Behind-the-scenes at Reebok CrossFit Invitational & Open

Last month, I was invited to the CrossFit Invitational in Madrid to watch athletes from the US, Canada, Europe and the Pacific compete. Here’s what happens behind-the-scenes at CrossFit Invitational

A little about the sport

For those who are unfamiliar with CrossFit, it’s a competitive sport with a philosophy of improving your fitness in every way. That’s the short of it. Dig deeper into its history (which doesn’t go that far back, but is still pretty impressive) and you’ll find that development of the sport over the years saw ‘fitness’ become a measurable entity. Based on functional movements that are designed to improve the 10 physical skills (speed, strength, endurance, agility, power, stamina, flexibility, coordination, balance and accuracy), CrossFit is the ‘sport of fitness’.

What’s special about it

What I did know was that it’s a sport for everyone. WODS (Workout of the day) is posted on crossfit.com for all to get involved. And unlike many other competitive sports, it’s not something that you need to be remotely good at, as the whole point is to get better and to improve your performance continually. Nor does a workout ever stay the same – you can expect a different one each time.

The CrossFit community

What I hadn’t understood about CrossFit was the sheer reach of it across the globe. From the online support, to trainers and coaches at affiliate CrossFit Box locations (gyms) and CrossFitters around the world who follow the WODs, events and athletes, the widespread span and support of the CrossFit community is impressive. And throughout my stay in Madrid, it was a subject that everyone would touch on; the longstanding relationship between CrossFit and its sponsor, Reebok; the support from coach to CrossFitter, the bond from fan to athlete, and even the mutual understanding and camaraderie between the athletes.

The competition

It was an incredible experience, watching the athletes push their limits on the day of the competition. Exercises included rowing, muscle ups, thrusters, legless rope climbs, handstand walks, worm lunges and more. It’s not until you watch the athletes struggling through each event (there are five) that you understand what Canada’s coach, Michele Letendre, means when she says: ‘there’s much more to [CrossFit] workouts than just working out’.

Get involved

If you’re looking for something different to your normal, repetitive workouts and you want to push your limits, CrossFit might be the answer for you. The CrossFit Open is a five week, five-workout competition open to everyone worldwide and registration has already opened. And don’t worry if you’re unsure about your ability – entering the Open is a great opportunity to simply measure and compare yourself to others in your age group across the globe and have something to track your progress with.

For more info on CrossFit or to register for the Opens, click here.

To find an affiliate CrossFit Box nearest to you, click here.