“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.”- Alfred A. Montapert
CROSSFIT GAMES
Five Burning Questions Entering the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Season
The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games season is upon us, and there are already conversations taking place about the annual trip to Madison, WI. There are too many to count at this point in the season, but here are five that we find to be the most important.
Who Takes Over for Tia-Clair Toomey?
Since the 2017 season, there has only been one woman that has stood atop the podium at the CrossFit Games – Tia-Clair Toomey. She has won the title of Fittest on Earth six times, but she will not take part in the 2023 season after announcing that she and husband Shane Orr are expecting their first child together.
Toomey’s absence leaves some big shoes to fill, but which athlete will step up and take control? Mallory O’Brien is the name on the tip of many tongues, and for good reason. She finished second in the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games after going toe-to-toe with Toomey all weekend. O’Brien also won an event during the 2021 Games.
Of course, one of the biggest reasons why O’Brien will enter the season as a favorite is her coach. She works with five-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser. O’Brien already has skills, but Fraser is someone that can teach her how to fully embrace the pain.
O’Brien may be the most popular name right now, but there are multiple other contenders that can not be overlooked. Two-time champion Annie Thorisdottir returns to individual competition while Brooke Wells takes on another season more than a year removed from elbow surgery.
Laura Horvath does not get discussed as frequently due to some past issues with handstand push-ups, but there is no denying that she is one of the best athletes in the division. She has stood on the CrossFit Games podium three times in her career, and she put on a dominant show during the 2022 Rogue Invitational.
Will Justin Medeiros Get a Three-Peat?
Justin Medeiros figuratively burst into the spotlight during the 2020 CrossFit Games season when he finished on the podium with Mat Fraser and Samuel Kwant. He showed that he could contend with the top athletes in the sport and created the expectation that he could be a podium contender.
Medeiros has since gone on to win back-to-back titles at the NOBULL CrossFit Games, which put him in elite company. He joined Fraser (five titles) and Rich Froning Jr. (four titles) as the only male athletes to win multiple times.
Medeiros hasn’t been as active during offseason competitions. He won the 2022 Rogue Invitational, but he didn’t compete at TYR Wodapalooza. He has just continued to train for the season.
No one really knows how he will perform until he takes part in Semifinals, but there is no reason to doubt that Medeiros will once again be the man to beat in Madison. He has just been too consistent since 2020.
Can Ricky Garard Get Back on the Podium?
The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games marked the first time that Ricky Garard was able to compete in a CrossFit-sanctioned event after serving his drug suspension. There were numerous questions about how he would perform, and he answered them all by securing a spot on the podium and winning multiple events.
Since the NOBULL CrossFit Games ended, Garard has only continued to perform at a high level. He finished 10th at the Rogue Invitational and then he won the TYR Wodapalooza after a fierce battle with Roman Khrennikov.
Garard has put on a show since returning to CrossFit-sanctioned events, and it appears that he is someone that will challenge Medeiros for the title of Fittest on Earth. Though there are still questions remaining about his future.
Garard is already a well-balanced athlete with considerable strength, but can he continue to work on his pacing for longer events? This was something that disrupted “Back Attack” at the Rogue Invitational and “King Arthur” at Torian Pro. Though Garard also dealt with a stomach issue during the Semifinals event.
In the past Open workouts we’ve seen gymnastics, cardio, heavy lifts… and everything in between. That’s why you might not know what shoes you need for the Open.
The Open is coming!: The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open is now just eight days away and Morning Chalk Up will have you covered. Keep an eye on our competition hub and social media for workout updates, leaderboard and coverage of all the madness that will start with 23.1 in Spain.
Love is in the air: Wondering what to get your swolemate for Valentine’s Day? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our gift guide. Get your fella or your lady a gift they’ll love! 🥰
Row away: Battle Cancer’s Scott Britton shows off a crazy rowing workout for Men’s Health UK and also shows off his badass tattoos: double win.
The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open is right around the corner as affiliates make a final push to get as many members as possible registered. Some of the gyms with the highest registration are located in Brazil, including CrossFit SuperForce and CrossFit Blumenau.
While the high Open registration can be attributed to both gyms operating several affiliates, they also have seen a noticeable bounce back since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Again Faster Launches Competition Component for Gym Owners
Most well-known for supplying gyms with barbells, plates and other necessary equipment, Again Faster is shaking things up by adding a service to their repertoire that puts those bars in action: a competition sector that works hand-in-hand with box owners.
Known as Again Faster Live, the local competition series includes four major branded events accompanied with a worldwide leaderboard that take place right in your home gym. Done-for-you planning, programming, marketing and revenue generating celebrations of fitness with your hometown athletes — from the company that has been making gear since 2006, it begs the question: why?
“One of the reasons why I started doing this was I owned a gym and if I ran four events a year, one per quarter, which is where the schedule came from, if I didn’t run those events, my gym would have closed 100 percent,” said Ashleigh Johnson, Director of Live Events for Again Faster. “So if I needed that, a lot of gyms must need it. We have so many event dates that we can fit in anybody’s calendar. No matter what you run, no matter what you do. We have a date that works for every gym, and we want them to work with us and see how much easier it can be.”
With about a year of the new initiative under their belt, the company has sold out dozens of events, registered close to 2,000 athletes and has events booked through early 2024.
A FREE MOVE+ Device During the Open Recovery Giveaway
You may have seen Travis Mayer or Emily Rolfe posting about their MOVE+ red light therapy devices to help relieve joint pain and discomfort... now you can win one FREE during the Open Recovery Giveaway powered by Kineon! Get ready for the best Open yet.
How to Turn Kipping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups into Butterfly Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
You’ve finally mastered the chest-to-bar with a kip! Now, let’s completely change it and learn a butterfly C2b! Don’t worry, the gymnastics masters at Invictus are here to help you with the transition.
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Check out this grip challenge from Lucy Saltmarsh in Atlanta, GA. Think you can hang on?
Congratulations Florian from Nero CrossFit in Strasbourg, France on the 229-pound/104kg 3RM deadlift.
Throwback: Dani Mosbrucker from Boise CrossFit in Boise, ID shared a photo with the current Fittest Man on Earth, Justin Medeiros, after a local competition in August 2017.
You may have seen this video of 3-year-old BJ from Akron, OH repping out (foam plate) back squats with his dad.
CrossFit Whiskey6 in Reedley, CA is hosting a Hero WOD Fundraiser this Saturday, February 11th in honor of Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr, a Selma police officer killed in the line of duty on January 31st. Officer Carrasco was a Reedley native and an expecting father.
Donations can be sent to: Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association C/O Selma POA Memorial Fund, 1360 Van Ness Avenue, Fresno, CA 93721.
Start times are 8:00am and 9:30am.
“Gonzalo”
In 24 minutes:
1 mile run with weight vest (20/14)
Then, AMRAP in remaining time:
1 rope climb
31 overhead plate lunges (45/35)
23 push-ups
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