Spenser Mestel

In a move first reported by <a href="https://morningchalkup.com/2020/06/09/glassman-resigns-castro-in-as-ceo/#" id="179b352c-da0f-352a-a4ce-307dd6ada229"> The Morning Chalk-Up </a> , Greg Glassman will leave his position to be replaced by Dave Castro, current Director of the CrossFit Games and Co-Director of Training, as the CEO of CrossFit. <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryancbrooks/crossfit-ceo-founder-zoom-greg-glassman-george-floyd" id="669a37fc-bd10-3941-a9c4-7c2ba8a244ab"> BuzzFeed News also reported on the move </a> after posting a recording of Glassman's racist comments in a private meeting, <a href="https://medium.com/@mikeyoungphd/why-im-dumping-crossfit-47ad6a1a0216" id="6769d890-ab6d-3b3f-ab75-b099b1353ff2"> first referenced by Mike Young in a Medium post </a> . Shortly after the reports, <a href="https://www.crossfit.com/greg-glassman-retires" id="aeab8fff-5359-3d27-ad76-0573ed4e2f82"> a post on CrossFit.com </a> confirmed Glassman will retire. Read his statement in full below:

Im stepping down as CEO of CrossFit, Inc., and I have decided to retire. On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members. Since I founded CrossFit 20 years ago, it has become the worlds largest network of gyms. All are aligned in offering an elegant solution to the vexing problem of chronic disease. Creating CrossFit and supporting its affiliates and legions of professional trainers has been a labor of love.

Those who know me know that my sole issue is the chronic disease epidemic. I know that CrossFit is the solution to this epidemic and that CrossFit HQ and its staff serve as the stewards of CrossFit affiliates worldwide. I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQs or affiliates missions. They are too important to jeopardize.

CrossFit is currently losing support from its famously loyal community, with over 1,250 gyms dropping their affiliations, senior-level CrossFit staff resigning, and <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32793304/rogue-fitness-crossfit-ceo-george-floyd-tweet/" id="804a1c18-723b-3536-a490-0aed67748363"> multiple partners and sponsors </a> publicly disavowing Greg Glassman's public comments about George Floyd's death, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32799648/crossfit-ceo-greg-glassman-george-floyd-private-comments/" id="3d47e620-bef1-3fc5-ad6e-4ed79d097b3c"> his purported private emails and statements </a> , the lack of diversity within the organization, and the company's silence on the current social movements against systemic racism.

Castro, the man replacing Glassman, is a member of CrossFit's old guard. He has been responsible, among other things, for programming the popular CrossFit Open and CrossFit Games. He hosted the first-ever Games in 2007 on his Ranch in Aromas, California, the location where <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32433203/crossfit-games-2020-announcement/" id="c5eddfdb-a567-3e12-afaf-a51b13a4e494"> the 2020 Games were scheduled to be held this year </a> after public health measures forced them to be moved from Madison, Wisconsin. Castro also shared a statement in the CrossFit post:

CrossFit is a community one that is global, diverse, and tough. Every person in our community shares a common bond. We are all dedicated to a visionary, transformative approach to health and fitness. Our individual passions for that approach have forged an enduring community.

Our community is hurt, though. Our shared bond brings together millions of people with differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences. Friction is inevitable. Common ground, mutual respect, and fellowship must also be inevitable. Im honored to take on the role of CEO of CrossFit, Inc. I hope to do right by affiliates, trainers, athletes, and other members of the CrossFit community around the world and never lose sight of the mission Greg established for us all.

In light of his ascension to CEO of CrossFit, The Morning Chalk-Up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBOxkyPgPpr/" id="31dfe37c-00e9-3b5b-ad59-6226d46c9d79"> re-shared a video of Castro </a> on Instagram: at an event in 2019, Castro was asked if there were any plans to add diversity to the roster. Castro notably declined to respond the question entirely, instead announcing the following day's first event.

CrossFit, Inc. and Greg Glassman did not respond to requests for comment before the publication of this article.

CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman is out as the leader of the sport of functional fitness after <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32803974/crossfit-reaction-greg-glassman-george-floyd/" id="ca404225-23b4-3995-a3ff-3652e064850b"> several days of fallout </a> from his <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32793305/crossfit-greg-glassman-george-floyd-tweet-rich-froning-reaction/" id="f08e95e6-b2e0-3cfd-a1b5-ddbf5b931113"> racist tweet </a> referencing George Floyd. The company has <...

CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman Retires After Backlash from Racist Tweet

<a href="https://morningchalkup.com/2020/06/08/nicole-carroll-resigns/" id="af7de738-dd30-374c-ac5d-abb30f811a63"> Key corporate </a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBJn8ZAjUOk/" id="d83e9381-c438-327a-a86f-9f2e35f17295"> seminar staff </a> are resigning, companies are pulling their sponsorships, elite athletes are threatening to boycott the upcoming CrossFit Games, and hundreds of gyms are reportedly dropping their affiliations, including some of the oldest, largest, and most influential boxes. Even for an organization thats no stranger to controversy, these developments are by far the most serious threat to CrossFit's existence and could radically transform the company's place as the premier brand for competitive functional fitness.

<h1> What Has Happened with Greg Glassman and CrossFit So Far </h1>

On Tuesday June 2nd, when almost every organization was releasing statements to support or acknowledge the Black Lives Matter protestswhich notably included the NFL on peaceful protestsCrossFit HQ stayed noticeably silent. In a community that is known for honoring soldiers, firefighters and raising awareness for cancer and other hardships, Stacy Pugh, the founder of Black Power Cleans Lifting Club, the CrossFit community has said nothing about the loss of black lives.

Tensions between affiliates and CrossFit HQ were highlighted on Friday, June 5th, when Alyssa Royse of Seattle's Rocket Community Fitness (formerly Rocket CrossFit), an email exchange <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32799648/crossfit-ceo-greg-glassman-george-floyd-private-comments/" id="b4acbccc-fc06-3eef-a813-f11aa6cfa0c7"> she claimed was between herself and Glassman </a> (CrossFit HQ did not respond to a request for comment verifying the screenshots authenticity, or regarding any other aspect of the situation).

