Read the latest Morning Chalk Up articles on BarBend
Your Coffee is ready.

Who’s Leading CrossFit Open Workout 23.1?

 
Morning Chalk Up

February 20   |   POWERED BY

KineonLabs_1671113866

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Lazar Djukic smashes Rich Froning’s 23.1 record from 2014 during live workout in Spain
  • Learning from Legends series kicks off with Mike Burgener
  • What were CrossFit’s livestream numbers for the 23.1 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open announcement?
  • CrossFit TILT comes out in heavy force for charity
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY + Send us a Quote

“Do exactly what you would do if you felt most secure.” - Meister Eckhart

 
CROSSFIT GAMES
  Lazar Djukic Tops Rich Froning’s 2014 Record During 23.1 Live Announcement  

Lazar Djukic Tops Rich Froning’s 2014 Record During 23.1 Live Announcement

Measurable and repeatable: They are part of the reason tens of thousands of people sign up for the CrossFit Open each season. And nothing showcases these concepts better than a repeat workout, as it’s a chance to measure improvement over time.

So when it was revealed that 23.1 was a repeat of 14.4, we knew we were in for a treat.

The workout: Complete as many reps as possible in 14 minutes of:

  • 60-calorie row
  • 50 toes-to-bar
  • 40 wall-ball shots (20/14 pounds)
  • 30 cleans (135/95 pounds)
  • 20 ring muscle-ups

And if what we witnessed during the live Open announcement in Madrid, Spain on Thursday—featuring a men’s match-up between CrossFit Games athletes Lazar Djukic and Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson and a women’s throwdown between Laura Horvath and Gabriela Migala—is any indication of how far the community as a whole has come in the last nine years, it’s safe to say scores will be shattered this week.

The details: Both Djukic and Horvath posted better scores than the top men’s and women’s scores in the world in 2014 (however it was later discovered that the women’s barbell was incorrectly loaded so Horvath and Migala will have to repeat the workout as their scores were deemed invalid). As of Sunday afternoon at 5pm PT time, Horvath sits back in first with a new score of 261 reps, and Djukic is now 16th with his 287 reps, however the scores have yet to be validated by CrossFit.

  • Djukic finished the second round of rowing and managed 27 toes-to-bar (287 reps), 10 more reps than Rich Froning’s top score in 2014.
  • Further, Gudmundsson’s score of 276 in Madrid was just one rep shy of Froning’s 2014 score, and 25 reps better than he fared nine years ago when he was 22nd in the world with 251 reps.

In a port-workout interview, Lazar said had he listened to his coach’s advice about the toes-to-bar, he thinks he could have done even better.

  • Djukic strung together 25 unbroken toes-to-bar off the top in the first round and admitted he “should have done what my coach said,” which was to break them into smaller sets.

Just for fun: We broke down Froning’s performance compared to Djukic to see how he was able to best Froning’s score by 10 reps.

Lazar on 23.1:

  • Row: 0:00-2:14 (2:14)
  • Toes-to-bar: 2:17-3:57 (1:40)
  • Wall balls: 4:00-5:10 (1:10)
  • Cleans: 5:16-7:12 (1:56)
  • Muscle-ups: 7:24-9:39 (2:15)
  • Row: 9:46-12:35 (2:49)
  • Toes-to-bar: 12:42-14 minutes (27 toes-to-bar and 287 reps total)

Froning on 14.4:

  • Row: :06-2:28 Row (2:22)
  • Toes-to-bar: 2:37-4:19 (1:42)
  • Wall balls: 4:28-5:48 (unbroken) (1:20)
  • Clean: 5:54-7:51 (singles) (1:57)
  • Muscle-ups: 8:06-10:14 (2:08)
  • Row: 10:30-13:13 (2:43)
  • T2B 13:25-14:06 (17 toes-to-bar and 277 reps total)
 
SPONSORED KineonLabs_1671113866
Feeling Rough After 23.1?

Feeling Rough After 23.1?

23.1 is a full body burner. Your legs and knees are feeling those wallballs and cleans, while your shoulders and lats are tight from the toes-to-bar and muscle ups.

Wondering how to get the best recovery before taking on 23.2? Try the MOVE+ by Kineon Labs. Just ask Brooke Wells, Emily Rolfe and Travis Mayer why they trust it for their recovery.

They’ll tell you that their MOVE+ helps them recoverrepair and restore when they need to reduce joint pain and inflammation quickly through whole joint coverage, sniper-like accuracy, and cutting edge dual-light enhanced light therapy.

Try it now risk free for 30 days!

 
SPEED READS

Here is the unofficial top-five leaderboard for 23.1 as of 5 PM PT on Sunday. The scores will be verified by Wednesday evening:

  1. Laura Horvath (261 reps) | Patrick Vellner (304 reps)
  2. Lizbeth Herrera (260 reps) | Royce Dunne (297 reps)
  3. Emma Lawson (256 reps) | Jelle Hoste (297 reps)
  4. Alaina Savage (246 reps) | Jonne Koski (296 reps)
  5. Carmen Perez Ruiz (243 reps) | William Leahy IV (295 reps)

Last minute tips: You still have until 5 pm PT today to log your 23.1 workout and if you’re looking for some last-minute strategy, we have you covered with a whole list of guides from various gyms.

