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What if you had a band could count all your reps automatically?

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Be prepared and be honest.” — John Wooden

Can Nexus Bring Wearable Tech to CrossFit?

 

Some background.

Fitness trackers actually date all the way back to the early 80’s with wearable heart rate monitors. But they didn’t really start becoming in vogue until the mid – 2000s.

In 2006, Nike and Apple released Nike+iPod, a whole line of shoes with a branded pedometer inside the sole that paired with your iPod to track speed, distance and calories. This technology and the running community that came with it grew into the single largest online running community on the planet, amassing millions of users globally which is still thriving today.

So what about CrossFit?

In the CrossFit industry, companies like Beyond the Whiteboard, Athex, and Wodify have developed software to manually record and track your workouts in a similar fashion.

But where Nike+ and these softwares differ is 1). Performance data is automatically recorded through wearable technology, and 2). Because of that, you can access mid-workout performance data like speed and pace changes, not just your overall score.

CrossFit is a different ball game entirely, and here’s why.

The scenario: Your overall Fight Gone Bad score has improved from six months ago, but you don’t know exactly why, other than you did more reps. You can’t analyze your work-to-rest ratio, transition time, or drill down your increase or decrease over rounds. Some apps don’t even record round-by-round scores just the total.

One way to do get this type of data would be to manually count and record it; something top coaches in CrossFit do with their elite athletes. Another is to build wearable technology that can process your performance rep-by-rep and log it for you. But as you already know, CrossFit is infinitely more complex than running with dozens of different movements, time domains, and workout types.

In comes Nexus.

At the Central Regional, Nexus unveiled some new tech, which they believe can solve this problem. Their wearable technology — the PUSH band — is actually developed by their parent company, which has contracts with the Seattle Seahawks, Oklahoma Thunder, Irish Rugby Union and so on.

The PUSH band is a small monitor placed inside of a compression sleeve worn on your arm and Lucas Parker was on hand at the Central Regional demoing it.

“It does a pretty good job of counting reps in real time,” Parker said. “When the athlete is doing burpees it knew to move to burpees.”

Lucas demoed two separate 30 second WODs and NEXUS’ app was able to break down total reps completed, work-to-rest ratio, and a handful of other interesting stats.

So how do I buy one?

That’s the million dollar question, or rather $299 question. They’re available in limited quantities for pre-order (shipping out in July) and once we get our hands on one we’ll give you a full video demo.

Coffee Break Conversations

 

What to tell your cubicle neighbor who’s always complaining about a stomach ache…

You guessed it. Exercise helps that too. There’s been a lot of talk lately about the importance of gut health and its relationship to exercise. Recent research shows that even 20 minutes of regular exercise can reduce inflammation throughout the body. The changes in your gut microbiota, that’s the billions of things that live in your stomach, could be responsible for some of that anti-inflammatory effect. That’s important because inflammation is responsible for a host of serious health issues, including high blood pressure, some types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Another in a list of ailments that we can address with fitness instead of pharmaceuticals. 

Things To…

 

WATCH: The Impact of Being Positive

In Part Four of this Working Against Gravity docu-series, Cole Sager details how he and his wife, Genasee, are better together, and how they influence people with their The Impact Project.

A MUST SEE.

 

TRY: An Eggcellent Quiz

Think you know everything about eggs, every paleo crossfitters protein staple? Try this quiz and see if you can beat Morning Chalk Up’s score. (It was only four.)

GET CRACKIN’.

 

KNOW: How to Use a Cast-Iron Skillet

They’re like classic novels. Whenever someone brings up the cast-iron skillet, we just nod approvingly like of course we used one that very morning. But those things weigh a ton! And you have to season them! And how do you even clean them?

I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED. NOW I KNOW.

 

EAT: Shakshouka

Similar to an egg pizza, this middle eastern poached egg dish with spiced tomato sauce is great for any time of day. And you can make it all in one big skillet for easy clean up. 

EGGS FOR THE WIN.

 

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

Chalk Up Community

 
  • GYM HOLDS BONE MARROW DRIVE FOR SAILOR —  At only twenty years old, US Sailor Michael Gomez was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. CrossFit Little Creek in Norfolk, VA is holding a bone marrow drive in his name on June 30th from 11-1. Stop by, get a free WOD, and get your cheek swabbed to help not only Gomez, but others across the country in need of bone marrow donors. 
  • THE DANCERS 2018 ROW RAISER — Get your team together and sign up for the Sam Dancer RowRaiser to Benefit the Special Olympics. Teams of ten will row 26.2 miles each on Saturday, June 30th, at 8:30 a.m. at Invictus Fitness in San Diego, CA. All proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. If you’re not in San Diego, you can still participate. Morning Chalk Up told you that the Dancers host
    these all year, so find a box near you or consider hosting your own RowRaiser. 
  • THE OUT FOUNDATION TO HOST NATIONWIDE WOD — The OUT Foundation is hosting a nationwide event, #InfiltrateWithLove, a WOD celebrating inclusivity and support of the LGBTQ+ community in solidarity with CrossFit and their support. The event is to take place June 30. 

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

Eleven-Year-Old Sal with Long Beach Weightlifting gets a 33kg/73 pounds PR at Junior Nationals Olympic weightlifter Dalton LaCoe beats the open world record with a 5x bodyweight deadlift • Adaptive athlete Steve Emt gets a muscle up at Tolland CrossFit • Seventy-nine-year-old Constance Tillett has returned to CrossFit South Brooklyn where she trains alongside her son Christopher Comma • Thirteen-year-old Shiloh Ellis goes 6/6 at Youth Nationals and hits a 53kg/117 pounds PR last weekend • Blair Chapman gets a 267 pound snatch at Harbor Park CrossFit during Week One of Granite Games Qualifier • McKenzie Tucker gets a 125 pound deadlift at only 95 pound body weight • Josh Bridges gets a new Rogue barbell and he doesn’t want anyone touching it.

