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3 crucial things the fittest man on earth does every day

The Fittest Man on Earth doesn’t look the part.

If you saw 25-year-old Ben Smith in the checkout line, you may just think he was a PE teacher.

He’s of average height and weight (180 centimetres, 86 kilograms), with the kind of strong-looking, but not overly-muscular build you might get from doing a lot of manual labor. He smiles, a lot.

But when he works out, he’s a beast. He looks exactly like you’d imagine a CrossFit Games champion would look. We watched Smith perform a workout (one of five he did that day) where he barbell back squatted 375-pounds for three reps every minute on the minute for about 25 minutes.

He wasn’t even sweating or breathing hard.

Then we watched him do a group workout — an insane 45-minute ladder that included Olympic lifts and handstand pushups.

The other guys in the group — some of who are competitive CrossFitters — were sprawled on the floor in recovery mode by the end. Smith stood around and told us about his favourite training gear.

Watch the video above to find out how this seemingly average guy nabbed the coveted title of the Fittest Man on Earth. And below learn the three things he does every day to stay fit.

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Work on Form

Every athlete who competes in the CrossFit Games is an absolute freak of fitness.

They all have about the same size fitness engine, says Kelly Starrett, a physical therapist and creator of MobilityWOD.com.

But the CrossFit Games are a battle of attrition. The reason Smith stood atop the podium after the 13 grueling workouts: his perfect exercise form.

“The cleaner your movement mechanics, the less effort you have to use each rep,” says Starrett. “Over the course of a competition like the CrossFit games, consistently clean movement is how you endure.”

Think of it this way: Doing cleaner reps is like getting better gas mileage. Perfect form allows you to be more efficient because it takes less out of your tank every rep. It allows you to have more energy and move in full range of motion. That way, you can go harder as the other competitors tap out.

That’s why Smith mashes his muscles with a lacrosse ball—which alleviates up tension—and performs mobility drills each day. Together they free up movement limitations that might throw off his form and let him hit full range of motion every rep.

Muscle mashing shouldn’t cut into your training time, though, says Starrett. Each evening while you’re winding down, pick a tight spot and roll it with a softball or lacrosse ball for 10 minutes. It’ll feel uncomfortable, but that’s how you know it’s working.

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Have Fun

Most days Smith shows up at CrossFit Krypton in Chesapeake, Virginia alongside his brothers (both of who are competitive CrossFitters) and a few friends to perform a heavy strength session.

The crew rests for a bit, then they do a high-intensity CrossFit WOD (workout of the day), like Fight Gone Bad—a 5-exercise, total-body circuit done as fast as possible for three rounds. Then it’s lunch at a local organic burrito joint and then back to Krypton for two or three more workouts.

Throughout the day, his mom and dad, or friends, may drop in to say hi. Smith and his buddies are always sharing stories and laughing.

Smith admits that CrossFit Krypton is basically his second home. And that fun atmosphere, surrounded by friendly, fit people, has helped him reach the pinnacle of the sport.

“When I’m training here I can just do what I need to do and get in the zone,” he says. “And training alongside my brothers helps me push harder.”

Sure, you and your best friends probably can’t just hang out at a gym and train all day. But magic can happen when you put yourself in a gym that drives you. You might thrive in a hardcore powerlifting gym, or a SoulCycle class, or a CrossFit box. Try a few options. Even if you have to drive 15 minutes farther, the right gym can be a game changer for your fitness.

Related: The ten best knee-friendly exercises


Chill Out

Smith’s lifestyle has very few stressors. Each day is pretty much the same, filled with family and friends. He has kept it that way on purpose.

Cutting stress can help improve your fitness: Athletes under higher life stress are twice as likely to get injured, according to a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

What’s more, stress can impact your recovery, and people under higher stress tend to make worse nutrition decisions, according to Mike Roussell, Men’s Health Nutrition Advisor.

So find something that reduces your life stress, and practice it for 10 to 20 minutes daily. That could be meditation, walking the dog, woodworking, or reading. Whatever your activity of choice, be consistent.

It’ll not only make you feel better, but it’ll also help you perform better, too. Just ask Smith. For him, it could have been the difference between Champion and second place.