After impressive semifinal showings in 2022 and 2023, 25-year-old Aimee Cringle is entering the new season looking to secure a spot at the CrossFit Games. This is the gear she’s using to help her get there.
Who is Aimee Cringle?
Aimee Cringle is a British CrossFit athlete, born on the Isle Of Man. She started with gymnastics as a youngster, before shifting to athletics.
“I started CrossFit when I was 14, but I can’t say I touched a barbell until I was 16 because I was doing the kids' sessions,” she tells Coach. “Now I’m full-time CrossFit and just trying to see where it takes me.”
Which gym bag does Aimee Cringle use?
CrossFitters’ love of stuff means their bags need more space and pockets than those of your average gym-goer. A few brands—such as Built For Athletes, Kriger, GoRuck and GymShark—have stepped in to serve this need, so which gym bag does Cringle use?
“I used to use the smaller Built For Athletes 25L bag, then I got sent the newer one, the Built For Athletes Pro Series, and I love it. There are so many pockets, including one on the side for my laptop, and it’s not too big. But I will never have enough space.
“That one’s my favorite for day-to-day life, then when I’m traveling I’ll usually go back to my smaller one because I know that will fit on the plane.”
Even with the bigger bag, Cringle admits, her collection of CrossFit kit has grown to the point where she has to leave a lot of it at the gym.
“I can’t be carrying heavy ropes with me everywhere. And grips—I must have about 15 pairs of them now. I definitely have too much stuff.”
Which CrossFit shoes does Aimee Cringle wear?
Most box-goers are fixated on owning the best CrossFit shoes, but former Metcon-wearer Cringle chooses to cycle through a few pairs depending on the workout she’s doing.
“My favorites so far are the R.A.D Ones. They’re shoes I can do everything in.
“I love them, but I’m kinda careful with them. If it’s a workout with burpees or rope climbs I’ll change out of them because I don’t want them to get creased.
“This morning I had legless rope climbs and I didn’t want them to scuff on the way down, so I changed them for my TYR CXT-1s. Both the R.A.Ds and the TYRs are my go-tos.”
Alongside her CrossFit shoes, Cringle also travels with a pair of running shoes and a pair of weightlifting shoes.
“A lot of the time when I’m training I’m in lifting shoes, and I really like the TYR L-1,” she says.
The shoes stand out with a wider toe box to give you the space to spread your toes for better balance, although Cringler says this does come at the expense of style.
“They’re better when you’re looking at them from the side, I reckon. When I have a bird’s eye view I’m a bit like, ugh.”
She wears these TYRs for lifting sessions, then swaps back to CrossFit shoes for metcons.
“I also wear a different pair of shoes to walk to the gym so I don’t get my CrossFit shoes muddy,” Cringle adds. “At the minute, I like the NoBull Aspire runners. They’re very comfy, so I use them as my walking and warm-up shoes.”
Which grips does Aimee Cringle use?
Cringle uses a range of grips, packing multiple pairs for every competition and waiting to find out what type of pull-up bar she’s working with before choosing which set to use.
“My ideal situation is to use a chalky bar with Picsil Condor Grips,” she says. “I use them for ring muscle-ups as well.
“But if I’m at a random gym with a slippery or powder-coated bar, I go with the Velites Quad Ultra hand grips no chalk.
“And if I’m trying to do an unbroken max set of toes-to-bar, I go for a slippery bar with the For Time fingerless game day grips. I’m only hanging on once here so the grips are saving my arms. I’m not hanging on, the grips are.”
She says the Picsil pair are the comfiest she’s tried, but finds they “need a lot of chalk to really stick” to the bar. The Velites, on the other hand, grip well without chalk but the thick wristband can dig into the bottom of her hand at the base of the thumb.
Which knee sleeves does Aimee Cringle wear?
“I’m a big knee sleeve fan—I can’t squat without them. Well, unless it’s air squats,” says Cringle.
“If it’s heavy, I’ll go for SBD knee sleeves. I’ve had the same pair for like five years now. My legs have grown—they’re very tight.
“It’s the support and the bounce that I like. But then I struggle if it’s a heavy squat-clean ladder because I feel like my calves are going to blow up. Then I’d need some thinner ones.”
That’s why, if she’s tackling a squat-heavy WOD, she’ll opt instead for a set of Murgs V2 3MM knee sleeves.
Which weightlifting belt does Aimee Cringle use?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and that saying guides Cringle’s approach to picking a weightlifting belt.
“I like 2POOD belts. I can’t say I’ve ever used another belt, actually.”
These belts work to support your lower back while lifting heavy, with several varieties available. Cringle owns a selection, and says she struggles to decide which ones to take with her when competing abroad.
Which supplements does Aimee Cringle Use?
When I spoke to Cringle, she had just finished sorting her supplement stack to take with her to the CrossFit Down Under Championship in Australia.
This comprised a series of vitamins, including Healthspan Elite’s 3-in-1 Health Essentials, and plenty of protein products including the best protein powders from Foodspring, who she represents.
“I do love their stuff: The bars, the protein powder, the brownie mix, but my favorite is the cookies and cream protein powder.
“I’m not too fussy, I’ll eat anything, but I really like the taste. I don’t think it tastes protein-y, it just tastes like cookies and cream, especially if you mix it with milk. Then it’s just like a milkshake.”
What is Aimee Cringle’s gym bag secret weapon?
Snacks.
“I can’t leave the house without extra food,” says Cringle, “just in case. You never know where you’re going to end up.”
Shortly after moving from the Isle Of Man to the UK mainland in 2022, Cringle told me she had to tackle an unfamiliar drive. Due to a few wrong turns, this wound up taking two hours—more than twice as long as it was meant to.
“I was glad I had food with me, because that turned into a late night,” she jokes.
Alongside Foodspring protein bars, cereal bars and sweets (“you never know when you’re going to need a sweet”) she also travels with a few meals from Fresh Fitness Food, who she also works with.
Fresh Fitness Food is a meal prep service that sends microwave-ready boxes to clients’ doors. Although, Cringle confesses, she can be so ravenous after training that she’ll tuck into hers cold “unless I’m patient enough to let it heat up in the microwave”.
Work Out Like Aimee Cringle
This is not the first time we’ve spoke to Cringle. She’s set readers this bodyweight challenge, shared her favorite four-move core routine and shared her tips for CrossFit Open workout 23.1.
