Ideal Body Weight

[Damien Bauman]

I watched the video on the Crossfit Journal titled "Roundtable in Tahoe: Ideal Body Weight" and It brought up some interesting thoughts. I would like to discuss this further as I am new to crossfit.

I have about a month under my belt but I have a long history in athletics. As a competitor, the first thing I thought after looking into crossfit was driving myself to eventually try to compete in the crossfit games as a goal. I realized at 6'3 and 300lbs I would be faced with a potentially insurmountable challenge.

One of the best athletes I played football with over the years was guy who was near 400lbs in the Arena Football League. He probably could not be able to complete a WOD but none the less was an exceptional athlete.

Here are some questions I have for the community:

If the goal of the crossfit games is to search for the fittest athlete, where the events could be changed to benefit shorter, taller, heavier, or lighter athletes is the definition of ideal athlete defined by the challenge?

If Crossfit Total results can be compared by weight, should all of the Benchmark WODs or the Crossfit Games be done in the same manner?

Maybe I am just disappointed the my endeavor of my best personal fitness level will not even compare to some of the better crossfit athletes.

[Steven Low]

It is what it is...

All of us with our genetics have different heights and "ideal" body weights that our bodies like to stay at.

You'll probably never see a 5'0" dude winning CF games nor will you see someone who's over 6'6" or anything. An elite gymnast won't win the CF games, nor will an elite NBA player. Nor will they be good at any crossovers between sports.

You should train for you (e.g. because you like being healthy or strong or look good naked or whatever else goals you have).....

But if you want to excel in something pick a sport that caters more to your height and body type.

[Diego Sommariva]

Originally Posted by Damien Bauman

Maybe I am just disappointed the my endeavor of my best personal fitness level will not even compare to some of the better crossfit athletes.

We all are Damien, I'm pretty sure of it. :P
Nevertheless, as I'm sure you're aware of, most of the Elite CFers all have their strengths and weaknesses. Mikko Salo only won one event in the 2009 CF Games, yet he won the games. Just because they are elite does not mean they win all the time. The mighty strong athletes have a hard time keeping up with the smaller more agile athletes at bodyweight workouts, etc. So just become as rounded as you can and work on your weaknesses because winning at everything is definitely impossible. Unless you com from Krypton.

[Rebecca Roth]

Read this article before you dismay Kristian Clever is pretty much a complete outlier as one of the smallest female competitors, yet she won.

http://games.crossfit.com/blog/2010/...010-games,854/ (wfs)

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Damien Bauman

If the goal of the crossfit games is to search for the fittest athlete, where the events could be changed to benefit shorter, taller, heavier, or lighter athletes is the definition of ideal athlete defined by the challenge?

Yes. Which is a problem for any event (not just Crossfit) that claims to find the "world's fittest."

Katherine

[David Meverden]

It's absolutely true that CF competitions favor people of a certain size but most people who do CF did not choose CF because it is the sport that they are most physically suited to. Most CFers do it because they like it, because it makes them feel better, because they would like to be all around fit rather than sacrifice lots of general capacity for one very specific capacity, or because they like the competitive atmosphere. If you decide to devote yourself to CF you'll have to do so for those reasons too, and not because you think this is your best shot at being the best at something.

If the goal of the crossfit games is to search for the fittest athlete, where the events could be changed to benefit shorter, taller, heavier, or lighter athletes is the definition of ideal athlete defined by the challenge?

Yes, the definition is defined by the challenge. HQ's intention though is that success at THEIR challenges will predict success at the largest overall percentage of real world tasks. They feel that if you drew 1,000,000 real world physical tasks out of a hat and tested various types of athletes the top CFer would come out on top in more of those tests than any other athlete. Now, whether you buy that their tests DO that is another issue, but that is the intention . . .

[Blair Robert Lowe]

Mikko Salo only won one event in the 2009 CF Games, yet he won the games. Just because they are elite does not mean they win all the time.

Very much the all-arounder like the decathlete or heptathlete, etc.

Rebecca, the average height and weight for the gals was 5'4 138lbs. Kristin is 5'2 130. That's pretty darn close.

So Steve are you saying I don't have a shot in hell besides my inability to do double-unders?

Elite gymnasts, males, vary as for heights because some are event specific. Not sure about all-arounders, probably average much taller.

[Blair Robert Lowe]

Mikko Salo only won one event in the 2009 CF Games, yet he won the games. Just because they are elite does not mean they win all the time.

Very much the all-arounder like the decathlete or heptathlete, etc.

Rebecca, the average height and weight for the gals was 5'4 138lbs. Kristin is 5'2 130. That's pretty darn close.

So Steve are you saying I don't have a shot in hell besides my inability to do double-unders?

Elite gymnasts, males, vary as for heights because some are event specific. Not sure about all-arounders, probably average much taller.

[Blair Robert Lowe]

Mikko Salo only won one event in the 2009 CF Games, yet he won the games. Just because they are elite does not mean they win all the time.

Very much the all-arounder like the decathlete or heptathlete, etc.

Rebecca, the average height and weight for the gals was 5'4 138lbs. Kristin is 5'2 130. That's pretty darn close.

So Steve are you saying I don't have a shot in hell besides my inability to do double-unders?

Elite gymnasts, males, vary as for heights because some are event specific. Not sure about all-arounders, probably average much taller.

[Tish Traster]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

You should train for you (e.g. because you like being healthy or strong or look good naked or whatever else goals you have).....

There it is in a nut shell!