The Sport of Fitness Podcast

"These are not meant to be workouts. … The goal here is not to leave that competition floor pushing the needle forward with your fitness. ... What is supposed to happen is that you're supposed to take what you've been training all year and see what you can do with what's put in front of you." —Adrian Bozman
CrossFit Director of Competition Adrian Bozman joins the podcast to discuss the theory behind programming for the CrossFit Games — the ultimate test of fitness.
After 15 years of programming by Dave Castro, the Games will now be designed with Bozman at the helm.
Bozman shares his approach to programming and outlines what goes into creating a well-balanced test of fitness when the goal is to find the Fittest on Earth. He also opens up about his objectives for the competition, not only for the athletes but for the fans and spectators as well.
Bozman also shares the cut schedule for the individuals and teams at this year’s Games — age-group and adaptive athletes will not be cut.
The cut process started in 2009 and has been carried out intermittently since. Bozman explains the rationale behind the process.
For anyone expecting something new and unique at this year’s Games, Bozman says, “There are a few things that are unique as far as equipment (and) format, which I'm really excited about.”
During the podcast, Chase Ingraham and Bozman also discuss the impact of an athlete’s size on programming, how the athletes and sport have evolved since the inception of the Games, and how the tests at the competition differ from regular training workouts.
Learn more about Bozman’s approach to programming, how cuts will affect individuals and teams, and what unique elements athletes and fans can expect to see this year.

“I think with the team side, there are some unique things to consider. … A combination of men and women, how they work together, how they communicate, the way they’re training leading up to competition, how they were able to build their individual fitness all year long. … There are so many more variables with teams than there are with individuals.” — Adrian Conway
Multi-year Affiliate Cup champion Adrian Conway joins host Chase Ingraham on the podcast to talk about team competition and what it’s going to take to beat Affiliate Cup reigning champion CrossFit Mayhem at the CrossFit Games.
Having captained a CrossFit Games affiliate to victory against Mayhem and also having experience as an individual competitor, Conway shares his knowledge and experiences competing in both divisions. He weighs in on the varying degrees of pressure, discusses the differences between four- and six-person teams, and reflects on what he’s learned over the years to maximize his team’s and his own potential.
Conway and Ingraham discuss balancing strategy, teamwork, and fitness in team programming, and how and what athletes should be tested on to determine the fittest affiliate on Earth. They also note challenges athletes can face working as a unit, and identify mental and physical characteristics that make a formidable team member.
The duo close out the podcast by sharing their best strategies for defeating CrossFit Mayhem. Conway and Ingraham highlight events and movements that tend to favor the dominant affiliate, note the advantages of confidence and momentum on the competition floor, and acknowledge the impact of a flawless performance.
Will anyone beat CrossFit Mayhem? Tune in to the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games, Aug. 3-7, to find out.

“We’re not trying to protect the athletes, we’re trying to protect the claim. And the best thing we can do to protect the claim is to test the athletes.” — Justin Bergh
General Manager of Sport Justin Bergh and Athlete Relationship Manager Kurtis Bowler join host Chase Ingraham and Adrian Conway on the podcast for an extensive discussion about CrossFit’s drug-testing protocol, recent positive test results among top-performing athletes, and best practices to prevent positive results in the future.
During the 2022 CrossFit season, a number of athletes have tested positive for banned substances, including CrossFit Games qualifiers. To protect the integrity of the competition and its athletes, CrossFit strongly enforces an anti-doping policy.
In the podcast, Bergh and Bowler thoroughly explain the drug-testing process that athletes undergo. They also explain how athletes can appeal their drug violation and how Games spots are backfilled should a Games qualifier test positive for a banned substance.
Bergh also explains CrossFit’s mission to ensure that all athletes are able to compete on an even playing field, protecting its integrity as a sport and the claim of finding the Fittest on Earth.
As a former collegiate athlete and a Games competitor who’s been drug tested, Conway shares his experiences with the process and gives his opinion on being a responsible athlete in a professional sport.
In an attempt to help the CrossFit community, Bowler offers guidance on how athletes can better familiarize themselves with CrossFit’s Drug Testing Policy and as well as advice on how to better educate themselves about the supplements they’re taking.
Bowler encourages athletes to reach out to CrossFit’s team with any and all questions, advises athletes to read supplement labels, and urges athletes subscribe to “The Hopper,” which contains informative literature about the competition and drug-testing policy for the community and competitive athletes.
Bergh and Bowler also list the most common banned substances found in positive results, weigh in on the severity of the penalty imposed on the athlete, and address the misconception that CrossFit protects athletes by not disclosing positive tests.
For more information on CrossFit’s Drug Policy, visit games.crossfit.com/drug-testing and/or reach out to [email protected].

