The Fittest Games' Weekend In Review

  The Fittest Games in Austin this past weekend topped off a month full of back-to-back elite-level local competitions. Many athletes from the South Central region flocked to the heart of Texas to test their training from the past year and get their feet wet for the 2015 CrossFit Games season.   2014 Games Qualifier Richard Bohlken claimed the 1st place $7,500 purse, on the tails of a 7th place finish at the East Coast Championships the week before.   “I am ready to watch some football,” he said after the long weekend wrapped up Sundayafternoon, just in time for the Super Bowl.   Bohlken admitted that he’s been working hard this year with the goal of making it back to the Games from the South Central Region for his second year in a row in 2015.   Second and third places went to competitors Travis Williams, of U Can CrossFit, and Caleb Christian of CrossFit Redefined (2014 South Central Regional-14th place), respectively.   For the ladies, Alexis Johnson of Allsport CrossFit (2014 CrossFit South Central Regional-12th place) took home the gold by a landslide with 35-points to 2nd place Beth Spearman’s (2013 CrossFit Games-Team Atomic CrossFit) 46-points and third-place Brista Mayfield’s (2011 & 2012 South Central Regional) 47-points.   Johnson, a fresher face to the podium, says, “Heavy power cleans, toes to bar and super long workouts are my jam.” With a clean & jerk of 190 lbs., 150 lbs. snatch and 295 lbs. deadlift, the 5’2’’, 140 lb. former gymnast may be small, but she’s mighty. One to watch as the 2015 season approaches, she finished 13th overall in the South Central Open last year, and after following the programming from the guys out of CrossFit MisFits this past year, she’s on the attack.   For the Team Division, Team Gauxgetlifted of Get Lifted CrossFit in El Paso, sealed the winning deal in the finale WOD after battling for the first place spot with Team CrossFit Eado all weekend long.   Gauxgetlifted was comprised of Regionals and Games superstars Holly Mata (2013 CrossFit Games), Paul Smith (5 Regional Appearances since 2009), Margaux Alvarez (2013 & 2014 Games competitor, 2013 & 2014) and Lorin Adams (NorCal Regional athlete)—all whom had never competed together officially as Team Gauxgetlifted until this past weekend.   “Me and Holly actually just met Lorin (Adams) this weekend. He flew in from California,” Smith said, laughing. The team said, regardless of their experience together however, that their communication is what made all the difference throughout the weekend.   “You have to have communication if you are going to be part of a team. That is one of the most important thing—and also knowing one anothers’ strength and weaknesses. I love running, longer endurance workouts, some skill stuff, but clean a heavy barbell for multiple reps? That’s more their strengths,” Alvarez said, pointing to Smith and Mata.   One of the team’s favorite workouts from the weekend was the In Unison WOD on Day 2, consisting of:   For Time 40 Team Plate Burpees Farmers Carry ←→ 20 Rope Climbs Farmers Carry ←→ 40 Team Plate Burpees (17 min cap)   All the burpees had to be completed in unison.   “We practiced these with pillow burpees the night before in the hotel—dropping down onto our pillows at the same time,” Smith said.   CrossFit Eado ended the weekend seven points behind Team Gauxgetlifted, but nevertheless were all smiles on the podium. Three-time Games athlete Jenn Jones, 2014 Games individual Jordan Cook and Regional competitors Jared Astle and Rosalyn Adkinson knew they had worked together all weekend long with no less than a 6th place finish in the first five events.   “It's different pressure (going team instead of individual) to not let your team down. But it's hard in it’s own way because so much is out of your control. (Regardless though), we had a ton of fun,” Jones said.   At the end of the day Sunday, buzz was heard amongst the crowd, ranting about how smooth and well-run the competition had been. The events ran on time; the workouts were spectator-friendly while testing all elements of fitness for the participating athletes; and the new change in venue (indoors at the Travis County Expo as opposed to outside the CrossFit Central Downtown affiliate) was greatly appreciated, particularly on the rainy Day One of competition. After spending an action-packed weekend in Austin, FloElite will be heading to Atlanta, prividing you with a killer LIVE STREAM of The 2015 Garage Games, February 6-8! Related Articles: The Fittest Games Full Coverage & Archive  The First Pull: Make Or Break The Lift Control Dip For Max Power Output  Executing The Proper Overhead Snatch 

Feb 2, 2015

The Fittest Games 2015 Results

The Fittest Games 2015 WOD Scores

Jan 31, 2015

Watch the Fittest Games LIVE on FloElite

Bring it on ATX, it's once again time for The Fittest Games! This year marks the 8th edition of Austin, Texas' HOTTEST fitness competition, and for the first time ever, host CrossFit Central will be offering live video coverage of the event.  We're talking WODs on WODs on WODs! Pro division WODs, Masters division WODs, Amateur division WODs — they will all be coming at you LIVE on FloElite, January 31st and February 1st. "This event is geared toward the spectator," said event director Jeremy Thiel. "The sport of functional fitness is exploding and people want to experience the competition firsthand.” Full event coverage of The Fittest Games can be found on FloElite.com. You can follow along with LIVE coverage of the event here. To watch The Fittest Games LIVE on FloElite, you must be a subscriber to FloElite's premium service, FloPRO. FloPRO subscriptions come in two pricing packages: $20/monthly subscription, $150/yearly subscription.

