More reps with lower weight, or less reps with higher weight?

[ladyblue1]

In todays WOD I did the "RX" (prescribed) weight for Power Snatch and Overhead Squats. I did it slower than others, but completed. The coach says I should do less weight and more reps.

I would say my form would be rated a C. I certainly want to better my form, but I also like throwing weight around. My goal is to build muscle mass rather than endurance.

Any who, age old question. Less with more, or more with less?

 

[ckitty85]

@ladyblue1 Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. You admit your form needs work, and your coach gave you clear instructions. Why would you not listen? Why are you asking strangers on the internet who have never seen you move instead of listening to your coach who you are paying, has seen you move, and given you feedback on it.

Strength is built through work and process, not just lifting heavy because you want to. Check your ego at the door.

 

[ladyblue1]

@ckitty85 Thanks, stranger!

 

[sharzid]

@ladyblue1 There are two factors when loading in a met-con:

1. Are you consistently demonstrating sound mechanics, regardless of loading?
   1. Make sure you move well before adding intensity, work at the threshold that suits your movement quality.
2. Are you moving in a manner that meets the intended stimulus of the workout?
   1. If its FRAN (21-15-9 Thruster + Pull-UP) are you going unbroken on the Thruster?

Honestly: It sounds like you missed both the mechanics (self-prescribed C grade) and the stimulus (slower then the others). It sounds like the coach should have stopped your workout and stripped some weight off of your bar. Better yet: There should have been enough warm-up and build up time to for the coach to personally prescribe you a weight for the day.

 

[xcer125]

@sharzid Shout out to this answer.

Cardio-based wods are for cardio, they will not help you build strength or muscle. Scale so you can keep moving and get the prescribed stimulus

 

[khristine]

@ladyblue1 If the coach told you to do less weight and more reps, that’s the “intended stimulus” for the workout. It’s always a good idea to ask if they don’t tell you before the workout starts.

 

[truth111]

@ladyblue1 If your form was a C, I'd say lower weight to get that better first. If you can handle the same form in your scenario, then I'd say it's up to your own goals. Want cardio/fitness drop weight and go faster, stronger then higher weight and slower. Just my opinion, I'm not a coach

 

[qpwoeiruty123]

@truth111 I am a coach and you are correct. OP missed the mark on this one. Both form wise and likely stimulus wise. Doing a million snatches at a light to moderate weight only benefits you if you’re getting endurance work out of it. Anyone can struggle through lots of reps very slowly with poor form at a higher weight than they can handle and they will gain nothing but an injury. OP, if you just want to get huge and don’t want to listen to your coach or follow CrossFit methodology, it sounds like CrossFit isn’t for you. You might enjoy powerlifting more.

 

[pj1070]

@ladyblue1 Form before load before intensity. That's the CF prescription. It's one thing for the last few reps in a long WOD to depart from ideal (or as close as you can get to ideal), it's another for form to suck from 3..2..1..GO, especially if it wouldn't suck if you used lighter weights.

If you really want to build muscle mass (and it breaks my heart a bit to say this), CrossFit metcons are not your best approach. Sure, they'll build some muscle, but the best way to build muscle is progressive overload focused on the three big lifts (deadlifts, squats and presses) with supplemental lifts and bodyweight work. Years of metcons won't build muscle mass like 6 months of intensity and focus following a 3x-4x a week lifting program (like Wendler 5-3-1).

My two cents - find a lifting program and go all in on it, and supplement with metcons 2 or 3 times a week if you like doing CF. You'll build muscle mass (and strength), and that will certainly help with most metcons. Good luck.

 

[angelmom1958]

@ladyblue1 If you are a C and moving slow you sure as fuck you have to scale down. You are going on what is the prescribed stimulus on the workout

 

[worshipnico1]

@ladyblue1 Lower the weight. If you want to build mass you need to eat more calories, use progressive overload, and go to failure. CrossFit generally isn’t designed for packing on mass. You’re going to likely have to do extra for that. Olympic lifts especially also aren’t the lifts to be adding weight too if your form isn’t spot on.

 

[janehenry]

@ladyblue1 Listen to your coach.

Odd that you’re second guessing the one who actually sees you and works with you in the hopes that internet gym monkeys can give you a second opinion that you’ll favor.

If you can’t do it right, don’t add weight. Do more reps until you get the form down and then add weight.

 

[rovella]

@ladyblue1 What was the actual workout? As someone else stated, intended stimulus. I'd really like if gyms adopted that in their workout description. I've seen it written a few times at my gym, but not for every workout.

Once you post workout, folks can (sometimes) guess the stimulus if one was actually considered by the programmer. And sometimes programmers just smash stuff together with no real thought.

 

[jhumby]

@ladyblue1 If you giving yourself a C on form then definitely drop weight. You'd want nothing less than a B with the exception being a WOD where maybe the weight builds to a heavy single and fatigue is a factor.

 

[mantius]

@ladyblue1 Depends on what you want to get out of the workout, if it’s a couplet with running, for example, do I want to run more or focus on the lifts? The workout should be designed to give you a certain stimulus, so if you can handle the weight safely and with good form, do it Rx.

 

[peeceonearth]

@ladyblue1 I had back problems and surgery in '01, I'm always form before weight.

You can always do more strength training, scale cals, running... if you aren't interested in cardio/endurance.

I'd like my form to be a B+ or higher before adding more weight.

 

[hailtofire]

@ladyblue1 Listen to the coach. You aren't going to improve snatch form in a WOD. Find some time to get a few good snatch workouts in. Longer rest periods, focus on quality of movement at higher weights. Then bring that back to class.

 

[vulcanlogician]

@ladyblue1 Something something reps in reserve https://blog.nasm.org/reps-in-reserve

 

[whisperhope]

@ladyblue1 Anytime heavy weight is involved your form needs to be an A always. Throwing around weight is fine if you are doing it properly. Endurance is also important for strategic muscle growth.

 

[softhenic]

@ladyblue1 Depends on the stimulus and intent of the workout. If picking a higher weight results in breaking up sets into smaller chunks or singles (when it should be done faster in larger sets to tap into harder/heavier breathing) then you should go lighter. On rare occasion is the intent to be heavy enough to warrant lots of pauses and breaks, or a slower finish time.

Example, Fran is intentionally supposed to be completed