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He may be one of the UK’s finest CrossFit athletes now, but the MH Squad coach hasn't always been a model of fitness

Before terms like ‘viral load’ and ‘booster shot’ became common parlance, Zack George achieved a goal he’d been working towards for six years. By winning the 2020 CrossFit Open in the UK, he qualified for the CrossFit Games. Then the onset of the Covid pandemic saw his invitation as a national champion rescinded. Last year, an injury meant he had to withdraw at the quarter-final stage. Now, two years on, and with not so much as a word of complaint, Zack is back.

Navigating change is something he does pretty well. Born in Evington on the outskirts of Leicester, Zack was not the effortlessly athletic youth you might expect. ‘I was overweight and ate sweets constantly. I had fast food six times a week,’ he says. ‘I was quite sporty and had good coordination, but I’d get tired and out of breath easily. If my mum parked too far away in the supermarket car park, I’d complain, because I didn’t want to walk.’

The catalyst for his weight loss came in the unlikely form of a PlayStation 2. When he was 13, he asked his dad to buy him the console, and they struck a deal: eat a little more healthily for a month and he’d get one. ‘I stopped eating McDonald’s six times a week and went there twice instead. And I’d have a bag of Haribo every other day, rather than every day. Just that decrease in calories meant I lost weight.’

These small changes had substantial benefits. Between the ages of 15 and 18, he represented Leicestershire at rugby and became a sport captain at school. His visits to McDonald’s dropped to once a month, then he cut out junk food altogether. The child who had once complained about walking too far across a car park became known locally as the ‘fitness kid’.

That fitness kid went on to become one of the best CrossFit athletes ever to emerge from the UK. Having progressed to the live semi-final stage during the 2022 season, Zack will be competing to earn a qualifying spot at CrossFit Strength In Depth in London in June. You’d certainly not bet against him.

For Zack’s full four-week training plan and exclusive reports on his season, join our Men's Health Squad.

Start each drive with all the power going through your legs (A), with only a final pull with the arms (B). The balance of effort should be 70% legs and 30% arms. When you hit your 20-cal goal, rest for the remainder of the minute.

Squat and place your hands on the floor between your feet. Jump your feet back into the top of a press-up; lower your chest (A). Straighten your arms and hop your feet forwards before jumping with your hands above your head (B).

Keep your arms close to your body (A). Now use a fast ‘flick-flick’ of your wrists to spin the rope twice (B). Time it with the first upward motion of your jump to allow plenty of time for both rotations. Too tricky? Skip normally for 45 secs instead. Back to the rower...