In response to Royse questioning where CrossFit stood on the current movement, Glassman allegedly responded with insults. Youre doing your best to brand us as racist and you know its bullshit," the message reads. "That makes you a really shitty person. Do you understand that? Youve let your politics warp you into something that strikes me as wrong to the point of being evil.

The following day, Glassman responded to a from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation saying that, Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues, with a racist quip: <a href="https://twitter.com/IHME_UW/status/1269343305147518976" id="f0f90ed8-38ef-377b-a0b3-2fca7a4c4b95"> Its FLOYD-19 </a> , callously referencing George Floyd. The next day, he <a href="https://twitter.com/CrossFit/status/1269802501873623040" id="9f350393-7ee0-3a73-a677-3da91d072760"> added </a> to the thread that this reference to COVID-19 was an attempt to stick it to the IHME for their invalidated models resulting in needless, economy-wrecking, life-wrecking lockdown. He did not mention Alyssa Royses blog post, which she says has been read over 300,000 times so far.

On June 7th, Mike Young, a CrossFit affiliate owner in North Carolina, published a post alleging that, in a Zoom call the day prior, Glassman said, repeatedly, I do not mourn George Floyd. For Young, that was enough to end his own affiliation with CrossFit. This decision will almost certainly come at a cost to my business, Young writes, but I no longer wish to associate with a company and CEO who are tone deaf and insensitive to our current national crises and so willing to inflame racial divisions."

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.@CrossFitCEO: &quot;I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake.&mdash; CrossFit (@CrossFit) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrossFit/status/1269802501873623040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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. <a href="https://twitter.com/CrossFitCEO?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" id="46b3f64b-0b3f-356d-a20a-b1a8ae736ed8"> @CrossFitCEO </a> : "I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake. CrossFit (@CrossFit)

Glassman <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32798741/crossfit-ceo-greg-glassman-george-floyd-tweet-response/" id="88bef5aa-9d23-32b8-ab5b-1b2019ccc4aa"> issued an apology via CrossFit's Twitter account </a> later on June 7th. Notably, he refused to acknowledge that his comments were racist and doubled down on his attacks on public health organizationsbut for many affiliates, employees, and athletes, this was too little, too late.

<h1> CrossFit Gyms Disaffiliate from the Brand </h1>

According to reporting from the and an published on Reddit, hundreds of gyms are dropping or have dropped their affiliations, including , , and , three of the most prominent boxes in the country.

The decision to abandon CrossFit is still a weighty one for affiliates. We immediately thought, We cant be associated with this, says Sam Orme, a former competitor in the CrossFit Games and the owner of , a 12-year affiliate in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But realistically, 50 percent of our leads come from people searching CrossFit on Google. Thanks to the pandemic, weve had a lot of members lose their jobs or move out of the city permanently, so to give up potentially 50 percent of our leads going forwardyou know, honestly, we could go out of business.

Still, when Orme put the question to the coaching staff, everyone agreed to disaffiliate, and the response has been nothing but positive. In New York, it's sort of a no-brainer because it's such a liberal city, she says. Nobody is really going to say out loud that they stand against [the Black Lives Matter movement].

\"It just made me think that he thinks that racism and police brutality are also overblown.\"

But even in rural Kansas, affiliates are upset with Glassmans statements. Christina Spencer has been doing CrossFit since 2008 and quit her job as a teacher to co-open in 2012. Last week, Spencer noticed that CrossFit hadnt issued a statement like other organizationsbut she wasnt particularly upset. As a black person, while that bothers me, that's not unusual, right? she says. Most white people arenot that they're okay with what happenedbut they have a high tolerance for it because it doesn't directly impact them.

However, when she saw Glassmans tweet, Spencer was pissed. Knowing that he thought the coronavirus was overblown and handled completely incorrectly, by him saying FLOYD-19, it just made me think that he thinks that racism and police brutality are also overblown, she says.

Spencer says she is still considering to renew Junction City CrossFits affiliate dues in Novemberbut only in order to promote a more proactively anti-racist culture from within the organization. How many black, indigenous, people of color do you see working at [CrossFit] HQ? How many are on your seminar staff? How many are working on the social media team? And the ancillary apparel and supplement companies that have sprung up, you dont see people of color on those advertisements, either.

Spencer says she also supports honoring George Floyd with , a tradition in CrossFit, but she wants to see them programmed and executed with intention. The same way we honor fallen police officers and firefighters, it has to be with that same tenacity that we talk about civil rights, she says.

For many, what makes CrossFits inaction especially frustrating is that the company has shown a willingness to change for the LGBTQIA+ community.

In 2014, the sport's governing body a trans woman from competition. In response, many within the community, including Alyssa Royse from Rocket Community Fitness, worked to make the sport more welcoming for LGBTQIA+ participants. In 2018, after CrossFit's Chief Knowledge Officer an affiliate for cancelling its Pride event and refusing to celebrate sin, he was fired almost immediately.

\"Why cant we talk about how racism is a public health issue?\"

Later that same day, Glassman was saying hes crazy proud of the gay community in CrossFit, and a few months later, the company that it was adopting the International Olympics Committees guidelines allowing transgender athletes to compete.

Glassmans silence on racial justice was also disappointing to observers because, in the past few years, hes on combating chronic diseases, weeding out junk science, and fighting the influence of Big Sodaissues that disproportionately affect Black Americans. Why cant we talk about how racism is a public health issue the same way we talk about the food industry being a public health issue? says Spencer, the Kansas gym owner.

<h1> CrossFit's Competitive Future Hangs in the Balance </h1>

However, there may not be a CrossFit competition left to compete in this year, or for the foreseeable future.

