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- š How GORUCK Started a Rucking Revolution
š How GORUCK Started a Rucking Revolution
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In todayās edition:
š„¾ Before rucking was a fitness trend, GORUCK was building a community around it.
š« Youāve probably heard about VO2 max, but what does it actually tell you?
š¦“ Protein and creatine get most of the attention, but collagen might deserve a spot in the recovery conversation, too.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
We are all about growing the rucking revolutionā¦[itās] such a great accessible kind of training, and more people need to be exposed to it.ā
INDUSTRY
From a Homemade Backpack to a Rucking Revolution: The Story of GORUCK
Credit:@goruck / Instagram
It was 2006, and Emily McCarthy was working as a CIA case officer in West Africa.
Her husband, Jason McCarthy, came to visit. His first reaction was, āThis is kind of a crazy place. I canāt believe you donāt have a ruck.ā
Jason, a Green Beret with the US Army stationed in the Middle East at the time, decided to make his wife a homemade ruck.
At the time, neither knew this would be the beginning of GORUCK.
Remind Me: Best known for their rucks, weighted vests, and sandbags, GORUCK has been deeply involved in the CrossFit space for years.
CrossFit athletes were among the early adopters of GORUCKās rucking events, and GORUCKās gear has been used in various CrossFit competitions, including the Ruck Run test at the CrossFit Games in 2019 and in the second event of the 2023 Semifinals.
Most notably, GORUCK was the Official Apparel and Footwear Provider of the 2024 CrossFit Games.
The GORUCK Story
As their long-distance relationship began to wear on them, Jason considered leaving the military to join Emily at the CIA.
To keep him busy in the meantime, Emily suggested he get into making bags.
āAnd he is always the type who wants to take the hardest path possible and suffer. So he decided he was going to design a bag from scratch,ā she said.
Emily added: āThen he spent two years designing the toughest bag that would work in Baghdad and also look good in New York. A bag with a dual life.ā
This bag became GORUCKās signature backpack, the GR1, and was one of the first four products they sold ā along with two other bags and a hat ā when they founded the company in 2008.
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SPEED READS
š š„ The Countdown Is On: CrossFit has announced the dates for the 2027 Open, giving athletes their target as the road to next season officially begins.
šš” Close the Loop: Gyms already have the data ā the bigger opportunity is turning it into action. One case study found that rewarding members at each step of the referral journey increased referrals by 78% and the number of new members generated by referrals by 42%.
šŖāļø Train the Same, Coach the Individual: CrossFit pushes back on the idea that women need fundamentally different programming, arguing that heavy lifting, intensity, and varied training benefit everyone. From menopause to pregnancy and the postpartum period, the principles stay the same ā while smart coaches adjust their application to the athlete.
ICYMI: āI Do Belong Hereā: How Cristina Anderson Found Her Voice at the CrossFit Games (Rx article).
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
What Is VO2 Max, and How Can You Improve Yours?
Credit: VO2 Master
A person's VO2 max can serve as a predictor of health, performance, and lifespan. Youāve probably heard the term more than ever as endurance training has taken a major foothold in our sport. But what exactly is it?
VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. It is measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (mL/kg/min) and reflects the horsepower of your aerobic engine, indicating how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together.
Tell Me More
Let's dig deeper into what a VO2 max score actually reflects. Think of it as a scorecard for four systems working in sync:
Heart and Lungs: This is your engine's pump (the volume of oxygen-rich blood your heart can push out each minute of work).
Circulation: Think of this as the delivery network (the highways and side streets that carry oxygen to the muscles that need it).
Muscle Use: Once oxygen arrives, this is how efficiently your muscle cells grab it and use it to produce movement.
Longevity: And the payoff. A strong score here doesn't just mean better racing times; it's tied to greater stamina and a lower long-term risk of chronic disease.
A higher VO2 max means your body is better at extracting oxygen from the air and delivering it to your muscles. The more oxygen your muscles receive, the more nutrients you can aerobically convert into usable energy. Your aerobic metabolic pathways are by far your most efficient energy source.
A higher VO2 max is also linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke.
INDUSTRY
Why Collagen Is Showing Up More in Athletes' Recovery Routines
Courtesy of Quince
Protein and creatine often dominate conversations about wellness and recovery, but collagen, the body's most abundant protein, is frequently overlooked. Think of it as the building block of skin, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue. It plays a direct role in how well oneās joints hold up under barbell cycling, box jumps, and heavy squats.
Natural collagen production begins to decline, and for some, it can start as early as their 20s. For athletes, that decline can manifest as slower recovery or nagging joint stiffness, even when training and nutrition are otherwise dialed in.
Collagen peptide supplements are one way people try to offset that decline by supporting the body's own collagen synthesis in joints, tendons, and soft tissues.
Quince Collagen Peptides Plus is one option built around that idea. Rather than relying on peptides alone, the formula pairs them with two supporting ingredients:
Grass-fed, pasture-raised collagen peptides: these are linked to joint, skin, hair, and nail support.
Vitamin C: this plays a role in the body's own collagen production.
Hyaluronic acid: this is associated with skin hydration and elasticity.
For athletes, joint, tendon, and recovery benefits are likely the more relevant selling points, with skin and hair benefits as a secondary upside.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
Happy birthday to Elliot Simmonds.
Happy birthday (8/21) to Cole Sager and Cooper Marsh.
Happy birthday (8/23) to Bethany Flores and Mattie Rogers.
Watch Michele from Lagniappe Fitness in New Orleans, LA, snatch 79 kilos/175 pounds at 38 weeks pregnant! Thatās some mom strength right there!
Congratulations to James Kelly and Georgie Vesely, who were married last weekend.