In Russia, Reebok only likes skinny girls

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“Opportunity dances with those already on the the dance floor.” — H. Jackson Brown

In Russia Reebok likes them “Regular”

The backstory.

Reebok recently released a new sports bra line called PureMove. Advertised as meeting the needs of every woman, it ranges in size to fit every shape with something called “motion sense technology.”

According to Reebok’s website, the line of sport bras underwent many tests spanning two years using unique motions sensors on women “just like you.” “There’s no standard size-and we get that. Which is why we’re offering 10 unique in-between sizes, so you can track down your perfect fit,” the official Reebok campaign said.

So they set out to tell the world how great this bra is. Especially for women “just like you.”

Just, apparently not in Russia.

Reebok’s ad campaign for the US, UK, Canada, France and other countries showed “regular” women of varying shapes with different builds modeling the new sports bra. Then there was Russia. Oh Russia.

Reebok Russia refused to use the official advertising materials and selected their own models, three very slim, similarly looking,  Russian celebrities.

That’s when nutritionist and coach at CrossFit MSK Anastasia Chigarinova stepped in. She thought the version she and other Russian women saw was nonsense, so she got a group of “regular” women together for a photoshoot, wearing their own athletic wear, and took to using the hashtag #reebokнормальногочеловека (‘ReebokforARegularPerson’ in Russian).

An Internet social protest was born.

“It’s very simple, health comes in all shapes and sizes. If a girl is thin, this does not mean that she is well. If a person is full, it does not mean that his state of health is worse or better than yours, he doesn’t keep up with himself or has problems with self-esteem, self-acceptance and so on. Full can not ‘sell’ a sports bra? Let’s just not even discuss why that is offensive, and let’s move on to the fact that a healthy lifestyle is the way to life. Thinness as a motivator to be in shape is fleeting, and love and caring for oneself contribute to long-term conscious investments in one’s well-being,” Chigarinova wrote.

So what does Reebok have to say about this?

We reached out to M&C Saatchi, the agency handling PR for Reebok’s Pure Move campaign numerous times but they declined to comment.

CrossFit Firms Up Games Changes, Announces Four New Sanctioned Events

What happened?

Yesterday, CrossFit HQ added four new sanctioned events, bringing the 2019 total to 10 with several more expected in coming weeks.

CrossFit Strength in Depth, the CrossFit Italian Showdown, and the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown, have all gained sanctioned status and will be qualifying one male and female athlete and one team to the CrossFit Games. 

Due to SouthFit CrossFit Challenge kicking off next month, it won’t become a sanctioned event until the 2020 season.

Got it, what else? 

Athletes planning to qualify for the CrossFit Games better think twice about skipping the Open cause it’s going to directly impact how you’re seeded, and what heat you’re in. 

According to a press release, “Overall competitor seeding at the Games will be determined by athletes’ scores in the 2019 worldwide CrossFit Open. Athletes who do not participate in the Open (and thus do not receive an Open score) will receive the lowest seeding and will compete in the first qualifying heats at the 2019 Games. Higher seeded athletes will compete in later heats.” A national champion or top 20 athlete can improve their seed position by winning a sanctioned event.

CrossFit HQ also confirmed that the CrossFit Games will open with mass elimination rounds to whittle the competition down to only 10 athletes, hence the emphasis placed on seeding from the Open.

So what’s the calendar look like?

Ask and you shall receive.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your buddy when he swears he can never return to the gym after that last embarrasing fail…

Bro, if the Thai soccer team can get back out on the feild after their cave incident, you can get back into the gym. Twelve members of the team and their coach took the field in Argentina to a heartwarming welcome reception. If they can do that only months after almost dying in a cave, you can roll back into CrossFit. 

Things To…

WATCH: 2019 Games Season Week One Recap

Armen Hammer shares a handful of need-to-know must haves from the 2019 Games Season Week One. Ready or not, it’s started, so here’s a brief recap of what Wodapalooza and Dubai CrossFit Championship look like going into week two. 

SO MUCH TO KNOW.

HEAR: How to Pick Your Program

Dr. Sean Pastuch sits down on the Brute Strength podcast to discuss things to look for when picking a training program including identifying your goals, periodization in training, and how to know when it’s time to switch it up.

STAY ON TRACK.

EAT: No Bake Superfood Brownie Energy Bars

No bake superfood brownie energy bars are packed with pistachios, pecans, walnuts, chia seeds, coconut and dried fruit. Topped with dark chocolate and sea salt, they’re the perfect nutritious dessert or an afternoon snack.

EVERYONE LOVES THEM. 

DO: Dark Horse Rowing Academy

Take your rowing to the next level with the Dark Horse Rowing Academy and their team of world-class experts. The weeks-long Academy will not only improve your rowing technique but help you instruct other athletes and spot easy fixes to improve their technique and spots only open up quarterly. 

ROW LIKE A PRO.

BUY: Oynx Black Scout Rope

Scout, the weighted RPM rope that changed double-under workouts forever, is back. At twice the weight of other ropes, Scout allows you to keep both good technique and keep up with volume training.

WEIGHT FOR IT.

