Hybrid training is all the rage right now. Bored of singular goals such as becoming stronger, faster or aerobically fitter, everyday athletes are hell-bent on building bodies they like to describe as being “harder to kill”
They want to sprint, run long distances, lift heavy weights, perform gymnastic skills and smash a triathlon, all while boasting an enAimee Cringle is the best woman in the world at hitting these fitness standards – and then some
The title of “fittest woman on Earth” 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
People will contest this “fittest” 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, her fitness is not up for debate
Across five days and 20 fitness-testing events at this year’s 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
A winning mentality
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 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
Then, immediately afterwards, she flipped back to her usual, friendly, unassuming self, joking that she’s sometimes tempted to slow down during competitions to avoid the obligatory winner’s interview afterwards. Her athletic achievements should result in arrogance, but that particular trait is nowhere to be seen
A typical training day doesn’t exist
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
“I’m in the gym for that amount of time, but it’s not all intense training,” 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
“You wouldn’t expect a rugby player to play a match every day, or a boxer to fight every day – it’s the same with CrossFit,” says Will Kane, a coach with Cringle’s training camp, Brute Strength
But there are also days where the athlete has to put the hammer down – and put it down hard
“We do VO2 max intervals where you work for three minutes then rest for three minutes,” Cringle explains. “The exercises are low-skill, high effort, so there is no reason to slow down.”
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 – or your body’s maximal ability to use oxygen during exercise
Aimee Cringle’s VO2 max boosting workout
Complete the sequence below four times:
- 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
Read more:Hyrox world champion Meg Jacoby reveals her intense training regime, and the secret to getting a better Hyrox time
How Aimee Cringle won the CrossFit Games
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’s running and endurance-based events came naturally to her
But the sport’s signature “metcon” – short for metabolic conditioning – workouts, which weave multiple weightlifting, aerobic and gymnastic movements into high-intensity circuits, provided a slight stumbling block when she first started
To counter this, her coach Fraser McKenzie came up with a plan
“We’ve been working on strength more, and that strength has played into other movements feeling easier,” says Cringle. “Squatting and gymnastics were also weaknesses for me, so we’ve been working quite a bit on that, doing pull-ups, muscle-ups and thrusters in combination.”
“I’ve still got a lot of things to be working on,” she later added during our interview at the end of 2025. “I’m not at my best yet.”
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
Read more:‘A whole lot of not normal’ – Danielle Brandon’s unconventional path to becoming an elite athlete
When it comes to recovery, Cringle prioritises stretching and sleep. “I can’t think of any special recovery tools I use,” she says, although she does schedule her rest days
“I take Thursdays and Sundays off from CrossFit – I don’t touch a barbell or raise my heart rate too high,” Cringle says. “On Thursday I might do a zone 2 ride on my road bike, then I take Sunday off completely
“I know some people think it’s all go, go, go. But you also need to recover and fuel your body. Food is so important.”
Read more:I made a lot of mistakes during my first Hyrox race – here are six things I wish I knew beforehand
Prioritising protein – and doughnuts
After our workout together, Cringle leads me through a few accessory exercises – 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
“I don’t eat the cleanest diet,” she says. “When you’re moving this much, and enjoy food so much, there’s more flexibility. I’m a big foodie”
She is a fan of Mexican cuisine and loves cereal so much she has launched her own granola, Cringle Crunch. Protein is also a priority, to support tissue repair and muscle maintenance. Cringle is a Grenade athlete, and had to have the brand’s protein bars shipped out to her after running out during a recent competition in the US
“I eat a lot of bars,” she admits with a sheepish grin. “I’ll have a bar after my first session of the day, a shake after my second session, then I’ll make some overnight oats with protein powder in the evening to eat the next morning.”
Read more:CrossFit Games champion reveals the training method he used to add 20kg to his squat
Core training
Alongside her many physical skills, Cringle has an ent’s your ab workout?” queries. So I ask her – and it’s not innumerable sit-ups
“You work your core a lot as part of wider CrossFit training,” she says. “We do GHD sit-ups and toes-to-bar in our workouts, which work your abs, but I wouldn’t say I focus specifically on them very often.”
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
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
Read more:I tried a Hyrox world champion’s one-move workout to improve my time – and it’s challenging but brilliant
