“One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.”- Thomas Fuller
LIFESTYLE
2022 Ultimate CrossFitters Guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Do you wish there was one place where you could shop to find the best holiday deals in CrossFit? That’s what we’re here for! We’ve rounded up all the best deals from your favorite functional fitness brands into one mega shopping guide. Meet the Ultimate CrossFitter’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday Guide.
In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil spoke with David Hippensteel and long-time coach and Founder of Aerobic Capacity, Chris Hinshaw, to discuss what ultimately led Hippensteel to pull out of the season, the conversations he had behind the scenes with CrossFit, and his plans heading into the 2023 season.
Leaderboard finalized: The Zelos Games leaderboards for live and online competitions are now finalized and posted for the men and women.
Touring boss: New CrossFit CEO Don Faul is making the rounds, and his latest trip is to an affiliate (Defiant CrossFit) in Round Rock, TX.
More Sara: Icelandic superstar Sara Sigmundsdottir sits down and also poses with Stylist Magazine.
PROFILE
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
22 Questions with Alex Gazan: Waffles, Friends, A Court of Thorns and Roses and Kari Pearce
The Las Vegas resident burst onto the scene, winning rookie of the year at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games, and now Alex Gazan is clearly here to stay. The 21-year-old phenom began her competitive career in the age group division in 2018 and has been on an upward trajectory since joining Underdog Athletics, under the watchful eyes of Justin Cotler and Kiefer Lammi.
Next up, she’ll be taking the floor on a team at 2023 TYR Wodapalooza, accompanied by Arielle Loewen and fellow Underdogs athlete, Kari Pearce.
“I want to be able to make that decision for myself," Kelsey Kiel on deciding to freeze her eggs
After losing one of her ovaries in 7th grade and watching her mother go through early menopause, the thought of whether Kelsey Kiel could have the option to be a mother someday has lingered in her mind. Now, at 31 years old, Kiel recently had her eggs retrieved and frozen to ensure she has the option to decide whether she wants to be a mother in the future, instead of leaving that decision up to her body.
Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil sits down with Kiel in a candid conversation to discuss what the process was like for her, how topics like this are typically “taboo” and how she wants to help break that stigma, and why it was important for her to take control of her future.
American Eagle Partners with Alec Smith for Holiday Season Campaign
Earlier this month, everyone’s favorite little brother (just kidding he’s only Ben Smith’s little brother, Dane Smith is the youngest), Alec Smith, posted a picture on Instagram with his partner, Riley Hedstrom. Both men were shirtless, but sporting some comfortable looking jeans and the caption read:
“Excited to partner with American Eagle this holiday season! AE’s Athletic Fit jeans were made especially for athletes with extra room in the thigh and they’ve got alllllll the flannels to get you through the season. Use ALEC15 to get 15% off for one week!”
One big thing: Any time a national brand partners with a CrossFit athlete it’s a big deal. In this case, it seems doubly important because, not only is American Eagle partnering with Alec Smith, they are leaning into a campaign with an athlete in the CrossFit space who is out and proud.
Some details: The American Eagle Athletic Fit Jeans are designed with extra room in the thigh and available in “Athletic Skinny,” “Athletic Fit,” and “Athletic Straight.”
Smith will be a brand ambassador for the campaign throughout the holiday season.
Keep an eye out for more of his posts and stories about the Men’s Athletic Fit line.
What they’re saying: “I wasn’t a big jeans guy, honestly. Like, You’ll see me walking around in NOBULL joggers and shorts, even when I go out. I don’t like dressing up, I don’t think a lot of CrossFitters do,” Smith said.
“But, I’ve been wearing the American Eagle jeans around a lot, even around the house, and they are super comfortable,” he continued, “they definitely hit the nail on the head.”
The bottom line: American Eagle is a major apparel company that is not an endemic CrossFit brand. That they see value in partnering with Alec Smith is incredibly important, and may result in additional campaigns for other CrossFit athletes.
Medic RX Offers CPR Seminar Designed to Make the CrossFit Coach “Competent and Confident”
Using an AED on an athlete who collapses and appears to go into cardiac arrest is something no affiliate owner ever wants to think about having to deal with.
And in each of the above cases, the AED saved a member’s life.
This is why Joshua Hicks— the medical team lead for Wodapalooza, the Rogue Invitational and the recent CrossFit Games—started The Medic RX, a seminar company that offers The Functional Life-Saver Certification.
The details: The Functional Life-Saver Certification is a one-day course, administered in-person at a CrossFit affiliate, by Hicks and his team, all of whom understand CrossFit. It’s accredited with the American Safety Health Institute (ASHI), thus it can also provide CEU credits.
Half the day is focused on CPR, but it also dives into AED training, gym trauma training, First Aid, and decontamination processes, such as dealing with blood on barbells or post-workout puke.
