To succeed at the CrossFit Games, you have to nail the workouts that play to your strengths and just hang around in the others. Being physically strong is important, but mental toughness is the key.
Sulphur Springs, Texas (PRWEB) July 17, 2014
When Cliff Lewis started doing CrossFit five years ago, he had to use a bench to do one pull-up, and he couldn’t complete one repetition of a 135-pound clean. Now the 49-year-old, who has finished fourth in the men’s 45-to-49 age division at the past three CrossFit Games, considers pull-ups to be one of his strongest exercises. And he can perform 30, 135-pound cleans in the “Grace” workout in 2 minutes 6 seconds.
Access is sponsoring Lewis to help him cover his expenses for the 2014 CrossFit Games, which will mark his fourth straight appearance. Lewis is grateful for the support that Access and CEO Tim Elliott are providing him for this year’s event.
“People like Tim Elliott make me want to go to the CrossFit Games and push myself,” Lewis said. “Knowing that Tim and the others will be back in Rockwall cheering me on motivates me to do my very best.”
To qualify for the Games this year, Lewis had to finish in the top 20 at the CrossFit Open, which included four events that athletes completed between April 17 and 21. In the first, maximum clean, Lewis exceeded his expectations and lifted 270 pounds. The second event required him to perform timed muscle-ups for a 9-7-5 repetition scheme and 135-pound cleans, while the third event required participants to do a 50-calorie row, 15 handstand push-ups and 50 double-unders. The final event was 100 pull-ups and 100 wall-ball shots, which involved throwing a 20-pound medicine ball up to hit a 10-foot target.
Lewis finished third in these events and seventh overall in his age group to book his fourth straight trip to Carson, Calif. Despite being the oldest in his age group, Lewis is confident that he has learned from his previous Games experiences.
“To succeed at the CrossFit Games, you have to nail the workouts that play to your strengths and just hang around in the others,” Lewis said. “Being physically strong is important, but mental toughness is the key. Everyone’s banged up after the first day so you just have to focus on one event at a time to get through.”
Access CEO Tim Elliott started training at Lewis’s gym, CrossFit Heath, three years ago. here, Elliott saw Lewis’s athletic prowess firsthand, as the CrossFit Games competitor put himself through six workouts a week that many athletes in their late 40s wouldn’t even attempt, let alone excel at. What impressed Elliott even more was the encouragement Lewis gave him and his fellow participants.
“Access is sponsoring Cliff Lewis not just because of the amazing athlete that he is, but because he’s a great man and coach who will stop at nothing to help everyone around him reach their potential,” Elliott said. “I believe he can go one better this year and make the CrossFit Games podium.”
Lewis will travel to Carson, Calif., on July 20. The next day, he will begin the grueling three-day Masters competition at the CrossFit Games, which will be shown live on ESPN. Anyone wanting to see Lewis’s progress directly can go to the CrossFit Games website and type in “Cliff Lewis” in the search bar in the top right corner of the main page. Games events also will be streamed live on this website.
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