One of the interesting challenges we have as coaches is dealing with highly motivated people.

Someone sets a goal.

They start making progress.

They get excited.

And naturally, they want to do more.

Another CrossFit class.

Another run.

Another HYROX session.

Another Engine Room session.

Some extra strength work.

A little bit of gymnastics afterwards.

Surely if four sessions are working, eight sessions will work twice as well?

Unfortunately, training doesn’t work like that.

More is not always more.

As coaches, part of our job is to keep that motivation alive while helping you train enough to get results, recover from that training and still have a life outside the gym.

Because the goal isn’t to see how much training you can survive.

The goal is to have a plan that gets you where you want to go.

Start With the Goal

Before adding another session, ask yourself a simple question:

What am I actually trying to achieve?

Do you want to get stronger?

Improve your gymnastics?

Prepare for HYROX?

Run faster?

Build your aerobic capacity?

Improve your mobility?

Lose body fat?

Simply become fitter and healthier?

Those goals might require completely different approaches.

If we know where you’re trying to go, we can choose the training that actually helps you get there.

Without that, it’s very easy to throw mud at the wall.

You train more because more feels productive.

But every session has a cost.

You have to recover from it.

And your body doesn’t only have to deal with training.

It also has to deal with work.

Family.

Kids.

Stress.

Sleep.

Nutrition.

Everything else happening in your life.

All of those things matter when we’re deciding how much training is appropriate.

Every Session Should Have a Purpose

We currently have a lot going on at CFA.

CrossFit.

HYROX.

Running.

Engine Room.

Weightlifting.

Sunday HYROX training.

That’s awesome because it gives us a lot of tools to help people with different goals.

But having access to all of those sessions doesn’t mean you need to do all of them.

Choose the tool that matches the job.

Let’s use someone preparing for HYROX as an example.

Imagine you’re already reasonably strong, but running is one of your biggest weaknesses.

Your answer probably isn’t to attend every available class.

We might build your week around something like:

Monday: Strength-focused training

Tuesday: Running

Thursday: HYROX training

Saturday: Higher-intensity HYROX/interval work

Sunday: HYROX race-specific training or simulation work

Now there’s a reason behind the week.

We’re maintaining and developing strength.

We’re specifically addressing your running weakness.

We’re practising HYROX movements.

We’re developing different energy systems.

We’re getting exposure to race-specific demands.

The sessions complement each other.

That’s very different from simply saying:

“I’m doing HYROX, so I need to train more.”

The Same Applies to CrossFit

Maybe HYROX isn’t your goal.

Maybe you want to become a better CrossFitter.

You want to improve your gymnastics, get stronger and build a better engine.

Again, doing every available session isn’t automatically the answer.

We might deliberately choose days that give you exposure to strength, gymnastics skill development, conditioning and other areas that support your overall fitness.

Because we want to build well-rounded fitness.

Strong.

Skilled.

Aerobically fit.

Powerful.

Capable.

Healthy.

Your individual week will depend on your goals, your weaknesses, your training history, your schedule and your ability to recover.

That’s why having a coach involved is valuable.

Work on What Is Holding You Back

This is probably one of the biggest things I want people to understand.

More training and better training are two different things.

If you’re already training consistently but you’re frustrated because something isn’t improving, ask:

What is actually holding me back?

Maybe it’s strength.

Maybe it’s mobility.

Maybe it’s gymnastics.

Maybe it’s your engine.

Maybe it’s running.

Maybe it’s technique.

Maybe it’s recovery.

Let’s say your mobility is stopping you from getting into the positions you need.

Doing another three workouts every week might just give you three more opportunities to struggle with the same position.

You might need to specifically work on your mobility.

Or maybe you’ve been trying to get a particular gymnastics movement for months.

Another general class might help, but perhaps what you really need is focused time working on your technique and progression.

Attack the weakness instead of simply increasing the volume.

Sometimes You Need More Focus, Not More Training

This is where private or semi-private coaching can be really useful.

If there is something specific you’re struggling to fix, we can spend dedicated time working on you.

Your movement.

Your technique.

Your mobility.

Your strength.

Your gymnastics.

Your progression.

Then you can take what you’ve learned and apply it in your normal classes.

Think about the difference.

You could add another three hours of general training to your week.

