At CrossFit Actus, we talk a lot about commitment, consistency, and effort. Those values aren’t just for our members, they’re deeply personal for me too. Every once in a while, there’s a moment in your fitness journey that etches itself in your memory forever. The reality is after the fact you get the chance to reflect on how special that moment felt because of the work it took to get there.
The year was 2013. I was living in Mexico and training harder than ever. Just to give you an idea, my entire life revolved around training for the CrossFit Games but more specifically the Latin American Regional. Dominique and I would train about 2 hours a day 5 days a week. My rest days were Thursdays and Sundays and I would still do about 60-90 min of active recovery work. I had been training hard that year and building a solid base for testing my overall fitness.
For me, that moment was Workout 13.5 of the 2013 CrossFit Open.
If you’ve been around the sport long enough, you probably remember it. If not, let me paint a picture:
It was a brutal 4-minute AMRAP of:
- 15 Thrusters (100/65 lb)
- 15 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
The kicker? If you completed 3 full rounds (90 reps) within 4 minutes, you earned another 4-minute extension to keep going. And then another extension after the next 3 rounds. It was a test of engine, grit, and mental toughness. For many, it felt less like a workout and more like a battle against the clock. I remember watching one of the top athletes at the time Jason Khalipa cruise through the first 4 min AMRAP and make it into the third 4 min AMRAP. I knew in that moment that even getting past the first 4 min AMRAP would be a huge challenge.
Back in 2013, I wasn’t the strongest in the gym. I had decent gymnastics and my Fran time wasn’t killer. But what I did have was a relentless desire to give everything I had. I chose to tackle that workout against one of fittest men in the gym. His name was Ricardo Andreu. He was about 220lbs but had excellent strength and very good gymnastics. As we began the workout I took an aggressive pace because I knew it was a crazy pace. I’ll never forget as I began my last set of Chest to bar pullups. I hit the 15th rep right at 3:58. My grip was gone, lungs on fire, and legs barely moving — but somehow, I crossed that 90-rep threshold. I beat the cap. I earned more time.
And I’ll never forget how that felt.
It wasn’t just about the reps. It was about proving to myself that I was capable of pushing past what I thought were my limits. That single moment, those few extra reps in those final seconds, embodied everything I believe about fitness: When you commit, when you show up consistently, when you try your best, you’ll be surprised by what you can accomplish.
That moment still lives in me. It’s one of those moments that makes you feel truly alive. That year, I went on to place 37th in Latin America for the CrossFit Open out of about 1100 males. The top 40 were invited to an in person Regional Competition that took place in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I took 19th out of the best 45 men in Latin America that year. I outperformed all of my expectations.
When we coach out members at CrossFit Actus we aren’t training you for the CrossFit Games. We’re just trying to get you find the best version of yourself. The one where you surprise yourself.
So whether you’re chasing your first pull-up or your next Open milestone, just know: your proudest moment might be just one more rep away.
Interested in becoming a better version of yourself? Let’s chat.
See you soon
Jonathan
Proud Owner of CrossFit Actus