Never eat more than you can lift

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Blonyx.

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“I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.” — EB White

7 THINGS MISS PIGGY CAN TEACH US ABOUT LIFE.

Just why?

Cause it’s Friday and after the long week and the 17 meetings you still have left today, you need this. Trust us. 

OK fine. Let’s hear it…

Miss Piggy has been dropping ruby-sized life advice during her decades long reign on TV. Here’s what you need to know:

1. On Dieting: “Never eat more than you can lift.” — Miss Piggy
2. On Time: “The early bird gets the worm — which is what he deserves.” — Miss Piggy
3. On Choices: “After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual ‘food’ out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps.” — Miss Piggy
4. On Skincare: “It’s a good idea to apply an all-over masque once or twice a month, but I never, ever use mud. (Frankly, it brings up unpleasant memories).” — Miss Piggy
5. On Being Authentic: “All my scenes are my own. A double? Impossible! I am unique.” — Miss Piggy
6. On Enjoying Life: “A bowl of fruit is sometimes served in place of dessert. This practice should be discouraged.” — Miss Piggy
7. On Money: “Many people think money is something to be set aside for a rainy day. But honestly, how much money do you really need for a dozen or so hours of inclement weather?” — Miss Piggy

Happy Friday. 

EPISODE 2: PRECISION

Here’s Episode 2 in this exclusive release of Working Against Gravity’s new docu-series featuring Justin Holt, an everyday CrossFitter and movie maker balancing work, nutrition and family life.

“In terms of my fitness and my nutrition and lifestyle, being precise and being dedicated and focused on tracking my nutrition the one thing it has given me is accountability,” Justin said. “Starting somewhere and holding yourself accountable that’s everything. At the end of the day, it’s about living as full a life as possible for as long as possible. It comes down to nutrition and physical activity.”

COFFEE BREAK CONVERSATIONS

What to tell your significant other who’s always looking for partner challenges…

Unless both of you are gymnasts, this one is going to be pretty hard to pull off.

A trip down memory lane…

#5: Remember when we used to print out MapQuest directions to get somewhere? Those were the days. 

THINGS TO…

WATCH: A Call To Serve

Sam Deen, an Army veteran and owner of two affiliates in Texas, decided he’s running to represent the 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is his story. 

FROM CROSSFIT TO CONGRESS.

HEAR: CrossFit and Corporate Culture

Not only is Austin Malleolo a top CrossFit athlete and coach, he works for Reebok corporate. He joins Pursuing Health with Julie Foucher and shares how he’s been working at Reebok HQ to change corporate fitness culture through CrossFit.

MEET AUSTIN.

BUY: 30% Off Reebok Outlet

Cause the CrossFit Open is right around the corner, which means you need to buy at least five new outfits; one for each week. Use code “SAVE30” for an extra 30% off. 

START SHOPPING.

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

CHALK UP COMMUNITY

• #GenerationFit — The AdvoCare Foundation, which focuses on ending childhood obesity, and Rich Froning are teaming up for a special event on Feb 3rd to raise awareness and funds. The WOD is going down in Dallas and open to anyone who donates $25 or more. 
• MUDSLIDE MIRACLE — Augie Johnson, a 56-year-old CrossFitter at CrossFit Pacific Coast, helped firefighters resue a trapped baby after the Santa Barbara mudslides destroyed his and other neighbors’ houses. Here’s the crayyyyyyzee part: the child belonged to a family that lived a half mile away. He’d been swept up in the mudslide and rode it down the hill.
• GEE QQQ — The Second Fittest Man on Earth, Brent Fikowski talked to GQ about his diet and let it drop that he eats pig heart at least twice a week. Maybe that’s why he can snatch 300 pounds. 
• ALL THE WAY FROM NZ — Two Kiwi teenage girls traveled all the way to Houston to compete in the World Crossfit Teen Gauntlet. Competing separately, one finished on the podium and the other just outside. They’re both starting high school next week and said “CrossFit is the No 1 sport for both of us now.”

