Hard Work Pays Off: Transform Your Body and Mind with CrossFit’s Five-Time Fittest Man on Earth

Such a good book kept me reading and some great stuff in there for anyone that does CrossFit scales or RX

I pre-ordered this book around 9 months before it was released. As soon as I heard Mat Fraser was releasing a book, I was excited to pick it up. Mat Fraser recently broke the record for the number of times a male has won the Crossfit Games; winning it in dominating fashion 5 times. A feat many feel is unlikely to be repeated. No one really understands how he is as dominant as he is, he's seemingly on another level, so this felt like a great opportunity to learn form the man himself. This book really is a mashup of autobiography, food recipes, training templates, favourite workouts, weakness templates, technique, advice based on experience and observations. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about this: I was hoping for an autobiography, personally. I expected the standard 'child to champion' memoir that the majority of athletes release shortly after they retire... However, as I began getting into it, I found that the book did have a solid narrative to it: essentially that telling of Mat's story from being an Olympic hopeful to being injured to finishing second at the Crossfit Games to developing a mentality to destroy all his weaknesses - which he believes is the key to his dominant wins - that I'd hoped for. But, in addition to that, the training templates, technique analysis, etc were used both to break up the text and give deeper insights into Mat's methodology - in a more practical and applicable sense. In their own right, they were enjoyable, educational and I'm excited to use them in my own training. As an example, in the first chapter on strength, Mat goes into detail on his experiences growing up as a weightlifter and eventually getting to workout in the Olympic Training Centre. Every few pages, you'll have a breakdown of a movement, variations of a movement, strength session templates, templates to work on weaknesses, or some WODs (such as Grace or Fran) that involve strength/barbell cycling. The weakness templates range from improving your Squats with prescribed sets and reps for movements such as Overhead Squats through to improving your Snatches with Hangs, Powers and Snatch Balances. These are all coming from Mat Fraser who is not only a multiple Crossfit Athlete, but student of multiple Olympic-level weightlifting coaches. The other sections in the book are: Endurance (essentially running, swimming and ERGS), Speed (short section on strategy and efficiency), Coordination (Gymnastics and movement quality), and Mentality (giving your all and overcoming obstacles). Each one follows a similar format to the above with a narrative and then plenty of illustrations, technique breakdowns, workout suggestions, and tips to bring into your own training. I really liked the illustrations in the book. They are all of Mat doing techniques, but not photos: it's this fun, interesting cartoon-y style. The layout of the book was good too, although there is a lot of stuff in here: from workouts to pictures to text to tips, the book never feels messy or cluttered. The cover is nice and the hardback edition I picked up has a cool HWPO silhouette with Mat in the centre. This would make the perfect gift for a Crossfit fan, but I don't think you'll be at all disappointed if buying this for yourself. Overall, I'm really happy with this book. It isn't the autobiography I was expecting when I ordered it, but it's a fantastic insight into Mat Fraser's methodology and mindset with SO MUCH I can take away and apply to my own training. I genuinely think this book will make me a better athlete and, at very least, it's fired me up to put more effort and thought into my workouts going forward!

An easy and enjoyable read, nuggets of fitness related info with various stories in between. Useful for possible workout options and recipes.

An Amazing book with some great recipes for diet and works outs, I would loved to have had more of the story behind the man and hope if there is another book soon it focuses on the the man that is

Really insightful

The author is an inspirational human being, his book doesn't live up to him. The first 20% is interesting, then it just becomes a little repetitive and boring. I'm glad I read it but wouldn't personally recommend it to others.

The book is very good. Clear and easy to read.

I’ve only had the chance for a quick flick through the book. It’s comprehensive and full of excellent information. A book for any CrossFit fan or wannabe athlete. It is excellent for the average gym goer too.

As someone who’s followed Mat Fraser’s CrossFit career for years, I couldn’t wait to read HWPO: Hard Work Pays Off — and it did not disappoint. This book is the perfect mix of mindset, training strategy, and real-world application. Fraser doesn’t just talk about working hard; he shows you how to structure that hard work so it actually pays off. What I really liked is how approachable it feels. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just trying to improve your fitness, the lessons apply to everyone. The workouts are well laid out, the explanations are clear, and the sections on recovery, nutrition, and mental discipline are packed with useful advice. You can really tell this comes from someone who has lived it at the highest level. It’s not just another “fitspo” book — it’s practical, inspiring, and honest about what it takes to be great. I’ve already started applying some of the mindset principles to my own training and even my work life, and I can feel the difference.

A guide to become a crossfit athlete. Nice recipes from sammy.

Livre très intéressant pour les sportifs avec de nombreux conseils pertinents, je recommande !

No está mal pero si ya llevas unos años haciendo CrossFit ya sabes de lo que va el libro, de todas formas una buena guía del maestro y todopoderoso Fraser

Das Buch von Mat Fraser ist bis jetzt das Beste aller Bücher von ehemaligen oder aktiven Profi-Sportlern aus dem CrossFit Umfeld. Es ist keine reine Lebensgeschichte, sondern eine gelungene und abwechslungsreiche Mischung aus Techniktipps, konkreten Workouts und einer gehörigen Portion Mindset. Mat Fraser gibt wertvolle Hilfestellung, wie man ein Workout am besten einteilt, um maximalen Erfolg zu erzielen. Dabei wird auch auf Wettkampfsituationen und den Umgang mit vermeintlich stärkeren Konkurrenten eingegangen. Sprachlich ist das Buch sehr einfach gehalten und kann somit auch nach einem anstrengenden Tag mit Arbeit und Box zur Entspannung und Motivation gelesen werden.