The CrossFit Games claim to crown the “Fittest of the World.” While, certainly, the competition requires high levels of fitness, the notion of fittest is an interesting question.
In exercise science, physical fitness is defined in two broad categories: health-related fitness and motor skill-related fitness. Health-related fitness includes cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and body composition. Motor skill-related fitness includes speed, power, agility, coordination, balance, and reaction time. The “fittest” would have to be the top overall in all of these fitness components. Fittest should follow the principle of specificity.
Quite possibly the best representation of all-around athleticism and “fitness” is the modern decathlon (100-m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-m, 110-m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1500-m) for men, and the heptathlon (100-m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 220-m, long jump, javelin throw, and 800-m) for women. Neither of these, however, captures the full essence of “fittest”—nor do the CrossFit Games. So, is there a competition to crown the “fittest”? Probably, not.
It is interesting to consider what would be the necessary components of a true “Fittest in the World”.
Ironman Triathlon? Certainly, the Ironman triathlon demonstrates extraordinary cardiorespiratory endurance and muscle endurance in three exercise modes—2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride, and 26.22 –mile (42.2 km) run. But then there are ultra-triathlons (distances greater than the Ironman), and, of course, there is the Iron Cowboy (James Lawrence) who completed an amazing 50 Ironman-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 days in 2015. Fittest in the World??
Muscle Strength? Of course, the fittest would also have to demonstrate muscle strength—as measured by one’s one-repetition maximum in a number of lifts. But, would these need to be Olympic lifts (snatch and clean-and-jerk) or power lifts (deadlift, squat, and bench press) or a combination? Or, maybe, it should be demonstrated by the Strongest man competition events (e.g., Atlas stones, Axle press, dumbbell press, etc.)? Or (given my Scottish heritage) the Highland Games events (e.g., caber toss, stone put, Scottish hammer throw, etc.)? Clearly, there is some specificity that is not captured by the CrossFit games.
Muscle Endurance? Well, I would concede, the CrossFit Games does well at capturing the muscle endurance component of physical fitness.
Flexibility and Body Composition? These are considered “optimal” levels of fitness. So, personally, I would excuse these from the competition. (After all, if one can complete an Ironman distance and squat a ton, who am I to questions the amount of body fat?—Though, one would have to expect that optimal body composition and flexibility will follow optimal fitness.)
Motor Skill-Related? What would be the ideal combination of speed, power, agility, coordination, balance, and reaction time? Speed, power, and coordination are captured in some of the aforementioned competitions—especially the decathlon/heptathlon. Agility and reaction time might require some additional events.
In this era of highly specialized athletic bodies, it is likely that the “Fittest in the World” would be more like DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man. As I have been considering this topic, Alex Viada comes to mind. The author of The Hybrid Athlete has squatted 700 pounds within a week of running a 50-mile ultra-marathon. He regularly defies what we exercise physiologists once saw as impossible.
Mikhail Baryshnikov also comes to mind. I have heard it said that he could have excelled in any sport. Had he not defected to the US in the 1970’s and there had been a true “Fittest in the World” competition, the Soviets may have had the perfect specimen to train and dope to fittest success. He may indeed be the ideal Vitruvian model for “Fittest of the World”. Teamed with a trainer such as Viada, my money would be on Baryshnikov.
There will be two keys to being the “Fittest in the World”. First, the Fittest will have needed to choose his/her parents wisely (the fittest female will likely test positive for androgen insensitivity) and have the perfect genetics to succeed in both endurance and strength/power—ideally born and raised on Mount Olympus for the combined benefit of altitude and the genetics of a god. Second, the Fittest would have to be extremely smart about training and recovery–and might also need to know his or her way around the laboratory. (Movie recommendation for a good understanding of the world of doping from increased performance: “Icarus”.)
Perhaps, the most reasonable competition to crown “Fittest in the World” would be to expand the Olympic decathlon to include swimming, cycling, weightlifting, wrestling, archery, gymnastics,… and, well, every event. And how, of course, would one train for all these events in a 168-hour week?
Perhaps “Fittest in the World” is beyond our reach. Better we choose to be our best today and be better tomorrow—our personal “fittest”.
Carpe momento!