Lauren Fisher Responds to Body Image Comments

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by RP Strength.



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“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.” — Calvin Coolidge

Bringing the Community Together One CrossFit Class at a Time

Some backstory.

Officer Kaera Watson of the Rockfield, IL Police Department has started a program called FITGirls. Once a week, Officer Watson meets with middle school and high school girls to work out, talk about our life goals and share what they have going on in their lives

“The girls know my story and why I do what I do which helps me relate to them besides just being a police officer,” said Watson.

What’s the story?

In 2012, Watson agreed to meet a friend at QTown CrossFit in Quincy, IL.

“She told me to meet her at the gym and every day at 3 o’clock she showed up and kicked my butt.” But something kept bringing her back.

“Even though I couldn’t afford it, then co-owner Sam Dancer, allowed me to workout there where I learned about the community and what CrossFit really was about. I wouldn’t have passed my police physical agility test without this experience,” Watson told us.

Giving back through CrossFit.

In November, home on maternity leave, Watson began thinking about how much CrossFit had impacted her life, weight problems and relationship with food in such a positive way.

“CrossFit has allowed me to work through those things that have weighed on me for years and move on… I also love my job and work hard to build relationships with the community I serve and I thought a great way to do that would be to merge two of my favorite things.”

So she started FITGirls. 

Right now, FITGirls is halfway through it’s first 12-week program. Once the first session is through, the police department will look into expanding the program and starting a second session. 

The girls have responded well and Watson is hopeful for the programs future.

“Every single session I see confidence being built and them pushing beyond what they thought was possible…Just because one grows up in poverty or with the odds stacked against them that doesn’t mean you can’t be who you want to be and overcome stereotypes,” Watson said.

“I also strive to build a relationship as a police officer with our community here in Rockford, IL and what better way than to mentor these girls and equip them with the tools to work through anything in life.”

Things To…

WATCH: Stronger Together: Jessica and Christian Lucero

In this episode of Stronger Together with Working Against Gravity, Jessica and Christian Lucero discuss how they find balance in their relationship while training, preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and managing an affiliate. See their morning rituals, nutrition, training and how they nurture a successful relationship that’s rich in communication and support.

A POWER COUPLE.

HEAR: Logan Gelbrich on Shrugged Collective 

With a background in collegiate and professional baseball, coach Logan Gelbrich is used to high performance, heavy workloads, and accountability. He joins the Bledsoe Show to chat about choosing to be humble, having a group where everyone is aligned in their desires, letting guards down and boldly facing fears.

THE FUNCTIONAL COACH.

GET: Back to the Basics Morning Chalk Up Shirts

This limited run of Morning Chalk Up tanks and t-shirts takes it back to the basics in blue and white. This classic style will get you through summer BBQ’s, Murph and the fourth of July.

SUMMER READY. 

EAT: Spring Green Salad with Basil Lemon Vinaigrette

Recover from the weekend festivities with this beautiful and healthy spring green salad with fresh seasonal produce, seeds, avocado and a basil lemon vinaigrette. Enjoy it as a main meal or as a spring side salad.

FRESH GREENS.

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

Chalk Up Community

• BURPEES FOR BELLIES — Williamston CrossFit is holding Burpees for Bellies 2019 on Saturday, April 27 to raise money for Many Hands of Mid Michigan to help feed hungry kids in the area. A minimum donation of $20 per athlete is requested and there is a CrossFit Kids heat to kick the event off. 
• TAYLOR WHITE MEMORIAL WOD — 2nd annual “Taylor/Tyler” memorial workout and fundraiser at CrossFit Pandora’s Box in Colorado Springs, CO on May 18. A donation of $10 per person to participate and all funds raised support the Taylor White Memorial CrossFit Scholarship fund. There will also be food trucks and a massage therapist on site. 
• FIREFIGHTER FUNDRAISER — The Throwdown Fundraiser will take place at CrossFit Bonnie and Clyde in Colorado Springs, CO. All funds raised will help support two families in the Fort Carson Fire Department as they battle medical issues. The registration fee is $25 and the WOD is Fight Gone Bad.

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

Alyssa Keith Christian clean and jerks 200 pounds • Adrian Mundwiler power cleans 335 pounds for a PR • Phil Hesketh deadlifts 551 pounds • Happy eleventh anniversary CrossFit by Overload • Eddie Livote split jerks 200 pounds for
two • Adrianne Haider clean and jerks 220 pounds • Jacob Anderson cleans 400 pounds • Tommy Morga front squats 320 pounds for three reps.

…and talk about core strength goals. 

Granite Games Online Qualifier Scores — Registered athletes must have their Granite Games online qualifier scores in today by 5:00 PM PT.