The ultimate goal of the seminar, Hicks explained, isn’t just to educate coaches about the basics of CPR and using an AED. It’s about providing them the confidence they might currently lack when it comes to dealing with potential emergency or First Aid situations that could arise at the gym.
The making of the course: Hicks, a CrossFit Level 2 coach and a CPR instructor with 15 years of emergency medical experience as a paramedic, started volunteering with the medical team at CrossFit events in 2015, and soon affiliate owners started asking him to host CPR classes for their coaches.
Today’s workout is programmed by nine-time CrossFit Games veteran James Hobart. He is the only Games athlete to compete on two different Affiliate Cup champion teams, CrossFit New England in 2011 and CrossFit Mayhem Freedom in 2015 and 2016. Currently, Hobart is a CrossFit L4 Trainer, CrossFit Seminar Staff Flowmaster, and the Senior Manager of Programming for CAP (CrossFit Affiliate Programming).
The workout is a memorial WOD that Hobart created to honor Braintree, MA police officer William Cushing’s dog, K9 Kitt. The dog was struck with 3 bullets and was killed in the line of duty on June 4th, 2021. His handler, Officer William Cushing, was struck 5 times but survived due to Kitt’s actions. The numbers in this workout symbolize that day, and the 80-lb weight symbolizes Kitt’s weight.
The K9 Kitt Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 was established by Braintree Police Officer William Cushing to support K9 teams nationwide by assisting with equipment, training, and raising public awareness.
“K9 Kitt”
21 Rounds for Time:
6 Deadlifts (80/60 LBs – 36/27 KGs)
5 Hang Power Cleans (80/60 LBs – 36/27 KGs)
4 Front Squats (80/60 LBs – 36/27 KGs)
3 Shoulder-to-Overheads (80/60 LBs – 36/27 KGs)
200ft Weighted Carry (80/60 LBs – 36/27 KGs)
Time Cap: 35 Minutes
**- Use any weight (sandbag, barbell, or 2 dumbbells) totaling (80/60 LBs)
Scaling Options:
Reduce the load so you can complete multiple unbroken rounds.
If you don’t have space to carry, consider performing a :30 hold in place of the carries.
Some advice from James: “The first few rounds should feel fast and fun. The grip fatigue and volume quickly accumulate in this workout. Consider resting after the 5th deadlift, and then finishing the deadlifts as you bring the weight up to the first hang clean. Try to go unbroken through the hang power cleans, front squats and push presses. For the carries, holding the weights at the shoulders will likely allow you to move the fastest and avoid resting. If you would like an extra challenge with dumbbells try performing all of the carries as a farmer’s carry.”
To inquire about submitting an upcoming workout of the week, shoot us a note.
THINGS TO...
...REMEMBER
Play Tug-o-War with the Barbell
Meet your new favorite cue (and old favorite field day game), tug-o-war. That’s right, you and the barbell are playing a fun little game while you are hitting your Oly lifts. Read more to find out what the heck we’re talking about!
MANSCAPED® Grooming Essentials (25% Off Sitewide!!)
Now is the PERFECT time to stock up on the gifts that men will actually use because MANSCAPED® is offering 25% off sitewide + free shipping during their annual Black Friday Sale. Shop best-sellers like The Lawn Mower® 4.0 electric body hair trimmer or the Performance Package 4.0 luxury grooming kit.
First we learn how to climb a rope with our legs. Then we take the legs away and learn how to climb the rope with just our arms. It’s that simple, right? If you are struggling to master the legless life then watch this video for some tips!
Signing up for Butcher Box not only gets you elite quality meat delivered directly to your door, but sign up today and you'll also get two 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Ribeyes in every order for a year and $20 off with code "RIBEYE". This offer only lasts until 11/27 so don't wait, your free steaks depend on it!
Enter the 12 Days of CrossMas to Win Amazing Prizes
You must be on the nice list because Fitness Santa is here to bring you 12 straight days of festive fitness giveaways. Just enter below and from December 1st until December 12th one lucky winner will be drawn each day to receive a huge prize from one of your favorite brands.
⚡️ Nick Anapolsky set the record for Zelos Games Workout 1.2 with his lightning-fast time of 3:41.
Congratulations Aron Parker from CrossFit Boynton Beach in Florida on the 300 pound/136kg clean PR.
Congratulations to Rafael Candeias from CrossFit Montijo in Portugal on the 229.5 pound/104kg snatch and 282 pound/128kg clean and jerk that earned him theNational Junior Championtitlein the 64kg weight class.
Bethany Shadburne is showing progress in her recovery since rehabbing a back injury from 2022 Quarterfinals.
Congratulations to Laura Kenyi from CrossFit Detour in Rochester, MN, who went from struggling with kipping pull-ups in October 2020 to cruising through butterfly pull-ups in October 2022.
🦃 Brick NYC in Manhattan hosted a “Turkey Bowl” in-house competition fundraiser on Saturday, November 19th, raising over $1,000 toward City Harvest, a local organization that works with the city to provide food for the community.
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