How Adrian Bozman Levels the Playing Field of Competitive CrossFit

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Rx Smart Gear, a fitness solutions brand.

Try the RX Jump Rope Challenge, a great warm up and agility test. Perform the following movements in order, increasing by 5 reps each time you make it through an unbroken round:

5 single-unders, 5 right leg single-unders, 5 left leg single-unders, 5 alternating singles, 5 side swings, and 5 double-unders if you have them. Repeat 10, 15, 20 etc. until you break. Show us how you did by using #RXJumpRopeComplex.

“If you’re doing something for the right reasons, you’re gonna win in the end.” — Jocko Willink

DATA SNAPSHOT: Inside the CrossFit Affiliate

The story.

While there are more than 15,000 CrossFit affiliates in 162 countries, we’re all one giant family. Just like a Starbucks, you can walk into any box in the world and we’re all speaking the same language. BTW, there are about 28,000 Starbucks worldwide. Coming for you Howard Schultz. 

With that shared language in mind, Wodify — the most widely used gym management software — surveyed nearly 3,000 gyms to identify some trends.

Here’s what they discovered.

Lot’s, and here are our five favorite facts:

1. Monday at 5:30 PM is the most popular class.
2. The least popular class is Wednesday at 6:00 AM.
3. December is the worst month for attendance.
4. Eighteen months is the average lifespan of a gym membership.
5. The average number of classes offered every week is 42.

Not in it for the money.

The next time a member (totally not you, we know) grumbles that they could go to the local globo gym for only 18 bucks a month consider this. CrossFit, despite having the bad rap of being expensive, actually isn’t a moneymaker, folks. The average membership brings in only $84 a month. So maybe the next time you’re at Starbucks, grab a drink for your box owner too. He could probably use it.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your members as the infamous fall schedule starts to fill up while the days get shorter and shorter…

We get it. Everyone starts to get busier and busier this time of year. Fall sports are upon us, holiday madness is approaching, and it’s dark out when you leave work. But that is no reason to start slippin, Susan. Here are seven health hacks to keep you on track when you think you’re “too busy” for things like WODs and meal planning. (Fact: There is no such thing as too busy for health.) 

Things To…

WATCH: Brooke Ence and Friends on the Lake

Every year Brooke Ence and a group of friends get together for a week-long retreat on a houseboat in Lake Powell. This year they got crazy on the blob, found a wild horse, and also managed to get in some fitness on the beach.

FULL SEND.

HEAR: Adrian Bozman on Fairness in Sport

Todd Nief sits down with Adrian Bozman, lead judge of the CrossFit Games, to discuss everything from his passion for music to the emotions involved in competing, and how he gets comfortable with upsetting people to uphold the standards of competition.

HOLD THE LINE.

EAT: Keto Pumpkin Butter Slice 

Pumpkin everything this time of year, right? These pumpkin butter fat bombs are dairy free, keto, and delicious. High in super-foods and healthy fats, these are the perfect treats to keep you on track through this month of Halloween treats and office candy jars.

SLICE OF HEAVEN. 

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• ROWING FUNDRAISER — JonesN4 CrossFit, CrossFit Lethal, Body Armor CrossFit, and 8808 CrossFit held a Row-A-Thon to raise money for Catch A Lift. Teams of up to five members competed to row 42,195 meters as fast as they could. 
• DIABETES AT ELEVEN — Abby Mistic was diagnosed with early onset diabetes two years ago, when she was only eleven. Her brother, Kenny, took her with him to CrossFit Upshot in October 2016, and since then she has lost 40 pounds. “If it wasn’t for Kenny, by this time I’d probably have Type 2 diabetes, be 300 pounds and sit on the couch all day and not do anything,” said Abby.
• HURRICANE DAMAGE — Mirror Image CrossFit was one of the many CrossFit boxes devastated by hurricane Michael. True to the CrossFit spirit, their community is already rebuilding and helping others in need. 
• GRAND RE-OPENING — CrossFit ABF is having a grand re-opening on October 27 to celebrate their new facilities. There will be a DJ, a bar, a WOD, and a costume contest.

