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Mayhem’s Moves Expand CrossFit

 
Morning Chalk Up

December 7   |   POWERED BY

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Will CrossFit’s new health services expand the pie or give CrossFit a larger slice?
  • Why Mayhem’s moves are big for the sport of CrossFit.
  • Merry FITMAS: What are FITAID athletes’ favorite holiday food traditions?
 
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“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney

 
NEWS
  Will CrossFit’s New Health Services Expand the Pie and Help Affiliates, or Just Serve CrossFit a Bigger Slice?  

Will CrossFit’s New Health Services Expand the Pie and Help Affiliates, or Just Serve CrossFit a Bigger Slice?

In recent months, CrossFit LLC has rolled out a host of new services, including CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP), the CrossFit Affiliate Partner Network (APN), CrossFit Precision Care and most recently the CrossFit Nutrition Course, each of which promise to add value to the community at large.

But while the stated intention of these services appears to be to expand the pie, so to speak, Nicole Aucoin, the owner of CrossFit HSN in Lighthouse Point, FL and the founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition, a company that has helped more than 700 gyms launch nutrition programs since 2015, told the Morning Chalk Up she’s concerned these services might be more of a way for CrossFit LLC to take a larger slice of the pie, possibly at the expense of the affiliate owner and the nutrition services many are already offering.

A Precision Care and Nutrition Course Connection?

In recent weeks, CrossFit’s job postings website has been advertising that they’re hiring Health Coaches, and they have been introducing some of the recently hired ones to the community on social media to work with those who sign up for a CrossFit Precision Care subscription.

Some of their posts include a call for action at the end, such as: “Want to work with Fiorita or another one of our amazing CrossFit Precision Care health coaches? Request beta access at care.crossfit.com.”

Aucoin recently took the CrossFit Nutrition course, and while she expressed a favorable opinion of the content itself—”I think it’s really well done and it’s nice to see habit-based coaching talked about and being the prescription CrossFit is recommending,” she told the Morning Chalk Up— but she also wrote a blog expressing her concern that the goal of the course might be “the beginning of a funnel for something bigger.”

“Something bigger,” she told the Morning Chalk Up, is her suspicion that the Nutrition Course will become a way to shuffle course participants directly to a CrossFit-employed Health Coach, possibly taking away business from affiliate owners who have built their own nutrition coaching businesses in the process.

CrossFit has “two options,” Aucoin explained. “Start promoting health coaching through CrossFit Precision Care, or guide clients to sign up for habit-based coaching at their affiliates.”

Continue Reading...
 
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SPEED READS

USA Weightlifting National Championships, score dumps part 2. USAW was late in announcing the final scores, so here are a few other notable finishes:

  • Mattie Rogers (81kg): 107kg🥇/135kg🥈/242 total🥇.
  • Kate Nye (81kg): 102kg🥈/136kg🥇/238kg total🥈.
  • Juliana Riotto (87kg): 103kg🥉/128kg🥇/ 231 total🥇.
  • Tayon Vereen (109+): 165kg🥇/205kg🥇/370kg🥇.

Take a tour of the Fittest Man on Earth Justin Medeiros’ home gym.

CrossFit Games adaptive athlete, Logan Aldridge, becomes Peloton’s first-ever adaptive instructor, while also advising the company on ways to improve accessibility.

  • Aldridge: “Now, I have the opportunity to join the community that has created the most immersive and accessible fitness experience for their members expanding their offerings to ALL people of ALL abilities.”

CrossFit releases the negative test results of 17 athletes who were tested out-of-competition:

  • Women: Dani Speegle, Fee Saghafi, Rebecka Vitesson, Tayla Howe, and Mallory O’Brien.
  • Men: Travis Mayer, Scott Panchik, Saxon Panchik, Reggie Fasa, Simon Mantyla, Justin Medeiros, Patrick Vellner, BK Gudmundsson, Jayson Hopper, Alexandre Caron, Uldis Upenieks, and Lazar Dukic.
 
INDUSTRY
  Mayhem’s International Push Expands Global Reach Of The Sport  

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Mayhem’s International Push Expands Global Reach Of The Sport

In the ongoing discussion around ways to further professionalize the sport of fitness, much of the discourse centers around actions of CrossFit LLC and event partners that provide earning opportunities for athletes.

Another important driver of opportunity is the training programs and camps that guide the development of our sport’s athletes while creating pathways for them to pursue full-time roles as athletes and ambassadors in the community.

  • Back in January, we highlighted how CompTrain is hoping to shape the future of the sport for athletes with their CompTrain academy, but in recent months the Mayhem Athlete team has made several major moves as they continue to push the ball forward in their own unique way.

More than 50 athletes represented Mayhem at the Games this year across all divisions including nearly a dozen individual athletes. In the time since the Games, they’ve expanded their reach at the Games levels, as they continue to build the Mayhem Athlete program into one of the premier destinations for the sports elite.

  • Athletes on the roster have access to individualized programing and specialty coaches, and a proven training environment in Cookeville that has earned its reputation for developing and fostering elite athletes in the sport.
  • Mayhem’s in-house media team provides steady exposure across all of their digital platforms, and athletes are also provided opportunities to earn income through the brand to support their lifestyle and training as a professional athlete.
Continue Reading...
 
