February 18, 2025 • 41 mins
Special guest Senior Writer for Morning Chalk Up and CrossFit Trainer at CrossFit Union Square @crossfitunionsquare in NYC, Teaganne Finn @tfinn94 shares her journey from journalism to CrossFit coaching, illuminating the power of community in personal transformation and the evolving dynamics within CrossFit HQ.
The conversation delves into the state of CrossFit as a company, the challenges affiliates face, and the evolving fitness landscape. Join us as we navigate the dual landscapes of CrossFit journalism, from engaging community stories to profiling elite athletes. Teaganne provides a behind-the-scenes look at the editorial process at Morning Chalk Up and how their acquisition by Bar Bend has fueled growth.
Looking ahead, Teaganne offers insightful predictions on the future of CrossFit, discussing the impact of leadership changes, the return of Dave Castro, and the challenges facing affiliates.
• Teaganne's transition from journalism to CrossFit coverage and coaching
• Resilience found in CrossFit’s community
• Coverage of both grassroots and elite athletes
• The importance of transparency from CrossFit HQ
• Highlights from upcoming competitions like Wodapalooza
• Future predictions for CrossFit’s evolution
#BotoxAndBurpees @crossfittraining @crossfit @crossfitgames #crossfit #sports #exercise #health #movement #crossfitcoach #agoq #clean #fitness #ItAllStartsHere #CrossFitOpen #CrossFit #CrossFitCommunity @CrossFitAffiliates #supportyourlocalbox #crossfitaffiliate #personalizedfitness
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hi, welcome to another episode of Botox and
Burpees.
I'm your host, Samri, and Ihave a very special guest with
us today, Tegan Finn and herstandard poodle.
What's his name again?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's Bruce.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Bruce, bruce, yes, and Tegan is senior writer at
Morning Chalk Up, which coversCrossFit and CrossFit News as an
outlet, and I really thank you,tegan, today, for coming in or
meeting with me today andtalking a little bit about
yourself, about CrossFit, aboutwhere do you think CrossFit's
(00:39):
going, your personal involvementand your perspective as a
journalist covering CrossFitover the past couple of years.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, I'm so happy to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
So I know you've been working for Morning Chaka for a
couple of years.
Tell me your background first,like how did you start in terms
of your career education?
What got you into journalismand writing?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, so I'm from upstate New York, the Finger
Lakes region, so I'm used tosome brutal cold weather.
But I went to Hobart WilliamSmith Colleges in Geneva, new
York, for my undergrad.
I studied like writing thereand I did a lot with different,
the local newspaper there, andso I kind of just fell into
(01:28):
writing.
To be honest, it just camenaturally to me and I really
enjoyed it.
And so then I moved right intograd school.
I went, I moved to DC and Iwent to American University for
my master's in journalism.
So I moved right to DC, keptgoing with school and then,
(01:48):
after I got done with school, itwas like a year program.
So after that year I ended upgetting a job at Bloomberg it
was Bloomberg government at thetime, but now it's Bloomberg
Industry Group and I coveredagriculture, I covered like all
things like farm country, farmsubsidies, like a whole range of
(02:10):
topics, and so that was like myfirst real journalist job and
it was a really a great job.
And then I kind of fell intoworking with the breaking news
team at Bloomberg LLP, the mainBloomberg that people know about
.
So I started working there anddid a lot with breaking news a
(02:31):
much different animal than abeat writing, a beat writer per
se.
So it was more fast, fasthitting news, very short stories
, kind of a much different rolein journalism.
And then I got hired at NBC.
And so I worked at NBC forabout a year and then
(02:51):
unfortunately, you know, endedon bad terms with that job.
I was accused of plagiarism.
It was a whole really, reallyrough situation for me, but I
was an adult and I tookaccountability situation for me,
but I was an adult and I tookaccountability and it was the
life-changing moment for me torealize that, you know, I had
(03:12):
made mistakes, I was lackingoversight in my job and I picked
myself back up and honestlytransitioned to CrossFit in that
time, when I had lost my joband I got my L1.
I started coaching.
I was like trying to findsomething to fill the void of
(03:34):
being unemployed, being fired,trying to figure out what to do
with my life, and so I startedcoaching and it really got me
through some really, reallydifficult times for myself, and
so I started coaching and then Iapplied to Morning Chalk Up and
so I, you know, whatever hashappened to me is very public.
(03:57):
People can Google me and lookit up, so it's all out there and
they gave me an opportunity tointerview and to talk with them
and talk with the editors andbring me on to their team, and
so I was able to join as afreelance writer, like like I am
now.
But I started off slowly andtook took a year to really build
(04:19):
back some confidence as awriter and yeah, so it kind of
brought me here now and so nowI'm been at Morning Chalk Up for
going on three years at thispoint.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
So that's a really interesting story.
I think all of us can relate totimes when we've been really
down probably almostdevastatingly down, I would
imagine and being able to findsomething to keep going with.
Was it finding CrossFit thatreally sort of helped you sort
(04:54):
of not focus on all the crazystuff that was going on, or was
it something else at that time?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, I had been doing CrossFit.
I started doing CrossFit, inGod, probably like 10 years from
10 years ago now, but I at thetime was a member of my gym and
it was a community that I wasreally in and I was still really
into CrossFit.
But I had never, never, thoughtabout coaching.
I lived a very traditional nineto five life, like that was.
(05:21):
That was kind of it.
And then, um, obviously with alot of more downtime, I was like
, okay, my, why don't I get anL1, maybe start some some sort
of stream of income for myself?
And so I've I started coachingand it was a real outlet for me
and that I felt like I hadpurpose again.
Obviously it was.
It was a huge loss to myconfidence in my life and so um
(05:46):
to just be able to coach acouple classes a week?
um was a slow you know a slowbuild-up to having confidence
again where did you startcoaching?
And because you're now atcrossfit uh union square in new
york, in new york city yeah, I,I started in dc uh at CrossFit
Balance, and that gym is sadlyno longer, but CrossFit Balance
(06:11):
was like the best community itwas.
It was like three differentlocations within within DC and I
had bopped around to all ofthem, and so the one in Thomas
Circle is where I startedcoaching and it was yeah, it was
a wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And then you moved to New York at some point.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, and I moved to New York in 2022.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, OK, and then I know CrossFit Union Square is
huge.
It's a very big place.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I would assume.
Yeah, it is a big community, itis a very, um, yeah, my path to
.
Well, we can talk about that.
So I, um, uh, you know, movedto the city and I had some
friends who started at CrossFitUnion Square and I, um, was,
went to a class and I wasimmediately humbled by how good
(07:01):
their athletes were.
And I was like this gym is socompetitive, it is so like the
energy is great and, you know,they're coaching, they have a
very highly respected coachingstaff, and so I, you know, had
to kind of, you know, work myway up and interview and, and,
you know, try to get myself in aposition where I was like, hey,
(07:23):
I, you know, I've only beencoaching for a little while, but
I feel like I could fit intothis community and you know.
So I ended up essentiallyapplying and and got a position
at union square and it's been agreat, a great opportunity.
That gym is really a phenomenalplace.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Talk about your coverage of CrossFit for Morning
Chalk Up.
You've done a wide variety ofpieces that I've seen.
Talk to me about that and whatyour experience has been wide
(08:07):
breadth of the sport.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
So I would say when I started right, the usually I
think where folks start in termsof a morning chalk up at least,
or maybe in the sport itself,is the community, because you
know you can relate to peopleand you can talk to people and
affiliates are always open andopen to speaking to folks.
And so I started really withdoing a ton of community pieces,
so speaking to different boxesthat were running certain
fundraisers, or if a box or ifan affiliate, you know, had a
(08:32):
had a storm and then they neededsome, some financial assistance
, it was like we could write astory about them and talk about
their past.
And so that's kind of where Istarted.
So that's kind of where Istarted.
And then I ended up going moreinto the professional side of
the sport and reporting more onprofessional athletes and
(08:53):
talking to different athletesand profiling them and talking
about their season and talkingabout kind of how they have
evolved in the sport too.
So it's kind of both.
It's a community side and it'sa professional side too.
So it's it's kind of both it'sa community side and it's a
professional side.
