The three competitors were joined by other CrossFit athletes, as well as non-competitor gym members, for what was called a training camp. On June 30, 2023, CrossFit Krypton (which hosted the event and is co-owned by Smith) shared a video of camp highlights on their YouTube channel.

Smith can be seen explaining the planned workout for the day to the assembled crew in Chesapeake, VA. The warm-up phase was a two-round circuit incorporating rowing, push-ups, SkiErg, hanging L-sit leg raise, stationary bike riding, handstands, and burpees.

Next was the main workout of the day. It included three separate stations with exercise pairings performed back-to-back in a superset style. The entire circuit was completed for as many rounds as possible within 12 minutes.

Station One

• Rowing — 20 calories (men) / 16 calories (women)
• Bench Press — 10 reps with 84 kilograms/185 pounds (men) / 56.7 kilograms/125 pounds (women)

Station Two

• Stationary Bike — 20 calories (men) / 16 calories (women)
• Legless Rope Climb — Two reps (height not disclosed)

Station Three

• SkiErg — 20 calories (men) / 16 calories (women)
• Strict Handstand Push-up — 10 reps (facing the wall)

Following the circuits, Smith then instructed the groups to take turns doing strict pull-ups using the “ladder” method. They began by performing one rep per person, followed by two reps on the next set, three reps on the following set, adding one repetition per set to a maximum of 12 reps or until they reached failure. Members that couldn’t perform pull-ups with their bodyweight were using resistance bands to help them complete their reps. 

Following a question and answer session with the high-level athletes, they all moved on to the “cashout” phase of the workout, which featured snatches, back squats, burpees, and toes-to-bar leg raises. This was the final portion of the workout.

Horvath is the highest finishing woman from the 2022 Games returning to this year’s competition. She placed third behind six-time champion Tia-Clair Toomey, who withdrew from the this year’s Games because of her pregnancy and time as a new mother, while 2022 runner-up Mal O’Brien withdrew from the 2023 season due to personal challenges. Migala, meanwhile, will try to improve on her eighth place finish from 2022. Her highest career finish in the Women’s division was sixth in 2021 — in 2016, Migala placed third in the Girls (16-17) division.

As for Smith, the 2023 Games will mark his first CrossFit Games appearance since 2019. This year will be the his first time competing in the Teams division rather than the Men’s division where he won his 2015 championship. Smith will be the captain for Team CrossFit Krypton. This year marks the team’s first time making the Games since their second place finish in 2019. Smith hopes to join Rich Froning Jr. as a former Individual winner to also win a Teams title at the Games.

Featured Image: CrossFit Krypton / YouTube

The post Former Champion Ben Smith Hosts Training Camp for 2023 CrossFit Games. Laura Horvath and Gabriela Migala Show Out appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Teams side of the Europe Semifinal saw No Shortcuts CrossFit earn their berth in the 2023 Games. The 2023 CrossFit Europe Semifinal took place on June 1-4, 2023, in Berlin, Germany.

Here’s an overview of the top finishers and final standings from the three participating divisions at the 2023 Europe CrossFit Semifinal. The Individual athletes had the standard seven workouts, and the Teams had their prescribed six routines.

Individual Women

1. Gabriela Migała — 629 points
2. Annie Thorisdottir — 604 points
3. Laura Horvath — 577 points
4. Emma Tall — 556 points
5. Karin Freyová — 544 points
6. Matilde Garnes — 494 points
7. Manon Angonese — 483 points
8. Ella Wunger — 476 points
9. Elisa Fuliano — 441 points
10. Emma McQuaid — 429 points
11. Rebecka Vitesson — 424 points
12. Jacqueline Dahlstrøm — 409 points
13. Linda Keesman — 400 points
14. Oihana Moya — 386 points
15. Thuridur Erla Helgadottir — 375 points
16. Jennifer Muir — 371 points
17. Andrea Solberg — 367 points
18. Madeleine Persson — 347 points
19. Ragnheidur Sara Sigmundsdottir — 344 points
20. Aimee Cringle — 338 points

