Haley Adams Talks 2024 Comeback Season

February 26th, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • In part one of an exclusive conversation, Haley Adams talks about her decision to sit out of the 2023 CrossFit Games season and her plans for a 2024 comeback  

  • Is it better to practice static holds or dynamic movement for strength building?

  • What are the most commonly paired movements in the CrossFit Open?

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I was so scared to tell anyone because I was going to disappoint people. Because in my head, I believe that they only liked me for CrossFit or they were only proud of me or loved me because I did good in it.” - Haley Adams on her mindset when deciding to sit out of the 2023 CrossFit Games season

PROFILE

Photo Credit: Josh Murillo

Interview: Haley Adams Talks About Her Year Away From CrossFit Competition

Almost exactly one year ago, Haley Adams took to Instagram to announce that she was stepping away from CrossFit and not competing in the 2023 season. 

In her social media post, she stated that she had been doing CrossFit since she was 14 years old, and it was time to put herself first. She wanted to work on herself, both mentally and physically.

She also said that the 2024 comeback was going to be big.

And, it starts this week. Adams is back and participating in the 2024 CrossFit Games season.

But she isn’t the same Haley; she’s older, wiser, and more in tune with herself than she has ever been. She has gotten here with a bit of help from her friends.

Early Successes Led to a Crossroads

The comeback would not have been happening without the breakdown. Adams left her home in North Carolina in 2017 to move to Cookeville, TN, to train with the Mayhem crew. 

She treasured her time there.

In an exclusive sit-down with the Morning Chalk Up, Adams and new friend/training partner/ Hayley Murillo talked about Adams’ early career.

  • Adams remembers: “It definitely helped me to get to where I am at. There were people there pushing me every day, extremely like-minded people.”

The training worked–after winning the 16-17-year-old age division in 2018, Adams jumped right in and began competing in the women’s individual division. In her first year in that division, 2019, she finished sixth. In her four years competing in that division, Adams has never finished lower than ninth place.

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SPEED READS

🏋️🏅The Rogue Golden Barbell: Rogue Fitness revealed last week, the 2024 Golden Barbell Award. Nominate your peers from the CrossFit community who embody a different theme each week of the Open:

  • Week 1 — The heart and soul of your gym 

  • Week 2 — A local Service Open athlete

  • Week 3 — An athlete with the most standout performance during the Open

How to Nominate a Peer: Post a photo or a video on social media explaining why your top pick represents the week’s theme. Use the hashtag #GoldenBarbellAward in the caption to secure your nomination.

Nominees will be recognized during live Open announcements and winners will be selected on the CrossFit Games Podcast.

Rogue Invitational Moves to Scotland: It was a big week for Rogue last week, as the company also announced a new venue for the 6th annual Rogue Invitational. It will take place November 8-11 at P&J Live in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Gnarly, Dude!: Check out this new collab between 2POOD and Make WODS Great Again and you’ll feel it right in the ‘90s nostalgia.

✍️ 💪  The Pit Fitness Ranch, host of the 2024 Teen CrossFit Games and the Professional Fitness Athletes' Association unveiled their new mentor program for the 120 teenagers who will compete this summer.

  • These CrossFit Games athletes will work with 2024 CrossFit Games teens starting in June through their championship event Aug. 29-Sept. 1 in Southwest Michigan. The mentors will guide cohorts of six to eight athletes, offering advice, movement and workout evaluations, and more.

  • From Pit Coach Brock Yost: “The program will provide athletes with plenty of learning and leadership opportunities as well as the chance to lean on some pros with high-level experience in the CrossFit Games.”

  • Experienced CrossFit Games athletes may apply to be mentors by contacting Adam Paulsen, 2024 Pit Crew Athlete Development Coordinator, or send them a DM and they'll provide a link to apply.

Fan Favorite and CrossFit Legend, Kara Saunders is making her return to the competition floor at the Expo Games Australia, happening in Melbourne, April 13-14.

Working with Larger Bodies Seminar and PRVN Fitness: Athena Perez and Scaled Nation will be joining PRVN Fitness at their new headquarters in Nashville, TN to present the "Working with Larger Bodies" seminar. The event will occur on April 21, 2024, beginning at 9 AM. Register now!

ICYMI: CrossFit HQ's former Director of Marketing, Keith Knapp, is opening a new affiliate: CrossFit Fairfield.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Photo Credit: Instagram / @karipearcecrossfit

Why Not Both? Combining Static Holds and Dynamic Movement for Strength 

Heather, a listener of the Consistency Project podcast, sent over a variation of a question I often get. She formerly did and loved CrossFit but felt beat up despite focusing on form and having good coaches.

She said, “It's taken years to find something that works since then, and I'm shocked at how low-intensity swimming, walking, and isometric exercises have helped me regain that CrossFit muscular strength. I'm curious: What’s your take on building muscular strength from isometric versus weight resistance?”

It’s important to understand the difference between isometric and dynamic exercises. It’s also helpful to shift our mindsets from either/or to both/and.

CROSSFIT OPEN

Photo Credit: Jonathan Gonzales

A Method to the Madness: What are the Most Common Movement Combinations in the CrossFit Open?

Constantly varied programming is at the core of CrossFit, and with a multitude of movements to choose from, we should expect to see a vast amount of variation in movement combinations. 

To put some numbers to it, we took the total amount of unique movements we have seen in the history of the CrossFit Open, which is 41 (plus or minus a few, depending on what you consider unique). 

This gives us 10,660 possible unique triplets! 

However, the programming is varied, not random, and we tend to see certain movements show up together often. 

First, let’s take a glance at some of the most common movements in the 13-year history of the CrossFit Open:

  • Technically, there is only one movement that has remained unchanged in every CrossFit Open, and that is double-unders.

  • Thrusters have been in every Open, but in 2020 they were performed with dumbbells, and in 2023 as a one-rep max.

  • Burpees have shown up in various forms 13 times in 13 years but were left out in 2015. Then, as if feeling neglected, they showed up twice the following year as burpee bookends in 16.1 and 16.5. 

  • Toes-to-bar have been in every Open except 2022.

Now let’s look at common movement combinations. We can use past data to spot trends and guide our preparation. We have compiled examples of commonly paired movements, and how they could affect each other. 

  • Thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups have been combined seven times in 13 years (54% of all Opens).

    • This combination of pushing and pulling allows athletes to go hard on each movement. Fran comes to mind.

    • Thrusters tax the whole body, however, and make any other movement more challenging. 

    • Good overhead position can allow a moment of rest in the lockout of the thruster.

  • Toes-to-bar have been in all but one Open. The movement they’ve been combined with the most is the barbell clean, showing up together five times. However, if we include all variations of the clean (with a jerk, with dumbbells, as a one rep max, or part of a complex), these movements have been combined 10 times or 77% of all Opens!  

    • Cleans, in all the previously mentioned forms, have been programmed 13 times. 

    • The main interference with these two movements is grip fatigue. Secondarily, as midline fatigue sets in with toes-to-bar, receiving the clean with high elbows becomes more challenging.

    • On training days that include cleans, we should mix in toes-to-bar, and vice versa. 

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REMEMBER

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HIGHLIGHTS

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

  • ⭐️Congratulations to Marte from CrossFit Westchase in Oldsmar, FL, on all the high-skill progress through the years. 

  • Great work to Masters Games athlete Christophe and his daughter on their hard work, side-by-side. 

  • Congratulations to Yazmin from MAGNO CrossFit in Mexico on receiving her CF-L3. 

  • 💕Happy belated anniversary to Jayson and Grace Hopper. 

  • Great work to Titus, who is currently competing in the Cub Games.