These 6 movements have been in the Open at least 75% of the time

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by RP Strength.

Get the most in-depth book on recovery out there written by PhDs in Sports Performance. No better time than during the Open season to make sure your recovery is on point! Get your copy of Recovering From Training today and save 15% with code “OPEN15.”

“There is nothing so rewarding as to make people realize that they are worthwhile in this world.” — Bob Anderson

Sticking With CrossFit Through Cancer

The story.

Ben Laekas was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2016. Since then he’s undergone hospitalizations, been bedridden from chemotherapy treatments, and completed high-dose radiation treatments.

Laekas has several major surgeries, one to have a softball-size tumor removed from his body, only for another tumor to return just above that same spot.

How’s he doing now?

More radiation treatments await, and so do possible surgeries. But one thing Laekas has scheduled for sure is his regular CrossFit class.

“Going to CrossFit doesn’t provide an escape, but you don’t feel sick anymore. It changes your ideas,” Ben said in an interview. “When you get diagnosed with cancer, you think about cancer all the time. I didn’t want that. With the first round of chemotherapy, as soon as I got off the bag, I would head straight to the gym.”

What an inspiration.

Julie Beaumont, who owns CrossFit de l’Ouest where Laekas has trained for more than five years, was so inspired by Laekas’s story that she hosted a fundraiser for him, raising over $7,000.

His doctors at McGill University Health Centre are just as inspired as his box. “I think he gives motivation not only to other patients but to doctors like myself,” said Dr. Jamil Asselah, Laekas’s oncologist. “He motivates me in my work because your goal as a physician is to see your patient live a normal life despite the treatments.”

DON’T FORGET

Join Us for 19.3

Be there or be square.

Morning Chalk Up will be providing companion coverage for the 19.3 live announcement at Diablo CrossFit streamed live on Facebook and embedded on our dedicated 19.3 live blog.

Tommy Marquez and Justin LoFranco will be hosting a one-hour live pre-show starting at 4:00 PM PT featuring interviews with Lauren Fisher and Alessandra Pichelli, Craig Howard of Diablo CrossFit and others, all streamed live on Facebook and embedded on our dedicated 19.3 live blog.

Approximate Schedule

— 1:00 PM PT: Live blogging updates from inside Diablo CrossFit.

— 4:00 PM PT: Live pre-show with Tommy Marquez and Justin LoFranco.

— 5:00 PM PT: Live 19.3 announcement.

— 5:20 PM PT: Head-to-head match-up between Lauren Fisher and Alessandra Pichelli.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to say the next time Netflix asks if you’re still watching…

What the heck else would I be doing with my life? Well, maybe Netflix binging isn’t the best way to spend a day. Instead, try these 11 ways you can be more present and also more productive. Your people will thank you.

Things To…

WATCH: On the Minute Episode 13

In this episode of On the Minute, Armen Hammer and Justin LoFranco cover who is up and who is down in the CrossFit Open after 19.2, how Tom Hanks got to be so fit, and who they wrote off as not able to qualify under the new format.

TOM HANKS THO?

HEAR: The Key to Multiple Locations

CrossFit Outbreak in New York has five locations and counting. Co-owner Adam Sturm says it took finding leaders at each location for the gyms to find the success that’s been part of CrossFit Outbreak’s history. Sturm breaks down what those leaders look like, as well as the story of Outbreak and the biggest business lessons he’s learned along the way.

NOT ALL SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS.

DO: Relax Your Mind, Body and Sleep Better

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RECOVER NATURALLY.

EAT: Chocolate Chip Pancake Protein Balls 

These chocolate chip protein balls may be free of dairy, gluten and grains, but they sure pack in some good, comforting flavor and lots of healthy fats and protein! When it’s snack time or you’re just looking for a quick breakfast as you run out the door, these will come in clutch.

PANCAKES ALL DAY.

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

Chalk Up Community

• OUTWOD AND THE PHOENIX — This Saturday at Per Ignem in Costa Mesa, CA OutWOD and the Phoenix are holding a team WOD for a cause. All proceeds raised go to the Phoenix to create safe and inclusive events.
• THE THIRST PROJECT — Last Saturday, CrossFit Tustin in Tustin, CA held a fundraiser for the Thirst Project. They raised $2700 to help build fresh drinking water wells in Africa. 
• NEW OWNERSHIP — Adam Kudryl has taken ownership of Ore CrossFit, a not for profit community gym in Telford, Shropshire. 

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

Emily Breeze Watson announced another baby is on the way • Elijah “EZ” Muhammad teaches his kids a lesson in trust • Ashley Curtis survived her first day of CrossFit • Jalissa Bagley Deveraux is back in the gym after having her baby • Shona gets an 85 pound front squat PR • Nicholas Lewellen gets his first muscle-up.

TONIGHT: 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET / 12:30 AM GMT — How to Watch 19.3…This week there are four announcements going live. All live streams will be broadcast on Games.CrossFit.com.

— Diablo CrossFit in Peasant Hill, CA.

PREVIEW Video. 

— SouthFit CrossFit Challenge in Argentina.

— CrossFit Cuidad Real in Spain.

— Reykjavik CrossFit Championship in Iceland.

— Morning Chalk Up from Diablo CrossFit live companion stream and 19.3 live blog.

— Armen Hammer and the Scale as Needed Crew will host a live companion stream commenting on 19.3, provided no wild beasts chew through cords again. 

INSIDE: What’s the workout going to be? We’re no soothsayers, but taking a look at our Open Movement Tracker, here are some of the most common movements programmed in the Open year-over-year:

— Chest to bar pull-ups and thrusters: 100%.

— Deadlifts, burpees and snatches: 87.5%.

