The CrossFit methodology is simple: constantly varied, functional movement executed at a relatively high intensity.

The final piece of the methodology deals with intensity, or how difficult you make your workouts. Difficulty, relative to your own strengths and weaknesses, allow us to find a place where we can make progress without injury or overuse.

In our ongoing classes we prescribed one workout of the day (WOD) and try to set the bar relatively high. We would love for most people to find the workout challenging, but doable. At FCF we use a combination of setting the bar just above the average athlete at our gym, as well as the benchmarks set by CrossFit HQ over the years. That assumes most have a 100/70kg clean & jerk, a 2:00 400m run or 500m row, 10-20 unbroken pullups, etc.

If you aren’t at those levels then we simply have to figure out where your capacity lies. This is why our TEST WEEKS are so important- we max out to see where your ceilings are, and can extrapolate the proper percentages from that. In the most simple of ideas, you should be challenging yourself to about 80% effort for most workouts. Which does not mean failure- it means completion of movement and progress, albeit not something easy or unbroken.

Next time you workout, ask yourself if you’re truly pushing yourself to a “hard” level, or are you just coasting?

CrossFit WOD for Wednesday 10/23

:15 handstand pushups, :45 rest, for 10:00, then

for time:
100 dumbbell step-ups, 50/35/20lbs to 24/20/16″
100′ handstand walk

Post time to whiteboard!

REGISTER: Muscle-Up Master Class on 11/9
ALSO REGISTER: Foundation Barbell Mock Weightlifting Meet on 11/2
READ: Open Workout 20.2 Analysis – CrossFit Beyond the Whiteboard
WATCH: DO IT YOURSELF! by NardWuar – TED Talks