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

Congratulations to Steph Chung on getting married over the weekend • Happy one-year anniversary to Good For You CrossFit • Zach Sowder gets a 355 pound jerk PR • Congratulations to Olivia Grimmer on getting her first ring muscle-up • Aaron Prenger gets a 265 pound snatch PR • OC Athletix coached a class of Marine recruits through their first CrossFit WOD • Shiloh Ellis gets an 85 pound snatch PR • Congratulations to Lacy Baumgart on her baby announcement.

…and the next time there are puns and axes programmed in the WOD, make sure Brent Fikowski is on your team. 

Greg Glassman Profiled in Men’s Health — “For first disrupting the fitness industry and now taking on the health-care industrial complex” wrote Men’s Health in their introduction to the Greg Glassman profile that came out online and in print last week. “CrossFit Health is about increasing the number of CrossFit boxes, creating access for all. It’s also about fighting the establishment: lawsuits against fitness organizations trying
to bring down the brand as well as junkfood companies that fund nutrition science.

“‘What about concerns that they’ll get injured?’ asks an orthopedist. That i-word pulls the trigger. ‘Jesus, as a vast discipline, you orthopedists can’t get enough of football and running, but somehow CrossFit is the boogeyman,’ Glassman says. ‘Fuck injuries. You think we got to 15,000 boxes by hurting everyone?’ ‘No, not me,’ the orthopedist says. ‘I’m asking for other doctors…’ ‘Yeah, I get that,’ says Glassman. ‘But see, we gotta unfuck the doctors first.’ The most controversial man in fitness is at it again, picking fights with the establishment.”

Dave Castro Helps Celebrate Ten Years — “Pictured are four CrossFit affiliate owners who each have been in business for ten years. CrossFit King of Prussia, CrossFit Apex, CrossFit Delaware Valley and CrossFit Generation. To celebrate, they have banded together for their ‘10 Years Strong Event’ which included a CrossFit WOD and party. Thanks for
inviting me out and I am incredibly proud of the collective community and teamwork amongst local affiliates you foster and celebrate. The workout was deceptively hard. I was, no surprise, the weak link on the team.”

Dubai CrossFit Championship — Week Two of the Dubai CrossFit Championship has wrapped up. Laura Horvath closed out the top spot for Elite Women again, with Dani Speegle in 2nd and Jamie Greene in 3rd. Some other big names are Eik Gylfadottir in 5th, Bethany Shadburne in 11th, Samantha Briggs in 14th, and Alessandra Pichelli in 30th. In the Men’s Elite division Willy Georges is currently in 1st,  Streat Hoerner is in 2nd, with Colten Mertens in 3rd. Dean
Linder-Leighton is right behind him in 4th, with Jacob Heppner in 5th. Keep an eye out for Ben Smith in 8th, Alex Anderson in 9th, Alec Smith in 11th, Frederik Aegidius in 18th and Travis Mayer in 21st. 

What’s next — Workout Number Three will be released Wednesday, October 17 at 4:00 PM (GMT+4).

Wodapalooza Week Two — The second week of qualifying workouts for Wodapalooza wraps up tonight. Stay tuned for a leaderboard update. 

“Menu Minefield,” by Hilary Achauer, CrossFit Journal 

Which is a healthier restaurant choice, Brussels sprouts or taquitos?

If you’re at the Cheesecake Factory, the answer might not be what you think.

Filed under “small plates and snacks,” the Cheesecake Factory’s crispy Brussels sprouts pack in 69 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbohydrates (22 grams of sugar) and 10 grams of protein—840 calories. By comparison, the chicken taquitos have 22 grams of fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates (5 grams of sugar) and 16 grams of protein, for 390 total calories.

Neither choice is ideal, of course. Eating out in most restaurants in the United States is an exercise in picking the lesser of two evils, even when ordering vegetable dishes.

Chef Nick Massie, founder of Paleo Nick, Ice Age Meals and the CrossFit Workshop: Culinary Ninja, said ideally we’d only eat out at restaurants a few times a year. The only way to be sure of what you’re eating is to cook most of your meals at home.

That’s not realistic for most people. Going out to eat is one of life’s great pleasures, and sometimes it’s unavoidable due to work or social obligations.

Here, Massie shares his advice about what to watch out for when looking at a menu and explains how to make healthy versions of restaurant dishes at home.