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the planned <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32433203/crossfit-games-2020-announcement/" id="f86a2723-b9ef-3bc7-ad91-6c28376b101a"> 2020 CrossFit Games had already been radically changed from years past </a> . Teens, masters, and team divisions were cut, the number of individual athlete slots was reduced, and the competition site was moved from Madison, Wisconsin to a private ranch in Alamos, California. But now, even if health authorities were to allow the Games to continue this year, their long term fate is uncertain.

Some sponsors, like , have already pulled their support after Glassman's racist tweet and the lack of response from CrossFit HQ. , the Games exclusive title sponsor, has announced that it wont be renewing its contract with CrossFit after this year, including its multi-million dollar prize purse for the Games and its line of CrossFit-trademarked apparel. , another major sponsor, is removing the CrossFit logo from its upcoming invitationalbut has left the door open to continuing its relationship with the company: The future is dependent on the direction and leadership within CrossFit HQ. Rogue has been the equipment provider since 2010 and we believe it is part of our DNA," read the brand's statement. "We hope there is a path forward.

Likewise, many elite athletes are cautiously optimistic that change within CrossFit is still possible. However, until it materializes, four have declared their intention to withdraw from the 2020 competition. One of the first to do so was , a six-time Games athlete and last years runner-up. I felt like I had the opportunity to go from just talking to backing up my words with a strong action, says Ohlsen. But I'm not going to call anybody and urge them to also pull out of the Games. I know that's an incredibly difficult decision.

\"There will be a new sort of ethical framework for inclusive coaching that comes from this.\"

According to Ohlsen, he and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/blacksmifff/?hl=en" id="a4617476-40de-3ff3-aee9-b4aef0838b3b"> Chandler Smith </a> , another athlete whos tentatively withdrawn and one of few elite Black CrossFitters, also considered going to the Games and making a statement there. But, what if neither of us make the podium?" Ohlsen says. "That's a possibility, and then nothing is said and nothing changes, and how guilty would we feel that we missed out on this opportunity?

But the Games are only a small part of what CrossFit is. The competition is the centerpiece of the elite CrossFit seasonbut theres a host of smaller events throughout the year that are approved by CrossFit but managed by outside companies. On Monday, , which runs the Granite Games, Wodapalooza, the West Coast Classic, the Mayan CrossFit Classic, and the Madrid CrossFit Championship, ended its affiliation with CrossFit. In total, <a href="https://morningchalkup.com/2020/06/08/sanctional-organizers-step-away-from-crossfit-inc/#" id="6ad4440b-ec6b-39b0-a074-4c4e46d70006"> the organizers behind 14 Sanctional events have removed the CrossFit brand </a> from their operations.

If Loud and Live and other organizers have the financial support of brands like Reebok, Rogue, or the hundreds of newly independent affiliates, they could fundamentally transform the infrastructure of the style of functional fitness CrossFit popularized. That's the hope for Alyssa Royse, the owner of Rocket Community Fitness. I believe, because I intend to be a part of it, that there will be a new sort of ethical framework for inclusive coaching that comes from this, she says. Now that this exoskeleton is gone, we can all break free and blossom as our own thing and come together to do something amazing.

CrossFit Community Reacts to CEO's Racist Tweet

Sparked by CrossFit HQs response to the Black Lives Matter protests and <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a32793305/crossfit-greg-glassman-george-floyd-tweet-rich-froning-reaction/" id="22869a1a-22f6-3541-a111-e95a35d07918"> CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman's racist tweet regarding George Floyd </a> , an open rebellion is underway within the CrossFit community.

CrossFit Is Facing a Reckoning. Where Does it Go From Here?

The hometown hero, who took <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a28607626/mat-fraser-wins-2019-crossfit-games/" id="8ac5a3b1-3788-34d9-a01e-b94a0128e824"> second overall at the CrossFit Games last year </a> , made his ninth Wodapalooza appearance in 2020, and fans flocked to give him fist bumps and get their hands on his . Ohlsen finished the competition in third place for Elite men and acknowledged the love from fans in an Instagram post.

Leading up to competition, Ohlsen did everything youd expect to prep. He trained for hours a day, dialed in his , and then developed a game plan with his coach, Max El-Hag from .

But theres nothing like one CrossFit's super challenging workouts to derail even the most talented athleteso sticking to the training plan becomes even more important. Ohlen recommends the following five tips for anyone looking to improve their training or become a better competitor.

Stick to Your Taper

Unlike the CrossFit Games, which springs events on participants immediately before the competition, Wodapalooza announced its ahead of time: Luce, three rounds of a 1-kilometer run, 10 ring muscle-ups, and 100 air squats, all while wearing a 20-pound backpack. Ohlsen considers ring muscle-ups to be one of his strongest movements, but even after four practice sessions with the additional weight, he couldnt get the technique down.

Even though the movement werent meant to be programmed in his training schedule, he decided to attempt them again two days before Wodapaloozabut under carefully managed circumstances.

I found out that 10 reps was my max capacity, he says. Im almost chicken-winging to get that tenth one, which isnt smart to do so close to the competition. I also know that seven or eight reps is doable, but I wanted a session where I never got to that difficult point, where every rep felt good.

Using those guidelines, Ohlsen chose to do three sets of five reps, exactly enough to adjust his timing while not burning himself out during his recovery period.

Know Your Benchmarks

When a workout starts, being able to pace yourself is crucial. That task is even easier to do on three common CrossFit apparatuses: the rower, the Assault bike, and the SkiErg, all of which tell you your strokes per minute, power output, and calories per hour. Though Ohlsen knows his speed may change based on the length of the workout and the movements before and afterward, he has three general guideposts to help him calibrate in the heat of the moment.

All Out: The maximum output he can generate for five to 10 seconds. On the SkiErg, its around 3,200 calories an hour.

Moderate: A pace that he can quickly hit and maintain before transitioning to another exerciseabout 1,500 calories an hour.

Active Recovery: Smooth, easy, almost no effortabout 1,000 calories an hour.

