LYNNFIELD — When it comes to gym routines and fitness, Thomas Ackerman is no stranger to hard work.

The 72-year-old Lynnfield resident won the men’s 70-plus division at the 2026 CrossFit Games last week in San Jose, California, earning the title of the “Fittest Man on Earth” in his age group for the second consecutive year.

“People say, ‘You’re the fittest man on earth,’ but my feeling is just wait until after July,” Ackerman said. “I just feel fortunate to have been able to defend my title from last year.”

This was Ackerman’s seventh appearance at the CrossFit Games. He made his debut at the 2014 Games in Carson, California, where he finished third in the men’s 60-plus division. At the 2025 Games in Birmingham, Alabama, Ackerman turned in a dominant performance. In eight scored events, known as workouts, he posted two first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, one third-place finish and one seventh-place finish.

This year’s Games featured six scored workouts. Each workout included a variety of physical challenges, including cardiovascular activities such as running, rowing and the Echo Bike, as well as gymnastic movements including pullups, chest-to-bar pullups, toes-to-bar and bar muscle-ups. Ackerman finished first in one event, second in three events, third in one event and fifth in another.

“We also had Olympic weightlifting movements such as snatches, deadlifts, hang cleans and shoulder-to-overhead presses,” Ackerman said. “They pair these different movements together to make a workout that is high intensity and lasts anywhere from five to 14 minutes. One workout was the Echo Bike, deadlifts, hang cleans and shoulder-to-overhead presses. Another workout was toes-to-bar, double-unders (jump rope) and snatches.”

Ackerman placed first in the overhead walk, an event that requires competitors to hold two 35-pound dumbbells overhead while walking for approximately 2 1/2 minutes.

“It’s the alternative to handstand walks for the 70-plus age group,” Ackerman said.

His favorite event is the Echo Bike, formerly known as the Assault Bike.

“It’s similar to rowing, but you’re pedaling a bike while also moving the handlebars with your arms,” Ackerman said.

The CrossFit Games feature four divisions for men and women: Individual, Masters, Adaptive and Team. Participants range in age from 14 to 70 and older.

Several qualifying rounds were held across the country. The process began in February with a series of workouts held over three weekends, with the top 25% of the field advancing to the quarterfinals. Athletes were required to submit video evidence of successfully completing the required workouts in order to advance to the next stage.

In the Masters Division, more than 1,000 competed locally. From there, the top 100 quarterfinalists advanced to the semifinals with the top-10 semifinalists advancing to San Jose. 

“Fortunately, they were not all in my age group,” Ackerman joked. “The numbers get tapered down as the age groups go up. The best part is that no matter the age group, it’s fun to compete. People aren’t really trying to beat each other. Instead, they’re pulling for everyone to have success.”

Ackerman trains at CrossFit Wicked in Middleton. He said he doesn’t know what the future holds.

“As long as I feel good next year and it’s a good location, I’ll be there. It all depends,” Ackerman said. “This year, there was more activity in the gym leading up to the Games, so it was great. In years past, sometimes I’ve been the only one, so it’s so much better with more people involved and supporting me.”

For Ackerman, competing at the CrossFit Games and in the regional qualifying competitions leading up to nationals is about more than completing grueling workouts.

“I always make some new friends,” he said. “The whole experience was great. CrossFit does a great job organizing the event with more than 500 athletes and, if I had to guess, more than 20,000 spectators between the San Jose Coliseum and the convention center. But the days with back-to-back workouts definitely get tiring.”