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CrossFit Oslo Qualified 109 Athletes to Quarterfinals, Learn How

March 29th, 2024

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • CrossFit Oslo topped the list of affiliates with the most athletes qualified to Quarterfinals in 2024 with 109. How did CF Oslo approach the Open?

  • Will Tyler lost 100 pounds with CrossFit and small nutrition adjustments. Learn how he did it below

  • And, a Workout of the Week from Aaron Helmly, coach at Peak 360 in Miami, Noah Ohlsen’s home gym and the home of Team Peak during the 2024 CrossFit Games season

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I tried going to the gym before and working out on my own, but there’s just nothing pushing you or keeping you going. But these people at CrossFit are insanely supportive and it feels so good hearing them cheering me on and seeing my changes.” - Will Tyler on the power of the CrossFit Owasso community.

CROSSFIT QUARTERFINALS

Credit: @crossfitoslo / Instagram

CrossFit Oslo Qualifies 109 Athletes to Quarterfinals

Norway’s powerhouse affiliate CrossFit Oslo continued to prove just how fit its community is during the 2024 CrossFit Open by qualifying 109 athletes — 101 in the Individual division — to the Quarterfinals, the most of any gym in the world.

Behind CrossFit Oslo was Brazil’s SuperForce CrossFit, with 99 Quarterfinals qualifiers, and CrossFit Krypton in Chesapeake, VA, with 91.

Remind me: CrossFit Oslo has been on the rise for many years now. In 2023, the gym made history when it became the first affiliate to qualify six teams to Semifinals (as well as seven individuals). Three of its teams went on to qualify for the CrossFit Games, and CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue finished third in the world.

One big thing: With 25 percent of Open participants qualifying for Quarterfinals this season, as opposed to the 10 percent from previous years, you might expect 25 percent of any gym’s Open participants to advance to Quarterfinals. However, in CrossFit Oslo’s case, around 58 percent of its 189 participants qualified.

What Makes Them So Good?

CrossFit Oslo coach Joakim Rygh — who is also the founder of Kriger Training, which offers programming and coaching to elite CrossFit athletes — said he thinks there are three keys to CrossFit Oslo’s success.

One: “CrossFit Oslo is a very well-run affiliate. While from the outside, it might look like there is a focus on the elite [athletes], this is far from the case. The focus is on providing members with the best possible experience day by day,” Rygh told the Morning Chalk Up, adding that he believes this has led to incredible client retention and top-tier athletes.

Two: They’re blessed with great role models, including eight-time Games athlete Kristin Holte and other Games athletes like Seher Kaya, Matilde Garnes, and Andrea Solberg.

“It is very clear for athletes who train at CrossFit Oslo that it is possible to actually get really really good if you are just making good choices and make the quality of your training your biggest goal for each day,” Rygh said. “Athletes get to see what the next level looks like.”

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SPEED READS

✍️ Now Hiring: PRVN Fitness is growing and wants to hire a new coach with a background in online programming and community building. The hours and location are flexible. Want to be part of the PRVN Team? Send your application now.

🎥🥇 Chasing the Podium: Check out Finnish CrossFit Games veteran and endurance master, Jonne Koski’s new YouTube series, “Chasing the Podium.” The episodes will follow Koski as he attempts to qualify for his 10th Games.

👨‍🎓💪 CrossFit x Educators: CrossFit HQ made two recent announcements that will come as welcome news for teachers at all levels:

  • CrossFit will offer 50 $10,000 grants to schools in the first half of 2024. The funds will help teachers and administrators outfit school affiliates with equipment and introduce students to the concept of fitness for health and longevity. Apply here.

  • CrossFit Educators Course - Released this week, the CrossFit Educators Course will help educators create and implement CrossFit-based P.E. curricula that are effective and scalable for kids of all abilities, ages 3-11.

🚨🚨 Affiliate Owner Quarterfinals Database: With a tip of the hat to Morning Chalk Up contributor Mike Halpin at Known and Knowable, here’s a super useful tool for affiliate owners heading into the Quarterfinals.

  • Simply search your affiliate name in the drop-down menu to access a full list of all your athletes who qualified for the next stage of competition.

