Variety In Training | The Bigger Picture

I have often thought that CrossFit®, as it is commonly practiced today, has a weakness. General training gives general results. The average CrossFitter wants to make progress on specific things, but never puts in the work to get there. This lack of focus isn’t our fault; it stems from fear. Sometimes, to progress, we need to step back, learn something new, do a deep dive, then come back and apply what we learned. 

Why stepping away can make you better

I have often found myself in the boat of taking time off from CrossFit to work on a specific training goal: a sprint triathlon, some endurance running events, gymnastic skills, and Olympic weightlifting. These are all components of fitness that will directly impact my CrossFit performance without a single metcon. These pursuits have made me a better runner, gymnast, and weightlifter because they have kept me focused. Focus, especially without underlying fatigue, is a HUGE benefit to anyone working towards any goal. 

The SAID principle and why focus wins

You can achieve specific training goals while still fully training CrossFit. But you should adjust your time horizon; it’s going to take longer. CrossFit, after all, builds a “broad, general, and inclusive fitness,” not a specific outcome. The fastest way to make progress toward a specific goal/skill/event is to train for it specifically. In the exercise science world, we call this the SAID principle (specific adaptations to imposed demands). For a long time, I thought the problem was a lack of focus. But in a recent journaling reflection, I’ve realized it is fear. It is scary as a CrossFitter to imagine not doing a metcon for 3-6 months. The “what ifs” haunt you.

“What if my friends and training partners outstrip me?” “What if I focus on endurance, and can’t lift heavy anymore?” “What if I do worse in next year's Open?” “What if I can’t get back to where I am now?” 

It is hard to intentionally get worse or let go in any one area of fitness just to work on another. “I’ve worked so hard to get here, and you want me to just stop?” is a common thought that crosses my mind when I decide to change gears. 

The question that changes everything

The question that settles these concerns for me is, “Would the fitness I have built today be better or worse if I improved on…?” More often than not, the answer is “better”. If it isn’t “better”, then the other question I ask is, “Will I regret not trying this new thing?” After all, I am not an elite athlete (and probably never will be), and the most important thing to me is seeing progress and having fun.

What I've repeatedly proven to myself is that fitness is far more durable than I once believed. I can take a year away from Olympic lifting and still hit 97% of my best-ever snatch in competition (as a hang power snatch). I can focus exclusively on running and still cycle barbells effectively. The reality is that my body changes, but it doesn't forget skills I've spent a decade building. It’s going to feel harder than if I didn’t stop. But the loss isn’t that deep. I may slip a few percentiles in the Open, but the world won’t crash down around me.

I’ve learned more about myself from going deep and focusing on one thing at a time than I ever would have thought possible. Focused training teaches you patience in a way that constant variance can’t. In a CrossFit-only-all-the-time mentality, if something gets hard, you won’t have to do it again until next week. But when you work on one thing at a time, you learn what a good and bad muscle-up day actually feels like. You find the specific issues with your movement. You learn how to build skills. You learn how to problem solve. This is a superpower in fitness and in life. Break things down into their smallest pieces, clean them up and make them better, then reassemble.

What happens when you commit to one thing

If you can overcome the fitness FOMO, you might come out the other side with a weakness that is significantly improved and ready to be integrated back into your CrossFit training. If you aren’t getting paid to work out, you have little to lose in trying new things. Your fitness isn’t fragile or temporary, and you don’t need to train in constant fear of losing it. When you stop saying, "I wish I were stronger, faster, or better at..." and start asking, "What can I do to improve that weakness?" everything changes.