Individual Men

1. Lazar Đukić — 607 points
2. Henrik Haapalainen — 565 points
3. Moritz Fiebig — 531 ponts
4. Jelle Hoste — 524 points
5. Jonne Koski — 520 points
6. Uldis Upenieks — 483 points
7. David Shorunke — 481 points
8. Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson — 481 points
9. Bronislaw Olenkowicz — 449 points
10. Michal Wesolowski — 426 points
11. Fabian Beneito — 420 points
12. Colin Bosshard — 404 points
13. Victor Hoffer — 401 points
14. Luka Vunjak — 396 points
15. Alex Kotoulas — 375 points
16. Antoine Dumain — 367 points
17. Enrico Zenoni — 349 points
18. Martin Cuervo — 348 points
19. Victor Helsinghof — 331 points
20. Grzegorz Maraszkiewicz — 328 points

Teams

1. No Shortcuts CrossFit — 546 points
2. CrossFit Oslo Navy Blue — 534 points
3. CrossFit Walleye Athlete — 519 points
4. CrossFit Oslo Blackout — 516 points
5. CrossFit Genas — 492 points
6. CrossFit Prestanda — 492 points
7. CrossFit Portti — 435 points
8. CrossFit Trondheim — 420 points
9. CrossFit Oslo Najs — 399 points
10. CrossFit Rotherham — 396 points
11. CrossFit Nijmegen — 359 points
12. CrossFit Senigallia — 346 points
13. CrossFit Oslo RBLS — 345 points
14. CrossFit Aylesbury — 335 points
15. CrossFit Butcher’s Lab Kriger — 319 points
16. CrossFit Butcher’s Lab Flæk — 315 points
17. CrossFit Surbiton Motion — 306 points
18. CrossFit Butcher’s Lab Team Bjørnefar — 284 points
19. CrossFit Aorta — 284 points
20. CrossFit 2650 Hvidovre Crossbokesen — 266 points

The CrossFit Games Are On Deck

The conclusion of the Europe Semifinal means the 2023 CrossFit Semifinals are officially in the books for the primary Individual and Teams competitors in the 2023 CrossFit Games. Europe aside, the other Semifinal legs included: Africa, South America, North America East, North America West, Asia, and Oceania.

For the qualified competitors, it will now be a two-month sprint to the 2023 CrossFit Games in Madison, WI, on August 3-6, 2023.

Featured image: @gabimiga on Instagram

The post 2023 CrossFit Europe Semifinal Results — Gabriela Migała, Lazar Đukić Thrive appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Oct. 27, 2022, Migała posted a video to her YouTube channel that features her traveling to Hafthor Björnsson’s commercial gym, Thor’s Power Gym, in Kópavogur, Iceland. Her primary mission was to work on her deadlift and sandbag proficiency while being coached by two-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) finalist Stefán Sölvi Pétursson.

[Related: How to Do the Weighted Pull-Up — Benefits, Variations, and More]

From the moment she stepped out of her car — beaming while speculating if Björnsson is actually as big as his reputation says he is — Migała seemed eager to continue implementing some strongwoman-level training into her general routine. (Note: Björnsson was not in attendance.)

“I’m really happy to learn some new stuff from the best people,” Migała explains to the camera. “So it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be really helpful.”

Veering away from her usual CrossFit-centric routine apparently wasn’t easy for Migała. She describes herself as a person who appreciates consistency in her daily planning, making the initial slight transition a little challenging.

“Before I came to Iceland, that was one of my concerns,” Migała said of her reservations about trying a different training style. “I’m the type of person who likes to have everything scheduled. I like my routine. I don’t really like too many changes. Leaving my gym, and my equipment, and my everything was quite stressful. I wasn’t sure about this, especially so close to a competition [the 2022 Rogue Invitational].”

Ultimately, Migała appeared to be won over by the temporary variation after some time. With CrossFit usually involving some measure of strongman events or implements, it appeared she appreciated the different focus. She seemed to believe she acclimated well and that this sort of focus helped her become more versatile.

“It actually turned out to be a really good decision,” Migała says. “It’s really good training because I think, as an athlete, you should be able to adapt to everything and not really be used to doing the same stuff in the same safe space.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gabriela Migała (@gabimiga)

[Related: How to Do the Hip Thrust — Variations, Benefits, and Common Mistakes]

As for her workout, Migała kept it quick, efficient, and effective when it came to the deadlift. That’s because her workout was not centered around pulling heavy weight. Pétursson had Migała refocus and rework her deadlift technique in a healthy manner for improved strength in the long run, and she seemed to appreciate the coaching.

