Hello, it’s Sho.
Today, I want to share my thoughts on how beginners can become stronger in CrossFit based on my personal experience. If you’ve had different experiences, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Training Focus in My Early Days
When I first started CrossFit, I mainly focused on weightlifting (excluding bodyweight exercises) and gymnastics skills. My reasoning was that without mastering these skills, I wouldn’t be able to complete even a single rep, so I believed it was crucial to start there. However, I’ve come to realize that this approach wasn’t the most effective.
During these sessions, I often found myself breathless after just a few drills, which limited the amount of training I could complete and left me feeling fatigued. I later discovered that this isn’t just my experience—there’s scientific evidence to support this. For example, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research titled “Aerobic Fitness Enhances Recovery Following High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise” highlights that individuals with higher aerobic fitness levels recover more quickly after high-intensity exercises.
Another regret is not dedicating enough time to bodyweight exercises like pull-ups and core training. Relative strength is crucial for performing movements like kipping or butterfly pull-ups, muscle-ups, and handstand walks properly. Without sufficient strength, practicing these skills often led to improper technique and, more critically, joint pain. This pain reduced my practice time, creating a vicious cycle where I couldn’t improve my skills. However, once I shifted my focus to building relative strength, I noticed significant improvements: skills I had struggled with suddenly became achievable, and I could train without pain.
Re-evaluating Training Priorities
From my experience, I believe the following priorities are essential for beginners:
- Strength Training:
- This includes both absolute strength exercises like squats and Olympic lifts, as well as relative strength exercises like pull-ups and sit-ups.
- Metabolic Conditioning (MetCon):
- Focus on long slow distance (LSD) workouts or sessions that last about 20 minutes with an RPE of 8 or lower.
- What is LSD?
- What is RPE?
- Skill Practice:
- Practice Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics movements to refine your technique and improve overall athletic performance.
Including Metabolic Conditioning is especially important, even though it’s often overlooked. Improving your aerobic capacity allows you to handle more volume in both strength and skill training, leading to greater long-term gains.
Tailoring Your Strategy
That said, your strategy should depend on your starting point. If you come from a background with strong cardiovascular fitness, your priority might be on strength training and skill work. Conversely, if you’re already strong, including relative strength, you may need to focus more on MetCon. I highly recommend assessing your current fitness level and consulting with a coach to develop a strategy tailored to your needs.
Thank you for reading.
See you next time!
Sho