Endurance
WHAT IS CROSSFIT ENDURANCE?
CrossFit Endurance is an endurance sports training program dedicated to improving performance, fitness and endurance sports potential. We inspire, coach, and provide our community with the most aggressive and proven fundamentals of sports science, exercise physiology, nutrition and athletic training protocols.
We are the leaders in strength and conditioning for endurance athletes. We have been guiding athletes, educating coaches and providing premier content to the endurance communities with tremendous success. Our passion is endurance sports. Our goal is to show a path that has not been illuminated. Our training principles work.
We are not for everyone, only for those who want to have a home in which they can grow both mentally and physically as an athlete to realize their chosen potential.
FAQ’s
Why should I start training this way?
Are your times CONSISTENTLY getting faster at ALL distances (what was your last 5k time compared to a year ago)?
How high can you jump? (Many marathoners cannot jump onto a 12 inch box.)
How many push-ups/pull-ups/squats/etc. can you do? We can do more.
Have you, or are you, suffering from chronic-use injuries (plantar fasciatis, IT Syndrome, runners knee, etc.)?
How many hours do you train per week? How many hours does your spouse/family wish you trained? (This program only requires 6-8 hours per week to COMPETE at Ultra/Ironman distances.)
Why are there no long runs/rides/swims (aerobic training) in this type of training?
Long runs/rides/swims fall into the category of training we term “long slow distance” (LSD) and is solely aerobic in nature.
Aerobic training has the following benefits and drawbacks:
BENEFITS
• Increased cardiovascular function
• Better fat utilization
• Greater capillarization
• Increased Mitochondrial growth
DRAWBACKS
• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased strength
• Decreased power
• Decreased speed
• Decreased anaerobic capacity
• Decreased testosterone levels
It is apparent that the many drawbacks of LSD training easily overpower the limited benefits. It is our contention that limiting an athlete’s exposure to LSD training will allow them to remain not only functionally competent in other areas of fitness and competitive in aerobic endurance pursuits, but DOMINATE in ALL areas of fitness.
How do I start?
Our suggestion is this… Running: Start with 8 x 200m repeats working up to 4-5 x 800m repeats. Bike: Start with 8-10 x 1/4-mile repeats working up to 4-5 x 2k repeats. Swimming: Start with 10 x 50m/y working up to 10 x 100m/y. Rowing: Start with 8 X 500m repeats working up to 4-5 X 1K repeats…… Meaning you should be able to handle this workout and a CrossFit workout in one day. PROGRESSION is the key.
For Stamina (tempo and time trial) you should be working on building from about 10 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the distance. You will never really need to train much further than the 90-minute mark if you are working hard enough.
Do not be fooled in thinking you only have to train for stamina for 10-90 minutes. If you are a triathlete trying to make the transition into this program you will need to gently progress into it. You are fragile, and this is not conventional strength and conditioning.
Once you can handle the workouts by progressing them, you should then be following this site 2-3 times per week for a single sport and up to 6 workouts per week for triathlon.
Why is there so much anaerobic/sprint/speed work if I am going to run/ride/swim in a long endurance event?
Anaerobic/sprint/speed work, often thrown in at the end of many traditional training programs as a supplement, incorrectly assumes that this type of training is of limited value.
“Anaerobic Training” has the following benefits and drawbacks:
BENEFITS
• Increased cardiovascular function
• Decreased body fat
• Increased muscle mass
• Increased strength
• Increased power
• Increased speed
• Increased anaerobic capacity
DRAWBACKS
• Intensity can speed up overtraining
Anaerobic training encapsulates training the Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP), ATP / Phospho-creatine system, the lactic acid system, and the aerobic system through various methods that stress one system, two systems, or multiple systems. The time length of the individual efforts combined with the rest periods between efforts determines the system/s stressed. As demonstrated by the graph, the systems overlap and “feed” into each other. Notice that as you are training all three anaerobic systems you are SIMULTANEOUSLY training your aerobic engine!
Studies demonstrate that the adaptations caused by anaerobic training are similar to high volume endurance training, however, this adaptation comes at much lower training volumes! (Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. J Physiol. 2008 Jan 1;586(1):151-60. Epub 2007 Nov 8.)
Since I don’t want to put a lot of muscle on for my endurance events, should I use very light weight when doing the CrossFit workouts?
NO! CrossFit improves work capacity across broad time and modal demands by providing a constantly varied stimulus that often requires your body to work at maximal capacity. By lowering the weights below what you can safely handle with good form (at maximal capacity it is normal for your form to falter), you will never reach the intensity necessary to provide the type of systemic stimulus we are looking for.
*Above info. borrowed from CrossFit Endurance.