— Ring muscle-ups: 75%.

…Some kind of muscle-up: 100%.

— Box jumps: 62.5%.

Challenges Women Leaders Face in the Military — Valkyrie Performance coach Taylor Galadyk is looking for volunteers to participate in a survey. She is seeking “men and women volunteers interested in a research project, ‘Challenges women leaders face in the military.’ This project intends to provide solutions to these challenges and enhance women’s quality of lives within these types of environments.”

Reebok CrossFit Nano Everyday Heroes Pack — Yesterday, Reebok released their everyday heroes pack. “With this pack, Reebok celebrates the heroes that walk into the box every day. These are the people that serve their communities — the servicemen and women, doctors, teachers, parents, police officers, firefighters, parents and anyone else who contributes to others’ success on a daily basis. This extends into the CrossFit gym where community is everything, and your training partner can help make or break your
workout.” 

Interview with Zachery Buntin — Zachery Buntin is currently sitting in first place overall after 19.2 He sat down with Barbell Spin to chat about what it’s like to be at the top of the leaderboard.

— “At this time the only major event I have schedule is the Fittest Games in May. If I fail to punch my games ticket in the open I’m not ruling out a Granite Games appearance!”

“A Gender Gap at the Gym is Keeping Women From Working Out,” by Garnet Henderson, Glamour 

Globally, women are less likely than men to get enough exercise: 57 percent of men ages 18 and over meet recommended aerobic activity levels, versus 49 percent of women, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.

When it comes to the number of people who meet guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity, the gap widens. (Further marginalized groups have it even worse — in a recent study, young black women were the least likely group to report any physical activity, and given the discriminatory policies trans and nonbinary people face in sports and gym environments, experts suspect their exercise participation rates are even lower.)

In my six years as a personal trainer, I’ve seen this firsthand. It’s more than a personal frustration — t’s a serious health equity issue. Research tells us that regular exercise is one of the most powerful things a person can do to reduce their risk of developing chronic disease: It lowers the risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and numerous types of cancer. Exercise is also beneficial for mental health, and helps to build and maintain bone density, a concern especially relevant for women who are at greater risk for osteoporosis.

Just like the wage gap, the gender gap at the gym robs women of a better future.

So what’s responsible for the gym gap? The answer is complex, but a major factor is that active spaces are plagued by gender-specific deterrents that encourage women to stay on the sidelines.

3/7: Open Announcement 19.3 (Online) 

3/14: Open Announcement 19.4 (Online)

3/16 – 17: The Tactical Games (Burnet, TX)

3/21: Open Announcement 19.5 (Online)

3/23: Down for Donuts (Ocala, FL)

3/24: The Rockwell Championships Series Team Qualifiers (Online)

3/30: Game of Barbells (Houston, TX)

3/30: Row for a Reason 2019 (Nashville, TN)

3/30: Reps For Rescues at CrossFit Hanover (Hanover, PA)

3/30: Crossfit Redoubt Open Competition (Slovakia)

3/30: Cru’s Crusaders Fundraiser WOD (San Clemente, CA)

3/30: Burritt Built Throwdown (Port St. Lucie, FL)

4/1 – 4/8: Northern California Classic Online Qualifiers (Online)

4/1 – 4/11: The Liege Throwdown Online Qualifiers (Herstal, Belgium)

4/6: Feed, Clothe, Love and Lift (Amarillo, TX) 

4/6: St. Peters CrossFit Fitness Awards (Saint Peters, MO)

4/6: Powerstroke Partner Throwdown 2019 (Fallon, NV)

4/6: Metcon Meltdown (Flemington, NJ)

4/6: Two Peas in a POD Competition (Burlington, MA)

4/6: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Diversion (Williamstown, NJ)

4/6: Rise of the Machines IV (Austin, TX)

4/6: Bay Area Beatdown 2 (Webster, TX)

4/10 – 4/24: Granite Games Online Qualifier (Online)

4/11 – 4/14: CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown Online Qualifier (Online)

4/12 – 4/13: Capstone Caveman Clash and Cook Off (Lubbock, TX)

4/12 – 4/14: Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (Washington, D.C.)

4/13: Capacidad De Dos Amigos (San Antonio, TX)

4/13: The Craic Throwdown (Norwood, MA)

4/13: Warrior Affiliate League Deuces Wild (Chino, CA)

4/13: Battle of the Ages (Pineville, NC)

4/13: 5th Annual Battle for the Mountain (Dawsonville, GA)

4/13: The Requisite Masters Classic (Philadelphia, PA)

4/15 – 4/27: Top Of The Box Online Qualifier (Clarksville, TN)

4/19 – 5/1: CrossFit French Throwdown Individual Online Qualifier (Online)

4/20: The Wodfather VII 2019 (Keller, TX)

4/20: Rookie Rumble at Bucktown CrossFit (Chicago, IL)

4/26: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit Nashua (Nashua, NH)

4/26 – 4/27: Gameday Competition (Mankato, MN) 

4/26 – 4/28: CrossFit Italian Showdown (Milan, Italy)

4/27: 4th Annual Spring Fever Partner Masters Comp (Souderton PA)

4/27: Rookie Rumble at CrossFit KOA (Cranford, NJ)

4/27: The Gnardog Challenge (Reedley, CA)

4/27: Festivus Games (Worldwide)

4/27: Raising the Bar for Charlotte (Medina, OH)

4/27 – 4/29: Asia CrossFit Championship (Shanghai, China)

4/27: Autism Rocks and Rows (San Clemente, CA)

4/27: Garage Games Xs and Ys (Hiram, GA)

4/27: The Explode Individual Classic (West Chester, PA)