{"id":839469,"date":"2026-08-02T08:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T08:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/839469\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T08:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T08:42:11","slug":"crossfit-games-champion-aimee-cringle-has-been-crowned-the-fittest-woman-on-earth-heres-how-she-did-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/839469\/","title":{"rendered":"CrossFit games champion Aimee Cringle has been crowned the \u2018fittest woman on Earth\u2019 \u2013 here\u2019s how she did it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hybrid training is all the rage right now. Bored of singular goals such as becoming stronger<\/a>, faster or aerobically fitter<\/a>, everyday athletes are hell-bent on building bodies they like to describe as being \u201charder to kill\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They want to sprint, run long distances<\/a>, lift heavy weights, perform gymnastic skills and smash a triathlon, all while boasting an enviable physique. And, by objective measures, the Isle of Man\u2019s Aimee Cringle is the best woman in the world at hitting these fitness standards \u2013 and then some.<\/p>\n

The title of \u201cfittest woman<\/a> on Earth\u201d is awarded annually to the champion of the CrossFit Games. In California last month, the 27-year-old took the crown in dominant fashion, becoming the first Brit to do so since 2013. <\/p>\n

People will contest this \u201cfittest\u201d moniker, with multisport athletes like triathletes and decathletes often chucking their hat in the ring. But as someone who recently travelled to train with Cringle<\/a>, her fitness is not up for debate. <\/p>\n

Across five days and 20 fitness-testing events at this year\u2019s CrossFit Games, she showed proficiency in the pool, smashed a 20-loop bike race, ran 500m in just over 1 minute and 20 seconds, squatted a barbell weighing more than 135kg, completed an obstacle course while walking on her hands and won a 7,200m trail race containing countless aggressive climbs.<\/p>\n

A winning mentality<\/p>\n

Having trained with Cringle last year, I think her mentality is the first thing to mention when discussing her success. We tackled a 30-minute workout together<\/a> in which she wiped the floor with me. During the session, she seemed to shift into another realm, laser-focused on the task at hand. <\/p>\n

Then, immediately afterwards, she flipped back to her usual, friendly, unassuming self, joking that she\u2019s sometimes tempted to slow down during competitions to avoid the obligatory winner\u2019s interview afterwards. Her athletic achievements should result in arrogance, but that particular trait is nowhere to be seen. <\/p>\n

A typical training day doesn\u2019t exist<\/p>\n

Cringle can spend up to six hours per day in the gym. But her training undulates throughout the day, week and beyond to help her stay at her best. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in the gym for that amount of time, but it\u2019s not all intense training,\u201d she tells me. Some sessions might focus on strength work, others might target lower-intensity aerobic conditioning to make the heart and lungs more efficient, and others could be dedicated to improving gymnastic skills. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t expect a rugby player to play a match every day, or a boxer to fight every day \u2013 it\u2019s the same with CrossFit,\u201d says Will Kane<\/a>, a coach with Cringle\u2019s training camp, Brute Strength<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But there are also days where the athlete has to put the hammer down \u2013 and put it down hard. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe do VO2 max intervals where you work for three minutes then rest for three minutes,\u201d Cringle explains. \u201cThe exercises are low-skill, high effort, so there is no reason to slow down.\u201d <\/p>\n

This could be done for eight rounds, creating a 48-minute workout. The aim is for three minutes of fast-moving all-out effort, followed by ample recovery, to supercharge your VO2 max \u2013 or your body\u2019s maximal ability to use oxygen during exercise.<\/p>\n

Read more: I tried a CrossFit Games champ\u2019s three-move workout \u2013 it left me struggling to climb the stairs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Aimee Cringle\u2019s VO2 max boosting workout<\/p>\n

Complete the sequence below four times:<\/p>\n

In three minutes, complete as many rounds as you can of a circuit containing 20 calories on a SkiErg, 20 box jump-overs using a 20in box and 20 calories on a rowing machine Rest for three minutes In three minutes, complete as many rounds as you can of a circuit containing five rope climbs to 18ft and a 200m run Rest for three minutes <\/p>\n

Read more: Hyrox world champion Meg Jacoby reveals her intense training regime, and the secret to getting a better Hyrox time<\/a><\/p>\n

\"WhenWhen I trained with Aimee it was a humbling experience (Grenade)<\/p>\n

How Aimee Cringle won the CrossFit Games<\/p>\n

Cringle has always been blessed with a certain degree of natural athleticism, with a background in track sports which saw her become a champion 400m hurdler in her teens. As a result, CrossFit\u2019s running and endurance-based events came naturally to her.<\/p>\n

