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Dave drops a dumbbell sigh of relief

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Utzy Naturals

With so many different supplements available, how can you tell which ones are good? Here are 5 ways to spot a supplement scam. And don’t forget, this week they’re offering 50% off your first bottle of Utzy’s natural sleep aid products. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“On particularly rough days when I’m sure I can’t possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100%, and that’s pretty good.” — Unknown

HE-MAN MEAT EATERS CLUB.

 

What’s that you say?

We’ve got some tasty news for the meat lovers and paleo eaters out there — it’s called The Carnivore Club.

Sounds like my kinda club.

Say goodbye to boring grocery store deli meats and indulge your fancy side. The Carnivore Club is a monthly subscription box offered through Amazon that celebrates traditional charcuterie styles of meat from French Charcuterie, Italian Salumi, Spanish Chorizo, and even South African Biltong.

UMMM, yum.

Seriously yum. It also comes with a Meat-Eater’s Handbook detailing the featured Artisan of the month and the items offered inside. You can choose the Classic Box ($55), the Snack Box ($39), or you can go all in and have a meat-filled wooden crate delivered right to your doorstep for $89.

The big A is just killin it. 

They sure are, especially with the official opening of Amazon Go, their cashier-less, checkout-free grocery store that lets you grab and go. Can you imagine the damage you’d inflict on your bank account during post-WOD hangry time? Thankfully it’s in Seattle, far from us. 

COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS

 

What to tell your friend who just successfully made it through Whole30 and is ready to party…

Sorry to burst your bubble, but please read this. It’s OK to celebrate, BUT consider this: “the achievement of attaining the goal is actually a ‘good enough’ celebration.” We know that’s a little deep for 6 AM, but let it soak in for a minute.

…OK, second cup of coffee in hand, we’re back now.

Think back to your goals five years ago. Were you even talking about doing handstands, muscle-ups, squatting 150, or anything close to those? Probs no. So before you go hog wild at lunch today, listen to this: “So, for me, when I reach a goal, that’s the celebration. That explosion of knowing that I did all those things…That is powerful. That is motivating.”

What to tell your friend who’s afraid Dave Castro’s gonna pull a dumbbell fast one…

Just breathe. Dave just announced that the RX weights for dumbbells will be 50 pounds and 30 pounds. P.S. Thanks for the early heads up Dave. 

What to tell your friend who’s scale seems to be off a few pounds…

Weight change. The USA Weightlifting Board of Directors voted Monday to adopt the International Weightlifting Federation’s new weight categories. These new weight categories will be implemented at the 2018 Nike American Open Series 3 in September. All existing American Records will be retired, annnnnnnd we won’t know what the actual categories will be until summertime. 

THINGS TO…

 

WATCH: Brooke Ence, Crashing the LA Fit Expo

Brooke Ence heads to SoCal to hit up the LA Fit Expo, dropping into Zoo Culture and fitting in a photo shoot with Strong Magazine. 

TRAVEL WITH BROOKE.

 

HEAR: 7 Continents, 7 Marathons, 7 Days

Cause one marathon isn’t enough, Nick Wishart had to go do one on every continent — yes, that includes Antarctica — each day for a week. The CrossFitter sits down with the Pat & Ro Show as he prepares to embark on this epic mega-marathon. 

THIS DUDE IS CRAY CRAY.

 

EAT: The Best Garlic Bread You’ll Ever Eat

This easy homemade best garlic bread recipe has fresh herbs, tons of flavorful roasted garlic, and is perfectly toasted; a guaranteed crowd-pleaser especially on pasta night. 

TASTE THE CRUNCH. 

 

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

CHALK UP COMMUNITY

 
  • WHOLE30 FRIENDLY — Sadly, unless you live in and around the Washington D.C. area this won’t help you much, but here’s a full list of restaurants that have your back if you’re doing Whole30 right now. 
  • THE CROSSFIT DIFFERENCE — High school swim star Keegan Walsh has been at top swimmer for a few years now. But in June, he started going to CrossFit and with that began dialing in his sleep and nutrition. Now he’s looking at taking the title in the State Championships next month. 
  • A NEW LOOK AT GYM CLASS — With the building of a new gymnasium, Abington Middle-High School is taking a hard look at PE class. “There are students who just aren’t participating in sports all the time, and not everyone is going to join a pick-up soccer or basketball league,” said Kate Casey, the district’s wellness director. So they’re bringing classes like CrossFit and yoga to campus. 

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Christy Adkins does some strict muscle-ups while pregnant • Colleen Fotsch hits a 235 pound overhead squat • Masters athlete Kendall Williams from CrossFit
Unashamed
hit a 305 pound front squat PR • Who knew that Jamie Hagiya could sing

…and This photo wins the Internet. 

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“Brathing Air Before Fire” by Hilary Achauer, CrossFit Journal

Other than bracing for a heavy lift, most CrossFit athletes don’t pay much attention to breathing technique—inside or outside the gym.

Jill Miller has studied anatomy and movement for more than 27 years, working on the links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, massage and pain management. She is the author of “The Roll Model: A Step-by-Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility and Live Better in Your Body.”

“Breathing happens automatically about 20,000 times a day,” Miller said. “Think about doing 20,000 burpees (with bad form) in a day. What havoc would that wreak on your system?”

We are born breathing perfectly, but over the years many people develop poor breathing techniques. Breathing is a foundational movement that provides both trunk control and mental acuity, and Miller said an athlete who practices breath mechanics has a performance advantage.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

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

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

2/3: Output Fitness Trials (Miramar, FL)

2/3: 6th Annual Women’s WOD Jam (Broomfield, CO)

2/3: 5th Annual Golden State Games (Stockton, CA)

2/3: Garage Girls Tour (Milton, GA)

2/10: Mirror Image CrossFit’s Cupid’s Clash (Panama City, FL)

2/10: New WODs On the Block – The Third Wheel (Nationwide)

2/10: Tuff Love (Boulder, CO)

2/10: A League of Their Own: A Women’s Only Challenge (San Antonio, TX)

2/10: Mayhem Showdown 2018 (Cookeville, TN) 

2/17: Lovers and Lifters (Springfield, KY)

2/17: Steel Rail Shootout 2018 (McComb, MS)

2/17: Wynwood Throwdown (Miami, FL)

2/22: CrossFit Open 18.1 (Worldwide)

3/1: CrossFit Open 18.2 (Worldwide)

3/8: CrossFit Open 18.3 (Worldwide)

3/10: Women Who WOD (Barbados)

3/15: CrossFit Open 18.4 (Worldwide)

3/22: CrossFit Open 18.5 (Worldwide)

4/7: Battle of the Badges (Anaheim, CA)

4/7: The Revolution (San Antonio, TX)

4/14: Battle for the Mountain (Dawsonville, GA)

4/14 – 4/15: Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Challenge (Columbia, MD)

4/21: Festivus Games (Nationwide)

4/28: Battleground SoCal (Wimington, CA)

4/28: Girls Gone Rx (Cincinnati, OH)

4/28 – 4/29: Walter’s Cup Throwdown (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

5/4 – 5/6: European Masters Throwdown (Budapest, Hungary)

5/19: Raising the Bar for Recovery (Medina, OH)

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Is there something we missed? Email us at [email protected].
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