Crossfit | Why You've Stopped Getting Stronger!
- Nov 28, 2016
- 2 min read
Crossfit is taking the world by storm right now. The mixture of heavy weightlifting, gymnastic movements and brutal conditioning has been getting people hooked for the past decade.
However, since it is so new still, athletes and coaches still haven't found the proper recipe for success. I heard it on a podcast once that Crossfit is in its teenager stages of "I JUST WANT TO PARTY ALL WEEK AND GET FUCKED UP!".
Hard training, is good don't get me wrong, but if you don't give your body a chance to recover then you're digging yourself a very big grave. Have a look at the graph below. The Blue line shows the ideal training and recovery. Dips represent days through out the week when we have our DOMS (Delay Onset Muscle Soreness). We all have it, we get out of bed and it feels like your arse and legs have been used as a punching bag by Mike Tyson. This is natural. Training damages muscle and the muscle responds by growing stronger and more efficient. Thats what the spikes in the graph show: Recovery.
However, if you don't get sufficient recovery and continue during this "Hardcore Party Phase" that Crossfit is going through, then you will end up never improving! Just like the Green line in the graph suggests.
Dependent on how serious you've been training with insufficient recovery, will depend on how long it might take you to recover. In the most serious cases, among some elite athletes, it can take years....BUT THIS IS SUPER RARE.
SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?!
Rest. This doesn't mean you have to stop training but probably just your focus. I would recommend a hypertrophy style programme for around 4-12 weeks where you won't be hitting any maximal or sub-maximal weights. Also this will help make your muscles bigger and therefore have the capability to produce more strength and power when you start "Partying Hardcore" again!
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