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Chair Thrusters and Goblet Squats with Pets: How Chinese CrossFitters are Working Out During the Coronavirus Lockdown

February 2, 2020 by
Source: CrossFit Tianfu
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We’ve been keeping track of the direct effects of China’s Coronavirus outbreak, which remains an international public health emergency.

If you’re just catching up with this story now:

  • Asia CrossFit Championship has pushed back the deadline for submissions to its online qualifier by 10 days.
  • The May event may have to be postponed or even canceled in 2020, given the current travel restrictions in China.
  • Around 160 Chinese affiliates are closed and will remain so until February 9 at least, as entire cities are in lockdown.

“Corona is doing everything to stop us,” CrossFit Tianfu’s Eric Zhu Chen told the Morning Chalk Up, but the coaching staff is doing everything they can to encourage those in lockdown.

Fight Back By Getting Stronger is what CrossFit Tianfu is calling the online programming they launched in response to the Coronavirus outbreak. They are providing at-home WODs for gym members unable to workout otherwise.

  • “At the start we had around five to six people ticking the box every day. Now it’s more than 20 and more joining,” Eric said.
  • “New people join in daily, so we have one work out every day…since Chinese New Year.”
Source: CrossFit Tianfu

In true CrossFit fashion — the box is programming workouts around 15-20 minutes in length that all members can complete using equipment found around the house.

  • “Using furniture to workout, chair thrusters, dog goblet squats, water bottle man-makers, so much creativity,” Eric said. CrossFit.com, eat your heart out.

It has also allowed the community to remain united and even see the humor in an otherwise terrifying situation: “Lots of comments and laughter,” Eric added.

  • “I feel the community is actually getting better and tighter than ever before,” he said.
  • All the members communicate via WeChat, even sending videos (see featured video) of their creative CrossFit workouts.

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