Controlling Intensity
By: Marcos Hernandez
One of the biggest draws to CrossFit is the intensity and challenge of the workouts. People hear that word and their eyes glaze over, heads nodding along as if saying to themselves, “Yeah, that’s what I need! These guys get it.”
Most people, before they experience CrossFit, have no concept of varying intensities based on how long a workout is. The standard is to sit on the cardio machine of choice for a while. This portion of the workout could be twenty minutes, could be thirty, it just depends on how long they’ve decided to suffer. Typically this is performed at a steady pace regardless of the duration of the effort.
When doing CrossFit workouts, there needs to be an appreciation for how hard an athlete is supposed to push based on the length of time. The desired level of “push” for a particular workout can fall into a few different categories, which we can classify into three tiers:
Tier 1: Just Get It Done
These are the long slow guys. Think Hero WODs, 5k+ Runs & Rows, and typically any workout over twenty minutes. There’s a very real risk of going out too hard. The goal of these types of workouts is to start off on the easy side, find a steady, sustainable pace, and stick with it through the finish.
Tier 2: Don’t Fizzle Out
I’d consider anything from ~8-16 minutes in this category. It’s important to have a goal pace or score in mind here so you can pace appropriately. You’re working below your threshold here for most of the workout, leaving something in the tank for the last round or the final 2 minutes when you can really go for it. The worst case would be to come out too fast and have to abandon your strategy with half the workout remaining, either just finishing or potentially getting time-capped due to poor pacing.
Tier 3: Hold On Tight!
This is anything less than ~7 minutes & certain shorter interval workouts. Think “Fran”, “Helen”, Row 500M, Tabatas, etc. Get after it! Push the gas pedal to the floor! By the time your body realizes what’s going on the workout/interval will be finished and it’s time to rest. If you try too hard to pace it, you miss the purpose and the true benefit of the workout. Occasionally you’ve gotta run the engine into the red to test and stretch your limits - these are those days.
Sometimes the workout can fit between two tiers. For example, if the prescribed weight or particular movement is challenging for you, it would be best to keep your output at a tier 1 intensity until your body is used to the challenge of heavier weights. If, on the other hand, the weight is light for you it might be a good challenge to push the pace to a tier 3 and see if you can sustain it for a longer duration.
By knowing the appropriate desired intensity of a workout you will set yourself up for success on days benchmark tests are programmed. These come in all shapes and sizes, so its important to be comfortable with the entire range of intensity zones so you can be ready to get after the next test of fitness, whatever it is.
Not every workout is designed to have you out of breath in the first few minutes. Keep these tips in mind the next time you come into class!