Last week, I had the chance to join a local competition down in Johor Bahru — and what a weekend it was. My partner, Coach Jin May, and I managed to secure second place in the RX category, and honestly, the entire experience left me with one big takeaway I want to share.

The comp was called OneShot — if you know, you know. It’s known as one of the toughest CrossFit competitions in Malaysia. Not just because of the heavy weights, but because of the technicality and complexity of the workouts. These aren’t just your usual metcons — they’re puzzles that test your fitness, mindset, and movement quality all at once.

Because of that, for most of the events, I found myself always wearing my knee sleeves and belt — something I don’t usually do in every training session. But here’s where the magic happened: I actually felt like I performed better, the weights felt lighter, and I moved with more confidence compared to regular training.

That got me thinking.

In training, I’ve always made it a rule: only wear support gear when absolutely needed. Don’t rely on it. Train raw, train hard, and earn the skill. So when comp day comes and I put on that belt and sleeves — it feels like I just unlocked a legal cheat code.

Imagine training under the hardest conditions — no gear, no shortcuts — and then adding “help” only when it truly matters. That contrast gives you a serious edge. The body’s already adapted to the grind, and the support just amplifies your performance.

That’s why I stand by this:

Train heavy. Compete light.

Use the tools when they matter most. But earn the right to use them. That’s the real cheat code.

Head Coach
Aziz Mohamed
CrossFit Train Blackbox