Safe Return to Training

A consideration for our athletes!

It's been 13 weeks since we have been in the gym, training CrossFit. Some of you may have spent years training in this style to get you to where you were in March 2020. Some of you may have been new and your body was just learning to adapt to this type of training. Some of you are somewhere in between.

13 weeks is a long time, plenty of time to become de-conditioned to what your body was once used to. Its not a week or 2 off on holidays, it is months!

We understand that every single one of our members has been training at home, in different ways, across the last 13 weeks and we ask you to take into consideration what you have NOT done across that time.

Haven't touched a barbell? Haven't lifted anything heavy? Haven’t done a pull up? You get the picture, but each one of our members is in a different position with what you have or have not done and over the next few weeks your body will let you know if you work it, too-hard too-soon.

So what is the best way to ease back into training?

Below is a list of key points for a safe return to training, we encourage you to spend the next 4 weeks easing yourself back in and also distancing your pre COVID numbers or times from your mind at this stage!
Think of this time like a blank slate for you to reset, imagine it is day 1 of your journey and you have just walked in the door for the first time and you have no idea. Go back to that mindset and take it one day at a time.
Listen to your body!

Key Points:

1. Go slow when returning to the gym even if you feel good!

A very fast increase in training exposure after being de-conditioned or having time off is a great way to get injured fast.

2. Listen to your body in order to catch the formation of new injuries.

Getting injured may set you back more than a 4 week increase into regular training.

3. Use a 4 week ramp up period to slowly increase intensity and volume as you return

This will look different for each person depending on what you have been doing during ISO. In particular for most, heavy weights and gymnastic pulling movements.

4. Progressively increase your intensity/volume week to week

We want to see you demonstrate consistently good technique and movement patterns before we begin increasing load or increasing intensity.

5. Do not take the warm up for granted

The warm up will give you a good indication of if you body is ready to move or not in the desired way or if things need to be tailored.
If the WOD prep in particular feels challenging (weights or specific movements), this is a good gauge for your body as to what you might consider doing in the WOD itself. 
In strength components spend more sets warming and building up if required and less sets lifting at a pre determined weight.

6. You are encouraged to cut sets/rounds down depending on how you feel.

If you need more warm up time and feel more comfortable to do less rounds or a decreased time for the WOD, then please take advantage of doing just that.
A 5 rounds for time workout may become 3RFT or even a AMRAP version of the same workout. 
A 20min AMRAP may become a 12min AMRAP or you may include a specified rest period after each round to ensure recovery for better movement consistency.

7. Use rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and reps in reserve (RIR)

For strength based movements you are encouraged to use rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and reps in reserve (RIR) to gauge lifts/reps and the weights you used.
RPE is a scale 0-10 to rate intensity of sets
For strength components we encourage you not to jump back into %’s based off previous RM’s, if you have not been doing this across the last 13 weeks. Build across the next 4 weeks.

eg. A 5x5 Back Squat
Wk 1 @ 60% or 6-8RPE/3RIR
Wk2 @ 70% or 6-8RPE/3RIR
Wk3 @ 80% or 8RPE/2RIR
Wk4 @ 90% or 8RPE/2RIR

Using percentages may feel tough, which is why RPE should be used.

8. Utilise TEMPO training in your sets

Again more for strength based components, but can be worked into the WOD also.
Tempo encourages a little less weight than normal, and this decrease in load reduces stress on the joints while also promoting muscle growth with MORE time under tension.

Eg. Back squat - @ Tempo: 30X0
3sec lower
0sec at the bottom
X explosive drive up
0 sec pause at top

The most important thing is that our athletes (you) can get back into the gym and work your way, injury free, to a level of fitness you are looking to obtain.