CrossFit Doubles Down on Madison

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Renaissance Periodization, the leaders in sports nutrition for athletes and everyday men and women alike!

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Welcome back Justin, our fearless Founder and CEO, from a successful summit of Mount Olympus!

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Is Eating Like a Viking the Next Big Thing?

The story.

Move over paleo and keto, there’s a new diet on the rise. We’ve been hearing about the Mediterranean diet for years — but have you ever heard of the Nordic diet? (Except all 6,327 of you reading this who are from Nordic countries, obvi).

Picturing a burly viking with a big leg of meat? We did…

So what is it?

Well the Nordic diet, given Norway’s geographical location, is very similar to the Mediterranean diet. It’s very high in fatty fish and emphasizes seasonal and locally sourced, plant-based foods.

In a typical Nordic diet you’ll see some familiar American staples like fruits, grains, berries, eggs, and vegetables. You’ll also see foods like fermented dairy products (like kefir), pickles, and other fermented veggies. Meat is eaten in moderation and added sugars and processed foods are avoided. You’ll also see a lot of canola oil instead of olive oil.

With its emphasis on local and sustainable foods, it’s not so much about eating a specific list of foods, but more so how you’re sourcing them.

Should I try it?

This new “diet” has definitely been touted as the new health craze. Several studies have shown that it can help with weight loss and other health markers, so why not?

And hey, we won’t tell anyone if you want to throw on a chainmail helmet and slosh around a goblet of mead while you’re at it.

DEEP DIVE

Inside CrossFit’s Smart Move to Double Down in Madison

CrossFit’s two-year extension with the city of Madison to host the CrossFit Games through 2021 came as a surprise to fans and stakeholders when it was announced last week. But the deal had been in the works for more than six months.

In the city of Madison and their local sports commission — the Madison Area Sports Commission — who just won the 2017 Sports Commission of the Year for a city under 500,000 residents, the CrossFit Games has found the perfect partner to create the best sports festival in the world.

The time is now.

It wasn’t three months after the 2017 CrossFit Games ended that senior staff at CrossFit HQ were discussing what’s next. To move a festival this large, it takes 20 – 24 months of planning and CrossFit’s contract was up in 20 months.

Continue reading…

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your coach when you catch him drawing flow charts and Venn diagrams in the dark hoping to decipher Dave Castro’s 2018 CrossFit Games…

Quit that. Armen Hammer already did it. He plowed through Constructing the CrossFit Games while we slept and made this video. He breaks down all the events mentioned in the book but not yet used in the CrossFit Games. Emphasis on yet, folks. 

What to tell your friend who constantly stands you up last minute…

If you say you’re going to do it, then do it. Just like Kristen at CrossFit Omaha did. She said she would get her first unbroken 800-meter run this weekend and she did just that. Be more like Kristen.

Things To…

WATCH: How to Make the Fit Fitter

In part two of the Intelligent Training series by Brute Strength, coach Nick Fowler touches on building trust in the relationship between athlete and coach, and why it’s so important to train with intent.

JUST BE BETTER.

HEAR: The Man Planning the Games 

CrossFit General Manager Justin Bergh sits down with Julie Foucher on the Pursuing Health Podcast and shares the challenges of planning for a constantly varied sport, what it’s like to work with Dave Castro, and the challenges he faces during Games season.

TUNE IN.

KNOW: What the Actual Heck is a Drop Set?

A what set? A drop set. If you’re new to weightlifting, you might not understand all the terms, and it can be intimidating to ask. Here’s everything you need to know about a drop set.

NOW YOU KNOW.

DO: Break the Guiness World Record 

Always wanted to bring home a medal to your mama? Well now’s your chance to help break the Guinness World Record for “Most people holding an abdominal plank” with Jillian Michaels and 10- hour plank world record holder George Hood at Rose Bowl Stadium Aug 4, 2018. With code “MORNINGCHALKUP” your entrance is free, plus there’s food!

HOLD IT, HOLD IT. 

EAT: Mango Chicken Stir Fry

We’ve been reading a lot about mangoes lately. Did you know that a ripe mango can weigh up to three pounds? See if you can find one that heavy and then use it in this stir fry with some summer veggies and fluffy rice.

FRUITS OF SUMMER. 

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Chalk Up Community

• PRO-TIP: DON’T STRAY FROM THE BASICS — With the 2018 CrossFit Games right around the corner (three weeks out today!) it can be easy to get caught up in the lure of professional competitive CrossFit. But take a minute to review the fundamental principles of CrossFit — Safety, Efficacy, and Efficiency — especially for you coaches.
• CROSSFIT SANDSTONE EXPANDS — There’s a bigger, better box in Oklahoma now. CrossFit Sandstone has expanded into a larger location, making more room for WODs and community events alike, and they want their neighbors to come check them out. 
• FIT ENOUGH FOR ANYTHING — Lexi Neely has been doing CrossFit since she was twelve-years-old. Now she’s headed to the 2018 CrossFit Games in the Girls 14-15 division and with the help of her coach and family, she is training to be “fit enough for anything and everything.” 
• SURPRISE AT 6:00 AM — The 6:00 am class was a little larger at BarPath CrossFit in Willmar, MN this morning as members had a surprise baby shower for Coach David Blom and his nine-month pregnant wife, Sarah. They completed a workout with med balls wrapped to their midsections!

