Relative intensity is something we talk about it in your ‘Intro Session’ before you join. Each day in training we have a dedicated portion of class to set the context of how elements of the workout should feel. We know that intensity is relative. Based on your training experience, strengths, weaknesses, and the training stimulus for the day, finding the sweat spot in training is key.
Plain and simple, the closer you can get to finding the upper limits of your abilities in training, the more you can get out of it. This goes to say that those that see the most positive changes are the ones that make the best decisions to put them in this training sweet spot.
Jason Khalipa – 2013 CrossFit Games: NorCal Regionals
Choose a weight that is too heavy and you may miss the intended stimulus or time stressors for the day, for example. Choose a weight that is too light and you might not even tap into the intended metabolic pathway for the workout. Choose a scaling of a skilled movement that is too complex and you may find yourself unable to find enough intensity. Choose a scaling that is too simple and you may blunt your progress to higher skill and access to more fitness.
Experience is key. It doesn’t just bring you fitness capacity, but it brings you knowledge. Making educated decisions based on what you know you can do and what you know you can’t do will have a direct impact on your progress. If you are familiar with CrossFit, a name like Jason Khalipa comes to mind. Often critiqued for the random nature of his programming, the seven time CrossFit Games competitor continues to see gains because he simply is able to spend more time in the sweet spot of training that is at the margins of his capacity.
Jason knows how to put himself in position to be challenged most. He knows how fast he should run his 400’s on a five round workout. When he feels like he should do set of eight push presses he knows exactly what should be on the bar. When the workout calls for thirty unbroken kettlebell swings, he knows exactly which kettlebell to choose. Do you?
Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach
4/9/14 WOD
Complete the following for time:
Run 800m
-Rest 4 min-
Run 800m
-Rest 4 min-
Run 200m
-Rest 1 min-
Run 200m
-Rest 1 min-
Run 200m
-Rest 1 min-
Run 200m
**Athletes receive two scores: first 800m time trial and total time