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Former CrossFit COO Hired by California Health Club

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is brought to you by BUBS NATURALS.

What does CrossFit Media personality Rory Mckernan do every morning to fuel his day? He loads up on BUBS Collagen and MCT Oil Powder. 

“I’ve done every diet under the sun… the one thing that works consistently well is a dose of MCT Oil. It’s simple, easy to use, plug and play. I feel more mentally clear and it sets me up nicely for my day.” — Rory Mckernan?

We know you’ve already got a dozen blender bottles so lets up your Protein Mixing Game. 

Use code “DieYoung” for a FREE BUBS Mix Wand with your next order and good luck this week!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If you ain’t first, you’re last.” — Ricky Bobby

Down 100 Pounds and Diabetes Free, Now He Leans on CrossFit After a Crash

 

Tony Griffiths first walked through the doors of Ute CrossFit in Salt Lake City, UT on May 14, 2018. When he walked in for his “No Sweat Consult” he needed to take a seat and catch his breath before even starting. Griffiths confessed later that he had headed over to Ute CrossFit three previous times before finally getting the courage to come in.

Griffiths weighed almost 400 pounds, had only 32% of his oxygen available, had Type 2 diabetes that was being treated with both medication and an insulin shot, couldn’t walk more than 20 feet without getting winded, and was always depressed with low self-esteem.

“When I first saw him I knew group classes weren’t going to be an option for him. We went on to the office and began his consult. I always begin with ‘What brought you in today?’ After a long silence, he shared with me that he didn’t want to die. In that moment I decided I would personally train him,” said Brittany Perkins, who co-owns Ute CrossFit with her husband and Tommy Hackenbruck.

Perkins had Tony come in four days a week. For the first few weeks, she had him working in short bursts with lots of rest built in. After a few weeks of showing up for his sessions with Brittany, Tony was already experiencing milestones like finally being able to strap himself into the rower and grab the handle himself.

“…I just kept going.”

“It was all so hard at first, all of it. She was never embarrassed or anything she just had me do the best I could. I didn’t like any of it, none of it. There was nothing that I liked at all. I just kept going,” Griffiths told Morning Chalk Up.

“I used to have a lot of confidence when I was younger. I lost that, but doing CrossFit gave me that confidence back. It changed the way I lived.”

Continue reading…

Former CrossFit COO Hired by California Health Club

 

It didn’t take long for one of CrossFit Inc.’s recently departed executives to find his way back into the fitness industry, as In-shape Health Clubs has hired Bruce Edwards as their Chief Growth Officer. Edwards, who formerly served as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for CrossFit Inc., recently departed after a near six-year stint with the company.

Agent of change: During his tenure at CrossFit (2013-2019), Edwards was a key player in implementing changes within the organization that included adjustments in staffing, a foray into e-commerce, and massive operational changes in all departments aimed at improving the financial health and accelerating the growth of the company.

  • During this time frame, the company experienced record growth in terms of affiliate numbers, training and certifications, and participation in the sport via the Open.
  • CrossFit as a brand expanded into more than 150 countries worldwide, and the creation of the CrossFit Store and e-commerce platforms served as a source of revenue and marketing for the brand across the globe.

The big fitness picture: To put it lightly, the past year or so has been a tumultuous one for CrossFit Inc. A complete company overhaul that included massive reductions in staffing, the dismantling of their media team and social media platforms, and the outsourcing of competitions and the majority of the sport side of the house, has been capped off by the recent departures of multiple executives including Edwards and CrossFit CEO Jeff Cain.

  • The Stockton, California based In-shape Health Clubs, which has 65 locations across the state, now gets an executive that was a major factor in CrossFit Inc. experiencing it’s best years as a brand.
  • CrossFit Inc. now must move forward without many of the major players that helped the company reach its recent successes, with one of those players now employed by a direct competitor.

Signs of another shift: We’ve already seen CrossFit Inc. pull back on some of the recent changes, such as rejoining Instagram through their training department. With more recent departures rumored within the staff ranks, 2020 could prove to be a pivotal year for the company.

Things To…

 

WATCH: Heppner Gives Sweeney a Run For His Money
In this episode of FITAID’s “Jacob of All Trades,” Jacob Heppner tries his hand as a stable boy, challenging himself with what he calls the “most ner-racking thing” so far. Find out how he handles life in the saddle on this episode, which helps support War Horses for Veterans.
SADDLE UP, PARTNER.

