Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games are now seven days away, and we will have you covered for everything and anything you need to know.
In today’s edition:
Where to workout in Madison during the CrossFit Games
Is there too much handstand walking in CrossFit competitions?
Who are the early contenders for most improved this season?
Russian team training in Las Vegas for Games appearance
Men’s masters division preview and breakdown
Note: The Morning Chalk Up will not be publishing the newsletter August 8-12, as we will be taking some much needed R&R, but we’ll be back in action the following week, so don’t go anywhere.
“I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.”- Albert Einstein
CROSSFIT GAMES
The Complete Guide to Working Out at the 2022 CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin
Every summer, fitness brings us together to cheer on the fittest in the world. While in Madison, it’s the perfect opportunity to befriend like-minded individuals from all over the world, meet your favorite athletes, stay on top of your training routine, try a new training camp’s programming, and often even score some free swag or photos.
Simply put: If you were thinking about treating your stay in Wisconsin as a rest weekend, think again — we’ve got your definitive guide to working out at the Games.
Please note that time stamps are in Madison, WI local time (CDT).
CrossFit Big Dane
Address: 813 Post Rd, Madison, WI 53713
HWPO Training is taking over the affiliate all week with opportunities to get coached by Mat Fraser, Chris Hinshaw, Rob Kearney, Scott Panchik, Team Richey, Aimee Everett, the Buttery Bros, and John Singleton. Drop-ins are free courtesy of GOWOD and sign-up ahead of time is required.
Harder is not always better. Most people think that the harder the foam roller the better, but releasing the fascia is actually better with a softer approach and more flexible tool.
Foam rolling should feel tender, but not agonizing. And when rolling is painful, the body tenses up and does the opposite of creating a release.
The EI8HTBALL is a portable tool that is firm yet flexible and allows you to work deeper into the tissue for a much better release with each pass.
Why it’s our go-to:
Compact and lightweight
Firm yet flexible to allow for controlled pressure
Beneficial for injuries such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, calf pain
The ribbed design helps increase circulation
Perfect for hard to reach areas and suitable for neck and back
In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, spoke to Tyler Watkins, who has developed a whole new statistical model for ranking elite CrossFit athletes. She was joined by analyst Brian Friend and you can read the original article here. 🤓
New shoe: Footwear and apparel company inov-8 has designed a shoe with none other than 10 times CrossFit Games athlete Scott Panchik for a limited edition run. The brand has only made 600 pairs and 100 of them will be sold at the vendor village at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
Signing: TYR continues to snatch up athletes as Arielle Loewen is the latest to sign with the company known for swimwear.
Local love: Great piece on how Carson City CrossFit is offering a program for sober people in partnership with The Phoenix.
CROSSFIT GAMES
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Is Handstand Walking Too Weighted at the CrossFit Games?
The standard for determining the fittest on earth was elegantly articulated by Greg Glassman in his effort to evaluate, “work capacity across broad times and modal domains.” Capacity is best demonstrated through functional movements performed at high intensity.
With this in mind, what capacity is demonstrated through handstand walking, or how does it express its functionality? It seems more akin to a skill that immediately rewards those who possess it. Looking at how handstand walking events play out in competition speaks to this idea.
The History of Handstand Walking in the CrossFit Games Season
Handstand walking has been tested every year at the Game since 2011 (with the exception of 2012).
It has been tested four times during that time period as a singular event, primarily more recently (2016, 2018, 2020, 2021; note in 2011 the handstand walk was tested individually, but was scored as part of the Skills 1 event).
Additionally it has been tested five times at Regionals, two of which were as singular events (2014, 2015).
This means that in six of the last eight years handstand walking was tested in isolation at either the qualifying stage to the Games, or at the Games themselves.
KT CrossFit Kolesnikov Calling Las Vegas Home Before CrossFit Games: ‘Our message is we stand for Love and Goodness’
Right now over at Camp Rhino in Las Vegas, a team of Russian CrossFit athletes are getting ready for Madison. Their coach, Tommy Hackenbruck, said it’s been over a year in terms of getting all six of the members visas so they can come over and live their dreams.
“It’s been quite a process,” said Hackenbruck. “They’ve all been here basically since July 7th, the last visa came through on July 3rd I believe.”
The six members of KT CrossFit Kolesnikov – Kseniia Trubetskaia, Aizhan Zarazova, Aleksandra Buzunova, Aleksandr Plyushkin, Ivan and Grigoriy Gribenyuk – have all been training and the top four will represent the team at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games (teams don’t have to finalize their rosters until check in), which will be the end of a long road for a team determined to compete at the highest level despite some substantial hurdles.
Hackenbruck said he was introduced to Trubetskaia last summer right after he had joined Underdogs Athletics, which is run by Justin Cotler, and started coaching her one on one.
2022 CrossFit Games Preview: Men’s Masters Divisions
Seventy men, ten in each of the seven divisions, will battle for podium spots in the Masters Divisions during three days of competition at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games in Madison, WI.
The ten athletes in each division battled it out in the online Semifinals. The top-three finishers of each respective Semifinals are listed below.
35-39 Age Group Division
Sam Dancer looks to complete the age-group quadruple crown as he was the top athlete in the Open and followed that with a division wins in both the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. He had five top-5 finishes in the Semifinals including an event win in the opening workout.
Longtime Greek athlete Ioannis Papadopoulos will be making his first Games appearance in any division. He turned down his invitation to an individual Semifinal to compete at the Games as a masters athlete. He won two events during Semifinals including workout 6, clean and jerking 352 LBs.
Icelandic Star Thuridur Helgadottir Talks About her Secret Recovery Sauce
There’s something in the water in Iceland, and there has been for a while.
The country with a population of a little over 350,000 has produced a disproportionate number of CrossFit Games athletes through the years, including champions Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir, as well as veterans like Thuridur Helgadottir, Sara Sigmundsdottir and Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson.
Turns out, the secret sauce to their elite fitness might just be a little three-in-one hydration, nutrition and fast recovery tablet called Unbroken RTR that many of these Icelandic and international stars have been dissolving in their water, and that they say makes a big difference when it comes to their recovery, not just after training sessions, but during.
What is Unbroken RTR?
Unbroken RTR’s product is an effervescent tablet that you just add to your water bottle, made from fresh Norwegian salmon with natural citrus flavour.
When dealing with lower back discomfort, the worst thing you can do for your back is sit around and do nothing. Use these easy to modify mobility exercises to keep moving and be back to full fitness sooner.
It's your final day to save up to 50% on all your favorite O2 flavors during our Summer Sales Event and refuel with 2x the electrolytes of big-brand sports drinks.
A Free WHOOP Strap 4.0 and Extra Month's Membership
WHOOP measures your body's data over 100 times a second to provide personalized feedback on your recovery, strain, and sleep. Morning Chalk Up readers can get a free strap and an extra month's membership when you sign up at the link below.
In an industry worth $87 billion with over 200,000 health and fitness clubs...you're going to need an edge. Here are three tips to help your box or programming stand out amongst the crowd.
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