Mat Fraser, CrossFit’s four-time Fittest Man on Earth, is no stranger to gut-wrenching workouts. The 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 CrossFit Games champ boasts a 500lb deadlift, a 219kg back squat and can walk the length of a football field on his hands. Handily, he can also rep out 50 pull-ups unbroken and run a five-minute mile.
His ‘Fittest Man on Earth’ title, of course, is a bold one to claim. People tend to quantify fitness in different ways, after all. But when CrossFit commentators believe that Fraser “should have to run a marathon before the [CrossFit] Games to level the playing field,” it’s of little surprise that Fraser has become one of the world’s most-watched athletes in a sport that, comparatively, remains in its infancy.
So, is Fraser more machine than man? If his pre-CrossFit games ritual is anything to by, it wouldn’t suggest so. In fact, he shares the same pre-lifting nerves that you likely feel. “Before most events, I dry-heave or throw up, because I’m so nervous. It’s not enjoyable,” he explained to Men’s Health in our ‘Face Time’ interview series, sitting alongside CrossFit’s three-time Fittest Woman on Earth and olympian Tia-Clair Toomey.
“But at the same time, I know that I care and I still have that excitement. Backstage, people will see me dry-heaving and they look at my manager and say, “God, is Mat OK?” And he’s like, “Oh, yeah, he’s good. This is good.”
While you may share the same nerves as Fraser before a heavy bout of exercise—whether that’s a weekend long run or a max-effort home workout — you’ll also want to borrow his advice for a steely resolve and maintaining motivation. “You’ve got to be surrounded by good people—people you belong with, who are like-minded,” explains Fraser, who used a large portion of this year to train with Toomey and her husband, Shane Orr, who became Fraser’s coach.
“We’re in a unique situation, because we’ve been able to come together during this pandemic and train and hang out and go through this rollercoaster of emotions as a group. But current events aside, I know that I perform better when I’m happy and life is good.”
“The fact that we get along well as friends is just a bonus,” he continued. “…we woke up every morning excited to put ourselves through what we had to go through. That’s always been the most important thing for me – keeping that good headspace while in training.”
From: Men’s Health UK
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