The Sweet Spot: 2-3 Days a Week

I want to address an issue that often creeps in to athletes’ minds when they make training decisions, and I want to address it straight away. As you may or may not know, our General Physical Preparedness (GPP/CrossFit) membership options range from two to five days per week. Right away, it feels like twice a week is the bottom of the barrel option, doesn’t it?

I promise you it isn’t.

For example, I literally can’t remember the last time I trained five days in a week (Monday through Friday). I’d say I train two to four times between Monday and Friday. I don’t feel cut short one bit. And, neither does my fitness. With this modest training schedule I’ve been able to sustain these efforts for… well, ever. And, this is our goal for you, too.

I cannot reiterate how uninterested I am in any of our students training five days a week for a year only to take six months off afterwards. “But, what about all the fitness gains I want to make, coach?” you might say. I’d offer my experience as a rebuttal. This isn’t a sprint and I’d encourage you to take on a pace only aggressive enough as you are able to sustain. With my modest training schedule here are the things I have to show for it:

CAN

-I can enter any local fitness related event without training specifically for it (marathon, 5K, 10K, Mud Run, Fitness Compeititon, etc)

-I can put over 300lbs over my head

-I can run to or from virtually any criminal faster and longer than he/she could

-I can take my shirt off at the pool

-I can hike any hike, surf as long as I want, and I can even run out of gas and run to the gas station to fill up and make my destination on time.

-I can hop fences and climb trees with the best of any twelve year old

-I can maintain posture throughout any work day

-When my friends get married, I can dance the entire time

CAN”T

-I can’t compete in the Olympics

-I can’t play a sport professionally

-I can’t win any of the aforementioned races

And, at two to four days a week of training, I’m OK with that. Would you be?

 

Logan Gelbrich