…and this gymnast puts your pistols to shame. TO SHAME.

Getting to Know USA Olympic Hopeful — Potential 2022 Olympic Paralympic athlete Jason Sturm discovered CrossFit in the military and quickly fell in love with the sport. But when he was injured in an artillery training accident he lost the lower part of his left leg and retired from the Army. He opened his own box and started the Crossroads Adaptive Athlete Alliance. An affiliate owner, veteran, and adaptive athlete he’s now also on the USA Bobsled Team. He sat down recently to discuss the importance of athletics and
competition, and how CrossFit helped him see himself as an athlete before and after the accident.

Ohio Teen Makes it to the Games After All — Serena Goode, coached by Pete Taylor at CrossFit Roaster Barbell in Berea, OH started Crossfit on Memorial Day of 2017. She fell in love with it instantly and immediately set her eyes on making the 2018 CrossFit Games as a Teen. In her CrossFit Open debut she earned the 20th spot on the leaderboard and qualified for the Age Group Online Qualifier, but had missed qualifying for the Games by only one spot as she placed 21st. Over the weekend, CrossFit HQ sent her an email informing her that a spot had opened up for the Games and sending her a formal invitation to the 2018 Games 16-17 division. Let that sink in. In just under 13 months she went from never having done CrossFit to getting to the Games. She’s one to keep an eye on.

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“Squatting Her Way Out of Surgery” by Emily Beers, CrossFit

In September 2014, Winegar began training for a half-marathon, hoping to lose the weight she had gained during her recent pregnancy.

“I was so focused on the number on the scale that I thought cardio was the only way I could get skinny,” Winegar said.

Though Winegar saw modest results, the daily running resulted in more pain than fitness. By 2016, the pain had become excruciating, and she walked with a limp.

In summer 2017, Winegar’s surgeon recommended she undergo a periacetabular osteotomy. “We had set up this surgery. It was the best option for reducing my pain,” said Winegar, who was scheduled to go under the knife in February 2018. In the meantime, because she could no longer run, she decided to join CrossFit Thrive in Westfield, Indiana.

When she first started CrossFit, Winegar could back-squat 55 lb., but not to full depth. Today, she can squat 130 lb. to below parallel and deadlift 200 lb. Her upper-body strength has also increased, she said.

“I started with three bands for a pull-up, and I just got my first (unassisted) pull-up in (Open Workout) 18.3,” she said. “That made me really proud.” 

As Winegar gained strength, her pain subsided. After six months, she was mostly pain free and could even run without issue, things she credits to her newfound strength and mobility.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

6/22 – 6/23: Urban Street Games (Rock Island, IL)

6/22 – 6/24: The Bacon Beatdown (Daytona Beach, FL)

6/23: Garage Girls CrossFit Grit (St. Simons Island, GA)

6/23: 2018 Summer Swolestice (Gresham, OR)

6/23: HAMCO Heat (McLeansboro, IL)

6/23: The Greenville Games (Greenville, SC)

6/23: The Burn Out (New Bern, NC)

6/23: Battle of the Border (Phenix City, AL)

6/23: Battle of a Beauty with a Beast (South Hadley, MA)

6/23: Clash for Cash (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

6/23: SuperFit Games (Lorton, VA)

6/23: Clash on the Concrete (Miamisburg, OH) 

6/23: Fort Games at Smallville CrossFit (Ft. Scott, KS)

6/23 – 6/24: Asbury Park Summer Games (Asbury Park, NJ)

6/23 – 6/24: The Dakota Games (Fargo, ND)

6/29 – 6/30: The Grinder Games III (Tall City, TX)

6/30: Summer Stampede (Bethlehem, PA)

6/30: Battle of the Ballpark (Seattle, WA)

6/30: Battle Between Boxes: Will Lift for Food (Des Moines, IA)

7/1: Strong As A Bear VI (San Rafael, CA)

7/4: 4th of July Throwdown Team Competition (Cullman, AL)

7/7: Barbellas (Anaheim, CA)

7/6 – 7/8: The Garage Games Jr. Champion’s Invitational 2018 (Roswell, GA)

7/7: CrossFit Elgin Beach Brawl 2018 (Port Stanley, ON)

7/7: Capitol Takeover 2018 (Springfield, IL)

7/7: 2nd Annual Liberty Dash (Johnston, PA)

7/7 – 7/8: Railyard Riot (Lincoln, NE)

7/13 – 7/15: Beach Throwdown 2018 (Schevening, Netherlands)

7/14: Mischief Revolution: Battle of the Brewery (Chicago, IL)

7/14: Mountain Town Summer Throwdown (Breckenridge, CO) 

7/14: Espirit De Corps 2018 (Vancouver, WA)

7/14: Belmar Beat Down (Belmar, NJ)

7/14: Atomic Throwdown (Kennewick, WA)

7/14: Fitness for Faith (Livingston, TN) 

7/14: Sweat Angel Showdown (Indianapolis, IN) 

7/14: Barmageddon (Oklahoma City, OK)

7/14: Red, White, and Blue Showcase (Kearney, NE)

7/14 – 7/15: 2018 Freshcoast Games (Muskego, MI)

7/15: The Buckeye Games (Akron, OH)

7/21: Second Annual Summer Showdown (Nicholasville, KY)

7/21: Swole Wars II (Burleson, TX)

7/21: Sacred Pines Invitational (Ladson, SC)

7/29: Bare Knuckles Weightlifting Meet (Broomfield, CO)

7/29: Summer Sizzle (Wadsworth, OH) 

7/30: Legends of Lebo (Pittsburgh, PA)

 

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