Make Smart Adjustments in the Moment

On one of the events (50 heavy wall-balls, 40 calories on the SkiErg, 30 dumbbell snatches, 20 box jump overs, and 15 bar muscle-ups), Ohlsen knew hed have to hold an intense pace without redlining and imploding. Beforehand, he expected to ski around 1,500 calories per hour, but after he finished the heavy wall-balls and got pulling, he was only able to hit the high 1300s.

He wasnt rattled. Just because we said that's what I should hit, I know its not going to be worth it cause thats going to exhaust me, he says. And when I get to those dumbbell snatches, Im going to have to break them up or work a whole lot harder.

Ohlsen recalibrated based on how he was feeling, and he has the advantage of knowing his body exceptionally well. In fact, hes discovered that his energy level isnt necessarily correlated with how quickly his heart is beating. My heart rate can be lower, but still, for whatever reason, the movements that Im doing just fatigue me in a different way, he says.

Prepare to Go Icy Cold

Wodapalooza 2020 had 5 team divisions, 34 individual divisions (17 for men and 17 for women), and multiple events running concurrently. In order to coordinate such a massive event, organizers had to ensure that the athletes were in place up to a half hour before their event started. That often meant that Ohlsen was stuck in less than comfortable conditions.

We were just waiting on a concrete slab before one of the workouts, which had dumbbell bench press and thrusters, so to stay warm I did some push ups and air squats just to make sure I didnt go out there completely cold.

Ohlsen says that competitors can face similar waits at the Games as well. Other events like road races or triathlons have similar staging logistics, so if youre looking to compete anywhere, know how to stay warm with just your body weight.

Accept Your Choices, No Matter What

Even a day after Wodapalooza ended, Ohlsen wasnt sure if his strategy on the rowing event paid off.

I do feel like I probably could have given it a little finishing kick and sprinted at the last minute and done a little bit better. On the other side of things, if I had started off at a pace that didn't make sense for me and just blasted it from the beginning, I could have exploded, and instead of taking 21st place, I take 40th place.

Especially in CrossFit, creating the perfect strategy is an admirable goal to shoot for but likely impossible to achieve. Still, you can give yourself guidelines for how you work within your strategy as a way to control what little you can during those uncertainties. Keep these tips in mind, and with a lot of hard work, you could be rowing next to Noah Ohlsen at next years Wodapalooza. Miami's hometown hero is almost sure to be there.

, the four-day Miami-based CrossFit Sanctional competition, doesnt elect a kingyou have to win the competition to get a crown, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a31076860/crossfit-wodapalooza-2020-results/" id="a0e98736-68f3-3e17-a2d4-d4f0ff18a61a"> as Pat Vellner and Tia-Clair Toomey did at this years' installment of the event </a> but if it did, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nohlsen/" id="b67dfbb2-8f39-341b-a1c9-1048d36837cf"> Noah Ohlsen </a> would be the clear favorite.

5 Tips to Find Success Through Uncertainty from CrossFit's Noah Ohlsen

Along with her almost followers, Id seen the San Diego-based teenager master every activity I could think offrom to to throwing and though I doubted there was anything she hadnt yet tried, I wanted to see how shed handle an unfamiliar movement. Eventually, though, I told her wed be meeting at a batting cage. Sounds great! she texted. Ive never done that before.

When I walked in the door of the cages, Bagby, whos a half inch under five-feet, sprung up from her seat, smiled, and extended her hand. A facility manager directed us to the 45-55 mile-per-hour cage, since I'm not quite a slugger myself (the last time I hit a baseball was before Bagby was born). Helmet on, she walked through the chain-link door, tapped her bat on the ground, and looked back at me. Do I stand on the plate? she asked.

The first pitch came, and Bagby lurched forward and swung. She missed. Oh my God, she laughed. I have no coordination at all. After thinking for a second, she took a step back. On the next pitch, she connected and smacked a line drive.

As we picked up the balls, Bagby explained that, even though shes now most famous for acrobatics, like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Brl3zR9locy/" id="8e76935d-868e-30f6-a2e4-5cae8fa58a08"> </a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgHrs17BDTE" id="5d78e2f3-ec8e-3f25-ad40-54c8223973af"> </a> , her first sport was soccer, since her brothers played and her dad coached. Her family was just as supportive when, in sixth grade, she told them she wanted to join a competitive cheerleading squad with her friends. The only problem was that Bagby had no experience, and her friends were in the intermediate level.

Everyone goes left, but I was like, Im gonna go right and be different.

The cheerleading gym agreed to let Bagby take the more advanced classbut only if she learned the required skills before their first competition. It was something like a back handspring and a back walkover, she said. Super easy skills looking back, but at the time, I was like, Theres no way. For extra help, Bagby convinced her mom to sign her up for private lessons, but she still didnt feel confident. I never wanted to go into the gym and try something because all these people already knew what they're doing, and Im just hucking skills with no form.

So, Bagby started training herself at home instead. Id take these rectangular cushions from outside by our pool and put them in the living room and start flipping, she said. Thats where I did my first ever backflip. After that, she started teaching herself a backflip with a full twist. I had no idea how to rotate, she said. I didnt know whether to go left or right, so I chose right. Everyone goes left, but I was like, Im gonna go right and be different. Within a few months, shed progressed to the highest level at the gym, a rate of improvement her coaches had never seen before.

Demi Bagby Is Instagram's Most Dynamic Athlete

Once we were done hitting, Bagby told me about her last day at cheerleading practice. She was thrown into the air for a basket toss and was dropped on the way down, breaking her back upon impact. When I asked her which trick it was or if she lost consciousness, she shook her head. We should probably move on, she said. Im sorry. Its a really emotional thing, and I think that's also a big part of why I do individual sports, because I know my limits and don't have to rely on anyone else.

