Read the latest Morning Chalk Up articles on BarBend
Your Coffee is ready.

Ben Bergeron Explains Changes at CompTrain 

 
Morning Chalk Up

September 28   |   POWERED BY

WodifyCropped

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Who’s in and who’s out for the Dubai CrossFit Championship?
  • O2 founder talks the ups and downs of scaling a business
  • Ben Bergeron speaks about changes at CompTrain
  • Video of CrossFit members in Brazil goes viral
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY + Send us a Quote

“The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

 
COMPETITION
  First Thoughts on the Dubai CrossFit Championship Qualifier Leaderboard: Who’s in and Who's Out?  

First Thoughts on the Dubai CrossFit Championship Qualifier Leaderboard: Who’s in and Who's Out?

This year there are no invitations being sent for the 2022 Dubai CrossFit Championship; if you want the honor of competing at the live event in Dubai, you have to earn it through the online qualifier. And this is no easy task as only 20 men and 20 women will qualify.

Yesterday, the initial leaderboard was made public on Competition Corner which gives us a first look at the potential qualifiers.

  • There will still be scoring adjustments following video reviews which could take up to two weeks to finalize.

Who’s In?

At the moment six individual male Games athletes from 2022 are in a qualifying position:

  • Giorgos Karavis
  • Lazar Djukic
  • Jonne Koski
  • Ricky Garard
  • Guillaume Briant
  • Brent Fikowski

There are also a couple notable 2022 CrossFit Games team athletes in the top 20:

  • Samuel Cournoyer
  • Khan Porter

In addition to Koski, there are also three athletes from the 2022 LCQ in a qualifying position:

  • Fabian Beneito (overall leader currently)
  • Alex Kotoulas
  • Luka Djukic

On the women’s side there are five individual Games athletes from 2022:

  • Matilde Garnes
  • Seher Kaya
  • Emily Rolfe
  • Freya Moosbrugger
  • Karin Freyova

One notable team athlete from the 2022 Games:

  • Lena Richter

And three Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) athletes:

  • Jamie Simmonds
  • Oihana Moya
  • Tayla Howe

None of those athletes are the overall female leader though, that is reserved for France’s Claudia Gluck.

Notably, both Gluck and Beneito (men’s overall leader) competed at the Lowlands Throwdown where they both struggled on the legless rope climb workout.

Gluck imploded in the 9th round of that event plummeting to a 20th place finish. Beneito took dead last (30th) for the men and made a great surge back to get into an LCQ spot. This will be a nice opportunity for them to have a little redemption in another high level live competition.

Who’s Out?

As of this writing there are some very notable names in both divisions on the outside looking in; and quite frankly, for the sake of the live event, hopefully some of these end up in a position to accept an invite after scoring reviews and any potential invitations denials come through.

Men:

  • Simon Mantyla (21st)
  • Moritz Fiebig (22nd)
  • Nikita Yundov (24th)
  • Uldis Upenieks (24th)
  • Enrico Zenoni (25th)
  • Benoit Boulanger (27th)
  • Connor Duddy (29th)
  • Chandler Smith (31st)

Women: 

  • Noortje Bleeker (21st)
  • Linda Keesman (22nd)
  • Emma Tall (24th)
  • Ashleigh Wosny (27th)
  • Andrea Nisler (29th)
  • Mia Hesketh (30th)
  • Kelsey Kiel (39th)
  • Julia Kato (42nd)

The big picture: It was definitely a risk for Dubai to remove all invitations this year. While they are missing many of the big names we’ve seen in the past (Roman Khrennikov, Jeff Adler, Willy Georges, Laura Horvath, Gabriela Migala, Jacqueline Dahlstrom, Sara Sigmundsdottir); they did still manage to get some big names to compete online.

Time will tell how many of those Games-level athletes actually show up, but as it stands, the potential fields for both the men and the women do have several notable names, and several other up and coming athletes who we will have an opportunity to learn about (more on that in future articles).

 
SPONSORED WodifyCropped
Members Paying < Members Showing Up

Members Paying < Members Showing Up

Some gyms care about their memberships… others care about their members.

Using Wodify as your gym’s software is a no brainer with features designed to help you keep your members happy and showing up, like:

  • Custom attendance reports to see how long it’s been since an athlete attended class (hello accountability).
  • Workout performance tracking to keep members motivated.
  • Ability to like and comment on other classmate’s results to build community.

Wodify is here to help you go above and beyond for your people.

Schedule a demo today.