Jan 29, 2015

History Of The Fittest Games

Jan 29, 2015

Young: Will A Year Of Training Pay Off At the 2015 Fittest Games?

Jessie Jo Young: 2014 1st Place South Central Open Finisher, Looking to Test a Year’s Worth of Training at the Fittest Games     First place in the annual CrossFit Open is not a feat every athlete can say they have accomplished.   26-year-old Jessie Jo Young can.   Young emerged onto the fitness scene last year as a ‘rookie’ to the competition arena—and ended up placing first overall in the South Central Open, earning her first trip the 2014 CrossFit South Central Regional, where she took 10th place with less than two years of training under her belt.   This weekend, Young will be in action at the Fittest Games in Austin. Following Regionals last year, she said she walked away inspired to be back in 2015—the best version of herself that she could be.   “Last year I learned that I needed more practice competing and especially against the best of the best. I needed to feel more comfortable in my abilities and not worry about the person next to me. And I needed to be happy with giving it my best and letting the outcomes take care of themselves,” Young said.   With nearly a year’s worth of training under her belt, Young is gearing up to attack the 2015 Open, and plans to use this weekend’s competition as an opportunity to test out her continued hard work. She took 3rd place as part of a team last year, and, this year, will go it alone. Here, she shares her two-cents on continued improvement in the gym, and inspiration for those whom aspire to compete at a higher level.     Q. What other competitions have you participated in this past year and how have you done? I've competed in a World War Fit in October and won 1st place and then a more local competition in Midland, TX called the West Texas War Zone where I won 1st as well. I signed up for Fittest Games this year to have the opportunity to compete against some of the best competition and expose some weaknesses to improve on   Q. Since Regionals last year, what has your training looked like this year? My year and training have been much more relaxed this year. The goal was to maintain until January and then pick it back up and get serious! I've focused mainly on strength and getting my numbers up and worked on weaknesses.   Q. After your first Regionals last year (and 1st place Open finish in South Central), what did you learn about yourself as an athlete? Last year I learned that I needed more practice competing and especially against the best of the best. I needed to feel more comfortable in my abilities and not worry about the person next to me. And I needed to be happy with giving it my best and letting the outcomes take care of themselves.   Q. Any PRs your proud of lately? I hit a 215 CJ last week that I was pretty pumped about! 10# PR. And I've been working on my strict press for a while and am finally not embarrassed by my number. Snatch-170# CJ-215# BS-275# DL-340# FS-225# Press-120#   Q. Advice for others who’d like to be in similar shoes as you? Keep training and working on those weaknesses. I wouldn't change much from what already works for you! Related Articles: The Fittest Games: Schedule  The Fittest Games: WOD Analysis  What To Watch For At The 2015 Fittest Games Friday Focus: Rachel Martinez, CrossFit New England 

Jan 29, 2015

The Fittest Games: Schedule

The 8th edition of The Fittest Games is almost here, and you need to know what to do, right? Check below for the schedule of the badass weekend in Austin, and remember to stay logged on to FloElite.com for your LIVE stream! Friday   4 PM: Athlete Packet Pickup at CrossFit Central Downtown 8PM: End Athlete Packet Pickup   Saturday   6:00 AM: Doors Open to Athletes  6:45 AM: Pro Athlete Briefing  7:00 AM: Doors Open to Public  7:05 AM: Teams Athlete Briefing  7:15 AM: Amateur / Masters Athlete Briefing    7:25 - 7:55AM: Pro WOD 1 (30 minute time cap) 8:00 AM: Opening Ceremonies  8:10 - 9:05 AM: Team WOD 1 (15 minute time cap per heat) 9:15 - 11:15 AM: Amateur / Masters WOD 1 (8 minute time cap per heat) 11:30 - 12:30 PM: Pro WOD 2.1 & 2.2 (20 minute time cap per heat) 12:45 - 3:05 PM: Amateur / Masters WOD 2 (12 minute time cap per heat) 12:45 - 1:45 PM: Team WOD 2.1 & 2.2 (17 minute time cap per heat) 2:00 - 3:00 PM: Team WOD 3 (16 minute time cap per heat) 3:00 PM: Charity WOD Winners Announced (16 minute time cap per heat) 3:10 - 4:35 PM: Amateur / Masters WOD 3 (5 minute time cap per heat) 3:20 - 4:10 PM: Pro WOD 3 (10 minute time cap per heat) 4:20 - 5:15 PM: Pro WOD 4 (10 minute time cap per heat) 5:30 - 7:30 PM: After Party / Floor Show   Sunday    6:00 AM: Doors Open to Athletes / Athlete Warm Up 7:00 AM: Doors Open to Public  8:10 - 9:50 AM: Team WOD 4 (17 minute time cap per heat) 9:55 - 12:20 PM: Amateur / Masters WOD 4 12:30 - 1:45 PM: Pro WOD 5 2:00 PM: Team Finals  2:30 PM: Masters Finals  3:00 PM: Amateur Finals  3:30 PM: Pro Finals  4:00 PM: Event Closing  To see The Fittest Games Full Schedule, Check It Out HERE Related Articles:  The Fittest Games: WOD Analysis  Motha Thruster: The Fittest Games To Take Over Austin  What To Watch For At The 2015 Fittest Games