 

LISTEN TO: A Fresh Cup of Fitness
In Episode 6 of A Fresh Cup of Fitness, hosts Jessica Danger and Brittany Marsh share their best tips for staying on track while traveling. From making sure you get enough protein, grounding your feet and getting the morning sunlight, to navigating homemade meals, they offer up every trick in their book. If you take just one thing from this episode: You can make the magic happen anytime, anywhere.
JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

 
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SO FRESH AND SO CLEAN, CLEAN.

 

EAT: Healthier Pumpkin Pie This Thanksgiving
Creamy, homemade healthier pumpkin pie made from scratch and naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. This easy-to-make pumpkin pie recipe will knock your socks off! Serve with dairy-free or regular ice cream, or a little whipped cream for a treat.
PIE IS BETTER THAN CAKE, OBVI.

 

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is brought to you by

SPONSORED

Start Your Mornings the Same Way Rory Mckernan Does

What does CrossFit Media personality Rory Mckernan do every morning to fuel his day? He loads up on BUBS Collagen and MCT Oil Powder. 

“I’ve done every diet under the sun… the one thing that works consistently well is a dose of MCT Oil. It’s simple, easy to use, plug and play. I feel more mentally clear and it sets me up nicely for my day.” — Rory Mckernan?

We know you’ve already got a dozen blender bottles so lets up your protein mixing game. 

Use code “DieYoung” for a FREE BUBS Mix Wand with your next order and good luck this week!

Chalk Up Community

 
  • MAKE-A-WISH FUNDRAISER — On December 7 CrossFit Amoskeag in Bedford, NH  is holding their 5th Annual Fantastic Family and Friends Fitness Fest to benefit the Make-A-Wish NH foundation.
  • OLSON WOD — On October 6, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office lost Senior Deputy Tom Olson to suicide. Tom formerly served his country as a United States Marine. This Saturday, Hanford CrossFit in Hanford, CA is holding a fundraiser WOD for the Olson family.
  • NEW WEIGHTLIFTING CLASS — Beginning Monday, December 2, CrossFit Joshua Tree is adding a weightlifting class to their schedule. The class will take place Monday through Friday at 6:00 PM PT.

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

Happy birthday Nick Marquez • Jonathan Peardon back squats 500 pounds for a PR • Jamie Bates deadlifts 419 pounds Mia Hesketh back squats 297 pounds for three • Matt Rattay snatches 291 poundsBronislaw Olenkowicz gets a 276 pound close grip snatch • Jacob Heppner does 4×4 tempo overhead squats at 300 pounds • Sixteen-year-old Johnathan Baez got his first ring muscle-up.

Annie Thorisdottir and Austin Malleolo win 20.3.

CrossFit Italian Showdown was 85% full in nine hours…maybe there are a few spots left. 

CrossFt Filthy 150 — Spectator tickets are now on sale for the CrossFit Filthy 150, the first Sanctional of the 2019-2020 season, taking place November 22 – 24.

— Sara Sigmundsdottir is confirmed for the event. 

Kristof Horvath, Hungry’s unofficial national champion, hospitalized — Just a day after unofficially qualifying for his first CrossFit Games, Horvath was hit by a car and hospitalized. 

— “Life’s funny.. Yesterday I unofficially qualified to my first CrossFit Games achieving a lifetime goal and dream. And today I got hit by a car riding [my bike] to the gym. I won’t know much until tomorrow but I’m glad it hasn’t happened before redo day.”

Dean Linder-Leighton Aims for Big 3 — In an Instagram post, Linder-Leighton announced he’s changing up his training in the attempts to qualify for the CrossFit Games, Ironman Kona and Iron Series in the same year.

— “I feel like If you could be good, or even qualify in these 2 series, as well as the CrossFit games, you would be close to being the most the ultimately well rounded athlete ever!I don’t think you could win any of them while training for the others but I am really interested to see if I could be competitive in all 3!”

— Linder-Leighton did not qualify for the Games through the Open and will have to utilize a sanctioned event to get back to Madison.

CrossFit and Mental Illness — Josh Inman recently started a Facebook group to help support CrossFitters with mental illness called CF Masters Strong. He was a guest on the CrossFit Masters podcast to discuss CrossFit and mental health.

