Getting better means needing more rest??

S

sanchez55

New member
30F (I consider myself intermediate, but can RX 2-3 WODs a week, still scaling muscle ups and strict HSPU)

Long story short: started CrossFit a few years ago, didn’t get serious about it until the last year & a half, and now that I’m able to RX more WODs, I seem to need more rest days. I love hitting the gym 5-6 days a week but it seems like the better I get, the more sore I am. What should I adjust if I want to keep going that often for my mental health/decompressing from my nursing job?

Should I continue doing strength + a metcon every time I go to the gym? Or should I drop to doing only strength a couple of those days a week? Or intentionally scale things I don’t need to?

(Yes I am tracking my macros & eating enough & sleeping 8-9 hours a night!)
 
@sanchez55 Volume can hinder CrossFit goals. A strength portion plus a wod every day is putting your eggs in too many baskets if just general fitness isn’t what you want and you really want to be better at the sport.

Strength cycle? Do more lifting and only wod to maintain a few days a week.

Gearing up for a competition? Up the volume

The general CrossFit class structure doesn’t really cater towards being competitive, even tho you can get good enough to have some fun in smaller local comps and get into great shape

Edit: I’ve noticed more rest means better gains overall.

If I am going to do a local competition (just good enough that I have a name in a mid sized city as being pretty good for local Rx comps) I up the volume just to get comfortable with it.

I don’t see the point in 10+ wods a week year round. At a certain point it’s diminishing returns to fuel an addiction (I’ve been there)
 
@sanchez55 Hi, glad you’re loving it. I’m very similar, same age, male and got into crossfit/being properly active at the start of last year.

I’ve found myself going 6 days a week and teetering on the edge of injury. One, because I enjoy but, two because in London the membership is so much I feel like I have to get value by going!

In the past few months though, I’ve realised that sometimes less is more, I’ve started to throw in some open gym (less explosive) workouts to combat this and it has really helped. So whilst it’s not a rest day and I’m still improving. Avoiding explosive exercise that can cause those strains and niggles like to the shoulders/rotator cuff may be your answer.

I tend to do Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday doing CrossFit then do open gym Tuesday and Friday to work on weaknesses.
 
@sanchez55 41 M here . I’ve fully changed how I engage CrossFit . Initially I used it get fitter and healthier as I had failed every health measurement that dictates an healthy outcome . I have now switched to strength training during open gym . I feel bad that I don’t CrossFit as much but my body looks better and is stronger . I’m going to CrossFit 2 days a week strength train for 3 and a day of active rest with a light stroll at the park . I say all that to say “ do you boo boo “ it’s your journey . Stay active and healthy
 
@sanchez55 Getting on PEDs should help with recovery. /s

Outside of that, we make our gains from our recovery and rest. You also have the added challenge of working a pretty stressful (physically AND mentally) job. I used to also try to aim for 6 days a week with multiple days two-a-days AND basically going full effort for every workout. Surprise surprise I got burned out, actually regressed in my fitness and strength and got injured. Now I take more rest and focus my workouts more based on whatever my goal is (strength cycle? conditioning?) rather than try and cram all of it in. More rest days (including mobility) have really helped me not feel as burnt out.

And to clarify on my first point, I am not trying to encourage you to cycle.
 
@sanchez55 Definitely! If you’re really feeling antsy to move, however, I always recommend either a walk or a slow rowing or even assault bike session. I have an echo bike at home, and on a recovery day if I need to move I’ll hop on and bike for 30 mins at a nice endurance pace of no more than 60 rpm. A good way to find an endurance pace is if you can have a conversation with someone (my girlfriend once decided to talk to me about board game strategy during one of my recovery rides to make sure I wasn’t going too fast LOL)
 
@sanchez55 Lol did I post this?! I’m was the exact same boat except I’m 36. I started taking an extra rest day, so I do CrossFit classes (WOD + strength) 4 days a week, ruck one day, power yoga one day, and then nothing/rest/sauna/stretch the other day. I’ve been recovering much better than when I was doing CrossFit 5x/week. I’m pretty much always somewhat sore, some weeks worse than others depending on programming, but I don’t get that run down/hit by a bus feeling and my performance has definitely improved (keeping up with some of the younger faster peeps!). I also need exercise for mental health but the lighter exercise days are still really helpful…rucking and yoga are both pretty meditative, a nice balance to the intensity of the WODs!
 
@sanchez55 If you want to get better, replace some of the strength work with skill work. You will get stronger by doing most WODs, but you will not get more efficient at skills by doing WODs. Skill work is also lower impact, which helps with recovery.
 
@sanchez55 3 X Week doing High Intensity work (no more) = getting better. More = diminished capacity.
It's the base framework for all high Intensity sport training as well as the literature supporting it.

CrossFit needs to hear it repeatedly.

Alternate Standard MetCon days with Strength/Strength MetCon Days .

Meaning a Strength (system) set ... .followed by Strength-Power MetCon which are a series of 5-6 2-3movement heavy Complexes each last 1-2Minutes with 2-3Min Rest between.

Plenty to do on other days to improve your CrossFit capacities.
 
@lovedandcherished I needed to hear that! I used to work as a personal trainer with a NASM cert, so I’m used to coaching people for fitness and longevity- not competition so I have some learning to do for myself!
 
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