By Martin Sadongdong
A total of 216 crossfit athletes across the Philippines competed in the final round of the 2019 Manila Throwdown (MTD) Team Edition, the biggest functional fitness event in the country, held at the Tent Acacia Estates in Taguig City on Sunday.
Members of a crossfit group do the “worm” in the third workout of the final round of the 2019 Manila Throwdown held at Tent Acacia Estates in Taguig City on Sunday. (Martin Sadongdong)
JC Santos, one of the MTD organizers, said this year’s iteration saw the most number of participants in the history of the event which started started in 2012.
“This year, we had 264 athletes in the qualifiers round. Before they could qualify for the finals, they had to submit a video while doing all the routines. We then ranked them to determine if they are to qualify in the RX (elite) or Scaled (beginner and intermediate) division,” Santos told the Manila Bulletin.
Of the number, only 216 athletes or 54 crossfit groups (four members per group) qualified.
Every year, Santos said they try to incorporate a new exercise that would test the physical limits of the participants.
“Usually, we have four to five workouts of the day (WODs) which are a combination of different movements such as running, gymnastics, swimming, weightlifting and cycling. For this year, we put a new exercise which is the ‘worm.’”
In the worm, three members of each group have to do squat thrusts and push press while carrying a bag containing rubber pellets.
The size and weight of the worm are 21 inches and 220 lbs.
The fourth member has to climb a rope after every 30 repetitions of worm squats and push presses. “This is to test the coordination of the teams. That’s what we try to do, we try to innovate to challenge them.”
A combination of new workouts was also incorporated in this year’s MTD finals round.
Santos urged everyone to try crossfit and said it is important for an individual to be physically fit and healthy. “I encourage everyone to try crossfit. There are many crossfit boxes in the Philippines that you can visit.”
“Crossfit can be done by anyone and no one should feel intimated with it,” Santos added.
Last year, Team Avant Garde, a crossfit box based in Mandaluyong, ruled the MDT Team Edition.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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