081 Profile of an Elite CrossFit Athlete

A study published last month looked at the characteristics of 19 elite CrossFitters.

Here are some of their characteristics:

Body

Bodyweight
M: 195lbs
F: 150lbs

Body Composition
M: 12% BF (9.4-14.2%)
F: 15-16% BF (13.2-17.8%)

Lean Body Mass
M: 165lbs lean mass (150-181lbs)
F: 120lbs lean mass (114-128lbs)

Strength

Back Squat
M: 415 +- 30lbs
F: 285 +- 15lbs

Relative Back Squat
M: 2.13x BW Back Squat (1.94-2.32x)
F: 1.93x BW Back Squat (1.77-2.09x)

Anaerobic Capacity

“Elite” at 30s Wingate
Mean Power
M: 968W
W: 644W

Aerobic Capacity

“Unprecedented” VO2 Max – some on par with elite endurance athletes
M: 62 ml*kg-1*min
F: 55 ml*kg-1*min

In light of these findings, I suggest a periodized approach to long term athlete development in CrossFit:

1. Muscle first.
2. Then strength.
3. Then capacity.

Here's why I suggest this order:

1. Muscle size is protective against injury.
2. Muscle mass takes a long time to develop.
3. Neuromuscular efficiency will only get you so far.
4. It can be difficult to put on muscle mass in-season.
5. The sport tests premium movements more than work rate.
6. Strength is highly correlated with muscle endurance above 40% of 1RM.
7. The concurrent training effect only works one way.
8. Maintaining is less work than gaining.
9. With resistance training, you practice the same skills that make up the vast majority of the sport.

Physical and Physiological Characteristics of Elite CrossFit Athletes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11209587/