The Arnold Sports Festival takes place every year in Columbus, Ohio, and is considered the largest fitness festival in the United States. Every March, more than 20,000 athletes from around the world compete and an estimated 250,000 people attend.

This year there were a few more that showed up thanks to Rogue Fitness. The Fittest Man and Woman on Earth, as well as a Sanctionals winner, were there to meet fans and talk CrossFit. 

Mat Fraser, Tia-Clair Toomey and Katrin Davidsdottir hung out at the Rogue Fitness booth at the Arnold Expo and did meet and greets with thousands of fans who waited to take photos, offer kind words and show appreciation for the inspiration these championship-caliber athletes provide to them on a daily basis. Also at the booth was Dan Bailey and four-time Fittest Man on Earth Rich Froning.

Rogue Fitness wasn’t just there to market equipment and host these athletes. The Rogue Invitational, one of the 16 Sanctionals taking place this season, is coming up on May 18-19 in Columbus, where Rogue’s headquarters are located. The winners of that event won’t just get their qualifications to the Games, but a $50,000 prize as well. Toomey and Fraser are both set to compete and are considered the favorites.

19.2 Recap

At some point in between meeting fans and checking out the Arnold, Toomey, Fraser and Davidsdottir took part in 19.2, which is the next workout in the 2019 CrossFit Open. 19.1 was considered by many to be a cardiovascular challenge, but the test that 19.2 provides calls for a new level of grit and effort.

Athletes start with an eight-minute clock and set out to complete as many reps as possible of the following exercises.

• 25 toes to bar
• 50 double unders
• 15 squat cleans with 135 pounds
• 25 toes to bar
• 50 double unders
• 13 squat cleans with 185 pounds

If the athlete finishes all those reps before time expires, they are to add four minutes to the clock and continue with this phase of reps.

• 25 toes to bar
• 50 double unders
• 11 squat cleans with 225 pounds

If that is completed before the total 12 minutes is up, then four more minutes is added and the athletes continue on with the following sets.

• 25 toes to bar
• 50 double unders
• 9 squat cleans with 275 pounds

Finally, if the athlete is successful, there is one more four-minute phase added that includes these to finish.

• 25 toes to bar
• 50 double unders
• 7 squat cleans with 315 pounds.

The main challenge that comes from this is when you notice the squat cleans. While the rep count decreases the weight jumps up 40 or 50 pounds each time. Lifting more weight while also doing the toes to bar and double unders in between makes this much more intense than if a traditional fitness athlete were to rest in between the normal lifting sets. Your muscular strength, endurance and cardiovascular systems are more challenged when doing activities like toes to bar and double unders. 

Athletes had until 5 p.m. ET on Monday, March 4, to post their times at games.crossfit.com to make sure their workouts are logged officially. If competing for a spot at the Games, they also have to be recorded so a judge can see them if called upon. Posts on social media were being shared with the hashtags #InTheOpen and #19point2.

19.3 will be posted on Thursday, March 7, on the Games’ website as well as on its Instagram page @crossfitgames. 

If you took part in 19.2, make sure you tag us @floelite on your posts to share how you are doing so far in the Open with us.