Heatonminded

Strength Sports and Strength Supplements

crossfit weightlifting 2021

The Importance of Weightlifting at the Crossfit Games – 2023

At the 2021 Crossfit Games, weightlifting exercises were more popular compared to past games. The programming included 15 weightlifting exercises – 43% of the total. At the last CF Games, there were almost half of them – nine.

Most likely, in the next games, their volume will increase again, and for good reason.


Weightlifting / overall strength is the roadblock for many top athletes

What does that mean?

The way Crossfit implements weightlifting elements in so many different ways is unique to the sport, and is perhaps the biggest obstacle for people looking to reach the highest levels of fitness.

For the athletes at the Crossfit Games not only do they have to have explosive strength and speed for the olympic lifts (snatch, clean & jerk), but they also have to have great amounts of raw strength for squats, deadlifts, and presses. Not to forget “strongman strength” where they are required to carry sandbags, flip pigs, and move their body in different ways.

Lack of top end strength in these movements have shown time and time again that they are often the limiting factor when it comes to competing in Crossfit.

Even when it comes to the Open we see every year how important it is for your final ranking to be able to hit the final weights in a workout.

EXAMPLE: In Open workout 20.4 the final Clean & Jerk weight for men was 315lb/143kg and for women it was 205lb/93kg. If you were able to complete just one rep at that final weight your score would have jumped around 2,000 spots on the worldwide leaderboard.


The Importance of Weightlifting at the Crossfit Games - 2023

The Champs are often the strongest

Since the 2014 Crossfit Games the MALE champions have finished the strength events (1-rep max or clean, snatch ladder) in the top 9, 13-out-of-14 times in that same time span (93%).

  • 2021: Event 12 Max Snatch: Medeiros 7th
  • 2020: Event 3 Crossfit Total: Fraser 2nd
  • 2020: Event 7 Snatch Sprint Triple: Fraser 1st
  • 2019: Event 8 Clean: Fraser 1st
  • 2018: Event 3 Crossfit Total: Fraser 8th
  • 2018: Event 6 Clean & Jerk Speed Ladder: Fraser 7th
  • 2017: Event 5 1RM Snatch: Fraser 5th
  • 2017: Event 9 Muscle Up Clean Ladder: Fraser 1st
  • 2016: Event 2 Ranch Deadlift Ladder: Fraser 23rd
  • 2016: Event 6 Squat Clean Pyramid: Fraser 2nd
  • 2015: Event 4 Snatch Speed Ladder: Smith 2nd
  • 2015: Event 9 Clean & Jerk: Smith 2nd
  • 2014: Event 2 Overhead Squat: Froning 1st
  • 2014: Event 9 Clean Speed Ladder: Froning 9th
rogue fitness bar and weight set

Since the 2014 Crossfit Games the FEMALE champions have won 6 times and finished the strength events (1-rep max or clean, snatch ladder) in the top 5, 11-out-of-14 times in that same time span (79%).

  • 2021: Event 12 Max Snatch: Toomey 1st
  • 2020: Event 3 Crossfit Total: Toomey 1st
  • 2020: Event 7 Snatch Sprint Triple: Toomey 1st
  • 2019: Event 8 Clean: Toomey 1st
  • 2018: Event 3 Crossfit Total: Toomey 1st
  • 2018: Event 6 Clean & Jerk Speed Ladder: Toomey 2nd
  • 2017: Event 5 1RM Snatch: Toomey 2nd
  • 2017: Event 9 Muscle Up Clean Ladder: Toomey 1st
  • 2016: Event 2 Ranch Deadlift Ladder: Katrin 38th
  • 2016: Event 6 Squat Clean Pyramid: Katrin 14th
  • 2015: Event 4 Snatch Speed Ladder: Katrin 2nd
  • 2015: Event 9 Clean & Jerk: Katrin 10th
  • 2014: Event 2 Overhead Squat: Leblanc-Bazinet 2nd
  • 2014: Event 9 Clean Speed Ladder: Leblanc-Bazinet 5th

More strength = better muscle endurance

“Strength gains improve power, efficiency and muscle endurance. Increased strength also affects muscle fiber recruitment patterns, which influences energy production and work capacity.”

https://www.thegainslab.com/appliedpower

In short, the stronger you are the easier it is going to be for you to move weight at lower percentages for multiple reps.

For example: if a workout requires you to do 30 snatches at 135lb/61kg it is going to be a lot easier for someone who has a 1-rep maximum snatch of 300lb/136kg than it will be for someone with a 225lb/102kg snatch, as for one person it will be 45% and for the other it would be 60%.

The lighter a weight is compared to your max level of strength, the less muscle fibers you will have to use per repetition, and less muscle fibers being used means less oxygen consumption, and less oxygen consumption means you can keep moving for longer with less exertion.


Although your max level strength will not make up for a lack of skills and conditioning, being stronger will always reap returns on performance.

Let us know what you think on Instagram below

4,672 responses to “The Importance of Weightlifting at the Crossfit Games – 2023”