CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movements, performed at high intensity. But what does that last part, high intensity, exactly mean? Does it mean working hard during the skill portion and WOD, pushing past your comfort zone, and stressing the body enough so that it favorably adapts to the stimulus of the exercise? In short, yes. But does high intensity also mean going at full capacity, 100 percent, for the day, for that workout, leaving nothing left in your tank? In short, also yes. But there is a clear difference between the two.
The first is training. In training, multiple submaximal efforts are used to accomplish long-term progress while minimizing burn-out and over-stressing our physical ability. Working on a 5 rep max on a back squat in an effort to improve from the previous week, practicing pull-ups, and doing 95 percent of the workouts at CrossFit Merge are part of your training. Testing is another story.
Testing is game day. It’s going for that 1 rep max deadlift that you’ve been training months for. It’s setting a new personal best on ‘Annie‘ after all your practice with the jump rope. It’s going to that painful physical and mental zone during a competition because it might mean finishing a just few seconds faster. True testing is something that can only happen a few times a year.
If you treat everyday of CrossFit as a test day, you will burn out, both physically (injury) and mentally (demotivation). Just ask yourself, would you do better on a exam by repeatedly taking the exam, or would perform better by studying and then taking the test?
Recognizing the difference between a training day and a test day will not only make you a better athlete, but it will also make the whole process a lot more fun.
Tuesday’s Skill
1 mile run
Workout of the Day
‘The Chief’
5 cycles, each 3 minute AMRAPs of:
3 power cleans (135#/93# for women)
6 push-ups
9 squats
Rest 1 minute after each cycle.
Learning a new movement, like the sumo deadlift high-pull, is part of Marty and Joe’s training.
May 15th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Wednesday
Power snatch
1-1-1-1-1-1-1
WOD:
10 down to 1 of:
Pull-ups
Wall ball shots (20/14)
Power snatch (75/53)
Beginner
Deadlift
5 – 5 – 3 – 1 – 1
WOD:
10 down to 1 reps of:
Ring rows
Wall ball shots (20/14)
Box jumps
Power Hour
Part 1:
Front Squats
5×5 (same weight)
20 second handstand hold between sets or 20 sec AMRAP of HSPU
Part 2:
40 yard sprints x 6, rest ~45 seconds between
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