— “You might ask, What does that have to do with Crossfit? And that’s a great question because, for a lot of folks, mental health has nothing to do with Crossfit. For a few of us, however, Crossfit is a part of the puzzle that keeps us healthy both mentally and physically.”

Award Winning Apparel for Women — CrossFit 309 Co-Owner, Holly Mosack, took home two awards in an entrepreneur pitch competition held at Bradley University in Peoria, IL for her leakproof line of apparel, Moxie Fitness Apparel, designed with CrossFit women in mind. Her company received the top honor of Best Business Model and also the People’s Choice award.

Reads
CHALK UP READS

“The Freakest Challenge Returns,” by Tommy Marquez, Morning Chalk Up

One of Europe’s fastest-growing, and unique competitions makes its return to Barcelona, Spain, as the 5th edition of The Freakest Challenge will take place February 1st, 2020 at the Palau Sant Jordi. Featuring a tournament style elimination round competition between eight finalist teams, last year’s competition included participation and appearances from athletes like Lukas Hogberg, Laura Horvath, Sara Sigmundsdottir, and the Fittest Man on Earth Mat Fraser.

A little background: founded in 2015, the first year of competition featured 20 teams competing over the course of four months on location at Fittest Freakest, the specialty training and weightlifting retail store in downtown Barcelona. Each weekend two teams would battle head to head until the field was narrowed to eight teams for the final, and one team was crowned champion.

Fast forward four years, and last year’s edition saw 1,800 spectators (max capacity) pack into Palau Sant Jordi to watch eight teams of two men, and two women from Spain battle it out in the final event alongside some of the biggest names in the sport of fitness. The Morning Chalk Up was onsite and had the chance to witness the competition and excitement first hand.
How you and your crew can compete: New to this year’s competition, teams from all across Europe are invited to participate in the team competition for their chance to throwdown in February alongside superstar Games athletes. The competition in its entirety will consist of two stages – an online qualifier, and the finals.

Reads
CHALK UP CALENDAR

11/15 – 11/16: 24 Hours 24 Heroes (Charleston, SC)
11/16: Warrior Affiliate League Delta Force (City of Industry, CA)
11/16: O-Town Throwdown 2019 (Oconomowoc, WI)
11/16: The Garage Games Masters Tour (Blue Springs, MO)
11/16: The Garage Games Masters Tour (Clemmons, NC)
11/16: The Garage Games Masters Tour (Plainville, CT)
11/16: The Pain Cave SD (San Diego, CA)
11/16: 2019 Graveyard Games (Kenosha, WI)
11/16: Mid-Atlantic Masters Classic (Abingdon, MD)
11/16: 3rd Annual Bombs & Barbells (Pooler, GA)
11/16: Mama Said Knock You Out (Canton, CT)
11/16: Olson WOD (Hanford, CA)
11/16: CFP’s 6th annual Fall Brawl (Pittsfield, MA)
11/16: 4th Annual Battle of the Badges (St. Louis, MO)
11/16 – 11/17: 24 Hours of Heroes (London, ON)
11/17: Annual Ghetto Games (Plainville, MA)
11/17: Crews For Brews (Windsor, Ontario)
11/22: Sixth Annual Gobbler Gauntlet (Scottsdale, AZ)
11/23: Kettlebells for Balls (Newburyport, MA)
11/23: Keep Austin W.O.D.ing (Austin, TX)
11/23: CrossFit XLTs 6th Annual Turkey Bash (Chatham, IL)
11/23: Fitness for Ellie Fundraiser (Amherst, OH)
11/23: Rise of the South (Statesboro, GA)
11/23 Vekter Games (Laurel, MD)
11/23 – 11/24: South Loop Games (Chicago, IL)
12/7: New Wods on the Block (Lubbock, TX)
12/7: Warrior Affiliate League Battle Royale (Whittier, CA)
12/7: Game of Rowers (Norwood, MA)
12/7: 2019 Local RIVals Series (Colchester, CT)
12/7: Granite Games Throwdown at Slate CrossFit (Seattle, WA)
12/7: 4th Annual Reindeer Games (Bismarck, ND)
12/7: Winter Warriors Throwdown (Lebanon, NH)
12/15: Strong New York (New York, NY)
12/15: Syndicate Vault (Columbia, MD)

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