I recently started training again – this time as part of the class – at a local CrossFit box, consistently. Consistent meaning training at least 4x a week. I’m a coach, and I’ve been training CrossFit for the past 2 ½ years. For the most part, this means absolutely nothing as it relates to workouts getting easier. Granted, some movements I’ve noticeably gotten better at – double unders, snatches, pull-ups – so anytime there’s a WOD that has either of those movements… I’m excited.
However, the workouts never get easier. The point [of everything really] is to get better every day. After about a two-week hiatus of not doing any HIIT training, my first day in this new box, I got my ass kicked. To the point I couldn’t even finish the workout. It was a Monday, and Monday’s usually mean the workouts tend to be the toughest – to “burn off” whatever you indulged in over the weekend. This workout was a combination of Hero and a benchmark WOD:
"An-hel-en" 40 Pull Ups 40 Push Ups 40 Sit Ups 40 Squats 400m Run 21 Kettle Bell Swings (24kg/16kg) 12 Pull Ups 75 Wallballs (20#/14#)
My legs were noodles by the time I finished the KB swings. I stopped with 35 wall balls left. I know my body well enough to know when it’s time for me to stop to prevent injury and just passing out. It’s not a good look.
Instead of sulking or being disappointed in my performance, I took this as an opportunity to train even harder – but at a scaled pace. From coaching, researching, studying, analyzing and testing out various forms of exercises, I’m ingraining a habit to go at my own pace, to scale accordingly to make sure I’m doing movements properly and not letting ego get in the way.
For the record – this WOD looks a lot easier on paper.