07/31/19

The CrossFit Games began in 2007 at the Castro family ranch in Aromas, CA. The first year included creating workouts by using a hopper. Each year the competition has grown and the competitive side of CrossFit continues to evolve. 

In 2010 the games were forced to leave the Ranch as the county wouldn’t allow that many people on the property. The new home became the Home Depot center in Los Angeles, CA. The Games would stay there for seven years. The 2017, 2018 & 2019 Games are in Madison, WI.  

“Amanda” was first introduced at the 2010 CrossFit Games. The workout was named after Amanda Miller, a 2009 CrossFit Games athlete who passed away earlier that year. This was the opening workout of the 2010 CrossFit Games and it was the first nighttime event, made possible under the lights of a big stadium. While the stadium wasn’t very full on Friday night, the weekend saw record crowds for the games and it was clear that the event had outgrown the dusty hills of the ranch.

The video above is of the final men’s heat from that night. If you watch, you’ll see some amazing performances plus a few classic mistakes; going way too fast to start a workout and then a crash and burn finish. Some of the men in this final heat are capped at the 12min mark.  

In comparison, at the 2017 Games, Amanda was repeated but with an increased rep scheme of 13-11-9-7-5. An additional 24 reps of each movement, more than double the work. The top female times in 2017 are under 9min!!

Every year, the competitors get better and the CrossFit Games become more challenging. I’m excited to see what happens this year. 

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