IF3 Masters and Juniors World Championship Heads to Vancouver, Canada

While multiple divisions represent the International Functional Fitness Federation as a whole, two of them–the Masters and Junior–are set for three days of competition, coming up at the end of this month. The event is to be held in Vancouver, Canada and will consist of six tests, combining to represent “functional fitness” as a whole. 

Some background: The International Functional Fitness Federation (IF3) is a nonprofit, independent international governing body for the competitive sport of functional fitness. As stated on their website, “We provide international leadership, structure, and resources to fuel the growth of functional fitness as well as enrich the experience and safety of its worldwide participants.”

• “Our mission is to promote and grow functional fitness around the globe by developing a governance structure which provides rules, safety standards, Technical Official training, and competitive opportunities for athletes. We ultimately aim to create a pathway for competitive functional fitness to be included in the Olympic Games.”

There has been major crossover between CrossFit competitions and IF3 championships in recent years, as the two organically align. 

In December of last year, the World Championships for the individual athletes was held in Hermosillo, Mexico and ended with Games veteran Matilda Garnes as the women’s champion, Jan Matiaska taking home first place for men, and Norway winning in the team division. This year’s Individual World Championship will take place in November, in Oslo, Norway. 

The Masters and Juniors World Championship, which is held separately, will be host to eight Masters Divisions for each gender beginning at age 30, and three Junior Divisions for each gender, beginning at age 13. 

The workouts: Just days ago, the six workouts for the World Championship were released, and are categorized by the six components of functional fitness, as determined by the Federation. 

The six categories, consisting of Endurance, Strength, Bodyweight, Skill, Mixed and Power, all have corresponding, representative workouts, testing those skills with workouts like “Death by 10 Meters,” (the Endurance test), where after a 1 minute max rep burpee over box for Masters and burpee broad jump for Juniors, athletes then must run 100 meters each minute, adding either 10 meters or a burpee box jump over depending on the division. 

• In the Masters Skill test, some athletes will be handstand-walking unbroken lengths of 7.5 meters, paired with progressively more challenging gymnastics movements, ending in pull-overs. Juniors will be tested with a pull-up bar complex. 

• Axel bars will be used in the Mixed test, by way of either cleans or deadlifts and front rack lunges.

• The Strength test challenges athletes to a barbell complex of two squat cleans, two front squats and two shoulder to overhead for max load. For Juniors, their test consists of shoulder to overhead at prescribed weights.

• The Masters Bodyweight test seems inspired by the 2023 Semifinal testing, as it involves rope climbs initiated from a seated position for some divisions. 

• With a four minute time cap, the Masters Power workout will possibly be the most painful, as athletes will row for 30/20 calories then perform dumbbell snatches, and dumbbell thrusters. Juniors use a barbell for this test, and will be doing front squats, power cleans and thrusters. 

The big picture: As the ultimate goal of the USA Functional Fitness is to forge a pathway for athletes to eventually compete in functional fitness in the Olympics, the non-profit continues to promote the sport and host events throughout the world. Just recently, the IF3 made public their plans to host a collegiate competition in February of 2024. And as they continue to grow, their goals remain constant: to provide rules, safety standards, training, and competitive opportunities for athletes as they pursue futures in functional fitness.