August 2023
Competition: Help or Hinder?
Competing in CrossFit is a thrilling and rewarding journey that goes beyond physical fitness. The challenges you encounter and the personal growth you experience can be life-changing. The sense of community, goal-oriented training, resilience built, and personal achievement all contribute to the unique appeal of CrossFit competition. But any good thing can be done too much, and a lack of balance can create physical and psychological issues.
Consistent intentional movement is the number one tool you can apply to increase your health markers across the board. For many, a looming competition can increase consistency in the gym by giving those individuals something to train for and stay accountable. Competitions can also humble our egos and force us to work on our weaknesses. In other words, they can help us exit our comfort zones and improve our overall fitness by raising our abilities. We put ourselves out there when we compete, and for some this social stressor can lead to physical overtraining, improper recovery, poor integrity in movement, and unhealthy amounts of comparison all leading to physical or psychological harm.
With all that being said, should you compete in CrossFit (or anything Fitness related)? It depends… The choice is really up to you, here are some green light factors to consider, meaning that you are most likely ready for competition. If you do not check all the boxes below, and you are interested, consider speaking with a coach or medical provider about how to progress to a point where you are ready.
Green light to compete (should consider):
Currently train 3-4x per week
Sleep 7-9 hours consistently
Eat a well balanced diet of mostly non-processed whole foods
Work, family stressors are managed
Cleared by health care provider
No pain or injury in movements required
Can perform all movements and loads at full range of motion, with no pain, and mechanically sound (use of coaches feedback and video can help tremendously)
So, if you're looking to challenge yourself, push your boundaries, and join a community of inspiring individuals, it's time to consider competing. Embrace the grind, revel in the work, and discover the new version of yourself through the world of competition. If this sounds overwhelming or too much out of your comfort zone, explore daily competitions in your class or with yourself to spark your intentionality, accountability, and consistency again.
P.S. There is a list of local upcoming competitions below!
Preview of Programming Focuses this Month
Conclusion of Overhead Squat, Bench Press, and RDL Cycle
Partner Helen, 1x Open Workout Repeats, Olympic Total, 5k Run
Start of Olympic Lifting Cycle (1x C+J, 1x Snatch per week)
Community Highlights/ Announcements
CrossFit Games are this week! Check out all the action starting this Thursday Aug. 6th.
307 Takes on Olympic Lifting: Ben Huff, Chris Petty, and Lexi Carr all competed in an olympic lifting competition led by Coach Erin, congrats on your efforts and training paying off!
Upcoming Events
307 ATHLETE YOUTH COURSES
#2306: Sep 11 - Oct 4 - Mon & Wed
#2307: Oct 23 - Nov 15 - Mon & Wed
Ages 8-11 (4:30pm) & 12-14 (3:30pm)
Sign up at 307athlete.comLOCAL COMPETITIONS
Rumble in the Hills, (Sturgis, SD) Aug 19th
Iron Games (Cedar City, UT) August 24-26th
Obstacle Course (Casper, WY)
Koda Iron Games (Lafayette, CO) Sep 8-9th
Girls Gone RX (Littleton, CO) Sep 16th
Battle at the Rock (Castle Rock, CO) Sep 23-24th
Disclaimer
This website does not provide medical advice. The information provided is purely for educational purposes. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for medical advice. Please seek your medical provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.