Two of the world’s top CrossFit athletes, Sara Sigmundsdottir and Bjorgvin Karl Gudmundsson, have been talking about the work they put in during the month leading up to the CrossFit Games online phase in a mini-documentary posted on their Instagram accounts.
Although neither of them managed to make the top five, both put in an intensive training camp under their coach Jami Tikkanen in Iceland.
Sigmundsdottir went into particular detail about the programming set for them. “Four weeks to go, we do more volume and have maybe longer sessions,” she explained. “Two weeks before me and Bjorgvin train together. We have a lot of intensity and we do something specific each session.
“Jami programmes two days at a time and we take one day off. He programmes the days due to how the body is and how the mindset is. He reads us so well. And these last two weeks are so important to doing it right. You’re not going to get fitter in two weeks, but you can ruin your performance if you don’t do them right.”
As well as having a highly personalised structure to work to, both had a world-class training partner to go toe to toe with in the gym ahead of the competition.
“I think I’m definitely benefitting from Training with Sara,” Gudmundsson said. “She’s at my level if not better than me. I know she’s a female but times for guys vs girls is very similar on workouts.”
Sigmundsdottir similarly was quick to place value on the partnership. “You sometimes forget how much a good training partner can help you. And that’s a little of what I’ve experienced with Bjorgvin. We’re so similar in a lot of things, and it’s such a battle. We’re both very stubborn and we don’t want to lose. We push each other to the limit.”
Despite their high-intensity training camp, both athletes ending up finishing the weekend disappointed. However, both have insisted they’ve made peace with their performances.
They will now have to wait for a new CrossFit season to return to competing and will be hoping for the chance to redeem themselves in a Games that allows live competition next year.
Although neither of them managed to make the top five, both put in an intensive training camp under their coach Jami Tikkanen in Iceland.
Sigmundsdottir went into particular detail about the programming set for them. “Four weeks to go, we do more volume and have maybe longer sessions,” she explained. “Two weeks before me and Bjorgvin train together. We have a lot of intensity and we do something specific each session.
“Jami programmes two days at a time and we take one day off. He programmes the days due to how the body is and how the mindset is. He reads us so well. And these last two weeks are so important to doing it right. You’re not going to get fitter in two weeks, but you can ruin your performance if you don’t do them right.”
As well as having a highly personalised structure to work to, both had a world-class training partner to go toe to toe with in the gym ahead of the competition.
“I think I’m definitely benefitting from Training with Sara,” Gudmundsson said. “She’s at my level if not better than me. I know she’s a female but times for guys vs girls is very similar on workouts.”
Sigmundsdottir similarly was quick to place value on the partnership. “You sometimes forget how much a good training partner can help you. And that’s a little of what I’ve experienced with Bjorgvin. We’re so similar in a lot of things, and it’s such a battle. We’re both very stubborn and we don’t want to lose. We push each other to the limit.”
Despite their high-intensity training camp, both athletes ending up finishing the weekend disappointed. However, both have insisted they’ve made peace with their performances.
They will now have to wait for a new CrossFit season to return to competing and will be hoping for the chance to redeem themselves in a Games that allows live competition next year.
