How CrossFit Turned One Man Into a Marine

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by O2 natural recovery, a non-carbonated recovery drink available in four crisp, refreshing caffeinated and caffeine-free flavors.

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“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funeral of the children.” — President George W. Bush

And Again With the Hidden Bathroom Cameras

People, we literally just reported a story like this two weeks ago.



Another one?



Another one. This time at CrossFit Southbank in Alexandria, LA and this is the worst one we’ve seen yet.



So what happened?



Someone contacted the police after discovering a recording device that had been disguised as a phone charger in the restroom at CrossFit Southbank. A second recording device was later found at the gym on August 29; this one was made to look like a fitness tracking bracelet.



Shane Carruth, a coach at CrossFit South Bank, has been charged with almost 100 counts of video voyeurism, eight of them involving women younger than 17.



100% not cool.



When detectives searched Carruth’s home, they discovered more than 95 videos on one of two computers the trainer owned. Allegedly there are more than 32 separate females, including minors, all of whom appeared unaware they were being recorded.



Carruth was arrested at his home September 6 for 95 counts of video voyeurism. On Saturday, bond was set for $95,000. No court dates have been set at this time.



Unbelievable.



Hidden cameras have now been found at four affiliates, and all four times we’re happy to report the perpetrator has been caught thanks to swift action by the affiliate and law enforcement. But honestly, we’d be a lot happier if we never had to write this story again. CrossFit affiliates are safe spaces where bringing our own personal vulnerabilities shouldn’t be multiplied by fear of being spied on or taken advantage of.

QUICK BRIEF

How CrossFit Turned An Overweight College Grad Into a Very Fit Marine

When you know, you know. At least that’s how freshly minted Marine Officer Zach Bowman felt nearly two years ago when he decided he wanted to serve his country at the age of 23.

He could have been swayed from his goal of joining “the few and the proud” because of a major strength deficit and weight surplus (he weighed 260 pounds) when that dream began. Instead, he used his weakness as fuel to reach the lofty goal of joining the Marines as an officer — not something just anyone can attain.

Finding his mission.

Having power-lifted a lot in the past, Bowman was familiar with a lot of CrossFit moves and thought it would be a good way to get back in shape. He had no idea it would actually direct the course of his life for the next decade. Not two months after joining the box, Bowman began getting a powerful urge to consider joining the Marine Corps.

It all started when he saw the Marine emblem tattoo on the arm of gym manager Mike Hirst. A photo of Hirst reaching into a chalk bucket was posted by the water fountain and each time Bowman filled up his water bottle, the image inspired him to turn this pipe dream into a reality.

“You could see the pride he had,” Bowman explained about Hirst. “I didn’t feel that pride [in my life] anymore — and looking at the Marines and serving my country there was something in me where I knew that I had what it would take.”

Continue reading…

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your daughter the next time she wants to consider a new sport…

Try surfing. Wednesday, the World Surf League announced that in 2019 female professional surfers will win the same amount of prize money as men. In 2018, male professional surfers claimed $607,800 while women competed for a total of $303,900 in prize money. The new rule will ensure that top female surfers are winning an equal amount. Bout damn time if you ask us.

But let us not forget that…

The CrossFit Games has always paid out equal prize money to it’s female competitors. Dave Castro, Director of the CrossFit Games, explained why the prizes were equal. “When we first created the CrossFit Games in 2007 and decided to award cash prizes for the winners of events and the overall title, it never even crossed my mind to do anything but make the amounts equal. We do not look to major sports or leagues for guidance on how to handle our sport. We make decisions based on what’s right for our sport, and oftentimes that has to do with what’s fair, morally and ethically.”

Things To…

WATCH: From Swimming to College to CrossFit 

Cecilia Larsson, a former competitive swimmer, found herself prediabetic and overweight after she went back to school. Overwhelmed with work, Larsson eventually became prediabetic and depressed, and she found herself suffering from low self-confidence due to significant weight gain. Then she found CrossFit. 

A GAME CHANGER. 

