CrossFit: Mat Fraser talks working out for fun, but admits there ‘is still a bit of anxiety’ as he heads to gym
- The five-time American champ retired from CrossFit in February after an unprecedented five straight titles
- Fraser says he took a couple of months off after retirement, then got back into training with some basic bodybuilding
The reigning five-time CrossFit Games champion retired this February in a shock move, announcing his intentions to walk away from the sport in an online post.
Matossian was speaking about finding the energy to workout on the podcast, and Fraser jumped in and detailed how he’s adjusted to training CrossFit without having to worry about training for a competition.
“For me right now I think I’m in a bit of a different situation where I was like, I finally don’t need to work out for a living. So there was a little period where I wasn’t working out because it was the first time in forever I was allowed not to work out I guess. I’m always allowed to do whatever I want but it was the first time my job performance isn’t going to slip because of it.”
In his retirement note, Fraser detailed the insane amount of work and commitment he put into his CrossFit career over eight years, which included not handling sharp objects in the weeks leading up to the games for fear of injury. He said after a brief period of workout detox he found himself heading back to the gym, but with a different mindset.
“I enjoyed that while it was there but then I mean, OK a couple months and it’s like OK I’m looking forward to working out. There is still the anxiety a little bit of just going into the gym, because my association for so many years has been OK I am going into the gym, it’s going to be hours on end of just being out of breath, of my lungs hurting, my soul hurting, everything – I’m just pushing myself to that limit.”
Fraser’s run atop the CrossFit world was capped by a fifth title at the 2020 CrossFit Games, which featured himself and four other male competitors in a scaled down in-person finale in California. Fraser dominated the event from start to finish, and said now working out is a form of pleasure for him, not pain.
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“And now I’m starting to get into that rhythm of OK I don’t have to be in pain the whole time. I can go in and have fun, so I’m getting back into it, and for awhile it was just body building, just the bench press, curls, that type of stuff. And now I’m starting to add in some rowing, some assault bike, a lot of concept two biking, and actually enjoying it and not having to try and hold these absurd paces and feeling like a failure if I miss it.”
Fraser said the mindset shift has ultimately been a good thing for him after so many years of pushing himself mentally and physically.
“I’m just going in to be healthy, I’m not going in to try and break records every time, so I’m starting to enjoy it now.”