And then I think there's also aside of um talking about
CrossFit, the company, right,and so, more so in the last year
, I would say we've we'veobviously talked a bit more
(09:15):
about, or reported more aboutCrossFit as a company and, um,
so those different buckets arekind of where I live in, but I
do, I really love writing aboutthe community.
It is what makes up this sport,and so for me, those are kind
of like the stories that I wouldrather write about.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
How do ideas come about?
Do you pitch the stories?
Do your editors tell you whatto write?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Is it a combination?
Yeah, it's definitely acombination.
So we meet three times a weekand so we have pitch meetings
and I, you know, I'm coming inwith different ideas, different
things, like people bringdifferent stories, ideas, story
ideas to me or I'm thinking ofthem on my own.
Just because I'm a coach, Ialso am an athlete, so I can see
(10:01):
the sport in all thesedifferent ways.
So it's kind of a mix.
I would say it's a bit of both.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
And I know that they changed ownership right, they
went to Bar Bend.
So what was that like?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yeah, yeah.
So when I right, yeah.
So before.
Well, when I was hired, yeah, Iwas not owned by Bar Bend, and
then, about two years, in Barbenpurchased Morning Chalk Up and,
to be honest, not a ton haschanged.
Our editors have editorialownership over what we do.
Barben's a great company.
(10:35):
They've kind of just made itreally easy for us.
I would say, if anything, it'sgiven us more of a platform.
Barben has, you know, a lot.
Obviously there's weightliftingand then there's powerlifting,
and so it's given us kind of abigger audience to look at our
work anyway.
So I would say it's been apretty, a pretty easy transition
(10:56):
for me at least.
I'm an editor, so I don't know,I'm just a writer.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
What are any of your pieces?
Stand out as any particularfavorites that you covered or
did that you really liked?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, let's see, I would say on the I'm a bucket
them.
So on the on the community side, when I had just started
writing and I was like comingout of this hole from NBC and
like am I a good writer, am Ieven capable of being a writer
again?
So I interviewed this gentlemanwhose son had had I believe he
(11:35):
had committed suicide and he youknow we were doing a memorial
workout for them and it was justa touching moment to interview
the father and to talk to himabout losing his son and talking
about how doing a memorial wadwas like one of the main
(11:56):
fixtures of his healing process,and so that just really
humanized CrossFit for me andand how it is a sport that
really helps people through someof the toughest times in their
lives, and so that was a storythat really stuck out to me.
I believe he was a member ofCrossFit Krypton, the father was
(12:17):
, and so that story really stuckout to me.
Um, as one in the community andthen one in on the side of the
sport, I would say is that I'vehad an opportunity to interview
some of the best of the best.
So I did a long interview withCole Sager and Noel Olson and
Bjork and Carl Goodmanson abouthow they've been in the sport
(12:37):
and have gone to the games 10years, and so that was a really
really, for me, a really bigmoment to get to interview some
of the best of the best and talkabout how they see the sport
evolving, how they've trained,how they've evolved in the sport
as well.
So that was a pretty cool oneCool one too.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Do you have a favorite pro CrossFit athlete,
male or female?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
that's a good question.
Um, I really like like quietwork, hard working types so I
would say I really I I admirelike a bkg type.
Yeah, um, I think that thefolks who are just like grinding
in the background are reallyare really cool, like alexis
raptus or, um, I'm trying tothink who else.
But I mean, like, primarily,I'm a big Tia Toomey fan.
I think she is incrediblytalented and I admire someone
(13:34):
who can just be a workhorse andlike, no matter what, she's
going to be out there and she'sgoing to work, and so I kind of
like that.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
I love that.
So tell me about yourassessment of CrossFit as a
company.
You've seen them for the pastcouple years.
How are they doing?
What would your assessment bein terms of what they've done
over the past couple of years asa, as a HQ not the affiliates,
obviously, but HQ?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah.
So you know, I started Ibelieve I started writing in
2022.
And so I went to the games in2023.
And so I kind of got to see Ifeel like the last year in
Madison as a year beforeeverything that obviously
(14:24):
happened in 2024, but I think itbefore then we were kind of and
and maybe folks feeldifferently, but I feel like we
were in a really good spot.
Like Dave Castro was in amanager of sport position, we
kind of were getting our flowback, I feel like in terms of
the elite, the community, allthese different pieces.
(14:46):
And so I feel like at thatpoint in 2023, it was like okay,
we're coming back, like Dave'shere, he had just come back and
like started programming for thegames again and people were
kind of like okay, this is thenorm, this is where we're at.
And then 2024 happened, right,and so everything that happened
with Lazar Dukic was just ahorrible.
(15:09):
Everything that happened withLazar Dukic was just a horrible,
horrible, horrible event.
But I think the handling ofthat matter was really not done
in the right way for thecommunity.
It's not what they needed, it'snot what they wanted, and so I
(15:32):
I feel as though they, if theywant to.
If Don Fall or Dave Castro orsome of these folks at the top
want to stay in these positions,I feel like they need to come
out and be more transparent.
Right Like we're seeing thissport start to splinter.
I think, and I think we'reseeing the, the company start to
splinter because people arelosing trust and losing interest
in, you know, keeping with thenorm when it's not the norm
(15:55):
anymore, like something reallybad happened, and so I think
that we need to see some sort ofcommunication from them for
folks to be able to air quotemove on right, no one's going to
move on from what happened, buttry to get past what happened
and and come back to crossfit um, how has your affiliate done
(16:16):
over these past couple years interms of growth, success,
membership increase or decrease,and does that relate at all to
CrossFit HQ?
That's a good question.
Yeah, no, CrossFit Union Squarehas gone through the trials and
(16:38):
tribulations of being anaffiliate in Manhattan, right?
I mean, rent is incrediblyexpensive, it is hard to
maintain buildings.
So we've moved quite a bitsince I've been there right,
I've only been a coach there,for we're going on three years
now, and so we've had to movewithin that time frame.
But I believe that, you know,when we joined, or when I joined
, the membership was very highand I believe it is still high
(17:03):
and it's still.
You know, when I joined, we hadto have like a wait list for
full-time memberships.
That's how popular we are.
So I don't think it was reallyshifting, but I do think the
interest in doing things likethe open or things that involve
CrossFit as a company haveshifted, if that makes sense.
(17:23):
So I think that you know we atCrossFit Union Square are trying
to, you know, give people anopportunity to do the open if
they'd like to.
But I feel like there's also anopportunity for our athletes to
want to do something else.
Like, if they want to focus onlocal competitions, there's an
opportunity for that.
If they want to do high rock,there's an opportunity for them
(17:43):
to go and focus on high rockstraining.
So I think as an affiliatewe're doing fine and I think
that membership wise we're doingfine and I think that
membership-wise we are a populargym.
But yeah, I think Crosby UnionSquare kind of keeps themselves
separate from CrossFit as acompany.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
You know, I was talking to Aaron Hind, who's the
CEO of FitAid, and he literallysaid there are some affiliates
who are affiliated but notactually putting CrossFit on
their name.
So they're just callingthemselves, you know so-and-so
strength and conditioning, andthey're not putting CrossFit
because they don't feel likeCrossFit necessarily adds value
(18:23):
to who they are as a gym.
Do you feel that way, At leastfor your affiliate?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, I think that affiliate owners I've talked to
a lot of affiliate owners and Ithink that they make up the
bread and butter of theirbusiness.
I do not think that addingCrossFit to the end of the name
really matters that much, otherthan the fact that if you're
Googling and you want a CrossFitgym, you're going to find
(18:51):
CrossFit Union Square because ithas CrossFit in the name.
But I don't think you know ifCrossFit Union Square dropped
CrossFit that it really wouldchange that much.
It's the coaching that makes upthat gym.
It is the caliber of athletesthat make up that gym.
So I think that you know it's agood question, but I personally
I feel as though it doesn'thold that much stake to keep
(19:14):
CrossFit in the name, especiallynow that it to some, has a bad
association adding CrossFit tothe name.
And I also feel like CrossFithas an exceedingly high, or
perceived exceedingly high,barrier to entry.
So when you slap CrossFit ontosomething immediately some folks
(19:37):
are like, oh, I can't do that,right, you get that.
All the time People are like Ican't do what this girl's doing
and so making it, you knowsomething X, strength and
conditioning.
