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Setting Realistic Goals

Ok. Lockdown.

High and lows of goal setting.

We have all done it. This is the week; I sort my life out. Out with the old, in with the new. Nutrition to go alongside my training or training to go alongside my nutrition. Or just starting full stop. The weekly shop is full of avocados and chia seeds. Your training is set out minute by minute and day by day, by the end of lockdown you are going to be a beast. There is no way you are coming out of this without being fitter, looking trimmer, acquiring new skills, learning French and calligraphy. Maybe even gaining a PHD in something or other. You know exactly what you are going to do, and you are about to smash the week. ROAR.

Come Tuesday you are eating Nutella with a spoon on the sofa in your Pyjamas at 11:40 trying to figure out whether you want you want to watch the 6TH episode of the tiger king after watching the previous 5 back to back. It happened before lockdown, so of course it will happen during, and after.

This is down to unrealistic goals. We are simple creatures. By setting to climb the mountain in one day and finishing that day by only having tied your boots and climbing a few feet, it is not hard to feel disheartened and lose the motivation to continue. Be kind to yourself. WE are in a global pandemic. We are collectively going through something that no one in our lifetime has gone through. But we are also low key obsessed with fitness. 

So some bits of advice for the days when Netflix is boring us, the kids are settled, the work from home work is done and there is ALL THAT FREE TIME to utilise that none of us have ever had nor will ever have again.

Realistic Goals

Do set yourself a new skill that you want to gain in lockdown when it comes to CrossFit. Be it a pistol squat, Handstand Hold, Handstand press-up, Press-up, faster Burpees, a quicker 5km.

You can apply the overload principle to everything CrossFit. Progressively increasing the stimulus placed on the body to ensure that progress does not stall. In its simplest form, the exercise must become more challenging over the course of training to produce results. But be realistic with this. You are not going to be able to PB your back squat when 360 re-opens its doors. You are however fully able to get a stronger press-up, a dreamy pistol squat and a 5km time that would make Sam Briggs weak at the knees.

An example of applying the principle to a workload: 

If you can do a pistol squat but want to acquire speed and good mechanics under fatigue.

Measure Max in 2 Minutes: PISTOL SQUAT

Then factor these or similar workouts into your weekly routine. 2-3 times.

Emom

5 Pistol Squat EMOM 15 minutes. Paused in the hold for 3 seconds, BUILD that’s bottom power position. BUILD that power.

Steal your legs then do the pistols. 

15 Burpees 

10 Odd Object Front Squat 

5 pistol squats.

Weighted Pistols EMOM

Elevated heart rate pistol squats. This is so important, how often do we acquire a new skill and the minute we put them into a WOD they fall apart so dramatically, we feel our ego will never recover. Everyone remembers 20.5 gate, trying to get those muscle ups or chin-over bar pull-ups after completely jacking your heartrate in a monstrous way. (80 cal row 120 wall balls 40 RMU, for those of you not to have yet had the pleasure)

Every 3-minute 400m run max out pistols in the remaining time. Rest 5 minutes repeat x3.

3-4 weeks of this and retest your max pistol in 2minutes. Experience the feeling of being an absolute scene of a ninja. Well done I’M PROUD of YOU.

Its endless with the number of workouts and progressions you can do; if you need any guidance with any of these please remember that is what we are here for!! 🙂 Ask away.

Don’t just think it, INK IT. Track your progress, accept trial and error. But make sure you plan and track your training to an extent. Train with like minded soul sisters. Log on to the zooms, we have the daily WODs, and the gymnastics workshop. Remember we are a community, we all know the feeling of not being able to continue a workout, feeling like we’ve spent all our coins, got nothing left in the tank but a few encouraging screams from our box and you get moving again.

Get on the zooms, remember we are all a bit mad at heart for doing the CrossFit things, but we are not alone. Ask a family member or a coach, or a member to hold you accountable.  Tell people your goals, tell the what you want to achieve. Ask them to tell you theirs, we know as well as anyone we always push that bit harder when we know someone is watching 😉

ALLOW AMPLE RECOVERY TIME; the flip side to being at home a lot of the time is also ALL THE FREE TIME. Most of our gains do not come from inside the box. As much of you will already be aware. But for those of you who didn’t. It’s true. I know, I’m sad too. But athletes are made in the locker room and not on the pitch. You can go absolutely HAM inside the gym (inside your house), kill it every single day. Bring your A game and leave it all out there on the floor. BUT if you sleep like a first year Uni student, eat ALL bad food, and do not let your body recover the way it should. It all becomes for nothing.

You want to be aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is probably the most important factor when it comes to recovery. Poor sleep will cause slower muscle recovery, increase in stress hormones increased rates of perceived exhaustion. So, count the sheep and get the sleep. You tracking? Good. 

Eat well. We have Matt, Colbs, Ollie or Andy that can help you with your nutrition so pick your Fav and go and ask. Do not ask me because I’m eating Nutella writing this. 

Stretch, heat, cold presses, yoga. RECOVER.

Any other Advice you need for recovery, please message me I’d love to help.

The overload principle and recovery are so intertwined it is literally impossible for one to work without the other. Make sure your rest days are still a priority, make sure you are eating right, hydrating, and stretching. Listen to your body. ASK A COACH WE LITERALLY ALWAYS WANT TO TALK TO YOU 

Take advantage of when you want to train and do not sweat the days when you don’t feel up to it. Because I promise you we are all in this together. Take the good days with the bad and make the most of them. 

Hopefully this has been helpful to some of you, hopefully can be applied now and after lockdown.

Stay safe, love you all! – Coach Ciara 

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