Does your training match your goals?

“The goal is just to get fit, make it the best hour of your day, stay safe, turn up the music, high five some people, and blow off some steam. So remember that. RELAX. HAVE FUN. WORKOUT.”

Everyone who comes to CrossFit Ballina does so for different reasons. People have different goals and the attached article should help you to understand which category you fall into and how to go about reaching your goals.

There are 2 main programs (competition and performance) that we follow. Each one has different goals and I think it is important to look at the aim of each program.

Once you understand the goals of each program the next task is to find the program that best suits your goals. There are three main groups of people who come to CrossFit Ballina and their goals are different and the methods that they use to achieve their goals will be different. We feel like we can cater to each of the following groups:

1. Fit Happy Healthy
2. Up for the challenge
3. Firebreather

FIT, HAPPY, HEALTHY! 

This person wants to come in for a challenging hour so that they can get into fantastic shape and live life to the fullest. They love the challenge and community feel of CrossFit. They may decide to go in the odd CrossFit competition or obstacle course but they are more interested in their health and well-being and the fact that they can be in and out of the gym within an hour. This person does not need anything additional other than coupling their training with a nutritious diet.

If you fall into this category then the performance class is for you. It will help you to get in the best shape of your life and help you to be prepared to tackle any obstacle that life can throw at you. The performance program is designed to:

• be flexible and work with your schedule (i.e. it works well for people with all different schedules from those working out 2 days a week through the those that work out 6 or more days a week).
• keep you injury free. The volume is limited and the movements are rotated so that you do not get overuse injuries that are common with most training programs. In addition it includes a lot of injury prevention exercises.
• make you as healthy as possible. This program will create a well rounded person who is in great shape year round.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

This person loves coming in for an hour each day to challenge themselves with the performance WOD but they also want to do some additional work on skills or strength due to any one of the following reasons:

• they enjoy seeing what their body is capable of,
• to improve at CrossFit
• to compete and perform well in CrossFit competitions
• just because getting an unassisted pull-up, a muscle up, 50 unbroken double unders or a 100kg back squat would be such a fantastic accomplishment

If you fall into this category then the performance class is for you. In addition, you will need to do some extra work in your own time. Discuss with one of the coaches what you should be doing to improve at the particular skill and then spend some additional time working on it. You can do this in the following ways:

• Coming into open gym training- We have open training on Saturday morning at 8:30am and this is a time that you are always welcome to attend. A coach will be at the gym and will help you to reach your goals.
• Utilizing time before and after class- come in and work on your CrossFit in the 15-30 minutes before and after each class. A coach will be around to give you any assistance that you may need . The only requirement that we have is that you be respectful of any classes in progress and you do not distract people participating in a class.
• If these options do not work for you then come and talk to us. We will be able to let you know times when a coach will be on the gym floor and available for you if you need assistance.

FIREBREATHER

This person is interested in competing in CrossFit competitions at the highest level and want’s to perform well. They are willing to make a lot of sacrifices and dedicate a lot of time towards achieving these goals. They are aware of the fact that they may get some injuries due to the additional volume and weights required to compete at the highest level.

This person will get best results from following the competition program and it will help make them better at CrossFit.

Due to the high physical demands of this program we require certain things out of those that follow it so that they stay safe, injury free, and get the best results from their training.

Competition Program Notes/Expectations

• You must commit to 5 days a week of training. The performance program is designed for people who have all kinds of crazy schedules and are unable to commit to 5 days a week of training while the Competition program is designed with the expectation that athletes rarely miss a day.
• In the competition program every workout builds the body of work needed to progress to the next week. For instance you will do a squat cycle and each week’s repetitions and percentages will be based on the assumption that you completed the work from the prior week(s). If the program is not followed as written then the cycle is meaningless and you are making up your own program.
• Missing days of the competition program will lead to massive gaps in your strength/fitness. You could miss a movement for an entire 8 week cycle if you were always absent on the same day.
• You do not need to follow the Competition program to compete in CrossFit competitions.
• Unless your goals match the goals of the competition program it will not give you better results.
• Missing days of the competition program will increase your risk of injury.
• The comp program is highly technical and skill based due to the demand’s of high level CrossFit competitions. If you are not regular with the program and if you do not spend the time learning the skills, then 1 of 2 things will happen
  • You will get injured because you will be attempting to lift weights that your technique does not support.
  • You will modify/scale the weights back constantly, in which case again you will not achieve the desired outcomes of the program.
• Doing the competition class outside of 5:00am is only an option for people who are unable to make it at 5:00am and for people who are willing/able to commit to the program.
• The competition program is not designed to make you fitter and healthier. It is designed to make you better at CrossFit even if it means that at certain times of the year you actually become less well rounded, put on weight and lose cardiovascular fitness.
• For most of the year THE COMPETITION PROGRAM IS NOT HARDER THAN THE PERFORMANCE PROGRAM. For 8 months of the year the comp program consists of 2 major WOD’s each week and everything else is strength/skill based. The aim of the program during this time is to build strength to prepare for the CrossFit Open. During this period competitors will lose cardiovascular endurance and put on weight (hopefully muscle).
• Switching between programs is dangerous and you will not benefit from it. The programs are not designed to work together (for instance one week we had heavy deadlifts on Tuesday in the performance class and heavy deadlifts on Wednesday in the Competition class. If you were to do the performance program on Tuesday and the Competition program on Wednesday then you would be putting yourself at risk of injury (as your Central Nervous System would be wrecked).
• If you are ever able to make it at 5:00am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or at 6:00am on Saturday then you must attend the coached class. This will ensure that you are improving, performing movements correctly and getting the most out of the program.
• We need standards that we stick to for everyone in the gym so that people get the most out of their programming, are treated fairly, stay healthy, and injury free. Doing an un-coached workout is always going to be a last resort.
• If you are doing the competition program during another class time (because you can’t make 5:00am) then the class takes preference (in terms of floor space, equipment, the clock, etc.).
• The competition program is designed to make you better at CrossFit so you can do better in CrossFit competitions. As a result anyone following it will enter into the CrossFit Open and then 1-2 other competitions during the year otherwise what’s the point?

If you have any questions talk to us! We are nice people 🙂 We really want you guys to keep seeing amazing improvements and having a fantastic time at CrossFit Ballina. We feel like we can accommodate virtually anyone’s goals if you come and talk to us.

Cheers, Ehren and Lindsay