And then there was silence.
     All eyes were on the line-up of regionally ranked CrossFit competitors as they prepared for yet another grueling workout in the weekend-long competition to see who has what it takes to make it to The Games. 
     Andrew Duffy was one of those competitors. He waited anxiously in the evenly spaced line and took one last deep breath in before starting "Diane,"  the first individual event of the weekend.  21, 15, and 9. These were the number of repetitions the competitors had to complete of each exercise before moving on to the next round.  Time was on the clock as the CrossFitters knocked out 21 deadlifts with a 225-pound barbell for men, 155 pounds for women, before moving on to 21 handstand push-ups, all within the 9-minute time limit. 
     “All I can tell you is that the energy throughout the gym was amazing,” Duffy says as he reflects on his first CrossFit competition. It’s an energy that is not only distinct, but familiar. A familiarity that speaks to not just a nation of CrossFitters, but a world.
     That energy is what drives Duffy to pick up the pace, max out his reps and increase the overall intensity of every exercise. Whether it is a daily workout or a competition weekend, the energy “pushes you to go beyond what you thought you could do,” he says.
      After placing 6th overall in the individual men’s division at last year’s CrossFit games, Integrity’s Revenge: The Battle of Charleston Harbor, Duffy is quickly becoming a competitor to look out for. Integrity’s Revenge is part of a 15-contest Garage Games Series held throughout the year in the Southeast. Last year, more than 200 Crossfitters competed in the Charleston leg of this series, held at the Charleston Maritime Center.
     Duffy’s top performance was last year’s CrossFit Open at regionals in May, where he placed 27th out of more than 3,500 males in the Southeast and then finished 28th out of the top 60 CrossFit contenders. Six events are held over the three-day competition. His best event was day one, when he recorded the 14th best performance.
     Gearing up for competition is second nature to Duffy, a former standout NCAA baseball player at Guilford College in North Carolina. He knows that there is no magic pill that can replace the months or even years of hard work and discipline it takes to make it to a CrossFit competition. “I have been an athlete my whole life, and I’ve always trained utilizing functional exercises,” he says. 
     What is CrossFit exactly? It’s a fitness regimen developed by Greg Glassman that consists of constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity, according to the official CrossFit website. Functional training works several muscles at once and has been shown to improve balance, strength and flexibility. It’s also an effective way to engage and work core muscles. Squats, burpees, deadlifts and lunges are all examples of functional training. Resistance with these exercises can be modified. A weighted deadlift executed with correct form engages the back, hips, legs, core and arms.
     Duffy started CrossFit out of CrossFit Charleston located off of Clements Ferry Road in 2010, before it gained the mainstream attention it has today. 
     With more than nine years experience as a trainer (he’s certified by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the National Exercise Trainers’ Association and holds a double bachelor of science degree in health science and athletic training), Duffy created his own small-group fitness program, called DUFF (Duffy’s Ultimate Functional Fitness),  which is currently located at Charleston Group Fitness. “I went to school for this,” he says. “This is what I know.”

     Meredith Deckert, another trainer at Charleston Group Fitness, is an avowed “DUFFanatic.” “Being a collegiate swimmer, I was looking for another way to let out my competitive spirit and keep the adrenaline pumping,” she explains. “[DUFF] is it. Each class is so different. We have so many levels of fitness cheering each other on and motivating one another that it feels like family.”
     He does not believe spot training is the key to doing well in these type of competitions. Instead he focuses his training on becoming a stronger, well-rounded athlete.
     “Don’t try to be the best at one thing,” he advises. “Focus on being consistently good at everything. Efficiency and consistency is key.”