The video 20,000 have already watched

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by Eat the 80, a ready-to-eat, healthy meal delivery service that helps you cook less, and train more.

With so many decisions to make per day, “what to eat” doesn’t have to be one of them. Their meals will reduce your decision fatigue so you can spend your energy on more important things. Get meals delivered and save 10%.

“Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It’s a shield. It’s a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it’s the thing that’s really preventing us from flight.” — Brene Brown

How the Casey Classic Came to Be

Background.

In March of 2008, Kathleen “Casey” Santye was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. A neuromuscular disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, patients eventually lose their ability to walk, speak, swallow, and breathe.

Devastating news.

Until her diagnosis, Casey lived a normal life with her husband and three kids. She ran four miles a day with her dog, Jake, and she regularly hiked the mountains around her home. But once her diagnosis came she had to start using a cane, and then a walker. By October, she was almost completely paralyzed from the waist down. She would never walk again.

On Tuesday, August 11, 2009, just before 9:00 AM, Casey lost her battle to ALS. From her diagnosis to her death, it was just under a year and a half.

Now what?

After her death, Casey’s children Erin and Tim were both introduced to CrossFit. The challenging atmosphere immediately drew them in, and they felt empowered and grateful for what their abled bodies could accomplish after watching their mother deteriorate before their eyes.

They were hooked and both have been involved in CrossFit ever since: Tim, as an athlete at Reebok CrossFit One in Canton, MA during his employment with Reebok and Erin earning her L-2 trainer certificate and coaching adults and kids at CrossFit Stealth in New Brunswick, NJ.

We love it.

One of the things that initially drew Erin to CrossFit was the commitment to community. So when she approached the team at CrossFit Stealth with a fundraising idea five years ago, she knew they would be more than willing to support her. CrossFit for Casey, now known as the Casey Classic, was born.

Established in 2011 by her husband, Anthony J. Santye, and their children, Erin, Tim and Lauren, the Kathleen “Casey” Santye Memorial Fund supports the patient service programs that were so helpful to Casey and her family.

Sounds like CrossFit.

Over the past five years, the CrossFit Stealth community, along with friends and family, have raised more than $30,000 for the fund through ticket sales, donations, and a raffle contest with prizes from companies like RP Strength, Chestee, 2P00D, Caffeine and Kilos, and Barbella Box.

This year, CrossFit Stealth is holding the Sixth Annual Casey Classic on Saturday, October 20, 2018 and are looking forward to another great day celebrating the strength of their community, the ones who CrossFit because they can.

Weight Watchers Sheds It’s Name

What happened?

Weight Watchers has officially changed their name to WW.

Come again?

Weight Watchers, the 50-year-old company that’s been peddling diet advice to women across America, has decided that it can’t survive with a diet only doctrine any longer.

Well what else would they do?

Instead, they’re trying something else. The new tagline is “Wellness that Works”.

“We believe that wellness is not just about one thing,” said WW President and CEO Mindy Grossman. “Ultimately we’re looking for sustainable options for people to live the healthiest lives they want to live.”

The bottom line. 

WW is really only attempting to re-brand as a “health and wellness” company. Weight loss programs like these have not been proven to help people make long-term lifestyle changes.

Want to know what has already proven to help people live their healthiest lives?

CrossFit.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to tell your friend who just hit the game winning shot…

This is what it looks like when everyone is rooting for you and you make it. This throwback video went viral the other day after we shared it on Instagram. Now viewed more than 20,000 times, the story of Regional athlete Brittany Benedetto’s two-year journey to get a muscle-up has inspired so many on their own fitness journey. And here’s the full story behind the video that looks more like a game winning shot than a PR.

Things To…

WATCH: How to Manage Your Off-Season

When you’re in training mode, you’ve got goals set. Then, the off-season rolls around and training changes as your goals do. You find yourself unsure about how to train and what is or is not allowed in your diet. So what do you do?

SOUNDS FAMILIAR.

HEAR: Perfectionism Will Ruin You

Amy and Olivia of the Nasty Girls Podcast lists all the ways trying to be perfect actually ruins us, how most people view perfectionists, and how the stress of perfectionism relates to our daily life.

PERFECT IS IMPOSSIBLE. 

EAT: Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Lentil Stew

A healthy Moroccan stew with cozy spices, butternut squash, chickpeas, and lentils that’s perfect for the fall season. You’ll love this protein and fiber packed meal. Add a salad and some pita and dinner is served.

FALL FOOD IS HERE.

WIN: A Free Pair of NOBULL Trainers

Water Heather, Grey Heather, Earth Heather, and Hi -Top Earth Heather trainers are all being released today by NOBULL. If you don’t have it in your budget to get a pair, you can try your luck at winning one.

DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?

BUY: Gifts for CrossFitters

The next time you drop into a box with a friend, need a gift for your coach, or are looking for fun prizes for members head on over to AMWRAP. They’re all about gifts for athletes and fun stuff for your fitfam and friends. And, if you use the code “CHALKUP15” you’ll get 15% off.