To me it could also be abenefit.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Wow.
So, it's a tough call.
How about the programming?
What programming do you guysfollow?
Do you do your own?
Do you roll your ownprogramming?
Do you follow CAP or somethingelse?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah, no, we follow.
Jay Adams is our head coach andhe's our programmer.
Yeah, follow um.
Jay adams is our head coach andhe's our programmer.
Yeah, so he, um is a formergames athlete and he also is um
works for the, the training plan.
It's like a european-based umtraining program.
I think I believe bkg followsit and at one point in time
(20:24):
annie thoris daughter did followit, or um was involved in it.
So he is our programmer, his um.
And then personally I follow,uh, jadam's programming too.
So um, he's our, he's ourprogrammer.
But it's it's folks who come inand we get a ton of drop-ins.
We're in the middle ofmanhattan right, come in and
(20:44):
they love our programming.
Right, we fill an hour like youwould never see.
Right, it's like a lifting, ahard lifting segment into a
really tough conditioning piece.
So so we balance it out.
We get folks.
Uh, if you're just followingclass, you're squatting once a
week, you're lift, doing anolympic lift at least a week,
(21:08):
and then you're doing some sortof strength training on Friday
followed by a workout.
So we also Tuesdays andThursdays are like the longer
conditioning pieces.
So it's a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Now, I know you're competing in Waterpalooza in a
week or two, next week, rightNext week?
Yeah, you're part of the teams,right?
And what division are you incompeting in?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I am, yeah, no, I'm on a team called Team Union
Stronger A parenthesis around ERbecause we're that creative.
So we have a team union strong,union, stronger.
And then I believe we also havea team union strongest.
So, um, we have, uh, six teamsgoing to wadapalooza, which is
really exciting for for ouraffiliate, but I'm on an rx
(21:55):
women's team okay so, uh, myself, alissa brown and taylor short
are my teammates and we, yeah,no, we last year did it and we
were intermediate and then thisyear we actually made made the
rx division, which is excitingbecause, you know, we all have,
uh, full-time jobs and we havecrazy lives, and so it's, it's a
real honor to be able to, tocompete and be, um, you know,
(22:19):
representing our gym and thenalso just it's nice to obviously
, you know, see improvement asan athlete, uh, because it's
sometimes really incremental andreally slow, but then when you
you do a comp or do a qualifierand you see where you end up,
it's hopefully sometimessatisfying, sometimes
disappointing.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
But this time it came out yeah.
What does Waterpalooza do right?
Like you obviously had gonelast year.
You've had experience with it,you're going back.
What is it that they do thatmaybe CrossFit could take away
from in terms of how theyexecute their, their festival or
their competition?
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yeah, that's a good question.
You know, I've I've interviewedDylan Malitzky, one of the
organizers of of Wadapalooza,from the start and up until now,
and he's a really, a reallygreat guy guy and he also has a
good pulse on what you know ishappening in the sport and I
think what they get right isthat they do not take themselves
(23:17):
too seriously.
Yet, at the same time, are avery serious and one of the most
, I would say, covetedcompetitions of the year for
community members and then alsofor elites like who doesn't want
to be in Miami and in January,right?
So I think it's a lot like alot of things.
I think their location is great, I think that their timing is
(23:37):
great for folks who, me included, want to get out of the cold,
and so I think that they get itright.
In terms of also making it awhole three-day competition.
I like that they did it.
They moved it where individualelite individuals compete the
first two days and then they canalso be on a team.
So it kind of gives you, as aspectator, an opportunity to see
(23:59):
elites for a total of four days, which is like really fun, and
it's also there for fun, so it'sjust made it a really exciting,
fun and like easy time I don'tknow how to explain it like it's
just an easy competition tokind of get to.
For people, miami's not that umtough of a trip and so I think
(24:22):
you know it's.
It's a whole mix, but Dylan hasgotten.
Whatever formula he and histeam use, they've gotten it
right.
They do a great job withprogramming and I think folks
love to be on teams right.
Teams are really fun and so Ithink that they also do a good
job of programming like the teamworkouts and then keeping it
separate from the elites andkind of just working the whole
(24:44):
day.
I feel like that's also the keypart of Bada.
Palooza is like okay, how arewe going to segment the day
where people get to compete andthen they also get to stick
around and watch elites, and sothey just do a great job of
everything, and the vendorvillage is always really fun and
talking to brands, and so it'sjust a really exciting time for
them.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
I see the workouts.
Out of these workouts, whichone are you most excited about?
Which one are you most scaredof?
There's race to the top 3-3-3-4, warms up, hands down overhead.
Squad block party the triotriplet.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Okay, good question.
I would say we just came backfrom Beacon, new York, because
Jay lives and coaches up in inbeacon and they had ropes and
unfortunately at crossfit unionsquare square we do not have
tall enough ceilings so we hadto go and do rope climbs.
So I would say I'm excited, Ilike rope climbs.
(25:41):
Um, I came from a gym in dcthat had high ceilings so I like
rope climb, that I guess youyou know the names better than
me whatever the one with therope climb and the box jump over
.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Yes, heavy it says race to the top, it's a race.
Rope climbs, box jump overs 30inches, I guess for you guys.
And then yeah.
And then cleans at 165.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I know, yeah, but I yeah, though for me those are
like really doable movements.
So for I, we tried it yesterdayand I had a lot of fun, so I'm
excited for that workout.
And then the one I'm leastexcited about is probably
probably three, three, three,four.
Ok, that the buy in is justlong enough to jack your heart
(26:30):
rate.
And then you have to go rightinto these.
Um, heavy for me, heavydumbbell movements a 50 pound
dumbbell is not like the easiestthing to move, and so for me
that is gonna be one where I'mjust like holding on for dear
life and trying not to let go.
Um, this looks brutal it'sthree.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yeah, it's so.
It's three, three, three, four,so it's four rounds and then
three, three, three minutes forthe first three and then four
minutes for the last one, andeach round buy-in at the same
time I guess everyone does three.
Uh v lights, heavy dubs.
That's a heavy, like a weightedjump rope, I, I assume.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah, so there, and they'll probably correct me, but
I believe the jump rope itself,I believe the handles are the
heavy part which is interesting.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And then it's a so we'll see yeah, and then it's a.
So you haven't tried it yet.
You're going to go and seewhat-.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I haven't.
I've used a heavy jump ropelike a Zeus rope before, but the
rope itself is heavy and thehandles aren't that heavy.
So I don't I, I'm all.
I will see.
We'll see what happens.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And then it's a four for the women 400 meter assault
row and then a 400 meter assaultrun.
So one of you guys is doing oneof those each right.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah, yeah, so we've worked it out.
Yeah, so, essentially, whereyou, you could be strategic, um,
um.
Again, it might change oncompetition day, but if you are
a strong runner, I'm a bet.
I'm a pretty strong runner, I'mdoing majority of those rounds
running right right.
So it's kind of like a?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
a strategic workout and then in the remaining time
of each round it's 50 synchrodumbbell thrusters, 35 dumbbell
snatches, 20 synchro devil pressplus thruster with, for the
women, 50 pounds.
That's insane.
Wait, how many?
(28:20):
Is it a single dumbbellthruster?
Is it a double dumbbell thrust?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
it's a single okay, and only two people working out
at a time, so you do get restokay.
But it's like not enough.
I've tried it a couple, we'vetried it twice now and it does
not get any better, but it'sdefinitely fun.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
How far can you get through that 50-35-20?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I think when we tested it last week we got 13
doubles press thruster combos,13 doubles press thruster combos
.
So it's definitely teams willfinish that workout, but it's
tough, it is tough.
You got to move.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Yeah, all right, I can't wait to watch that.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, that'll be a fun one to watch, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
All right.
So talk to me a little bitabout I mean good luck.
But all right, talk to me alittle bit about the future of
CrossFit itself.
So how do you think, what isyour prediction for CrossFit HQ?
What's going to happen in yourmind's eye, or what possible
scenarios do you envision couldhappen for CrossFit HQ in the
future, based on what you'veseen?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
yeah, I mean, I think to to take a step back and to
look at what happened in 2024.
I mean, everything thathappened around the games was a
real turning point for thecompany.