Adrian Conway joins host Chase Ingraham on the podcast to recap the 2022 Last-Chance Qualifier (LCQ).
After two days and four workouts, Tim Paulson, Jonne Koski, Arielle Loewen, and Elena Carratala Sanahuja have punched their tickets to Madison for the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
Conway and Ingraham analyze athletes’ performances, breaking down the leaderboards in each workout and sharing surprising outcomes from the competition.
Conway puts on his coaching hat and offers his perspective on Sara Sigmundsdottir’s training post-injury and on Katrin Davidsdottir balancing life on and off the competition floor. He also sheds light on the mental and physical challenges of competing.
The pair also revisits their predictions for the LCQ, seeing how their top picks placed on the leaderboards, and offering their opinions on the workout that best predicted the overall top 10 in the competition.
The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games will be live from Aug. 3-7.
Presented by Airrosti.

“I actually want people to feel like they can relate. I want to humanize these people because it does a better job of showcasing what extraordinary humans they are and what they’re capable of when you actually get to see their weaknesses or their vulnerabilities.” — Mariah Moore
Mariah Moore — director of Fittest on Earth: Next Gen — joins host Chase Ingraham on the podcast to talk about the making of the 2021 CrossFit Games documentary.
After a challenging few years, athletes, spectators, and fans were back in Madison for the 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
Moore describes the process of creating the film from start to finish, including narrowing down days of footage to a two-hour movie that captures the top storylines of the competition.
Moore also talks about the challenges and pressures that come with directing and producing, and that surround the creative space.
Specific to the film, Moore dives into balancing athletes’ emotions and perspectives, being respectful of people’s personal and professional lives, and accurately representing the athletes’ and staff’s stories through real and vulnerable topics. She also opens up about anxiety, depression, and the mental pressures creatives face when making art to be judged.
Moore shares her goals for the 2021 documentary and looks ahead to 2022.

“Nice flex, Adrian Bozman.” — Adrian Conway
Coach and CrossFit Games athlete Adrian Conway is back on the podcast with host Chase Ingraham to break down the Last-Chance Qualifier workouts.
Thirty men and 30 women have the chance to compete in the online Last-Chance Qualifier, June 29-July 1, for a ticket to Madison. The competition takes place over the course of two days and athletes will complete four workouts at their home gyms.
Before reviewing the workouts, Conway and Ingraham explore the advantages and disadvantages of a standardized CrossFit Games season across all stages of competition, including Semifinals, and share their personal opinions on the topic.
Then, the pair analyzes each of the four Last-Chance Qualifier workouts and dives into the design and programming, rep scheme and movements, and execution of each workout. They also consider how athletes might approach each test, noting the differences between online and in-person competitions, and offer advice from a coach’s perspective.
Conway and Ingraham close out the podcast with their predictions of the two men and two women who will earn their spot at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games, going down Aug. 3-7.
Stay tuned to games.crossfit.com to see how the leaderboard shakes out.

“I’m a staunch believer that there are certain tests that don’t have to have a lot of fanfare around them and they’re always gonna be spectacular because the athletes’ performances in them are gonna be so compelling.” — Adrian Bozman
CrossFit Competition Director Adrian Bozman joins host Chase Ingraham on the podcast to preview the Last-Chance Qualifier workouts.
Over the course of two days, 60 Semifinal athletes who just missed out on a qualifying spot for the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games will compete in the virtual Last-Chance Qualifier for one of two tickets (per individual division) to Madison.
Bozman talks about programming for the online event and discusses the intent behind the four workouts the athletes will take on. He also breaks down the workouts in depth and offers his opinions on load, rep scheme, and time domain for each.
For anyone looking to try one of the LCQ workouts, Bozman recommends Workout 4 — a triplet of burpee box jump-overs, double-unders, and wall-ball shots.
Bozman, who recently visited Madison for Games prep, also looks ahead to the finals and shares some of his favorite things about hosting the competition in Wisconsin’s capital city.
“Just the fact that the (Madison) community is so embracing of the event is awesome, and the natural geography of the area is so cool. ... There’s just so much that it offers as a city and a geographical landing place for the Games. I love it,” Bozman says.