10/20: BCS Classic 2018 (Bryan, TX)

10/20: Head 2 Head in Hamilton (Hamilton, NJ)

10/20: Fittest on the Valley VI (Lahaina, HI)

10/20: Crossfit Bona Fide Third Wheel Throwdown (Portsmouth, NH)

10/20: CrossFit Katana Samurai Showdown VI: Trio of Terror (Mansfield, OH) 

10/20: SE Texas Masters of CrossFit Fall Classic (Cypress, TX) 

10/20: Barbells For Boobs (Stamford, CT)

10/20: Filthy 150 Irish Competition (Dublin, Ireland)

10/20: CFT’s METAvivor Fundraiser (Carol Stream, IL)

10/20: WOD for the Fallen (Columbia, SC)

10/20 – 10/21: The Independence Games (Florence, SC)

​10/20 – 10/21: The Lincoln Invitational (Spokane, WA)

10/21: Chalk It Up 2018 (Akron, OH) 

10/21: Me Jane, You Jane (Santa Rosa, CA) 

10/26 – 10/28: JAKTRX Atlas Games (Montreal)

10/27: Tough Temple Invitational (Rockville, MD)

10/27: Rock Your Box Throwdown (St.Cloud, MN)

10/27: Halloween Havoc (Harrisburg, PA)

10/27: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ CrossFit Trumbull (Trumbull, CT)

10/27: Saberspook Throwdown (Minneapolis, MN)

10/27: Monster Mash (Ann Arbor, MI)

10/27: The Foundry 5K (Steamboat Springs, CO)

10/27: Rock Your Box Throwdown (Saint Cloud, MN)

10/27: Beartown Halloween Beatdown (Lebanon, VA)

10/27: 9th Annual Fall Brawl (Gibsonia, PA) 

10/27: Boo Bash (Cleveland, TN)

10/27: Crush Cancer at Dogtown CrossFit (Los Angeles, CA)

10/27: Sin City Championships 2018 (Singapore)

10/27: Barbells For Boobs at CrossFit New Albany (New Albany, OH)

10/27: Barbells For Boobs Fundraiser (Nyack, NY)

10/27: WOD League Black River Edition (São José do Rio Pret, Brazil)

11/2: Wodapalooza Qualifier – Team (Online)

11/2: WOD League Mixed Doubles Edition (São Paulo, Brazil)

11/2 – 11/3: Women’s WOD Jam Individuals (Denver, CO)

11/3: The Battle of Port Royal Sound (Okatie, SC)

11/3: Battle for the Badges (St. Charles, MO)

11/3: PPS CrossFit Fall Throwsdown (Portland, OR)

11/3: CFT’s 2018 Strongman Classic (Carol Stream, IL)

11/3: WODamania (Riviera Beach, FL)

11/3: Barbells For Boobs at CrossFit Florian (Norwood, MA)

11/3: Bar Wars 2018  (Harker Heights, TX)

11/3: Masters Of The Midway (The Hills, IL)

11/3: Dynamic Duo Deathmatch 2018 (Southlake, TX) 

11/3: Inferno in the Forge (Lawrenceville, IL)

11/3: Perimeter Rowdown (Atlanta, GA)

11/3: Central Texas Showdown (Seguin, TX)

11/3: Rookie Rollout 3 at Troy CrossFit (San Diego, CA)

11/3: Masters of the Midwest (Greenwood IN)

11/3- 11/4: Reignited Games 2018 (Wilmington, NC) 

11/3 – 11/4: Charlotte Throwdown for Mental Health Awareness (Charlotte, NC)

11/3 – 11/4: GameDay Championship (St. Paul, MN)

11/04 – 11/05: WODNATION BR (Vinhedo, Brazil)

11/10: Emerald Coast Honor Games (Destin, FL)

11/10 – 11/11: Extreme Games (Piauí, Brazil)

11/10 – 11/11: South Loop Games (Chicago, IL)

11/10: Metcon 4 Hope (Reno, NV)

11/10: Best of the Wurst (New Braunfels, TX)

11/10: Warrior Affiliate League Delta Force (Duarte CA)

11/15: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Hybrid Athletics Bridgport (Bridgeport, CT)

11/17: MetCon Mashups CrossFit Lubbock (Lubbock,TX)

11/17: CrossFit TIG Turf Wars (Brighton, MI)