Improving Stamina
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Urgh caffeine. I don't know how helpful you guys find it but I'm seriously sensitive to it. I feel like I want to sleep all day once I've got over the shakes and then I can't actually sleep once I'm in bed.0
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My stamina was never that great either. I always do BCAAs for any kind of workout, especially right now when I am limiting carbs. I do think having carbs pre-WOD helps a bit, but the other thing I have had to keep in mind is that while my stamina may start to improve, everyone around me is there to improve too. So if I start out as one of the slowest in the box, and everyone else is training the same amount as me, I wouldn't necessarily expect to start passing them up. Also, my coaches are always saying that you can't give 100% every single WOD. Some days, I give myself an extra 30 seconds to catch my breath within rounds, and that's ok. Like Kelly, I am someone who can recover quite well after pushing myself in lifts (give me 10-20 minutes and I'm ready to go again).0
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Yeah, I definitely don’t push myself all the time. I only do crossfit 2 - 3 times per week, so when I do, I will give it my all. My other training involves weight lifting and walking.0
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I am also very slow. I am strongest female in my gym (or am pretty darn close) and can Rx nearly everything they put on the board. My times however are super slow. I am usually close to the last one done and usually have several people in the gym cheering me on. I find that to keep my form good I have to take breaks but after a short break I'm right back on track. The breaks add minutes to my time but it's more important to me that I do it right rather than risk getting hurt. I don't use BCAAs and I don't carb load before workouts. I may try them to see if they help. I think part of this is body and part is mindset. I play soccer so I have the endurance to push it for 90 minutes but I can also sprint for 10 seconds no problem. Its everything in the middle that I need to wrap my mind around. The long WODs kill me because I can't focus on doing tons of reps or really long AMRAPs. I do much better than everyone else when we do 90 seconds on, 30 sec rest for 4 or 6 rounds.0
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I am also very slow. I am strongest female in my gym (or am pretty darn close) and can Rx nearly everything they put on the board. My times however are super slow. I am usually close to the last one done and usually have several people in the gym cheering me on. I find that to keep my form good I have to take breaks but after a short break I'm right back on track. The breaks add minutes to my time but it's more important to me that I do it right rather than risk getting hurt. I don't use BCAAs and I don't carb load before workouts. I may try them to see if they help. I think part of this is body and part is mindset. I play soccer so I have the endurance to push it for 90 minutes but I can also sprint for 10 seconds no problem. Its everything in the middle that I need to wrap my mind around. The long WODs kill me because I can't focus on doing tons of reps or really long AMRAPs. I do much better than everyone else when we do 90 seconds on, 30 sec rest for 4 or 6 rounds.
Have your coaches given you any advice on improving your speed? When I first started I would often times go lighter, especially on long WODs because I wanted to stay moving the whole time and keep my heart rate up.
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My coaches have said that my speed is fine because I am lifting heavier weights than everyone else. Most people are not going Rx. Also one of my coaches has agreed to push me a bit more. I need to figure out how to push myself to power through a bit more reps per set. I am also planning to change up my workout time next week to see if working out with other members and later in the day will help me improve my times. I usually workout in the at 6am when I'm half asleep and not really motivated to move quickly.0
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Having someone over your shoulder whispering definitely will help.0
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I am a 5:15 am CrossFitter as well - I try to eat a bigger dinner at 5 pm (that way its not too late but keeps me feeling full all night) so I have enough in me for the morning. Our box does a similar sequence - warm up, strength and then a wod. I like longer workouts so I feel like pace isn't a problem for me. I do take a pre workout from BSN and that does make a difference for me. I also take BCAAs after for recovery purposes. One thought might be that you don't have enough water in you? Try to up your water intake one day and see if the next morning you perform better? Just a thought!0
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I think I am developing down the strength route also. Just getting started again after job change and yet another virus, and my strength is coming on leaps and bounds, but I scale more on the cardio sections - I guess Im just not fit yet, but the strength is easier for me and I guess Ive always been the springy, stronger type II.
- May be a feature of people who enjoy crossfit?
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I’m not sure. About half of the 5am class I attend are great at the cardio and gymnastic moves, a large proportion of the rest are strong, but there’s only a few of us that seem to have the heavy stuff going our way. For the WODs, the cardio beasts are the kings and queens (probably because when there are lifts, they aren’t really all that heavy). Volume and speed win the WODs.0
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Yeah I'm with Allan. We have a good mix of the really strong, quite a few all rounders in the middle and then people with really phenomenal engines who can go hard, fast cardio and stay there all day.0
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I read an article yesterday that spoke to how bodybuilders and heavy weight lifters would experience the transfer to crossfit. The bodybuilders would have mobility issues (check) and the heavy weight lifters would have trouble with speed, particularly those needed in OLY lifts (check). It touched lightly on stamina. Since I was a hybrid of both of these before I started crossfit (more leaning toward hypertrophy/body building), I’m dealing with both of these as well.
I just see the stamina (ability to go full bore for 12 - 20 minutes) as being my best shot at finishing in the pack with the others at my box. Speed and mobility will help me move more weight and/or conserve some energy, but having to stop for a breather really adds minutes to my time.0 -
So how to work on that? More cardio?0
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I’ll keep working on the WODS, and instead of slow, steady cardio, I’ll likely do more HIIT.0
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And nothing like a partner workout to really demoralize. Five RFT 100DU/300SU (he did 50 DU, I did 150 singles); 40 wall balls; 20 T2B. We hit the 20 minute cutoff, I couldn’t keep up my half.
In good news, with the lifting shoes, I am now able to get to full depth on front squats (wrist and shoulder mobility still make holding the bar difficult).0 -
Wow! Thats a tough one!
I did Helen this morning and was sick
First time that has happened. I think its because I was alone again, just with the coach so he was really pushing me.
Really really need to work on endurance. Slow and steady does not win the race!0 -
AllanMisner wrote: »
In good news, with the lifting shoes, I am now able to get to full depth on front squats (wrist and shoulder mobility still make holding the bar difficult).
Pretty much where I am too. My wrists limit my weight, so if we are just doing FS I'll do the first few sets in front rack, then do the heavier ones with arms crossed just to get the leg work in.0 -
bostonwolf wrote: »AllanMisner wrote: »
In good news, with the lifting shoes, I am now able to get to full depth on front squats (wrist and shoulder mobility still make holding the bar difficult).
Pretty much where I am too. My wrists limit my weight, so if we are just doing FS I'll do the first few sets in front rack, then do the heavier ones with arms crossed just to get the leg work in.
I did my last set with arms crossed.
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Usually when i finish up I'll leave the bar on track just stand it up to see how long I can take the pain. And then repeat it a few times. Hopefully that will help in the long run along with the other shoulder mobility stuff I'm doing.0