I think that they clearly hadto go into crisis mode, right,
and figure out what to do andwhat to say.
And then this year, I feel youknow, we just saw the rule book
for the, the season this year wejust saw that the the entire
(29:52):
season is is different from lastyear.
There is no semi-final, there'sonly or I'm sorry, there is no
quarterfinals, it's just theopen to semi-finals, and so I
think that for them, this yearis a real game of just picking
up the pieces and trying to justput it back together again in a
(30:14):
sense.
You know, we've also seen thatthey announced that the games is
going to Albany, new York, amuch different change than years
before, and it's also, if I'mnot wrong, it's only three days,
so it's also a shortenedcompetition weekend, and so I
feel as though they're in apoint of rebuilding.
But you know, this is also justa personal opinion.
(30:38):
I think to rebuild and to keepthe same leadership, you have to
be open with your community,and I think that there's a lack
of openness community, and Ithink that there's a lack of
openness.
It's, you know, dave Castrowent right to doing his week's
week in review, don Fall is backto going around to seminars and
, you know, talking toaffiliates and it's like this
(30:58):
elephant in the room of of whathappened last year and I think
that if there was an ounce ofaccountability and, you know, an
ounce of just like takingownership for, for what happened
, or just an acknowledgementthat people would Might Take
that and, you know, accept it insome sense and maybe move
(31:18):
forward and be more excitedabout the open.
And so I think you know, forthem as a company, it's going to
be a transitional year.
Obviously, there are folks andaffiliates out there who are
just going to always support theopen and because their members
like to have something to worktowards.
(31:39):
So I do understand that theywill likely continue and
continue on.
But I think you know, a lot ofaffiliates are also just maybe
fed up with the way things havebeen and putting less emphasis
on the Open this year.
So I think that they have toreally square with themselves
(32:02):
what to do and really listen totheir community and, like I said
, be a bit more transparent inthe long run.
But I guess it'll be aninteresting year to see open
signups.
I know they are down from lastyear, just based off of some
numbers that we've been we'retalking about in our meeting,
and so obviously that couldchange.
But I think that just this, theworld of fitness, is changing
(32:27):
too.
Um, we've seen high rocks uhtake off in the last couple of
years and and a lot ofCrossFitters have turned to high
rocks and so some are steppingaway from competitive CrossFit
and turning to a more, you know,conditioning heavy they're sort
of engaging in and the separateorganization structure how do
(32:50):
you think that's going to playout?
Yeah, I mean, I think thecreation of the PFAA is a good
thing for athletes.
I think that they've alwaysneeded, you know, some sort of
(33:11):
organization to protect them andhave, you know, some some folks
backing them up in a situationsuch as what happened in twenty
twenty four.
But I think that they, you know, will will run parallel to
something like the World FitnessProject, the new, the new kind
of competition coming from WillMorad and his team there.
(33:34):
So I think they'll run parallel.
I think that clearly more eyeswill be on the PFAA this year,
especially with, like, brentFikowski at the helm.
I think he is a very, I wouldsay, knowledgeable, smart People
look up to him.
So I think that he being at thehelm of that and Bruce is
(33:59):
coming around him being at thehelm of that is important and I
do think that they there will bea heavy emphasis on them
throughout the competitionseason, for sure.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
How do you think CrossFit?
What do you think CrossFitneeds to do in order to compete?
I mean, we've talked about theshortcomings and issues that
they've had in terms ofaccountability, orange theories
or or so many of the other typeof boutique fitness um uh places
out there, even stuff likePilates I know a lot of women
(34:46):
are uh starting to do a lot ofcore fire and these other um
kind of boutique classes.
Is there anything advice thatyou would give CrossFit in terms
of how to be a more marketable?
Or you've already talked aboutthat barrier to entry in terms
of athletes feeling like this istoo difficult or not for them.
We all started in CrossFit andnone of us were like that
(35:07):
awesome of athletes I think mostof us when we started.
So how is it that we can sortof overcome that and grow the
base of athletes or peopleinterested in doing CrossFit?
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, I think that that is an always evolving
question, especially I see it alot in Manhattan.
There's you walk down thestreet, you see an F-45, an
Orange Theory, like you said, aPilates studio, a yoga studio,
and you're like, how are theseplaces?
You know, how are youattracting certain members and
how are you keep retaining thesemembers?
(35:40):
And I think for CrossFit and Isaid this already with the
barrier of entry is making anaffiliate separate from CrossFit
like making sure that folksunderstand that a CrossFit
affiliate is absolutely nothinglike how an elite athlete trains
.
Elite athletes today it is afull-time job.
They are doing very high skills, they are training two to three
(36:02):
times a day, and so for folkswho are just, you know,
scrolling doom, scrolling theinternet and seeing people
lifting you know a girl lifting200 pounds over their head you
know getting away from that andmaking sure that folks know that
at a community level right andand use also started at a
CrossFit gym that it is a verydoable thing and it is a very
(36:23):
like modifiable workout to do atall times, and so I think in it
.
I think it also varies fromaffiliate to affiliate, um, but
in terms of marketing themselvesas a place that is welcoming
and a place that isn't, you know, so highly coveted, right, it's
a place that everyone can comeand it doesn't matter if you're
(36:45):
really great or really bad, andI think that also is
foundational to CrossFit, right,when you know, I had those
horrible times back in DC when Ilost my job.
Like it didn't matter that Ilost my job, I was there working
out next to them.
They didn't care, right, you'reall the same in the middle of a
Metcon, and so getting back tothat idea, I think, would be a
(37:07):
good thing for affiliates andalso realizing that CrossFit is
such, you know, it's such alifestyle, for obviously,
obviously, I'm someone whodrinks the kool-aid, so I know
that.
But I also think that like itis such a lifestyle choice to go
to the gym and hurt, like thatright, like it is, it is just
such a different thing thananything any other sport, and
(37:30):
I've recently been to a couplePilates classes, which, which
are very, very hard, but a muchdifferent experience, right.
So for me, it's getting back tocommunity, it's getting back to
the idea that it is aninclusive sport and getting back
to just the basics and thefundamentals.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
What's your favorite workout or hero WOD that you
like to do?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Oh, that's a good question.
People will know this, but butdt is my favorite workout um.
I love barbell cycling and Ilike um.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
I like a fast workout and to me that is a fast like
mean workout so I, that's my,that is my favorite I wish I
could hang on to the bar longer.
Yeah, yeah, that's the problem.
Yeah, I always, I always end updropping, not necessarily
because of the weight, butbecause I just can't hang.
I just I got to work on my grip.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
I think on on DT, so uh but yeah, that grip, it's a,
it's a tough one, it's a toughworkout yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
I love that one too.
Well so.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
And how do they?
Where do they read your work?
What social media handles doyou have?
How can we keep you know, stayabreast of your accomplishments?
Yeah, yeah, so we all our workis published under barbendcom,
and then you can go withinbarbendcom.
On the homepage there's aCrossFit, you know tag and so
you can press that and that'swhere all our work is.
You could also subscribe to ournewsletter and get it to your
inbox every day.
It is easy to subscribe.
(39:03):
I think there are two levels ofmembership.
One is pretty inexpensive andthen another is an RX version,
which is a bit more expensive,but it gives you some premium
content.
So for interviewing differentcoaches or interviewing folks
about analysis or trying to getsome topic that's a little
deeper, it gives you access tothat content.
And then I'm really just onInstagram.
(39:25):
My handle is tfin94.
Awesome, and so I post a lot offitness, a lot of dogs, and I'm
posting a lot about our storiesand different interviews I'm
working on with differentwriters on our team.
So, yeah, just there.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
That's awesome.
Good luck at Waterpalooza.
I know you guys are going tocrush it, but I'll be checking
out how you guys do.
And thank you again, tegan, fortaking the time to talk.
I think what you said is superilluminating, super illuminating
(40:01):
.
It's nice to see someone whohas the, who, drinks the
Kool-Aid, is all in, not just asan athlete, as a coach, but
also has a great perspective asa writer.
I've, I've, I've read so manyof your pieces and I know you
probably don't remember I didsee you briefly at 23.2 when you
covered it.
That was one of the openworkouts over at my gym,
crossfit Bison in Midland Park.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
Oh Bison, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Yeah, we gave you a hard time coming in just because
we were overwhelmed.
