BLOG 136 CROSSFIT GAMES
Well Netflix drew me to another documentary, this time called “Fittest on Earth 2015”. CrossFit is pretty extreme to me, and this movie proved that to be true. The top 40 athletes from around the world come together for this event. The CrossFit Games are intense, so let me tell you about what I saw.
The athletes agree that choosing to be a competitor means putting all time, energy, and focus into this. That might mean no school or work….wow!!!! It’s a continuous process to get stronger, faster, and better at feats of your athletic abilities because you don’t know what events are going to take place at the Games. Although you are competing against others, you are competing against yourself and your previous records. It’s a total lifestyle and becomes your sole existence.
One must qualify to get the actual games. Stage 1 is the Open round where over 300,000 athletes come to try to make it past round one. The top 600 move on to Stage 2. Finally, the remaining 40 make it to the games. The concept of the Games is “controlling varied high intensity functional movement”.
The sport has advanced in the fitness level of those who attend. In 2009, for the Snatch, the top person was at 145 pounds on the final lift. Now just for the warm up which has to be done 10x the weight starts at 135.
Once you get the games, the first night is a dinner, then the next day is an athlete meeting, and day 3 it’s on. There are no coaches to start, no crowd, just YOU.
And here’s how the events lined up:
Event 1: 7k run – there were wild hogs and poison ivy on this run ahhhh
Event 2: Deadlift Ladder
Event 3: 50 Wall Ball Shots, 25 Medicine Ball Sit Ups on a GHD machine (it looked barbaric)
Event 4: 500 m Ocean Swim
Event 5: MURF which is named after a navy seal and consists of a 1 mile run and 5 rounds of 20 pullups, 40 pushups, 100 squats all with 20 (men)/14 (women) pounds
Event 6: Squat Clean Ladder Pyramid
10 Squat Cleans (245 pounds men/ 165 pounds women)
8 Squat Cleans (268/195)
6 Squat Cleans (285/ 195)
4 Squat Cleans (305/205)
2 Squat Cleans (325/215)
Event 7: Double DT
10 rounds of 12 Deadlifts, 9 Hang Power Cleans, 6 Push Jerks and the men use 155 pounds and women use 105 pounds
Event 8: 3 rounds of 500 m run, 2 Rope Ascends, 40 ft Push, 2 Rope Ascends
Event 9:
Women Complete:
15 Back Squats 165 pounds, 20 Burpees, 6 Ring Hand Stand Pushups, 18 Front Squats 145 pounds, 20 Burpees, 4 Ring Hand Stand Pushups, 21 Overhead Squats 125 pounds, 20 Burpees, 2 Ring Hand Stand Pushups
Men Complete:
12 Ring Hand Stand Pushups, 15 Back Squats 225 pounds, 20 Burpees, 9 Ring Hand Stand Pushups, 18 Front Squat 205 pounds, 20 Burpees, 6 Ring Hand Stand Pushups, 21 Overhead Squats 185 pounds, 20 Burpees
Event 10: Done for time 40 Box Jumps 30 inches high for men/24 inches high for women followed by 20 D Ball Cleans 150 pounds men/100 pounds women
Event 11: Hand Stand Walks 280 ft for time
Event 12: Suicide Sprint 840 ft for time
Event 13: Plow Drag 560 ft for time
Event 14: Rope and Cape Choppers
Event 15: Pegboard
The key is earning points based on how high you place in each event. The more 1st place finishes you get the more likely you will be overall winner. After the ocean run, athletes were flown back to the original site to a stadium where spectators could watch. It was tiresome just watching all this and it took place from Thursday to Sunday. It is an honor to compete and amazing to win. The women winner has won 2 years in a row. Age is only a number and people of all height and sizes are there. Athleticism is what counts. Eh, not my style of working out but I respect those who can and do.
“Fittest on Earth”, 2015, by Heber Cannon, Marston Sawyers and Ian Wittenber