into two words: Keep moving.”  — Rules of Health, Hygiene Reference Board of the Life Extension Institute, circa 1920.

THE FITTEST GAMER ON EARTH

 

Huh?

When someone says video games, couches, late nights, red bull, pizza and college dorms come to mind, not fitness. If you took Halo a little more seriously than your college chemistry course you just might have found yourself in one of eSports’ professional league for video games — yes, that’s a thing.

Why are you telling me this?

Because video games are down right fun and CrossFit Pell City in Pell City, AL knows it.

Which is why they’re throwing the first annual “Fittest Gamer on Earth” competition.

You’re joking.

We wouldn’t joke about video games or CrossFit. 

The competition consists of teams of two, throwing down for seven total events: four different video games (played on four different consoles) and three CrossFit WODs.

Not sold? Watch the trailer.

Tell me more.

Oh, and did we mention its for a good cause? The proceeds from the competition will benefit The Angel Tree Foundation this Christmas, a prison rehabilitation ministry.

Hells yes. Sign us up.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES

 

Roundup — Checkout the dog tag medals given out to podium finishers at the Rogue Winter Classic this weekend. Four days after setting a PR, Jamie Hagiya beat it with a 213 pound snatch PR. 15-year-old Morgan McCullough hit a 335 pound clean and jerk PR. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet is back to doing handstand push-ups

…and Mathew Fraser is also quite the gymnast

2017 IWF Championships — 

— Wes Kitts set a new American Snatch Record with a 176kg/388 pound snatch, and clean and jerked 210kg/462 pounds to take ninth place overall. 

— Ian Wilson snatched 165kg/363 pounds and clean and jerked 202kg/445 pounds to take 12th place overall. 

— Marissa Klingseis snatches 105kg/231 pounds and clean and jerks 134kg/295 pounds to take fifth place overall. 

— Ali Ludwig snatched 103kg/227 pounds and clean and jerked 128kg/282 pounds to place sixth overall. 

— Colin Burns reflects on withdrawing from competition after dislocating his shoulder during his second snatch attempt: “Well, clearly that wasn’t the plan. Everything was golden in warm ups. Opener was a little off but strong as balls…Caught that second attempt and it was just a touch behind, and as I started to stand up and correct, like I have 100’s of times, pop. My shoulder dislocated forward. Dropped the bar and hit the deck. I rolled over on that side to get it back in and it pushed back where it was supposed to be. It’s sore, and not a whole lot of stability right now, but it works. Don’t
think it’s anything crazy but nothing is going overhead for a while. Time to adapt. Already planning my path forward. No reason to pout about it, only move forward.” 

— A topless CJ Cummings takes to YouTube to discuss his three failed clean and jerks after switching to a squat jerk, and he reflects overall on his performance. 

COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS

 

What to tell your friend who’s talking themself into a hole…

Stop digging. How should you talk to someone you’re training that’s obese? This athlete has probably already tried fifty different diets and exercise routines over the past 20 years, and their body shame is probably near peak breaking point to even consider coming to your holy temple of elite fitness: CrossFit. The CrossFit community is unbelievably welcoming, but for those of us less well versed in communicating with overweight athletes, here are a few pointers from someone who was morbidly obese. 

What to tell your friend who just conceded the holidays…

“It’s not the holiday’s fault you stopped working out.” Thanks Snapple.

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12-Minute Saucy Chicken Breasts with Limes, recipe via Bon Appetit.

THINGS TO…

 

WATCH: Fit 55+

Masters are called that for a reason. CrossFit South Brooklyn has built a class especially for 55-year-old athletes and older, so they can WOD with peers going through similar life experiences. 

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER.

 

HEAR: The Value of Thinking Big

On this week’s episode of Chasing Excellence, Ben Bergeron talks about the main mission behind everything CrossFit New England, CompTrain and Project:Elevation are really about — building excellent leaders and competitors to take what they’ve learned and pass it on. 

TUNE IN.

 

BUY: A Pair of Jeans, Get a Polo

Buy any pair of Barbell Apparel jeans valued at $99 or more and get a free limited edition black polo. Use code “CHALK10” at checkout and shebang, you can tack on an extra 10%.

ADD TO CART.

 

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is sponsored by

CHALK UP AFFILIATES

 
  • ACT OF KINDNESS — Athletes at Subu CrossFit in Orlando, FL will do one burpee for every dollar raised for Covenant House, a local group sering runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth under 21 including teen parents and their babies. Last year, Burpees for Bucks raised $34,000 — so that’s 34,000 burpees between 90 members. Wow, talk about Open prep. 
  • EDUCATION –– Chris Sinagoga, owner of CrossFit Athletic Group in Madison Heights, Michigan sits down with CrossFit HQ to answer 10 questions about owning an affiliate. 
  • MARATHON WOD — Last week, Charlie Bruce of Gas City CrossFit performed Murph for 24 hours straight, completing more than 7 rounds and raised more than 200-plus toys that he will donate to the Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund. Meanwhile, across the pond, base staff on HM Naval Base Clyde in England, did one WOD every hour for 24 hours to raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) and the Helensburgh branch of Enable Scotland.
Reads

CHALK UP READS

“Letter to My Younger Self” by Noah Ohlsen

Dear 15-year-old Noah,

It’s okay.

You’re going to be the man. It may not feel like it now since you’ve had to let go of the sport you played growing up and move away from all your friends. Don’t worry. Giving up lacrosse will shake you up, but you’ll find something else. But first try all of the sports; wrestling, swimming, water polo. And hang in there with the wrestling team, even though you’re the smallest guy on the team and they pick on you a lot. The teasing won’t last, but the camaraderie that you experience will.

I know you feel insecure that you’re a 110-pound freshman, with long blonde hair, who everyone has nicknamed “Cutie.” Don’t worry, it won’t stick. It may feel like you have to try and bench press, bicep curl, and protein shake your way into manhood. You want it now. It’s all good. It’s going to happen. But you’re going to have to work really hard for it.

Be patient, but don’t be lazy. Do things that you enjoy, that make you happy and with people that make you smile. Eventually, you’ll fall into “your thing,” and you’ll fall so deep into it that it’ll change your whole world.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

12/9: Ho Ho Ho CrossFit Kids Competition (Riverside, CA)

12/9: The 2017 Reindeer Games (Del Mar, CA)

12/9 – 10: WOD GODZ 2017 (Shreveport, LA)

12/18 – 20: 6th Annual CrossFit Invictus Online Competition (Online)

1/6: BrickYard Brawl (South Windsor, CT)

1/11 – 14: Wodapalooza Fitness Festival (Miami, FL)

1/13: Abominable Snowdown II (Orem, UT)

1/13 – 14: War of the Wods (Greensboro, NC)

1/27: Winter Chiller (Fairmont, WV)

1/27: NorCal Masters 2018 (Richmond, CA)

1/27 – 28: The Fittest Experience (Austin, TX)

2/3: No Weak Links “V” (Whitesboro, NY)

2/3: Caution Grounds 7 (Hialeah Gardens, FL)

see full calendar  |  + Send us an event
Is there something we missed? Email us at [email protected].
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