CrossFit held a post-Semifinals press conference following four consecutive weeks of in-person competition to determine CrossFit Games qualifiers for the 2022 season.

General Manager of Sport Justin Bergh, CrossFit Competition Director Adrian Bozman, CrossFit Lowlands champion Lazar Dukic, CrossFit Atlas Games winner Brent Fikowski, and Fittest Woman in Ireland Emma McQuaid were in attendance to answer questions from the press.

Hear from Bergh and Bozman on CrossFit’s efforts to improve the overall Games season for athletes and spectators, and hear from the athletes on their Semifinals experience.

Chapters
0:00-1:20 - Introduction
1:20-4:25 - Justin Bergh’s Welcome and Goals for the Season
4:25-5:45 - Adrian Bozman’s Summary of Age-Group and Adaptive Semifinals, and Looking Ahead
5:45-12:00 - Accountability for Safety, Equipment, and Movement Standards for Athletes in Competition
12:00-16:10 - Takeaways To Improve the Sustainability of Semifinal Events
16:10-18:30 - Athlete Drug Test Results
18:30-20:40 - Online and In-Person Judging
20:40-23:59 - Producing Livestreams & Increasing the Sustainability of Events
23:59-24:54 - Athlete Welcome & Introductions — Brent Fikowski, Emma McQuaid, Lazar Dukic
24:54-27:15 - Lazar Dukic’s Semifinals Win and Training With His Brother Luka
27:15-32:08 - Working Together To Provide a Great Athlete Semifinal Experience
32:08-33:45 - Emma McQuaid — Growing Over the Years in CrossFit
33:45-35:31 - Lazar Dukic Reflects On His CrossFit Career
35:31-40:32 - Advice for First-Time Games Qualifiers From the Athletes
40:32-46:00 - Athletes’ Opinions on In-Person vs. Online Competitions
46:00-48:05 - Brent Fikowski Weighs in on Training Alone
48:05-48:52 - Last-Chance Qualifier Details
48:52-51:35 - Emma McQuaid’s Points Battle With Jacqueline Dahlstrom at Strength in Depth
51:35-51:47 - Outro and Final Thoughts

CrossFit Copa Sur, CrossFit Strength in Depth, and CrossFit Atlas Games closed out Semifinals and qualified 12 more men, women, and teams for the CrossFit Games. Adrian Conway joins Chase Ingraham on the podcast to recap the action from the competitions and preview the Last-Chance Qualifier.

Two athletes announced their retirement from individual competition last weekend — Sam Briggs and Dani Horan. Ingraham and Conway highlight Briggs’ and Horan’s careers and legacies in CrossFit, and discuss how retiring from sports can affect athletes.

The duo breaks down surprising upsets, incredible performances, and tight races from the three Semifinals, including CrossFit Oslo’s clean sweep, Katrin Davidsdottir’s inability to qualify for the Games, and Gui Malheiros’ impressive lifting.

Ingraham and Conway also shed light on what it takes to livestream and broadcast an event, and give their opinions on how things can be improved in the future.

Before closing out the show with their favorite moments from the weekend, the pair reviews the Last-Chance Qualifier rosters and makes their “way too early predictions” about which two athletes will punch their tickets to Madison via the virtual event.

Semifinal Competition Directors Jobst Olshewski of CrossFit Copa Sur, Ollie Mansbridge of CrossFit Strength in Depth, and Alexis Leblanc-Bazinet of CrossFit Atlas Games join Chase Ingraham on the podcast.

The group dives into the logistics of planning Semifinal competitions, including navigating unexpected challenges and managing multiple components of putting on a big event.

The competition directors also talk about the fan experience — how to tune in to the event and what in-person spectators can look forward to on-site — and share what they’re most excited to showcase in Week 4 of Semifinals.