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- United Grid League Season Kicks Off Soon -- What Is It?
United Grid League Season Kicks Off Soon -- What Is It?
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
Team fitness racing and jaw-dropping skills — what is the United Grid League?
Why you can’t out-train poor nutrition.
Two podiums, no regrets: Elisa Fuliano’s powerful 2025 season.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The big difference is that a Grid League team is… about leveraging individual aspects of fitness from each player.”
COMPETITIONS
The United Grid League Brings a Team-Based Twist to Fitness Racing — Here's How It All Works
Credit: United Grid League
Perhaps you’ve seen a video of someone performing butterfly ring muscle-ups or a set of freestanding handstand push-ups.
That’s the United Grid League (UGL), an exciting spectator team sport that draws attention for its flashy and sometimes unbelievable movements.
Elite CrossFit athletes Colten Mertens, Alec Smith, and Kelsey Kiel have recently joined Grid League teams, sparking interest in this visually captivating sport.
The Morning Chalk Up spoke with Mather Wiswall, the United Grid League’s head of media and commissioner, to answer some pressing questions about everything from the sport's origins to the mechanics of a match.
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SPEED READS
🏃🚣🏃 First Games Event Announced: Yesterday, CrossFit released the first workout for the 2025 CrossFit Games: “Run, Row, Run.” And this year, fans can take on Event 1 after the elite athletes.
📋 ✅ Games Roster Grows: The In-Affiliate Semifinals leaderboard is now official, and invitations to the Games have been sent to the remaining athletes who had not yet received them. Keep track of who’s in and who’s out for the 2025 CrossFit Games here.
🌎 🏆 World Fitness Project Online Challenger Qualifier II: The online qualifier for Tour Event II takes place from July 2 to 8, and registration is open. Register now!
🧈🥞 Buttery Bros WFP Tour Stop I: In case you missed it, the Buttery Bros dropped a new, behind-the-scenes look at the inaugural WFP Tour Event. Roll the footage!
🏋️ 🏋️♀️ CrossFit x LUXIAOJUN: CrossFit announced yesterday that LUXIAOJUN has been named the Official Weightlifting Shoe of the 2025 CrossFit Games. New collab lifters coming soon!
🇺🇸🥇 Austin Hatfield vs. 2019 CrossFit Games “First Cut”: Recently, the Mayhem Classic and WFP Tour Stop I winner took on the legendary, field-separating “First Cut“ from the 2019 Games (the one with all the national champions). Would he have survived?
ICYMI: WFP Pro Card points race explainer and season leaderboard.
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Why You Can't Outwork a Bad Diet
Credit: @optimizemenutrition / Instagram
Americans are eating more calories than ever before.
We take approximately 700 more calories daily than people in the 1950s.
This significant increase helps explain why obesity rates continue to rise, despite more gym memberships and fitness trackers on every wrist.
The hard truth?
You simply cannot outrun, outlift, or out-exercise a poor diet.
The Calorie Math Doesn't Add Up
When we consider exercise as a portion of the total calories we burn daily, it represents a relatively small part of the overall picture.
For most people, even an intense hour-long workout at their local CrossFit affiliate might only burn between 300 and 400 calories.
Meanwhile, we consume 700 more calories daily than previous generations. The math simply doesn't work in our favor.
PROFILE
No Regrets – Elisa Fuliano Is at the Top of Her Game
Credit: Lydia Stadtheower
Over two weeks, Italy’s Elisa Fuliano finished on two separate podiums – taking second place at Wodland Fest in Malaga, Spain, and then winning the French Throwdown in Montpellier.
The outcomes of these two competitions were significant this year, as the top two men and women automatically qualified for the CrossFit Games if they met the eligibility criteria.
Fuliano, however, had decided before the CrossFit Open that she would pursue a different kind of season this year, one that did not lead to the CrossFit Games. She chose to forgo the Open while still intending to compete in events throughout the year.
And she has been on fire so far.
Like all of this year’s semifinals, athletes were tested with Heavy Isabel at both Wodland Fest and the French Throwdown.
Fuliano won the workout at both events, first with a time of 4:12 in Spain. She followed that up with a 3:47 in Montpellier—an impressive 25-second improvement. At the French Throwdown, she finished in the top five in seven of eight workouts, winning two.
She would have qualified for the Games if she had signed up for the Open.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
🎂Happy belated birthday (5/19) to John Singleton.
Watch Mariana Meza blast through unbroken Grace.
Check out these parallel bars at Scott Panchik’s house. Where can we get a set of these??
Well done to Bella of Brazil on this 90-kilo/198-pound complex.
😮Congratulations to Hampton Morris on this back squat PR of 250 kilos/551 pounds.
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