"Eat plenty, go hard and recover well."
“Eat plenty, go hard and recover well.”
That’s Rob Forte’s strategy as he prepares for the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games, which will be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., July 13 to 15.
The goal-motivated athlete and affiliate owner from Victoria, Australia, currently sits in second place in the region and 35th place worldwide. To prep for the Games, he says he’s been doing the same thing he did during the run up to the Australia Regionals: “I’m training the same and staying focused on doing my best,” he says.
His biggest challenge now: travelling to the United States from Australia. “It’s winter here and it’s a bit of a challenge to get used to the heat in a short amount of time and to get into a regular sleep pattern.”
During last year’s Games, he landed in 30th place overall – but this year, his goal is to finish in the top 15. “I’m going to hit every workout with everything that I’ve got, and that will be a good result for me,” he says.
A Family Affair
Forte, who is 25 years old, raced motocross competitively from his youth up until he turned 18, and then he branched into other sports, he says. His main form of training centered on traditional body building training, running and some body weight exercises. He learned from a young age that in order to do well he needed to set goals and train hard to achieve those goals.
“I started doing a combination of different training methods,” he says. “Then I took on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and that’s when I found CrossFit.”
In November 2009, Forte’s father introduced him to sport of fitness. “My dad told me about it, and after I tried it for two weeks, I was hooked,” he says.
His first workout involved pull ups and ring dips. “I had to scale both of those movements because I couldn’t do them unassisted,” he says.
Forte – and his family – have since jumped into the sport with both feet. He opened an affiliate, CrossFit Frankston, in 2009 and his dad, mom and sister have joined in the fun, too. He lives and breathes CrossFit and is very passionate about coaching people so they can achieve their goals and more.
“My dad, mum and sister all do CrossFit,” he says. “My sister qualified for regionals, and my mum came in 22nd in the 2012 Open, missing out by two spots to go to the Games.”
Going for the Win
Before the 2012 Open began in February, Forte had the goal of winning both the Australian Open and Regionals, he says. He’s no stranger to the events. In 2011, he placed 3rd at regionals and 30th place at the World CrossFit Games; in 2010, he placed 18th at regionals.
“The hard work I put in leading up to those competitions is what got me to where I am now,” he says. “Hard work and experience propelled me to the top three this year.”
Forte says his strengths are longer workouts with moderate loads. “My weakness is heavy squats because it just takes time to get my leg strength up to where it should be. I will be among the top athletes in two to three years when I’ve developed the strength I need.”
Until then, he’s got his eyes on a top 15 finish.
“I hope you all enjoy seeing us go through a weekend of hurt,” he says.
