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- 🔥 Shaun T’s INSANITY Returns With a Hunter McIntyre Twist
🔥 Shaun T’s INSANITY Returns With a Hunter McIntyre Twist
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
👟 We tested over 50 pairs of training and HYROX shoes and cut our favorites down to 10. Check out the first five today.
🤝 Fitness legend Shaun T is back, teaming up with Hunter McIntyre for a new at-home training program.
🎒 Why you should make rucking your number one 2027 goal.
This week, we've partnered with INOV8 and Graymatter to hook up two winners with INOV8 F-Lite Maxes and a Graymatter gift box filled with goodies.
Morning Chalk Up premium subscribers are automatically entered, so if you're not on the list yet, sign up before Tuesday!
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear. So… yeah. I was scared shitless.”
REVIEWS
50+ Pairs Tested. These 5 Training Shoes Came Out On Top.
Credit: Shutterstock
When I was in my 20s, I never gave much thought to the shoes I wore. I'd grab whatever pair I had lying around and get on with my workout.
These days, I know better. The right shoe can make a huge difference not just in how you perform, but also in how your feet feel after a tough session and how well they recover for the next one.
Throughout 2026, I had the opportunity to put more than 50 pairs of training and hybrid shoes to the test. Narrowing the field was no easy task. There were plenty of standout performers, but here is my shortlist.
Gear for You. A Ruck for Them.
GORUCK is giving you a reason to gear up and give back. And you don’t even have to wait until Black Friday. The sale is live now.
Spend $200 on gear and get a free Basic Rucker® 14L. That’s right: upgrade your own kit with the packs, apparel, and training essentials built to take a beating, and we’ll send a ruck your way to hand to someone else.
Maybe it’s the friend who’s been saying they’ll start rucking “next month.” Maybe it’s your sister, or brother, your training partner, or the coworker who keeps asking how you get out the door at 5 a.m. Whatever the reason, this is the easiest gift you’ll give all season, and it comes free with your order.
*This newsletter relies on our sponsors. Please consider supporting them.
SPEED READS
👟🇺🇸 There’s No Such Thing as Too Many Shoes: If you've been sleeping on the Born Primitive Savage 1s, wake up! Built for strength, HIIT, and running, the Savage 1 training shoes are comfy, grippy, and durable, with a wide toe box and a cushioned midsole, and are designed for anything you want to throw at them (yes, even rope climbs). They're available in 20 different colorways — many of which are on sale for under $100. Gear up!
📅🔥 The Countdown Is On: CrossFit has announced the dates for the 2027 Open, giving athletes a target as the road to next season begins.
🚨👟 Kids Aren't Moving Enough: New WHO data shows that one in four adolescents worldwide reported no physical activity in the previous week, with little improvement over the past 15 years. Now, major sports gear brands, including Nike, Adidas, and ASICS, are joining forces to help get the next generation moving.
📖👀 Is CrossFit More of a Cult Than We Thought?: In a new GQ interview, journalist Calum Marsh discusses his new book The Glass Box, exposing the controversies, excesses, and cult-like culture behind CrossFit's meteoric rise and subsequent struggles. From Greg Glassman's leadership to HYROX's growing popularity, Marsh explores what CrossFit got right, where it went wrong, and why its methodology still resonates.
ICYMI: Catching Up with Bethany Flores: Motherhood, Saatva, and a 2027 Comeback? (Rx article)
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
INSANITY Goes Hybrid: Hunter McIntyre and Shaun T Launch “Unhinged”
If you ever watched television late at night in the 2010s, you remember Shaun T shouting at a camera full of sweaty exercisers. Those nostalgic videos are back, this time with HYROX world champion Hunter McIntyre at the helm and a program built for the hybrid racing era.
INSANITY: Unhinged launches today on BODi, an online fitness and nutrition platform. The hybrid performance training program was developed by McIntyre, a three-time HYROX World Champion, and executive produced by Shaun T, the creator of the original INSANITY workout program.
“INSANITY: Unhinged will give everyday athletes the opportunity to experience how a hybrid champion trains, bringing Hunter's signature intensity, athletic conditioning, and competitive mindset into an accessible at-home program,” the press release said.
INDUSTRY
All You Need is a Backpack: Why Rucking Should Be Your Next Fitness Challenge
Credit: @goruck | Instagram
HYROX, hybrid training, and fitness racing are having a moment, and more and more people are seeking an accessible way to get fit.
But another hybrid fitness activity is quietly gaining momentum, and it might take the simplest approach of all: rucking.
Yes, plain old walking with a weight.
Food for thought: For the CrossFit athlete who struggles to take a rest day, rucking might be the perfect middle ground. It offers a way to stay active and get outside without the intensity of another big conditioning or strength session.
It can also be a great addition to HYROX training, as it helps develop your aerobic capacity and build that all-important base, according to long-time endurance coach and Adidas Global Performance Expert, Chris Hinshaw.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
🎂 Happy birthday to Alison Scudds.
🎁 Happy birthday (11/14) to Gui Malheiros.
💪 Check out Jessi Kuhlman of Boynton Beach, FL, power clean 113 kilos/250 pounds, showing the next gen what’s up!
👩🌾 Ok, we definitely need to try these challenges from The Farm Games. Has anyone out there taken on this comp yet?
☔️ Vasyl’s getting ready for Gymreapers Wodapalooza, rain or shine. Not a bad idea!