But then, like, because weweren't letting anyone in, and
then I remember, like or like,all right, she's a journalist,
so we, we let you in because wethere are so many people just
wanted to come in to watchVellner and Krennikov throw down
on that workout.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
Oh yeah, I mean talk about a community.
Bison is a huge community.
That was a really fun event.
Yeah, no, well, thanks forletting me in.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yeah, well, we needed the publicity.
I mean, you're the one who wasright, we needed it yeah.
So yeah, we needed.
But thank you again, tegan, andgood luck at Waterpalooza.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Oh, thanks so much for having me.
Yeah, no, I'm excited.
Hi, welcome to another episode of Botox and
Burpees.
I'm your host, Samri, and Ihave a very special guest with
us today, Tegan Finn and herstandard poodle.
What's his name again?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's Bruce.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Bruce, bruce, yes, and Tegan is senior writer at
Morning Chalk Up, which coversCrossFit and CrossFit News as an
outlet, and I really thank you,tegan, today, for coming in or
meeting with me today andtalking a little bit about
yourself, about CrossFit, aboutwhere do you think CrossFit's
(00:39):
going, your personal involvementand your perspective as a
journalist covering CrossFitover the past couple of years.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, I'm so happy to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
So I know you've been working for Morning Chaka for a
couple of years.
Tell me your background first,like how did you start in terms
of your career education?
What got you into journalismand writing?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, so I'm from upstate New York, the Finger
Lakes region, so I'm used tosome brutal cold weather.
But I went to Hobart WilliamSmith Colleges in Geneva, new
York, for my undergrad.
I studied like writing thereand I did a lot with different,
the local newspaper there, andso I kind of just fell into
(01:28):
writing.
To be honest, it just camenaturally to me and I really
enjoyed it.
And so then I moved right intograd school.
I went, I moved to DC and Iwent to American University for
my master's in journalism.
So I moved right to DC, keptgoing with school and then,
(01:48):
after I got done with school, itwas like a year program.
So after that year I ended upgetting a job at Bloomberg it
was Bloomberg government at thetime, but now it's Bloomberg
Industry Group and I coveredagriculture, I covered like all
things like farm country, farmsubsidies, like a whole range of
(02:10):
topics, and so that was like myfirst real journalist job and
it was a really a great job.
And then I kind of fell intoworking with the breaking news
team at Bloomberg LLP, the mainBloomberg that people know about
.
So I started working there anddid a lot with breaking news a
(02:31):
much different animal than abeat writing, a beat writer per
se.
So it was more fast, fasthitting news, very short stories
, kind of a much different rolein journalism.
And then I got hired at NBC.
And so I worked at NBC forabout a year and then
(02:51):
unfortunately, you know, endedon bad terms with that job.
I was accused of plagiarism.
It was a whole really, reallyrough situation for me, but I
was an adult and I tookaccountability situation for me,
but I was an adult and I tookaccountability and it was the
life-changing moment for me torealize that, you know, I had
(03:12):
made mistakes, I was lackingoversight in my job and I picked
myself back up and honestlytransitioned to CrossFit in that
time, when I had lost my joband I got my L1.
I started coaching.
I was like trying to findsomething to fill the void of
(03:34):
being unemployed, being fired,trying to figure out what to do
with my life, and so I startedcoaching and it really got me
through some really, reallydifficult times for myself, and
so I started coaching and then Iapplied to Morning Chalk Up and
so I, you know, whatever hashappened to me is very public.
(03:57):
People can Google me and lookit up, so it's all out there and
they gave me an opportunity tointerview and to talk with them
and talk with the editors andbring me on to their team, and
so I was able to join as afreelance writer, like like I am
now.
But I started off slowly andtook took a year to really build
(04:19):
back some confidence as awriter and yeah, so it kind of
brought me here now and so nowI'm been at Morning Chalk Up for
going on three years at thispoint.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
So that's a really interesting story.
I think all of us can relate totimes when we've been really
down probably almostdevastatingly down, I would
imagine and being able to findsomething to keep going with.
Was it finding CrossFit thatreally sort of helped you sort
(04:54):
of not focus on all the crazystuff that was going on, or was
it something else at that time?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, I had been doing CrossFit.
I started doing CrossFit, inGod, probably like 10 years from
10 years ago now, but I at thetime was a member of my gym and
it was a community that I wasreally in and I was still really
into CrossFit.
But I had never, never, thoughtabout coaching.
I lived a very traditional nineto five life, like that was.
(05:21):
That was kind of it.
And then, um, obviously with alot of more downtime, I was like
, okay, my, why don't I get anL1, maybe start some some sort
of stream of income for myself?
And so I've I started coachingand it was a real outlet for me
and that I felt like I hadpurpose again.
Obviously it was.
It was a huge loss to myconfidence in my life and so um
(05:46):
to just be able to coach acouple classes a week?
um was a slow you know a slowbuild-up to having confidence
again where did you startcoaching?
And because you're now atcrossfit uh union square in new
york, in new york city yeah, I,I started in dc uh at CrossFit
Balance, and that gym is sadlyno longer, but CrossFit Balance
(06:11):
was like the best community itwas.
It was like three differentlocations within within DC and I
had bopped around to all ofthem, and so the one in Thomas
Circle is where I startedcoaching and it was yeah, it was
a wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And then you moved to New York at some point.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, and I moved to New York in 2022.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, OK, and then I know CrossFit Union Square is
huge.
It's a very big place.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I would assume.
Yeah, it is a big community, itis a very, um, yeah, my path to
.
Well, we can talk about that.
So I, um, uh, you know, movedto the city and I had some
friends who started at CrossFitUnion Square and I, um, was,
went to a class and I wasimmediately humbled by how good
(07:01):
their athletes were.
And I was like this gym is socompetitive, it is so like the
energy is great and, you know,they're coaching, they have a
very highly respected coachingstaff, and so I, you know, had
to kind of, you know, work myway up and interview and, and,
you know, try to get myself in aposition where I was like, hey,
(07:23):
I, you know, I've only beencoaching for a little while, but
I feel like I could fit intothis community and you know.
So I ended up essentiallyapplying and and got a position
at union square and it's been agreat, a great opportunity.
That gym is really a phenomenalplace.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Talk about your coverage of CrossFit for Morning
Chalk Up.
You've done a wide variety ofpieces that I've seen.
Talk to me about that and whatyour experience has been wide
(08:07):
breadth of the sport.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
So I would say when I started right, the usually I
think where folks start in termsof a morning chalk up at least,
or maybe in the sport itself,is the community, because you
know you can relate to peopleand you can talk to people and
affiliates are always open andopen to speaking to folks.
And so I started really withdoing a ton of community pieces,
so speaking to different boxesthat were running certain
fundraisers, or if a box or ifan affiliate, you know, had a
(08:32):
had a storm and then they neededsome, some financial assistance
, it was like we could write astory about them and talk about
their past.
And so that's kind of where Istarted.
So that's kind of where Istarted.
And then I ended up going moreinto the professional side of
the sport and reporting more onprofessional athletes and
(08:53):
talking to different athletesand profiling them and talking
about their season and talkingabout kind of how they have
evolved in the sport too.
So it's kind of both.
It's a community side and it'sa professional side too.
So it's it's kind of both it'sa community side and it's a
professional side.
And then I think there's also aside of um talking about
CrossFit, the company, right,and so, more so in the last year
, I would say we've we'veobviously talked a bit more
(09:15):
about, or reported more aboutCrossFit as a company and, um,
so those different buckets arekind of where I live in, but I
do, I really love writing aboutthe community.
It is what makes up this sport,and so for me, those are kind
of like the stories that I wouldrather write about.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
How do ideas come about?
Do you pitch the stories?
Do your editors tell you whatto write?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Is it a combination?
Yeah, it's definitely acombination.
So we meet three times a weekand so we have pitch meetings
and I, you know, I'm coming inwith different ideas, different
things, like people bringdifferent stories, ideas, story
ideas to me or I'm thinking ofthem on my own.
Just because I'm a coach, Ialso am an athlete, so I can see
(10:01):
the sport in all thesedifferent ways.
So it's kind of a mix.