“It’s so different; I think it’d be so much easier if you could start from zero rather than forgetting your old technique after doing it for so many years,” Migała said. “… But, yeah, practice makes perfect.”

Migała would follow the initial deadlift coaching by using the field portion of the gym to lift and re-lift an 80-kilogram (176.3-pound) sandbag. By the end of the workout, Migała shined with excitement about what she was able to accomplish.

“It was the best session from all of the sessions since we came to Iceland,” Migała expressed. “It’s been so beneficial to be able to train with Stefan [Sölvi Pétursson]. He showed a few more cues for [lifting] sandbags … so it’s very good.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Gabriela Migała (@gabimiga)

[Related: How to Do the Weighted Pull-Up — Benefits, Variations, and More]

Migała is currently utilizing what she learned in training as a strongwoman at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. Chances are, it might help her round out an excellent performance in Austin.

Featured image: @gabimiga on Instagram

The post CrossFitter Gabriela Migała Takes on a Strongwoman Routine at Thor’s Power Gym appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

With the 2022 Open in the rearview, the Quarterfinals of the CrossFit Games begin this weekend. Thursday, March 24 through Sunday, March 27, 2022, will see the start of the CrossFit Games Quarterfinals in Madison, WI. Outside of the usual heavy-hitters like the respective Men’s and Women’s defending champions, Justin Medeiros and Toomey, there are a lot of arguably underrated competitors in the field.

The Dark Horses

Here’s who might be making a more prominent name for themselves in the CrossFit sphere during the Quarterfinals:

Phil Toon

Once a relative newcomer to the competitive scene, Toon has progressed well over the last couple of years. He documented his CrossFit journey in a post on his Instagram page on March 21, 2022:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Phil Toon (@phil_toon20)

[Related: The Formula For A Successful CrossFit Gym]

During his first Open in 2020, the American-born athlete placed 143rd overall. In 2021, Toon leaped up to 26th overall. Finally, in 2022, he notched an impressive fifth place among the men. According to his CrossFit Games profile, Toon boasts a 575-pound back squat, a 375-pound clean & jerk, a 275-pound snatch, and a 660-pound deadlift. Toon has come a long way as a professional CrossFitter. Look for him to surprise in the Quarterfinals. 

Dallin Pepper

Sometimes, you have to wait a while before finally breaking through for one extraordinary moment. If anyone at this year’s CrossFit Games is ready to be rewarded for their extensive hard work, it’s probably Pepper. 

The now-20-year-old Pepper first turned heads in the teenage division of the Games with a podium finish each year from 2017 to 2019. He even won the teenage competition outright in 2018. During the 2022 Open, Pepper finished in a solid tenth place — certainly nothing to sneeze at considering it was his first Senior-level event. It might be a solid precursor to the glory he’s been waiting for. 

Colten Mertens

As another CrossFitter who has been around the sport for a while, Mertens is also on the hopeful edge of CrossFit prestige. You can see it in how he plugs away over time. 2019 saw Mertens finish 29th in the Dubai CrossFit Championships and 26th in the annual Granite Games. But, more importantly, over time, his work in the CrossFit season has improved.

In 2017, Mertens finished in a modest 5,923rd place worldwide during the Open portion. With due diligence, he parlayed that into a great fourth-place finish in 2022. It’s been a winding road for Mertens during his CrossFit career. This year’s Quarterfinals would be a perfect time to leave his mark. 

Gabriela Migała

On the women’s side of this year’s games, keep an eye on the Polish athlete, Migała, who resides in and spends her time training in Spain. Migała first turned to CrossFit in 2015 and hasn’t looked back since. 

Leading up to the Quarterfinals, Migala appears to be quite confident on social media. She recently shared a pre-lift Instagram post with the caption, “Houston, we have lift off.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Gabriela Migała (@gabimiga)

Migała finished the 2022 Open portion in a solid 13th place — continuing her run of high-end finishes after her sixth-place rank in the 2021 CrossFit Games. 

To unseat some of the top competitors like Toomey or even capture a place on the podium, Migała will need to continue that streak of confidence. We’ll see if her current mindset converts a top finish in the Quarterfinals that begin on Thursday, March 24, 2022. 

Featured image: @gabimiga on Instagram

The post Dark Horses to Watch in the 2022 CrossFit Quarterfinals appeared first on Breaking Muscle.