It took about a year for Bagby to recover fully, during which she read and taught herself the piano. She also learned a new level of pain tolerance (Unless I die, nothings ever gonna hurt that much) and discovered a foundation of patience that I had a hard time believing at firstshe was so full of movement. Even in a chair, Bagby was constantly gesturing with her hands and shifting her weight, which made more sense when she told me that sitting for long stretches hurts her back. I suggested we take a walk on the beach.

As Bagby drove us there, she adjusted herself in the seat, which relieves some of the pressure on her spine. However, theres little she can do for long plane rides, like the trip to Sydney she would take the following week, except to stretch beforehand. I do the splits in the middle of the airport, she said, and then I throw a couple flips in there to get some energy out.

At the beach, in between strangers stopping Bagby to ask for photos, she explained how she moved on from her injury. She was driving with her mom and saw a sign for CrossFit, and she needed to check it out. I walk in, and it's a little gym with black mats, some pullup bars, and an open floor, and Im like Wow, this is crazy. It just looked so cool. Like, this open space means you do something here. When she joined, she was 14 years old and the only non-adult at the gym.

CrossFit was the perfect sport for Bagby because she could lift light on the barbell movements, like squats and deadlifts, and then go whole hog on the gymnastics and conditioning, which was what she loved most about cheerleading. Shortly after she began, she entered the teen competition at the CrossFit Open. She placed 517th in the United States for 14 to 15 year-old girls. The following year, she was 23rd in the world.

Since then, Bagbys added to her long resume of activities. After cheerleading, parkour, and gymnastics (which she calls air awareness sports), she moved on to board sports, like ocean surfing, wake surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding. The one consistent factor is that Bagby has always taught herself. Ill do something and know that its not right, she said, or Ill get hurt and be like, I know what I did. I need to never do that again, rather than someone saying, Dont do that.

In that regard, Instagram is essential to Bagbys development. Its a journal of my skills, she says. I can watch myself surfing and say, I know what feeling I had when I was carving, and this is what it looks like. That may sound like a trivial thing, especially in comparison to all the other benefits of social media fame, but it sounds sincere coming from Bagby.

People don\'t really realize how much sports correlate to each other until they try them or see them.

Toward the end of our day together, I realized that Bagby hadnt looked at her phone once. That's an impressive feat for anyone these days, let alone someone whose career is so intertwined with social media. In fact, she barely talked about her Instagram at all. When it eventually came up, she told me, In a work environment or at an event with people doing what I do, I'm like, Hey, this is who I am. Id love to work with you. But when Im just meeting someone, it's more genuine when I'm not like, Hey, I do Instagram. I have a million followers.' Then, they get to see me for me, rather than how the internet sees me.

How most people see Bagby is as a superhumanwhich is in no small part due to her age, perhaps, the most remarkable thing about her wide range of physical capabilities. But until this year, it was also her most limiting factor (Bagby only turned 18 in January). As a minor, she needed a chaperone to travel abroad, and there were several photoshoots where the organizers, having assumed she was already an adult, made her sit outside when they discovered otherwise. I honestly almost got a fake ID just so I could go to the gym, she says.

Every time someone messaged Bagby with an opportunity that she needed to be 18 to accept, she put it in a special folder, which filled up with dozens of offers. She was at least able to learn while recovering from her back injury, so she was less positive about being a minor. If I didn't have a skill, she told me, I could work my ass off until I got it, but this [her age] is the one thing I can't change.

Bagby went when she turned 18, and for her next birthday, in January 2020, she plans to release a fitness app, with three-month programs aimed to help users expand their fitness horizons. No matter who you are at the gym, you have something that makes you comfortable, and you also have something that challenges you, she said. So, I have machines, I have more functional training, I have weight-based training. Theres also lateral and unilateral movement, so a lot of things that correlate with parkour as well as surfing and skating, too.

Eventually, Bagby said the app will include more sport-specific training, but her main goal is to help athletes build a more diverse skillset. People don't really realize how much sports correlate to each other until they try them or see them.

The format is fitting. Ever since Bagby dragged those rectangular mats from her pool into her living room and started flipping, shes committed to both finding those movement similarities and to doing so through her own experience. Its not the easiest or most efficient route, but, based on Bagbys remarkable breadth, it's one that can be extremely successful.

Earlier this year, when Demi Bagby asked me what wed be doing during her interview, I considered lying.

This Self-Taught Teenage Tumbler Is One of Instagram's Most Dynamic Athletes

And <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a29067926/the-game-changers-movie-fact-check/" id="976fc741-ac91-349c-a792-641cb8d7123b"> the plant-based phenomenon </a> goes beyond the supermarket and into the world of fast food.

You can find plant-based fried "chicken" at KFC, plant-based Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches at Dunkin Donuts, and the Impossible Whopper at Burger King.

If you're lactose intolerant or vegan, you may welcome this greater availability of plant-based options. But are they always the healthier choice for everyone?

The answer is complicated, at least according to the nutrition experts we consulted. Here are the four biggest myths they're seeing bubble up around plant-based foodsdebunked.

<h1> Myth: Plant-based foods are completely natural and not processed. </h1>

Though the term plant-based may sound like it sound like the food was just plucked from the earth, thats rarely the case.

Just look at <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a27318918/impossible-burger-nutrition-information/" id="4ecd6377-8962-3457-a4c3-df0633604f9d"> the ingredients list of an Impossible Burger </a> .

Granted, processing isn't necessarily a bad thing, says <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mariespano/?hl=en" id="e3abb1f1-11e4-3041-a783-ea51a7596126"> Marie Spano </a> , M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., a sports nutritionist for the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Atlanta Braves.

As she <a href="http://www.mariespano.com/tag/processed-foods/" id="8f6ddd1a-e863-38c1-ae5c-faed0a2a6ab0"> points out </a> , the FDA definition of a processed food includes any raw agricultural commodity that has been canned, cooked, frozen, milled, or dehydrated. So, technically, frozen chicken breast and dried beans are processed. So, instead of asking whether something is processed, Spano prefers to ask how, exactly, the processing is changing the food.

