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- đ„ Is Adidasâ ATHX the Next Proving Ground for the Fittest?
đ„ Is Adidasâ ATHX the Next Proving Ground for the Fittest?
Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In todayâs edition:
đ ATHX goes global â the Adidas-backed hybrid comp is fast becoming the next CrossFit-HYROX battleground.
đ„€ âFunctional foodsâ or just fancy junk? EC Synkowski breaks down why protein chips and probiotic sodas rarely deliver on their hype.
đ CrossFitâs fall book club is in session â Dani Speegle, Arielle Loewen, and Abbie Domit share their top cozy-season reads.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Sometimes world-class training is a matter of having elite training partners, and at times itâs about being around elite people.â
COMPETITIONS
ATHX Hosts Inaugural Training Camp, Athletes Prep for Berlin
As the lines between CrossFit, functional fitness, and hybrid sports continue to blur, ATHX is emerging as a key proving ground for the next generation of performance-focused competition.
Backed by Adidas, the sport has attracted top CrossFit athletes like Lucy McGonigle, Chandler Smith, and Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson, who competed earlier this year.
The details: A UK-based hybrid fitness competition blending strength, endurance, and speed across a series of high-intensity events, the ATHX Games are gaining a foothold in competitive fitness.
Designed for athletes of all levels, the format includes challenges like barbell lifts, cardio machines, functional movements, and tactical workouts that test both power and endurance.
With divisions from elite to everyday competitors, ATHX strives to foster an inclusive yet competitive environment where performance and grit take center stage.
In just a few days, on October 25, ATHX will make a big leap forward by hosting its first competition outside of the UK, in Berlin, Germany. Elite CrossFit and HYROX athletes have signed up to compete.
2024 CrossFit Games champion James Sprague, along with 2025 CrossFit Games rookies Jen Muir and Ty Jenkins, as well as 2025 Elite 15 HYROX racers Graham Halliday and Jana Lebenstedt, will compete.
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SPEED READS
đïžââïžđ Functional Fitness vs. HYROX: In this Red Bull article, Noah Ohlsen breaks it down â HYROX tests your engine, CrossFit tests your versatility. Oneâs steady endurance, the otherâs controlled chaos.
đĄđ Whatâs Replacing CrossFit?: Chris Cooper of Two-Brain says CrossFit isnât dying â itâs evolving. Affiliates are shifting toward hybrid models with HYROX-style training, personalized coaching, and wellness add-ons. The future gym wonât just teach workouts â itâll prescribe results.
đĄđœïž CrossFit Nutrition Nuance: Stephane Rochetâs (CF-L#) article, âDefending Nuanced Nutrition,â reminds us the goal isnât perfection â itâs consistency. Forget diet extremes; focus on whole foods, context, and what works for you.
đŁđȘ The Gymnastics Hack You Should Know: Rebecca Fuselier says one simple cue can transform every bodyweight movement â point your toes. It fires your entire chain from calves to core, builds tension, and turns âtighter is lighterâ from a cue into a game-changer.
đđ„ CrossFit Behind Bars: In a powerful CrossFit Podcast collab with the CrossFit Medical Society, Nick Wells and Gino Aviles share how Redemption Road CrossFit turned workouts into redemption â cutting recidivism from 80% to 1.6% through fitness, mentorship, and community.
ICYMI: đïž Nearly 50 elite CrossFit events in one year, hereâs who packed the busiest schedules in 2025.
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
What Are âFunctional Foodsâ? (And What Do CrossFitters Need to Know?)
Walk down any grocery aisle today and you'll see them everywhere: high-protein potato chips, probiotic cookie dough, and "GLP-1 friendly" ice cream. These so-called "functional foods" promise to deliver health benefits that go far beyond basic nutrition.
However, here's the problem â most of these products are essentially ultra-processed foods masquerading as healthy options.
As we discussed on a recent episode of the Consistency Project podcast, the functional food market is booming, but the health claims often fall short of the marketing.
For CrossFitters focused on performance and recovery, understanding what these products actually offer (and what they don't) is essential for making informed nutrition decisions.
PROFILE
Cozy Season Reading List, Curated by CrossFitâs Bookworms
As the weather cools and training routines move indoors, especially in some parts of the world, it's also the time of year to curl up and get cozy with a good book.
Whether it's for motivation, mental recovery, or simply a good story by the fire, reading is an essential part of many peopleâs winter reset.
We caught up with a few CrossFit athletes we know have a strong reading game to see if they have any recommendations.
Here are the books they selected, along with reasons why you might want to add them to your cold-weather collection as well.
Dani Speegle
Besides sharing that she always rereads the Harry Potter books during the holidays, Speegle recommends the Lovelight Farms series by B.K. Borison.
This small-town romance series, set around a Christmas tree farm, combines love stories with themes of found family. Each book centers on different characters discovering love in the town of Inglewild.
Speegle adds about the series: âAll very holiday themed and great for this time of year.â
After the jump â more athlete favorites, from dystopian fantasy to deep-space adventure.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
đHappy birthday to Dallin Pepper.
Check out this squat clean ladder from Marnie Sykes, as sheâs getting ready for the Down Under Championship.
Well done to 56-year-old Johnny, on this 100-kilo/220-pound snatch.
We love these trending reels right now - watch Lucy Campbellâs version.
đ„Congratulations to Sophie Shaft, on this 106-kilo/233-pound snatch.