What Happens When A Bodybuilder Tries His Hand At CrossFit Workout? | Men's Health Magazine Australia

What Happens When A Bodybuilder Tries His Hand At A CrossFit Workout?

Acknowledging that cardio isn’t his strong suit, Matt begins the video by saying: “This is the most scared I’ve ever been.”

After a proper warmup, they begin with some skill work, starting with the overhead squat. The first thing Obi does is point out the recommended form. It takes a while for Matt to get to grips with this move, as he says he doesn’t quite have the flexibility to get his arms into the correct position.

Then they head into the chipper workout, which is nowhere near as easygoing as it sounds. “I love chipper workouts,” says Obi. “They are long and mentally gritty… It’s a workout where you have to chip away, it’s a lot of numbers.” Here’s the workout he lays out for Matt:

  • 100 calorie devil bike
  • 40 deadlifts
  • 20 Syncra burpee box jump overs
  • 100 double unders
  • 40 thrusters
  • 100 calorie ski
  • 40 devil press
  • 100 calorie devil bike

Matt is already considerably out of breath after the initial bike exercise, but still pumps out the deadlift reps with relative ease. The burpee box jump overs (BBJO) also leave him gasping for air, and he needs a rest before moving onto the next challenge: 100 double unders, a jump rope move that involves jumping higher than usual while swinging under his feet twice in each jump.

The video is, as you might expect, pretty banter-free as Matt struggles to catch his breath after each round, taking every opportunity to rest between sets. By the time he has finished his devil press reps and it’s time for the devil bike finisher, he can barely stand. He lays out flat on the floor when he’s done with the first round of the workout, saying he feels sick.

RELATED: The 7 Guys You’ll Meet Doing CrossFit

Obi, meanwhile, is looking pretty chipper with his chipper. “It’s taken a good year and a half to be like this after something like that,” he says. “Normally I’d lay down for about 10 minutes.”

For Matt, one of the main challenges he faces is keeping up his technique in the devil moves amid the physical exhaustion. “When you’re a wreck, the last thing you want to do is an actual technical lift,” he says. He’s not wrong—so you should probably avoid this style of workout, unless you’re a fitness YouTuber with a video to make.

“Even though it frigging sucks, it is a sick feeling of accomplishment after you’re finished,” he adds. “I have so much respect for people that do that on a daily basis.”

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health

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