If you haven’t come across “World Class Fitness in 100 Words“, it’s about time you did. Head over to The CrossFit Journal for an in-depth and scientifically-backed description of what it means to be fit – or take a pee-break at CrossFit DireWolf where we’ve pinned the definition on the back of the bathroom door.
We believe in it that much.
We also believe that “life happens”, and so know that fitting pirouettes, deadlifts, swimming, and new sports into your training can feel overwhelming, that five-or-six days a week might be asking too much of an already-busy schedule, and that sometimes, rarely, but every now and again; only a bowl of Coco Pops will do…
… but that’s the beauty of CrossFit. It’s methodology comes from the stimulus (what CrossFit is) and the adaptation (what CrossFit achieves). We prioritise functional movement, which is what we rely on in our day-to-day behaviours to respond to life’s demands – sitting down, standing up, picking something up, putting something down – it’s not the kind of movement reserved only for the gym.
Functional movement means we’re producing POWER. It means we’re training to be capable of moving large loads (force) over long distances (distance) quickly (time).
And for CrossFit, power is exactly equal to intensity.
“Keep workouts short and intense!”
So yeah, maybe we can’t always meet the required number of sessions, or stick to the diet described in the World Class Fitness in 100 Words, but good CrossFit programming will take care of the intensity for sure. The power produced in a workout determines its intensity level, and it’s intensity that breeds results.
Once more for the people in the back:
It’s Intensity That Breeds Results
Volume doesn’t equate to intensity. And that’s what we mean by “more isn’t better”. By all means, spend time practising the high-skill stuff outside of class, but before considering additional volume on top of your CrossFit programming, ask yourself if you’re pushing enough in your sessions. Focus on your workouts, focus on your recovery, focus on your nutrition, and that balance will do way more for you than “more work” will.