Durability

“I’m losing so much strength.”

“I’m going to get buried under the barbell when we go back to the gym.”

“I miss weightlifting!”

If you or someone you know has been afflicted with these thoughts, you might be a CrossFitter during COVID times!  But not to worry, this pandemic will eventually pass, and you will be united with your long-lost friends made of steel and vulcanized rubber.

Many of you in the CrossFit Kent Island community have been requesting MORE.  More workouts, more volume added to the programming, more repetitions in the workouts themselves.  We’re trying to create more intensity that we perceive as lacking by punishing ourselves with more work.  And you’re right that we are working out with a bit less intensity now.  It would not be safe or wise to consistently train each day at home the way we are able to in the gym (with a coach watching your technique, being a second pair of eyes to keep you safe and push you when appropriate to dial it up and find more intensity).  But within reason, we can ratchet it up once in a while, like the Deadlift/Double-under workout programmed for Tuesday — 5-10 minutes of good livin’, right there!

When we try to replicate the intensity of the gym by adding more volume of CrossFit workouts, what we’re looking for is results and the familiar feeling of exhaustion, I know, but what we might run into instead is overtraining and injury.

What we would be wiser to focus on now, while we have the opportunity, is improved bodyweight strength through gymnastics and core strength exercises, performed at low intensity with maximum control.  What we also need to pair with that is more flexibility work.  Having a stronger, tougher, more flexible and pliable body is what we call DURABILITY.  It makes you harder to injure.  These are the additional sessions that you’ll see the best athletes adding to the end of their training sessions.  Skillwork, static holds (squats, planks, hollows), and even endurance work like running or jump rope practice, again performed at lower intensity with maximum focus on technique and control.  Get a few AMAZING looking reps in, rather than 200 more sloppy-looking air squats.  Spend 15 minutes with targeted stretches that will help you relax and recover for your next training session tomorrow.

Your coaches have some great ideas on what to add to your programming, based on your goals and the equipment you have available.  And again, most of these durability-creating movements require no equipment at all!
Let’s spend the extra time we find ourselves with now getting tougher and more flexible, rather than more prone to injury from overuse.  Let’s get DURABLE!

Ryan

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