 
SPEED READS

In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, spoke to analysts Brian Friend and Chase Ingraham about whether or not they like the field of the 2022 Rogue Invitational more or less without Tia-Clair Toomey.

Set your reminderCoffee Break Conversations on Friday is with WIT Fitness founder Dan Williams at 8am Central Time (for Rx members): “How to Run a Million Dollar Crowdfunding Campaign”. ☕️

Another reminder: Free three-week coach to CEO webinar series by Jason Khalipa and Push Press CEO Dan Uyemura goes tomorrow at 8:30am PT time.

One last reminder: Videos are due for workouts 1, 4 and 5 for the TYR Wodapalooza Online Qualifier today at 7:59pm ET.

 
INDUSTRY
  O2 Founder on Scaling a Product Business: “Hardship is actually a great thing because it makes you better”  

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

O2 Founder on Scaling a Product Business: “Hardship is actually a great thing because it makes you better”

O2, named appropriately for the super oxygenated processing of the beverage, is a community-first sports recovery drink company that, while founded in 2014, significantly grew in popularity during the onset of the pandemic in 2020 when they piloted a profit-sharing program with gyms.

The next year, 2021 was a more challenging year for the business, but they’ve continued to innovatively find ways to stay profitable in a crowded retail and wholesale industry.

Founder and CEO Dave Colina, who has been CrossFitting since 2011, didn’t have a CFO in March of 2020 when he made the bold decision to sell cases of O2 online to individuals who weren’t going to (or not allowed to go to) public gyms, with the opportunity to credit their box with 50 percent of the profits.

Continue Reading...
 
CROSSFIT GAMES
  O2 Founder on Scaling a Product Business: “Hardship is actually a great thing because it makes you better”  

Ben Bergeron Discusses Changes at CompTrain

Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil sits down with founder and head coach of CompTrain, Ben Bergeron to discuss some of the major changes we’ve seen recently at the training camp. The two discuss former athletes changing camps, new athletes coming on, and even how Ben is adjusting his in-person athlete model to evolve with the sport.

Watch Now...
 
NEWS
  CrossFit Members in Brazil Mistaken for Robbers in Hilarious Video  

CrossFit Members in Brazil Mistaken for Robbers in Hilarious Video

CrossFit members in Brazil created a hilarious scene caught on video as a regular workout run outside a gym in the Boa Viagem region off the coast of the country turned into a mad dash for unknown reasons.

In the CCTV video footage, which was first posted online and reported by the New York Post, a frantic scene develops in mere seconds.

Remind me: For those who aren’t regular CrossFitters, running outside the gym is a regular part of some workouts, where participants head outside as part of the WOD given small gym spaces in most places.

  • In the breakdown of the video by the Post, who spoke to someone who was at the scene, we first see a woman running by a crowded outdoor restaurant on the side of a street.
  • She is then followed by a man with a dog, which prompts one woman to stand up from her seat at the restaurant and then run away, while apparently “urging” others to do so
  • This creates a mad dash by most of the customers in frame, as panicked restaurant goers flee in the direction of the runners, who were reportedly thought to be robbers.

Turns out they were CrossFit gym members just making sure they got their run in. Watch for yourself below, what do you think?

Continue Reading...
 
THINGS TO...
 

...DO

This Pushup Modification

Getting tired of modifying your push ups to your knees? Just like we modify pull ups with bands, try this banded push up modification to keep progressing to full bodyweight push ups.

PUSH IT GOOD.
     

SPONSORED

...SNAG

Airtec™ Fabric Technology from TYR

Technical apparel just got a whole lot cooler (pun intended) with TYR. With moisture wicking, quick dry material- these lightweight clothes keep you dry and cool during your workouts. Ready to try them for yourself?

STAY COOL WITH AIRTEC™.
     
 

...LEARN

Timing In Your Butterfly Chest to Bars

Do you feel like your timing is off on your chest to bars when you try to butterfly? Use these tips and drills to become more fluid and efficient in your butterfly C2B’s!

FLY BUTTERFLY FLY.
     
 

......BUY

A Pair of Nano X2's Marked Wayyyyy Down

If you've been eyeing up a new pair of shoes to wear to the gym and you are a bargain shopper- then keep reading. The Nano X2 is marked way down to only $89.97 for a limited time. What's better than new shoes? New shoes and a bargain!

BARGAIN SHOPPIN.
     
 

...KNOW

How to Deal With an Injury

No one ever plans to be injured. That’s why no one knows what to do when they get injured! If you feel like something is not right or that you might have injured yourself, use these 3 tips to mitigate the damage.

