5 Epic Odd Object Workouts From CrossFit’s History

A few weeks back, we published an article highlighting some of our favorite “big lift” moments from recent CrossFit competitions. 

Among the highlights were Gui Malheiros’ 305-pound snatch at the 2021 CrossFit Games, Mat Fraser’s 280-pound clean during the 2019 CrossFit Games, and Sam Dancer and Brooke Wells clearing the deadlift ladder at the Ranch in 2016. 

These moments have stayed with us over the years and are among the most impressive feats in CrossFit’s short history. As always, though, lists are subjective, and there are countless other lifts that could be highlighted from past CrossFit Games, Semifinals, and off-season competitions. 

Then there’s a completely different category of big lifts that we still need to examine: Odd objects.

For this list, we’re looking at some memorable big lifts that trade in barbells and kettlebells for yokes, logs, and something simply known as the “pig.”

Pig Chipper – 2023 CrossFit Games 

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At the 2023 CrossFit Games, finishing the second event, the Pig Chipper, proved to be an insurmountable task for many of the athletes. Of the 80 competitors, 32 failed to finish under the time cap, partially due to the massive weight of the “pig.”

What is a “pig,” you ask? It’s a large rectangular block of dead weight, totaling 350 pounds for women and 510 pounds for men. (Imagine a refrigerator, only heavier and lying on its side.) At the beginning and end of an already grueling workout, the athletes had to flip the pig end-over-end longways 10 times.

In the final women’s heat, Emma Cary got to the pig first, followed by Annie Thorisdottir. Both athletes were exhausted from the high reps and took their time before tackling the unwieldy implement. 

As Laura Horvath jumped off the rig and finished her chest-to-bar pull-ups, she ran straight to the pig, demolishing both it and any hopes the rest of the field had of winning the workout. 

Barely pausing between reps, she flew to the finish line, leaving the demoralized field in her dust.

Back Nine – 2022 CrossFit Games 

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At the 2022 CrossFit Games, the penultimate workout was Back Nine, a high-stakes, four-minute time-capped scorcher with a 485-pound/665-pound yoke carry to start and end the workout. 

By this point of the weekend, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr was holding onto a healthy lead in the points, with Laura Horvath safely in second place. 

Toomey-Orr and Horvath were neck and neck almost the entire time. But as the two loaded up and took off for the finish line during their second yoke carry, Horvath’s pace stunned the crowd, as she was practically jogging under the immense weight. 

She took the win in 1:13, with Toomey-Orr finishing in second place in 1:16.

Texas Oak – 2022 Rogue Invitational 

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In our last big lift article, we highlighted Dani Speegle in the Texas Oak event at the 2022 Rogue Invitational. 

The strength test that year was unconventional. It replaced a barbell with a log, giving the athletes the opportunity to reach their max clean and jerk with logs at set weights. 

For the men, it came down to a lift-off between Chandler Smith and Roman Khrennikov. Both men lifted 290 pounds to a cheering crowd, but as the oak was loaded up to 300 pounds, only Smith could get it up over his head.

Sandbag Ladder – 2022 CrossFit Games 

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The CrossFit Games often feature a max lift or a max complex, and as fans, we have come to anticipate watching the athletes pull off feats of strength that boggle the mind. 

When the Sandbag Ladder was announced for the 2022 Games, some spectators were a bit disappointed, as this seemed like it could be a letdown from a test involving a barbell. However, it quickly became one of the most epic events in Games history.

Athletes hoisted sandbags of set weights, starting at 160 pounds for the women and 240 pounds for the men. The excitement was palpable in both the men’s and women’s heats, with expected names at the top, as well as some surprises. 

Guilherme Malheiros and Nick Mathew won (in a tie-break down to the second), both lifting 340 pounds. Brent Fikowski and Jayson Hopper took third and fourth, respectively, after hitting the 340 mark. 

The women’s heat finished with Dani Speegle at the top and, to many people’s surprise, Jacqueline Dahlstrom right behind her. 

Not someone that we often think of as one of the elites’ heaviest lifters, Dahlstrom showed incredible grit and ingenuity as she topped out with a 240-pound lift, besting Laura Horvath, who lifted 230. 

Strongman’s Fear – 2017 CrossFit Games 

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In 2017, the athletes were given a “choose your own adventure” event. Here, they were tasked with moving a yoke (500/340 pounds), two logs (200/120 pounds), and a sled (400/310 pounds) from one end of the field to the other in whichever order they chose. (There was also some handstand walking thrown in for good measure.) 

Athletes had to pick which implement made the most sense to move first and last, considering the space on the field and what would lead to a smoother finish. 

Brent Fikowski, winner of 2016’s Climbing Snail (another odd object event), and Mat Fraser opted for a different order of implements: Fikowski finished on the yoke, Fraser on the sled. In a dramatic race to the end, Fikowski took the win over Fraser by .1 of a second.

Featured image: Enrique Villaseñor