Challenged CrossFit “Athletes” to Competition

the challenger wrote:

I told him I don’t won’t to complete against some dude who is a member of some testosterone clinic.

Why not? WADA has zero relevance to real life. All is fair in love and war and anti-aging clinics. Lots of men are taking testosterone openly with a doctor. Tons of health benefits from taking testosterone.

I workout to improve my health. Why would I want to take drugs that will mess with my natural endocrine system?

The reason I was a decent runner, and still in good shape for my age ( hope to continue it), is because of this natural approach. Why would I mess with drugs in my mid 50s?

the challenger wrote:

I workout to improve my health. Why would I want to take drugs that will mess with my natural endocrine system?

The reason I was a decent runner, and still in good shape for my age ( hope to continue it), is because of this natural approach. Why would I mess with drugs in my mid 50s?

The men taking testerone with doctor advice would be much healthier than you are because they have higher bone density and muscle mass, which you are losing each year due to "natural" aging.

There is nothing superior about your "natural approach", you are just highly pretentious and a soy-milk drinking beta. Why don't you go tell a woman giving birth that she doesn't need pain killers and your "natural approach" is superior?

the challenger wrote:

Fitness regime of late has been light weights, a little jogging, and stretching. I’m 6’00” and 163 pounds, probably 12 percent body fat.

What are my chances?

From your response and what you wrote initially, they are going to snap you like a twig. Your "fitness regime" of "light weights" is stupid. You are not superior to anyone because you can't lift more than 10 pounds.

You do you playa.

the challenger wrote:

I workout to improve my health. Why would I want to take drugs that will mess with my natural endocrine system?

The reason I was a decent runner, and still in good shape for my age ( hope to continue it), is because of this natural approach. Why would I mess with drugs in my mid 50s?

You’re going to struggle with actual heavy weight. No getting around that. You’ll shine at the endurance aspect. Pretty straightforward.

You talking as if you're still in 4min / mile shape. If you haven't been doing much since then, you would be struggling to break 6min.

Even worse with weights, if you have not been lifting, then you would be worse than anyone, who has.

If I were you, I would stop being pretentious, join the gym if I have the time and would try to get really fit, especially if I could train with younger athletes too...

they're going to beat you on specificity you silly poopy

So let me get this straight. You will only challenge your age exactly or older (not a year or two younger) and are already crying that anyone better than you must be on drugs.

Cmon dude.

You had better join his gym when you lose.

I wouldn't want such a person in the gym though...

Thinks he is fitter than all, and the others are surely doping... Better stay at home and keep thinking you're fit.

the challenger wrote:

The owner emailed me back saying he will have a challenge of an endurance activity, a strength activity, and a mixed modal activity.

What are my chances?

I've done this... finished 2nd twice at age 70 in the 60+ age group in the Metro Nashville area, but I lobbied hard for more bodyweight exercises in the strength category. If he gets to choose the activities, you have almost no chance. He will choose events his guys have practiced... Concept 2 500m or 1,000m row, burpees for time, most wall balls >10 feet for time, chin-ups, sled push, most tractor tire flips in 60 seconds, 20 lb hammer hold arms straight out, beep test, etc.

You'll be 3rd to 5th in the strength and mixed events. Even if you win the endurance event, your point total will be at least 7.... 3 + 3 +1 = 7. The best Crossfitter will probably be 1 + 2 + 2 = 5 or maybe even four. If you score on points, like the decathlon, you'll still lose if he chooses an endurance event his guys have practiced, like the beep test or a 1,000m Concept 2 row.

In my case, we had ten events. I won four, including the 800m finale by 30 seconds, but it wasn't enough to cover the big guy who finished 2nd to me in those events. I was last in the tire flip and won one of the strength events because of superior technique (that I learned in advance and practiced).

You should lobby to choose the mixed modality event and the endurance event. You should also request at least a month to practice these events because technique matters and you can dramatically improve your score with practice.

It's my understanding that:

The prospective Crossfit challengers have presumably: a) been practicing the Crossfit events for a reasonable period of time; b) understand the proper technique for each of the events; c) understand the strategy behind each of the events; and d) are in "Crossfit shape."

You are: a) a former sub 4 minute miler (how many years ago); b) in reasonable shape*; c) with [apparently] no Crossfit experience; and d) who is 55 years old.

On paper you are going to get schooled, man.

*I'll give you more credit if "reasonable shape" means that you routinely engage in high intensity full body exercises (pickup basketball, tennis, racquetball, etc.), or you engage in a job that provides rigorous full body exercise (fitness instructor, personal trainer, construction, laborer).

I think you'll win the endurance activity, but get destroyed on the strength activity, and then you'll be middle of the show on the mixed modal activity.

If you joined the class your endurance would still be about the same, your strength would improve a fair amount, and this would bring that mixed modal activity quite a bit of improvement as well. You'd probably gain 5-10 pounds of muscle mass which wouldn't be bad on a 6 foot frame to be 170's. But is it worth the money and the extra time? Maybe not.

Your best workout would be The Murph, don't mess around with the other stuff.

1M run

100 pull ups

200 push ups

300 air squats

1M run

if you want to go all out, you wear a weight vest.

To the OP:

If you are a troll and making this up, please get a life.

If you really are a former sub 4-miler or top DI/ national club level runner why do you care what some strip mall gym owner thinks of you?

You are already part of one of the most prestigious athletic clubs in the world. I would much rather be a sub 4 miler than finish top 10 in the CrossFit Games.

100 years from now you'll still be on the sub 4 list and CrossFit will be remembered the same way American Gladiator and rollerblading are today.

In Crossfit, an "endurance" activity is typically a WOD of 3-4 exercises in a set period of time... say, 12 minutes.

For example, 150m row, 15 burpees, 10 wall balls, 100m run and then repeat as many times as possible in 12 minutes. Since wall balls are a high technique workout and strength plays a big part in the first three events, the OP wouldn't have much chance against seasoned crossfitters.

I just challenged the Over 55 guys at one CrossFit gym, thinking they didn’t have any, to get the sales guy to stop bugging me.

He responded there are 6 over 55 guys at his CrossFit gym.

Now, he needs to find an uninjured guy from these 6 willing to against me.

Some of those workouts you posted are a impossible for over 55 guys, 100 pull-ups. Are you kidding me. If they have a natural over 55 guy who can do 100 pull-ups, even in sets, I’ll join the gym and hire his PT for a weekly session.

I really did break 4 (mile) in my prime and ran 5:03 at age 50.

I have no intention of developing lifelong injuries trying to do CrossFit against younger guys. Cleans, squats, overhead squats and deadlifts for speed. No way in hell I’m doing that.

The Challenger wrote:

I have no intention of developing lifelong injuries trying to do CrossFit against younger guys. Cleans, squats, overhead squats and deadlifts for speed. No way in hell I’m doing that.

You are a beta that can't even squat weights and think you are so much better than the gym owner and his group? Facepalm! Get your pretentious head out from your rear.

Beyond the use of the term beta I have to agree with this guy. You are maligning exactly the kind of stuff older dudes need to do in order to keep good all around fitness...

I would be betting against you in this competition.