Unlike tennis and golf, CrossFit doesn’t give it’s female athletes any difficulty discounts on the field. Females do the same burpees, pull-ups, overhead squats and handstand pushups as the men. Their workouts are as rigorous and intense as one another. As this sport continues to spread across the world, more and more female athletes are finding themselves thrust into the international spotlight at the CrossFit World Games, showing off their fitness and displaying their amazing core strength.
In this CrossFit story we feature three women that can only be described as fit, fit, fit. Tanya Wagner is 2009’s CrossFit World Games’ Champion. Annie Mist Thorisdottir finished 2010’s World Games in a very respectful second place, and is looking to grab the title this year. But not every female athlete reaches the podium at the CrossFit Games. In every country, there are thousands of women like Amelia Dekantios, a Sydneysider that one day hopes to reach the international stage. At present though, she utilises CrossFit principles for her daily fitness regime.
Here Tanya, Annie, and Amelia not only share their personal insights into CrossFit, but they also share the core movements that test them most.
Name: Tanya Wagner
Height: 168cm (5’6”)
Weight: 70.45kg
Age: 28
Hometown: Souderton, Pennsylvania
When I don’t train and compete in CrossFit…
I run my CrossFit box (gym) in Pennsylvania, CrossFitApex – www.crossfitapex.com
I was introduced to CrossFit…
By my husband, Josh, back in late 2007.
Before CrossFit, my fitness regime was…
Hours on useless machines hoping to get stronger….boring!
When I won the 2009 CrossFit Games…
I couldn’t believe I did it. It took a long time before it really sunk in and felt real.
After a hard core CrossFit session, my pig out food and drink is…
Cold beer and buffalo chicken wings.
For this year’s Games…
I am due to have a baby today! So I will be there but doubtful that I will be participating in any capacity as motherhood approaches…hopes for next year!
The worldwide obesity trend…
Is so upsetting to me. It’s such a shame that there are so many people who don’t take care of their bodies and what’s worse is that their kids see them and follow in their footsteps
My CrossFit fashion…
Is nothing fancy, I’m a plain cotton tank and shorts kinda girl.
When I tell a novice female about CrossFit…
I tell her “you can do it…and you will be doing things in months that you would never have believed possible!”
My favourite meal, movie, and beverage is…
A big chicken salad and I must admit I don’t have a favourite movie. I love a good coffee.
The future of CrossFit…
We are just at the beginning, so we can’t even dream to know how big this is going to be, changing one life at a time.
Tanya’s Favourite CrossFit Core Workouts
Glute Hamstring Developer (GHD) Situps – Using a back extension machine, GHD situps are a much more complex version of the standard situp that works hamstrings and glutes, as well as the core. A GHD situp is a very technical exercise that is much more diffi cult than your standard crunch, so get yourself educated before you even think about a set of 10 of these. Michael’s WOD – 3 rounds for time: 800m run, 50 situps, and 50 back extensions.
“Females do the same burpees, pull-ups, overhead squats and handstand pushups as the men. Their workouts are as rigorous and intense as one another.”
Name: Annie Mist Thorisdottir
Height: 169cm
Weight: 67kg
Age: 21
Hometown: Kopavogur, Iceland
When I don’t train and compete in CrossFit…
I’m co-owner of CrossFit BC Island – www.crossfi tbc. is/ – teach and program for that affi liate as well as studying chemistry in The University of Iceland.
I was introduced to CrossFit…
By a friend of mine inviting me to compete in the CrossFit Regional competition in Iceland 2009 – which was then also my first CrossFit workout. I won that competition and with that a spot in the CrossFit Games 2009. I haven’t stopped doing CrossFit ever since!
Before CrossFit, my fitness regime was…
Gymnastics, ballet, pole vaulting and bootcamp.
After a hard core CrossFit session, my pig out food and drink is…
Protein shake, Promax, and 80% dark chockolate =)
The worldwide obesity trend…
A problem mainly attributed to ignorance and laziness. Some lack the nutritional awareness while others ignore obvious health issues associated with fast- and pre-cooked food. People need to realise that they should stay fit not for the sake of society but for their own health and happiness!
My CrossFit Fashion…
I don’t try to make a fashion statement. I like wearing light shoes with high tight socks, my lucky Reebok shorts, and my tight but comfortable sports bra.
When I tell a novice female about CrossFit…
I tell them to have fun with it and keep on trying, it will only get better.
