August 05, 2025

570 lb Back Squat at the CrossFit Games?! Colton Mertens, Tia’s GOAT Status, and the Future of the Sport

1 hour 7 minutes

This week, MDV and Gabe go deep on the current state of CrossFit—what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s getting heavy. From 570 lb. back squats at the Games to the debate over whether Tia is the GOAT (of all CrossFit, not just the women’s side), this episode covers it all. They also break down the stress of training for the leaderboard, the role of unpredictability in CrossFit, and how the TRAIN HARD App is taking a different approach—one that prioritizes long-term consistency, minimal stress, and training you actually enjoy.

Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Jason shows up at your job and makes you do burpees
2:48 Why men and women are equally valued in the CrossFit Games universe
5:00 Lowering the hoop in the WNBA?
6:59 Is Tia the GOAT of CrossFit?
12:05 “She’s not the nicest”—but were any GOATs there to make friends?
15:25 Is CrossFit making a comeback?
17:22 MDV’s apology and Instagram’s limited view of reality
21:00 Colton Mertens back squats 570 lbs. at the CrossFit Games
24:05 This is really “forging elite fitness”
27:20 Is “the unknown and unknowable” helping or hurting?
29:37 A test of fitness or a war of attrition?
32:00 Should we remove some unpredictability from the sport?
34:00 Ben Bergeron turns off the comments—are we all just doing CrossFit?
37:01 The positive legacy of CrossFit
38:11 Ben Bergeron’s “new way forward” and CompTrain rebrand
41:00 CrossFit’s impact—both good and obsessive
45:05 MDV’s NEW PROGRAM on the TRAIN HARD App
47:40 The scoreboard and the clock created pressure
50:00 How often should you train at 100% intensity? (maybe twice a month)
56:07 TRAIN HARD = low pressure, high consistency
1:01:45 If you don’t enjoy your training, it won’t work