Almond milk adds in calcium and vitamin D because they're not naturally there, but with every nutrient, there are a number of different types, she says. The type they add back in isnt as bioavailable or easy for us to use as it is regular milk, and it also settles to the bottom of the container.

Though she says that processed foods do have benefitstheyre versatile, convenient, and cheapher general advice to eat food closer to its natural state.

Another important note: Because plant-based processed foods are so new, there's little, if any, clinical research regarding the direct health implications of making them a part your diet.

<h1> Myth: Plant-based foods contain fewer calories and less fat. </h1>

<a href="https://www.beyondmeat.com/products/the-beyond-burger/" id="38bcbfb0-64e1-3239-ab77-cd6cc0bf3cce"> A four-ounce Beyond Burger </a> has 250 calories and 18 grams of fat, plus 20 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber.

<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/336869/nutrients" id="250c5ddd-1217-358f-ae80-182ff89bd889"> A 4.5-ounce cooked beef burger </a> , by comparison, has 212 calories and 14 grams of fat, plus 21 grams of protein. (Animal proteins never contain fiber.)

So there's not much difference. And fat isn't to be feared, says <a href="https://www.instagram.com/optimizemenutrition/" id="d9476b5d-e72f-3567-afbf-b35a0b5dc673"> EC Synkowski </a> , a nutrition coach based in Boulder, CO. It's everything in context, says Synkowski.

Switching from a beef-based burger to a plant-based burger once a weekor even a few times a weekisn't going to make a huge difference calorically or nutrient-wise if the rest of your diet is filled with poor choices.

<h1> Myth: When it comes to plant-based protein, all that matters is the amount. </h1>

A bodybuilder can only eat chicken as a protein source and look amazing, yet still be nutrient deficient. Same goes for plant-based eaters.

If a plant-based advocate eats only tofu, black beans, or seitan (all <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19546258/best-plant-protein-sources/" id="30e9ce30-5ab6-3fa4-a30d-0dd292d943a5"> great sources of plant-based protein </a> , mind you), they too can lack the adequate nutrients they need.

For this reason, Synkowski recommends eating a variety of protein sourcesregardless of if you're omnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan. That's because different foods provide your body with different nutrients. It's not all about protein. It's about the gut-filling fiber in whole grains, the heart-healthy fats in nuts, the disease-fighting antioxidants in fruit, and so much more.

And then there's the issue of "bioavailability," which is your body's ability to absorb the nutrients within food. When it comes to things like beans, the bioavailability is quite low compared to eggs or whey protein, says Spano.

However, you can improve nutrient bioavailability through cooking, says Spano. Pressure cooking and roasting increases the bioavailability of plant proteins by decreasing those compounds that bind the amino acids in food. Combining fat with vegetables also increases the bioavailability of some of the plant compounds.

<h1> Myth: With 'plant-based' it's no animal products or bust. </h1>

Recently, the term '"plant-based" has been hijacked to mean "vegan." Note that the research on plant-based diets is not on plant-only diets.

Just check out the benefits of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a27561342/what-is-flexitarian-diet/" id="ef546198-4e6d-35f9-a540-86fc16253a59"> a flexitarian diet </a> , which encourages the consumption of less meat, sure, but also plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and good fats, be they animal-derived or plant-derived.

Eating plant-based doesn't have to mean cutting animal products completely out of your life. Don't let a vegan YouTube "expert" or a Netflix "documentary" tell you otherwise.

The 4 Biggest Myths About Plant-Based Foods

From hemp protein powders to oat milk to vegan eggs, it seems like almost every animal protein product now has a "plant-based" counterpart <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a29188136/what-does-plant-based-mean/" id="a39ade20-49a9-3364-adb4-8fc9250c2078"> despite that term not having an agreed-upon definition </a> .

According to number crunching from the CrossFit-centric , the Open had never before included (the most common movements are toe-to-bar, double-unders, and some form of thrusters and muscle-ups) or allowed athletes to as they wished. It was also the first time that one time domainin this case, 20 minuteswas used three times.

Though CrossFit HQ wont finish reviewing the video submissions of the top 40 athletes until December 16th, this Open had another likely first: the first time since 2016 that , the four-time Games champion, didnt win. <a href="https://www.boxrox.com/vellner-and-sigmundsdottir-win-2020-crossfit-open-unofficial/" id="a65f8d54-c5fe-3b56-a6e1-6734bab45072"> BoxRox reports </a> that he likely placed third, behind presumptive winner <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a22716732/vellner-crossfit-max-weight-lifting/" id="9f0cbf9a-2277-3b8e-a1b3-2969a11b27c9"> Pat Vellner </a> . This would be Vellner's first victory after a fifth-place finish in 2018, to go along with three top-three finishes in the CrossFit Games (third in 2016 and 2017, second in 2018).

But you shouldn't take Fraser's finish as a sign that his dynasty is coming to an endhe's still the guy to beat. The four-time champ is on track for his fifth consecutive title, and he shared his five best tips with Men's Health about how you can train like the Fittest Man on Earth.

You Get What You Pay For

Fraser always takes time off after the Games in August, but in previous years, the CrossFit season didnt start until March. This time, the Open kicked off in October, giving him far less time to prepare in this case, only a week. I definitely pushed the off season a little bit longer than I usually do, he says, and it definitely showed, especially compared to his competitors.

Five or six weeks before the Open, I was talking to [three-time Games podium finisher] , and he's telling me some of the workouts he was doing, says Fraser. I was like, Are you serious? Thats like full-fledged Games training. That intensity paid off for Vellner, whos currently the Open champion, but Frasers personal motto is Hard Work Pays Off, so he isnt particularly upset that his minimal inputs resulted in a minimal output.

It's definitely disappointing not to see my name at the top, he says, but I'm not surprised at all.

Practice How You Compete

This year, after CrossFit HQs review of their video submissions, dozens of athletes were penalized for not meeting the workouts movement standards. Though a few successfully those decisions, most didnt, and several dropped hundreds of places as a result, ruining their chances to qualify for the Games through the Open.