I would say it's a bit of both.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
And I know that they changed ownership right, they
went to Bar Bend.
So what was that like?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Yeah, yeah.
So when I right, yeah.
So before.
Well, when I was hired, yeah, Iwas not owned by Bar Bend, and
then, about two years, in Barbenpurchased Morning Chalk Up and,
to be honest, not a ton haschanged.
Our editors have editorialownership over what we do.
Barben's a great company.
(10:35):
They've kind of just made itreally easy for us.
I would say, if anything, it'sgiven us more of a platform.
Barben has, you know, a lot.
Obviously there's weightliftingand then there's powerlifting,
and so it's given us kind of abigger audience to look at our
work anyway.
So I would say it's been apretty, a pretty easy transition
(10:56):
for me at least.
I'm an editor, so I don't know,I'm just a writer.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
What are any of your pieces?
Stand out as any particularfavorites that you covered or
did that you really liked?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Yeah, let's see, I would say on the I'm a bucket
them.
So on the on the community side, when I had just started
writing and I was like comingout of this hole from NBC and
like am I a good writer, am Ieven capable of being a writer
again?
So I interviewed this gentlemanwhose son had had I believe he
(11:35):
had committed suicide and he youknow we were doing a memorial
workout for them and it was justa touching moment to interview
the father and to talk to himabout losing his son and talking
about how doing a memorial wadwas like one of the main
(11:56):
fixtures of his healing process,and so that just really
humanized CrossFit for me andand how it is a sport that
really helps people through someof the toughest times in their
lives, and so that was a storythat really stuck out to me.
I believe he was a member ofCrossFit Krypton, the father was
(12:17):
, and so that story really stuckout to me.
Um, as one in the community andthen one in on the side of the
sport, I would say is that I'vehad an opportunity to interview
some of the best of the best.
So I did a long interview withCole Sager and Noel Olson and
Bjork and Carl Goodmanson abouthow they've been in the sport
(12:37):
and have gone to the games 10years, and so that was a really
really, for me, a really bigmoment to get to interview some
of the best of the best and talkabout how they see the sport
evolving, how they've trained,how they've evolved in the sport
as well.
So that was a pretty cool oneCool one too.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Do you have a favorite pro CrossFit athlete,
male or female?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
that's a good question.
Um, I really like like quietwork, hard working types so I
would say I really I I admirelike a bkg type.
Yeah, um, I think that thefolks who are just like grinding
in the background are reallyare really cool, like alexis
raptus or, um, I'm trying tothink who else.
But I mean, like, primarily,I'm a big Tia Toomey fan.
I think she is incrediblytalented and I admire someone
(13:34):
who can just be a workhorse andlike, no matter what, she's
going to be out there and she'sgoing to work, and so I kind of
like that.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
I love that.
So tell me about yourassessment of CrossFit as a
company.
You've seen them for the pastcouple years.
How are they doing?
What would your assessment bein terms of what they've done
over the past couple of years asa, as a HQ not the affiliates,
obviously, but HQ?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yeah.
So you know, I started Ibelieve I started writing in
2022.
And so I went to the games in2023.
And so I kind of got to see Ifeel like the last year in
Madison as a year beforeeverything that obviously
(14:24):
happened in 2024, but I think itbefore then we were kind of and
and maybe folks feeldifferently, but I feel like we
were in a really good spot.
Like Dave Castro was in amanager of sport position, we
kind of were getting our flowback, I feel like in terms of
the elite, the community, allthese different pieces.
(14:46):
And so I feel like at thatpoint in 2023, it was like okay,
we're coming back, like Dave'shere, he had just come back and
like started programming for thegames again and people were
kind of like okay, this is thenorm, this is where we're at.
And then 2024 happened, right,and so everything that happened
with Lazar Dukic was just ahorrible.
(15:09):
Everything that happened withLazar Dukic was just a horrible,
horrible, horrible event.
But I think the handling ofthat matter was really not done
in the right way for thecommunity.
It's not what they needed, it'snot what they wanted, and so I
(15:32):
I feel as though they, if theywant to.
If Don Fall or Dave Castro orsome of these folks at the top
want to stay in these positions,I feel like they need to come
out and be more transparent.
Right Like we're seeing thissport start to splinter.
I think, and I think we'reseeing the, the company start to
splinter because people arelosing trust and losing interest
in, you know, keeping with thenorm when it's not the norm
(15:55):
anymore, like something reallybad happened, and so I think
that we need to see some sort ofcommunication from them for
folks to be able to air quotemove on right, no one's going to
move on from what happened, buttry to get past what happened
and and come back to crossfit um, how has your affiliate done
(16:16):
over these past couple years interms of growth, success,
membership increase or decrease,and does that relate at all to
CrossFit HQ?
That's a good question.
Yeah, no, CrossFit Union Squarehas gone through the trials and
(16:38):
tribulations of being anaffiliate in Manhattan, right?
I mean, rent is incrediblyexpensive, it is hard to
maintain buildings.
So we've moved quite a bitsince I've been there right,
I've only been a coach there,for we're going on three years
now, and so we've had to movewithin that time frame.
But I believe that, you know,when we joined, or when I joined
, the membership was very highand I believe it is still high
(17:03):
and it's still.
You know, when I joined, we hadto have like a wait list for
full-time memberships.
That's how popular we are.
So I don't think it was reallyshifting, but I do think the
interest in doing things likethe open or things that involve
CrossFit as a company haveshifted, if that makes sense.
(17:23):
So I think that you know we atCrossFit Union Square are trying
to, you know, give people anopportunity to do the open if
they'd like to.
But I feel like there's also anopportunity for our athletes to
want to do something else.
Like, if they want to focus onlocal competitions, there's an
opportunity for that.
If they want to do high rock,there's an opportunity for them
(17:43):
to go and focus on high rockstraining.
So I think as an affiliatewe're doing fine and I think
that membership wise we're doingfine and I think that
membership-wise we are a populargym.
But yeah, I think Crosby UnionSquare kind of keeps themselves
separate from CrossFit as acompany.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
You know, I was talking to Aaron Hind, who's the
CEO of FitAid, and he literallysaid there are some affiliates
who are affiliated but notactually putting CrossFit on
their name.
So they're just callingthemselves, you know so-and-so
strength and conditioning, andthey're not putting CrossFit
because they don't feel likeCrossFit necessarily adds value
(18:23):
to who they are as a gym.
Do you feel that way, At leastfor your affiliate?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Yeah, I think that affiliate owners I've talked to
a lot of affiliate owners and Ithink that they make up the
bread and butter of theirbusiness.
I do not think that addingCrossFit to the end of the name
really matters that much, otherthan the fact that if you're
Googling and you want a CrossFitgym, you're going to find
(18:51):
CrossFit Union Square because ithas CrossFit in the name.
But I don't think you know ifCrossFit Union Square dropped
CrossFit that it really wouldchange that much.
It's the coaching that makes upthat gym.
It is the caliber of athletesthat make up that gym.
So I think that you know it's agood question, but I personally
I feel as though it doesn'thold that much stake to keep
(19:14):
CrossFit in the name, especiallynow that it to some, has a bad
association adding CrossFit tothe name.
And I also feel like CrossFithas an exceedingly high, or
perceived exceedingly high,barrier to entry.
So when you slap CrossFit ontosomething immediately some folks
(19:37):
are like, oh, I can't do that,right, you get that.
All the time People are like Ican't do what this girl's doing
and so making it, you knowsomething X, strength and
conditioning.
To me it could also be abenefit.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Wow.
So, it's a tough call.
How about the programming?
What programming do you guysfollow?
Do you do your own?
Do you roll your ownprogramming?
Do you follow CAP or somethingelse?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah, no, we follow.
Jay Adams is our head coach andhe's our programmer.
Yeah, follow um.
Jay adams is our head coach andhe's our programmer.
Yeah, so he, um is a formergames athlete and he also is um
works for the, the training plan.
It's like a european-based umtraining program.
I think I believe bkg followsit and at one point in time
(20:24):
annie thoris daughter did followit, or um was involved in it.
So he is our programmer, his um.
And then personally I follow,uh, jadam's programming too.
So um, he's our, he's ourprogrammer.
But it's it's folks who come inand we get a ton of drop-ins.