More tips: Fitness app pliability also has a strategy hub for helping you tackle all three of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open workouts.

Athlete update: Kristi Eramo O’Connell has announced her retirement.

Looking back: Wondering which workouts have been repeated over the years for the CrossFit Open, we’ve got you covered.

Bravo: Fit Like Africa has launched an athlete incubator that will take place on Competition Corner to support African Athletes who will head to Madison for the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games.

Local love: Great piece about how CrossFit Mix in Midlands, TX is celebrating Black History Month and doing their part to help the local community get fitter.

 
PROFILE
  Learning from Legends: Coach Mike Burgener  

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Learning from Legends: Coach Mike Burgener

Learning from Legends is a new Morning Chalk Up coaching series that breaks down conversations with experts within the CrossFit universe. The goal of this series is to help affiliates and coaches continue to refine their systems and skills to deliver the best coaching to their communities.

Coach Mike Burgener has been the subject matter expert for weightlifting since the early days of CrossFit, featured in some of the earliest content in the CrossFit Journal and on the CrossFit YouTube page. He originally developed and led the CrossFit Weightlifting courses and has continued to build a coaching empire with the help of his son Beau, daughter Sage, daughter-in-law Sophie, and the rest of the incredible team working for Burgener Strength.

Continue Reading...
 
CROSSFIT GAMES
  23.1 CrossFit Open Livestream Numbers Surpass 2022 Figures  

23.1 CrossFit Open Livestream Numbers Surpass 2022 Figures

In its second year at the new time slot (12 PM PT, 3 PM ET), the 23.1 CrossFit Open announcement live stream showed fantastic growth in viewership. Even with non-elite athletes taking on the workout first, the livestream amassed many more concurrent views than previous years.

One big thing: Both maximum concurrent views (how many people were watching at once) and overall livestream views (after 24 hours) for 23.1 increased from last year. Furthermore, the total views after 24 hours for 23.1 actually eclipsed the average views (after 24 hours) for all three announcements from 2022.

The details: The 23.1 announcement recorded a maximum concurrent viewership of 113,624 and a total view count (after 24 hours) of 538,789.

How does this compare?

  • The max concurrent average for the 2022 Open was 96,048, far below what we saw this week with 23.1. It’s also important to note that trends in previous years have shown that viewership increased each week of the Open, so the next two weeks could provide even higher numbers.
  • The total views per week average for the 2021 Open was 530,463, while total views (after 24 hours) for 23.1 came in at 619,394. A significant difference of a whopping 89,431 views.

What they’re saying:

  • Justin Bergh, General Manager of Sport at CrossFit: “We were proud to showcase the Spanish affiliate community and these impressive European athletes in our most watched Open broadcast ever. Both groups have massively contributed to sharing CrossFit training to new members worldwide. We are already looking forward to next week’s show with even more coverage of local community members, top athletes and their coaches.”

Let’s go back further: While the above numbers only include YouTube viewership, our 2020 data includes both YouTube and Facebook. Even so, the average total views after 24 hours for each of the five weeks was 367,857. With a total of over 600,000 views over the past 24 hours, the 23.1 statistics blow previous years out of the water.

The big picture: These numbers show positive growth and continue the trend we’ve seen over the past two years. We will continue to track viewership through the Open this year.

 
GOOD
  CrossFit TILT Raises More than $30k for NKH Crusaders  

CrossFit TILT Raises More than $30k for NKH Crusaders

Members of CrossFit TILT in Waltham, Massachusetts banded together on February 11 to support an important nonprofit organization, NKH Crusaders. They formed teams and completed a marathon row while raising more than $30,000 to fund lifesaving research.

An important detail: Nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH) is a rare disease that affects one out of every 76,000 children. NKH causes severe seizures and developmental delays, requiring the children to have 24/7 in-home care.

  • According to FoundationNKH.org, around 80 percent of babies will not live beyond the neonatal phase while “most children with severe NKH are not expected to live past their fifth birthday.” Additionally, many babies with mild NKH are not expected to reach adulthood.
  • NKH research does not receive funding from government grants or pharmaceutical companies. Friends and families of those affected by the disease are the ones that have footed the bill.

NKH Crusaders has stepped in to provide support. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has partnered with the University of Notre Dame’s Boler Pargesian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases.

CrossFit TILT got involved after NKH affected someone close to them. Jack Urban, a family friend of affiliate member Joseph Rioff, was born in 2021 with NKH. The affiliate members wanted to provide support and raise money that would go directly to NKH research, so they used the marathon row as the opportunity to do so.

Continue Reading...
 
THINGS TO...
 

...WATCH

This Mobility Warm-Up for 23.1

Wondering how to warm up for 23.1? You're in luck, because this video will help you get prepped for the specific movements coming your way.

PRIMED AND READY.
     