Wine and Dinner with Margaux Alvarez and Dan Bailey — If you’re in the Las Vegas area next week, you can meet Dan Bailey and Margaux Alvarez at Vine and Dine, a wine paired dinner at Bottiglia Cucina Enoteca in Henderson, NV on April 25 from 7:00 -9:00 PM PT.

Pose Method at Brazil CrossFit Championship — Dr. Nicholas Romanov, creator of the Pose Method, will hold a Pose Method specialist certification course at Born to CrossFit on May 11 – 12. Dr. Romanov and his son, Severin, will also meet the community and hold a few Pose method live demos.

Hayley Adams at CrossFit French Throwdown — Hayley Adams is confirmed for the CrossFit French Throwdown.

Jadzia Truszkowski Receives Penalty for 19.1 — Jadzia Truszkowski, who placed 19th overall and third for Canada in the 2019 CrossFit Open, posted yesterday that she will receive a hefty penalty for squat depth in 19.1.

— “I got an email a couple days ago informing me that after a thorough review of all my videos, my 19.1 video is going to take a major penalty for my squat depth. As you can imagine I am heart broken, devastated, defeated, angry, embarrassed, etc. The wave of emotions come and go.”

–“I am not a cheater. I no rep myself in training. I don’t try to get away with anything. I can blame it on the angle that my video was shot, maybe, but it could also come down to the fact that I wasn’t able to leave no doubt about my squat depth. If CrossFit decided I was riding that fine line, I have to swallow that pill, take the penalty and work on my mobility…I need to leave no question about whether my hip crease is below my knees.”

Lauren Fisher Responds to Body Image Comment — Lauren Fisher had someone ask her why she didn’t have a “flat belly” even though she works out all the time. 

— “I don’t have a flat belly because I believe in fueling my body for performance over restricting my calories to look a certain way. Yeah if I starved myself or cut down my fats and still trained as much as I do I might finally get that 8 pack but reality is my body type won’t. I like to eat and I know when I don’t eat enough I just don’t feel good during training. And a lot of it also comes down to genetics. So I’m sorry but I will never be one of the girls with no belly fat at all and I’m okay with it. I’m not an Instagram model, I’m an athlete and what we do is completely different here so if you don’t like the way I look you can unfollow. Thank you!”

“Can Athletes Really Make a Living Doing CrossFit? My Experience Says, Yes,” by Stacie Tovar, Morning Chalk Up

I started my CrossFit Games journey back in 2009. In 2011, after qualifying for my third CrossFit Games, I received my first product-only sponsorship opportunity.

It wasn’t until 2014 that I was able to take my portfolio from free products and minimal fees to a six-figure income. Not only did I earn a decent living from that point on but I also opened a lot of doors for myself and my family.

So maybe you’re a legit athlete and you have a real opportunity to make a splash in the functional fitness space. What can you do to pull it all together? How can you get a fair shake in the sponsorship space, so you can get paid to train your ass off and pay some bills in the process?

Let me tell you what I know and what I’ve learned along the way.

1. If you’re an athlete trying to chase down sponsorships via being a “brand ambassador,” you’re doing it wrong.

Know the difference between growing a lucrative brand and a time-consuming hobby like being a brand ambassador. If you’re expected to perform well you better have your butt in the gym training and not hanging out at local competitions every weekend. In-person promotions and traveling are fun, but let’s be honest, it is a total disruption to your life as an athlete.

Time is valuable and so is your recovery. Take your athlete responsibilities seriously (i.e. social media posts, videos, appearances, competitions, etc.), just make sure you know the difference between being a legitimate athlete and what I like to call… a “Vendor Village All-Star.”

2. Think of yourself as a business.

If you’re making small amounts of money but still spending your own funds on things like travel and training gear at least be smart enough to think of yourself in terms of a business.

4/15 – 4/27: Top Of The Box Online Qualifier (Clarksville, TN)

4/19 – 5/1: CrossFit French Throwdown Individual Online Qualifier (Online)

4/20: The Wodfather VII 2019 (Keller, TX)

4/20: Rookie Rumble at Bucktown CrossFit (Chicago, IL)

4/20: Barnyard Throwdown (Ohatchee, AL)

4/26: Rookie Rivalry at CrossFit Nashua (Nashua, NH)

4/26 – 4/27: Gameday Competition (Mankato, MN) 

4/26 – 4/28: CrossFit Italian Showdown (Milan, Italy)

4/26 – 4/28: The Sun Coast Fitness Festival (Kwa-Zulu Natal, SA)

4/27: 4th Annual Spring Fever Partner Masters Comp (Souderton PA)

4/27: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit KOA (Cranford, NJ)

4/27: The Gnardog Challenge (Reedley, CA)

4/27: Festivus Games (Worldwide)

4/27: Raising the Bar for Charlotte (Medina, OH)

4/27 – 4/29: Asia CrossFit Championship (Shanghai, China)

