How to measure progress in crossfit training? - this is a question that most people starting their adventure with crossfit ask themselves. While with typical exercises in the gym, the main measure of progress is the number of kilograms raised, in crossfit the matter is a bit different.

With a large variety of exercises performed during crossfit training, progress is measured in three categories:

  • strength,
  • of condition,
  • range of motion (mobility) combined with gymnastics.

Here are some tips on how to measure your crossfit progress.

Why measure your progress in crossfit training?

Before answering the question "how?", We should know "why?" it is important to measure the progress of crossfit training regularly. This training, due to its nature, combines strength exercises (deadlift or throw), conditioning (running or rowing) and gymnastic exercises - requiring good coordination and mobility (walking on the hands or squatting on one leg). In order to achieve the set goals and increase your personal records, each of the mentioned groups should be developed evenly, as they have a direct impact on each other. Therefore, from the very first class, it is necessary to note down all your exercises and the number of repetitions. This will give us a picture of how our physical abilities change over time.

Another aspect that convinces us to measure progress in training is the things we do outside of training. Diet, stress and the amount of sleep are direct factors affecting the functioning of the body, and thus - the results we achieve. Both the diet and the recovery phase (rest after training and sleep) should be balanced with the training cycle. It will be different for a person who trains 2-3 times a week, and different for someone who does 5-6 workouts with 1-2 days of rest.

If we plan to change the diet, we should perform similar sets of exercises (with the same load) both before and after the diet change, monitoring the progress (or regression). Often times, proper nutrition produces results faster than the best training program.

How to measure progress in crossfit training - training diary

Although the word "diary" may be associated with school times, it is fora beginner crossfiter should be an indispensable gadget in every training. It is worth writing down everything in it - the type and number of exercises performed and the times or loads we worked with. The more details we write down, the easier it will be to analyze our progress over time.

In a good crossfit box, each workout is carefully written on the blackboard, and the trainer scales it during the classes so that, with the right effort, we can do it. We will also honestly ascertain whether our mobility improves with strength or condition, e.g. a deeper squat. In the 21st century, in the age of smartphones and applications, the training diary does not have to be in the form of a paper notebook with a small pen attached to it. All you need is a good program that will analyze many factors and present their analysis over time.

Important

Scaling crossfit training- each crossfit training consists of specific basic exercises with specific standards and guidelines. However, in order for each participant of the classes to be able to complete the entire training, the trainer selects alternative exercises (number of repetitions or appropriate load) for each individual. This guarantees that every person, regardless of their level of advancement, will be able to perform the training at 100% of their current abilities.

How to measure progress in crossfit training - crossfit benchmarks

Crossfit benchmarks are an ideal tool for checking both the level of training and giving the opportunity to compare yourself with other players, sometimes hundreds of kilometers away from us. These are ready-made sets of exercises that, depending on our capabilities, can be scaled or performed in the RX version - as recommended. We divide them into two groups.

1. The first group are the "Girls" WODs (The Benchmark Girls). Contrary to their names, these are not sets of exercises only for girls, and doing them according to the recommendations in good time will be difficult even for experienced crossfiters.

2. The second group are WODs created in honor of the heroes: soldiers, firefighters and policemen (The Hero Workouts). Each set of exercises honors exceptional people for their sacrifice.

If we want to focus on monitoring progress even more closely, we should make a list of all strength and / or conditioning exercises and carefully measure the results (exact time, weight, distance), writing them down in the diary each time. Then we will have a full picture of what aspect we are strong in and where we need to catch up.

Category:

ABC of exercises