LIFESTYLE
  From Gingerbread and Ham, to Pierogies, Fish Soup, Khoresh and Peppermint Slices: LIFEAID’s Lineup of International Athletes Talk Holiday Ch(Eating)  

From Gingerbread and Ham, to Pierogies, Fish Soup, Khoresh and Peppermint Slices: LIFEAID’s Lineup of International Athletes Talk Holiday Ch(Eating)

With the holidays just around the corner, LIFEAID, the popular beverage company best known in the CrossFit community for their FITAID recovery drink, is helping athletes share stories, recipes and traditions from gyms around the world as part of their FITMAS campaign.

In light of this, FITAID athletes from various backgrounds hailing from all over the world took the time to share with us their holiday food traditions.

Fish Soup in Hungary with Laura Horvath

For two-time CrossFit Games silver medalist Laura Horvath, Christmas dinner is a feast made up of fish soup, “which sounds gross but it’s actually really good,” Horvath said. “And we usually have turkey with potatoes and vegetables. It’s nothing crazy.”

Fish soup aside, for Horvath, Christmas treats are all about the szaloncukor, a type of Hungarian candy.

“Chocolate covered candy basically. It’s really good and it’s everywhere so you eat it constantly,” said Horvath, who explained she takes an “everything in moderation” approach to eating at the holidays, but ultimately eats “whatever my mom cooks.”

 

American, Iranian and Mexican Traditions with Feerozeh Saghafi

For aspiring Games contender Feerozeh Saghafi, who missed out on qualifying to the 2021 Games by two spots at the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge, Christmas foods are a mixed bag of traditional American, Mexican and Iranian foods.

Though Saghafi was born and raised in the United States, her mother is Mexican and her father is Iranian, and both backgrounds come into play during the holidays.

“Pumpkin pie and all of the whipped cream.”

“When my grandma was around, we would have some incredible Iranian dishes,” Saghafi said, including Fesenjan and Khoresh, both of which are types of Iranian stews, and Sabzi Polo, a variety of Kabab.

But Saghafi’s ultimate favorite dish she eats around the holidays is Pozole, a Mexican-style stew made with hominy, meat, vegetables and various Mexican spices. That, and pumpkin pie, she added.

“Pumpkin pie and all of the whipped cream,” Saghafi said, adding that she makes a point of eating pie and cookies during the holidays “with zero request.”

Pierogies in Poland with Gabi Migala

Fresh off a podium finish at the recent Rogue Invitational, three-time Games athlete Gabi Migala said she “never goes crazy on food during this time.

Continue Reading...
 
THINGS TO...
 

...SEE

Justin Medeiros' New Home Gym

Want to see what lives in the garage of a CrossFit Games champion? Well, it's lots of fitness equipment for a start. Check out Justin Medeiros' gym and see if you can spot anything to add to your Christmas list.

WE WANT IT ALL.
     

SPONSORED

...WIN

A Fridge, Holiday Sweater, And Case of FITAID

Make sure you’re always able to crack open an ice-cold can of FITAID by entering our partnered giveaway to win a mini fridge, holiday sweater, and a 24 pack of FITAID. Click below to head over to our Instagram to get the deets on how to win.

THE SWEATER ALONE IS WORTH IT.
     
 

...UNLOCK

Your Creaky Shoulders

Lifting overhead is as much about mobility as it is strength. Getting those shoulders moving fast and locked out strong is impossible if you can't even do it without the weight. Add these three drills to your warmup to stretch your shoulders and increase your strength overhead.

SUPPLE = STRONG.
     
 

...GRAB

Seven Simple Strategies to Surviving the Holidays

Worried you're going to fall off during the Holidays? Grab this free Holiday Survival Guide to get instant access to expert nutrition guidelines and advice, as well as ten bodyweight workouts you can do at home, on the road, or...at the in-laws.

MAKE THIS THE FITMAS SEASON.
     
 

...MASTER

Heavy Thrusters

If you think your technique isn't perfect at 65 and 95 pounds...those problems aren't going to magically fix themselves as you go heavier. Follow these tips to become better at heavy thrusters (and get through them faster).

IMPROVEMENT SEASON.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.

  • Sara Sigmundsdottir went surfing.
  • Jack Farlow, 6th fittest 16-17-year-old in 2019, does an unbroken round of DT at 255 pounds/115kg.
  • Giovanni Ocampo from Colombia hits a 345 pound/156kg 3 rep max split jerk PR.
  • 2021 Games rookie Michelle Basnett hits a 205 pound/93kg hang snatch + overhead squat complex.
  • Congratulations to 17-year-old Sabrina from Full Steam CrossFit in Chattanooga, TN on getting her first bar muscle-up.
  • 14-year-old Dom from CrossFit Esplanade in Australia hits a 120 pound/55kg Bella Complex.
  • Congratulations Joel Baytman from CrossFit Vertex in Olyphant, PA on the 200 pound/91kg snatch PR.

On December 4th, 2021, Eric LeClair, former owner of Team CrossFit Academy in Monrovia, CA, took his own life, leaving behind his wife Elise and two young children, Eleanore and Rhett. Friends are crowdsourcing money to support his wife and family.

  • Eric competed at the first CrossFit Games in Aromas, CA and opened one of the first 20 affiliates.
 
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4/27: Cap Crown Throwdown (Gladstone, Australia)
4/28: 249 Spring Throwdown (Sittingbourne, Kent, England)
5/4: Team Challenge Texas (San Antonio, Texas)
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