“Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.”- Napoleon Bonaparte
CROSSFIT GAMES
CrossFit's Two Semifinal Workouts Released
As part of year two of the Open-Quarterfinals-Semifinals-Games layout for the CrossFit Games season, CrossFit has specifically programmed two workouts that must be used for each of the 10 Semifinals.
Remind me: Last year all Semifinals had the freedom to program every event of their competition. CrossFit reviewed the workouts and approved them, but was otherwise uninvolved in the programming.
This year CrossFit is mandating all Semifinals use two workouts they have programmed and has also outlined in a little more detail some parameters the competitions must work within. The details of those are unfortunately unknown to the public, but we do now have the two workouts.
INDIVIDUALS
CrossFit Semifinal Workout Number 1:
2014 Regionals Event 5
10 Rounds for Time
1 legless Rope Climb
200 foot run
Time Cap: 11 minutes
The first of two workouts CrossFit has chosen for inclusion at all Semifinals for 2022 is a throwback to an old Regionals workout from 2014. This workout, back then, was made famous on two fronts:
Two: it was the workout that dramatically kept Katrin Davidsdottir from the Games that year.
It’s always great to have a repeat workout and see how far the field of athletes has come, but in this case, it is worth asking the question if maybe the caliber of athlete has increased enough where we might be better served having two legless rope climbs, at least for the men, in each round seeing as it is part of the test that is meant to find a very elite and select group of athletes in each Semifinal field to advance to the Games.
CrossFit Semifinal Workout Number 2:
Barbell Complex
3 attempts for max load of:
3 Cleans + 2 Front Squats + 1 Jerk (Shoulder to Overhead)
For the second mandatory and uniform workout CrossFit has selected the lifting event. The nice thing about choosing the lifting event is that strength in isolation is tested on a consistent basis at this point of the competition. It prevents athletes from saying “well if it had only been a snatch like it was at a different competition.”
On the other hand, you could just tell the competitions they need to test a specific strength event, exert control of the strength test in that regard, and focus more on ensuring a different aspect of fitness is tested appropriately.
Either way, everyone loves a heavy barbell, and this complex will definitely require precision and strength when it matters most.
In case you missed it: Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, spoke to the “Fittest Firefighter” Angelo DiCicco who said he is gunning for the CrossFit Games podium with Mayhem Independence.
Every day heroes: shout out to CF-L1 trainer Karen Burke who works with CrossFit Everyday Heroes, a non-profit CrossFit affiliate in Reno, NV in helping all military (active or retired), all first responders (Police, Fire and EMS), teachers, nurses, adults with physical or cognitive impairments and their families, and children with physical or cognitive impairments and their families.
Dishing the goods: Matt O’Keefe, the CEO of HWPO and Mat Fraser confidant, spoke to Men’s Health UK about working with the legend himself and his career so far in the sport of CrossFit (paywall).
Signing announcement: Brittany Weiss has signed with NOBULL and spoke about her journey from CrossFit to gymnastics: “I was very familiar with the potential I had inside, but it wasn’t until I took full accountability for myself and my life that my potential could become a reality.”
PROFILE
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
22 Questions with Kara Saunders: Smoothies, Vegemite, Kelly Slater and Almond Milk Cappuccinos
One week out from the Torian Pro Semifinals, we caught up with Australian athlete Kara Saunders, who will be gunning to qualify for her 10th CrossFit Games next weekend in Brisbane, Australia.
Mat Fraser Talks Drinking in Fourth Grade and Quitting at 17
Mat Fraser started drinking in fourth grade. At the age of 17, he got sober.
Now, as the five time CrossFit Games champion, Fraser opened up about his sobriety journey, as well as visiting nonprofit The Phoenix and brewing startup Athletic Brewing Company, in a new HWPO YouTube video.
When recounting his sobriety, Fraser says training was integral to his early success. At the time, he was training for Olympic Weightlifting, and would get in a session before school, then put in hours in the gym in the afternoon as well.
“I was doing all this to fill this void, I just felt like I had to do something in excess. I didn’t realize then, (but) I look back at it now and I’m like, ‘Oh, I was just feeding my addiction with something else’,” Fraser said in the video. “It was the start of me identifying that having this addictive personality can be a benefit if I’m addicted to things that have a positive outcome. I’m not just an alcoholic, I’m a -holic. Everything I do, I’m going to do to the extreme.”
Fraser, along with fiancée Sammy Moniz and Chief Executive Officer of HWPO Training Matt O’Keefe hit a workout at The Phoenix, a CrossFit Foundation partner that provides free community fitness for people in recovery from substance abuse.
The Phoenix’s motto, “Rise, Recover, Live” prompted athletes to introduce themselves and describe a moment they felt they were able to rise, whether it be with recovery or in life in general. Fraser and O’Keefe, who both describe themselves as alcoholics, said professional developments with the HWPO company were “rise moments”.
Fraser also opened up with The Phoenix founder Scott Strode about the community he found in his recovery. Fraser said his childhood home of Vermont had a great support system in recovery meetings that provided him with mentors and peers to connect with. While Fraser admittedly doesn’t go to as many meetings as he would like to, he says he’s still in contact with the friends he met through recovery. And, with his childhood friends and mentors as well as his closer inner circle like his father and O’Keefe, Fraser has successfully stayed away from alcohol since the age of 17-years-old.
COMPETITION
Can You Predict the Semifinal Superstars? Play Guessing Games
In two weeks, 600 men and women will take to the field and fight for a spot at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games. But before things kick off, there’s a way you can get involved in the competition
From now until Thursday, May 19 at 11:59 PM PT, you can play our “Guessing Games: Semifinal Edition” and predict the male and female winners at each semifinal.
What’s in it for you? As well as some serious bragging rights, the closest prediction will win a prize pack worth over $1000 from Reebok, Yeti, and FITAID. Including:
YETI TUNDRA 45 Hard Cooler and RAMBLER 20oz Tumbler.
Select the male and female athletes you think will finish first in each of the semifinals.
Fill out the tiebreaker question.
How to get a leg up on the competition: Subscribe to our YouTube channel where we’re releasing daily videos analyzing each semifinal.
The winner will be announced after the conclusion of the final semifinal weekend.
THINGS TO...
...KNOW
When You Should Breathe In Your Squat
Too many think breathing “into your stomach” means to push your belly forward. This is incorrect. You want to “fill the tank” not just make it bigger. Check out this example of proper breathing mechanics from Olympian, World Champion, Asian Champion, and Asian Games Champion weightlifter Tian Tao.
Are you drowning in all the management tasks, financials, and member info scattered on Post-its, spreadsheets, or in multiple systems? Zen Planner can help you manage all of the details and get you access to SugarWOD and UpLaunch integrations. Your first 2 months are on them when you sign up by 5/31/22. Book your demo today.
Check out The Bottom Line as Lauren Kalili, Jamie Hagiya, and Chase Ingraham dive deeper into defining athletic ability and which male and female CrossFitters they think top the list. Some blasts from the past and serious talent in these picks.
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Is there a better way to add a serving of veggies to your diet than eating cake? If there is, please let us know. This simple blueberry zucchini cake is made with a mix of oat and almond flour and naturally sweetened with honey. So you can have your cake and feel good about eating it.
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