4/27: Autism Rocks and Rows (San Clemente, CA)

4/27: Garage Games Xs and Ys (Hiram, GA)

4/27: The Explode Individual Classic (West Chester, PA)

4/27: Fast Times at West Tech High (Las Vegas, NV)

4/27: Tyler’s Voice CrossFit Competition (Jefferson City, TN)

4/27: SWFL Sharks Semi-Pro Grid Combine (Cape Coral, FL)

4/27: Explode’s Independent Classic (West Chester, FL)

4/27: Festivus Games at Crossfit Sav-up (Petaluma, CA)

4/27: 4th annual Apple Town Throwdown (Cornelia,GA)

4/27: Kettlebells for Cojones (Montgomery, TX)

4/27: Spring Fever Partner Master Competition (Souderton, PA)

4/27: Best of the Midwest Team Series Part 1 (Westfield, IN)

4/27: Officer Christopher Goddell Memorial WOD (Walkdwick, NJ)

4/27: Pose Method Run RX Course (Lake Havasu City, AZ)

4/27: Battle of the Boxes (Newport, KY)

4/27: 2019 Pensacola Beach Brawl (Pensacola, FL) 

4/27: Festivus Games at Camel City Crossfit (Winston-Salem, NC)

4/27: Festivus Games at CrossFit LaCrosse (LaCrosse, WI)

4/27: 2019 Growler Games (Lexington, NC)

4/27: The Spring Fling (Knoxville, TN)

4/27: Stepping Into Summer (Fairfield, OH)

4/27: REDLINE.Venice A PAINKLLR Competition (Venice, CA)

4/27:  One Mind 1 Force (West Deptford, NJ)

4/27: Burpees For Bellies 2019 (Williamston, MI)

4/27: OUTWOD at South Loop CrossFit (Chicago, IL)

4/28: David Vs. Golitah (Mansfield, MA)

5/3: Lift For Lee (Williamston, MI)

5/3 – 5/4: Tough As Nails (Lubbock, TX)

5/3 – 5/5 The Fittest Experience (Austin, TX)

5/3 – 5/5: Appalachian Games (Asheville, NC)

5/4: 2nd Annual Heavy Day Morgan (Oak Ridge, TN)

5/4: Battle at the Lab 2019 Cinco De Mayo (Clarksville, TN)

5/4: Border Open Part V (El Paso, TX)

5/4: Desert Warrior (Scottsdale, AZ)

5/4: The Jurassic Classic (Kennewick, WA)

5/4: Lifto De Mayo 2019 (Eagan, MN)

5/4: Rookie Rumble Pittsburgh at Arsenal Strength (Pittsburgh, PA)

5/4: Girls Gone RX Delaware (Middletown, DE)

5/4: Girls Gone RX DC (Alexandria, VA)

5/4: Black and Brewed 2019 (Huntsville, AL)

5/4: Row for Wishes (Telluride, CO)

5/4: The Locomotive Games IV (Youngstown, OH)

5/4: Breaking Boundaries Competition (Greer, SC)

5/4: Throwdown Fundraiser (Colorado Springs, CO)

5/10: Beast Mode Games 2019 (Greenville, SC)

5/11: 2019 Moco Throwdown (Bethesda, MD)

5/11: Butchertown Cleaver Classic (Louisville, KY)

5/11: Girls on Girls X (Bridgeport, PA)

5/11: Battle of the Gulf Coast (Port Neches, TX)

5/11: Femme Royale So Cal (Orange, CA)

5/11: Squat for Guate (Hickory, NC)

5/11: Left Coast Classic with 5.11 Tactical (Laguna Niguel, CA)

5/11: Southside Showdown (Jenks OK)

5/17 – 5/19: ACA Throwdown 2019 (Johannesburg, SA)

5/17 – 5/19: Down Under CrossFit Championship (Wollongong NSW)

5/18 – 5/19: Big Impact Games (Kaukauna, WI)

5/18: 2019 Barbells in the Burbs Team Comp (Carol Stream, IL)

5/18: 2019 Tough Temple CrossFit Super Total (Bethseda, MD)

5/18: Mad Hatter Games (Danbury, CT)

5/18: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Chester Springs (Chester Springs, PA)

5/18: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit PTV (Redmond, WA)

5/18 – 5/19: Shred Fest (Orlando, FL)

5/18: Cindy-a-Thon (San Leandro, CA)

5/18: Fallout in the Falls (Wichita Falls, TX)

5/18: East Coast Battle ( Hanover, MD) 

5/18: Meshugge CrossFit Summer Melee 2019 (Overland Park, KS)

5/18: Backstreet Brawl 3 (West Bend, WI)

5/18: Taylor White Memorial WOD and Fundraiser (Colorado Springs, CO)

5/19: Heroes and Heroines Team Throwdown (Pawtucket, RI)