Ant Haynes is one of Hong Kong’s most respected CrossFit athletes, a multiple-time CrossFit Games competitor, former Hong Kong rugby player, and co-owner of Coastal Fitness. But behind the medals and highlight reels lies a powerful story about sacrifice, burnout, and rediscovering balance.

In this episode, Ant opens up about his journey from professional rugby to CrossFit, how he built one of Asia’s top training communities, and the moment he realised that success was costing him the relationships that mattered most.

Chapters

00:00 The Cost of Athletic Pursuits

03:01 Navigating Life Changes: From Hong Kong to Dubai

05:54 The Journey from Rugby to CrossFit

09:01 Transitioning to Coaching and Business

12:00 The Evolution of CrossFit and Personal Training

15:00 The Challenges of Competing at a High Level

17:50 Programming for Longevity in Fitness

21:00 The Reality of Competition Preparation

29:47 The Pain of Preparation

31:55 Lessons from Competition

33:29 Training Adaptations and Resilience

36:52 The Evolution of CrossFit Training

39:32 CrossFit vs Other Sports

44:20 The Mental Game of Training

49:32 Shifting Priorities

55:39 Redefining Success

59:30 Legacy and Impact

01:01:18 Courage Over Comfort

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with people doing Abnormal things.

Follow Ant: https://www.instagram.com/anthayneshk/