We're in the middle ofmanhattan right, come in and
(20:44):
they love our programming.
Right, we fill an hour like youwould never see.
Right, it's like a lifting, ahard lifting segment into a
really tough conditioning piece.
So so we balance it out.
We get folks.
Uh, if you're just followingclass, you're squatting once a
week, you're lift, doing anolympic lift at least a week,
(21:08):
and then you're doing some sortof strength training on Friday
followed by a workout.
So we also Tuesdays andThursdays are like the longer
conditioning pieces.
So it's a little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Now, I know you're competing in Waterpalooza in a
week or two, next week, rightNext week?
Yeah, you're part of the teams,right?
And what division are you incompeting in?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
I am, yeah, no, I'm on a team called Team Union
Stronger A parenthesis around ERbecause we're that creative.
So we have a team union strong,union, stronger.
And then I believe we also havea team union strongest.
So, um, we have, uh, six teamsgoing to wadapalooza, which is
really exciting for for ouraffiliate, but I'm on an rx
(21:55):
women's team okay so, uh, myself, alissa brown and taylor short
are my teammates and we, yeah,no, we last year did it and we
were intermediate and then thisyear we actually made made the
rx division, which is excitingbecause, you know, we all have,
uh, full-time jobs and we havecrazy lives, and so it's, it's a
real honor to be able to, tocompete and be, um, you know,
(22:19):
representing our gym and thenalso just it's nice to obviously
, you know, see improvement asan athlete, uh, because it's
sometimes really incremental andreally slow, but then when you
you do a comp or do a qualifierand you see where you end up,
it's hopefully sometimessatisfying, sometimes
disappointing.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
But this time it came out yeah.
What does Waterpalooza do right?
Like you obviously had gonelast year.
You've had experience with it,you're going back.
What is it that they do thatmaybe CrossFit could take away
from in terms of how theyexecute their, their festival or
their competition?
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yeah, that's a good question.
You know, I've I've interviewedDylan Malitzky, one of the
organizers of of Wadapalooza,from the start and up until now,
and he's a really, a reallygreat guy guy and he also has a
good pulse on what you know ishappening in the sport and I
think what they get right isthat they do not take themselves
(23:17):
too seriously.
Yet, at the same time, are avery serious and one of the most
, I would say, covetedcompetitions of the year for
community members and then alsofor elites like who doesn't want
to be in Miami and in January,right?
So I think it's a lot like alot of things.
I think their location is great, I think that their timing is
(23:37):
great for folks who, me included, want to get out of the cold,
and so I think that they get itright.
In terms of also making it awhole three-day competition.
I like that they did it.
They moved it where individualelite individuals compete the
first two days and then they canalso be on a team.
So it kind of gives you, as aspectator, an opportunity to see
(23:59):
elites for a total of four days, which is like really fun, and
it's also there for fun, so it'sjust made it a really exciting,
fun and like easy time I don'tknow how to explain it like it's
just an easy competition tokind of get to.
For people, miami's not that umtough of a trip and so I think
(24:22):
you know it's.
It's a whole mix, but Dylan hasgotten.
Whatever formula he and histeam use, they've gotten it
right.
They do a great job withprogramming and I think folks
love to be on teams right.
Teams are really fun and so Ithink that they also do a good
job of programming like the teamworkouts and then keeping it
separate from the elites andkind of just working the whole
(24:44):
day.
I feel like that's also the keypart of Bada.
Palooza is like okay, how arewe going to segment the day
where people get to compete andthen they also get to stick
around and watch elites, and sothey just do a great job of
everything, and the vendorvillage is always really fun and
talking to brands, and so it'sjust a really exciting time for
them.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
I see the workouts.
Out of these workouts, whichone are you most excited about?
Which one are you most scaredof?
There's race to the top 3-3-3-4, warms up, hands down overhead.
Squad block party the triotriplet.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Okay, good question.
I would say we just came backfrom Beacon, new York, because
Jay lives and coaches up in inbeacon and they had ropes and
unfortunately at crossfit unionsquare square we do not have
tall enough ceilings so we hadto go and do rope climbs.
So I would say I'm excited, Ilike rope climbs.
(25:41):
Um, I came from a gym in dcthat had high ceilings so I like
rope climb, that I guess youyou know the names better than
me whatever the one with therope climb and the box jump over
.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Yes, heavy it says race to the top, it's a race.
Rope climbs, box jump overs 30inches, I guess for you guys.
And then yeah.
And then cleans at 165.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I know, yeah, but I yeah, though for me those are
like really doable movements.
So for I, we tried it yesterdayand I had a lot of fun, so I'm
excited for that workout.
And then the one I'm leastexcited about is probably
probably three, three, three,four.
Ok, that the buy in is justlong enough to jack your heart
(26:30):
rate.
And then you have to go rightinto these.
Um, heavy for me, heavydumbbell movements a 50 pound
dumbbell is not like the easiestthing to move, and so for me
that is gonna be one where I'mjust like holding on for dear
life and trying not to let go.
Um, this looks brutal it'sthree.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Yeah, it's so.
It's three, three, three, four,so it's four rounds and then
three, three, three minutes forthe first three and then four
minutes for the last one, andeach round buy-in at the same
time I guess everyone does three.
Uh v lights, heavy dubs.
That's a heavy, like a weightedjump rope, I, I assume.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah, so there, and they'll probably correct me, but
I believe the jump rope itself,I believe the handles are the
heavy part which is interesting.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And then it's a so we'll see yeah, and then it's a.
So you haven't tried it yet.
You're going to go and seewhat-.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I haven't.
I've used a heavy jump ropelike a Zeus rope before, but the
rope itself is heavy and thehandles aren't that heavy.
So I don't I, I'm all.
I will see.
We'll see what happens.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
And then it's a four for the women 400 meter assault
row and then a 400 meter assaultrun.
So one of you guys is doing oneof those each right.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah, yeah, so we've worked it out.
Yeah, so, essentially, whereyou, you could be strategic, um,
um.
Again, it might change oncompetition day, but if you are
a strong runner, I'm a bet.
I'm a pretty strong runner, I'mdoing majority of those rounds
running right right.
So it's kind of like a?
Speaker 1 (28:00):
a strategic workout and then in the remaining time
of each round it's 50 synchrodumbbell thrusters, 35 dumbbell
snatches, 20 synchro devil pressplus thruster with, for the
women, 50 pounds.
That's insane.
Wait, how many?
(28:20):
Is it a single dumbbellthruster?
Is it a double dumbbell thrust?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
it's a single okay, and only two people working out
at a time, so you do get restokay.
But it's like not enough.
I've tried it a couple, we'vetried it twice now and it does
not get any better, but it'sdefinitely fun.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
How far can you get through that 50-35-20?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I think when we tested it last week we got 13
doubles press thruster combos,13 doubles press thruster combos
.
So it's definitely teams willfinish that workout, but it's
tough, it is tough.
You got to move.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Yeah, all right, I can't wait to watch that.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, that'll be a fun one to watch, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
All right.
So talk to me a little bitabout I mean good luck.
But all right, talk to me alittle bit about the future of
CrossFit itself.
So how do you think, what isyour prediction for CrossFit HQ?
What's going to happen in yourmind's eye, or what possible
scenarios do you envision couldhappen for CrossFit HQ in the
future, based on what you'veseen?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
yeah, I mean, I think to to take a step back and to
look at what happened in 2024.
I mean, everything thathappened around the games was a
real turning point for thecompany.
I think that they clearly hadto go into crisis mode, right,
and figure out what to do andwhat to say.
And then this year, I feel youknow, we just saw the rule book
for the, the season this year wejust saw that the the entire
(29:52):
season is is different from lastyear.
There is no semi-final, there'sonly or I'm sorry, there is no
quarterfinals, it's just theopen to semi-finals, and so I
think that for them, this yearis a real game of just picking
up the pieces and trying to justput it back together again in a
(30:14):
sense.
You know, we've also seen thatthey announced that the games is
going to Albany, new York, amuch different change than years
before, and it's also, if I'mnot wrong, it's only three days,
so it's also a shortenedcompetition weekend, and so I
feel as though they're in apoint of rebuilding.
But you know, this is also justa personal opinion.
