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How a Hong Kong crossfit team was declared fittest in Asia – thanks to their 300kg ‘worm’

Coastal CrossFit, comprising three men and three women, rise to the challenge after competition organisers throw a worm into the works

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Coastal CrossFit get to grips with the worm became Asia’s fittest team at this year’s regionals. heir success boiled down to preparation on the ‘worm’ Photos: CrossFit Games

When you hear crossfit, you think barbells, dumbells and pull-ups, not makeshift weights in duvets and duct tape. But the Coastal Crossfit team were forced to prepare for the regional championships with home-made equipment when the organisers surprised everyone by introducing a 300kg ‘worm’.

The unusual preparation worked, and Hong Kong-based Coastal CrossFit team emerged as the fittest team in Asia at the gruelling regional three-day competition in Australia at the end of May.

Crossfit is a fitness sport combining high intensity workouts with heavy weightlifting. The exercises include a spectrum from handstand walks to Olympic weight lifting movements like a snatch, clean and jerk.

Competitors are only given two weeks’ notice for the exercises that will be included in the competitions, and even then, not in detail.

“There was a piece of equipment called the worm. So three out of six workouts had the worm in it. It’s like a six-person sandbag, so there had to be teamwork, communication and synchronisation,” said Coastal captain Ed Haynes, 29.

Former Hong Kong rugby international Haynes said the regional competition always included a barbell and heavy lifting, but this it was replaced by the worm – and the change threw a lot of teams into disarray.

Many teams had never used a worm, but Coastal’s training paid off.
Many teams had never used a worm, but Coastal’s training paid off.
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