Intensity

One of the magic ingredients to CrossFit is intensity. Critics of CrossFit and usually people that have actually never done it often rip on the intensity of CrossFit. Lets remind oursevles that before intensity people should be moving exceptionally well and consistently doing it. We can worry about adding speed, weight or complexity once we have the mechanics down consistently.

At our gym we have members that are in their teens and members into their 70’s. All of the people at our gym train with intensity. Intensity for a 16 year old volleyball player looking to make it to the college level is going to look different than intensity for a 55 year old guy looking to lose 30 pounds, get off his medication, and feel confident in being able to play and keep up with his kids or even grandkids.

Intensity is relative based on where we are in our lives. We all need it, it just needs to be adjusted to what is appropriate for our current situation. Current health, fitness goals, injury history, and age can all play a large factor in the appropriate intensity for all of us.

We find value in getting uncomfortable in our workouts but that is going to look different for all of us. Scaling workouts correctly is how we can make sure everyone is getting the right amount of intensity. We do not scale workouts to make them easier, we scale to make them better and make sure everyone is getting the appropriate workout for them. A week or month’s worth of workouts or programming is like a giant puzzle. It is important to scale the workouts appropriately so all the pieces of the puzzle fit.

Don't fear intensity. If you are starting out it is not the most important thing but as you get more comfortable with your workouts it is a great way to take your results to the next level.