The Sport of Fitness Podcast

“What the masters division has done for me … has gotten me excited about turning 40, turning 50, turning 60, and instead of saying, ‘Ugh, I’m this old,’ I’m like, ‘I am this old and look what I can do.’” —Chase Ingraham

The masters division is proof that competitive CrossFit is possible even as you age.

In this episode, 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games athletes Annie Sakamoto, Women’s 45-49 division champion, and Nuno Costa, sixth-place finisher in the Men’s 40-44 division, join host Chase Ingraham to discuss the evolution of the masters division, and share their views on the changes to the 2022 season.

The road to the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games has a few extra stops for age-group athletes.

This year, the top 10 percent of age-group athletes from the Open will advance to Quarterfinals. From the Quarterfinals, the top 30 athletes from each age division will move on to Semifinals.

Different from 2021, the top 10 athletes from Semifinals in each age group will be invited to compete in Madison at the CrossFit Games.

While Sakamoto and Costa agree that the new structure provides extra opportunities for athletes to compete and showcase their abilities, they said they prefer a larger playing field of 20 competitors at the Games.

In this episode, Kevin Ogar* and Alec Zirkenbach** discuss the evolution of the adaptive division in the CrossFit space, their role in the 2021 season, and the future of the division in the CrossFit Games.

In 2021, the NOBULL CrossFit Games Open included eight adaptive athlete divisions for the first time — Men and Women’s Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, Neuromuscular, Short Stature, Intellectual, Vision, Seated Athletes (With Hip Function), and Seated Athletes (Without Hip Function).

Three of those divisions — Men and Women’s Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity, and Neuromuscular — competed at the CrossFit Games.

“I think over the next couple of years you’re going to see not just an outgrowth in the sport but an outgrowth in the adaptive community and the general population as a whole. People are going to stop being scared to be out in the world with a disability. They’re going to be more outgoing, more comfortable in their own skin because they are capable and they are being told that they’re capable, and I can’t imagine something that can be more impactful on someone’s life who’s being told ‘no’ their entire life than someone telling them, ‘Yes, you can, and I’ll show you how.’” —Kevin Ogar

*Kevin Ogar is a Level 3 CrossFit Trainer, Head Trainer on the CrossFit Seminar Staff, member of the Adaptive Training Academy, owner and head coach of CrossFit WatchTower, and a CrossFit District 4 Affiliate Rep.

**Alec Zirkenbach is a U.S. Navy veteran, executive director of the Adaptive Training Academy, a Level 3 CrossFit Trainer, and a Head Trainer on the CrossFit Seminar Staff.

“... I’m always going to be a CrossFitter. I always want to keep getting better at whatever I’m (going to) do. I still love fitness. I still want to lift. … And that doesn’t have to end.”

After 10 years of competing at the top level in the sport, 22nd-fittest woman in the world Alessandra Pichelli 🇨🇦 announces her retirement from competition.

Pichelli takes a trip down memory lane with host Chase Ingraham, looking back on the highs and lows of her CrossFit career. The nine-time Games athlete and seven-time Regional athlete shares her favorite experiences from her competitive years, including her Games debut as an individual. She also offers advice to aspiring athletes about the stressors and pressures that come with competing.

Join Pichelli as she closes this chapter of her life and focuses on her plans for the future.

“I’m super excited about this year’s format and the foundations leading towards potential future years, and honestly giving us the flexibility with maybe expanding, pulling some pieces out, giving them (age-group athletes) their own event, that’s a high priority.”

General Manager of Sport Dave Castro chats with host Chase Ingraham about his perspective on the CrossFit Games season format and upcoming changes for 2022.

Castro announces a new qualifying path for the Games for age-group and adaptive divisions, and confirms that the 2022 Open will remain a three-week long competition.

Castro reveals dates for various stages of the season, including Semifinals and the Last-Chance Online Qualifier, and shares his vision for age-group athletes in the future.

Don’t miss this informative episode for the latest.

After a WILD weekend, the winners of the 2021 Rogue Invitational have been crowned.

Reporter Niki Brazier and four-time Games athlete Adrian Conway revisit all of the action from the final day of competition. The pair review the final leaderboard and share surprising performances from the top competitors.

Athletes threw down on Day 2 of the 2021 Rogue Invitational and shook up the leaderboards.

“I am completely mind blown, honestly. I’ve been an Annie Thorisdottir fan for her entire career since I became interested in the Sport of Fitness, and to see what she has done and strung together from even at the CrossFit Games to now, in front of us at this Rogue Invitational, is absolutely unheard of … . Her returning — as a mother — to the sport and to show such capacity, such resiliency, is not just inspiring, but it’s amazing.” —Adrian Conway

Reporter Niki Brazier and four-time Games athlete Adrian Conway take you through all the highs and lows on the second day of competition, dissecting the leaderboard and noting impressive performances from Justin Medeiros, Annie Thorisdottir, and more.

Only two events remain.

The third annual Rogue Invitational is underway in Austin, Texas, and the field is stacked!

Reporter Niki Brazier and four-time Games athlete Adrian Conway are live to recap all the excitement from Day 1 of competition. Stick around until the end when the duo will answer your questions.

Don’t miss any of the action! Watch livestreams of the events on the Rogue website and YouTube channel.

“It’s absolutely staggering the quality and caliber of athletes that they have coming in. … . This is going to be one of the most jammed pack, elite fields we’ve ever seen in competition outside of the CrossFit Games.” — Chase Ingraham

Host Chase Ingraham is joined by reporter Niki Brazier and four-time Games athlete Adrian Conway to preview the third annual Rogue Invitational. The competition will take place Oct. 29-31 in Austin, Texas, and includes Individual, Legends, and for the first time, Strongman divisions.

The trio takes a look at the field of powerhouse athletes across all divisions and shares their top-five individual podium finishers. They also dive into the Games history of the Legends athletes, reflecting on their contributions to CrossFit, and discuss the up and coming future generation of the Sport.

For a full list of competitors, a detailed list of events, and the competition schedule, head to roguefitness.com/invitational. Don’t forget to catch the live stream of the event on Rogue’s website and/or YouTube channel.

“I love that kind of workout where you can get caught up in the event and not necessarily spend quite as much energy thinking about another burpee — ‘’cause it’s only eight.”

In CrossFit, fun, fitness, and competition don’t stop in the offseason.

Senior Programming Manager of Virtual Competitions Sarah Hopping Estrella joins host Chase Ingraham to talk about CrossFit’s new virtual competition Lift Move Work.

“The ultimate goal was to come up with a workout that would be a fun, engaging experience for the community,” Estrella says.

With multiple tracks for athletes of all skill levels and abilities, including adaptive divisions, this new challenge has something for everyone, from the everyday athlete to the avid competitor. And it’s designed to be completed within a one-hour class.

To see how you stack up, head to crossfit.leaderboards.com, and register today.

Chase Ingraham: “Specifically to the 2017 CrossFit Games testing positive, did you knowingly take those PEDs for the CrossFit Games?”

Ricky Garard: “Yes.”

In the latest episode of the CrossFit Games podcast, Ricky Garard comes clean about testing positive for PEDs during the 2017 competitive season.

Garard talks openly about his four-year suspension, processing the repercussions of his actions, and how he has learned and grown from his mistake.

Seeking redemption, Garard is looking to earn his spot back on the competition floor to prove to himself, and the world, that he has what it takes to be a top competitor in the sport.

Garard will be eligible to return to CrossFit competition on Oct. 3, 2021 and will compete at the Dubai CrossFit Championship in December.