Hey guys, there's a tricky balance for us all to find that can seem impossible or non existent... That line is between our stubborn pride and fear. The ingredient missing is an intelligent reflection on goals and/or purpose.
What I'm referring to is how we gauge our workouts. It may seem contradictory that we push you to max intensity and max work loads while we throttle you back when you go too heavy so I feel the need to elaborate.
EVERY ATHLETE IS DIFFERENT! Each athlete must be able to train for their goals keeping in mind experience and ability. We, as coaches, do not want to impede a motivated athlete from tackling this sport at full force but we do have to find the delicate balance to protect from injury. How do we do it? How can we say, "train hard, train often" but pull people aside and say, "Not so hard, u should rest more"? The truth is we want you to train hard and train often but not at the expense of your health and fitness. Remember, you're here to physically perform better, not worse. Injuries will restrict gains in health and fitness or completely halt progress. Fitness is a long term goal and should be treated as such. Train hard and train often does NOT mean Rx every workout everyday. It simply means, train hard and train often; relative to each athletes ability and experience. Modifying the workout does not remove intensity-key ingrediant to CrossFit. Your pride may feel the pain of modification but that doesn't mean you're making a mistake or being a weak athlete. Example: There is nothing wrong with making a 20 min AMRAP a 12 min AMRAP or using an empty bar rather than BW or even using a band when you don't normally due to extreme fatigue, soreness, missed meals or even a long holiday weekend of binge eating and drinking. In fact, it's smart! This is where intelligence comes in. Ignore your stubborn pride to have the little red Rx next to your name and train smarter. This isn't war and it isn't a competition. It's training. Life is your game field and your training will make you better for the game. You know your body and you know what you can handle. Adjust accordingly. Don't avoid a workout because you're sore but don't expect full performance, either. Fear is the ambivalence to pride. Fear of growing size (usually women) or injury can keep you trapped in a stagnent or plateau of performance.
We ask that you go hard because intensity is paramount to our program. We ask that you go heavy because we want you to realize your body's athletic potential. We ask that you train often to condition your body to work harder longer, regularly. BUT...We ask that you throttle back because we are looking out for you-whether it's injury or technique or form.
Stubborn pride can push you to accomplishments and goals but also cause unnecessary injury. Fear can keep you safe but can also restrict progress. When facing the questions of when to train, how often to train, how intense to push, how heavy to lift, and how much or when to rest, eliminate fear and stubborn pride completely! Replace them with an intelligent reflection on goals/progress. Ask yourself why you're training and make an assessment of goals and priority. Only you can properly asses your body. We don't know how sore you are. We don't know what athletic experience you've had in your life. We don't know exactly what you're putting in your bodies. Even your mental state or stress level can be a distraction and lead to injury. This is where we need YOUR help. When Im asked similar questions about weights, intensity, rest days, etc... I ask you questions right back like: How do you feel? What did you eat today? How confident are you? When was your last rest day? How sore are you? What's your PR for this lift? What hurts? Together we figure out the answer that best suits your needs, goals, and progress.
I'm frustrated with the loss of good athletes due to unnecessary injury. I love the devotion, dedication, and intensity but not the self-sacrifice.
Train hard, train often...intelligently!
