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📖 New Book Takes On CrossFit’s Complicated History

June 4th, 2026

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • 📚 Inside CrossFit’s most important stories. Calum Marsh’s new book, The Glass House, is a deep dive tracing CrossFit’s rise from a garage gym to a global phenomenon.

  • 🎟️ One last shot — just 14 Games spots remain, and the Individual Online Semifinal is the final path to San Jose.

  • 🚀 ATHX Has Officially Landed in the US. Three events are already on the calendar for 2026.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
❝

I don’t quite trust you, but fear no truths.”

Greg Glassman to Calum Marsh, May 3, 2025, as recounted by Marsh in The Glass Box.
BOOK REVIEW

Inside The Glass Box: A New Look at CrossFit’s First 25 Years

Credit: Nicky Freymond

In 2001, Greg Glassman, a fitness trainer in California, posted a workout on a new website, CrossFit.com. 

It was free for anyone with an internet connection. The workout was called “Fast and Heavy,” and it was as follows: 

  • 21 dumbbell thrusters

  • Run 1/4 mile (400m)

  • 18 dumbbell thrusters

  • Run 1/4 mile (400m)

  • 15 dumbbell thrusters

  • Run 1/4 mile (400m)

There was no prescribed weight for the thrusters, but notes encouraged athletes to use a heavy weight and complete the workout as fast as possible.

This post was the first building block of a new training program. Now, 25 years later, CrossFit has become one of the world’s most popular (and polarizing) training methodologies and a global phenomenon. 

In his new book, The Glass Box, author and New York Times reporter Calum Marsh takes readers through that 25-year history, beginning with CrossFit’s inception and early days in Santa Cruz.

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SPEED READS

🎟️🔥 Games Tickets Are Live: The 2026 CrossFit Games tickets are now available to the public — with the action heading to San Jose this July.

🧠❤️ Mental Health Is Physical, Too: CrossFit’s latest Essentials article argues that sleep, exercise, and lifestyle habits have a direct physiological impact on mental health — not just physical health.

🏋️‍♂️📉 The Fitness Drop-Off Is Real: A new long-term study found physical activity participation declines significantly as people age — even though exercise becomes more important for health and longevity.

🎥🏆 First 2026 Games Tickets Punched: The latest Road to the Games episode goes behind the scenes at the Mayhem Classic, where the first six athletes earned their tickets to the 2026 CrossFit Games.

ICYMI: 7 Key Takeaways from the 2026 CrossFit Semifinal Super Weekend (Rx article)

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

2026 CrossFit Individual Online Semifinals: Who Still Needs a Games Ticket?

Credit: Marc Costa

Over the past month and a half, almost every weekend has featured a live Semifinal event. This year, there were ten opportunities for athletes to qualify for the Games, with many competing in more than one event. 

  • Claudia Gluck attended three live Semifinals, and many athletes, including Leah Storen, Emily Rolfe, and Colten Mertens, competed in two, just to name a few. 

With only fourteen spots left on the 2026 Games roster, the final opportunity to qualify – CrossFit’s Individual Online Semifinal – is coming up next weekend (June 11-15). The last seven men and seven women will earn their way to the final stage of the season: the 20th anniversary of the CrossFit Games.

COMPETITIONS

ATHX Officially Lands in the US

Credit: @athx_games / Instagram

Last week marked a major milestone for the Adidas-backed ATHX Games, as the team officially announced its launch in the United States. 

Following the success of their first US Invitational in Miami earlier this year, the team has just announced the first events on the ATHX US calendar. 

  • Miami Convention Center — October 10, 2026

  • NRG Park, Houston — October 17, 2026

  • Venue TBC Los Angeles — November 2026 (coming soon)

Currently, the Miami and Houston events are open for registration. The Los Angeles dates have not yet been announced, but the waitlist is open.

HIGHLIGHTS

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