“I want this to be a family thing. I want my daughter to grow up seeing her parents work hard.”- Mat Fraser, talking about fatherhood on the Black Rifle Coffee Podcast
PROFILE
On Black Rifle Coffee Podcast, Mat Fraser Opens Up About Maniacal Drive to Win and His Life Now after Retiring from Competition
The Black Rifle Coffee Podcast recently featured an episode with 2016-2020 CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser. The conversation begins with Fraser reminiscing about how his title of Five-Time Fittest Man on Earth, was almost Four-Time Fittest.
After his win in 2019, he had bested Rich Froning, who had previously held the record for the most decorated CrossFit Games champion, as not only had Fraser collected five gold medals, but he had two silver metals as well, while Froning, who also had four gold medals, held only one silver. While he felt that this legitimately broke the record, Fraser’s manager and best friend Matt O’Keefe stepped in to contradict him.
“Nobody gives a shit about second place. You need that fifth gold,” said O’Keefe to Fraser after the 2019 CrossFit Games.
Fraser ultimately agreed with O’Keefe, conceded, and went on to win the 2020 CrossFit Games, making him undoubtedly, the most dominant CrossFit male athlete to date.
Remind me: With a background in Olympic Weightlifting and having won the title of Junior National Weightlifting Champion in 2009, CrossFit was an organic transition for the athlete, as he reflects that he grew up playing sports, an active kid, and very competitive.
In 2014 and 2015, still struggling with a few holes in his game, Fraser took second place to Rich Froning and Ben Smith, respectively, and it was with complete dedication to his weaknesses and the sport as a whole that he came back in 2016 and won his first of five titles of Fittest on Earth.
In the midst of his reign, he met his partner Sammy Moniz, and in his interview with Black Rifle Coffee, he remembers his first encounter with her, and that he knew right away that he wanted to spend his life with her.
“I just knew. I saw Sammy two years before I ever met her or knew her name. I saw her in a crowd… I saw her for like 2 seconds…she’d talk to someone and walk away, and I said, ‘that’s it right there.’ I didn’t know her name, didn’t know anything about her. I knew immediately,” said Fraser.
Moniz became an integral role in Fraser’s success, as she (among other things), cooked his many meals for him, which eventually led to her hugely popular Feeding the Frasers Instagram account and later her cookbook of the same name.
With Moniz by his side, Fraser continued winning, at the cost of putting other things on hold. He wasn’t able to travel, use either of his degrees, or pursue business ventures that were calling out to him. He wanted to work in different avenues and wanted new challenges. He reflects on repetitive days filled with similar training, similar food, (consisting of 10,000 calories a day at times), and similar schedules. This dedication and sacrifice was how the champion was able to continue winning, but he was ready for something new.
CHAD1000X x United Airlines: The Step Up Foundation announced recently that United Airlines employees would be joining in on the Veteran’s Day challenge. On November 10, if you are at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, head to C18 to cheer on, support, or join in with United employees as they take on the workout.
📚 📖 Good Read: “How to Scale your Online PT Business” – Fitr offers a step-by-step outline on how to scale your business using different program types and building a diverse paying client base.
🚣♀️ 🚣♀️ Rowvember 2023 Alert: For the fifth year in a row, Dark Horse Rowing is running “Rowvember,” a month-long, pre-holiday challenge. Dark Horse will provide a rowing workout every day for those who sign up and the goal is to complete as many as possible during the month. Last year, 8,000 people signed up. The goal this year is 10,000.
ICYMI: Our Affiliate of the Month, 26.2 CrossFit champions the unlikely pairing of marathon running and CrossFit.
COMPETITION
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Down Under Championship Team Profile: The Fit Mummas Club
Mom strength was on display during the Down Under Championship Qualifiers (DUCQ), when The Fit Mummas Club finished 2nd in the Elite Women’s Team division.
“We were absolutely shocked and surprised to be honest, we didn’t think that we would land that high,” shared five-time CrossFit Games athlete Alethea Boon.
“My intention was always to put together a mom team, because I found that there were other moms out there that were going through the same thing.”
“We needed a bit of discipline (something) to train for, and we needed to support each other to get it done, hence, The Fit Mummas club started,” explained Boon.
