How Tia Trained for Her Record-Setting Title Run

August 15th, 2025

In partnership with

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • 🔍 Peek inside Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr’s final week before making history, again.

  • 🏗 How small daily choices build unstoppable momentum in fitness and life.

  • 🌎 WFP Tour Stop I champ Alex Gazan remains sidelined and will miss Mesa.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
❝

The last few weeks, we have seen major strides…We are being very smart and not rushing things.”

Coach Justin Cotler on his athlete, Alex Gazan’s recovery.
CROSSFIT GAMES

How Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr Trained for Her Historic Eighth CrossFit Games Title Run

Credit: CrossFit Games

Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, the eight-time Fittest Woman on Earth, offered fans an inside look into her preparation the week before the 2025 CrossFit Games. And while she called it a “taper week,” for most of us, it would be a very tough week of training.

  • “We can only go up from here, and I think it’s really important to know where I’m at,” said Toomey-Orr in a video posted on her YouTube channel on Wednesday.

In the week leading up to the Games, Toomey-Orr hosted several athletes at the PRVN HQ in Nashville, TN, including Ricky Garard, Jay Crouch, Lucy McGonigle, Maddie Sturt, and others. The athletes tested workouts that had been released, and Toomey-Orr competed directly with the boys.

  • The training clips show her doing final run-throughs on equipment programmed in Games events, such as the yoke and parallel handstand push-ups, as well as working on mobility and core strength.

Read on for a peek behind the curtain of the G.O.A.T.’s final week before Albany.

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SPEED READS

📆💪 Save the Date: Announced officially this week, the 2026 CrossFit Open will take place from February 26 to March 16.

🎙️🏋️‍♂️ Patty V. Unfiltered: Nine-time CrossFit Games athlete, Patrick Vellner, joins Brandon Luckett on the Keep Chasing podcast for a candid talk on the sport’s evolution, balancing competition with family, and finding purpose beyond the podium.

🏋️🔥 Warm-Up with James Sprague: The 2024 Fittest Man breaks down the podium-proven routine that preps your body to train harder, recover faster, and avoid injury — because a smart warm-up is the foundation of every great session.

💼🏋️ Global Fitness Is Booming: The 2025 Health & Fitness Association report shows global revenue up eight percent, memberships up six percent, and facilities up four percent from 2023 to 2024 — reinforcing that fitness is essential, not optional.

🦵🌎 Hammie Hacks for a Quad-Dominant World: Elite bodybuilder Iain Valliere’s hamstring hacks: seated leg curls, dialed-in RDLs, and knee-wrapped hack squats — for stronger pulls, better squats, and fewer tweaks.

ICYMI: 🔍 Five standout stories proving the CrossFit Games never fail to surprise.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

How to Build an Identity That Fuels Your Fitness

Credit: @benbergeron / Instagram

Marcus Wilson didn't accidentally co-found NOBULL.

The Boston-based entrepreneur and marketing strategist built his career on the idea that growth happens beyond discomfort.

  • With key roles at Reebok and Bose, Marcus has dedicated years to combining his passion for fitness with his expertise in brand development.

But what differentiates him isn't just his business sense; it's his deliberate pursuit of challenging experiences that most people would avoid.

In a recent conversation with us on the Chasing Excellence podcast, Marcus shared the philosophy that drives both his entrepreneurial success and personal growth.

THINGS TO…

…LEARN

The Story Behind CrossFit’s New Ad Campaign

CrossFit isn't sugar-coating it — its latest campaign, “F*ck the Quick Fix. CrossFit Is the Cure,” throws down the gauntlet, nudging athletes to ditch shortcuts and embrace relentless effort. It’s raw, it’s unapologetic, and it tells the world that real results only come from going all in.

…GET

60% Off on Reebok's Back-to-School Sale

Reebok’s annual back-to-school sale is on now! Save up to 60% off markdowns and 40% off select full-price items. Find deals on training gear like the Nano X4s, plus tees, hoodies, tops, leggings, and everything else you need to build your new fall drip. Free shipping on orders $75.

…MASTER

Your Kipping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

Want to level up your gymnastics on the pull-up bar? Fan fav Rebecca Fuselier shares three game-changing tips for stronger, more efficient kipping chest-to-bar pull-ups — and why building strict strength first is the secret to bigger skills.

COMPETITIONS

WFP Tour Stop I Winner Alex Gazan Withdraws From Upcoming Tour Stop II

Credit: World Fitness Project

Alex Gazan has officially withdrawn from this month’s World Fitness Project (WFP) Tour Stop II in Mesa, AZ, citing a leg injury she sustained the day after winning the Northern California Classic In-Person Qualifying Event in June.

Remind me: Gazan – who also won the WFP’s Tour Stop I – and her husband were involved in a car accident while on a road trip in California, resulting in Gazan having a fractured fibula and putting her season in “wait-and-see mode,” said her coach Justin Cotler at the time.

  • A few weeks later, Gazan announced she hadn’t recovered enough to train intensely and withdrew from the 2025 CrossFit Games. 

Many analysts considered Gazan a podium contender in Albany before her injury. Although Gazan won’t compete at Tour Stop II, Cotler states she is recovering well.

  • Continue reading for more from Cotler and Gazan on her recovery and plans for the rest of 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

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