The Road to Minnesota for the 2018 Kill Cliff Granite Games begins in earnest this week with the announcement of the first of three qualifying workouts. Fitness athletes across the globe will tackle the weekly qualifying tests — spanning from now to July 2 — with the shared goal of joining the 2,000 strong slated to compete September 7-9 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

The timing of the event is perfect: with the CrossFit Games wrapping up a full month before, many of the top athletes in the world will make the trek up to Central Minnesota. The big names will be granted invitations and can skip the qualifier, but no such luck for you, so best be checking back with FloElite for workout details each week. 

 Watch the Granite Games LIVE on FloElite!

The Week 1 workout is listed below. Workouts will be announced each Wednesday (June 13, June 20, and June 27.) Athletes interested in submitting a qualifying video and score to the Granite Games must do so by 5 PM CDT on the following Mondays. So get to it!

WORKOUT NO. 1

ASRx

15 Burpees Over Rower

40/30 Calorie Row (Men/Women)

15 Burpees Over Rower

40/30 Calorie Row (Men/Women)

15 Burpees Over Rower

(14 Minute Cap)

In remaining time…

Establish a 1-Rep Max Snatch

Intermediate

15 Burpees Over Rower (Can step over)

35/25 Calorie Row (Men/Women)

15 Burpees Over Rower

35/25 Calorie Row (Men/Women)

15 Burpees Over Rower

(14 Minute Cap)

In remaining time…

Establish a 1-Rep Max Snatch

Scaled

10 Burpees Over Rower (Can step over)

30/20 Calorie Row (Men/Women)

10 Burpees Over Rower

30/20 Calorie Row (Men/Women)

10 Burpees Over Rower

(14 Minute Cap)

In remaining time…

Establish a 1-Rep Max Snatch

I feel like this workout seems manageable on paper, but the snatch is just going to be a killer. This one will test your mind just the same as it will your body. Now, if you’re in need of some motivation to really knock out this workout, check out how the stars of the sport have fared at Granite Games throughout the years. 

4 Epic Moments From Granite Games History

Since 2013, the Granite Games has steadily grown into an all-levels fitness behemoth that brings together pros, age-group stars, and beginners for the three-day extravaganza. Nine divisions between the individual and team competitions will encapsulate the 2018 event, with athletes of all abilities coming together to test themselves while celebrating the sport of fitness. 

With that in mind, we thought it fitting to look back at some of the best moments over the years at the Granite Games. This exemplifies exactly why this event so special every year:

1. Saxon Panchik takes a big step towards becoming elite in winning 2017 Granite Games.

Nine months before he qualified for his first CrossFit Games — which he did three weeks ago by finishing fifth in the Central Regional — young Saxon Panchik picked up a big confidence booster by winning the 2017 Granite Games last September over his twin brother Spencer.

At the time, 22-year-old Saxon said that he hoped the victory in Minnesota — his first at the Granite Games — would propel him to a big 2018, and that’s exactly what happened. Now Saxon will join his other brother and Games icon, Scott, in Madison, Wisconsin, this August for the CrossFit Games, marking just the third time in history two brothers have qualified for the same event.

2. Sara Sigmundsdottir eats a burger before crushing Event 1 at 2015 Granite Games.

Iceland’s Sara Sigmundsdottir had only recently established herself as a household name in the fitness community back in 2015 when she won her first Regional title and ultimately secured the Third Fittest Woman on Earth slot at that year’s Games. A month after that breakout performance, the perpetual smile of the then 23-year-old Sigmundsdottir was on full display as she dominated the Granite Games by nearly 100 points. Most impressive for Sigmundsdottir that weekend may have been her crushing the first event — double unders and squats — after eating a juicy burger right before.

3. Albert-Dominic Larouche has to qualify for 2015 Granite Games, then wins it.

After taking a break from the Games in 2015, the Canadian ADL was just starting to get back into competition when he arrived in Minnesota for the 2015 Granite Games. Because the four-time Games qualifier had been off the circuit for a while back then, Larouche did not receive an invite like most of the top pros and had to go the route of the masses by qualifying. He then proceeded to go out and win the dang event.

ADL got back to the Games for the fifth time the following summer in 2016, finishing 26th.

4. The wrecking ball that is Mat Fraser crumbles 2014 Granite Games en route to world dominance

Mat Fraser was clearly on the come up back in 2014 when he took second at the Games for the first time, but we couldn’t know then just how dominant the two-time Fittest Man on Earth would become. His win at the 2014 Granite Game provided some more proof that the American was about to ascend to legendary status. Check out the work he did back then at 305 lb. in the snatch ladder: