Conquer CrossFit Blog

Functional Fitness Tips, CrossFit News, & More

Harnessing a Champion's Mindset on Competition Day

As a mindset coach, I've seen firsthand how the mental state of an individual can dramatically influence their performance. On the day of competition, it's not just about the physical preparation you've done leading up to this moment—it's about cultivating a strong, focused, and resilient mindset that will carry you through every challenge you face. Here are some strategies to help you get into that optimal mental zone and compete at your very best.

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Understanding the importance of Fatigue for Masters CrossFit Athletes

For Masters athletes in CrossFit, understanding fatigue is crucial for navigating the fine line between progress and potential setbacks. In strength and conditioning, fatigue isn't simply the feeling of being tired after a workout—it's a complex biological response that directly influences your performance, recovery, and overall adaptation. With age, understanding and managing fatigue becomes even more essential for optimizing results and ensuring longevity in the sport.

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How to Progress Mixed Modal Workouts

Mixed modal workouts combine various modalities like weightlifting, gymnastics, and monostructural movements in one workout. This style of training helps train different energy systems and muscle groups simultaneously. However, to continually improve and avoid plateaus, it's important to understand how to progress in mixed modal workouts strategically. 

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The Art and Science of Tapering for Masters Athletes in CrossFit

When it comes to preparing Masters athletes for peak performance in CrossFit, tapering is an essential yet often misunderstood component of the training process. As a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with athletes across various age groups, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of a well-executed taper. In this essay, I will outline the most important aspects of tapering for masters athletes, explain how to effectively implement a taper, and delve into why tapering is crucial for optimizing performance and recovery.

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Developing an Elite Mindset for Competition: A Guide for Masters CrossFit Athletes

In the dynamic and demanding world of CrossFit, the pursuit of excellence is not just for the young. Masters athletes, those bravely competing in age categories ranging from 35 and above, face unique challenges and opportunities. Embracing an elite mindset is crucial not only for performance but also for longevity in the sport. Here’s how you can cultivate this mindset, backed by strength and conditioning principles and inspiring stories of athletes who have mastered the art.

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The Importance of Maintaining Training When You're Not Feeling Your Best

One of the most common questions I receive is, "Should I still train if I'm not feeling my best?" Whether you're dealing with minor aches, mild illness, or just feeling unmotivated, maintaining your training routine is crucial. Let's delve into why it's important to keep moving even when you're not at 100%.

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How a Champion's Mindset Can Help You Overcome Setbacks

In the world of strength and conditioning, the journey of athletes is marked by both triumphs and setbacks. The mindset of champions, however, sets them apart. Their ability to navigate challenges and turn setbacks into stepping stones is what ultimately leads to their success. Let’s explore how elite athletes cultivate this mindset and the strategies they employ to overcome obstacles.

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The Foundation of a Strong Mindset

In the realm of sports, success isn't solely determined by physical prowess or natural talent. A crucial factor lies in the mindset of the athlete. As a strength and conditioning coach, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of a growth mindset in athletes. It's the foundation upon which champions are built, the mindset that propels individuals beyond their perceived limitations. In this short essay we will delve into the principles and practices of cultivating a growth mindset to unlock your full athletic potential.

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How To Be Better in Next Year’s CrossFit Open

In the realm of sports, setbacks are not only inevitable but also integral to the journey of growth and success. I understand the disappointment that comes with an unsatisfactory end to a season. However, it's crucial to recognize that adversity presents an opportunity for evolution and transformation. In this blog, I'll delve into how athletes can strategically approach their off-season training following a less-than-ideal season conclusion.

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Addressing Energy Leaks

Maybe, you already possess the skills AND conditioning you need to be successful. However, you may have too many energy leaks that contribute toward your overall fatigue and expenditure – which prohibits you from expressing your true abilities.

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Looking Holistically at Fitness

When you’re in your 20’s (or even younger), some things may not be as important for you to focus on, but as age, volume, and priorities change, it’s vital to take a look at the whole picture if you hope to continue down the path of progress.

The following elements all have a huge impact on your training, your improvement, and your longevity.

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Thinking Long-Term

To maximize your athletic potential, long-term thinking has to be part of your mindset.

A big portion of that includes training smart, training consistently, and avoiding injuries.

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Optimizing versus Adapting

For better or worse, the typical CrossFit athlete is focused on performance. How do I get a faster time or more reps? And in some instances, that can be a hindrance toward progression.

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Training Approach for the Masters Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athlete

As you age, especially in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you learn quite a few things. First, despite your age, you can still train extremely hard. Second, if you opt to do that with high frequency, you’re also looking at time away from the mat due to injury. So how do you find the balance?

All of it simply comes down to training smarter, not harder. With that in mind, here’s my take on training jiu-jitsu for the masters athlete.

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How to Become a Better CrossFit Masters Athlete

This is single handedly the most prevalent question within the Sport of Fitness. Everyday I have this conversation, whether by phone, Zoom, or in person with aspiring athletes who are looking to progress up the proverbial CrossFit ladder. So, here I am going to build a framework around what I project (as of this day) are and will be the driving principles that will give you the tools to do well within CrossFit. This is not a manual that you can open and find a one, two, three step process. This is more of an outline around three guiding principles that will set you up for success to be a better CrossFit Masters Athlete.

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Cultivating a Champion's Mindset for Master’s Athletes

Masters athletes, individuals who continue to compete in sports well into their adulthood, often face unique challenges as they strive to maintain peak physical performance while dealing with the demands of daily life. To excel in their chosen sport, especially such a complex and taxing sport like CrossFit, Masters athletes must not only focus on physical training but also develop a strong mindset. The saying, you cannot teach an old dog new tricks doesn’t hold true when you are talking about masters athletes. They are some of the most adaptable athletes out there, however, the mindset and mental approach to training and competing can be a new landscape if they haven’t come from a background of sport. So, below are a few ways masters athletes can work on cultivating a strong mindset.

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How To Use Concurrent Periodization in CrossFit

CrossFit, known for its dynamic and diverse training approach, demands a combination of strength, endurance, agility, and more. To excel in this multifaceted sport, athletes need a training strategy that optimizes various fitness attributes simultaneously. This is where concurrent periodization comes into play. By blending different training components within a single training cycle, concurrent periodization empowers CrossFit athletes to enhance multiple facets of their performance.

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