Commonwealth Games: Athletes swear by crossfit

Bailey Rogers hasn't looked back since she took on crossfit training as part of her weightlifting regime. Picture / Greg Bowker

Women weightlifters say multi-faceted regime ideal fitness partner to power discipline

Any sport would relish discovering a new pathway by which athletes could be drawn to it.

Take weightlifting, and the world of crossfit training.

New Zealand's weightlifting team in Glasgow has two who have opened their minds to the possibilities, Philippa Hale and Bailey Rogers.

Hale is the partner of top New Zealand lifter Richie Patterson, and an argument could be made that Hale would have found her way to the sport anyway.

Rogers is different.

She began crossfit training in Dunedin a couple of years ago, after being a fitness trainer.

Weightlifting is a big part of the multi-faceted regime.

Rogers, now Christchurch based but who still calls Blenheim home, was persuaded to give the single sport a crack and hasn't looked back.

That said, she'll still swear crossfit training is the best possible fitness regime - she makes her living in it, as an instructor.

"I live, eat and breathe it," she said.

"But with weightlifting, you do the exact same movements but you get more specific technique."

Rogers is convinced weightlifting will become an increasingly popular spinoff for crossfit athletes, who work in a range of disciplines, gym work, running, rowing, body weight work - "kind of everything put into one".

Rogers describes crossfit as the perfect fitness routine - "you're talking to a true believer". That said, after a few classes with the weights, Rogers admitted she got hooked.

"I think it's a numbers thing," she said in fingering where the appeal lies.

"You set a goal in your head. I want to snatch this, clean and jerk this. And once you hit those numbers it's 'let's go a little further'.

"You keep pushing yourself. I love getting stronger and seeing those numbers go up."

New Zealand coach Adam Storey is convinced of two things: Rogers' promise and the benefits which could come weightlifting's way out of the crossfit route.

"Bailey and Pip are classic examples where they had strong crossfit backgrounds and made the transition really well," Storey said. "Every four years on TV when the Games, or the Olympics, are on, the public think, 'oh yeah, maybe I'll give that a go'.

"Now it's 24/7, always in people's faces. That opportunity has never existed in the past, and we're only getting stronger because of that."

As for Rogers, 23 and aiming for a top-six finish in the 75kg class in Glasgow, Storey is hugely impressed.

"I guess her progress has surprised me a little bit but that goes down to her sheer talent. It really comes down to her being a phenomenal athlete - and she's got plenty more to come."