“Maturity is the ability to reject good alternatives in order to pursue even better ones.”- Michael Matthews
PROFILE
Why I’m Retiring: Sam Briggs
Dear CrossFit,
As many of you have suspected, this will be my last season competing in the sport. A few people have been wondering what my plans are for the future, and I wanted you to hear it directly from me. I also wanted to have the opportunity to say “thank you” for the most incredible 12 years competing in a sport, and being part of a community that I truly love.
I originally started CrossFit in 2009 to supplement my training as a triathlete and stay physically fit for my job as a firefighter. From the outset, it was clear CrossFit was unique. I had competed in other sports at a high level, but the difference here was that even though you were competing against other people, they did not feel like your enemy, and the spectators brought another level of energy with them. I knew straight away I had found my people; this is where I belonged.
It was a surreal experience to make the CrossFit Games for the first time in 2010, but that was when I truly fell in love with CrossFit, the sport, not just the training methodology. That first year in Carson, and performing under the lights in the tennis stadium made me feel like a real athlete. I suppose that year was the beginning of the “professional” era with the sport growing and evolving so much over the next few years. In certain respects, we were still learning a lot about how to treat ourselves as athletes … but nevertheless, the experience was incredible!
Get free shipping on the entire new equipment lineup from RPM Training Co., including the brand’s premium dumbbells, classic barbell and plates, redesigned Exobox, Olympic-style gymnastics rings, iconic Session4 jump rope, and first-of-its-kind adjustable pull-up bar.
Carol-Ann Reason-Thibault is hanging up her laces, calling it a career:
“This sport had a huge impact on my life, as an athlete, but also as a person. I am who I am today because of Crossfit and I’ll be forever thankful.”
Patrick Vellner has joined the TYR team in a major signing for the brand 😎 :
“I’m excited to be joining the TYR team this year,” said Vellner, “It’s a big change for me and I’m looking forward to being part of a group that’s exploding onto the scene with tons of energy. The TYR team is going to be a force.”
Notably, his wearing of TYR apparel would signal that either in whole, or in part, Vellner has departed from Reebok.
In other athlete news, Saxon Panchik is joining the PRVN team, as first reported on the Clydsedale, Fitness and Friends Podcast.
The Syndicate Crown, the newest Semifinal, is looking for volunteers. The application process will remain open until March 4.
PROFILE
VIDEO: “My times finally coming.” Sam Briggs Announces Retirement, Plans to Go Back to Firefighting
“Clash of Champions”: Why Open Announcement 14.5 Will Go Down as the Greatest Ever
One of the reasons why the CrossFit Open live announcements have become such a staple within the community is because CrossFit can gather elites and put them in one spot to throw down against each other. This year for 22.1 they have done it again with Patrick Vellner, Noah Ohlsen, Bethany Shadburne and Danielle Brandon heading to Boulder, Colorado to kick off the season, and fans absolutely love it. As cool as this and past match-ups have been, the collection of athletes for 14.5 is arguably the greatest ever assembled and will perhaps never be seen again.
Burpees will never be fun for most of us, but some methods speed them up so you get through them a little quicker. Make sure your technique is dialed in with these tips to ensure you're not spending any extra time and energy on the grunt part of your workout.
And it’s free. The PushPress Workout Timer app is easy to set up and robust enough to handle almost every kind of workout you can throw at it. A stopwatch, AMRAP, Tabata, and EMOM timer to power your home workouts or for that extra proof in the box.
With the prospect of toes to bars, pull-ups, and thrusters looming large, you need to get ahead of the game in bulletproofing your shoulders. Grab a mini band and start doing these three exercises now to help avoid any mishaps over the coming weeks.
A Free WHOOP Strap 4.0 and First Month's Membership
Gain unparalleled insight into your body and training with a free WHOOP Strap 4.0 and first month's membership. WHOOP measures your body's data over 100 times a second to provide personalized feedback on your recovery, strain, and sleep.
Tripping on your dubs? One of the most common causes has nothing to do with technique, and you can fix it in 10 seconds. Check out this guide on selecting your perfect rope length to ensure you're stringing together big unbroken sets during the Open.
Roman Khrennikov put 3 reps overhead of this 220 pound/100kg strict press.
Anton Foss from CrossFit Advantage in PLACE hit three PRs at the USA Weightlifting Level 1 course: 300 pound/136kg Snatch, 385 pound/174.5kg Clean and Jerk, and 400 pound/181.5kg Clean.
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