WODS and Wisdom — Advice From 10-Year+ Affiliate Owners, Part 3

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Today, we drop the third part in our series highlighting longtime CrossFit affiliate owners and the advice they wish they had at the outset. Today’s topic is lessons in longevity.

• What are some common mistakes athletes make before hiring a nutrition coach — and how can you avoid them? Find out below.

• Crossfit Skylands has raised almost $40,000 for the Big Fish Foundation, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for veterans to form meaningful connections. One of the main goals is to prevent veteran suicide by giving them tools to thrive before they experience crises. Learn more today.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Happy members and coaches tell their friends and families. They are your best form of advertisement – a good reputation is massive for longevity.” - Mike Tromello, owner of CrossFit Precision in Agoura Hills, CA, stresses the importance of building a strong community at your affiliate.

AFFILIATE COMMUNITY

WODs and Wisdom Series Part 3: 10-Year Affiliate Owners Talk Lessons in Longevity

Editor’s Note: This is the third part in a multi-part series highlighting longtime CrossFit gym owners, their experiences over the past decade, and some advice they wish they had at the start. Click here for part one and here for part two.

It is one thing to open a gym. Most people can find a space, buy some barbells and weights, and hire a few coaches. But to stay open? To thrive and grow? That is an entirely different story. 

It is a battle to keep any business going for 10 years or more, and even more difficult when that business is a gym. 

• Evan Derv, owner of CrossFit Ruston in Ruston, LA, put it perfectly when he said, “To open a box is easy and cheap. To keep it running profitably and successfully is not. Act accordingly.”

A Valuable Product

Acting accordingly takes many different forms, but they center around one thing — the quality of the product. In a CrossFit gym, that product is coaching.

• Ehren Vaughan, co-owner of CrossFit Ballina in NSW, Australia, believes that you must invest in your coaches if you want your gym to last. 

While their training in the methodology is important, that’s just the start. Vaughan and his team found as much value in investing in their coaches’ quality of life as in their coaching education and development.

• “We work hard to ensure they have a good work-life balance,” Vaughan said, “and meet regularly to check on their job satisfaction.”

Vaughan goes even further, ensuring his coaches know how integral they are in running their business.

• “We ask them for advice and input on business decisions so they know they are valued,” Vaughan said. “We try not to let a helpful deed go unthanked – we want them to know we notice their hard work and care.”

A MESSAGE FROM SYNERGY

A Space-Saving Fitness Solution

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Best part? Their racks can be expanded into a full commercial-grade horizontal rack with their expansion kit while still maintaining the vertical storage on the sides. This is great for when you’re ready to upgrade or move into a bigger space. 

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SPEED READS

🏥💰Born Primitive Pledges to Pay Veterans Medical Debts: Partnered with ForgiveCo, Born Primitive announced that they have already paid off $2.5 million in veteran medical debt this year and will donate all online profits from this past weekend with a goal of paying off $5 million total. Learn more.

🤕🩼 Rogue Invitational Injury Updates: During “The Duel IV” at the Rogue Invitational, two athletes went down with lower leg injuries and withdrew from the competition. In the following days, both Henrik Haapalainen and Gabi Migala confirmed that they had ruptured their Achilles tendons.

🏋️🏃PIT Training League: The organizers of the Pit Teen Throwdown announced the creation of a new competition series called the PIT Training League. Learn more and register here.

• Open to athletes 14-22 years old, PIT will consist of 10 tests over 100 days (this online component will test speed, strength, and endurance) and will culminate in an in-person championship at the Pit Fitness Ranch on June 28-29, 2025.

💪🌎 Fittest on Earth: Final Showdown in Madtown: The 2023 CrossFit Games documentary, Fittest on Earth: Final Showdown in Madtown is now available for preorder on Apple TV.

😎🌴 2024 TYR WZA Miami Beach Tickets Live: TYR Wodapalooza Miami Beach 2025 tickets are officially on sale. Don't miss out on year 13 of the original fitness festival, and celebrate Fitness. Community. Life.

• Get your tickets now and check out the new venue right on Miami Beach!

ICYMI: Swedish Games athlete and TV star Camilla Salomonsson Hellman.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

5 Common Mistakes Athletes Make Before Hiring a Nutrition Coach and How To Avoid Them

When people come to work with me, they’ve usually tried every nutrition plan under the sun or they’ve never tried anything specific.

This article is about the common mistakes I’ve seen people make in the past that ultimately led them to seek help from me. 

Check them out below so you don’t get caught making these same mistakes!

Cutting Too Many Calories Too Soon 

It’s very easy to get caught up in cutting too many calories too quickly because most people’s first instinct is that — if you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming, that equals weight loss. 

However, the majority of people need to establish consistency first. 

• To start, you have to dial in the following: your food into more consistent meals, hydration across the week, your movement for the week, and your sleep habits. You will often change your body composition simply by doing that. 

If you need additional help, you can put yourself in a calorie deficit. It is much easier to do that if you have a consistent intake first, and you will typically see results a little faster from doing so, too. 

A MESSAGE FROM LMNT

Stay Salty

Did you know that an electrolyte deficiency or imbalance can cause headaches, cramps, fatigue, brain fog, and weakness? Worse than that, most people don’t even know that they’re low on electrolytes until they start feeling the effects. 

Enter LMNT.

LMNT is an electrolyte drink mix that offers all the vital electrolytes you need — without the sugars and questionable ingredients found in other sports drinks. 

LMNT prevents and eliminates headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue while supporting a low-carb lifestyle and elevating performance. (Plus, it comes in a delicious range of flavors, such as citrus, raspberry, watermelon, and more.)

For a limited time, get a free Sample Pack with any drink mix purchase. 

COMMUNITY

CrossFit Skylands Steps up for Veterans in November, Raises $22,105 and Counting

For the third Veteran’s Day in a row, CrossFit Skylands in Sparta, NJ, hosted their annual DT’s Row2 Hold Event to raise money for veterans.

At the time of this article’s publication, they had already raised $22,105, which is just under $3,000 shy of their $25,000 fundraising goal. Last year, they raised $16,000.

The Details

All of the proceeds will be donated to Big Fish Foundation, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for veterans to form meaningful connections, grow as individuals, and serve others. One of the main goals is to prevent veteran suicide by giving them tools to thrive before they experience crises.

The Event

This year’s Veteran’s Day event involved a unique three-person workout that took on the Big Fish Foundation’s three pillars — connection, service, and growth — and demanded more than just physical fitness.

HIGHLIGHTS

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

• 🎂Happy birthday to Betsy Vanderburgh.

• Congratulations to Andrew of Tolland CrossFit in Tolland, CT, on his first bar muscle-up.

• Congratulations to Emily Friedman on the birth of her baby boy.

• Congratulations to Max Krieg and Zoe Warren, winners of the Desert City Classic in Arizona.

• 🇺🇸 Great work to all the kids from Core City CrossFit in Detroit, MI, who completed Chad 1000x for Veterans Day.