15th February 2018
7 ways to get fitter faster!
7 ways to get fitter, faster.
- Be coachable
By and large, everyone who comes into CrossFit understands that it is a coach led fitness program and is open to being corrected. Make sure you start each session as a white belt, even if it’s a session you’re familiar with, there is always bits you can pick up. Be willing to trust the process of taking two steps back to go two steps forward. Sometimes it is necessary to strip a movement back to it’s basic components and revisit the foundations. All of the best athletes do this, they are the most fundamentally sound.
- If you get an injury, don’t quit!
Niggles, aches and pains are not necessarily normal but they are however, extremely common. To say you’re going to get through your first year pain free would be unrealistic. Most of us start our journey with movement issues and old injuries that present themselves during sessions because a range of motion is required that you might not have done for a very long time! If you get a niggle or pain, there are always ways for a coach to work around it depending on what it is. These will vary depending on the experience, competence and imagination of the coach you are working with. Most good coaches can offer advice on how to remedy the pain and if not, point you in the direction of the right person. If you get an injury to your core, you must of course, get that seen to by a competent therapist (see step 7). 99% of muscular skeletal pains are both treatable and preventable. If you take time off a heal that is seldom the correct answer and can add to the problem that caused the pain in the first place.
- Eat right!!
Sounds obvious, right? Well it is! The entire history of nutritional research is at your finger tips on the net but there are some things you can do instantly to improve your performance and the rate at which you’re improving. The most obvious one is to cut all sugar, natural or refined. This is, of course, very hard to do but if you manage it I cant tell you the difference it would make to your health! Drinking more water more regularly is another. Water is required for every single chemical process within the body, including burning fat! If you’re thirsty you could already be dehydrated. Around 85% of us are already dehydrated so it pays to up your intake levels. Nutrition is another blog/book all by itself but the point is, all of the information is there if you are willing to put the time in to absorb it and make positive changes for yourself.
- Rest when your body tells you to.
CrossFitters are so passionate and don’t want to miss out on an epic training session but it’s imperative to listen to your body. Its not uncommon for brand new members to start hitting it every single day because they love it so much. As much as I love the passion you cannot grow with that approach. A wise man once told me, ‘fitness is recovery’. Recovery between reps, sets, WOD’s and sessions. If you optimise this area of your training, your progress with go through the roof.
- Don’t try to RX everything!
No one persons RX (workout as prescribed) is the same as another’s. It doesn’t matter what level or who it is, the weight and movement required to get the best training effect for that individual is unique. You may strive for the Rx weight in a workout and actually achieve it however, what has that cost you in fitness? Are you there staring at the bar, having big rest in between sets? Are you compromising your position to get the heavier weight up? The general rule is, whatever you can do to increase the intensity of a workout, you should do, most of the time that is reducing the weight or reducing the complexity of the movement. As any experienced CrossFitter will tell you, the work outs that look simple end up being the ones that burn the most! If you’re not sure what weight to use, always ask your coach.
- Less is more.
More is definitely not better when it comes to improving your athletic performance. That is a mindset taken on by many (including professionals) trying to get the edge on their fellow competitors. Doing one workout after another does not always elicit the best response. Granted, putting it into your program occasionally is absolutely correct, after all, unique stimuli provide unique adaptions. If you’ve hit the first workout with the right amount of high intensity then to do more may promote over training. Quality is far more important than quantity.
- Choose the right physical therapist.
There are times when you may need to see a therapist to address an imbalance, an over tension issue or some other subtle pain. If you need to, choose wisely because you could be throwing thousands of pounds down the drain! Not all therapists are as competent as the rest. Always go by recommendation from a coach or a friend. There is no better review than a peer review! If your therapist keeps trying to get you to book for the following week, question their integrity. The industry standard, if they’re a competent therapist, to rectify an issue is – when got early, a maximum of 3 sessions is needed, provided you do the corrective exercises! If it’s a trauma/surgery, then a maximum of 6. If your therapist offers a range of holistic therapies and services, question their need to do it. If your therapist is good they will have a waiting list and if they don’t need to see you again, they will say! Choose one with the best reputation and results, they’re worth waiting for. You only get one body!
