Your Coffee is ready.
Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is brought to you by SteadyMD, the worlds first completely online medical practice which pairs you with a doctor who’s into functional fitness just like you. Oh yeah, and you just might know SteadyMD’s Dr. Dani Urcuyo. Take five minutes and find out how SteadyMD can personalize your primary care. Take five minutes and find out how SteadyMD can personalize your primary care.
P.S. If you didn’t get yesterday’s email, check your spam box. Margaux Alvarezguest wrote it and apparently we forgot to pay the Internet trolls so they dumped her emails in the trash.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” — Fred DeVito
TO MACRO OR NOT TO MACRO. THAT IS THE QUESTION.
SET THE SCENE.
You’re laying in bed at night and scrolling Insta while halfway watching The Office for the 8,372nd time. Between hilarious memes and drool-worthy food pics, you scroll past your bestie’s before-and-after featured on RP Strength. Your brain sees killer abs and “I need to do what they did” immediately crosses your mind.
Let’s be honest, it’s natural to say “I WANT THAT,” but are you prepared for what lies ahead?
SOME BACKGROUND?
If you haven’t heard of macro counting here’s a primer. It’s basically weighing and measuring your food to count macronutrients and balance your protein, fat and carbohydrates intake. We’ve oversimplified it, but sounds pretty straightforward.
But is it realistic for the average, everyday CrossFitter?
We show up to the gym day in and day out and push ourselves to the limit. We want healthier, stronger, more capable bodies. Many of us also want the killer abs in the “after” pic— even if that means eating food from a Tupperware container in your car at a wedding or passing on fun with friends altogether to stay on track.
Why? What is your why for doing this? Is it worth it?
YOU DO YOU.
We’re not here to tell you what your goals should be or how to meet them, we’re just prompting more thoughtful conversations about the ongoing, insatiable, media-driven quest for the perfect body.
If your WHY is worth the sacrifice, then you do you and keep on hustling, killa.
CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOX
ROUNDUP — Chyna Cho hits a 200 pound push press PR. Elijah Muhammaduses his washer and dryer as a squat rack. Alec Smith’s flashback Friday is whoa. Ryan Fischer’s bloody hands photo is probably one of the reason’s people think CrossFitters are ridiculous sometimes. Tia-Clair Toomey is planning a trip to teach seminars in Spain, Germany and Belgium in November.
IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK, PART 2
Kelsey Kiel opens up about the mental and physical evolution she’s experienced since coming to CrossFit…“Unhappy. Hating who I saw in the mirror. Never wanting to take full length photos (selfies can hide what you don’t like). If it was a zoomed out – I made sure to call middle so I could shrink myself behind others.
“Fast forward and I found CrossFit. Thank goodness I did. I was able to turn my addictive personality onto something positive. I didn’t know what the sport was going to be for me. A lifetime of beating myself up, never feeling good enough, never fully believing in what I could do meant there wasn’t much confidence.
“Fast forward again and here I am today. Taking care of my body and my soul. Feeding the mind and the belly. Working towards goals that have never seemed more possible than they do today. Being gentle with myself, yet staying focused and committed. Working on the physical, mental AND emotional gains.”
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR ALARM CLOCK JUST ISN’T WORKING…
Do 25 burpees as soon as your feet hit the floor. That’s Julie Foucher’s favorite way to start her day. It’s a great way to “get the blood flowing” she says. Yeah, ya think?!
THINGS TO…
WATCH: CrossFit Invitational with Sam Briggs
The Reebok CrossFit Invitational is right around the corner, and Pat Sherwood catches up with Samantha Briggs to discuss her experience coaching the Europe Team the past two years and how the reigning champs can repeat in 2017.
THE ENGINE THAT COULD.
HEAR: The Importance of Being Strong Enough
On this episode of Chasing Excellence, Ben Bergeron talks about why athletes who want to make waves in the sport of CrossFit need to focus on getting strong enough to actually be competitive, and what being strong enough looks like.
TUNE IN.
EAT: Fluffy Whole Wheat Healthy Pumpkin Waffles
Once you try them, these freezer friendly healthy pumpkin waffles with cozy spices + a touch of maple syrup are going to be your go to Fall breakfast favorite.
WAFFLE TIME.
CHALK UP AFFILIATES
GOT WODS? — Meet SSG Richard de Armas, an Army Recruiter over in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. He’s taken it upon himself to help train our Future Soldiers three times a day to help them get prepared to ship out to Basic training.
The problem? With only one barbell, 315 pounds of bumper plates, a 20 pound kettlebell, two big tires and a sledge hammer, he’s running out of WODs for the group. If you’ve got an idea — or think you can help, shoot him an email.