All out, game-faced, and growing: Philippine CrossFit looks ahead
The sight was almost surreal: hundreds of athletes, coaches, and CrossFit enthusiasts packed in The Filinvest Tent in Alabang—cheering, slugging it out, and celebrating not just a competition, but the resurgence of a community once brought to its knees by the pandemic.
Resurgence after near decimation
“CrossFit has been steadily growing year after year since the pandemic. In fact, last year, we saw the greatest growth to date, with the number of CrossFit affiliates nationwide almost doubling,” explains Albert Co, the Philippines’ CrossFit country manager.
He continues, “The community here is not just growing in numbers, but also in participation and engagement. For example, CrossFit Open participation in the Philippines grew by 150 percent from 2024 to 2025, which is a strong indication of the potential still ahead.”
Although not an officially licensed CrossFit event, the 2025 All Out Games has been dubbed the largest mainstream functional fitness competition in the country.
Founded by Filipino CrossFit athlete and coach Martin Paulo Gonzales and programmed by Hong Kong-based former CrossFit Games athlete and head of The Process Programming Ant Haynes, the event drew both elite athletes and hundreds of eager first-timers. This focus on newcomers sparked a wave of enthusiasm that translated into 628 athletes joining the 2025 All Out Games qualifiers, a packed Filinvest Tent in Alabang, and the participation of competitors from across the Philippines, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, India, the UAE, Guam, and even Switzerland.
An inclusive tent that welcomes all
Out of the 28 listed CrossFit affiliates in the Philippines, 14 are in Metro Manila, five in Luzon, six in the Visayas, and three in Mindanao. The numbers show that while exactly half of the country’s CrossFit gyms remain in the capital, the gap is narrowing as the community spreads to other regions.
“I see CrossFit becoming even more of a staple in the Philippines over the next five years,” says Co. “A clear testament to its effectiveness is how consistently CrossFit-style training proves itself, even in mainstream competitions like All Out Games and the hit TV series ‘Physical 100,’ where the foundation of functional training shows that it simply works.”
For former CrossFit Games Pacific Regionals athlete and CrossFit Ethos coach Natasha Mendoza, the CrossFit scene in the Philippines has shown remarkable growth in 2025 alone.“The 2025 All Out Games is proof that the CrossFit community in the Philippines is not only growing but also raising its standards. The level of organization and production was on par with international events, which speaks volumes about how far the local scene has come,” Mendoza shares.
With over a decade of competitive CrossFit under her belt, Mendoza reflects on how the Philippine CrossFit scene has evolved from the 2010s to its post-pandemic incarnation.“One of the biggest differences between the 2010s and now is the competition landscape. Back in those days, we only had one or two major competitions in a year, so most of our training was for those comps and the CrossFit Open,” Mendoza says.
Exponential growth
Not only are CrossFit-style competitions proliferating across the country, but there is also a deliberate push to elevate functional fitness events. These competitions have become more than just battlegrounds where the best athletes slug it out.
Rom Guevara, one of the champions of the 2024 All Out Games and founder of The Micro Baker, notes that “the market is maturing. People who practice CrossFit today often look for a solid, challenging workout, thanks to the evolution of the training methods and movements that have become central to the sport.”
Zach Syjongtian, 2023 All Out Games bronze medalist and 2025 All Out Games silver medalist, sees the rise of other functional fitness methodologies as an opportunity for CrossFit’s growth in the Philippines.
“The fitness landscape now offers people more choices, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for CrossFit. In fact, it creates an opportunity for CrossFit gyms in the Philippines to position themselves as providers of supplemental training, even for individuals who aren’t exclusively CrossFit athletes,” he adds.
Miguel Biscocho, one of the champions of the 2025 All Out Games, underscores this emerging symbiotic relationship between CrossFit and other functional fitness models gaining traction in the Philippines today.
“Currently, CrossFit in the Philippines is gaining more attention and recognition. With the rise of hybrid training and Hyrox, many individuals are finding their way into CrossFit gyms, as these spaces are best equipped to support that style of training,” Biscocho shares.
A space for women to lead
Beyond serving as a complementary training methodology for athletes in other sports, CrossFit has also opened doors for women-led functional fitness communities to thrive, such as Alakai CrossFit in BF Homes, Parañaque and CrossFit Pasig by Active Central.
Embrace your “active era”
For Landamme Vivas, a content creator, TikTok personality, and first-time All Out Games competitor, CrossFit has become a way to fully embrace what he calls an “active era.”
“Growth happens the moment you do something you never thought you could. I first got into CrossFit back in 2018, when there were only a handful of boxes around. Fast forward to today, and it’s amazing to see how much the community has grown,” says Vivas.
Read the full feature on lifestyle.inquirer.net