INJURY = BAD.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.

  • 🎂 Happy birthday, Jacob Tsypkin.
  • Happy 15 year anniversary to CrossFit Omaha.
  • Raphael Durand from Rhino CrossFit in Las Vegas, NV builds to a heavy 515 pound/233.5kg deadlift.
  • Chris Harris of Move Fast Lift Heavy snatches 305 pounds/138kg.
  • Teen athlete Rafael Candeias from Portugal power cleans 255 pounds/115.5kg.
  • Nine-year-old Stella Wexler from Tier 1 CrossFit DBP in Ocala, FL clean and jerks 75 pounds/34kg for a 5 pound PR.
 
LOCAL COMPETITIONS + Submit an Event
4/6 - 4/7: Landifornian Battle (Seignosse, France)
4/6: Two Peas in a Pod: Mixed Gender Partner Comp (Burlington, MA)
4/6 - 4/7: SeaDog Summer Showdown (Jupiter, Florida)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Minnesota (Austin, Minnesota)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Kentucky (Richmond, Kentucky)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Ohio (Lancaster, Ohio)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, Alabama)
4/6: Best Babes 608 (Janesville, Wisconsin)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beufort, South Carolina)
4/6: Best Babes Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
4/6: Best Babes Wyoming (Cheyene, Wyoming)
4/6: War Off I-4 (Deland, FL)
4/6 - 4/7: No Pain No Game (Legnano, Italy)
4/6 - 4/7: Shack Team Edition (Rome, Italy)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beaufort, SC)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, AL)
4/6: Best Babes Houston (Houston, Texas)
4/13: Queens of Oly East Tennessee (Bulls Gap, TN)
4/13: Queens of Oly Rockledge (Rockledge, FL)
4/13: Fittest on Main (Boaz, AL)
4/19 - 4/21: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/20: Barbells For Bullies: Community Workout Savannah (Savnnah, Georgia, US)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, NY)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Masiphumelele (Kommetjie, Cape Town, South Africa)
4/20: Festivus Games (Goderich, Canada)
4/20: Festivus Games (Clermont, FL)
4/20: Festivus Games @ The Gym – CrossFit Kilo (Cedar Falls, IA)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CBM Sirens (Caledonia, MS)
4/20: Festivus Games @ Coyote Valley (San Jose, CA)
4/20: The Fittest 4 (Sunshine Coast, Australia)
4/20: Embrace the Challenge (Mentor, Ohio)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Pagosa (Pagosa Springs, CO)
4/20: First EVER Adaptive Festivus Games Competition (Waterford, United States)
4/20: Festivus Games (WAUKESHA, WI)
4/20 - 4/21: BGR Contest Spring Edition (Bergerac, France)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia, Canada)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia)
4/25 - 5/12: Raised by Grace (Virtual, )
4/26 - 4/28: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/27: Cap Crown Throwdown (Gladstone, Australia)
4/28: 249 Spring Throwdown (Sittingbourne, Kent, England)
5/4: CHLKDUP Classic (Nashville, TN)
5/4: Masters Equalizer Co-Ed Team of 4 Comp (Oceanport, United States)
5/4: The Battle on Bedford (Lynchburg, VA)
5/4 - 5/5: Pavia Spring Challenge ’24 (Pavia, Italy)
5/4 - 5/5: Italian Bulls Games (Lido di Ostia, Italy)
5/4: Team Challenge Texas (San Antonio, Texas)
5/4: The Strong and Courageous (Cullman, Alabama)
5/11 - 5/12: Finest City Weightlifting Open – Presented by The Strength Tank (San Diego, CA)
5/11: True Fitness Trials (Cherry Hill, NJ)
5/11: Queens of Oly Hawaii (Wailuku, Hawaii)
5/11: Queens of Oly Hudson (Hudson, NY)
5/11: Queens of Oly Philadelphia (West Chester, Philadelphia)
5/18: Thrive Throwdown (Lynchburg, VA)
5/18: Imperial CrossFit’s Spring Fit Fest (Kent, WA)
5/18 - 5/19: The Rainhill Spring Trials (Manchester, UK)
5/18: Luminate the Day (Nonprofit comp for Windy Willow Foundation) (Grand Rapids, MI)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx Chicago (Alsip, Illinois)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx Wilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
5/18: Girls Gone RX Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)
5/18: Code 3 Clash (Eagle, ID)

See all upcoming events

 
 
Your Coffee is ready.