Josh Bridges is the most respected athlete in the crossfit community

Most Trained Person in the World - Such an impressive title is awarded to the winner of the main competition in the CrossFit Games community. Moreover, if we take it subjectively, then from the point of view of competition it is appropriate, but are all CrossFit athletes really ready for absolutely all physical tests in real life? This question can only be answered by one athlete, namely Josh Bridges (@Josh Bridges).

Josh is a Marine. He is the oldest member of the CrossFit community, still competing in serious competition and ranking high in the leaderboards. Yes, this athlete is not as celebrated as Richard Froning or the growing popularity of Matt Fraser. But it is Josh Bridges who is admired by everyone in the world of CrossFit, it is his name that comes to mind one of the first at the mention of this sport.

And the point is not at all in his charismatic appearance and his luxurious mustache that has become a hallmark, but in the story that led him to CrossFit, and in the incredible will to win.

Short biography

Josh Bridges is the “oldest” serious competitor. Unlike Froning, who gave up his solo careers at 28, and Fraser, who is even younger than Rich, Bridges strives to perform at 35, keeping up with them, and is showing amazing results.

"Finding yourself" in sports

He was born in 1982 in St. Louis, Missouri (United States of America). From childhood, his main goal was to become the first in everything. Like all children in the United States, at first the future Marine sought to play the most "expensive sport in the world," namely baseball.

It was in this sport that he received his first professional injury, which closed his way to the Major League. - rupture of ligaments in the shoulder. Nevertheless, after spending only a year without active training, Bridges returns to freestyle wrestling, where he immediately takes prizes at all competitions in the state. It is thanks to his performance that he receives a scholarship at a prestigious California university, therefore, almost immediately after graduation, he moves to live in California.

After graduating from university (in 2005), having exhausted himself as a wrestler, the young owner of a technical education decides to try himself in a sport that is still unknown to most - CrossFit. In just two years, he says, he reaches the peak of his career and fitness.

An interesting fact: as statistics show, the best form in individual standings, crossfit champions show in the period from 22 to 26 years old.

At that time, Josh wins all regional competitions, and, considering that he has achieved everything, decides, in parallel with the sport, to undergo training in navy seals in order to serve his country not only as an athlete, but also as a defender of the fatherland.

Training at the fur seal camp

For the next two years, Bridges tried to combine training at a fur seal camp with his training, but for a long time dropped out of competitive sports.

In 2008, he and about 10% of his colleagues in the preparatory camp finally receive the coveted Budweiser shoulder straps, and two days later Bridges is sent on the first combat mission. According to Josh, it was the moment in his life that changed everything. Seeing the real situation in the world, he decided to undergo advanced training in order to be able to go to combat operations no longer as a sergeant, but as a major.

An interesting fact: Josh Bridges received the rank of major only in 2017, but during the same period he was officially declared unfit for military missions to hot spots.

In the next 4 years, he participated in two more military operations.

Crossfit in the life of Bridges

Bridges returns to Competitive CrossFit exactly for the arrival of rising star Richard Froning. Having a very specific training (at that time, Bridges did much better exercises with his own weight than with iron), he does not pass qualifying selection and decides to radically change the approach to his training program.

Having significantly improved his training in 2011, the athlete takes an honorable second place, losing only a few points to Froning (again, in exercises related to weight lifting).

Then Bridges made a promise to himself not to leave the sport until he takes the coveted first place, no matter how long it takes.

Why not a champion?

Despite his hard training and clearly improving form, in 2012, Bridges was in for an unpleasant event.

Injury during a combat operation

During another military operation, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee.

And all this happened just 2 months before the competition. Almost all this time, Josh was in the hospital, undergoing postoperative rehabilitation. But as soon as he recovered enough, he immediately returned to training. Almost a year of lying down and walking with special crutches and garters did not give him rest.

Each training approach of the athlete was accompanied by incredible pain. But, nevertheless, when everyone practically put an end to his crossfit career, Bridges returned to the sports arena in 2013, and with triumph. Then, among hundreds of athletes, he took the honorable seventh place. And this despite the fact that at that time he was still in pain after the injury and clearly could not train and perform at full strength.

