Josh Bridges: the most famous CrossFit Navy Seal? This former military man might just be that! Keep on reading to find out more about this incredible CrossFit competitor.

CrossFit Athlete Josh Bridges

Josh Bridges has always been competitive. He was involved with wrestling in high school. Being a former wrestler, Bridges found he was able to use some of the skills he learned wrestling and bring them into his new found passion CrossFit.

Bridges brings a dynamic to CrossFit a few others do. This is partly due to the time spent as a US Navy Seal. Although Bridges is no longer a US Navy Seal, the time he spent as a Seal gave him both physical and mental strength that he was also able to bring to CrossFit and use to his benefit.

Bridges first started CrossFit in 2005. In 2011, Bridges made his first appearance at the CrossFit Games. He completed the games in an astounding 2nd place finish overall. In 2012, Bridges suffered a knee injury which saw him being unable to compete for the majority of the season. Luckily he was able to jump right back in after recovering and get back into competing.

Bridges’ comeback saw him finishing off in 7th place in the 2013 games, and in 2014 Bridges managed to secure a 4th place finish. Taking part in six CrossFit Games in total, Bridges has finished in the top ten three times.

Bridges is known for not only being physically ready for any challenge but mentally prepared too. Bridges uses his skills to help others in becoming more mentally prepared for any problems they may face.

As far as his favourite WODs go, it should come as no surprise to his fans that he loves Olympic lifting! This is where he excels during competitions.

The Switch From Wrestling

Bridges played both baseball and took part in wrestling in high school. But it was wrestling that fit for Bridges. It was also his skills in wrestling that earned him a full scholarship to Lindenwood Univesity. Bridges fell in love with the sport and decided to focus on nothing else but wrestling.

But Bridges yearned for something more, something more challenging. That is when he discovered CrossFit. Bridges loved both the physical side of CrossFit as well as the mental focus that it entails.

Josh Bridges: Stats

Born: 1983

Height: 5’5″

Weight: 173 pounds

Affiliation: Rogue Fitness

Shoes: Nike Metcon

CrossFit Games Results:

201831stMen201729thMen201613thIndividual Men20144thIndividual Men20137thIndividual Men

Josh Bridges Height

At 5’5,” Josh Bridges is certainly one of the shorter male CrossFit athletes. However, his results speak for themselves, particularly in 2014 with his best result: 4th in the world and he never lets his height get in the way of a great performance.

Some people say that pound for pound, he’s probably the best athlete in the world!

Josh Bridges is only 5 foot 5 inches tall.

CrossFit Tips from Josh Bridges

If you’re looking to improve your CrossFit performance, then you’ll definitely want some tips from the top CrossFit athletes, right? Here are some tips from Bridges.

#1: Dedicated and a Positive Mental Attitude

Long term training is essential to allow you to reach your goals. Bridges believes that with the right mental attitude, you can achieve whatever goals you set for yourself. Being dedicated to training and having the right equipment can go a long way on your journey.

Bridges is a highly motivated individual and mentally ready for any challenges that life throws at him, or during a workout. He practices telling himself that his body can handle much more than his mind thinks it can which helps him to keep going.

If he has to stop for few seconds during a WOD, he just stays where he is and doesn’t walk away. Then when he’s ready, he just attacks it again.

#2: Don’t Shy Away from Difficult Decisions

While it is easier to focus on the easy stuff, make an effort to focus on the hard decisions too. At first, it may be challenging to try the more difficult route, but in time, it will become more of a habit, and it becomes easier to make difficult decisions. Ultimately this will assist you on the path to becoming a better athlete overall.

He credits the military and his wrestling background for giving him some of the mental fortitude required to do this.

#3: Fit in Some Aerobic Work Each Week

While doing a range of different training sessions, it is essential to try to fit in 1 – 2 aerobic workout sessions each week. This can be swimming or running or even rowing. This training will help you with your fitness levels.

#4: Don’t Forget about Recovery Time

While Bridges strategically plans his training, it is crucial to ensure that you know how to rest to recover. What works for one athlete may not necessarily work for another athlete, so it is essential to find what works for you individually and then stick to that.

Being physically fit and mentally fit work together. It is vital to ensure that you are mentally alert too. If you are feeling mentally run down, you need to address the challenges you are facing and overcome them to get back to a healthy mental state. A healthy mind and a healthy body work best together.

#5: Have Some Fun

If you’re not having fun because it’s too serious, then what’s in front of you is more like an obstacle to overcome. Just get after it, push yourself and have fun with it. He says that’s what’s helped him get to the podium!

