Why I Love the CrossFit Games
The CrossFit Games were last week, and I was so excited!! I love watching it and seeing all the top athletes at one competition. If you have never watched it before I would say it is something you should look into. It is some of the best competition with the fittest people in the world. Just the bodies alone are worth looking at.I haven’t been very motivated to write a post last week, not because I don’t have stuff to talk about. But I literally have been watching every CrossFit video and story that has been posted. I even had my phone on my desk at the office watching. I wasn’t supposed to be doing that and had to be very discrete.The things those athletes put themselves through just the opening day alone is amazing, let alone what they did the rest of the weekend.The Games change every year and more times than not, the details are not publicized until right before the Games start. Some are even announced right before each event. Athletes train year-round for a competition and they won’t even know what workouts they will be doing until right before.
How it All Started
CrossFit the company was founded in 2000, but the games weren’t started until 2007. A small group of athletes assembled at a ranch in northern California for the initial CrossFit Games. CrossFit led in a new age of fitness competitions—an age where the only way to win: do more work faster than anyone else, and let the clock be the judge.In 2008, the Games exploded, with approximately 300 athletes competing in four challenging workouts, including a variant of the signature workout “Fran.”The 2009 Games indicated the worldwide outbreak of CrossFit, with regional qualifiers held in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Iceland, Asia, Australia and Africa, as well as online. Basically the world of CrossFit became something not just American’s were doing.In 2010, the CrossFit Games got too big for the Ranch that hosted it the first three years. The Games moved to the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. For the first time the Games featured male and female Masters competitions.
Then It Got Bigger
The 2011 CrossFit Games started a 10-year sponsorship deal with Reebok. The season also began with the first ever Open competition. One of my coaches have competed in every Open since the first year, which I think is awesome!Despite the new tests of fitness, 2012 CrossFit Games noted a first in CrossFit Games history — back to back champions. Rich Froning and Annie Thorisdottir each claimed the title Fittest on Earth for the second year in a row.In 2013, the CrossFit Games boasted staggering participation numbers worldwide during the Open. The 2013 Games saw new equipment introduced: the so-called Pig and the Worm.2014 marked the end of an era. It was Rich Froning’s last year competing as an individual and he ended it with 4 Fittest on Earth titles. CrossFit announced a Rookie of the Year (Mat Fraser) for the first time.In 2015, Dave Castro added a Teenage Division for athletes 14 - 17 years old and a scaled option for the Open. More people could compete and the open got harder. Mat Fraser took another second place.
10 Years Later
2016 marked the 10-year anniversary of the CrossFit Games. In the end, two-time second-place Games finisher Mat Fraser finally won the gold with a dominant performance. Iceland transplant Katrin Davidsdottir took the women’s title for the second consecutive year. Making her the second woman to have 2 first place finishes after Annie Thorisdottir.In 2017 the CrossFit games changed location yet again to Madison, Wisconsin. Like the Netflix special is named it truly was the redeemed and the dominant. Mat Fraser swept the men’s side of the competition and Tia Claire-Toomey won by 4 points. It was an amazing thing to see.
2018 CrossFit Games
This year again was another one for the record books. Can you imagine rowing 42,145 meters on a rower?? And that was just the fourth workout of the opening day. The Games started on Wednesday and finished Sunday. They did 14 different workouts testing every single body part as well as endurance and speed.As my husband said the CrossFit games is not like what normal people do at CrossFit. While there are certain workouts that we do, there are always new things that are added to the Games that the athletes have never seen before. This year started off with the Crit, a 10 lap of 1200m each bike ride for time, they had the paddle boards and open water swim, plus a new handstand walking obstacle, not to mention the lovely peg board.None of these have I ever attempted or done in any form of competition. A lot of the minimum requirements to even make it out of the open I can’t do yet. One of my goals for this year was to get a pull-up. And I am so close!! But I by no means can do say Fran (21-15-9) Thrusters and pull-ups as prescribed. I must scale because I struggle with the gymnastics movements.
Watching The Games
Anyways, the CrossFit Games are streamed live on Facebook, the CrossFit Games website and CBS Sports on their website and app. I was streaming it and watching every event. If I missed something due to work or something I would re-watch it later at home. I am addicted to this sport.Again Mat Fraser won before the final event even started. Tia Claire-Toomey won by a large margin as well. That means Mat is one more first place away from tying with Rich Froning for 4 First place wins and Tia joins the ranks of Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir for two First place finishes.The podiums did see two new people including a rookie Laura Horvath that I am quite looking forward to watching in the next couple of years. The men continue to try to play catch up to Mat Fraser and it will be Amazing to see what next year brings.
Why I love the Games
CrossFit is for people at every fitness level, from beginner to elite. It is styled to be able to be scaled for people who aren't able to do the prescribed workout. I have seen numerous stories of people who have shed a ton of weight and even fought off some health related illnesses.At CrossFit more people cheer for the last person that finishes more than the first person that finishes. CrossFit is a community. These people care about you and how you do and how you improve. Its a worldwide phenomenon. You can find a box to workout in anywhere you go. As a military spouse its like finding a new family/support group every time we move.The people in CrossFit want you to do better. And CrossFit incorporates nutrition into the programming so its not all just workout related.I have actually signed up for CrossFit Level 1 Certification class for September because of how much I love this sport. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to coach this sport and help improve people’s lives. I have also enrolled in a Master's Program for Nutrition and Human Performance. So please come back and check out my progress!!References:https://games.crossfit.com/https://games.crossfit.com/history-of-the-games