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Who Earned a Games Ticket at NorCal?
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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.
In today’s edition:
The NorCal Classic is a wrap — see who punched their ticket to the Games.
How CrossFit helped Dan Nides handle reality TV drama.
Small daily habits, not just big lifts, are what drive real performance.
Want personalized data to guide your fitness and fueling? Lumen might be your next best training tool.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Keep snatching until they tell you to stop.”
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC (UPDATED 6/8, 9:30 P.M. ET)
Elite Men (Qualifiers in bold) | Elite Women (Qualifiers in bold) |
|---|---|
1. William Leahy — 42 | 1. Alex Gazan — 46.5 |
2. Jorge Fernandez — 62.5 | 2. Hattie Kanyo — 64.5 |
3. Nate Ackermann — 62.5 | 3. Carolyne Prevost — 66 |
4. Spencer Panchik — 71.5 | 4. Kristin Holte — 73.5 |
5. Matt Brady — 77.5 | 5. Oda Lundekvam — 88 |
6. Max Krieg — 85.5 | 6. Andrea Solberg — 89.5 |
7. Nicolas Bedin — 99 | 7. Trista Smith — 99 |
8. Justin Johnson — 104 | 8. Maddi Foutz — 102 |
9. Travon Benton — 104.5 | 9. Karisa Stapp — 105 |
10. Jase Brooks — 111.5 | 10. Nina Vragovic — 111 |
Full leaderboard at Competition Corner.
COMMUNITY
Trolled Online, Fueled by CrossFit – Dan Nides’ Love Is Blind Fallout
Credit: @gymtanlaw / Instagram
Dan Nides had no idea what was coming.
It all began when a woman he had previously dated, Lauren O’Brien, appeared on the Netflix series Love Is Blind, Season 8, where she met and became engaged to fellow cast member Dave Bettenburg.
During filming, Bettenburg learned that O’Brien had been dating Nides, a 14-year CrossFit enthusiast, before joining the show, which did not sit well with him.
After filming wrapped up, O’Brien told Nides that he might be mentioned in her season of Love Is Blind, but until it aired, no one could predict how the producers would edit the show or the extent to which O’Brien and Nides’ former relationship would be highlighted.
When the trailer was released, it was clear that Nides would indeed be a factor in the show. A big factor.
“It was clear once the trailer had dropped that the only drama in the entire season was going to be about me. They discussed me in that one-minute trailer two or three times, so I had a couple of weeks to figure out how to react to that,” Nides, a competitive CrossFit athlete and attorney for a major financial institution, told the Morning Chalk Up in an interview.
Sure enough, when Netflix began releasing episodes in February and March of 2025, Nides quickly found himself at the heart of the biggest Love Is Blind, Season 8 scandal.
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SPEED READS
Rob O. Strong: Rob Orlando, the “Strongman of CrossFit” and four-time Games athlete, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in January 2025, just a day after hitting a 1,525-pound powerlifting total PR. He’s since undergone major surgery and intensive treatment. Learn more here, and purchase a “Rob O Strong” fundraising shirt with proceeds supporting his recovery and medical costs here.
💪🏋️ Strongman Training for CrossFit: Check out this training tutorial video on how to improve your sandbag clean skills for both cycling light loads and getting under heavier bags. Perfect for CrossFit, strongman prep, or garage workouts — add these drills from John Singleton and The Progrm today and lift smarter.
💰🏠 Budget Gym Co-op: The Budget Gym Co-op on YouTube is Coop from Garage Gym Reviews’ latest creation to help home gym owners build epic gyms on a budget! Check it out here.
👟🏋️ New Nano Zero: Lift heavy, move freely. The Reebok Nano Zero keeps you grounded, stable, and locked in for every squat, pull, and rep. Check them out and order yours now.
And, hurry over to Reebok.com, where you’ll find Nano X4s on deep discount. If you use code NANOFLASH, you'll also receive an additional 20% off. Stock up and save.
🇺🇸🏃♀️ 3 CrossFit Conditioning Mistakes Holding You Back: In this recent episode of the Mayhem Performance Podcast, the team breaks down the three biggest limiters in CrossFit conditioning — respiratory, cardiovascular, and muscular — and how to train each one.
ICYMI: Dave Castro put Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr on the clock.
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
7 Things You’re Not Doing That Could Help Your Performance In the Gym
Credit: Frank Nguyen
You’re showing up to train hard. You’re following the program. You’ve invested in the gear, the supplements, and maybe even a coach. But despite all your effort, progress feels slower than it should. Sound familiar?
The truth is, when it comes to performance – whether in CrossFit, endurance racing, or weightlifting – the most significant factors in progress often aren’t flashy.
They’re the simple, consistent nutrition and lifestyle behaviors that too many athletes overlook.
If you’re putting in the work but not seeing the results you want, this article is for you. Here’s what you might not be doing and how it could be holding you back.
INDUSTRY
Lumen: A Personalized Metabolic Health Coach
Credit: Lumen
Most people trying to lose weight or change their body composition fall into a rut or see initial results, only to hit a plateau.
What if those individuals had a handheld device that could show them what was happening in their bodies in real-time?
Lumen is the first handheld metabolic coach, transforming the way people approach weight loss and health goals by offering a highly personalized experience.
How it works: The device is backed by science and measures metabolism through breath using a CO2 sensor and flow meter. The individual simply needs to breathe into the Lumen once, and all their data will populate in the Lumen app.
You can use the Lumen right after waking up, before or after meals, or before starting a workout to assess what your body needs for fitness preparation. It will indicate whether you are burning carbs or fat and if you need to carb up for an energy boost.
This type of biofeedback helps people achieve their most optimal state to maximize training. The Lumen app also provides individuals with a personalized daily nutrition plan tailored to their specific measurements.
HIGHLIGHTS
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.
👏Great job to Alec Smith, who competed in a HYROX last weekend in the Pro Doubles division with Cody Mooney. They completed the race in 1:04.
Congratulations to Susan of Luminary Fitness in Grand Rapids, MI, on her 129-kilo/285-pound back squat PR.
Check out these burpee box-jump-overs. 😮How long could you maintain this speed?
Check out this incredible snatch save! That’s some serious patience!
😅Here’s your next warm-up challenge - it’s all about timing and precision (and learning how to fall gracefully).