Classically, Crossfit operates on two principle workout-restday intervals.
The first is that our athletes train with a three days on, one day off split.
The second is a model based on training five days in a row and then taking two days off. There is no magic in these two systems other than the fact that they both attempt to accomplish the same end. Mainly, both attempt to have the athlete complete as much work as possible AND remain as fresh as possible.
Being that we are not just automaton meat puppets however, means that the work rest intervals above may not fit us very well or be dynamic enough to meet our recovery needs. Remember training hard is just a stimulus for adaptation to occur during periods of rest. We have seen many athletes train 6-10 days in a row only to smoke themselves into poor performing, crappy feeling pseudo-athletes. Training at the intensities that we do has significant impact on our nervous systems as well as our muscles. As much work as possible and as fresh as possible remember?
So, you may need to adjust your level of rest, or tweak your recovery days. For example, if you have just completed two epic days of training, you may need to take an early day off to recover. Just trained three days in a row? Feel trashed? It may take two full days to recover. Many of our athletes train four days in a row, take off Friday, and train again on Saturday. And again, this is fine so long as you continue to recognize that a rigid work-rest schedule may not reflect your actual recovery needs. For example, we have many top performing athletes that respond to one day on, one day off during periods of very heavy, high intensity training.
Don't get me wrong, it's OK to train when you're sore. And, we actually like our athletes over trained a little. But, we expect that our athletes understand that the magic of working hard is recovering well.
Lauren from the "Fugees" said it best, "How you gonna win if you ain't right within?" I'm sure she was talking about Crossfit.
Coach Kstar
13 comments:
5 Days in a row of training w/ overhead movements plus too much beer= fat left arm rhabdo for 4 days.
Lucas
Did Dianne with Adrian in late May. Did it again a couple of weeks later and dropped over 2 minutes in time because I hadn't worked out for a couple of days prior. Dropped 1:37 off Fran on Monday, probably because I hadn't worked out since Friday. Wish you had posted this yesterday, because I should have taken last night off. I'm smoked.
Well said. Last week I went Mon-Thurs then Fight Gone Bad on Sat and Fran on Monday. My body was spent when I showed up on Tuesday and attempted the workout. It was a real eyeopener. Mentally, I just couldn't overcome the fatigue and soreness in order to finish the workout.
Lesson learned.
Also took 4 days off, then did fran monday and cut my time by 6 minutes. Taking a few days off, or even a week here and there really refreshes your body, and mentally it does wonders because I found myself chomping at the bit to get back in and push my body hard. The rest almost creates a craving for that torture. Its like wiping the canvas clean and recreating something fast, agile, flexible, functional, and strong.
Lucas
Did anyone else feel like they lost their soul after Adrian's tabata pull-up/squat/dip/lunge workout? Took a while for me to realize how bad off I was (my soul goes missing a lot: I left it behind in New Orleans once with just a pair of lederhosen and some beads), but this morning I had nothing to offer.
I had no intensity in me for Adrian's workout. I was just going through the motions.
I'm w/ Corrine. Same schedule last week, w/ FGB on Saturday and Fran on Monday. Killed, despite Sunday off. Just killed. Tuesday reduced me to something killed and then hammered. Bone-deep exhaustion. Taking a few days to regroup.
Also, good pic today. The gladiator-like hand taping; the hint of the untameable mane; the floor-sweat probably spelling out "Horsepower" in some ancient script -- it could only be Lucas.
I took a week off two weeks ago. It took me a workout or two to get back into it, but I definitely felt better than I did. I think the crossfit prescription is to take a half week every month and a full week every three months. I am guessing that most of us don't do enough of that. I know that was my first full week off since I started seven months ago.
i highly reccommend the week off every few months or so. The body can only handle so much.
I know in the past many of my best max lifts have come after 3-5 days rest after a 6 week training period. It's magic
Ross,
It looks like the rough outline of poseidons fist reaching out from the SF Bay.
Lucas
My first week , I came to Crossfit 6 days in a row, only to function in super slo-mo during a bitch slap of a thruster-sprint-push-up session. Thank you to Kelly for telling me right off the bat to incorporate rest days--and for re-iterating it today.
BTW, I'm still feeling FGB.
E
I heard that the Fugees actually started CrossFit, not this Coach G guy...
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