I’ve written several articles about implementing CrossFit intelligently by judiciously using intensity. We must earn the right to push by first mastering movements and then slowly adding weight or speed to find the edge of technical competency through threshold training. I’ve harped on not going too hard, too soon, too often. This is my counter to the refrain from fraudulent competitors and outsiders, as well as individuals who speak out of both sides of their mouths about topics they know nothing about, claiming CrossFit causes injury.
Applied as intended, CrossFit forges elite fitness, changes lives, and pushes away the misery of chronic disease. CrossFit overzealously applied does the same thing with a little added risk of tweaks and niggles along the way. It’s when CrossFit is applied by someone who won’t leave their ego at the door and thinks they know better than anyone else — including their trainer — that things can get a little messy. This is true of any endeavor. There are often dire consequences for being an ass.
Intensity Isn’t the Enemy
Hopefully, my constant promotion of the mantra of mechanics and consistency before intensity has not sent the message that I think intensity is bad. To the contrary, it is a critical part of any fitness program. Intensity is the key to the amazing results we’re chasing, which is why intensity is a central tenet of our program.
The thing is, working out with intensity — and I’m talking about relative intensity — is uncomfortable. Pushing load, speed, and reps hurts. It’s much more comfortable to sit on a machine, do a set, check our cell phone, do another set, check our cell phone, do a last set, towel off the beads of sweat on our brow, get up and find the next machine, and repeat this slow, meandering process. When someone tells me they’re in the gym for two to three hours a day, I know what their workout looks like, and their scrawny legs and lack of traps confirm my suspicions.
Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, has stated, “Nobody ever got fit, or even close, through a combination of long slow aerobics and bodybuilding routines.”
The Comfort Trap
Yet many of us have fallen into this fitness trap because it’s relatively easy, even pleasant. We convince ourselves we’re doing the right things. The truth is, a routine of Zone 2 work on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, combined with the same weight training regimen day in and day out for years on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, is not the path to elite fitness.
When we adopt this pattern of training, we’re clinging to an illusion of fitness and toil while sitting squarely in our comfort zone. We tell ourselves we’re working hard even though we have no way to quantify this. In fact, the weights we lift, reps we complete, and distances we cover have remained stagnant for years, while the list of things we can’t do keeps growing. If we were to measure our power output for our workouts, we would find it to be minimal.
CrossFit Grandview
Worse yet, we look at those crazy people blending Olympic lifts, powerlifts, gymnastics, and running, biking, and rowing, all while breathing hard and taking few and short breaks, and we know they are a special few zealots who can work out this way. We also nod knowingly to ourselves that, while they may look fit and strong and back it up by doing things we can’t even comprehend, they’ll soon get hurt and be forced to quit. We know better, we tell ourselves. So, we stay where we’re comfortable. Mired in mediocrity. Hanging on to average fitness. There’s a motivating tagline.
This illusion of fitness we’re living in is actually complacency. As Jordan Peterson says, “Complacency is the death spiral of the comfortable.” Whether in business, sports, or our profession, when we settle in and do only what’s comfortable, we’re losing ground. We’re getting worse. We’re dying.
The Path Forward
How do we fix this? We need to ignore that feeling in our gut that makes us nervous because we know Fran, Helen, Cindy, or any one of a thousand nameless challenges is waiting to test our body and mind.
We need to do the opposite of what our body is telling us.
We need to pull away from the “easy” globo-gym-style workouts and gravitate toward, even seek out, challenges.
We need to embrace the struggle of dedicated practice to learn challenging movements, the strain of lifting heavy weights, and the suck of intensity.
This is how we chase excellence and forge elite fitness.
How do we know if we’re on the right path?
When we fail often, when we feel uncomfortable, when we have to face fears, and when we don’t want to do it but we do, that’s how we know we’re chasing excellence. This is the only way we grow and fulfill our potential in any endeavor. We must take pride in wrestling with complacency, finding discomfort, and not clinging to the illusion of safety and lackluster results. Pushing ourselves this way is the essence and spice of life, and the rewards far outweigh the sacrifice. Ultimately, this is one of the greatest gifts CrossFit has given the world.
The Unexpected Gift
All this talk about being the best we can be and paying the price sounds so serious. And it is. Quality of life, and actually staying alive, is on the line for millions of people. But the hard work and shared suffering actually create a close-knit community that is the social hub for millions. It’s with our CrossFit group that we enjoy BBQs, events like marathons, Hyrox, Spartan races, or long hikes. These are the people with whom we play sports and go camping, travel, and raise our kids. They are family. These are the people with whom we laugh and cry and who shape the very fabric of our lives. The fun, life-defining moments and the family feel are a consequence of the work. This is another precious gift, although somewhat unintended, that CrossFit has delivered to the world.
So no matter how hard the workout, no matter how shitty our performance, when we’re living the CrossFit lifestyle, we always need to remember (to paraphrase an old Marine friend of mine): “If we’re not having fun, we’re f*cking it up!”
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About the Author
Stephane Rochet is a Senior Content Writer for CrossFit. He has worked as a Flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff and has over 15 years of experience as a collegiate/tactical strength and conditioning coach. He is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) and enjoys training athletes in his garage gym.