P.S. WE LOVE GIFTS.

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

Chalk Up Community

• PRO-TIP: SQUAT THERAPY — If you struggle to keep your chest upright in the squat, you can try using a medicine ball or the wall to help build proper squat mechanics. 
• NEW CROSSFIT GYM OPEN — On September 20, the Sarasota YMCA celebrated the grand opening of its South Trail Performance CrossFit location in Sarasota, FL.
• SECOND LOCATION — Three Kings Athletics opened a second location August 20th in Indianapolis, IN. The new location is being managed by Games athlete Matt “Mighty Mouse” Rattay.

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

Happy anniversary to Becca Voigt and husband Eric Miller • Congratulations to Shotgun CrossFit on their sixth anniversary • Sammy Moniz shares how she feeds fiancé Mat Fraser • Happy anniversary to Cole and Genasee Sager • You can still sign up to volunteer for the Rogue Winter Classic • Hunter McIntyre accepts the challenge from Jacob Heppner to deadlift 500 pounds and run a sub-five-minute mile next week • Alyssa Ritchey gets some help in the gym from a bystander • Stefi Cohen does 17 unbroken pull-ups wearing a 20 pound vest • Sam and Jenn Dancer are with Brooke Ence and friends at Lake Powell • Happy birthday Jessica Lucero • Mat Fraser received a painting from a fan. 

…and sometimes that 6:00 AM CrossFit class is just really rough, man.

Dear Readers Digest — Yesterday, we told you about the Readers Digest list of 14 dangerous exercises for athletes over 50 that made it’s way across the Internet. We invited all Masters athletes to post videos partaking in these dangeroud movements like deadlifting and squatting, and to tag Reader’s Digest along the way. And you did not disappoint. 

— Joni Siplon, 55+ at Overland Park CrossFit deadlifted 185 pounds and she feels fine.

— George Hubbard, 76 from CrossFit Hanover back squats 185 pounds for five reps post knee-replacement. 

— Patty Bell, 64 from OC Athletix does a yoke carry.

— Grandma-to-be Michelle Scofield deadlifts 210 pounds for two reps. Two years ago, she could deadlift only 25 pounds. 

Did we miss you? Let us see you CrossFitting after 50. Make sure you tag @morningchalkup and @CrossFit as well as @readersdigest. 

The 2018 Team Series, Week Two — Four events were announced last night, and they are:

— Event 5: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps each of bar muscle-ups and squat snatches (95/65).

— Event 6: Two rounds for time of 100-calorie row and 50 handstand push-ups.

— Event 7: 1-rep-max each of deadlift / hang clean / hang clean and jerk.

— Event 8: 30 synchro toes-to-bars, 40 synchro single-arm dumbbell snatches, 50 synchro dumbbell box step-overs (20/24), 40 synchro single-arm dumbbell snatches, 30 synchro toes-to-bars (35/50).

Participants have until Monday, October 1 at 5:00 PM PT to submit their scores. 

“The Problem with Fitbit Based Life Insurance,” by Jessica Danger, Morning Chalk Up 

The 156-year-old life insurance company, John Hancock announced last week that they will now require all policyholders to use wearable devices to record health and fitness data.

Since 2015, John Hancock has offered policy discounts for customers who use wearables but making it mandatory is a first for the industry. According to Brooks Tingle, head of John Hancock’s insurance unit, those “policyholders worldwide live 13 to 21 years longer than the rest of the insured population.”

That’s what they said, but recent studies aren’t sold on the correlation between wearbles and actually improving health or fitness, or even persuading them to be more active.

In a year-long study involving 800 randomly selected participants, which was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in 2016, found “no evidence of improvements in health outcomes” even for those wearing Fitbits. That same year, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a two-year long study analyzing 470 eighteen to 35-year-old to see if wearing a Fitbit correlated to greater weight loss.

Spoiler alert: it did not. They actually lost less weight than those who did not wear one.

“As wearable devices are becoming more popular and may facilitate an initial lifestyle change, their effects on improving long-term outcomes remains to be seen,” said Dani Urcuyo, a CrossFitter and lead physician of SteadyMD’s primary care practice for CrossFit athletes. “However, even if wearable devices do not change long-term outcomes their potential benefit may help healthcare practitioners provide better care. The information obtained from wearable technology generates a repository of data to build predictive models focusing on future health.”

Greg Glassman on the other hand, is not a big fan. He made headlines back in 2016 after saying in a CNBC interview that fitness trackers belonged in the “junk drawer.”

