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- 🎉 CrossFit Brings ALL Divisions Back Together for the 2026 Games
🎉 CrossFit Brings ALL Divisions Back Together for the 2026 Games
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
📅 For the first time in several years, Masters, Teens, Adaptive athletes, Individuals, and Teams will all compete in the same city and the same week — a full-strength Games reunion for the 20th anniversary season.
💪 The missing piece in your pull-up training — why ring rows don’t translate and what to do instead.
🧬 CAPABLE began as a small clinical trial and has grown into an eight-location CrossFit program in Michigan, transforming cancer recovery.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The Games hit different when we’re all under the same roof…For the 20th anniversary season, that’s exactly what I’m fired up about.”
CROSSFIT GAMES
2026 Divisional CrossFit Games Dates and Location Announced – 20th Anniversary Games Bring All Divisions Back Together in San Jose
Credit: Shutterstock
The 2026 Masters, Teen, and Adaptive CrossFit Games will take place on July 21-26 in San Jose, CA, CrossFit HQ announced this morning.
On the most recent episode of The Sport of Fitness Podcast, Chase Ingraham was joined by WheelWOD’s Kevin Ogar and three-time Teenage CrossFit Games champion Ty Jenkins, to discuss details about the upcoming 2026 CrossFit Games season.
The details: Next year’s season, the CrossFit Games 20th anniversary will see all competitive divisions combined once again into one week-long celebration of fitness at the SAP Center.
July 21-23, 2026 – Masters CrossFit Games by Legends
July 24-26, 2026 – Teenage CrossFit Games by PIT, Adaptive CrossFit Games by WheelWOD, and the CrossFit Games (Indy and Team)
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SPEED READS
🔁🏋️♂️ CrossFit’s Take on Progressive Overload: In this article, CrossFit L3 coach and senior content writer, Stephane Rochet, argues progressive overload isn’t just adding five pounds to a lift — it’s constantly challenging strength, conditioning, skills, and capacity through variation.
🎄🚣♂️ Concept2 x HWPO Holiday Challenge: The annual 100k–200k meter grind is back, and this time Concept2 has partnered with HWPO Training, pushing athletes to log big meters between Thanksgiving and Christmas — with BikeErg, SkiErg, and row meters all counting toward charity and challenge rewards. Learn more here.
🔧🔥 3 CrossFit Hacks to Level Up (Fast): Bayley Martin drops three game-changing efficiency tips — from hip-snap thrusters to energy-saving ring muscle-up mechanics to faster, less-fatiguing rope climbs — that instantly make high-volume workouts feel smoother, lighter, and way more sustainable.
🎶🏋️♀️ The New Night Out: Gyms like the Bay Club are redefining nightlife with “soft clubbing.” As Gen Z and Millennials ditch hangovers for wellness-first socializing, gyms are filling up at night with people looking for music, movement, and community without the bar tab.
ICYMI: 🏃♂️ Cole Sager enters the HYROX arena — questioning his CrossFit well-roundedness and chasing a sub-60 race with the CompTrain crew.
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
The Strict Pull-Up Plan: 4 Steps to Build Real Gymnastics Strength
Credit: @b.a.w_media / Instagram
Strict pull-ups are tough – only about 5% of women can do one, and for men over 40, an average of five to nine reps is considered the intermediate level.
But if you’re chasing real gym swagger, nothing delivers like a strict pull-up. Not sure where to begin? Start with my four-step plan.
It takes just 5–10 minutes of extra work a few times a week.
Grip Strength
If you have followed my coaching and articles, you will notice I often discuss grip strength. It’s a forgotten piece of the puzzle when it comes to gymnastics skills.
Although it’s usually associated more directly with the barbell hook grip, understanding why we use the hook grip and applying it to generate a stronger pull on the rig demonstrates how vital grip strength is in ALL pulling skills — not just with the barbell, but also in pulling our body through space.
POLL
😵💫 End-of-Year Motivation Check — You’re currently: |
Last week, we asked: 🧤 Cold Gym Reality Check — What’s your winter warm-up actually look like?
🔥 Assault bike until my soul leaves my body. (7%)
🧊 Hoodie stays on for the first three rounds. (60.34%)
⏱️ PVC pipe and procrastination. (5%)
🧦 Hoodie, beanie, gloves… I’m basically training in full winter gear. (4%)
🤷 Just suffer through the first 10 minutes and hope for the best. (22%)
The only surprise here is that 7% of you picked the Assault bike.
COMMUNITY
How One CrossFit Program Is Transforming Cancer Recovery — 300 Survivors and Counting
Credit: CAPABLE
It all began when Dr. Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer observed a problem: a lack of physical activity resources for cancer survivors after treatment.
Patients were being discharged from treatment but weren’t given guidance or support regarding physical activity, even though research consistently shows that exercise can significantly improve survival outcomes, explained Beebe-Dimmer, a Professor of Oncology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and a CrossFit Level 2 coach.
So Beebe-Dimmer partnered with David Finlay, the owner of CrossFit in the D in Detroit, MI, and launched CAPABLE (“Cross-Training and Physical Activity: A Better Life Experience”) in 2018, a program that examined the benefits of CrossFit and cancer recovery.
The CAPABLE Story
Sponsored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, CAPABLE began as a clinical trial that enrolled participants in a 12-week CrossFit program.
The trial was successful; word began to spread, and today there are eight CAPABLE performance sites across Michigan.
Over the past 7 years, more than 300 cancer survivors have completed the 12-week program, with many subsequently becoming full-time CrossFit members at various affiliates.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
🎂Happy birthday to E.C. Synkowski.
Watch Tola Morakinyo max out on his snatch, making his way up to 145 kilos/319 pounds. Someone’s getting ready for Copenhagen!
😳Watch Livia from Brazil mob through Fran in 2:02.
Congratulations to Ruta from The Box Barnsley in the UK on this 68-kilo/149-pound strict press PR.
🔥Travis Mayer is testing out some WFP workouts - watch him get after some heavy cleans on this one.