Take a look at the CrossFit games and your likely to see many “new” elements that give athletes something to work towards. For instance, the peg board game. Not only was that a different element that was brought in but it left some of the top athletes wondering why they couldn’t do it. There are so many skills that are now considered “easy” for many athletes like handstand walking. For the common CrossFit person this is STILL a challenge but for the elite they need more. Here are some new elements they are taking from different sports to give a challenging twist for the athletes.
Atlas Stones
-Stones demand strength, skill, agility, balance, coordination, and guts like no other movement. Nothing challenges every single ancillary muscle fiber, right down to your fingertips, like a stone.
Backward Roll to Support
-Now muscle ups are easy for the elite. They don’t pose any challenge because it is now a standard movement for many RX competitions. So how can you make it harder ? Make it a backward roll to support. CrossFit has stayed away from this movement as a competition piece, but it’s time to bring it to the Games. It’s an extremely technical movement, and entertaining to watch. Greg Glassman taught these back in 2013 to the HQ seminar athletes. Don’t be shocked to see it at the games !
Rope Muscle ups
-Standard ring muscle ups, once the holy grail of every CrossFitter’s repertoire and a staple at the Games, are as routine as air squats now. Everyone can do muscle ups, so why not take it up a notch and separate out the elite athletes with high-level bodyweight movements?Using a rope takes muscle ups to the extreme and tests something that rarely gets tested in its truest form: grip strength.
There is always the need for balance between entertainment and testing for fitness. Of course, testing for fitness supersedes entertainment value, which is why we have rowing for calories, assault bikes, and the TrueForm treadmill. It needs to be both entertaining for people to watch as it is challenging for that athletes to perform !