Cross Training Isn’t Always A Race: By Coach Jaime Spatato

Hey Guys, Coach Jaime from the Bushwick location here!

I have been participating in CF for about 6 years and coaching for 2, and one of the most common misconceptions I have seen at most boxes is that the members see every workout as a race.

Yes, workouts are for time or amount of reps completed during the given time, but this shouldn’t be the main objective every time you step into the box. 

I get it, competitiveness is hardwired into our brains, making us want to be the best at the things we do. Seeing your name at the top of the leaderboard can create a great sense of pride and fulfillment, however, this can and more times than not result in athletes cheating themselves by performing poor movements, using weights that are too light or heavy, or scaling to an easier option because they cannot perform the movements as quickly as they would like to, to place them at the top of the leaderboard.

We have all watched the games or sanctioned events where we see elite athletes going full throttle on the workouts placed in front of them. This may lead many of us to believe that we must do the same every time we step into the box, forgetting that those athletes have spent countless hours honing and perfecting their craft in the gym practicing, not competing. If you look at Froning, Fraser, or Katrin to name a few, they consistently perform quality repetitions, a common trait in elite athletes. If I were to take snippets of different stages of a workout they are performing and ask how far into the workout they are, you may only be able to tell by how sweaty and tired they may look. You will not be able to determine how far into the workout they are based on the quality of their movements because rep 1 and rep 100 will look the same. 

I think it is also important to understand that individuals are not created equal, many of us have different body types, different athletic backgrounds as well as genetics which as a result will directly influence our strength and weaknesses. When training, these conditions should be kept in mind to train smarter not harder. Skilled athletes are aware of this and when training, they train smart and know where they must spend more time to become proficient at a movement they are less good at.

So next time you’re in the box don’t worry about the leaderboard – focus on quality reps over quantity and don’t forget to have fun!