On July 13, 2023, the Buttery Bros posted a video to their YouTube channel where they visited Team HWPO during their camp preparation. Under Fraser’s guidance were veterans of the CrossFit Games — two-time Fittest Woman on Earth® Katrin Davíðsdóttir, top-10 finalist Jayson Hopper, and Christine Kolenbrander (making her second appearance as an Individual Women’s competitor).

Here’s a rundown of the dynamic exercises Fraser and Co. are practicing in their camp before the 2023 edition Games.

Handstand Practice

The day’s training began with the assembled crew performing a variety of handstand drills. The path included a handstand walk to ascend and descend a ramp, a handstand push-up, a pirouette (performing a 360-degree turn while maintaining a handstand), a second handstand push-up, and a final ramp ascent and descent.

Fraser also participated in this practice and soon developed a friendly rivalry with Hopper to the point of betting five dollars to see which athlete could complete the course in the least amount of time. Hooper eked out a victory over the winningest champion in Games history. However, when the pair attempted to go for “double or nothing,” both elite competitors suffered technique breakdowns and neither completed the course for a final time.

Scarecrow Snatch, Power Clean, and Back Squat

Hopper had the Buttery Bros join him for some scarecrow snatches. The athlete worked up to 84 kilograms (185 pounds). Hopper revealed that he’s relatively new to Olympic weightlifting and his technique, apparently, leaves something to be desired. Fraser, a National weightlifting champion prior to his CrossFit training, has been assisting him with that aspect of his training.

Davíðsdóttir and Kolenbrander took the Buttery Bros through power cleans, eventually finishing at 95% of their respective one-rep maxes. To close this strength element segment of the session, everyone performed squats, working up to a five-repetition max, taking three second to lower the first rep followed by traditional speed with the following four repetitions. Several participants reached into the 136-kilogram (300-pound) range.

Echo Bike Sprint Interval

The ensuing portion featured the team rolling through 12 sprint and Echo Bike intervals every 90 seconds — a variation of EMOM training. The aim for the women was to burn eight calories in 15 seconds. The objective for the men was to burn 12 calories in the same time frame. They closed this interval and functional morning portion with 15 legless rope climbs.

Sprint Metabolic Conditioning

Once the athletes ate a meal and recovered, they returned for an afternoon session centered around an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) format. It was six sets with a 2.5-minute work period, resting 2.5-minutes after each set:

• Standing Bike Erg — Women: 12 calories | Men: 16 calories
• 12 Burpee Box Jump Overs
• Four Squat Snatches — Women: 61 kilograms (135 pounds) | Men: 93 kilograms (205 pounds)
• Max Ring Muscle-ups

Per Fraser, the aim was to spike the athletes’ heart rate on the bike, tire out with the burpees, perform a technical movement on the squat snatch, then push for fatigue with muscle-ups.

Games-Style Workout

After seemingly “easing” into it, Fraser has his group perform a workout reminiscent of something that would happen at the Games. They went through four rounds of two handstand walk ramps, barbell thrusters, and 400-meter runs. The thrusters increased in weight and reps on each round. They started at five reps with 43 kilograms (95 pounds) and ended at 11 reps with 56.7 kilograms (125 pounds). 

Outdoor

Finally, to close the camp day, Davíðsdóttir and Hopper took the exploits outside. They started with a 300-meter (984-foot) lake swim, followed by 21 reps of double kettlebell snatches, 21 reps of double kettlebell front squats,. The next round required another swim with 15 repetitions of each exercise, then a third swim with 9 reps per exercise, and a concluding swim.

Fraser’s bunch appear to be ready and willing to put in the hard work needed to capitalize on their upcoming appearance at the Games. At the very least, from a training perspective, they seem up to the task.

Featured image: @butterybros on Instagram

The post Mat Fraser’s HWPO Training Camp Preps Contenders for the 2023 CrossFit Games appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Apr. 19, 2023, Craig Richey of the TeamRICHEY YouTube channel toured Fraser’s new gym. In the process, Richey gave a comprehensive look at what the five-time CrossFit Men’s Individual champion (2016-2020) is now offering his athletes.

The main benefit of Fraser’s new HWPO facility is space. The headquarters for the preparation of Fraser’s CrossFit athletes has 6,500 square feet of space and 5,000 square feet of office space. What’s apparent is that if an athlete needs to tackle a multitude of training objectives for CrossFit competition, they won’t be short on options (or breathing room) at this gym.

Aside from sheer training space, there’s a studio for content creation, video, and management of social media platforms. Any athletes who have the pleasure of using the headquarters get the benefit of a “Recovery Zone” lounge, with a sauna and cold therapy. That’s in addition to standard personal lockers, of course.

In terms of CrossFit machinery and equipment offered, Fraser’s team appears to have pulled out all the stops. There is a full array of Concept2 machinery with multiple SkiERGs, BikeERGs, and RowErgs. A 55-foot-long strip of space defines a strength and conditioning area seemingly ideal for sled pushing, sprinting, and agility drills. There is also a massive competition rig for pull-ups, rope climbing, and muscle-ups. It has two 15-foot-tall uprights for that design. The massive facility also offers eight separate squat racks with an abundance of barbells and weight plates.