HEAR: An Inspirational Athlete 

Four-time CrossFit Master’s champion and former NCAA wrestler Shawn Ramirez joins the Kill the Quit Podcast to discuss his journey into CrossFit, the upcoming CrossFit games, and how he battled back from being told he would never walk again.

WHAT A STORY.

EAT: Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

Made with spaghetti squash instead of pasta, it’s still so good no one will notice. The sauce is chock full of deliciousness and a true spicy sausage will really up the flavor. Top it just like a pizza with olives, mushrooms, and whatever else you’d like.

WE LOVE PIZZA BUT WE LOVE GAINZ MORE.

DO: September 11 Tribute WOD

This tribute workout is symbolic of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The 2001 meter row and run represent the year of the attacks. The 11 Reps of 9 exercises represents the date. Even the weights have meaning; the 170 pound deadlift is symbolic of Flight 77 and Flight 93 combined and the 110 pound push jerks represent the number of floors in each tower of the World Trade Center.

9/11 MEMORIAL WOD.

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is fueled by

Chalk Up Community

• NEW TO TOWN — Made2Live CrossFit has just opened it’s doors in Newport, MN. 
• TEAM RO OR TEAM BOZ — CrossFit wants you to be part of the live Team Series 2018 announcements. Record a short video to nominate yourself to join Team Boz or Team Ro. Post on Instagram using #TeamSeries18 and you could be flown out to Santa Cruz to compete and have some Official CrossFit fun. 

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

Hal Davis with a 802 pound sled push PR • Congratulations to Kevin Niles on his 100 pound weightloss transformation • Brigitte Osborn took second at the Beach Cities Battle last weekend • RXBAR is coming to Canada • Jared Enderton is relaunching his online strength seminars • Chase Knight got a 360 pound clean PR at the Granite Games • Chelsea Braafhart gets her first bar
muscle-up • Rogue and Yeti got together and launched a line of virtually indestructible drinkwear • Angelo Grimes is the new Managing Partner of Crunch Fitness in Killeen, TX • Hillary Froning joins the O2 Natural Recovery team. 

…and this fit party trick tops them all. 

Deep Dive: “CrossFit is My Church” — Vox news yesterday published this lengthy piece dissecting the rise of a new religious group: the ‘nones,’ or the religiously unaffiliated. One-fifth of Americans, and a full third of adults under 30, claim they belong to no religion at all. But a recent study examined the ways these “nones” seek out meaningful experiences and found that an overwhelming number of them found it in, amongst other things, CrossFit. “Ritual is so much about intention and attention and repetition…Ritual is this really helpful way of making people think of something greater. It’s a
connective tissue tool, something you can submit to in a certain way. It de-centers the individual and centers the collective in a way that is healthy.”

“Face a Fear, Drop 100 Pounds,” by Hilary Achauer, CrossFit Journal

In late September 2017, Mario Newton pulled into the parking lot of CrossFit Logan Martin in Pell City, Alabama. He had just parked the car and was about to walk in when he saw a group of people run out the gym door carrying medicine balls.

At 5 foot 4 and close to 300 pounds, Newton wasn’t sure he could run, much less run while carrying a 20 pound medicine ball.

Newton turned the key in the ignition and started the car.

“I’m not gonna do it today,” he thought as he drove away.

Once home, Newton regretting leaving. He told himself he’d go inside tomorrow. So the next day he pushed down his fear and returned to CrossFit Logan Martin. This time he turned off the car, got out, and opened the door.

What he saw surprised him.

“I saw people that are just like me,” Newton said. “People that are going through the weight-loss process, people that are obese and still doing that type of activity.”

The decision to overcome his fear and walk through the door opened up a world he thought was closed to someone like him, someone overweight, out of shape and desperate to make a change. The decision would change his life.

