“The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.”- Pele
CROSSFIT GAMES
New Year, New Roster For CrossFit Mayhem Freedom
The reigning and defending Affiliate Cup champions, CrossFit Mayhem Freedom, will have an entirely new look for 2021 as they try to win their fifth overall and third consecutive title.
A combination of personal developments within the roster and new rules governing the team competitionhave forced the most dominant team in CrossFit Games history to revamp their roster yet again as a new system, and a new era of competition is ushered in for this season.
Remind me: The 2020 Mayhem Freedom team of four roster included owner and team captain Rich Froning alongside Chyna Cho, Tasia Percevecz, and new addition for the season Scott Panchik. The team won both Sanctionals it competed in before the season was cut short and the team competition at the Games was cancelled (Strength in Depth, Wodapalooza).
This season Froning will be the only athlete from the roster returning to the team and he’ll have to find replacements for the three other athletes on the roster from a year ago.
The Fittest Athletes on Earth Joined the beam Team. And So Can You.
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SPEED READS
CrossFit athletes Colleen Fotsch, Kelsey Kiel and Emma Baumert made their presence known at the Park City North American Cup over the weekend. All three earned podium spots and medals in the two-woman bobsled. Overall, USA Bobsled athletes won 16 of 18 available medals.
Tia-Clair Toomey and Shane Orrannounced that they are leaving Cookeville, TN. And recounted some of their favorite moments and memories in their apartment as they packed up to leave.
Toomey: “We’re a bit emotional right now because…it’s come to that time where we are now moving out of our apartment here in Cookeville.”
Mat Fraser, Josh Bridges and Sevan Matossian’s unnamed podcast released its third episode and it starts off with a discussion of Fraser’s most recent drug test (just before they started recording the episode that morning). Hear about that process and more.
Fraser: “People just assume, if you’re the best in the sport, it’s because you’re doping.”
Kari Pearce, Third Fittest Woman on Earth, announced her new “PowerGlutes” Program to complement “PowerAbs.” “PowerGlutes” follows the same, 10-minutes a day system that has made “PowerAbs” so successful since 2018. Available for pre-order now.
LIFESTYLE
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
The Road to Self-Acceptance: How CrossFit Games Moms Came to Embrace Their Pregnant Bodies
Two years ago, three-time CrossFit Games athlete Mekenzie Riley shared her story about a disordered eating past with Morning Chalk Up readers through a Letter to My Younger Self. More recently, Riley became a mother to a baby boy named Race and said what she learned through CrossFit about prioritizing function over appearance “100 percent” helped her embrace her changing body through her pregnancy and into motherhood.
CrossFit Newbies Offer Perspective on Joining a Gym During the Pandemic
For Ryan Marie Diduk-Smith, the pandemic came with three kids at home, a switch to garage workouts, and isolation. It had been years since she’d stepped foot in a CrossFit gym, but, needing a break from “the insanity” of her life, she joined The Adroit Collective in Virginia.
The big picture: Diduk-Smith is one of many, despite lockdowns and restrictions, who joined a CrossFit gym in the past year. For some, it’s been a welcome break from stress and a new source of support. For others, it’s pushed them mentally, in a way that Charlie Waldvogel, a new member at CrossFit Timoro, says has kept him “accountable, kept my mind sharp and my motivation constant.”
No reason to be nervous: Waldvogel started CrossFit online and says that regular check-ins from his coach made the sport less intimidating. Grace Heckenlively, another new member of CrossFit Timoro, says joining virtual-first was “definitely weird,” pointing out that it’s harder to feel the dynamic of a group class online.
“I had no idea of all the different challenges that would come with CrossFit,” Waldvogel wrote in an email.
The 2021 CrossFit Open is just six weeks away and whether you’re training at home or in the gym, one lucky athlete will win the chance to eat, train, sleep and recover like a professional athlete.
Registration is open from January 25 – January 29. The winner will be announced in the intro of Saturday’s Morning Chalk Up newsletter.
Prizes:
3 months of one-on-one nutrition coaching with Working Against Gravity.
One one One coaching with Brute Coach Daniel Condon.
A free account and 1 hour consultation call with Kelly Starrett from The Ready State.
A one month supply of beam recovery products including Dream, Revive and the Fixer.
Open registration paid for by Morning Chalk Up.
Fine Print
Emails must be submitted by January 29th at 6PM PT.
You can only enter one valid email per person.
Only U.S. residents can win.
By entering to win you agree to be contacted by all brands participating in the giveaway.
The number one factor in improving your abilities in many aspects of life, including fitness, is the ability to be coachable. In this video from Dark Horse Rowing, Shane Farmer lays out the differences between "being coachable" and "being coached," and provides some keys to unlocking your potential in whatever you choose.
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Give two-time Olympian, Power Monkey's Chad Vaughn's empty barbell warm-up a try before your next snatch session. Before loading up the weight, hit this sequence twice, once barefoot and once with your weightlifting shoes on.
Ever wonder why some days you feel like you have an extra gear? The secret is in the data. Sign up now (no code needed) and start optimizing your recovery, training, and sleep.
Looking to add some more veggies to your diet while staying strict on a Whole30 or similar nutrition plan? Give these 16 recipes a try and simply pair them with a simple protein.
Chalk Up Highlights is our section dedicated to celebrating our community’s wins in the gym. Follow @ChalkUpHighlights and submit your highlight to [email protected] to be featured.
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