"I will do well over a two- or three-day event because I recover well. I don't think this is genetic; it is mental toughness."
Zach Forrest describes himself as average. This is the guy who placed 12th in the world at the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games. An athlete who front squats double his bodyweight, can knock out 74 unbroken pull-ups and has a 2:18 Fran.
"I'm the most average of the average," he says.
He's not talking himself down.
"I've got brown hair, brown eyes. I'm 5’7”. Normally 165 pounds, but I am up to 170."
In other words, average.
But in a region where the men's competition is as tough as it gets, Forrest's brand of average might be his secret weapon.
"I am lucky in my genetics. I am a well-balanced athlete," the former Navy SEAL and owner of CrossFit Max Effort in Las Vegas, says.
Forrest's small frame has motivated him to work extra hard on technique in Olympic lifting. His size also gives him an edge in gymnastics.
"Gymnastics are a strong suit, but Chris always beats me," Forrest says with a smile.
He is talking about close friend and renowned CrossFitter, Chris Spealler. Last year's second-place finisher at the Games, Matt Chan, is also a friend and rival.
Chan and Spealler aren't the only athletes who make the South West Region one of toughest men's competitions in the world.
Along with last year's other Games qualifier, Patrick Burke, there is stiff competition from the likes of Kevin Ogar, Peter Egyed and Matt Hathcock.
Forrest delivered an impressive performance at last year’s South West Regional placing first on Event 6 and third on Event 4, making for a fifth place finish overall — just two spots short of the Games.
"If you asked me right before the Regional, I would say I've got a 100 percent chance of the podium, but right now, I don’t know ... If I was fully fit, I would win."
Forrest is sporting a pair of torn labrums, an injury from his days in the military.
"I respond well to a lot of volume, but my shoulders do not,” he admits. “I do a lot of lower body stuff. I have to really moderate my snatching and overhead squatting."
Forrest's Games prep takes place at Max Effort, the gym he established in 2011. The affiliate recently broke the 250-member mark and is relocating to a bigger space in the near future.
Juggling his obligations can be a struggle, but Forrest takes hard work in stride. This is the ace up his sleeve going into the Games.
"The thing that will separate me from most other Games athletes is work ethic," he says.
Forrest's training schedule comprises two workouts per day, five days a week. He currently incorporates a lot of Olympic lifting, which he prefers over powerlifting. For one, "it is less stressful on the nervous system,” he says.
Not to mention that, as smaller guy, he uses technique to trump guys with bigger lifts. Forrest does a "classic CrossFit workout" twice a week, and gets into the red zone with plenty of strenuous run repeats, rowing and riding the Airdyne.
Forrest has recently changed his diet to a Zone/paleo emphasis. He says the diet makes a huge difference to his recovery, which is already a strong suit.
"I will do well over a two- or three-day event because I recover well,” he says. “I don't think this is genetic; it is mental toughness. How willing you are to hurt when your body is already sore?"