#53 - Ant Haynes - The Dark Side of Discipline: Life as a CrossFit Games Athlete
Description
Ant Haynes is one of Hong Kong’s most respected CrossFit athletes, a multiple-time CrossFit Games competitor, former Hong Kong rugby player, and co-owner of Coastal Fitness. But behind the medals and highlight reels lies a powerful story about sacrifice, burnout, and rediscovering balance.
In this episode, Ant opens up about his journey from professional rugby to CrossFit, how he built one of Asia’s top training communities, and the moment he realised that success was costing him the relationships that mattered most.
Chapters
00:00 The Cost of Athletic Pursuits
03:01 Navigating Life Changes: From Hong Kong to Dubai
05:54 The Journey from Rugby to CrossFit
09:01 Transitioning to Coaching and Business
12:00 The Evolution of CrossFit and Personal Training
15:00 The Challenges of Competing at a High Level
17:50 Programming for Longevity in Fitness
21:00 The Reality of Competition Preparation
29:47 The Pain of Preparation
31:55 Lessons from Competition
33:29 Training Adaptations and Resilience
36:52 The Evolution of CrossFit Training
39:32 CrossFit vs Other Sports
44:20 The Mental Game of Training
49:32 Shifting Priorities
55:39 Redefining Success
59:30 Legacy and Impact
01:01:18 Courage Over Comfort
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
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Follow Ant: https://www.instagram.com/anthayneshk/
United States