Fraser even incorporated what he called the “bodybuilding” section with pulley stations for lat pulldowns and cable crossovers, as well as racks of dumbbells and kettlebells.

At the time of this article’s publication, Fraser’s new HWPO facility is still in its developmental stages. He and his team are figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

At the very least, Fraser seems ready for new ventures in CrossFit training at any time.

“Every gym I’ve moved into, I was like, ‘Oh, we’ll never run out of space here,’” Fraser said in the video. “I’m to the point now that I’m like, ‘No, I wanna outgrow these spaces,’ I want to build it bigger and better.”

Featured image: teamRICHEY / YouTube

The post Mat Fraser Tours His New HWPO CrossFit Gym appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

During an Oct. 25, 2022, episode of The Sevan Podcast, Froning Jr. announced that he plans to retire from the CrossFit Teams division. The 35-year-old noted that he enjoyed his run at the head of Team Mayhem Freedom — the most successful Team in CrossFit Games history — but is now planning for the future.

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Froning Jr. might not be calling it quits forever. While he’s putting a bow on his major Individual and Teams career, the athlete noted he might compete in the CrossFit Masters division in the future. (Note: He isn’t the first long-time CrossFit competitor to announce plans to hang up his kettlebells in some fashion in October 2022.) For now, he seems to be settling into a calmer life, away from the sport and with his family.

The athlete offered more clarity on what might be in store for him in an Oct. 25 Instagram post.

“I’ve had an incredible career to this point as an Individual and on a Team,” Froning Jr. expressed. “From now on, whether I compete will be decided on a year-to-year basis depending on what season of life we’re in and how this old body feels.”

The competitor signed off with a word of thanks and appreciation for the greater CrossFit community.

“Thank you to our [CrossFit Mayhem] family and the rest of the [CrossFit] community for lifting us up during competition, you guys are the best fans in all of sports,” Froning Jr. wrote. “I’m sure I’ll see you all again on the floor sometime in the future, but until then … thank you!”

 

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When accounting for his Individual (four) and Teams victories (six), Froning Jr. is comfortably the most decorated CrossFitter of all time. (Note: Only fellow CrossFit legend Mat Fraser has earned more Individual Men’s titles, with five.) Froning Jr. also possesses an impeccable record of consistency. Save for the 2020 CrossFit Games — where the Team competition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — the athlete finished, in some fashion, on every Games podium since 2010.

As he looks to a life without competitive CrossFit on his mind (for now), Froning Jr. leaves behind an indelible legacy. It’s the end of a memorable era for one of the sport’s most accomplished greats.

Featured image: @richfroning on Instagram

The post CrossFit Legend Rich Froning Jr. Will Retire From the Team Division appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Before the last day of the contest on Sunday, August 7, 10 athletes will be cut — which leaves 30 contenders for the individual title of Fittest on Earth® in their corresponding competitive categories. On the Teams side — which would be especially relevant for four-time Fittest Man on Earth® (2011-2014), Rich Froning Jr.’s reigning champion squad Mayhem Freedom — 38 will start the contest while just 20 teams will enter Sunday’s final day. 

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CrossFit Director of Competition Adrian Bozeman further clarified the organization’s plans for the Games regarding these future cuts. The 10-athlete cut on the Individual side and the 18-team cut on the Teams side before the final day will be the only cuts of the competition. 

Tia-Clair Toomey is the reigning five-time Fittest Woman on Earth® (2017-2021). In recent months, she’s given a comprehensive insight into her nutritional routine and the training equipment she uses. The 23-year-old Justin Medeiros is the defending Fittest Man on Earth®, who improved upon a third-place result during the 2020 CrossFit Games. Team Mayhem Freedom will attempt to make it six Team titles in eight years (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021). 

2022 CrossFit Games Schedule

Both the Individual and Team divisions of the competition will begin on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. There will be a rest day on Thursday, August 4, before the rest of the CrossFit Games heats up for them through that weekend. The Age Group and Adaptive competitive categories will start their portion of the contest on August 4 and power all the way through to Sunday, August 7.  At the time of this writing, CrossFit has not announced the events for any of the divisions. 

Of every division involved at these CrossFit Games, the Teams will be the last to put down their kettlebells. For the first time in the competition’s history, the Teams will go after the Individual athletes have finished on Sunday, August, 7. According to Bozeman, a livestream broadcast opportunity spurred the change to facilitate a bigger audience for the Individual competitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Live Spectator Access

Per Bozeman, fans who attend the 2022 CrossFit Games in Madison, WI, should see a wider variety of events that CrossFit will cater to their experiences.