Jan 27, 2015

The Fittest Games: WOD Analysis

Super Bowl weekend is starting off in Austin with two jam-packed days of challenging workouts for Pro Athletes at the Fittest Games.   Athletes will test all elements of their fitness (and earn their Nachos) in WODs throughout Saturday and Sunday. Who will rise to the top to be declared 2015’s ‘fittest’ male and female in the 8th Annual competition?    The answer lies in how each athlete games each event.   How would you do it? If you aren’t competing, but feeling up the test, try some of them at the box yourself and let us know.    WOD 1 Pro Athletes will start the day with a 5K Run. 30-Minute Time Cap   Analysis: Colder, wet and rainy is in the forecast for Saturday, but ‘cold’ is relative. Austin’s 50-degree winter weather shouldn’t slow athletes down too much, and if anything the endurance workouts will be a nice way to warm up into the weekend to come. Michelle Kinney, former NCAA Division I track and cross-country star, could bring the heat on this one.    2.1 & 2.2 2.1 For Time: 150 Double Under Buy In 3 rounds 15 Toes to BAR (T2B) 12 Wallball (30/20) 9 Burpee Box Jumbs (24/20) 8 Minute Cap   4 Minute Transition to WOD 2.2   2.2 8 Minutes to find 1RM Clean and Jerk   Analysis: Who doesn’t love two-for-one deals? WOD 2 is two workouts in one. The first one-attacking some skill work with a 150 double-under buy in, followed by a fast-moving triplet, and then a short time frame to find his 1RM Clean & Jerk. It’s all about preserving the strength (and saving the shoulders from the double-unders and wallballs) for the final 8-minutes.    WOD 3 3 Rounds Handstand walk  10 Ring Muscle Ups   Athletes will walk 10m out unbroken and then 10m back unbroken, should you fall in either direction, you will restart from the beginning of that 10m section until each 10m handstand walk is completed unbroken. 10 minute cap   Analysis: More skill work to come. Handstand walking is a must-know skill nowadays. WOD 3 takes it up a notch, allowing for no unbroken handstand walking for 20-meters total in each round. One word of advice: Don’t fall.   WOD 4  “Dirty” Share 5 Rounds: (155# Men, 105# Women) 12 Deadlift 9 Hang Power Snatch 6 OHS   Analysis: A spicy version of the classic Hero WOD DT: “dirty” style. 155/105 lbs. will get heavy fast on the hang power snatches into overhead squats. Heed thy grip strength between each lift strategically. For instance: after the 11th deadlift, set the barbell down, rest, pick it back up and go into those 8 hang power snatches, before dropping the bar from the top, picking it back up, snatching it up for one last rep, then dropping into the 6 overhead squats. Try to keep the same time-range throughout the set. Resting for the 5-10 seconds you need between lifts.    WOD 5 For Time: 800M Run 60 Pull-ups 30 Thrusters (185#/125#) 5 Rope Climbs 15 minute Time Cap   Analysis: More running? Just an 800-meter this time. Sprint it out, running into home base to knock out those pull-ups while your arms are fresh in do-able sets, not going to failure on any one rep. Then it’s ‘game on’ for those heavy thrusters. Think 10 sets of 3, with 10-seconds of rest in between, to get through it. Drive through the heels, use the power in the legs and the butt. Once those are all said an done, rope climbs are looking like a piece of cake, right?  Related Articles:  What To Watch For At The 2015 Fittest Games Friday Focus: Rachel Martinez, CrossFit New England 

