Ben Smith Shares His Honest Thoughts on Training & Competing

July 19, 2017

“How does your training change leading up to the CrossFit Games?”

When we first asked Ben Smith to answer this question we were expecting a very different response. As a CrossFit Games champion and competitor for the last 8 years, it seemed like his whole life had to revolve around this one week where all the best CrossFit athletes come together. However, he made it very clear that while the CrossFit Games are fun, there is a lot more to him than just competing and training for them.

What Does CrossFit Mean to Ben Smith?

For Ben, CrossFit is a lifestyle. He enjoys going to the gym and being able to train with his friends, brothers, and other athletes that work out at his gym. It’s not about training to be the best competitor in the world. It’s just a fun, positive environment where everyone helps each other out and tries to be better every day. Ben also really enjoys the coaching aspect of the sport, helping others progress and push themselves.

Training for the CrossFit Games

Since Ben is a serious competitor, there are times when his training has to be more intense. So, leading up to competitions, such as the CrossFit Games, Ben’s volume does pick up. In order to prepare his body for the strenuous week that the CrossFit Games has in store for him, he will add in a couple more workouts here and there that he may not necessarily want to do.

After talking with Ben Smith, it became clear that CrossFit is his passion, not his life. Of course Ben has put in a lot of hard work and time to get where he is, but the reason he keeps doing it is because he genuinely loves the environment, workouts, and comradery. Outside of CrossFit, Ben enjoys hanging out with his wife, family, and friends. Like many of us, at the end of the day Ben likes to wind down and relax by watching some TV.