Finishing in 5th place overall at last year’s Games, Garret Fisher is no newbie to CrossFit. He first came to know the sport at age 15 while at the gym going through his usual routine — benching and doing curls. A trainer named Vince Carter (now his good friend) approached Fisher and suggested he try a new type of training. “I gave him a call a day later, went to his studio and was introduced to CrossFit. I never looked back since.”
Since his 2012 CrossFit Open debut, Fisher has made a name for himself at the 2013 CrossFit Games, and was hailed as one to watch in 2014. But his quick rise hasn’t been without some grueling, knock-down workouts in between. As the California-native sets his sights on the next Games (airing on ESPN3 on July 25), we talked with Fisher about the good, the bad — and the ugly. So what’s the hardest CrossFit workout he’s ever done? Get all the details here, and remember: Try the full workout (below) at your own risk.
Set the scene for us…
It was last year, at the Northern California Regionals. Event 4. Our competition was outside and it was a super hot day … [When I heard what the workout was] I wasn’t very excited about it. We’d done it at my home box and the workout crushed me — it devastated me. I went into the competition knowing it would be the hardest.
When did things start going south?
It wasn’t until the chest to bar pull-ups that the pain set in. But the hardest part was the snatches with a 75-pound dumbbell. They destroyed me. And there was a 25-minute cap so you had to get as far as you could in that time. I remember looking at the clock with 30-plus snatches to go. Jason Khalipa, a good friend who is from the same box as me in Nor Cal, was done and he told me to go — that I had to pump these snatches out.
I remember seeing stars and I blacked out as soon as I finished. It took me about 10 minutes to recover. It was a terrible feeling, but I felt accomplished after.
Any lasting injuries from it?
No. But to put it in perspective… 48 people did the workout, five completed it. I was 5th to finish it. 24 minutes and 56 seconds, so close to the 25-minute cutoff!
What was the light at the end of the tunnel?
Workouts like that cause a lot of pain. I tried to remind myself of different cues like to stay back on my heels and drive through my legs for wall balls, or to take deep breaths and stay cool on the snatches. I would think of a smaller number versus 100, because 100 is a lot. If you’re only on 20-something, you still have 80 to go. I reminded myself to do small sets and break it up.
Would you ever do it again?
Never! I have friends at the gym who want to do it for practice and I said nope, never again. I’m cool after having done it once.
How did you recover?
I had a protein shake and coconut water. Hydration and carbs. One hour later I tried to eat meat and potatoes, more protein and carbs to help stop my muscles from breaking down, rebuild them and start the recovery process. I also got a deep tissue massage.
The CrossFit Workout
Note: This workout was performed by a professional athlete who struggled immensely doing it, and had medical professionals on-site in case of emergency. Perform at your own risk, should you be so daring.
To hear more about Garret’s CrossFit training, follow him on Twitter, and be sure to tune in to the Games this July on ESPN3.