If an athlete wants to get stronger. She has two options.
1. Increase the amount of work she does.
Like a coin, there is another side that you can’t see while looking at this. More work (reps, load, training sessions) means:
- More recovery.
- More cool-downs.
- More soft tissue work.
- More chiropractic/physical therapist visits.
- More quality food.
- More money spent on learning training and recovery protocols.
- Or money spent on online training programs, *which are not coaching.
2. Be coached on how to move better, and with more intensity.
There is no flip side to this, but I’ll give you a list to make it look as big as the last thing I just said.
#2 will:
- Potentiate her levels of current strength that are not being utilized, or even more likely, under-developed.
- Lead to sustainable movement and development as an athlete.
- Allow her to improve year after year 10 years into training, and be a well-rounded athlete, as opposed to a 2-4 year track of massive gains in some areas of fitness, that I’ve seen end due to the frustration of plateaus or nagging injuries, over and over.
In 2019, it will be 10 years since my first CrossFit workout. I still hold to the fitness (and now human health) world’s most powerful prescription, until something else more ground-shakingly true comes along.
Keep intake to levels that will support exercise, but not body fat.
Practice and train the major lifts:
Deadlift, Clean, Squat, Presses, Clean and Jerk and Snatch.
Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics:
Pull-ups, Dips, Rope Climb, Push Ups, Presses to Handstand, Pirouettes, Flips, Splits and Holds.
Bike, Run, Swim, Row, etc… Hard and Fast.
5 or 6 days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow.
Routine is the enemy.
Keep workouts short and intense.
Regularly learn and play new sports.
-Greg Glassman