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

Baby Mallie does a burpee • Corey Chouteau gets 50 cals in 42 seconds on a Rogue Echo bike • Five years ago Kenzie
Riley had a max snatch of 145 pounds • 68-year-old Jan Alexuk gets a 65 pound deadlift PR • Adaptive athlete Jedidiah Snelson does muscle-ups at the UG Series last weekend • Aaron Hanna gets a 365 pound power clean PR • Teen CrossFit Games athlete Léa Malo gets a road bike • Sara Sigmundsdóttir had a 2018 Games simulation weekend that included shooting • Kara Webb feels better prepared than ever for the 2018 Games • Sam and Jenn Dancer and Junk Headbands have a new line of headbands. 

…and the next time you get a PR, channel this child. 

Emily Molnar Finished Treatment — AKA CrossFit Emily, she finished her last session of induction treatment Monday. How did she celebrate? She went to CrossFit of course, where she got some squats in at Subversus Fitness. Way to go
Emily! 

Thanks for the Shark, CrossFit — Emily Biggers was fishing in Texas when she got something on her line. Thirty grueling minutes later, Biggers had reeled in a shark. She let the shark go, but not before thanking CrossFit. “Thank God for CrossFit, I’d never have been able to do it,” Biggers said.

Change of Uniform Policy — On July 2, CrossFit emailed all divisions notifying athletes that they would be required to wear only the Reebok footwear provided at athlete registration. According to an email sent out, “You will no longer be able to wear footwear from previous seasons. We have collectively made this decision to bring a more professional look to this highlighted time period.” 

— Side Note: Notice the road, not trail, running shoe in the lineup? We also have a pretty good idea of what the uniforms will look like now after seeing the tops on Scott and Saxon Panchik.

“You Are the Solution to Your Own Situation” by Shane Trotter, Breaking Muscle

In the famous stale popcorn studies, conducted all over America, we are given insight into humans and our irrational eating behaviors. Experimenters offered free popcorn to moviegoers. Popcorn came in two different size buckets – each contained far more than could be eaten.

There was a huge size and a more huge size. Each bucket of popcorn was weighed before being given so that the experimenters could determine exactly how much was eaten.

Now, this popcorn was exceptionally stale. A couple of consumers even demanded their money back before remembering it was free. There was little taste reward for mindless consumption of these kernels.

Still, nearly everyone ate. Crazier still, those with the largest size buckets, ate more. How much more? “Approximately 53% more, or 21 dips into the container.” The larger the bucket, the more available, the more we eat.

The knee-jerk response might be the condemnation of our society’s mass inability to monitor their own behavior and quell impulses, even for unpalatable foods. Do we really feel this compelled to stuff our faces? Is our behavior really this mindless and unintentional?

Apparently, yes, and it is everyone. 

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: CrossFit for Hope 2018 (Peoria, IL)

7/14: Team SuperFit Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)

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

7/14: RX’Mas in July (Urbana, OH)

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

7/15 – 7/16: Lubbock Summer Games (Lubbock, TX)

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

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

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

7/21: Battle at the BallPark (Peoria, IL) 

7/21: Summer Partner Throwdown (Hammond, LA)

7/21: The Freedom Games (Greenwood, SC)

7/21 – 7/22: The Rubicon (Centerton, AR)

7/21 – 7/22: Fit Nation Thunderdome (Fort Myers, FL)

7/22: Iceland with VoyEdge RX

7/28: Garage Girls Hard Core Fit (Watkinsville, GA) 

7/28: Garage Girls CrossFit HardCore (Boca Raton, FL) 

7/28: AZ FitCom Competition (Phoenix, AZ)

7/28: Summer Knights Showdown (Springfield, IL)

7/28: Savage Wolves CrossFit Classic (Nazareth, PA)

7/28 – 7/29: CF Summer Circus (Des Moines, IA)

7/29: Summer Sizzle (Wadsworth, OH) 

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

8/4: Lumberjack Lift Off (Buckley, WA) 

8/4: G-Town Throwdown (Georgetown, MA) 

8/4: US National Parks Tour with VoyEdge RX

8/4: War at the Shore (Neptune City, NJ)

8/5: Sure Shot Shootout (Greenville, OH)

8/11: Red Raider Backyard Brawl (Coatesville, PA)

8/11: 2018 Rimrock Ruckus (Billings, MT)

8/11: Survival Games 2018 (Wooster, OH)

8/11: The Warhorse Games (Kansas City, KS)

8/18: Bladium CrossFit Fossil Games (Denver, CO)