16
Jul

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK  **  Forging Elite Fitness

Deadlift 5-5-5-5-5 reps

Post loads to comments.

Joe Gasparre makes time for his fans before a workout!
P1010280
 

Joe, just 18 years old and CrossFitting for about a year, competed in the 2008 CrossFit Games on July 5th and 6th in Aromas, California.  Joe is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer.

We asked Joe about his experience and his advice for future competitors:

1) Describe the experience of competing at the CF Games

Competing at the games was amazing. It was definitely an
experience I will always  remember. It was unlike anything I have
ever
seen or been a part of. Being around all great athletes
that have the same goals as you is very exciting. My
first event was a modified Fran. The Fran I'm used to is
a 6 minute workout, but after watching OPT, Mike G, Bionic,
and other top Crossfitters get over a 4 minute Fran as
opposed to their sub- 3 minute Fran, I had a feeling I
was in for it. It seemed as though many of the athletes
times had doubled, including my own. I came out with a
11:11  Fran, not my personal best but it was legitimate and
I did the best I could so I wasn't too unhappy about
it. The next workout was going to be a problem for me. 
Five consecutive 275 pound dead lifts followed by 10
burpees for 5 rounds. Dead lifting is a weak point of mine
and since the Crossfit Games punished your weakness I wasn't
looking forward to it, especially a 2x bodyweight dead lift.
I got through the first 2 rounds with no problem. The next
round gave me problems and by the forth I was asked by
Adrian to stop before I hurt myself or ran out of time. I
got 2 more lifts in and realized that Adrian was only trying
to help me. So I swallowed my pride and took the time I got
happily. It was a good idea for me to stop when I did and I
thanked Adrian for giving me the advice later on that day.
It was the 2nd lesson I learned. The final workout: The Hill
Run. Yes very scary, yes very painful. The hill on the
CrossFit website video was not the hill we ran. That was the
base of the hill. When I reached the "top" of this "hill" I
only looked up to find more hill. The whole run I told
myself to not walk, but as my legs cramped up and dust
filled my lungs I had no other option. I was not alone in
the Hill walk. Once I reached the top it was a good feeling
to know the next part was down. I took long strides, passing
3 people and gaining a lot of speed. The next hill wasn't as
bad but still horrible. I was happy with my time of 4:35.
The next day was 155 pound Squat Clean and Jerks, 30 reps.
I scaled it back to 115 and was happy with how I finished.
The whole competition was great and I had a great time.

2) What would recommend for the athletes that would like to compete next year?

Train for the unexpected. Train hard, train smart, train today.
3) What did you learn from fellow competitors?
   
I learned so many new things from not only competitors, but many of the
spectators, judges and other volunteers. I think one of the main things
I learned was to know and respect my limits. Another thing was there
are people better than me and better than people I thought were the
best. I learned that Greg Glassman is the man.

4) What, if anything, surprised you?
   No real surprises.  I know Crossfit and it’s idea of expect the unexpected.  I was only surprised that there weren’t more surprises!


5) How will you change the way you train based on your experience at the games?
    I
will definitely train way harder and smarter.  I think it’s the same for
all athletes though.  I’ve never heard anyone say: ” I’m the best I can
be at this” or “This is the best it’s going to get”.  There is always
room for doing better whether it’s in Crossfit, your job, or your
personal life.

6) Please add anything that you believe is important or relevant that I did not ask.

I think it's important to check out other affiliates and their athletes. Talk to others and try to improve your
 training. And did I mention Greg Glassman is the man?


Thanks Joe! You've made us proud!

2 Responses

  1. mailto:JoeyBaggs

    George you left out the part on the trainer page where I’m awesome. You might want to add that cause people will think I’m just some regular guy.

Leave a Reply