“Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.”- Plato
CROSSFIT GAMES
A Look Back: What Did We Learn from the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games Teams Division?
Year two of the new NOBULL CrossFit Games team qualification process resulted in many compelling storylines. With a year of understanding the new rules, the “superteams” started to make a comeback, all with the goal of toppling Mayhem Freedom’s dominance over the division.
Each team had the intention of keeping Rich Froning from earning his record 10th combined Games title and sixth Affiliate Cup. As expected, those intentions and goals were not met but it did make for one of the closest team races in a long while giving hope for the division after Froning steps away.
We discuss the future of Mayhem and Froning as well as discuss some additional storylines and takeaways from the team division.
What’s Next for Mayhem?
Froning made his official announcement that this year’s Games was his last as a team athlete at the post-Games press conference. He’s been the only constant through every iteration of the Mayhem Freedom team and undoubtedly one of the greatest Games athletes of all-time. He leaves with his affiliate’s name engraved on the Affiliate Cup a record six times. That same cup has made Cookeville, TN home since 2018. So that begs the question, “Will Mayhem Freedom return to defend the ‘Cup’ without that constant?”
Andrea Nisler has made her intentions known that she too would be stepping away from competition. Samuel Cournoyer will more than likely dive back into individual competition where he will be considered a top-10 threat in 2023. Taylor Williamson hasn’t announced what her plans will be but she is in the midst of her second year of physician’s assistant school and will be concentrating a lot of her efforts there.
So does that disband the Mayhem Freedom team? I can’t imagine that even though Froning and the rest of the team will not be returning to defend the title, that the team name goes away or a new version, a repackaged version of the team returns to defend the title. Maybe athletes from the Mayhem Independence team, who finished fifth at the Games, move in to take over the name and defend the crown. The Mayhem Justice team also could feed into the new team as well.
Another option is that any number of the Mayhem athletes could make the move to Cookeville and train under the tutelage of Froning and his team of coaches. Froning has not had an issue bringing athletes in much like what he did with Cournoyer, Nisler and Williamson the last couple of seasons. He could convince any number of athletes already in Cookeville training as individuals to take a year off to gain experience, win some money and a championship.
Whatever Froning does with the Mayhem Freedom team will be interesting to keep track of this upcoming season and if a new team does come out of Cookeville it’ll no doubt be one of the teams to beat.
Last Chance to Invest Alongside Annie Thorisdottir in Yerbaé
“As an athlete, mom and business owner, I need a lot of energy to get through the day. When I found Yerbaé it was a perfect fit and I believed in the brand and it’s mission so much that I became an investor and part-owner.
This is your last chance to get some skin in the game and be part of our mission, as we try to change the world together for the better, one can at a time.” — Annie Thorisdottir, CrossFit Champion.
In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, spoke to Morning Chalk Up founder Justin LoFranco about the ramifications of CrossFit president Jason Dunlop leaving the company for Orangetheory Fitness.
Protein packed chat: The founders of PODIUM, which includes the Buttery Bros and Mat Fraser will be having an Instagram live chat on Thursday at noon PT to talk about, of course, PODIUM, and we have been told there may be some special guests.
Interesting piece: David Woods, the new director of Partnerships for CrossFit, spoke to Shoutout Colorado about everything from risk-taking and skateboarding. 🛹
TYR taking over: Wondering how many athletes at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games were wearing TYR shoes? Well, wonder no more.
CROSSFIT GAMES
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Fan Perspective: Was the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games a Success?
I covered the CrossFit Games from home this year for the Morning Chalk Up and managed to convince my non-CrossFitting, but huge sports fan boyfriend to watch with me, promising him some seriously impressive fitness, exciting competition and overall entertainment.
To a certain degree I felt responsible for the entertainment part of the equation, the way you feel responsible when you’re the one who picked out the movie.
And while there were certainly times where he was entertained, such as during the iconic Capitol event and the max sandbag to overhead ladder, there were other times where I couldn’t help but cringe at his reactions.
“This looks like amateur hour,” he laughed as he watched pretty much every single competitor who tried them struggle with the double-under crossovers.
Morning Chalk Up merchandise is back for another two-week, limited edition run.
These tanks and tees will only be available only until next Friday, September 2 at 6:00 PM PT. Oh and we’re also shipping worldwide to most countries.
You might not know this, but each one of these shirts goes directly to support the team covering this global support and community. Plus they’re uber soft, like teddy bear soft.
Standard Struggles: Notable Names Not Competing at Rogue
With the close of the CrossFit Games, the off-season is already well underway as athletes decide which events they plan to compete at. With that — the return of online qualifiers…which brings us full circle to the topic of workout standards. Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil sits down with Brian Friend to discuss some notable athletes that will not be at the Rogue Invitational, not due to lack of fitness, but from not reading the directions before performing certain workouts.
High School Athlete Ty Jenkins Juggles Baseball, Football, Swimming and Winning the CrossFit Games
Middle Linebacker for Branson High School. Butterfly and Freestyle swimmer for the Branson Waves. Outfielder for Branson High School. 2022 CrossFit Games Champion. How did 16-year-old Ty Jenkins get here, and how does he pull it all off?
Baseball runs in Jenkins’ DNA–his father played the sport in college and introduced his son very young. Football and swimming came during elementary school and evolved as he grew. And CrossFit? It came along naturally enough, and Jenkins says he’s seen immense growth in all of his athletic endeavors because of the other sports he plays.
Of course, this doesn’t make scheduling an easy task. Jenkins admits he has “very little free time,” and says his days often start before four in the morning. Between whatever sport is in season, plus CrossFit training, in addition to homework for his rigorous course load, Jenkins is accustomed to a late night into an early morning. During the summer, it’s not much different. Jenkins rises early to swim, then trains non-stop (except for eating, he says) until four or five in the evening. However intense this schedule is, though, Jenkins is sure it pays off in the long run.
Sitting in front of a computer is great for getting your work done… but not for your neck. Neck pain is no joke, and causes issues in all aspects of your life (sleeping, working out, looking left, etc.). It’s tough to get away in the middle of the work day, so these easy things can be done right at your desk.
The summer may be ending, but the party's still going on! PARTYAID will help bring you back to life from whatever your holiday weekend has in store. You’ll thank us (and yourself) later. Get prepped for LDW with 15% off PARTYAID or PARTYAID GO and get a free FITAID hip pack with your purchase.
Can chronic stress cause you to gain weight? “Stress Bod” unfortunately reared its head as a side effect of the events of 2020, in all its glory. Now those effects have continued, leaving many confused about how their chronic stress can affect the numbers on the scale.
A Free WHOOP Strap 4.0 and Extra Month's Membership
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Keeping your eyes on the prize can be motivating…but it can also cause you to stop enjoying the process. Try something new, and worryingly novel, today: having fun during training.
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