“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”- James Clear
CROSSFIT GAMES
Final Two Semifinals Announced: Granite Games Returns, Syndicate Crown Emerges
CrossFit today announced the final two semifinal events for the 2022 CrossFit Games season, bringing the total to ten events with four of the events being first-time semifinals. The Granite Games returns to Minnesota from June 3-5, and a new event operated by the same team organizing the MACC semifinal are bringing a second weekend to Knoxville with The Syndicate Crown.
The semifinals are the final qualification phase to qualify for the CrossFit Games.
One big thing: The team operating the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (MACC) are now operating a second event – The Syndicate Crown, making them the only organizer to host two semifinal events. To make this feasible, the Knoxville Civic Coliseum will play host to both events on back-to-back weekends, allowing the team to only setup and tear down once rather than scout, setup and rent a second location.
The big picture: Athletes and fans now have a complete picture of the pathway to qualifying for the CrossFit Games where 40 individual men and women and 38 teams will compete for fittest on earth. The final piece of the puzzle that remains unknown are the prize purses being put up for top finishes in a semifinal event.
Season schedule: For a complete digital calendar, use our season schedule.
The Open: February 24 – March 14
Quarterfinals (Individuals, Teams and Age Groups): March 24 – April 24
Semifinals (Individuals and Teams) — In-person
Week 1: May 20 – 22
Torian Pro (brisbane, Australia)
CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown (Amsterdam)
The Syndicate Crown (Knoxville, TN)
Week 2: May 27 – 29
Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (Knoxville, TN)
CrossFit Fittest in Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa)
Week 3: June 3 – 5
Far East Throwdown (Busan, South Korea)
Granite Games (Minneapois, MN)
Week 4: June 10 – 12
CrossFit Atlas Games (Montreal, Québec)
CrossFit Strength in Depth (London, England)
CrossFit Copa Sur (Enseada do Suá, Brazil)
Semifinals (Age Groups) — Online
Age group (Divisions 14-15, 16-17, 35-39, 40-44, and 45-49): May 26-29
Age group (Divisions 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, and 65+): June 2-5
Adaptive: June 2-5
Last Chance Qualifier: June 29 – July 1
CrossFit Games: August 4 – 7
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What’s the deal with RPR training? England’s rugby team is the latest crew to come out and say they have used the ideology for game day readiness.
CROSSFIT GAMES
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Don't Call It A Comeback: Top Athletes Returning From Injury This Season
The 2021 Games season was a return to baseline for many athletes and fans of the sport, with a more streamlined season structure, and the restoration of live competition at the Games for all athletes following an abbreviated 2020 campaign.
Unfortunately for a handful of athletes, 2021 was spent observing from the sidelines whilst recovering injuries that hampered their usual presence at the top of the sport. CrossFit isn’t immune to the annual attrition of talent due to injuries, but the volatility of the leaderboard from year to year means that singular absences from consistent high performers can have significant impacts down the line.
With the 2022 season just around the corner, there are four notable athletes whose return from injury this year could have a major impact on Games landscape as a whole.
WHOOP, the wearable technology company that measures strain, recovery and sleep that’s popular in the CrossFit community today, has rolled out a new feature—Menstrual Cycle Coaching—designed for women with natural cycles to “better factor their cycles in their training plan and sleeping habits,” explained Emily Capodilupo, WHOOP’s VP of Data Science and Research.
It’s a feature that was quickly embraced by 11-time CrossFit Games athlete Annie Thorisdottir, who provided feedback to WHOOP since using their Menstrual Cycle Coaching in recent weeks to gain insights into how the various hormonal shifts she experiences throughout the month influence her sleep, strain, recovery and ultimately her training.
“I felt like this was something that should be readily available for not just elite level athletes but everyone in general as to maximize your efforts in training and get the best possible results in competition,” Thorisdottir said. “Our hormonal levels change throughout the month so it is only natural that fueling and performance will also be affected.”
Feature details: Before launching their Menstrual Cycle Coaching feature in November 2021, WHOOP’s research team looked at almost 400,000 days of data across 14,000 menstrual cycles from close to 5,000 women who menstruate.
Today, those using the feature are able to track their menstruation within the Journal feature on the WHOOP app, and then the Coach feature takes the information and suggests how much they should train or rest based on where they’re at in their cycle.
“For example, hormonal fluctuations may mean you’re primed for more intense training, or in need of more sleep – which is why the strain and sleep coach will adjust to provide personalized recommendations based on each phase of your cycle,” Capodilupo said.
But what’s especially unique and important to the WHOOP feature compared to other companies, Capodilupo added, is how it takes “into account current day-to-day baselines to make recommendations or provide insights.”
The big picture: Tracking her cycle has had an impact on her sleep, nutrition and training, Thorisdottir explained.
“I’ve learned that it’s not just time spent in bed but the quality of that time, the time you actually sleep and recover that matters. With the added stress of having a toddler and a less rigid sleep routine, it (has) been crucial to me to track how I recover day to today so I can maximize the training, not overreach, and not under train,” she said.
Since using WHOOP’s Menstrual Cycle Coaching feature, Thorisdottir has been “cycling my carbs a little differently depending on which part of the cycle I am in,” she said.
She added: “I know at what part of the cycle I am the strongest, and when I breathe the best. I also know that (during) certain parts of the month it is likely that high intensity training will hit me harder and I will need more sleep in order to recover. All of these things (are) items that I never even considered just a few short years ago. This is something that every single woman should be aware of.”
THINGS TO...
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Why perform a deadlift with a band pulling you forward? Using a band forces your upper body and lats to engage to keep the bar from drifting away, helping you create better long-term habits. Check out how to set up your band and how it benefits you.
🦵 Matt Poulin from CrossFit Complete in Midwest City, OK came away from Wodapalooza’s Echo Bike event with a 7th Place finish and a new dance move.
Congratulations to Carlos Córdova Peralta from The Hideout Health and Fitness in Mexico City, Mexico on the 2 rep max thruster PR of 215 pounds/97.5kg.
On Saturday, February 5, Pure Function CrossFit and Delaware Fit Factory in Marion County, DE co-hosted a Raise the Bar fundraiser to support local foster care families through the Be the Village Marion foundation. As of Monday morning, they had raised $8,862 of their $10,000 goal.
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