CrossFit Rockford

“What About Training Plateaus?”

plateau
Function:
intransitive verb
Date:
1939
: to reach a level, period, or condition of stability or maximum attainment

Plateaus are reached every day in CrossFit training, assuming we have done our personal best. In actuality if you do 20 rounds of “Cindy” in September and 19 rounds in December, 20 is not your plateau, 19 is, 20 is your best ever. Plateaus have been discussed in training for years. In CrossFit I would argue that it is impossible and unlikely that someone will reach a plateau. Crossfit training is so broad in its scope of training modalities such as weightlifting, gymnastics and sprinting that it is unlikely someone would reach a true plateau. Maybe it would seem 20 rounds of “Cindy” is a plateau because you got that the last 3 attempts while overlooking the fact you are still setting record deadlifts or “Helen” times. Beyond that the argument could turn to the questions of how is your nutrition or sleep? How does your form compare from the first 20 rounder to the 3rd? Are you doing absolutely everything possible to reach another level? Maybe you’d get 22 rounds of “Cindy” dropping another 6 pounds.

Plateaus are relative, so many factors are important when trying to achieve a high standard of fitness. Nutrition, rest, form and psychological. One could argue they have met a plateau and it would be hard to dispute if that person were hell bent on believing it so. Someone could say they’ve achieved enough or ‘I’m too old’ or already ‘better than most my age’. That thought process can create a plateau regardless of it’s validity, a self limiting plateau, aka giving up or reaching a condition of satisfaction.

Ultimately in CrossFit training, one could appear to have plateaued on “Cindy” but at the same time they are still setting personal best Deadlifts or moving from the bars to rings for dips. CrossFit blends a number of modalities, maybe in “Helen” you can’t possibly do 12 pull-ups any faster or you’re swinging the kettlebell just about as fast as possible, but what about your 400m run, is it possible to trim 10 seconds off each of them? Probably. What about “Fran” if your stuck at 5 minutes and you don’t break anything up and your maximum front squat is 185 lbs, might your time improve if your front squat increased to 225 lb? Would your front squat improve if your overhead squat increased? If it did the thruster would become a whole lot easier.

Fortunately CrossFit demands and improves the ability to perform a broad range of tasks varying in length of duration. Many of the tasks overlap, a better squat will improve just about all of them. We don't concentrate on the development of a single task as that approach tends to reduce capacity in the others. So if you’ve flirted with contemplating that you’ve met a plateau after a single workout take a broader vision approach to your overall performance. It is likely that you have developed or refined a new skill, gotten stronger or faster. I can assure you anyone regardless of age or experience, that has consistently followed the CrossFit program, is more fit today than 3-6 or 12 months ago and the same will hold true a year from now.

love the plateau piece. it is very encouraging. you're very smart!!

Really loved that one Keep all these coming so I keep working harder and harder

So well put, Danny! Love all the motivation coming from this new Forum...it's exactly what I need!