A few days ago Sports Illustrated listed the 50 fittest females they could find based on strength, speed, endurance, and agility. For most of us that equation spells C.R.O.S.S.F.I.T.
Despite the fact that these are some of the core fundamentals elite fitness is based upon, somehow only two CrossFitters made the final cut. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet was listed in 10th and Sam Briggs barely squeezed onto the list, coming in at 45th.
Now let’s make it crystal clear, we are not questioning the athleticism of the other women listed. We would however, like to point out the fact that Camille and Sam would both outwork a majority of the other 48 athletes listed in every given modality. Their fitness provides them with the core stability for balance, the strength for speed and moving high volumes of weight, endurance for long winded challenges, and the body awareness to pick up movements they may be unfamiliar with quickly.
For instance, think about the Olympic lifts performed by CrossFit athletes. Whether it is incorporated within a high intensity workout or it is added in strictly as a strength exercise. One cannot argue against the amount of technique, core strength, and body awareness that these movements require.
Now let’s compare these ladies’ current numbers. Camille has a 230 lbs clean and jerk and Sam’s max doesn’t trail far behind at 198 lbs. As for their snatches, Camille comes in at 190 lbs and Briggs is at 160 lbs. Now, consider this. Being able to lift your body weight in the snatch is a big deal. Each of these ladies can do that plus an additional 25%!
That only proves strength you say? What if I told you that each of these women can perform 45 thrusters and 45 pull ups in just over two minutes? Or that Camille was able to complete a 3,000 meter row, 300 double unders, followed by a 3 mile run (all endurance components) in 39:52 at the 2014 CrossFit Games?
Alana Blanchard (surfer) ranked 6th, Anastasia Ashley (surfer) ranked 7th, and Ashley Fiolek (motorcross) ranked 9th for example, are top athletes in their sports and are listed higher than Camille. However, if this were a true testament based on strength, speed, endurance, and agility as it has claimed to be, we all know that this is not how the list would have played out.
Hell, if we had a day of physical tests varying drastically from running to balance, or swimming to long jumping these girls probably wouldn’t have even made the final cut to be considered. Rating their strength and endurance above all others listed below these girls (not just our precious CFers) makes us question, what are the writers at Sports Illustrated thinking? Or have they even read the article published?
What about the Olympic lifters, triathletes, cross-country skiers, and marathon runners of the world? Are they not worthy of making this list? Based on the areas of fitness in which this list was created, it’s safe to say that the 50 women selected were not done so in regards to the initial gauges of capacity claimed, rather it is a list based off of popularity and who looks best in a bikini (which is okay too).
But call it what it is.
Related Article: This Is Bullsh!t: 'Sports Illustrated's Fittest 50' Males
Despite the fact that these are some of the core fundamentals elite fitness is based upon, somehow only two CrossFitters made the final cut. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet was listed in 10th and Sam Briggs barely squeezed onto the list, coming in at 45th.
Now let’s make it crystal clear, we are not questioning the athleticism of the other women listed. We would however, like to point out the fact that Camille and Sam would both outwork a majority of the other 48 athletes listed in every given modality. Their fitness provides them with the core stability for balance, the strength for speed and moving high volumes of weight, endurance for long winded challenges, and the body awareness to pick up movements they may be unfamiliar with quickly.
For instance, think about the Olympic lifts performed by CrossFit athletes. Whether it is incorporated within a high intensity workout or it is added in strictly as a strength exercise. One cannot argue against the amount of technique, core strength, and body awareness that these movements require.
Now let’s compare these ladies’ current numbers. Camille has a 230 lbs clean and jerk and Sam’s max doesn’t trail far behind at 198 lbs. As for their snatches, Camille comes in at 190 lbs and Briggs is at 160 lbs. Now, consider this. Being able to lift your body weight in the snatch is a big deal. Each of these ladies can do that plus an additional 25%!
That only proves strength you say? What if I told you that each of these women can perform 45 thrusters and 45 pull ups in just over two minutes? Or that Camille was able to complete a 3,000 meter row, 300 double unders, followed by a 3 mile run (all endurance components) in 39:52 at the 2014 CrossFit Games?
Alana Blanchard (surfer) ranked 6th, Anastasia Ashley (surfer) ranked 7th, and Ashley Fiolek (motorcross) ranked 9th for example, are top athletes in their sports and are listed higher than Camille. However, if this were a true testament based on strength, speed, endurance, and agility as it has claimed to be, we all know that this is not how the list would have played out.
Hell, if we had a day of physical tests varying drastically from running to balance, or swimming to long jumping these girls probably wouldn’t have even made the final cut to be considered. Rating their strength and endurance above all others listed below these girls (not just our precious CFers) makes us question, what are the writers at Sports Illustrated thinking? Or have they even read the article published?
What about the Olympic lifters, triathletes, cross-country skiers, and marathon runners of the world? Are they not worthy of making this list? Based on the areas of fitness in which this list was created, it’s safe to say that the 50 women selected were not done so in regards to the initial gauges of capacity claimed, rather it is a list based off of popularity and who looks best in a bikini (which is okay too).
But call it what it is.
Related Article: This Is Bullsh!t: 'Sports Illustrated's Fittest 50' Males