👩‍🏫📋 Good Read: Check out BarBend’s recap of a potentially important new study on the effects of intermittent fasting on cardiovascular health.

  • From the recap: “On Mar. 18, 2024, the American Heart Association (AHA) highlighted an in-review study with a shocking headline: That time-restricted feeding may increase your risk of cardiovascular mortality by as much as 91%.”

🦋👻 Pat Vellner x Butterfly Squad: Last week Games legend and current Second Fittest Man on Earth, Pat Vellner announced that he had partnered with the animated children’s cartoon Butterfly Squad on a new series about mental health.

  • From the announcement: “I am super excited to announce that I am partnering up with the Butterfly Squad! They have made a cartoon series that teaches kids about their mental health and the best part is they are giving it away for free to every parent & child on the planet and I am super excited to be part of the journey.”

ICYMI: Everyone loves a head-to-head throwdown, and that’s exactly what Reps Ahead is. Check out our preview of this Saturday’s Pro 2 Showcase!

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Credit: @wtyler1776 / Instagram

Small Changes Lead to 100 Pound Weight Loss for Will Tyler

Fourteen months ago, Will Tyler hit a low point, he told Morning Chalk Up in a recent interview.

  • “I was really down, just hating everything,” Tyler said. His weight at the time had hit an all-time high of 400 pounds.

Then a friend told him, “You need to try CrossFit.”

  • “And I said, ‘Are you sure? I’m 400 pounds,’” he said.

TRAINING

Credit: @dannyarrondo / Instagram

Aaron Helmly’s Workout of the Week

Today’s workout is programmed by iconic CrossFit affiliate Peak 360’s very own Head Coach, Aaron Helmly. Aaron is a CrossFit L2 Trainer and has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. He’s also a former Semifinals team athlete and is 10-time CrossFit Games veteran Noah Ohlsen’s training partner.

Today’s workout is programmed by iconic CrossFit affiliate, Peak 360’s very own Head Coach, Aaron Helmly. Aaron is a CrossFit L2 Trainer and has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. He’s also a former Semifinals team athlete and is CrossFit legend, Noah Ohlsen’s training partner. 

Aaron Helmly’s Workout of the Week

For total reps:

3-minute AMRAP
15/12 cal ski
21 clean and jerks, 95/65 pounds
Max reps lateral burpees over the bar in time remaining

- rest 1 minute - 

3-minute AMRAP
18/15 cal ski
18 clean and jerks, 115/85 pounds
Max reps lateral burpees over the bar in time remaining

- rest 1 minute -

4-minute AMRAP
21/18 cal ski
15 clean and jerks, 135/95 pounds
Max reps lateral burpees over the bar in time remaining

*Score is the total burpees over the bar completed across all three rounds. 

Scaling Options: The ski erg can be scaled or switched out to a row for those who do not have one. The barbell weight should progress every single round. 

  • Round one should be a very light barbell that, if fresh, could be done unbroken. 

  • Round two should be more moderate – able to be done in two to three sets. 

  • Round three should be fast singles or three to four touch-and-go sets. 

Adjust the weight accordingly to allow for that stimulus with the weight changes.

Athletes should also adjust the reps and weight of the barbell to allow for a minimum of 60 seconds on the max reps lateral burpees over the bar to maintain intensity.

Tips from Aaron: “This time domain is amazing at testing an athlete's ability to hold a very high level of intensity and recover from that intensity in a short period. Hold back slightly on the ski to allow for fast but smooth transitions into the barbell. Having a steady pace on the barbell is where you will make up most of your time. Once you get into the burpees, find a rhythm with a step-up burpee to keep your reps fast but not so fast you blast your heart rate out too early.”

To inquire about submitting an upcoming workout of the week, shoot us a note.

THINGS TO…
…TRAIN

Develop Speed and Power

Try these exercises from Brick Build Strength to build explosive power with the lower body. These can help with any and all Olympic lifts and squatting, developing the strength needed to get up out of the bottom of the lift.

…AMPLIFY
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TRX Training Straps and Accessories

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HIGHLIGHTS

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