CrossFit... A Sport Not A Training Method!
CrossFit... A Sport Not A Training Method!
Recently I have herd a lot of negativity towards the 'sport' of CrossFit. (Note SPORT is stated) 2 things I'd like to make clear: 1. CrossFit is a sport therefore your training must supplement the needs of the environment within the competition. What happens on the day of the event is a reflection of cycled strength, endurance and skill phases within a periodised program, plus more. 2. The clowns who think doing a WOD (workout of the day) every single day without any structured strength, lactate or even skill cycles are simply bringing the art and skill of being a CrossFit athlete down. The real guys and girls train properly. Circuit training has been around for years, this doesn't pass you as a respectable athlete, or a CrossFit one for that matter. An athlete looking to compete in the Sport of CrossFit may look at doing phases like this: Structural Balance Work
Hypertrophying weak areas and increasing those strength ratios on the weak points of their structure. This enables them to make there bodies more functional, giving them the platform to build, strength, power, speed, endurance etc. It will also help them stay injury free., any athlete will tell you this is the most valuable thing to them. If your injured you can't compete.
Skill Work - Learning to bio mechanically execute exercises and movements with exceptional form. This is something I see neglected a lot of the time by the way. Full range of motion and embedding motor patterns in to your skill set. A kip, is a skill you should have respect for. It's a skill used to help increase the amount of volume of work. Believe me, a real CrossFit athlete will work on strict dead hang style pull ups, negative reps, pauses at each end of contractions. This can be applied to other movements like the handstand push up etc. to build the strength before applying a kip. Think of it like this the kip is a tool applied in competition to help achieve duration. This means in your training you have to apply strength and skill sessions to gain the ability to do both. Strength work- Any person, let alone a CrossFit athlete, will benefit from strength phases and work. Strength work gives you the platform to build and progress your hypertrophy and endurance gains. Without strength intensity can never be increased. So like I said above a strict pull up will help the skill of the kip.
CrossFit is not a training method, its a sport that uses scientifically proven methods of training to enhance performance on the day of competition. It also has a great community of followers, however educating them on the difference between competition day and off season progress is our challenge.