9/15: Box Bash 2018 (Broomfield, CO)

9/15: Warrior Affiliate League Three Amigos (Pomona, CA)

9/15: No Mans Land 4 (Painesville, OH)

9/15: Average Joes (Troy, MI) 

9/15: Stateline Throwdown 2018 (McHenry, IL)

9/15: Project Uplift (Fort Collins, CO)

9/15: Barbells for Bullies (Lexington, SC)

9/15: Barbell Brawl IV (Kennett Square, PA)

9/15: Double Date Got Twisted (Bowling Green, KY)

9/15: Doomsday CrossFit Team Competition (Beachwood, OH)

9/15: Unravel Pediatric Cancer WOD/Fundraiser (Gilroy, CA)

9/16: 2018 Battle at the Rock (Castle Rock, CO)

​9/16: 5th Annual North East Masters Classic (Plainville, MA)

9/16: The Brazen Cup 2018 (Fairfield, NJ) 

9/22: Shatter the Stigma III (Boyertown, PA)

9/22: New Kids on the 321 Block 2018 (Topsham, ME)

9/22: Femme Royale at Eagle Wing CrossFit (Orange, CA)9/22: 2nd Annual CrossFit TUFF Charity Row-A-Thon (Nashua, NH) 

9/22: Girls Gone RX Denver (Denver, CO) 

9/22: Legends of the WOD (Grapevine, TX)

9/22: Beers and Burpees (Charlotte, NC)

9/22: Burpees 4 Autism at Lucky’s (Roswell, GA)

9/22: Lt. Nathan Flynn Memorial WOD (Columbia, MD) 

9/23 – 9/23: Field of Teams (Cedar Falls, IA)

9/22 – 9/23:The D-Town Throwdown (Decatur, Illinois)

9/22 – 9/23: The Cascade Classic (Seattle, WA)

9/22 – 9/23: Heartland Havoc 3 (Davenport, ID) 

9/23: Games of the Ages Masters Team Competition (Hanson, MA)

9/23: Cadre Crucible Team Competition (Hudson, OH)

9/23: Detroit Red Wings WOD (Detroit, MI) 

9/23: IronWorkz Gauntlet (Medina, OH)

9/24: CrossFit New England 3rd Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament (Hudson, MA)

9/28 – 9/29: Pensacola Beach Brawl (Pensacola Beach, FL)9/28 – 9/29: The Primal Games (Savannah, GA)

9/29: Kilo Crush Fest (Hampton, VA) 

9/29: Barcode Team Competition (Leander, TX)

9/29: Long Island Masters Team Competition (Hauppauge, NY)

9/29: Fallout Powered by Battleground Events (Long Beach, CA)

9/29: Battle for Boise (Meridian, ID)

9/29: 5th Annual WOD for a Cause (Murrietta, CA) 

9/29: K-9 Pursuit (Bristol, CT)

9/29: Swolemates (Cincinnati, OH)

​9/29: CrossFit Be Someone Charity WODathon (Houston, TX) 

9/29: Garage Girls (Pousbo, WA) 

9/29: Adoption Fundraiser WOD (Millcreek, UT)

9/29: Warrior Slam at CrossFit Waldwick (Waldwick, NJ)

10/5: The Hopper (Asheville, NC)

10/6: Beer City Beatdown (Asheville, NC) 

10/6: Gallant Gauntlet 2 (Bedford, TX)

10/6: WOD for Water Troy (Troy, AL)

10/6: Cactus Games (Phoenix, AZ)

10/6: Pound-4-Pound Competition (Denver, CO)

10/6: Invictus Boston Barbells for Boobs (Boston, MA)

10/6: Girls Gone RX @ Old Line Crossfit (Millersville, MD)

10/6: The Battle To Benefit Badge (Utica NY)

10/6: Iron Eagle Challenge (Cookeville, TN)

10/6: The Grit Games (Jacksonville, FL)

10/6: Fit For Freedom (St. Peters, MO)

10/6: Fitness Freedom Project Jay WOD (San Marcos, CA)

10/6 – 10/7: The Iron Clash (Fayetteville, NC)

10/6- 10/7: 307 Throwdown (Casper, WY)

10/12: 10/14: Faith RX’d (Denver, CO) 

​10/13: C4 CrossFit Co-Ed Classic (East Brunswick, NJ)

10/13: 2018 War in the Woods (Norton, MA)

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

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