The month of March offered a new Rogue Challenge for athletes around the world who wanted to compete from their local or home gyms and be more involved in the fitness community. Coming off the heels of the Bear Hug Challenge, which took place in February 2021, and the 50 Cal Challenge, the latest contest was the Cliffhanger — which saw participants hang from a pull-up bar for as long as possible.
This simple yet daunting task places an emphasis on grip strength, as well as the arms, back, and core muscles. The male and female athletes that hold on the longest without touching the floor are the winners. The top three competitors in both the men’s and women’s fields were awarded prizes from the Columbus, OH-based company.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: What You Need to Know About How to Increase Strength]
Male Winners
Competitive climber Pete Whittaker took the victory over the field on the men’s side of this competition. He was able to hang on for 20 minutes and 21 seconds, the best overall time for this challenge. In the Instagram video below, you can see him occasionally moving from side to side. He rounded out his time by performing a pull-up before dropping to the floor.
Jonas Vilikovsky finished in second place with a time of 18 minutes and one second. Tazio Il Biondo rounded out the top three, finishing almost a minute and a half behind Vilikovski. Whittaker earns the spoils of victory for this challenge, including bragging rights, $2,500, and a Rogue Anvil Grip. As the runner-up, Vilikovski will receive $1,000 and a Rogue Dinnie Ring Set. As the third-place finisher, Tazio Il Biondo gets $500 and a pair of Rogue Cannonball Grips.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: The One-Month-Long Beginner Pull-Up Program]
- First Place — Pete Whittaker, 20:21
- Second Place — Jonas Vilikovsky, 18:01
- Third Place — Tazio Il Biondo, 16:32
Female Winners
On the women’s side of the field, WWE/NXT professional wrestler Kacy Catanzaro that claimed the victory. She held on to the bar for 9 minutes and 14 seconds. Catanzaro was also on American Ninja Warrior, and she was the first woman to qualify for the finals of that show.
Coming in second place is Nicola Kuhn, who managed to hang on for a little over seven minutes. The bronze position goes to Molly Thompson-Smith, whose time was just under six minutes. The top three finishers in the field will earn the same prizes as the male winners.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Burn Fat and Boost Your Work Capacity With Body Conditioning]
- First Place — Kacy Catanzaro, 9:14
- Second Place — Nicola Kuhn, 7:05
- Third Place — Molly Thompson-Smith, 5:55
Winning Gym
Like the previous challenges, there was a gym challenge that offered a prize to the one that had the most participants enter. The winning gym for “Cliffhanger” was CrossFit for the People in Albany, New York. The other two top gyms were Trainyard 317 and Barefoot Fitness. All three will receive a Rogue Anvil Grip.
Featured Image: @roguefitness on Instagram