After all a workout is just a workout. Don’t overthink it too much. Maybe you have to put the barbell down for a second. Don’t worry about it. Just pick it up and keep going.

#6: Big Goals into Small Goals During Workouts

When he’s faced with a workout that seems unattainable, he’ll break it down into a series of smaller chunks. He says that this helps make easier mentally.

#7: Run Faster, It Doesn’t Hurt

During endurance workouts, can you pick up the pace just a little bit? It doesn’t hurt to run faster. If you improve your performance a little bit each time, it’ll add up to some big gains in the end.

Josh Bridges CrossFit Documentary

Do you want to find out more about how this guy became such a badass in the CrossFit world? Then you’ll want to check out this documentary for all the details you need to know.

 

Josh Bridges CrossFit Diet and Nutrition

One of the most common questions that CrossFit athletes get is what they eat. Is it really all bacon and peanut butter? Here’s some advice about a diet for CrossFit from Josh:

#1: Don’t Take the Easy Way Out

Along with Bridges advice to not take the easy way out, he feels strongly about taking the time to prepare your meals instead of opting to eat out. Bridges knows all too well how much easier it is to eat out instead of cooking at home, especially after a long hard day.

But make an effort and decide to go the healthier route by cooking something at home. Taking the time and doing the tough stuff may be difficult at first, but the rewards will be massive.

#2: Eat Enough to Fuel your Body

Always ensure that you eat enough to sustain you throughout the day. When you are doing multiple training sessions throughout the day, the last thing you want is for your energy levels to dip. Ensure that you eat healthy, prepared food to enable you to get the most from your workouts.

#3: Stick to What You Know

Find foods that work for you and stick to those choices. Don’t be afraid to make the extra effort in preparing meals that take longer to cook, don’t take any short-cuts with this. You are worth it, and the hard work and effort that you put in today will be seen in your results.

#4: Okay, but what does Josh Bridges Actually Eat?

Let’s get into the nitty gritty of Josh Bridges’ diet! In an interview with Box Life Magazine, he said that he eats a pretty standard diet for a CrossFitter. He eats as cleanly as possible, and include meat, sweet potatoes and veggies. And his favourite food is the Carne Asada burrito which he eats as least every other day. He generally avoids gluten and dairy products.

Here are what some of his typical meals look like:

Breakfast

• Coffee
• Oatmeal
• Eggs
• Berries
• Peanut Butter
• Honey

Lunch and Dinner

• Beef or chicken thighs (hormone and antibiotic free)
• Sweet potatoes (4-5/day)
• Spinach salad

Josh Bridges and Supplements

He does take supplements because his lifestyle doesn’t allow him to eat every single time he needs to. He takes the following:

• Xendurance’s Xecute protein
• Extreme Endurance
• Fish oil

Josh Bridges Training

As far as training, goes, Josh works out as frequently as most other top CrossFit athletes. He trains 6 days a week for 2-3 hours a day. He does a morning and afternoon session each day.

On his rest day, he tries to stay active by doing things like a light trail run.

CrossFit athlete Josh Bridges

A Day in the Life of Josh Bridges

What does his typical day look like? Let’s find out!

• He wakes up around 7am
• He makes the bed and then does a neck down immersion in a cold tub for 3-4 minutes.
• For breakfast, he drinks coffee and has a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, honey, eggs and berries.
• Then it’s off to the gym where he begins with a dynamic warmup and then gets into strength and metabolic training.
• He’ll pause training for lunch and dinner, as well as protein shakes
• At times, he’ll hit the gym after dinner if something was lacking that day.
• For recovery, he focuses on massage, PowerDot, compression and stretching which often focuses on his hip flexors.
• He put the kids to bed and then heads to bed early himself before 9pm.

Josh Bridges at the 2015 CrossFit Games

Check out Josh Bridges at the CrossFit Games 2015.

 

What Shoes Does He Wear? Nike Metcons

What can you find on his feet. Well, he’s been with Nike since almost the beginning and he actually played a pivotal role in the development of the Nike Metcon. He actually tested the first prototype at the 2014 CrossFit Games.

A few iterations later and he’s still using this shoe. He said that the Nike Metcon 4 is the first training shoe he didn’t blow through in short order. He loves that it’s soft, hugs his foot, and of course is one of the most durable CrossFit shoes on the market.

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Josh Bridges Instagram

Like most other top CrossFit athletes, he has a popular Instagram account. To date, he has over 1000 posts and more than 750,000 follower. Do you want to find out more about him? This is a great place to start:

Instagram.

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