My favourite meal, movie, and beverage is…
Chicken fajitas, Lord of the Rings or G.I. Jane, (always watch that one before a competition) and beverage of choice is Coke Light on special occasions.
Annie’s Favourite CrossFit Core Workouts
Fran WOD – Three timed rounds of Squat Thrusters (30kgs) into Pull-Ups: 21 reps, then 15 reps, then 9 reps. Diane WOD – Three timed rounds of Deadlift (70kgs) into Handstand Push-Ups: 21 reps, then 15 reps, then 9 reps.
Name: Amelia Dekantios
Height: 167cm
Weight: 58kg
Age: 31
Hometown:Maroubra Sydney
CrossFit Gym: CFX (www.crossfitfx.com) in Kogarah.
When I don’t train and compete in CrossFit…
I work for a furniture Design Company and I’m a qualified Interior Designer. Weekends are about catching up with friends, dinners, hanging at the beach in summer.
I was introduced to CrossFit…
About 4 years ago I started utilising a personal trainer, and that person just happened to be (Commando) Steve Willis. Steve trained me for 6 months using the Crossfit principles, and I started to see results instantly.
Before CrossFit, my fitness regime was…
I played netball for many years and was a 100m and 200m sprinter in my school athletics squad for 6 years. I then trained at the Fitness First for 18months before training at CFX.
After a hard core CrossFit session, my pig out food and drink is…
My pig out meal is usually breakfast, which is my favourite meal of the day! I have two hard poached eggs, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado and chicken breast, followed with lots of water and depending on how I’m feeling after a WOD, a long black coffee.
The worldwide obesity trend…
Fit and healthy living is something we need to be made aware of from a young age. Obesity is a problem we are now seeing in most developed and developing countries. It’s so important to keep children active and playing sports and teaching them to eat right. Bad habits that start at a young age are normally hard to break. That is where good parenting and the school system needs to be passing on the information. I remember when I was young I was always outdoors playing, I just wish Cross Fit was around when I was young!
My CrossFit fashion…
Always a pair of coloured running shoes!
When I tell a novice female about CrossFit…
You have to be careful with how you explain CrossFit to a female. Females care so much about the way we look and have a fear of becoming too big and muscley. CrossFit training sessions involve so much more than lift ing big heavy weights. It’s a training program that teaches us to move correctly. The beauty of how we train is that every single workout we do can be scaled to suit the person training -whether that’s because you have an injury or you’re not as strong as the person standing next to you. Our workouts are constantly varied, which means everyday you turn up to train you will be doing something different and this keeps most people interested. The best way to explain CrossFit to someone is for them to come and watch a group workout. CrossFit and a healthy balanced diet will make you look and feel amazing.
My favourite meal, movie and drink is…
My favourite meal of the day would have to be breakfast, especially on the weekend with the Sunday papers. I do love going out for Japanese for dinner! I have a few favourite movies (sorry couldn’t pick just one) Dirty Dancing, Love Actually, The HangOver, Good Will Hunting.
My favourite drink…
I don’t drink much else other than water during the day…. a long black coff ee if I’m out at breakfast and if I’m out to dinner a nice glass of Pinot Noir – especially in winter.
The future of CrossFit…
CrossFit has grown rapidly since I started almost four years ago and will continue to do so. There are now around 60 affiliate CrossFit gyms in Australia and when I started there were only around 10. Who knows we may even see CrossFit at the Olympics one day!
Amelia’s Favourite CrossFit Core Workouts
Over head squats and GHD sit ups – 10reps, then 9reps, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Annie WOD – Jump rope double unders into Sit-ups: 50reps, then 40reps, 30, 20, 10
“Unlike tennis and golf, CrossFit doesn’t give it’s female athletes any difficulty discounts on the field.”
Watch female (and male) CrossFit competitors at the 2011 Reebok CrossFit World Games at the Home Depot Centre from July 29th-31st in Carson, California. The Australian Regional Games will be held in Homebush, New South Wales over the 27th- 29th May weekend – http://games.crossfit.com.
Sarah Clasen admits it: She doesn’t have the motivation to exercise by herself. She has good intentions but they never eventuate. Her thinking changed when she found her exercise motivation; she joined a fitness boot camp.... 
Having been training with the Bulgarian Bag for around three years now, one of my favourite things about it is the fact you can easily combine strength and cardio to create a highly effective metabolic workout.... 
One of the greatest benefits of training on the TRX is its ability to force the athlete to strengthen the extremely important, yet oft en under conditioned, stabilising muscles. Th is full-body workout has been designed to not only increase...