Am I too heavy?

K

kutloello

New member
Male, 6’3”, 220. I’ve been at CrossFit for just under a year. Before that I did a year of metcon specific training with some hypertrophy and strength training thrown in. I’ve gained 25 pounds since starting CrossFit. InBody scans consistently have me at 16% bf. So plenty of my weight gain is muscle. But I tend to finish wods last, especially cardio heavy wods. I’m a slow runner, my heart rate skyrockets on movements like squats and thrusters.

So my question is should I look to shed some pounds to get better at CrossFit? I’m sure running would get easier and my gymnastics movements would improve. But I’ve worked hard to add the muscle over this last year and I’d hate to sacrifice that. I’m sure I’d lose muscle to cut to 12% but that 8-10 pounds of fat loss would make a difference.

Any advice is welcome
 
@kutloello Not sure of my BMI, but im 6'3" and always bounce between 215-225.

I struggle with the same stuff and most gymnastics/bar work. I'm not trying to lose any weight, but you're not alone here.

Us tall guys have it harder in some area, but win in others.

I hardly ever place well in the wod, but I can be top 10 in all the lifting. The top 5 guys at my gym are on another planet, so top 10 is fine by me
 
@kutloello I’m right around your same height/weight and experience level. I’d say keep doing you if you can easily maintain that weight and bf %.

What I’d suggest though is to treat running like a skill just like gymnastics, oly lifts etc. So many people just assume they’re born bad runners but in reality they just have shit form. You don’t need to run a marathon but if you get up to 3-5 miles every once in a while you’ll start to get more efficient which will make running 400m in a Metcon a piece of cake. I’ll dust guys in runs that i outweigh by 40-50lbs solely because they have awful form
 
@rambovsrocky crossfit gyms could do so much better at teaching running form. I even notice myself shuffling every now and then and just focus on form, easily reduce my 400 time by 15 seconds without gassing myself more.
 
@faithfamilyfreedom It’s definitely something i wish my coaches emphasized more. There’s so many simple cues that can make a huge difference. I think it’s kind of a sensitive spot for people that are otherwise great athletes
 
@kutloello what's your goal? As others have said, you sound pretty strong/lean already. If you goal is to maximize health and longevity and fun, I would worry more about pushing your limits rather than climbing up the leaderboards at your gym or mastering the snatch. Pick one or two movements you want to be dominant at and start to emphasize those.

There's a reason dudes shorter than you are the top Crossfitters, the movements you mentioned (running/gymnastics) are typically easier for them. Sure, you could lose some weight and be faster/a bit more mobile, but... I'd say most dudes would rather have your problem. Obviously, I'm projecting here.

Have fun and stay strong!
 
@anotherklutz Thanks for the encouragement. My goal is to be healthy and fit for a few more decades. You’re probably right; I should stop concerning myself with the leaderboard and just keep improving overall while working on mastering a couple movements at a time.
 
@kutloello Bro, you don’t have to finish first when you’re lifting as heavy as you probably are. Race your own race, most people will never lift that heavy. With that said, incorporate gymnastic movements and you’ll be a unit! The only metric that matters is consistency and a little better than yesterday.
 
@paraoxymoron Was just thinking this too. I'm 6'2" 200lb (probably more since the holidays) and I'm regularly finishing wods first at RX weight, but I'd trade it all to get my lift numbers heavier (I'm sure OP outlifts me across the board). All about what you aspire to, and a bit of 'grass is always greener'.
 
@kutloello As a bigger athlete I recommend one running day a week to training.

I’ve done a mix of intervals (basketball court suicides) and medium distance (45 min run). Not sure what I liked better but there is no other activity I attribute to immediate benefits in WODs. Like next day visible performance. Being able to recruit oxygen efficiently while under fatigue is a powerful hack.

Obviously eat before / after to maintain your muscle
 
@kutloello It sounds like conditioning is simply a weakness that needs to be addressed. I’ve seen some comments regarding doing additional runs etc. - this is sound advice but often it’s hard to add in more workouts when you’re already doing CF 1h per day.

I would scale the workout more so you finish middle of the pack (this will help you achieve the intended training stimulus of the workout). I would also cut the refined carbs and sugar and see what happens.
 
@kutloello I put on about 7 or 8 kg over about 12 months. Got a lot stronger on my lifts but noticed that my cardio and gymnastics had suffered so spent a bit of time focusing on building that back up. Its all a balance really. So yeah, to answer your question dropping some weight will likely help build your cardio and gymnastics movements and if done right you shouldn't lose too much strength or any at all really.
 
@kutloello CrossFit does favor shorter dudes in many regards. I think guys who are 5`7 to 5'10 and can build good sideways muscle mass tend to perform very well. However, as CrossFit incorporates more Strongman style movements, it's leaning back towards taller gentlemen like yourself. It sounds to me like you are crushing it and if you love doing it to keep going.
 
@kutloello Assuming your top goal is getting better at CrossFit, you may be looking at a “fighting weight” issue. Currently, if your hook lands, your opponent is going to be in trouble, but since your opponent knows that already, they are going to take you through the rounds. Tire you out. CrossFit is that opponent and, although you might slay “for load” workouts and your box’s strength cycles from
time to time, you’re by and large not going to place in the upper middle range without getting faster and be able to keep pace for longer periods of time. BUT, can that fighting weight be today’s weight? At 16% body fat, I would say hell yeah dude. Consider this: studies have shown that 12% - 20% body fat in men is associated with the lowest risk of death. A more recent study found this to be 25% across both male/female. Given those two studies, you’re healthy. Thus, if you’re medically healthy, (and you don’t seem to mention anything about aesthetics so I’ll assume you’re satisfied with your appearance), then instead of fixating on your performance being a weight issue, focus more on your training. When you’re at the back of the pack on a run, I almost wonder if it’s simply easier to say “It’s that final 10 lbs that’s the problem” than “I need to do more running” (you’re human and this is normal). What I mean is that when you say “I’m a slow runner”, then I say “Get better at running”. If you get tired doing thruster on thruster, either work on pacing or do more thrusters. Or, better yet, ask your coach how you can specifically improve your lifting speed and endurance. If you go the weight loss path, there’s a chance you hit that 8-10 lb loss realm and you’re still dragging ass during the run. In fact, all that dieting most certainly is not going to provide you with the energy you need to train running more (on top of your WODs). Since you’re current body is primed to go, I would suggest a slow and steady body recomp while adding some additional training to specifically tackle weaknesses. You will eat at maintenance or juuuust under maintenance. You’ll continue to get stronger and faster, while shedding a bit of fat. Ready for summer too.
 
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