Alexander Anasagasti - Meeting MRWK

A kickboxer in CrossFit

If you practice CrossFit, it's rare that you don't know Alexander Anasagasti . Not only for his sporting side, but also for his great activity on social media.

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Here is his full interview in the newspaper AS.

Biography of Anasagasti

How old is Alexander Anasagasti? October 16, 1991

How tall is Alexander Anasagasti - Mr Weak? : 1'74cm

Weight: 74 Kg

Residence: Basque Country

Box: CrossFit Zurriola - CrossFit Zarautz

Instagram: mr_weak7

Alexander Anasagasti is MrWeak. He is also the only Spanish athlete to have competed in the individual division of the CrossFit Games. But you only need to look at his current position as 112th in the world and 35th in Europe and know that he deadlifts 220 kg at a weight of 75 kg, to understand that this alias is, above all, a provocation: “It comes from when I was living in the United States. I went there with the goal of improving and I realized that my marks were always the lowest. So I took that name because it was funny and also to motivate me.”

After many years of kickboxing and boxing, this athlete decided to start training CrossFit because he wanted to stay strong and was “bored of lifting weights.” It seems that the decision was the right one, because he has become one of the absolute leaders of this sport in Spain. He went to the 2022 CrossFit Games in teams, in Madison, Wisconsin in the United States, and we are going to find out about his training, nutrition, sport and life in general.

It seems that not even an injury can stop you…

I've had several injuries, and eventually you develop self-improvement skills. Even when I'm injured, I never stop training. What you have to do is learn to adapt and do exercises that don't cause pain. But in CrossFit we do such a variety of exercises that it's easy to adapt a workout. If a soccer player injures his knee, he can't play. If a CrossFitter injures his hip or shoulder, he can continue doing CrossFit. That's the advantage we have.

Do you train with pain?

I always have pains. I'm a bit weak.

Are you one of those who prefers to train when sore or do you prefer to rest so that your workouts are more effective?

When you train a lot, your body hurts, so you have to get used to it, unfortunately. If it's an injury, it's better to stop.

If you only had one hour a day to train, what would you do?

The class of the day.

How did it feel to participate in a team as opposed to doing it alone?

The good thing about competing individually is that you are in charge of managing your training, your breaks and your own emotional state. When you compete in a team you have to work with the other athletes and this adds difficulty. But depending on the type of competition, participating in a team can take more pressure off you and you also enjoy the event with people. That's great!

Apart from training, how do you prepare yourself from a nutritional and rest point of view?

I rely on the help of a nutritionist to help me with my diet and I try to sleep 8 hours a day, although this is not always successful. I don't follow a strict diet, I try to eat well and healthily frequently. Although between healthy food and healthy food a chocolate croissant is great.

What would a typical week of training for a CrossFit competition look like?

We spend a lot of hours in the gym. In CrossFit you never know what you're going to find at a competition until the day itself. So we have to have a lot of things prepared. We can spend up to 8 hours a day in the gym. Not always training, sometimes warming up or doing strength work.

We also spend time discussing the type of strategy we are going to carry out in the event. I usually arrive at the gym at 9am and do a short session, have breakfast, do another session, eat, rest a bit and finish with a last long session in the afternoon. But this is not just for preparing for a competition, it is my daily routine for practically the entire season.

And how do you manage your breaks?

I train 6 days a week. On Thursdays I have active rest and do some kind of softer exercise. Sunday is the day of total rest. I spend the day doing nothing and recovering. I take advantage and eat whatever I want! Pizza, ice cream, cereal with milk…

How did you get started in the world of CrossFit?

I had been kickboxing for 9 years and had a few boxing fights as well. I wanted to do something that would keep me fit and strong while I was kickboxing and was bored of lifting weights. I started doing CrossFit on my own and then joined a gym. I found that I was good at it and slowly got out of kickboxing. I think that if you're going to do something halfway it's better not to do it at all, so after winning the first two competitions I entered, I decided to pursue CrossFit professionally.

Are there some exercises that you like more than others?

I'm very good at bodyweight exercises. Whether it's hanging from a bar, doing handstands, burpees... I'm very good at all these types of exercises.

What is it about this sport that makes it so addictive?

People get hooked on CrossFit for two reasons: it's a lot of fun and it's a quick way to get fit. Plus, there's a great atmosphere and you make friends. A special connection is created that makes people really like it. It's a very young sport, so much so that many people think it's a fad that will pass, but it's going to become more popular.

And finally, what are your next professional goals?

I'm going to continue my path as an individual. If the possibility of doing something as a team arises, I'll consider it, as long as it's an 'enjoyable' competition. Right now my priority is to recover from my injuries and continue training just as hard. If I manage to qualify for the next CrossFit Games, that's welcome. If not, then nothing, I'll just keep training and let this take me where it takes me. But, above all, to evolve in all aspects of life.