Not every workout is the one to win you the CrossFit Games. I know what you’re thinking “Thanks Captain Obvious! Can’t wait to see what other gems you have in store for me today!”. While it may seem like an obvious statement, think about this. How often do you go into your workout thinking that you have to give it everything you’ve got? If you’re like most people then every class is a 110% effort. If you’re not making sweat angels by the end of class you just didn’t go hard enough. Well, I’m here to tell you that the way you are approaching each class could be hampering your progress. Not to worry though, it’s an easy fix. You just need to learn the difference between training and competing.

Competition

Let’s tackle the fun stuff first, competing. Competition is where you display strength, technique, and endurance when you are compared to other athletes in your selected sport. It’s your chance to prove that you are measurably fitter than last year. Well, the one thing we often forget is all the work that goes in before we get to the big event, training.

Training

Training is what goes on most of the year. No one is around to watch you (well, save for your proud moments posted on Instagram and Facebook) but that does not make it any less important. In fact, I would argue that the time you spend NOT competing is the most important. The more time you can spend training the better because training is where you focus on becoming a more complete athlete.

Training should be a measured, tactical affair. It’s anything but sexy but this is where you work on your weaknesses, build up a foundation of strength, and learn new movements. Proper training will make sure to build you up for your competition in the future. This means that the farther you are from the competition the more time you will spend doing “non-competition” movements. In CrossFit, this becomes a much more complicated process but the same principle applies no matter the sport. During these training sessions you the focus should be on “virtuosity” of movement. This is the time for “perfect” ring rows instead of almost there pull-ups. This change in focus will pay big dividends.

Building up a foundation of strength is a key component of improving your fitness. Crossfit Aurora Central and Crossfit Newmarket Central are welcoming CrossFit boxes that know their stuff. Visit them, or your local Crossfit box for more tips on fine tuning skills for your next competition. 

Check out some of our other CrossFit articles for more insight into this great community:

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From Coach Potato to CrossFitter

Beyod the awesome workout lies the heart of CrossFit - Community

2018 CrossFit Games Open: Outstanding Moments from CrossFit Newmarket Aurora Central

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SeeWhatSheCanDo

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