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Chalk Up Community

• PRO-TIP: THE J-HOOK — Brent Fikowski, in his Professor Project, shows some tips and tricks on how to improve your rope climb with the J-Hook, things like how to avoid getting caught up in the rope asnd avoiding tears in your hands. 
• OFFICIAL OPENING — Butchertown CrossFit in Louisville, KY has officially opened. To celebrate, they’re hosting a community workout and BBQ Saturday, October 13. 
• FUNDRAISER EVENT — Nicholls Student Veterans Association along with Bayou Barbell, hosted their second annual powerlifting fundraiser event, Lifting for a Cause on October 6. The funds raised were donated to Louisiana State Police Troop C Grant-a-Wish
  Foundation.
• BRINGING THEIR BABY HOME — In May, the Day Family from the CrossFit Habu and CrossFit Mongoose communities, welcomed their son, Spencer, into the world. Born hypoxic, he has been in the NICU since he was born. With the support of the community, and after a year in 24-hour medical NICU care, the Day family is bringing him home for Thanksgiving
  before removing him from life support. 

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

Happy 10th birthday to Mason Alderman who also just got a 105 pound PR on his hang power clean • Jerome Smith gets a 280 pound snatch • Charlotte Nevland makes a 176 pound snatch • Kinetic Sports Elite was just voted Best Kid Fitness Facility in Atlanta • Hunter McIntyre is spending three weeks in New York City so find him and say hello • Happy Birthday Camille Leblanc-Bazinet. 

…and the next time you need a good barbell warm-up consider the old ninja skills drill. 

Dubai CrossFit Championship Week 2 Qualifier WODs — The second week of Dubai CrossFit Championship online qualifiers kicked off yesterday. Athletes will have until Sunday 5:00 AM PT/8:00 AM ET/4:00 PM GMT+4 to submit their scores, and here’s where you can follow the leaderboard.

— WOD#2: 15 Min Time Cap



Part A:

4 Rounds for Time

8m Front Rack Lunges (110/85 pounds)

8 Bar Facing Burpees

8m Front Rack Lunges

8 Bar Facing Burpees

8 Bar Muscle-ups

Part B:

Once the 4 rounds are completed, use the remaining time to find max weight of the following complex

1 Hang Clean + 2 Front Squats (3 successful unbroken reps)

Wodapalooza Week 2 Qualifier WODs — Last night, Wodapalooza announced the second qualifier WOD for individuals. Week 2 scores will be due Monday 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET and here’s where you can follow the leaderboard. It wouldn’t shock us if another workout is released this morning, and for that follow
Wodapalooza on Instagram.

— WOD #4

16 minute AMRAP

Devil Press (50/35 pounds)

Alt. DB Step-ups (24/20in)

2/2, 4/4, 6/6, 8/8, 10/10, etc

“Endurance-Apparel Brands that Offer Extended Sizing,” by Amanda Loudin, Outdoor Magazine

Meredith Botnick fell in love with triathlon in 2005. She registered for races and trained, but she consistently came up against one big roadblock: finding gear that fit her taller frame. Fast-forward 13 years and as she stares down her first Ironman, she will happily tell you clothing is no longer an issue.

Botnick, a 36-year-old Denver-based engineer, is among the female endurance athletes who are embracing the brands that embrace them, women with a nontraditional body types. “When I first started training and racing, I had to buy men’s clothing,” she says. “I’m tall and have broad shoulders, and women’s clothing left me with shirts that rode up and pants that fell down.”

Today Botnick is an advocate for extended sizing in endurance gear and serves as a brand ambassador for RSport, which designs endurance clothing for the Athena athlete, defined as any female weighing more than 165 pounds. According to Michele Orr, general merchandising manager at REI, that’s an increasingly large piece of the market. “Today in America, more than 60 percent of women are a size 16 or larger,” she says. “This is a real opportunity for brands to grow.”

Perhaps the best news is that the progress in athletic clothing doesn’t stop with the size number; it includes color, variety, and thoughtful design as well. Today, more than ever, Athena athletes are finding attractive, appealing gear that makes them feel good when they head out the door.

For its part, REI is carrying more labels with extended sizing than ever before, all part of its Force of Nature campaign, which is designed to make the outdoors more inclusive of age, race, size, and gender expression. Endurance athletes can now find running and cycling gear with far greater sizing options—and wider footwear to match. “This is about serving an underserved customer,” says Orr.

REI now sells running gear in its own brand up to size XXXL and carries Nike’s broad range of sizes as well. For cyclists and triathletes, REI partners with Terry Cycling and Shebeest, both of which offer extensive sizing options. REI intends to grow its brand’s cycling sizes soon too.

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

10/13: Barbells For Boobs 2018 (Sutton, MA)

10/13: WOD for a Cause (Bloomsburg, PA)

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

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

10/13: The Festivus Games (Online)

10/13: Grand Games 2018 (Westfield, IN)

10/13: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Red Island CrossFit (Smithfield, RI)

10/13: Barbells for Boobs (Steamboat Springs, CO)

10/13: Older, Wiser, Faster, Stronger (Plymouth, MI)

10/13: The Greenville Games (Greenville, SC)

10/13: Reps For Recovery (Hickory, NC) 

10/13: Kal-Haven Trail Ruck (Kalamazoo, MI)

10/13: Fall Brawl (Saint Michael, MN)

10/13: Sweat for Georgia Mae (Wendell, NC)

10/13: Barbells For Boobs (Southaven, MS)

10/13: Wodtoberfest Co-ed Team Competition (Owosso, MI)

10/13: OUTWOD (Atlanta, GA)

10/13: Battle for the Bell VII: Stranger Bells (Southbury, CT)

10/13-14: Central Florida Throwdown 6 (Lakeland, FL)

10/13 – 10/14: Box Wars 3 (Fort Valley, GA) 

10/14: CrossFit for Kayden (Fallsington, PA)

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)

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)

11/2: Wodapalooza Qualifier – Team (Online)

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)

11/2 – 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: 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)