But the sport\u2019s signature \u201cmetcon\u201d \u2013 short for metabolic conditioning \u2013 workouts, which weave multiple weightlifting, aerobic and gymnastic movements into high-intensity circuits, provided a slight stumbling block when she first started. <\/p>\n

To counter this, her coach Fraser McKenzie<\/a> came up with a plan. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been working on strength more, and that strength has played into other movements feeling easier,\u201d says Cringle. \u201cSquatting and gymnastics were also weaknesses for me, so we\u2019ve been working quite a bit on that, doing pull-ups, muscle-ups and thrusters in combination.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve still got a lot of things to be working on,\u201d she later added during our interview at the end of 2025. \u201cI\u2019m not at my best yet.\u201d <\/p>\n

Within 12 months of that interview, she would win the CrossFit Games in one of the most dominant performances the sport has ever seen. If there are still improvements to be made, her fellow competitors should be fearful. <\/p>\n

Read more: \u2018A whole lot of not normal\u2019 \u2013 Danielle Brandon\u2019s unconventional path to becoming an elite athlete<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

When it comes to recovery, Cringle prioritises stretching and sleep. \u201cI can\u2019t think of any special recovery tools I use,\u201d she says, although she does schedule her rest days. <\/p>\n

\u201cI take Thursdays and Sundays off from CrossFit \u2013 I don\u2019t touch a barbell or raise my heart rate too high,\u201d Cringle says. \u201cOn Thursday I might do a zone 2 ride on my road bike, then I take Sunday off completely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know some people think it\u2019s all go, go, go. But you also need to recover and fuel your body. Food is so important.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more: I made a lot of mistakes during my first Hyrox race \u2013 here are six things I wish I knew beforehand<\/a><\/p>\n

\"CrossFitCrossFit Games athlete Aimee Cringle using a SkiErg machine during a training workout at Blueprint Training in Worcester (Grenade)<\/p>\n

Prioritising protein – and doughnuts <\/p>\n

After our workout together, Cringle leads me through a few accessory exercises \u2013 movements intended to fill in the gaps in your training and bulletproof your body against injury. Then we make a beeline for the cafe next door. On the menu: the most decadent doughnut I have ever eaten. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t eat the cleanest diet,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you\u2019re moving this much, and enjoy food so much, there\u2019s more flexibility. I\u2019m a big foodie\u201d<\/p>\n

She is a fan of Mexican cuisine and loves cereal so much she has launched her own granola, Cringle Crunch<\/a>. Protein is also a priority, to support tissue repair and muscle maintenance. Cringle is a Grenade<\/a> athlete, and had to have the brand\u2019s protein bars shipped out to her after running out during a recent competition in the US. <\/p>\n

\u201cI eat a lot of bars,\u201d she admits with a sheepish grin. \u201cI\u2019ll have a bar after my first session of the day, a shake after my second session, then I\u2019ll make some overnight oats with protein powder in the evening to eat the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: CrossFit Games champion reveals the training method he used to add 20kg to his squat<\/a><\/p>\n

\"PushingPushing it: Cringle spends about six hours in the gym \u2013 but the workouts she recommends can be taken on by anyone (Grenade)<\/p>\n

Core training<\/p>\n

Alongside her many physical skills, Cringle has an enviable physique, with her toned torso often the subject of \u201cWhat\u2019s your ab workout?\u201d queries. So I ask her \u2013 and it\u2019s not innumerable sit-ups. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou work your core a lot as part of wider CrossFit training,\u201d she says. \u201cWe do GHD sit-ups and toes-to-bar in our workouts, which work your abs, but I wouldn\u2019t say I focus specifically on them very often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, she opts for exercises that support her performance. For example, Copenhagen planks to strengthen the adductors on the insides of the thighs, and suitcase carries where you carry a heavy weight in one hand and recruit the oblique muscles in your core to stay upright. <\/p>\n

If she does do more isolated core strengthening work, it will usually be through gymnastic movements: planks and the deceptively difficult L-sit. If you can hold the latter exercise for 20 seconds, you are doing well, Cringle adds. <\/p>\n

Read more: I tried a Hyrox world champion\u2019s one-move workout to improve my time \u2013 and it\u2019s challenging but brilliant<\/a><\/p>\n