Jan 27, 2015

Motha Thruster: Fittest Games To Take Over Austin

  Since Jan. 19, organizers of the eighth annual Fittest Games have methodically released workouts and movements the 480 competing athletes can expect to face during the two-day event held in Austin, Jan. 30-31.   “We want to feature a balance between strength and pure gymnastics and mobility,” said Jeremy Thiel, founder and director of the Fittest Games. “Our goal is to make it true to the sport of functional fitness.”   With workouts dubbed “Body Control,” “Grip Gauntlet” and “Motha Thruster,” athletes’ skills and mental endurance will surely be tested.    “We are staying pure to the Olympic lifts and gymnastic movements,” Thiel said.   The competition, which features professional, amateur and masters divisions, will test athletes in classic power and Olympic weightlifting movements, such as the clean and jerk, deadlift and overhead squat, but will also run them through a series of bodyweight movements including muscle-ups, pistols and handstand pushups.   Thiel said that while athletes may be anticipating the workouts, fans are equally anxious to see what the Fittest Games has in store.   “This event is geared toward the spectator,” he said. “The sport of functional fitness is exploding and people want to experience the competition firsthand.”   According to Thiel, two reasons to follow the Fittest Games include the showcasing of current top athletes and the emerging of the next generation of elite performers.   The team competition features 50 powerhouse teams with familiar faces, including CrossFit Games veteran Jenn Jones who will be competing with Team EADO.    “I am really looking forward to a fun weekend with awesome athletes from my gym and around Texas,” Jones said in a Team Review blog posted by the Fittest Games. “I honestly don’t think too much will be different (from my individual experiences). It’s still competing. Nothing changes from an individual standpoint. You still push the same. The only thing is when you get tired you have a teammate to help you out.”    Other athletes Thiel said to watch closely are Josh Littauer from CrossFit Citadel, who finished seventh in the 2015 WoDapalooza, and Caleb Christian, a top-15 finisher in the south central region of the 2014 CrossFit Games.   “This is not a scaled competition,” Thiel said. “Our event is directed toward the elite athletic competitor to see if they have a shot at the higher level competitions.”   Since 2008, Thiel said the Fittest Games has provided the highest level of competition experience that a grassroots functional fitness organization can deliver. “This is all about the larger community and bringing people together,” he said. “They’re an elite athlete no matter what division they are competing in.”   Related Articles:  What To Watch For At The 2015 Fittest Games

Jan 27, 2015

What To Watch For At The 2015 Fittest Games

Competition season is in full swing.   After back-to-back weekends, in Miami for Wodapalooza, and Boston for the ECC, FloElite will be at it once more this coming weekend at the 8th Annual Fittest Games in Austin, Texas.   Held on Saturday and Sunday (January 31-February 1), everything is ‘bigger in Texas’, and the competition promises nothing less than to live up to that phrase.   Whether you are live in –person, or catching the latest action on FloElite’s Live Stream, here are the TOP 5 THINGS TO WATCH at The Fittest Games this year.    1. CrossFit Games & Regionals Notables. Richard Bolkhen (16th at CrossFit 2015 Games), brothers Aaron & Ryan Bielefeldt (part of 2014 CrossFit Games Team Ballistic), Michelle Kinney (2013 & 2014 Crossit Games), Jessie Jo Young (1st in 2014 South Central Open), and Candice Wagner- (7th 2014 South Central Regionals, 5x Regional athlete, 2012 CrossFit Games029th)—just to name a few.    2. Team Division. With the two-time reigning champs: Mad Athletes, out this year (two of the teammates will be competing individually), who will be crowned the new Team champs?   3. Master’s Bad Asses. Master’s are finally getting more opportunities to compete in local competitions. The Fittest Games was originally one of the leaders in that movement, and Master’s athletes will complete similar versions of the Amateur workouts to prove what they are made of.    4. Location, Location, Location. Unlike last year, when The Fittest Games was hosted at CrossFit Central’s Downtown location, the competition this year will be held at the Travis County Expo Center—a huge indoor facility to accommodate the masses of competitors and spectators alike!   5. Flatwater Foundation Charity WOD. The Fittest Games will raise money this year to an organization aimed at providing those, diagnosed with cancer and their loved ones, with access to mental health therapy. On Saturday, spectators, whom have registered to participate, will throw down in a ‘Fight Gone Bad’ style workout to help fundraising efforts for the dedicated charity (http://thefittestgames.com/flatwater-find-yours/).    6. Austin, Texas. No other reasons needed. Deep in the heart of Texas, the Fittest Games takes place in one of the coolest cities on the planet. “Keep Austin Weird” is a motto, ‘busy’ is an understatement (there’s always something going on), fitness is a lifestyle and the CrossFit culture is vibrant through and through. For spectators, this is a perk because once the competition is over fort, there’s much exploring to be had throughout the city—food, music, the great outdoors, you  Watch The 2015 Fittest Games LIVE all weekend on FloElite.com! Related Articles: The First Pull: Make Or Break The Lift Control Dip For Max Power Output  Executing The Proper Overhead Snatch  Correcting Overextension Of The Hips In Your Snatch  Fixing A Slow Turnover In The Snatch And Clean   

Jan 27, 2015