9/28 – 9/29: Pensacola Beach Brawl (Pensacola Beach, FL)

9/28 – 9/29: The Primal Games (Savannah, GA)

9/29: Kilo Crush Fest (Hampton, VA)

9/29: Barcode Team Competition (Leander, TX)

9/29: Long Island Masters Team Competition (Hauppauge, NY)

9/29: Fallout Powered by Battleground Events (Long Beach, CA)

9/29: Battle for Boise (Meridian, ID)

9/29: 5th Annual WOD for a Cause (Murrietta, CA)

9/29: K-9 Pursuit (Bristol, CT)

9/29: Swolemates (Cincinnati, OH)

​9/29: CrossFit Be Someone Charity WODathon (Houston, TX)

9/29: Garage Girls (Pousbo, WA)

9/29: Adoption Fundraiser WOD (Millcreek, UT)

9/29: Warrior Slam at CrossFit Waldwick (Waldwick, NJ)

9/29: Fall Face Off 2018 (Albany, NY)

9/29: CrossFit Knightsdale Autism Awareness (Knightdale, NC)

9/29: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ CrossFit Petram (Middletown, DE)

9/29: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ CrossFit 88 (Park Ridge, IL)

9/29: 2018 515 Wingman Challenge (Grimes, IA)

9/29: Wodify Roadshow Gym Growth Series (Lake Mary, FL)

10/3: Wodapalooza Qualifier (Online) 

10/5: The Hopper (Asheville, NC)

10/5 – 10/7: International Functional Fitness Federation World Championships (London)

10/6: Beer City Beatdown (Asheville, NC)

10/6: Gallant Gauntlet 2 (Bedford, TX)

10/6: WOD for Water Troy (Troy, AL)

10/6: Cactus Games (Phoenix, AZ)

10/6: Pound-4-Pound Competition (Denver, CO)

10/6: Invictus Boston Barbells for Boobs (Boston, MA)

10/6: Girls Gone RX @ Old Line Crossfit (Millersville, MD)

10/6: The Battle To Benefit Badge (Utica NY)

10/6: Iron Eagle Challenge (Cookeville, TN)

10/6: The Grit Games (Jacksonville, FL)

10/6: Fit For Freedom (St. Peters, MO)

10/6: Fitness Freedom Project Jay WOD (San Marcos, CA)

10/6: OUTWOD (Philadelphia, PA)

10/6: Garden State Open 2018 (Berkeley Heights, NJ)

10/6: T-Town Throwdown (Toledo, OH)

10/6: 7th Annual Dog – WOD (Minneapolis, MN)

10/6: Hulks and Ninjas (Bangor, ME)

10/6: 7th Annual Dog WOD ( Minneapolis, MN)

10/6: Barbells for Boobs (Foxborough, MA) 

10/6 – 10/7: The Iron Clash (Fayetteville, NC)

10/6 – 10/7: 307 Throwdown (Casper, WY)

10/12 – 10/14: Faith RX’d (Denver, CO)

10/13: Barbells For Boobs 2018 (Sutton, MA)

10/13: WOD for a Cause (Bloomsburg, PA)

​10/13: C4 CrossFit Co-Ed Classic (Brunswick, NJ)

10/13: 2018 War in the Woods (Norton, MA)

10/13: The Festivus Games (Online)

10/13: Grand Games 2018 (Westfield, IN)

10/13: Push Pull for Pancreatic Cancer @ Red Island CrossFit (Smithfield, RI)

10/13: Barbells for Boobs (Steamboat Springs, CO)

10/13: Older, Wiser, Faster, Stronger (Plymouth, MI)

10/13: The Greenville Games (Greenville, SC)

10/13: Reps For Recovery (Hickory, NC) 

10/13: Kal-Haven Trail Ruck (Kalamazoo, MI)

10/13: Fall Brawl (Saint Michael, MN)

10/13: Sweat for Georgia Mae (Wendell, NC)

10/13: Barbells For Boobs (Southaven, MS)

10/13: Wodtoberfest Co-ed Team Competition (Owosso, MI)

10/13 – 10/14: Box Wars 3 (Fort Valley, GA) 

10/14: CrossFit for Kayden (Fallsington, PA)

10/20: BCS Classic 2018 (Bryan, TX)

10/20: Head 2 Head in Hamilton (Hamilton, NJ)

10/20: Fittest on the Valley VI (Lahaina, HI)

10/20: Crossfit Bona Fide Third Wheel Throwdown (Portsmouth, NH)

10/20: CrossFit Katana Samurai Showdown VI: Trio of Terror (Mansfield, OH) 

10/20: SE Texas Masters of CrossFit Fall Classic (Cypress, TX)

10/20: Barbells for Boobs (Hillsboro, OR)

10/20: Femme Royale Womens Competition (Napa, CA)

10/21: Me Jane, You Jane (Santa Rosa, CA)

10/21: Chalk It Up (Akron, OH) 

10/20 – 10/21: The Independence Games (Florence, SC)

​10/20 – 10/21: The Lincoln Invitational (Spokane, WA)

10/26 – 10/28: JAKTRX Atlas Games 2018 (Montreal) 

10/27: Tough Temple Invitational (Rockville, MD)

10/27: Barbells for Boobs (Portland, OR)