Behind the Scenes at the Red Bull Fitness Club

POWERED BY:

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Red Bull hosted a Fitness Club pop-up in Miami Beach, FL last weekend. Check out our behind-the-scenes recap of the event and learn about the moves the energy drink giant has been making in the fitness ecosystem.

• Do you workout because you “have to,” “get to,” or “need to”? Find out the difference below.

• The live CrossFit Open announcement for 25.1 is coming this week. Find out how to watch.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When I … did an Ironman, I prepped for a few months, did the absolute best I could on race day, and was still four hours slower than the guys that are the world champions at the sport.” - Noah Ohlsen on the difficulty of stepping into a new sport.

INDUSTRY

Red Bull Hosts Fitness Club Pop-Up in Miami Beach, Continues to Expand Reach into Fitness Market

No other energy drink brand has the visibility and reach of Red Bull. 

It was the first and only of its kind for years, (beginning in 1987), and while other brands have gained some traction in the market, Red Bull continues to lead the way with product innovation, community gatherings, and unique events. 

• Recently, Red Bull has been making a push into the fitness scene. It supports competitive fitness athletes and hosts training events throughout the country, drawing in athletes of diverse backgrounds and CrossFitters. 

Last weekend, Red Bull hosted the Red Bull Fitness Club pop-up in Miami Beach, FL. Games legend Noah Ohlsen, a calisthenics athlete and influencer, hosted a group fitness experience alongside Chris Heria. 

Some Background 

Last month, Ohlsen joined fellow CrossFit elites Laura Horvath and Jonne Koski as an official Red Bull athlete. The announcement of this partnership was huge, not only for Ohlsen but also for the sport of competitive fitness, as another non-endemic CrossFit brand invests in CrossFit athletes and training. 

This had been Ohlsen’s and his team’s goal for a very long time. 

“That’s something that from the beginning of my career, Bijan (Heravi) and I were open to the idea of and pursuing is – how do we grow our space? Because the more brands that we can bring in from the outside, I think the more eyes that are going to get on the sport,” Ohlsen told Morning Chalk Up.

A MESSAGE FROM NOBULL

Gear Up and Get 15% Off

New to NOBULL? We’ve got you covered. Get 15% off your first order with code “WELCOME15”—because the right gear makes all the difference. From durable training shoes to performance-driven apparel, we design every piece to keep up with your toughest workouts.

No gimmicks. No excuses. Just high-quality gear built to perform. Shop now at nobullproject.com and start strong!

SPEED READS

🚨🚨 The CrossFit Open Is Coming: The 2025 CrossFit Open will take place from February 27 to March 17, so sign up now!

• Announced this week, CrossFit and Rogue Fitness will recognize special members of the community with the Spirit of the Open Award. Each week, you can nominate a peer who embodies the spirit of the CrossFit community. The winners will receive a special-edition Rogue barbell. Details here. 

🦬🇺🇸Mayhem Classic Roster Shake-Up: The first In-Person Qualifying Event of the season, the Mayhem Classic Invitational announced yesterday that Nina Vragovic had been added to the roster. The updated line-up reveals that Vragovic will be replacing Emma Lawson in the 20-woman field. Check it out here.

🌟🎟️ Rebel Renegade Golden Ticket: Sara Sigmundsdottir, the six-time Icelandic Games athlete who resides and trains in Dubai, has been given a “golden ticket” to the Rebel Renegade Games, one of the 10 In-Person Qualifying Events this season.

🌎🏆 World Fitness Project Community Q&A: Curious about what the World Fitness Project has in store for the 2025 season? Check out this community Q&A and subscribe to the WFP YouTube channel here.

✍️📋CrossFit Athlete Council Survey Results: The CrossFit Athlete Council (CAC) recently circulated a questionnaire “For Individual CrossFit Athletes and Coaches” to gather information about topics like safety, the Games season structure, communication and transparency, and more.

• The CAC took the results to CrossFit HQ and provided a summary of that meeting along with some statements from the Council and CrossFit HQ. Read the full report here.

ICYMI: The Open Report is back for week five. Check out Known and Knowable’s Open registration insights and comparisons across competitive regions.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Compliance, Passion, Obsession: Striking the Right Balance With Your Fitness

In a recent episode of Chasing Excellence, we got a question from a listener named Tyler who was struggling to balance his health pursuits with family life.

During a vacation, Tyler and his wife opted to explore nature and go to bed early rather than stay up late socializing with extended family. 

• This led to tension and accusations of being "antisocial." Tyler wondered how to better explain his lifestyle choices and find an alternative solution.

If you’re anything like us, this scenario will feel familiar.

As we become more dedicated to our health and fitness, it's easy for our good intentions to morph into an all-consuming obsession.

Let's explore the spectrum of compliance, passion, and obsession to understand how to strike a more sustainable balance.

"I Have To" to "I Get To" to "I Need To"

Many start a regular fitness or health regime in the compliance phase. Workouts feel like an obligation, something to check off the to-do list.

While adhering to a routine is positive, this "I have to" mindset can make healthy behaviors feel like a chore.

CROSSFIT GAMES

How to Watch CrossFit Open Announcement 25.1

The first live CrossFit Open announcement of the 2025 season is coming in hot on Thursday, February 27, on the official CrossFit YouTube channel. And we’ve got all the details you need to know heading into the event.

The details: The live Open announcement will kick off the 2025 CrossFit Games season, a season that’s likely to look different from any in CrossFit’s history. The live announcements started during the 2013 season and grew in size and popularity through 2018. CrossFit elected not to host live Open announcements during the 2019 and 2020 seasons but returned to host them again starting in 2021.

• 25.1 will be presented by Rogue Fitness, the Official Equipment Supplier of the CrossFit Games and the live announcement will take place in Cookeville, TN at CrossFit Mayhem.

Mayhem athletes Roman Khrennikov and Austin Hatfield are on deck to throw down against one another as the first men to tackle 25.1. 

• This will be Khrennikov’s third live Open announcement (he was previously featured in 23.2 and 24.3), while it will be Hatfield's first. The two men finished only seven points apart at the 2024 Games (Krennikov in ninth, Hatfield in 10th). 

On the women’s side, another Mayhem athlete and fan favorite Haley Adams, who finished fifth in her comeback journey at the CrossFit Games in 2024, will be the first to take on 25.1. This is her first live Open announcement.

HIGHLIGHTS

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

• 🏋️‍♀️Check out Anikha Greer joining the 200 club with this 90-kilo/200-pound snatch.

• Happy belated birthday, 2/24, Maggie Husband.

• Check out 8-year-old phenom Emika rep out 35 unbroken pull-ups.

• Congratulations to Chicho Quesada, who, with his team, won the Greatness Fit Fest in Costa Rica.

• Congratulations to the Core City CrossFit kids of Detroit, MI, with these heavy backsquats! Great work, everyone!

• 💪Congratulations to Mirjam von Rohr on her recent powerlifting meet. She totaled 432.5 kilos/ 953 pounds, at 68.4 kilos/150 pounds bodyweight.

SIGN UP