At a listed height of 5’5″ and a listed weight of 173 pounds, Josh Bridges isn’t the biggest Reebok CrossFit Games athlete around — but it’s hard to match him for tenacity. The 34 year old’s resume includes time spent as a collegiate wrestler and an outstanding career as a U.S. Navy Seal, along with a best-ever CrossFit Games finish of second place in 2011.
Oh, and that year he only finished behind some guy named Rich Froning.
Though Bridges hasn’t been in the Games spotlight every year since then — including one year off due to his military service and failing to qualify for the Games in 2015 — he’s always a threat during the Open and has one of the best pure endurance engines in the sport. Now retired from the military, Bridges is still determined to make his mark in functional fitness competition.
Oh, and he’s got a pretty sweet hashtag that’s become a bit of a trademark: #payhim, which signifies “Paying the Man” through hard work put in each and every day.
A couple weeks before this year’s Reebok CrossFit Games, Bridges and training partner Mason Flynn decided to load up a heavy Rogue Fitness sled with 1,000 pounds — which included a “SISU” sledgehammer down the middle to help keep the massive stack of red and blue plates in place.
[Learn how sled pushes and pulls can take strongman training to the next level!]
Bridges doesn’t move the sled particularly far or fast, but for an athlete his size, this is by far the heaviest push we’ve seen. Of course, the difficulty will vary depending on the surface, though asphalt/concrete is pretty easy to compare from one place to the next.
What are your favorite Josh Bridges moments, workouts, and accomplishments? What do you want to see highlighted next? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image: @bridgesj3 on Instagram