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

When you need a fun warm-up for your class who isn’t bonding well together • Christy Adkins is now offering personalized remote coaching • THIS WILL MAKE YOU #LOL SO HARD YOU CAN THANK US
LATER ON #PoorElly • It makes us happy when we inspire people to try new things even just for laughs • Chelsea Sellers hit a 275 pound clean and jerk.

Stacie Tovar #RealTalk…“I am a strong woman, a Christian, a wife, a business owner, an athlete, an entrepreneur, a dog mom and family oriented. I am an aunt, a goddaughter and a daughter…I am such a people person. I LOVE helping people. I want to share what I’ve learned, what’s helped me grow over the years to be a better human…This road I’ve been on chasing my DREAMS has not been easy. There were times where I did not know how I was going to make it or pay bills. It’s easy to get caught up in and distracted by the shitty hours, not making enough money, and the stress and STRUGGLE of it all.
It’s hard. But if it’s your passion, you need to trust and keep going…It’s funny how you think it’s impossible, but if you pursue your secret talent with passion, opportunities will come your way.”

“Jump Before It’s Too Late” by Holden Rethwill, CrossFit Invictus

How often do you incorporate plyometrics into your training? I can say with almost certainty that for the majority of us, the answer is: not enough. That’s ok, it’s not too late to start!

When we think of CrossFit, we think of things like gymnastics, Olympic lifting, metabolic conditioning, etc., but one thing that often times gets overlooked is plyometric training. But I’m here to tell you that plyometrics can be key to the success in many other aspects of CrossFit.

Why are they so important?

Plyometrics have many benefits, some of which include increasing agility, coordination, and overall performance. But I find that the most important quality of plyometric training is its ability to train your muscles to reach their maximal amount of force in a minimal amount of time. Each time you jump, you are teaching your muscles to increase their power output.

Where does this translate to CrossFit?

Everywhere! More power leads to more strength! One major benefit I found when implementing plyometrics into my own training was the translation over to Olympic lifting. Each time I head into a session with an Olympic lifting emphasis, I try to warm up with a few plyo exercises just to re-teach and re-create the memory for my muscles to reach for their maximal power output.

1/27: Winter Chiller (Fairmont, WV)

1/27: NorCal Masters 2018 (Richmond, CA)

1/27: IceBreather Classic (Springfield, IL)

1/27: The Masters Classic 2018 (Spanish Fork, UT)

1/27 – 28: The Fittest Experience (Austin, TX)

1/29: Facebook Live Q&A with Brooke Wells (Facebook)

2/3: No Weak Links “V” (Whitesboro, NY)

2/3: Caution Grounds 7 (Hialeah Gardens, FL)

2/3: Output Fitness Trials (Miramar, FL)

2/3: 6th Annual Women’s WOD Jam (Broomfield, CO)

2/3: 5th Annual Golden State Games (Stockton, CA)

2/3: Garage Girls Tour (Milton, GA)

2/10: Mirror Image CrossFit’s Cupid’s Clash (Panama City, FL)

2/10: New WODs On the Block – The Third Wheel (Nationwide)

2/10: Tuff Love (Boulder, CO)

2/10: A League of Their Own: A Women’s Only Challenge (San Antonio, TX)

2/10: Mayhem Showdown 2018 (Cookeville, TN) 

2/17: Lovers and Lifters (Springfield, KY)

2/17: Steel Rail Shootout 2018 (McComb, MS)

2/17: Wynwood Throwdown (Miami, FL)

2/22: CrossFit Open 18.1 (Worldwide)

3/1: CrossFit Open 18.2 (Worldwide)

3/8: CrossFit Open 18.3 (Worldwide)

3/10: Women Who WOD (Barbados)

3/15: CrossFit Open 18.4 (Worldwide)

3/22: CrossFit Open 18.5 (Worldwide)

4/7: Battle of the Badges (Anaheim, CA)

4/14 – 4/15: Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Challenge (Columbia, MD)

4/21: Festivus Games (Nationwide)

4/28: Battleground SoCal (Wimington, CA)

4/28: Girls Gone Rx (Cincinnati, OH)

4/28 – 4/29: Walter’s Cup Throwdown (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

5/4 – 5/6: European Masters Throwdown (Budapest, Hungary)

5/19: Raising the Bar for Recovery (Medina, OH)