Consisting of three very fit moms, the Fit Mummas Club team roster includes:
Nike Breaks Into Boutique Fitness Class Scene with Strength Training, Running Studios
Nike is entering into yet another fitness space, this time, the world of boutique training studios. The fitness brand recently announced plans to open a network of ‘Nike Training Studios’ and ‘Nike Running Studios’ throughout the Los Angeles, CA region.
Remind me: Nike dropped its new line of fitness equipment, including barbells, bumper plates, dumbbells and more last week. While the amount of equipment being offered is limited, it’s clear Nike is trying to break further into the CrossFit/strength training/HIIT scene.
The ‘Nike Studios’ are described as “group fitness classes featuring fun and challenging workouts led by Nike Trainers that meet your evolving needs.” The three current locations are Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and West Hollywood, with more locations coming soon.
Nike Studios is also teasing studio locations in Austin, TX, according to their social media page, though no further details have been released.
The ‘founding members’ unlimited plan for the running studio starts at $129 per month, while the training studio starts at $149 per month. All memberships have a one-time, $49 enrollment fee.
While there are no training classes posted just yet, it seems the training studio will incorporate crossfit-esque movements, with equipment such as, kettlebells, dumbbells, and barbells.
The bottom line: It will be interesting to see what type of workouts Nike Studios has to offer and if they follow the framework of CrossFit methodology. The expansion of the studios into other major cities will also be something to watch out for and see how Nike plays in the boutique fitness space.
WORKOUT
Reggie Fasa’s Workout of the Week
Today’s workout is programmed by Reggie Fasa, the multiple-time Semifinals qualifier from the United Kingdom. In 2023, Fasa was forced to withdraw from the European Semifinal due to a pec injury, but in 2022 he placed 10th at the Strength in Depth Semifinal and 13th the year prior at the Lowlands Throwdown.
10 Rounds
AMRAP 4
40/32 Cal Row
AMRAP Cal Bike Erg in remaining time
– Rest 1 minute between rounds –
Score is total calories accumulated on the Bike Erg over the 10 rounds
Scaling tips: This is a simple and straightforward workout, but might be a lot for beginners or deconditioned athletes. The workout can be adjusted by setting a goal of completing fewer round (5 rounds might be a good starting point), or limiting the amount of calories to be rowed before transitioning to the bike.
Advice from Reggie: “You should have at least 90 seconds on the bike each round. Be aware you have a minute’s rest between each 4-minute interval, but with this being a muscular endurance workout, the rest will go by very quickly so try not to sit or lie down as this will increase the build-up of lactate in your muscles and make the next interval harder.”
“My Score was 545 Calories. ;)”
To inquire about submitting an upcoming workout of the week, shoot us a note.
THINGS TO...
...PRACTICE
The Stage Clean
The stage clean is a way to reinforce different segments and positions of the pull. It can be used as a warm up before conventional cleans or a a stand-alone exercise with light weight. Check out Catalyst Athletics founder Greg Everett as he demonstrates.
Six-time CrossFit Games Champion Tia Toomey-Orr Signs with Frog Grips
Announced this week, Tia-Clair Toomey has just signed with Australia's leading CrossFit Grips brand, Frog Grips. As stated by Tia “the more volume I do, the more protection I need, and Frog Grips definitely provide that security. They’re very reliable and sturdy throughout training, so I can keep backing up day after day.”
Try this super easy recipe, for the best, quick breakfast or post workout snack. Only four ingredients and these cuties are gluten free, sugar free, dairy free.
Don't shop for a turkey this season, get a 10-14 pound turkey for free in your first box, and $20 off each box for the first five months. Get a jump on this holiday season's meal planning.
LSKD's entire inventory will be up to 70% for their Black Friday sale, which begins on November 9th. Sign up now for alerts and quick access to the sale once it goes live.
📝Congratulations to Hugo from CrossFit Dynamix in Queens, NY on receiving his CF L3.
A hit and run bicycle accident landed Burg CrossFit’s Juan Salazar in the ICU. Salazar, of St. Petersburg, FL, has shown resilience through it all and his spirits remain high while undergoing surgery and treatment. A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help him with medical expenses, rehabilitation and any other costs he may incur.
This email may contain affiliate links. We make a small commision off of purchases made via our affiliate links to help support this newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive the Morning Chalk Up newsletter, unsubscribe here.