Reoperation on the knee

The next two years didn't get any better for him. In 2014, he took only 14th place. And in 2015, he received a new knee injury associated with a poorly fused ligament. This time, the operation and rehabilitation took less time, but the athlete failed to qualify for the 2015 qualification.

In 2016, overcoming himself, Josh Bridges earned respect from the entire crossfit community, when, despite all his injuries, he was able to qualify and take a place in the top thirty athletes.

Unfortunately, the very next year, Bridges again fell under the knife of surgeons: old injuries began to give complications due to the age of the athlete. In this regard, in 2017, Josh was able to take only 36th place in the standings.

But the athlete is not discouraged, and tells everyone that once he has a full training year (without injuries), he will be able to tear everyone, including reigning champion Matthew Fraser. And then, according to Josh, he will finally be able to challenge his main rival, Richard Froning, to a duel again, and defeat him in the individual program.

Best performance

Josh Bridges' best performance before exercise injury is as follows:

In performing the main crossfit complexes, the athlete at the best of times showed the following results:

As can be seen from the indicators of the table, Josh was one of the fastest and most enduring athletes for a long time, not conceding this title to anyone.

It is possible that this was facilitated not only by his sports background, but also by his service in the army, where the training of fur seals imposed its own specifics on the development of the athlete. As for the strength indicators, at the peak of their careers, they were not much less than those of the top athletes taking prizes.

Unfortunately, after being injured, Bridges cannot match and surpass his best results. Squats, deadlifts and other exercises associated with the use of leg muscles are especially "affected". But the athlete does not lose heart and strive for new heights and achievements - showing impressive willpower and a magnificent, powerful and curly mustache!

Physical form

Due to his short stature and constant injuries, Bridges has a very specific athletic form. His legs are clearly behind the rest of the body, which the athlete works on every year. Yet despite being 35, it shows an impressive shape and near-perfect relief, with less than 18% fat.

His anthropomorphic data are also striking:

1. arms - 46.2 centimeters;
2. chest - 115 sentiments;
3. legs - up to 65-68 centimeters;
4. waist - 67 centimeters.

Competition results

Looking at the results of his performances, remember what he went through in order to pass the qualifying selection every time he was struggling with new injuries, each of which should have long ago put an end to not only his career, but also confined him to a wheelchair.

Interesting Facts

For many, Josh Bridges is "that mustachioed dude." But few people remember that the athlete did not always wear his mustache and beard. He began to grow them when in 2011 he lost the championship in the Crossfit Games to Rich Froning, behind him by an unimportant few points. At the same time, Bridges promised the world community that he would grow a beard and shave it off only when he could win the title of the most prepared person in the world. All this coincided with his dismissal from the army, where, according to the charter, one had to always be shaved.

Few people know, but all his achievements, Bridges puts not because of something, but in spite of. His injury, received during the service, affected the work of the athlete's ligaments and joints. Until now, the athlete feels a hell of a pain during each training set. Doctors even recommended that he undergo an operation that could relieve pain, but would forever put an end to the career of one of the most respected athletes.

Finally

Unfortunately, in 2017, Josh again missed the main competition in the CrossFit community - the August CrossFit Games. This again happened due to occupational injuries, which more and more make themselves felt with age, reminding of a dangerous profession. Recently, the athlete has had relapses much more often than his fans would like.

Despite everything, just recently on his social networks, Josh delighted all fans with the good news that he has fully recovered from his last injury and is ready to work like never before.

We wish him the best in the 2018 season. Who knows, maybe the Californian fur seal will finally be able to take the palm from Fraser and return Fronning to the individual standings with the goal of taking his rematch.

And for those who are experiencing their first victories or failures, just remember what the athlete says after each competition, "I'm not done yet!"

Watch the video: Josh Bridges: Whats your secret to longevity in CrossFit? (December 2024).