Norway's Functional Fitness Group De-Affiliates 10 Gyms

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Mikaela Norman pursued elite CrossFit at the highest levels but then fell in love with HYROX. Learn about her journey today.

• What’s the secret to effective recovery? EC Synkowski has some no-nonsense advice.

• The Functional Fitness Group in Norway is de-affiliating 10 of its 16 gyms. However, CrossFit Oslo, its flagship gym, will remain affiliated for now. Get the details below.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I think it's absolutely possible to do both, but I think that you have to just prioritize so much aerobic work in HYROX … [B]eing on the highest level of both is pretty hard.” - Mikaela Norman on training for elite HYROX and CrossFit simultaneously.

HYROX

Mikaela Norman Finds Her Next Adventure in HYROX After 10 Years of CrossFit

It was love at first sight for Mikaela Norman when she first stepped onto the HYROX racing course. 

After 10 years of CrossFit, the Swedish athlete switched to HYROX and hasn’t looked back. 

Her first race was in 2022. She won the women’s pro division and set the world record of 1:00:45. Although that record has since been broken, Norman’s performance on her first outing exemplifies the pure athleticism and endurance she harnesses. 

Norman is a decorated CrossFit athlete who has competed at Regionals and Semifinals and made it to the Games on the team in 2022. 

• Her best finish in the CrossFit Open was 64th place overall in 2021. In 2019, she won Open Workout 19.1, which consisted of wall balls and calories on the rower. 

Making the Switch

On her way home from her first race, Norman decided to transition to HYROX. She almost immediately began competing at the sport’s highest level, making the Elite 15 and World Championship in 2023 and 2024. 

• “After my first race, I just thought, this is so much fun, and I felt so motivated to try something new. I think it just got me some kind of new motivation,” Norman told Morning Chalk Up in an interview. 

The decision to leave CrossFit altogether, however, was much tougher, with Norman saying it was a long process until she ultimately decided she couldn’t prioritize both. 

A MESSAGE FROM BOX BASICS

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Ready to gear up? Enter the giveaway and claim your discount by this Friday, March 14.

SPEED READS

🚨🚨 The CrossFit Open Is Here! The 2025 CrossFit Open heads into its final week. You can still officially register through March 17. Sign up now!

🏰 🇪🇸 Red Bull in Ibiza: The energy drink giant wants to fly you and a partner to Spain to compete in a fitness obstacle course race at the Castle of Ibiza. Learn more here.

🌎🏆 Buttery Bros x WFP: During the 2025 season, the World Fitness Project will give fans unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the league. The WFP has teamed up with the Buttery Bros for a new video series called UNBREAKABLE, and the first episode, featuring Jeff Adler, is out now. Learn more and watch!

🌎 🏆 WFP Merch: World Fitness Project merch is available now! Check it out.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 💪2025 Rogue Invitational: Mark your calendar — tickets for the 2025 Rogue Invitational go on sale on Wednesday, March 12. Get the details here.

ICYMI: CrossFit Open livestream concurrent viewership for 25.2 trended higher than 25.1 but is still tracking lower than 2024.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

The Secret to Effective Recovery? Prioritize Sleep and Track What Matters

In a recent episode of The Consistency Project podcast, we tackled a listener's question about optimizing rest days.

• One of my conclusions might surprise you: Many popular recovery tools and techniques don't necessarily translate to better performance outcomes. (And isn’t that what we’re all looking for?)

As the recovery industry continues to boom, it's easy to get caught up in chasing the latest trend. But when you zoom out and look at the big picture, a tried and true recovery booster has been right under our noses all along: More and better sleep.

The Power of Zzz's

Want to take your training to the next level?

Start by prioritizing high-quality shut-eye. Adequate sleep is crucial for nearly every aspect of athletic performance and recovery:

• Muscle repair: During sleep, the body releases growth hormones and conducts protein synthesis to rebuild damaged muscle fibers.

• Injury prevention: Fatigue is a significant risk factor for injuries. Regularly clocking 7+ hours of quality sleep helps ensure your coordination, balance, and concentration are on point.

• Appetite regulation: Sleep deprivation can disrupt hunger hormones, leading to cravings and suboptimal fueling. Adequate rest helps you maintain a balanced appetite and make better nutritional choices to support recovery.

The bottom line is, there's no recovery tool more potent than a solid night's sleep.

COMMUNITY

Functional Fitness Group De-Affiliates 10 Gyms in Norway, Flagship Gym CrossFit Oslo Will Remain Affiliated for Now

Functional Fitness Group, the owners of CrossFit Oslo and 15 other gyms in Norway, has decided to de-affiliate 10 of them.

Eivind Dahl Ringard, the CEO and one of the owners of Functional Fitness Group, explained that while the decision was difficult, it’s what’s best for the business.

• “Financial factors are the primary reasons behind our decision,” Dahl Ringard, a four-time CrossFit Games team athlete and three-time medalist, told the Morning Chalk Up. 

He added: “It’s super sad because CrossFit has shaped me as a person. But I own a company. We employ 200 people, and we [need to make] smart business decisions. So there’s a bigger picture I need to look after.”

• Their flagship gym, CrossFit Oslo, has been rebranded as XT Oslo. Still, Dahl Ringard said the gym will maintain its affiliation “for at least another year,” primarily to accommodate its athletes pursuing the CrossFit Games season.

Some Background

Functional Fitness Group owns 16 gyms in Norway, 11 of which are CrossFit affiliates. The other five have never been affiliated. 

The most well-known gym in its group is CrossFit Oslo, which has 800 members and has made a name for itself because of its powerhouse teams.

Last year, CrossFit Oslo had 10 teams compete in the CrossFit Open, eight in Quarterfinals, five in Semifinals, and three qualified teams for the Games. 

This year, however, there’s a new rule in place limiting each affiliate to one team qualification to the CrossFit Games, so CrossFit Oslo only has a single team competing in the Open. 

HIGHLIGHTS

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

• 🎂Happy belated birthday, (3/8), to Jack Farlow.

• Check out Dani Speegle demonstrating some impressive gymnastics skills.

• Congratulations to Lauren of CrossFit Lake Effect in Holland, MI, who just got her bar muscle-ups back. 

• Check out these strict muscle-ups from Emma Lawson — so impressive!

• 🔥Take a look at these highlights from Lucy Campbell, taking on 25.2.

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