Men of Granite

Charles City residents prove their fitness at Granite Games

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Jordan Molstead feels no need to join an expensive and fancy health club.

But even as an automobile sales manager at Molstead Motors, he knows there are more uses for a garage than just car storage.

“That’s the way for most people around here who want to stay in shape,” Molstead said. “You’ve got to come up with creative ways to get effective workouts in your garage or basement.”

When it comes to optimal exercise and training routines, creativity can go a long way as opposed to doing the same power-lifting sets over and over, day after day.

That was the theory behind the conception of CrossFit, a fitness regimen developed over several decades by Greg Glassman, who had formerly made a name for himself as a personal trainer for Southern California celebrities.

In a nutshell, CrossFit training consists of varied functional movements performed at high intensity.

“It’s something different all the time,” Molstead said. “There’s a lot of lifting, a lot of cardio … running, but not the same exercises.”

A former multi-sport athlete at Charles City where he graduated in 2003 before playing golf at the University of Northern Iowa, Molstead has never lost the taste of competition. He recently started competing in CrossFit challenges, as well as the Kill Cliff Granite Games held annually in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Like the CrossFit competitions, the Granite Games present 11 physically demanding challenges for competitors to negotiate with cumulative scores based on time completed, reps recorded, amount of weight pushed or pulled, climbed height attained … depending on the event.

“You don’t know what the events are going to be until right before the competition,” Molstead said. “And when you get there, they still have some surprises for you.”

At past Granite Games, Molstead competed as an individual. For this year’s “Games” which were held Sept. 9-11, Molstead competed on a team consisting of his brother-in-law Isaiah Crevier — also of Charles City — and Minnesota resident Cole Swinson.

Out of 90 teams, the trio placed 8th.

“There was a lot of running … a lot of weight pushing and moving,” Molstead said, “but it was super fun.”

Next up for Molstead is the regional qualifier for the CrossFit Games.

“You can either go to a local CrossFit gym and do the assigned events there, or you can send in a video of the workouts,” Molstead said. “If you make the cut for the finals, that’s when you get on ESPN.”

Molstead has attempted to qualify past the regionals before.

“I say I’m in the top one percent of the people to attempt to qualify,” he said, “but you have to be in the top .001 to compete against the rest of the world.

“I mean those guys are freaks.”

Though in his 30s, Molstead says he’s still has upside for future CrossFit and Granite Games challenges.

“I haven’t had any injuries to slow me down,” he said. “I believe I can still get better.

“I’m still a long way from being a freak, though.”