Justin Medeiros is a 2x CrossFit Games athlete who was also named Rookie of the Year in 2020, when he finished 3rd, his first Games appearance.
Although young (he was born in March 1999, being only 24 years old right now), Justin has a long history of competing in sports. Before CrossFit, he was a wrestler and a football player during his high school years in Lodi, a city in California with less than 70,000 residents.
Check out how Justin looked like before CrossFit.
Adam Neiffer has been Justin’s coach for a couple of years. The American athlete qualified in 2020 to the Games early in the season by dominating the Filthy 150 tournament.
Before that, Medeiros competed in the California Regional for the first time in 2017 and finished 15th when he was 18 years old. The following year, CrossFit made a regional alignment and the athlete competed at the West Regional, in a field full of experienced athletes. He finished 14th.
In 2019, Regionals were replaced by Sanctionals. Justin competed at the Granite Games and was in qualifying position up to the final workout, which revealed a weakness in him and meant the athlete finished 10 points and one place shy from qualifying for the 2019 CrossFit Games.
Justin Medeiros added CrossFit training to his routine when he was 13 years old to improve his wrestling and football skills.
Now, in 2024, Justin Medeiros is competing at the 24.2 CrossFit Open announcement against Colten Mertens. Competing at the Open since 2016, Medeiros’ best placement so far was in 2022 where he finished 3rd worldwide.
Justin Medeiros is considered a rising star who hit a bump last year. His first Games appearance was in 2020 where he finished 3rd and took home the “Rookie of the Year” award.
The following year he won the title of Fittest Man on Earth and in 2022 he won back-to-back at the CrossFit Games, defending his title. It was only last year that Medeiros hit a bump and finished the Games at 13th place.
Medeiros is also considered by many the embodiment of CrossFit. Medeiros is neither the strongest athlete in the competition, nor the fastest or the most skillfull. However, he is usually within the top 8 to finish any given workout during the Games. That consistency is what made him win his first two titles of Fittest Man on Earth.
Check out some of his workouts.
Workout 1
For time:
- 100 calorie row
- 80 wall balls
- 60 GHD
- 40 box jump all the way overs
- 96’ double kettlebell overhead walking lunge
Workout 2
For Time:
- 50 strickt handstand push-ups
- 50 deadlifts
- 50 ring dips
- 50 box jump-overs
- 50 push press (lightweight)
- GHD sit-ups
- 50 cal ski
Workout 3
Every 30 seconds, 8 rounds of:
- 15 double-unders
- 1 squat snatch (185lb)
- Rest 1 minute
Every 30 seconds, 8 rounds of:
- 15 double-unders
- 1 squat snatch (205lb)
- Rest 1 minute
Every 30 seconds, 8 rounds of:
- 15 double-unders
- 1 squat snatch (215lb)
- Rest 1 minute
Every 1 minute, 4 rounds of:
- 30 double-unders
- 1 squat snatch (225lb)
- Rest 1 minute
Workout 4
- 1 rep max-load overhead squat
Time cap: 8 minutes
Followed by 3 minutes of:
- 30 thrusters (95lb)
- 90 double-unders
- 15 thrusters (135lb)
- Double-unders for the rest of the time
Workout 5
2 sets of:
- 20 dumbbell front-raise
- 50 band pec fly #1 band
No rest between exercises, although you can divide into sets each movement.
Workout 6
Barbell cycling:
- Clean & Jerk at increasing loads
- 10 – 8 – 6 – 4 reps
Workout 7
5 rounds for time:
- 10 dumbbell snatch (80lb)
- 15 GHD sit-ups
- 3 rope climbs 20’
Workout 8
11-Minutes AMRAP
- 7 clean and jerk (155lb)
- 7 burpee to target
- 7 toes-to-bar
CrossFit has its own unique terminology and jargon that might be unfamiliar to those new to the sport. Here are explanations for a few common terms used in CrossFit:
- WOD:
- Definition: WOD stands for “Workout of the Day.” It refers to the daily workout or exercise routine prescribed by CrossFit trainers. WODs vary each day and typically involve a combination of different exercises, aiming to improve overall fitness.
- AMRAP:
- Definition: AMRAP stands for “As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible.” It’s a type of workout where the participant performs a set of exercises within a specified time frame, aiming to complete as many rounds or repetitions as they can in that time.
- EMOM:
- Definition: EMOM stands for “Every Minute On the Minute.” In an EMOM workout, participants perform a set of exercises at the beginning of every minute, with any remaining time in that minute as rest. The next round starts at the beginning of the following minute.
- Rx (as in Rx’d):
- Definition: Rx is short for “prescription.” When a workout is performed Rx or Rx’d, it means that the participant has completed the workout exactly as prescribed by CrossFit, without scaling any of the movements or weights.
- WODify:
- Definition: WODify is a popular software platform used by many CrossFit gyms for workout tracking, performance analysis, and community engagement. It allows athletes to log their WOD results, track progress, and interact with other members.
- Box:
- Definition: In CrossFit, a “box” refers to the gym or training facility where CrossFit workouts take place. Unlike traditional gyms, CrossFit facilities are often called boxes, and they typically have an open and functional layout.
- Double Unders:
- Definition: Double unders are a jump rope exercise where the rope passes under the feet twice for every jump. It requires coordination and timing and is often included in CrossFit workouts to improve cardiovascular endurance and coordination.
- Chipper:
- Definition: A chipper is a type of CrossFit workout where participants complete a list of exercises, usually in sequence, before moving on to the next one. It’s called a chipper because the goal is to “chip away” at the list of movements until all are completed.
These are just a few examples of the terminology used in CrossFit. As with any specialised activity, CrossFit has its own vocabulary that participants use to communicate and understand the various aspects of the sport.
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image sources
- Justin Medeiros Games 2020: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.
- justin-medeiros-and-mat-fraser-trail-run: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.