Mat Fraser's Top 5 CrossFit Training Tips

Though the penalties this year are especially harsh, Fraser says that these kinds of corrections happen every season. There's a lot of guys who are great during the Open, and then they go to the Games and they start getting hit with a bunch of no reps. Then, they get upset because, yeah, when they get tired, their form breaks down. Thats where they sacrifice their energy.

Though Fraser was also assessed a penalty this Openone rep, for finishing a toe-to-bar after the time caphe knows he can meet the standards, even when the workouts kick him in the teeth. I never have to worry about my form when I get tired because I intentionally practice good movements, he says. I never dont go below parallel. Like, I squat until I hit my heels and then I come back up, so it's never a question of, Did I go low enough?

Learn How a Movement Is Supposed to Feel (and Study the Tape)

Part of practicing with classic CrossFit form is developing the awareness to know where your body is in space. In his former life, as a competitive weightlifter, Fraser had the benefit of endless video footage. When I lived at the Olympic Training Center, every platform had a camera pointed at the platform, and then each platform had a 50-inch flat screen TV on a 30-second delay. So, you would finish your set, sit down, turn to the TV, and 30 seconds later, you could see what your lift looked like.

\"Why fix something if it isnt broken, you know?\"

Now, Fraser still records his lifts, but only in rare cases. Say my snatches arent landing in place, he says, that's when I'll pull out the camera, but most of the time, if the movements feeling good and clicking, Im like, Why fix something if it isnt broken, you know?

Developing this proprioception takes years, and amateur athletes should use every means at their disposal to ensure theyre lifting safely: video analysis, in-person coaching, and helpful guides, like this one . At the same time, though, you also want to be aware of how the movement feels, not just how it looks.

Prehab, Prehab, Prehab

During every training session, Fraser aims to practice weightlifting, cardio, and a traditional CrossFit metcon. Then, he devotes hours to prehabilitation.

I like to think I'm a little bit more intelligent as a competitor now, so Im constantly working on the sensitive areas before they're injured, not just when something hurts," he says. "I'm always trying to take care of those little stabilizers everywhere.

To avoid injury, strengthen weak parts of the body, and ensure that youre able to smash workouts for the next four decades, incorporate prehab into your lifting routine. A great place to start is to prep your shoulders, hips, and lower back.

When youre the undisputed Fittest Man on Earth, who could possibly be an adequate training partner? For Fraser, its the Fittest Woman on Earth, . Both competitors now live in Cookeville, Tennessee, the that also hosts the Fittest Team on Earth and two former Fittest Teenagers on Earth.

The two and enjoy but theyre also able to train without feeling competitive or jealous. The last five years, the athlete I've trained with for any extended period of time has been someone from the female side, says Fraser, and I think part of that is the fact that we're able to push each other and compete against each other, but we're not competitors so that makes life a little bit easier.

The 2020 CrossFit Open, which officially ended on Monday, was one for the ages. This was the first time in its nine-year history that the worldwide competition was held twice in the same year, owing to   for the CrossFit Games. Still, almost 240,000 athletes signed up to suffer through the five weeks of workouts, which were also unusual compared to what was previously standard Open fare.

Mat Fraser's 5 Tips for Crushing CrossFit Workouts After the Open

Unlike the four previous workouts this year, you can partition the workload however you want, which means that having a sensible strategy is more than important than ever. Below, you can find tips from Henning Langer, one of the exercise scientists behind .

<h1> The 2020 CrossFit Open 20.5 Workout </h1>

<ul><li> 40 ring muscle-ups </li><li> 80-calorie row </li><li> 120 wall ball shots </li></ul>

Women's Standard: 14-lb. ball to 9 ft.

Men's Standard: 20-lb. ball to 10 ft.

Time cap: 20 minutes

The obvious bottleneck on 20.5 is the ring muscle-ups, so your strategy should revolve around that movement. If you know theres no chance you can finish one rep, then you want to do the wall balls and row as quickly as possible or opt for the scaled version, which prescribes pull-ups.

<h1> What's the Deal With the CrossFit Open 20.5 Workout </h1>

If you want to try for (maybe your first ever) ring muscle-up, Langer has some advice about kipping, which might seem counterintuitive at first. Trust him on this one though, and keep your swinging to a minimum to start. Most people would be surprised by how feasible a strict muscle-up might be, as opposed to a huge kip because the kip requires so much more coordination and timing and belief in yourself, he says. However you attempt the muscle-up, just make sure you do it at the beginning of the workout and have a coach okay your form.

If you can do 5 to 10 muscle-ups, you want to intersperse those with rowingnot wall ballsin order to save your biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Similar to handstand pushups, if the ring muscle-ups die on you, then you have to wait disproportionately long for them to return, says Langer. If you get no repped, just stop the ring muscle-ups. Dont wait for them to come back. Get onto the rower and row very slowly.

If you eat ring muscle-ups for breakfast, you want to come out of the gates with a big set and then alternate between those and the wall balls, ideally saving the rowing for last. Then, you should pull hard. It really pays off if you can row at higher intensity and higher wattage because the calorie output per stroke is higher, says Langer.

<h1> A More Manageable Way to Handle the 20.5 Workout </h1>

Group of athletes exercising on rowing machines in a gym.

A more manageable way to think about 20.5 is 10 rounds of 4 muscle-ups and 12 wall balls. If you take 45 seconds for each movement, you finish at 15 minutes, leaving 5 more for the row. Because the average man rows about 20 calories per minute, you should finishin a perfect worldwith a minute to spare.

Regardless of what strategy may get you the highest score, this is the final workout of the Open, and since you have the freedom to make it whatever you want, take it. If you want it to be a 20-minute EMOM of 2 ring muscle-ups, thats what it is. If you prefer to finish the wall balls and row and then use your remaining time to fight for your first muscle-up, do it. No matter what, its unlikely youll finish everything. Forty muscle-ups is a lot, says Langer. Forty will kill most people.

