CrossFit and Recomp

MilesAddie

Hello All -

I am about to enter into a recomp after a 100 day cut. My primary method of fitness is CrossFit 5-6 days a week, supplemented by about 60 minutes of extra lifting spread out over 2 or 3 days.

I am wondering if I should add more traditional hypertrophic lifting / subtract CrossFit sessions in order to optimize my recomp. I could be thinking about this the wrong way, but wouldn't the high intensity of CrossFit make it harder to keep build muscle while at maintenance?

CrossFit sessions at my box are pretty traditional:

- 10 Min Warm Up
- 20 Min Accessory Work ( usually Olympic lift or Powelifting, low rep, high weight or gymnastic work)
- 30 mins to complete a WOD

I supplement with Bench Presses, and whatever lift I feel I feel I'm hitting during the week - say two bench sessions and two other lifts per week. Also a lot of weighted dips, pull-ups, etc.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

heybales

The way recomp works is putting enough damage on the muscles there must be repair work to rebuild stronger.

Your food is primary going for that and other normal body systems, fat used to supply more daily activity.

So the more damage - the faster that process. Which saying fast, isn't really.

The more your workout goes towards straight lifting from cardio - the faster that process.

So you could enjoy Crossfit so much, that you are willing to extend the normally slow recomp process to be even longer.

Your choice.

Perhaps you want to do a seasonal approach - nothing says all or nothing is required - do 2 months of straight lifting - just enough Crossfit to support that as the focus.
Then take the winter perhaps for Crossfit as focus - whatever lifting is done supports that focus.

Just don't try to do both equally as you seem to recognize - jack of all, master of none.

MilesAddie

Thanks - thought that might be the case. I guess it's time to start looking into expanding my knowledge on traditional lifting programs.

I appreciate the help!

lorrpb

Although we're not supposed to cross Post, you might ask a similar question in the Gaining Bodybuilding forum. Lots of experienced people there.

heybales

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

rdl81

Personally it would look like too much training to me if you want to build I cant see how you will recover as the WODs will (should be) very intense. Does your box follow a set training schedule? if so I would try and build some full body workouts in around days when less intense lifting at the box and use the box more for mobility / cardio. Also make sure your eating enough kcal

KarenSmith2018

I am an avid CrossFitter and attend the class WOD 3x a week. I then have a PT once a week to build strength in specific areas and there is a strength class I attend. I find the fact we typically do a compound lift or complex every session enough to continually build strength and I now have muscle tone I didn't before. However it probably isn't the quickest way to gain muscles and a more specific program would likely suit better. This is a dilema I am now struggling with as I LOVE my CrossFit but want to make some gains and I don't think the two ate completely compatiable for results on a reasonable timescale. So I am dropping one class a week to focus for now on lower body gains.

MilesAddie

My Box doesn't have a 'set' training schedule per se - they want to avoid people cherry picking WODs, but some programming generally remains the same week to week.

- There's always one 'Upper' and one 'Lower' day per week (Strict Press, Push Jerk / Squat, DL, etc)
- Wednesdays usually have no lifting, but a more intense WOD - usually a HERO
- Always at least one Oly Day, and a variation of that lift is in the WOD
- Saturdays are 'Stadium Style' or Partner WODs, and are generally heavier on cardio and plyo/gymnastic movements

They do post the WODs the night before, and a base schedule listing movements, but no specifics, one week before, so I have an idea of what's coming.

They also have open gym pretty much all day, there's always at least two coaches around, so you can make up WODs, or if you are following the Competitor programming you can do your workouts - I'm not glued to the schedule. But I really enjoy working out with my crew, as it were.

rdl81

I would go for the wed and Saturday and then do a more specific traditional hypertrophic lifting program around that so effectively use the Crossfit for cardio

MilesAddie

Another quick question as I'm figuring this out:

As I was reading up on hypertrophy I'm getting conflicting information on resting muscle groups, and I wanted to put this in a CrossFit setting as well.

Let's say I do a leg centric traditional lifting session one day, and the next days WOD calls for sets of air squats or lunges, would I be sabotaging my work if I did the WOD as RX'd because I would be essentially hitting the same muscles again. Pull-ups would be even more difficult to work around, because they use muscle groups that some of these plans seem to split, shoulders, back, arms...

Would it be OK because I'm not really under a heavy load, or still be counter productive because I am definitely going to be going to a point of fatigue?

heybales

Increased blood flow for repair is great during the 24-48 hr recovery time.

Another increased load doing damage during that time is just ruining the recovery for the first workout - basically wasting it.

Now - if it wasn't much damage, don't need much recovery.

But conversely don't give enough recovery then you'll reach point of not doing much damage - result is mediocre workouts despite feeling like giving it your all.

I'd suggest the fatigue level is still causing damage.
Just talking to nurse last night about 2 teenagers she just saw inspired by Crossfit, and they did as many body weight squats as they could as challenge to each other. Liver enzymes out the roof and several systems were starting to shut down - both in IC for days so far.
Is Rhomba still considered a good thing in Crossfit, like a badge of honor?

MilesAddie

Not at my box. Not with the people I train with.