Spectators who are there in person to cheer on the athletes will have the chance to utilize CrossFit affiliate and educational fitness programs — such as one organized by the Denver, CO nonprofit, The Phoenix. Fans may even try out different vendors hanging around the contest’s campus and potentially get a workout where CrossFit professionals will coach them up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Equal Opportunity

There’s a simple reason behind the only cut of the 2022 CrossFit Games happening on Saturday, August 6 — competitive balance. Bozeman said the organization planned for this cut schedule because it will allow most of the athletes more time in the competition. 

“It gives everybody a lot of opportunities to keep their name in the hat,” Bozeman said. 

The 2022 CrossFit Games will occur at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI, from August 3-7. While stars like Toomey and Medeiros might be heavy favorites to take home another title, their peers like 2021 CrossFit Rookie of the Year Mal O’Brien and Guilherme Malheiros could challenge both champions in their respective divisions. Meanwhile, it’ll be a tough task to topple Team Mayhem Freedom, but anything could happen amidst the intense CrossFit chaos. 

Featured image: @justinmedeiros34 on Instagram

The post The 2022 CrossFit Games Will See Just One Major Cut Before Final Day appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On July 4, 2022, Fraser shared a video on his YouTube channel where he, O’Brien, and Kearney had a joint training session. The routine was centered around Kearney first teaching the log lift technique to Fraser and O’Brien. Then, he had the duo continue to tackle their arms and shoulders with heavy dumbbell presses.

[Related: The Best Leg Workouts With Bodyweight, With Dumbbells, For Size, And More]

Notably, Kearney was recently hired by Fraser’s training company, HWPO (Hard Work Pays Off) as the leader of their new strength program “HWPO Strong.” In a dedicated program throughout the week, Kearney will use his wealth of strongman knowledge to help participants build their strength and conditioning on training days throughout the week. This news would partly explain Kearney’s involvement with Fraser and O’Brien.

As for the log lift, Kearney knows a thing or two about successful technique. In 2019, during the annual World Log Lift Championships, Kearney captured the then-American Record log lift of 213.6 kilograms (471 pounds). Similarly, the strongman once demonstrated he has the strength to properly lift 215-pound dumbbells with one arm in a February 2020 training session with Brian Shaw.

If anyone’s qualified to teach a refresher on both the log lift and circus dumbbell press to two elite athletes like Fraser and O’Brien — whose CrossFit backgrounds veer differently — it’s Kearney.

The trio’s session took place in the since-retired Fraser’s home gym. Fraser is currently training O’Brien for the 2022 CrossFit Games on August 3-7, 2022, in Madison, WI. While the CrossFit Games don’t necessarily feature strongman events specifically, there can be a lot of overhead movements in events that require proper training and technique. There weren’t many overhead movements in the 2021 Individual CrossFit Games aside from some dumbbell overhead squats and a one-rep max snatch.

Since that could always change for this year’s edition, this time with Kearney could help O’Brien prepare for that by polishing up her overhead prowess. Overall, the trio’s training session seems to be an excellent demonstration of what athletes from different disciplines can learn from one another.

Log Lift

After Fraser asks Kearney to provide a walkthrough of the log lift technique, the strongman breaks it down into three segments — the pick, the clean, and the press.

The pick is when an athlete deadlifts the log to their hips for the “lap position,” or where the athlete can rest their weight before exploding it for a roll to a front rack position on their chest. That roll from the hips to the chest is the clean. Kearney says the proper clean technique is to keep the elbows high while the back is fully engaged, allowing the log to stay tight to the body.

Finally, there’s the familiar press. For a proper overhead lockout that involves the lower body, the athlete must slightly dip their legs to press the log from that front rack position. Fraser first practiced the log lift with an empty log that weighed 90 pounds; Kearney critiqued his lower elbow positioning that could throw him off balance with higher weight.

In terms of numbers for the trio, Fraser eventually completed a 104-kilogram (230-pound) log press for two separate reps. Meanwhile, Kearney decided to rep out 158.7 kilograms (350 pounds), and O’Brien locked out a successful 72.6-kilogram (160-pound) split-jerk with the log.

 

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Heavy Dumbbell Press

Like the last exercise, Kearney breaks down the heavy dumbbell press technique into segments. First, there’s the clean, where the athlete has to get the dumbbell to the rack position on their deltoids. Then, with the elbow high, a lot of the jerk movement upward is more about getting under the dumbbell rather than trying to press it up. Like the log lift, this requires the athlete to have a measure of leg power rather than solely relying on the shoulders.

Fraser kept his energy on proper technique for the dumbbell press. It didn’t take long for the CrossFit great to understand the rack position and start finishing clean reps. When O’Brien was up, she seemed uncertain about how to finish the dumbbell press at first. Once she understood how the dip could help generate force from the opposite leg, she likewise began to complete some reps.

At the time of this writing, the CrossFit organization has not revealed the workouts for the 2022 CrossFit Games. If there are any strongman-like, overhead events in Madison, WI, O’Brien might have the edge over her peers thanks to Kearney’s guidance.

Featured image: HWPO Mat Fraser on YouTube

The post Strongman Rob Kearney and CrossFitters Mat Fraser and Mal O’Brien Get After It in Overhead Workout appeared first on Breaking Muscle.