SPONSORED

...BUY

The Anti-Anxiety Gym Bag

I need it for my next lift! Where is it? Time's up. Stop digging around for your gear in that dirty old bag. The new Haven Organized Duffel is designed for grab-and-go access. See all your gear in plain sight when you open it.

GRAB YOURS HERE.
     
 

...TRY

This Cue on Ring Muscle Ups

Are you trying to get your first ring muscle up in this first Open workout? Then use this tip from Wodprep!

RMU PR.
     
 

...GET

Stronger with Strong Coffee

Make your caffeine addiction a healthy one with Strong Coffee. They make your coffee easy in a premixed powder that includes instant organic coffee, grass-fed collagen protein, and MCT oil powder to fuel your mind and body for hours so you can spend more time and energy on the important things in life. Use code “MORNINGCHALKUP” for 15% off! No brewing. No blending. No bullsh*t.

STRONG LIKE YOUR COFFEE.
     
 

...KNOW

How To Be More Efficient on Toes-to-Bar

Tim Paulson shares his best tips for efficiency on toes-to-bar to help you crush 23.1 (or that redo you are doing today).

T2B LIKE TIM.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, birthday, or grand opening, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.

  • 💍 Congratulations to Noah Ohlsen and Joann Fregien on tying the knot this weekend.
  • Congratulations Cooper Mery from CrossFit Texas in Hutto, TX on the push jerk double at 265 pounds/120.2kg.
  • Babylon CrossFit in Long Island, NY introduced over 300 students to CrossFit last week.
  • Congratulations to Matt Stambler from The Swamp in Swampscott, MA on a new Isabel PR of 1:19.
  • Check out these throwback videos of 14.4 from Annie ThorisdottirArielle LoewenBrent Fikowski, and Kristin Holte.
 
 
LOCAL COMPETITIONS + Submit an Event
3/9: The Valkyrie Fitness Competition (Tampa, FL)
3/16: Upper Hunter Strongest Novice (Muswellbrook, Australia)
3/16: Shamwod & Shenanigains (oceanside, ca)
3/16: Oceanside CrossFit 1st Annual Shamwod & Shenanigains (Oceanside, Ca)
3/16: Shamwod & Shenanigains (Oceanside, Ca)
3/23: CFL Teen Take Over (Lorton, VA)
3/23: Masters Distinguished Games (Fort Wright, KY)
3/23 - 3/24: Beach Brawl (Spring) (Pensacola Beach, FL)
4/6: Best Babes Wyoming (Cheyene, Wyoming)
4/6 - 4/7: SeaDog Summer Showdown (Jupiter, Florida)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Minnesota (Austin, Minnesota)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Kentucky (Richmond, Kentucky)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Ohio (Lancaster, Ohio)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, Alabama)
4/6: Best Babes 608 (Janesville, Wisconsin)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beufort, South Carolina)
4/6: Best Babes Houston (Houston, Texas)
4/6: Best Babes Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
4/6: War Off I-4 (Deland, FL)
4/6 - 4/7: No Pain No Game (Legnano, Italy)
4/6 - 4/7: Shack Team Edition (Rome, Italy)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beaufort, SC)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, AL)
4/6 - 4/7: Landifornian Battle (Seignosse, France)
4/6: Two Peas in a Pod: Mixed Gender Partner Comp (Burlington, MA)
4/13: Queens of Oly East Tennessee (Bulls Gap, TN)
4/13: Queens of Oly Rockledge (Rockledge, FL)
4/13: Fittest on Main (Boaz, AL)
4/19 - 4/21: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/20: Festivus Games (Clermont, FL)
4/20: Barbells For Bullies: Community Workout Savannah (Savnnah, Georgia, US)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, NY)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Masiphumelele (Kommetjie, Cape Town, South Africa)
4/20: Festivus Games (Goderich, Canada)
4/20: Festivus Games @ The Gym – CrossFit Kilo (Cedar Falls, IA)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CBM Sirens (Caledonia, MS)
4/20: Festivus Games @ Coyote Valley (San Jose, CA)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia)
4/20: The Fittest 4 (Sunshine Coast, Australia)
4/20: Embrace the Challenge (Mentor, Ohio)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Pagosa (Pagosa Springs, CO)
4/20: First EVER Adaptive Festivus Games Competition (Waterford, United States)
4/20: Festivus Games (WAUKESHA, WI)
4/20 - 4/21: BGR Contest Spring Edition (Bergerac, France)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia, Canada)
4/26 - 4/28: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/27: Cap Crown Throwdown (Gladstone, Australia)
4/28: 249 Spring Throwdown (Sittingbourne, Kent, England)
5/4: Team Challenge Texas (San Antonio, Texas)
5/4 - 5/5: Italian Bulls Games (Lido di Ostia, Italy)
5/4 - 5/5: Pavia Spring Challenge ’24 (Pavia, Italy)
5/4: The Strong and Courageous (Cullman, Alabama)
5/4: CHLKDUP Classic (Nashville, TN)

See all upcoming events

 
Your Coffee is ready.