Jose Luis Over on Replacing Priorities

April 2, 2012

Thomas Patton

“I truly don’t remember much of it, but in the middle of a rope climb I fainted and hit the ground. A few minutes later I got up to finish the WOD, I was the last one but it felt great to finish,” admits Jose Luis Over Salazar from CrossFit Guayaquil in Ecuador.

In that first workout he became a CrossFitter and changed his life for the better. Before CrossFit this 21 year old was focused on having fun and partying on the weekends as often as possible. After that workout, he has changed his priority. “I haven’t smoked one cigarette or exposed myself to a harmful environment in almost two years,” he says. 

“I’ll keep competing my whole life until I cannot move anymore, and then I’ll go the Games as a judge.” 

Over has been CrossFitting for two years now, but admits he had no interest in fitness before. He briefly played basketball and ping-pong, but nothing that could be considered a serious commitment. Over’s life has been tremendously changed by CrossFit – he is not skinny anymore, is now studying nutrition, eats paleo with very few cheat meals per month and trains twice a day, five times a week. “It has given me the strength to accomplish whatever my goals may be,” he says.

He admits he has felt terrible during the four workouts of the Open, but hit a 3 rep max PR with the 165-pound snatches in Workout 12.2, and admits he had never done Karen and could not feel his legs for days.

Placing 4th in Latin America in the Open, he says he feels ready for Regionals in Cali, Colombia this May where he plans to give his best performance possible. “The thing I like the most about CrossFit is that I train with my whole family almost every day,” he says. His cousins, aunts and many other relatives who CrossFit too; all of which participated in the Open.

He began the Open with 118 burpees, 63 snatches and a 3 rep max PR in 12.2 at 165 lbs, 10 plus rounds in 12.3 for a score of 374 (4th highest in the Region) and an 8th place Region finish in 12.4 with 17 muscle-ups. After notching 108 reps on 12.5, Over finished the Open ranked 4th in Latin America. This gifted athlete is not only a natural CrossFitter, he’s one to be feared at Regionals.

Among Over’s plans for the future, he definitely includes owning his own box. He feels that for a trainer being able to influence, track and see another person’s accomplishments is one of the best feelings anyone could have. “I would like to win the CrossFit Games someday,” he says. “I’ll keep competing my whole life until I cannot move anymore, and then I’ll go the Games as a judge.”