What Did We Learn at the 2024 TYR WZA?

January 16   |   POWERED BY

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Five quick takeaways from TYR Wodapalooza Miami
• Why a fitness tracker may not be the best way to progress your training
• Morning Chalk Up’s own Teaganne Finn competed at TYR WZA on an intermediate team. Below, she recaps the lessons she learned over the weekend

“When snow falls, nature listens.” - Antoinette Van Kleeff

While the weather in Miami was gloomy, the action at TYR Wodapalooza was anything but dull.

We had the opportunity to see many of the sport’s top elite athletes go head-to-head and evaluate which of them are looking the best to start off 2024.

After two days of individual and two days of team competition, we now have a handful of takeaways that stood out.

Below, we have included five of the most interesting insights to come out of 2024 TYR Wodapalooza Miami:

1. It’s Anyone’s Game at the Top of the Men’s Division

Out of the top five men at the 2023 CrossFit Games, three of them competed at TYR WZA: Patrick Vellner, Roman Khrennikov, and Brent Fikowski.

The battle among these three was already going to be difficult enough, but then, of course, we also had the addition of Garard, who was the 2023 TYR Wodapalooza champion and 2022 Games bronze medalist.

Many of us, including myself, predicted either Vellner or Khrennikov would win it all here in Miami, considering their recent top finishes at the Games, Rogue Invitational, and Dubai Fitness Championship.

At the end of the weekend, however, neither of them was on the podium; instead, we saw a battle between Garard and Fikowski, with Samuel Kwant not far behind.

1. Ricky Garard – 440
2. Brent Fikowski – 420.5
3. Samuel Kwant – 413
4. Patrick Vellner – 384.5

This goes to show that the men’s division doesn’t have any clear favorites at the moment. Any one of these athletes, along with several others (including Jeffrey Adler), have a chance to win on any given day.

Smash Plateaus, Soar Past Limits: The Wild Health Revolution for CrossFitters

It’s time to shatter those fitness plateaus and banish soreness to the past! Meet Wild Health – your new ally in the quest for peak performance. This isn’t just a health plan; it’s a personalized revolution tailored for YOU. Imagine precision medicine meets cutting-edge lab testing, all combined with bespoke health coaching. We’re talking targeted nutrition, workout optimization, and recovery strategies, all fine-tuned to your body’s needs.

Elevate your training, crush your PRs, and step into a new realm of health and fitness excellence. It’s more than a change; it’s a transformation.

Redefine your limits – Use Code MCU20 for 20% Off.

✍️ Quick Survey to Help PhD Student: CrossFitter Priscilla Fleming is a PhD student at Walden University and she needs your help. She needs volunteers who have been doing CrossFit for the past three months to complete a short survey that examines the connection between the effectiveness of mental health treatment and CrossFit.

Krypton Winter Games 🥇: CrossFit Krypton’s Winter Games kicks off on January 27 in Chesapeake, VA. There are still a (very) few spots open for this team of 3 competition and Ben Smith announced the first workout yesterday.

Empower by Dottir: During the TYR WZA week, CrossFit Games champs (two each) Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir, who founded Dottir, launched a new training program designed specifically for women during their menopause years.

ICYMI: Team Stronger Than a 90s Trend and Team GOWOD took the Team division.

Countless athletes in nearly every CrossFit gym have turned to wearable devices to monitor their performance and improve their overall health. But are they as effective as they claim to be?

Fitness trackers, like WHOOP or Fitbit, promise to provide valuable insights into your body’s response to exercise. They track heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, and sleep quality, offering users a comprehensive picture of their overall health and recovery.

But just because we can get this data doesn’t mean we need this data.

Here are four reasons why wearables may not be necessary:

My muscles have slowly started to calm down after the 2024 TYR Wodapalooza Fitness Festival. (I wonder how the elite individuals who also competed on teams feel).

• My team qualified for the Intermediate Team division this year and endured seven workouts over three days.

This was my second time competing at TYR WZA, but it was my first time doing the event on a team of three women. I’m a CrossFit coach and have been in the sport for 10 years now, and I came out of this competition learning so much about myself and about competing as an athlete in general.

Here are my five biggest lessons:

1. Be Open to Change 

Most CrossFitters dream of competing at TYR WZA, and I am so grateful that I could do so. The event was run extremely well and executed smoothly despite the rainy weather. Most of us who come to compete at WZA know the risk that workouts could change because of the Miami weather.

This occurred on the final event on Sunday, causing my team to scramble to execute a new plan in a matter of minutes. As athletes, we must adapt and accept change instead of wondering why it happened. The final event was supposed to include progressive pull-up variations, but that changed to strict pull-ups due to the rain. This is a major shakeup from an execution standpoint, but we were able to talk over an order and work out a new plan. We ended up executing well, making some mistakes, but overall running our race.

2. Stay Calm

The competition started off a bit bumpy as I felt a cold coming as I flew into “The Sunshine State.” I was trying to fight back all the negative thoughts and tell myself I wasn’t actually sick when in reality, I felt pretty crappy. The normal first workout nerves were on overdrive, knowing I didn’t feel that well. Truthfully, the entire workout didn’t go as planned, and it was by far my team’s worst performance of the weekend. But I tried to keep my composure and do what I had to do for my team.

I was not proud of that performance, but I managed to stay calm, which made a world of difference. The nerves come to the surface during a competition, forcing you to either sink or swim (literally). No one else on the field cares if you’re sick. And while your teammates do care, there’s nothing they can do. It’s on you to show up, do the work, and push through the difficult moments.

...IMPROVE

Master Your Toes-to-Bar Before the Open

Improve your toes-to-bar with a push and a pull. You control the swing; it shouldn't control you. Check out these tips to perfect the skill.

SPONSORED

...BUY

The AIRWAAV Miami Vice Edition

Inspired by the TYR Wodapalooza Miami fitness festival, the limited edition Miami Vice Collection celebrates Miami and the surrounding fitness community. Check out the new mouthpiece colors and exclusive merch.

...WATCH

EZ Muhammad Is Coming for the Masters

In case you missed it, check out this clip of Elijah EZ Muhammad talking about his upcoming season. We have a story in the works about this, so make sure you're all caught up.

...SAVE

Major Sales on Reebok Gear

Use code "SAVEMORE" to buy more and save more. Get 20% off $50+, 30% off $100+, 40% off $150+, 50% off $250.

...EAT

Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli

Make this takeout staple at home, all on a sheet pan. Try this recipe from Nom Nom Paleo, for a fast, tasty, and no-fuss dinner.

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

• 💪Congratulations to Mariana Meza and Alejandro Trillos, who won the LATAM cup at Wodapalooza.
• Amazing job to Gui Malheiros on his stunning 310-pound/140-kilo snatch complex, which gave him an event win on “Double or Nothin’,” at Wodapalooza.
• Congratulations to Ricky Garard and Emma Cary, winners of the Elite Individual Division at 2024 TYR Wodapalooza.
• 🎤Congratulations to Lauren Kalil, the first female to call play-by-play at an elite CrossFit competition.
• Congratulations to James Sprague for beating Brent Fikowski in a swim workout, a life’s goal.