How to Crush the CrossFit Open 20.5 Workout

Grab your grips and chalk because the fifth and final workout of the 2020 CrossFit Open is here. To close out the competition, you'll take on a choose-your-own adventure of ring muscle-ups, rowing, and wall balls.

What You Need to Know About the CrossFit Open 20.5 Workout

<ul><li> 30 box jumps (24 inches for men/20 inches for women) </li><li> 15 clean and jerks, (95 pounds for men/65 pounds for women) </li><li> 30 box jumps (24/20) </li><li> 15 clean and jerks (135/95) </li><li> 30 box jumps (24/20) </li><li> 10 clean and jerks (185/115) </li><li> 30 single-leg squats </li><li> 10 clean and jerk (225/145) </li><li> 30 single-leg squats </li><li> 5 clean and jerks (275/175) </li><li> 30 single-leg squats </li><li> 5 clean and jerks (315/205) </li></ul>

Time cap: 20 minutes

<h1> What's the Deal With the CrossFit Open 20.4 Workout </h1>

According to Henning Langer, one of the two exercise scientists behind , the two obvious sticking points are the heavy cleans and the single-leg squats, also called pistols.

If you dont have the strength, skill, or mobility to do the latter, you have two options. You can scale the workout, which replaces the pistols with a 20-pound medicine-ball box step-up (and lightens the clean and jerks to 65-95-115-135-155-185 pounds). Or, you can consider just the first three sets your workout, pace accordingly, and start for next year.

Even if youre a monster on the barbell, Langer says you probably wont finish the clean and jerks at 315 pounds, the heaviest ever programmed in the Open. At last nights , only one of the three CrossFit Games athletes there, 2015 champion Ben Smith, was able to do all five. With that in mind, strategy is still crucial.

Go with singles fairly early, says Henning. Not necessarily on the 95-pound round but surely for the round of 135, just because singles are not that much slower than going touch-and-go. The one break you take between your two sets of going unbroken is probably just as long as all the tiny breaks you would take between singles.

Langer points out that, by the time you get to the clean and jerks at 185, youve basically done the CrossFit benchmark of <a href="https://www.crossfit.com/search/grace" id="a55899fa-a9c7-3519-ab45-f7b28f01da16"> Grace </a> , plus 90 box jumps. No matter how good of shape youre in, you're certainly going to be out of breath at that point. As a point of reference, Langer compares 20.4 to running a 5k.

<h1> How to Do the CrossFit Open 20.4 Workout Without Burning Out </h1>

African American athlete jumping on crate during training in a gym.

To minimize the fatigue, Langer recommends taking advantage of a rule change for this workout, which allows even Rx athletes to also step up and step down on their box jumps. I think a lot of people underestimate how much they can control their breathing and how much they can save energy by doing step ups and singles, he says.

Regardless of your strategy, though, when you get to a clean and jerk thats anywhere near your PR, approach it carefully. Just one failed rep can set you back (or worse, put you in danger of injury) and take a huge hit on your confidence. Unless you're actually competing in the Open, think about cutting the weight to give yourself room to work.

So, make sure to warm up your shoulders and ankles, pace thoughtfully, opt for singles, step up and down, lift safely, and, as always, have fun. After this workout, theres only one left.

What You Need to Know About CrossFit Open 20.4

The fourth workout of this seasons CrossFit Open has been announced, and our first piece of advice for 20.4 is this: start   and  . You'll be doing box jumps, single-leg squats, and clean and jerks. Below, youll find the full workout and tips for approaching this 20-minute slugfest.

What You Need to Know About the CrossFit Open 20.4 Workout

Not here at <a href="https://conbody.com/" id="be826014-5918-3796-a972-71a8275c1bfd"> ConBody </a> , the hourlong boot camp thats made the unglamorous prison workout into a bodyweight fitness trend.No breaks, the instructor shouts gruffly.

ConBody was founded in January 2014 by Coss Marte, an ex-con who was locked up nearly a decade ago for running a network of cocaine dealers. The program replicates the gritty, space-crunched prison where Marte turned his life around. His classes feature imaginative exercises, lots of reps, and little rest. And its attracting plenty of attention: In 2017, Marte expanded from his Lower East Side location to a second cell on Fifth Avenue. He also <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/236957" id="adb0e39f-852d-3e39-a5d3-c17020d0676e"> published a workout program in 2018 </a> .

And the classes are grueling. I did pushup variations, squat work, and jumping jacks for reps in the 40-plus range. Then it was shoulder presses and pullups supersetted with mountain climbers. Its simple, just like the fitness that transformed Marte from schlubby to svelte during his five years in correctional facilities. When he was first incarcerated in March 2009, he weighed 230 and prison doctors told him his blood pressure and cholesterol were perilously high.

Marte began running 20 laps around the prison yard every day, eventually adding pushups, dips, and other moves. In six months he was down 70 pounds, training other inmates, and compensating for the lack of weights and gym equipment with unique tag-team exercises. Coincidentally, this prison-forged formulaperforming sets to failure using light weights or body weightis one that exercise science now shows can be just as effective for muscle growth as using heavy weights, says Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S. Plus, using lighter loads puts less stress on your joints, tendons, and ligaments; that reduces your risk of injury.

Part of the ConBody mission is to change how people whove been convicted of crimes are perceived. Marte hires only ex-cons as trainers. Its about getting to know the people and making sure theyre qualified. Marte also refuses to put locks on his lockers.We tell everyone: Trust an ex-con with your stuff, he says.

Ten minutes of hell: Im at minute nine, and after an ab-destroying circuit of leg lifts, toe touches, crunch variations, and planks, I grit my teeth and try to hold the final side plank. My body shakes; my resolve wavers. Eleven others groan and gasp in this correctional facility in a Manhattan basement that you enter through a steel cell-style door. Theres no mercy on your muscles.