How to Use Progressive Overload for CrossFit
Written by Conquer Athlete Coach Jason Leydon
CrossFit is a demanding fitness regimen that incorporates a variety of exercises and movements to improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness. To get the most out of your Crossfit workouts, it's essential to incorporate the principle of progressive overload into your training. This principle involves gradually increasing the intensity, volume, or frequency of your workouts over time, to continually challenge your body and promote ongoing gains in strength, endurance, and fitness.
Here are some tips on how to use progressive overload in Crossfit:
Start with a baseline
To incorporate progressive overload into your Crossfit training, it's essential to establish a baseline for your current fitness level. This baseline can include your one-rep max for key exercises like the squat, deadlift, and bench press, as well as your current endurance levels for activities like running, rowing, and cycling.
Set specific goals
Once you've established a baseline, set specific goals for what you want to achieve in your Crossfit training. These goals could include increasing your one-rep max for a specific exercise, improving your endurance for a particular activity, or completing a challenging workout within a specific timeframe.
Increase weight, reps, or sets
To promote progressive overload in your Crossfit workouts, you can gradually increase the weight you lift, the number of reps you perform, or the number of sets you complete. For example, if you're working on your deadlift, you could gradually increase the weight you lift by 5-10 pounds each week, or add an extra set to your workout to increase volume.
Vary the intensity
To keep your body challenged and avoid hitting a plateau, it's essential to vary the intensity of your Crossfit workouts. This can include incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, adding in new exercises or movements, or varying the duration and intensity of your cardio workouts.
Take rest days
To avoid overtraining and reduce the risk of injury, it's essential to take rest days in your Crossfit training. Rest days allow your body to recover and repair itself, which is essential for promoting ongoing gains in strength, endurance, and fitness.
By incorporating the principle of progressive overload into your Crossfit training, you can continually challenge your body and promote ongoing gains in strength, endurance, and fitness. Remember to start with a baseline, set specific goals, increase weight, reps, or sets, vary the intensity, and take rest days to get the most out of your Crossfit workouts.
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