Thoughts on 2010 Individual Events?

[Tamara Cohen]

Originally Posted by Andrew Bell

Coming up in my area Jeff Tucker is putting together the Texas Throwdown (wfs) for mid August, and CrossFit Katy (TX) is having one the same weekend just 4 hours away.

So that's 2 compitions for CF'ers the same weekend in my area. Not to mention that Crossfit Central (2 hours away) had 2 events last month.

Precisely. We had the Carolina CrossFit Challenge. I did the Garage Games because Atlanta is less than 4 hours away. The Garage Games and the Faction Games have beginner/intermediate/advanced options. Not everyone wants to compete or can compete at the elite level, but this gives people the option to compete.

THE Games are for the elite level. It's simple to just continue expanding the number of levels that someone has to go through in order to qualify. Our Sectional was all of North and South Carolina. Eventually, I might have to compete locally in western NC, then state wide, then in a multi-state section, etc. Not a big deal.

[Justin McCallon]

Yeah, there are people like that, and like Moe Kelsey and Matt Chan that are going to persevere at stuff that someone their size shouldn't be able to do. On the flip side, there are people like Chris Spealler that are going to persevere on events that shouldn't be good for him.

But Chris Spealler will never have a shot at beating one of those guys at a 1rm tire flip, and those guys will never have a shot at beating Chris Spealler at a max pistols in 2 min event.

The point is that the Games needs to be midway through the spectrum so that athletes that range from something like 5'5 / 150 to 6'4/220 have a chance at winning. Someone 5'10/180ish will always have the best chance at a well-rounded event, I think.

[Ryan McGrotty]

Originally Posted by Thomas Green

Well, I don't really consider any of those weights "big." Chan is 5;10, 210, so that's definitely at the bigger end. But last year I think we had guys much heavier than that who could pull 600lb deadlifts with ease. But you're right about the 170-190 range more than likely being the ideal weight for winning the games

Just wanted to make one point: These guys are 170-190 at like 6-8% bodyfat. Most guys who say they are 210-230 are not at that level of bodyfat. Your average big guy in pretty good shape who says "I weigh 220" is probably around 12-15% bodyfat, which is only around 205 at their bodyfat level.

[Josh Ferguson]

CF HQ wants to maximize their income by having more affiliates.

If more people do CF, more will want to compete.

Letting more people compete will mean more money for CF HQ.

Opening up more weight classes is an easy way to make more money, so that's why I think it will happen. I understand that people don't want that; but at the same time, I don't think that the majority of CFers will boycott events like the CF/USAW meet (which will have weight classes).

I'm going to save any more weight class comments I have until after that event. Maybe it will be a major disaster and everyone will hate it.

[Joshua Refenes]

Originally Posted by Stephen Flamm

Re: big guys not having much of a chance to win the Games...

This is a man who can perform 30 handstand push-ups and recently completed "King Kong" in a respectable 4:15 on his first try. Looks like an NFL linebacker. These guys exist, and soon enough one of them will make it to the Games and contend.

I'm not saying they don't have a chance, I was simply pointing out that a larger athlete is going to be at a disadvantage when it comes to most workouts. Rowing or anything jump/height related (like those burpee wall-climbs) will play to their strengths, but a larger athlete will almost always be doing more work (force * distance) during a workout.

Because of this disadvantage, it's going to take a freak of nature, like the guy you mention, to overcome this disadvantage and win the games.

[Brandon Couden]

I thought the programming was spot on this year. Graham is my training/business partner and he won the whole thing. So my opinion is going to be a little bias but this is what I think. This year they actually did Crossfit style workouts in multiple time and modal domains. Not a cross country run into a power lifting competition, into a weird task, into an Oly-lifting competition with a little Crossfit sprinkled in. Segmenting body parts or even time or modal domains created segmented capacity and not the capacity to do things unknown and unknowable.
Graham, Rich, and Speal were the most athletic guys out there and it was obvious to me. Its also obvious that they train crossfit and maybe hit some weaknesses. Not O-lift then hit the track and then go to a gymnastics's coach. Graham is the best Crossfitter in the world.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Joshua Refenes

Because of this disadvantage, it's going to take a freak of nature, like the guy you mention, to overcome this disadvantage and win the games.

I think the Games winners already need to be freaks of nature. As do the winners of any elite-level athletic event. The programming just determines which kind of genetic freak you get.

Katherine

[Justin McCallon]

Originally Posted by Ryan McGrotty

Just wanted to make one point: These guys are 170-190 at like 6-8% bodyfat. Most guys who say they are 210-230 are not at that level of bodyfat. Your average big guy in pretty good shape who says "I weigh 220" is probably around 12-15% bodyfat, which is only around 205 at their bodyfat level.

For me, I'm 6'4 and I'm guessing that I could hit 220 @ 6% at my genetic limit on terms of muscle mass. Some big dudes have hit there genetic limit...

[Justin McCallon]

Originally Posted by Brandon Couden

I thought the programming was spot on this year. Graham is my training/business partner and he won the whole thing. So my opinion is going to be a little bias but this is what I think. This year they actually did Crossfit style workouts in multiple time and modal domains. Not a cross country run into a power lifting competition, into a weird task, into an Oly-lifting competition with a little Crossfit sprinkled in. Segmenting body parts or even time or modal domains created segmented capacity and not the capacity to do things unknown and unknowable.
Graham, Rich, and Speal were the most athletic guys out there and it was obvious to me. Its also obvious that they train crossfit and maybe hit some weaknesses. Not O-lift then hit the track and then go to a gymnastics's coach. Graham is the best Crossfitter in the world.

I agree that Graham is the top CFer, Rich is second, and Speal is probably third.

But, most people (specifically, me) think that the Games should test to see who has the best "work capacity over broad time and modal domains." Time and modal domains includes rested 1rm strength, tests of 10-60 seconds, and tests of 30+ minutes...

That said, I think Graham's still #1, and Rich is still #2. They were good at everything. I think they'd still win if the events were as I'd like them (although beating Matt Chan would be tough).