(30:38):
I think to rebuild and to keepthe same leadership, you have to
be open with your community,and I think that there's a lack
of openness community, and Ithink that there's a lack of
openness.
It's, you know, dave Castrowent right to doing his week's
week in review, don Fall is backto going around to seminars and
, you know, talking toaffiliates and it's like this
(30:58):
elephant in the room of of whathappened last year and I think
that if there was an ounce ofaccountability and, you know, an
ounce of just like takingownership for, for what happened
, or just an acknowledgementthat people would Might Take
that and, you know, accept it insome sense and maybe move
(31:18):
forward and be more excitedabout the open.
And so I think you know, forthem as a company, it's going to
be a transitional year.
Obviously, there are folks andaffiliates out there who are
just going to always support theopen and because their members
like to have something to worktowards.
(31:39):
So I do understand that theywill likely continue and
continue on.
But I think you know, a lot ofaffiliates are also just maybe
fed up with the way things havebeen and putting less emphasis
on the Open this year.
So I think that they have toreally square with themselves
(32:02):
what to do and really listen totheir community and, like I said
, be a bit more transparent inthe long run.
But I guess it'll be aninteresting year to see open
signups.
I know they are down from lastyear, just based off of some
numbers that we've been we'retalking about in our meeting,
and so obviously that couldchange.
But I think that just this, theworld of fitness, is changing
(32:27):
too.
Um, we've seen high rocks uhtake off in the last couple of
years and and a lot ofCrossFitters have turned to high
rocks and so some are steppingaway from competitive CrossFit
and turning to a more, you know,conditioning heavy they're sort
of engaging in and the separateorganization structure how do
(32:50):
you think that's going to playout?
Yeah, I mean, I think thecreation of the PFAA is a good
thing for athletes.
I think that they've alwaysneeded, you know, some sort of
(33:11):
organization to protect them andhave, you know, some some folks
backing them up in a situationsuch as what happened in twenty
twenty four.
But I think that they, you know, will will run parallel to
something like the World FitnessProject, the new, the new kind
of competition coming from WillMorad and his team there.
(33:34):
So I think they'll run parallel.
I think that clearly more eyeswill be on the PFAA this year,
especially with, like, brentFikowski at the helm.
I think he is a very, I wouldsay, knowledgeable, smart People
look up to him.
So I think that he being at thehelm of that and Bruce is
(33:59):
coming around him being at thehelm of that is important and I
do think that they there will bea heavy emphasis on them
throughout the competitionseason, for sure.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
How do you think CrossFit?
What do you think CrossFitneeds to do in order to compete?
I mean, we've talked about theshortcomings and issues that
they've had in terms ofaccountability, orange theories
or or so many of the other typeof boutique fitness um uh places
out there, even stuff likePilates I know a lot of women
(34:46):
are uh starting to do a lot ofcore fire and these other um
kind of boutique classes.
Is there anything advice thatyou would give CrossFit in terms
of how to be a more marketable?
Or you've already talked aboutthat barrier to entry in terms
of athletes feeling like this istoo difficult or not for them.
We all started in CrossFit andnone of us were like that
(35:07):
awesome of athletes I think mostof us when we started.
So how is it that we can sortof overcome that and grow the
base of athletes or peopleinterested in doing CrossFit?
Speaker 2 (35:19):
Yeah, I think that that is an always evolving
question, especially I see it alot in Manhattan.
There's you walk down thestreet, you see an F-45, an
Orange Theory, like you said, aPilates studio, a yoga studio,
and you're like, how are theseplaces?
You know, how are youattracting certain members and
how are you keep retaining thesemembers?
(35:40):
And I think for CrossFit and Isaid this already with the
barrier of entry is making anaffiliate separate from CrossFit
like making sure that folksunderstand that a CrossFit
affiliate is absolutely nothinglike how an elite athlete trains
.
Elite athletes today it is afull-time job.
They are doing very high skills, they are training two to three
(36:02):
times a day, and so for folkswho are just, you know,
scrolling doom, scrolling theinternet and seeing people
lifting you know a girl lifting200 pounds over their head you
know getting away from that andmaking sure that folks know that
at a community level right andand use also started at a
CrossFit gym that it is a verydoable thing and it is a very
(36:23):
like modifiable workout to do atall times, and so I think in it
.
I think it also varies fromaffiliate to affiliate, um, but
in terms of marketing themselvesas a place that is welcoming
and a place that isn't, you know, so highly coveted, right, it's
a place that everyone can comeand it doesn't matter if you're
(36:45):
really great or really bad, andI think that also is
foundational to CrossFit, right,when you know, I had those
horrible times back in DC when Ilost my job.
Like it didn't matter that Ilost my job, I was there working
out next to them.
They didn't care, right, you'reall the same in the middle of a
Metcon, and so getting back tothat idea, I think, would be a
(37:07):
good thing for affiliates andalso realizing that CrossFit is
such, you know, it's such alifestyle, for obviously,
obviously, I'm someone whodrinks the kool-aid, so I know
that.
But I also think that like itis such a lifestyle choice to go
to the gym and hurt, like thatright, like it is, it is just
such a different thing thananything any other sport, and
(37:30):
I've recently been to a couplePilates classes, which, which
are very, very hard, but a muchdifferent experience, right.
So for me, it's getting back tocommunity, it's getting back to
the idea that it is aninclusive sport and getting back
to just the basics and thefundamentals.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
What's your favorite workout or hero WOD that you
like to do?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Oh, that's a good question.
People will know this, but butdt is my favorite workout um.
I love barbell cycling and Ilike um.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
I like a fast workout and to me that is a fast like
mean workout so I, that's my,that is my favorite I wish I
could hang on to the bar longer.
Yeah, yeah, that's the problem.
Yeah, I always, I always end updropping, not necessarily
because of the weight, butbecause I just can't hang.
I just I got to work on my grip.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
I think on on DT, so uh but yeah, that grip, it's a,
it's a tough one, it's a toughworkout yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
I love that one too.
Well so.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
And how do they?
Where do they read your work?
What social media handles doyou have?
How can we keep you know, stayabreast of your accomplishments?
Yeah, yeah, so we all our workis published under barbendcom,
and then you can go withinbarbendcom.
On the homepage there's aCrossFit, you know tag and so
you can press that and that'swhere all our work is.
You could also subscribe to ournewsletter and get it to your
inbox every day.
It is easy to subscribe.
(39:03):
I think there are two levels ofmembership.
One is pretty inexpensive andthen another is an RX version,
which is a bit more expensive,but it gives you some premium
content.
So for interviewing differentcoaches or interviewing folks
about analysis or trying to getsome topic that's a little
deeper, it gives you access tothat content.
And then I'm really just onInstagram.
(39:25):
My handle is tfin94.
Awesome, and so I post a lot offitness, a lot of dogs, and I'm
posting a lot about our storiesand different interviews I'm
working on with differentwriters on our team.
So, yeah, just there.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
That's awesome.
Good luck at Waterpalooza.
I know you guys are going tocrush it, but I'll be checking
out how you guys do.
And thank you again, tegan, fortaking the time to talk.
I think what you said is superilluminating, super illuminating
(40:01):
.
It's nice to see someone whohas the, who, drinks the
Kool-Aid, is all in, not just asan athlete, as a coach, but
also has a great perspective asa writer.
I've, I've, I've read so manyof your pieces and I know you
probably don't remember I didsee you briefly at 23.2 when you
covered it.
That was one of the openworkouts over at my gym,
crossfit Bison in Midland Park.
Speaker 2 (40:20):
Oh Bison, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:22):
Yeah, we gave you a hard time coming in just because
we were overwhelmed.
But then, like, because weweren't letting anyone in, and
then I remember, like or like,all right, she's a journalist,
so we, we let you in because wethere are so many people just
wanted to come in to watchVellner and Krennikov throw down
on that workout.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
Oh yeah, I mean talk about a community.
Bison is a huge community.
That was a really fun event.
Yeah, no, well, thanks forletting me in.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Yeah, well, we needed the publicity.
I mean, you're the one who wasright, we needed it yeah.
So yeah, we needed.
But thank you again, tegan, andgood luck at Waterpalooza.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Oh, thanks so much for having me.
Yeah, no, I'm excited.
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