Or you might spend one focused hour addressing the exact thing that’s holding you back.

Again, the question isn’t:

“How can I train more?”

It’s:

“What is holding me back, and what’s the most effective way to improve it?”

If You’ve Hit a Plateau, Don’t Automatically Add More

This is where motivated people often get themselves into trouble.

Progress slows down.

So they add another session.

Still frustrated?

Add another one.

But before we add anything, we should understand why progress has slowed.

Ask yourself:

How consistent have I actually been?

Am I training the things I need to improve?

How am I sleeping?

How is my nutrition?

Am I eating enough to support my training?

How is my recovery?

How stressful is work?

Am I carrying a niggle?

Have I been training hard every day?

Has my goal changed?

Sometimes the answer might genuinely be another training session.

Sometimes the answer might be fewer sessions performed better.

Sometimes we need to change which sessions you’re doing.

Sometimes you need some focused private coaching.

Sometimes you need to eat better.

Sometimes you need to sleep.

Sometimes you need a recovery day.

Adding training without understanding the problem can create another problem.

Your Body Doesn’t Care How Motivated You Are

I love motivated people.

As a coach, it’s awesome working with someone who wants to improve.

But motivation can sometimes make us ignore what our body is telling us.

You’re tired, so you push harder.

You’re sore, so you add another session.

You’re not progressing, so you increase the volume.

Then training stops being enjoyable.

Performance starts dropping.

Little niggles appear.

You’re constantly tired.

Eventually something has to give.

We want to keep that fire burning for years.

That means knowing when to push and when to recover.

Your Training Has to Fit Your Life

This is another thing we sometimes forget.

Most of us aren’t professional athletes.

You have a job.

Maybe you run a business.

You have a family.

You have kids.

You have social commitments.

You need to sleep.

And hopefully you want some time to actually enjoy your life.

Your training plan needs to acknowledge that.

There’s very little value in creating the “perfect” seven-day training plan if you can only realistically execute it for two weeks.

I’d much rather have someone consistently execute a sensible plan for a year than smash themselves for three weeks and disappear for the next month.

Build a plan you can actually live with.

Measure Whether the Plan Is Working

This is another important part of having a plan.

We need measurables.

If we’re trying to improve your running, let’s measure it.

If we’re trying to increase your strength, let’s measure it.

If we’re trying to improve your aerobic capacity, let’s measure it.

If we’re working on mobility, let’s see whether your movement is improving.

If body composition is the goal, let’s track appropriate markers.

If you want better gymnastics, let’s track your progress.

Then give the plan time to work.

After a reasonable period, we review it.

Are you improving?

Great.

Keep going.

If you’re not improving, let’s figure out why.

Then we make an intelligent adjustment.

Don’t change a plan simply because you’re impatient. Change it because the information tells us something needs to change.

A Simple Way to Plan Your Training

If you’re unsure what you should be doing, start here:

1. Define the goal

What are you actually trying to achieve?

2. Identify the weakness

What is currently stopping you from getting there?

3. Choose the right training

Which sessions actually address your goal and weaknesses?

4. Make it realistic

How does training fit around your work, family and life?

5. Recover

Sleep, nutrition, stress management and recovery are part of your training plan.

6. Measure

Decide how you’ll know whether the plan is working.

7. Review

Give it time, look at the results and adjust where needed.

That’s a much better strategy than simply doing more.

This Is Why We Do Goal-Setting Sessions

If you’re frustrated with your progress, please come and speak to us before changing everything.

That’s exactly what our Goal-Setting Sessions are for.

We can sit down and look at:

Your goals.

Your current training.

Your strengths.

Your weaknesses.

Your work and family commitments.

Your recovery.

Your nutrition.

Your schedule.

And the things you’re struggling to improve.

Then we can put a plan together.

Maybe you need another session.

Maybe you need fewer sessions.

Maybe we need to change which classes you’re attending.

Maybe we need to specifically address your running.

Maybe some Engine Room work would help.

Maybe you need focused private or semi-private coaching.

Maybe the biggest opportunity has nothing to do with adding training at all.

The important thing is that we make the decision based on you and your goals.

You Don’t Need to Do Everything

If you’re currently looking at the CFA schedule and thinking:

CrossFit Monday.

Run Tuesday morning.

Engine Room Tuesday evening.

CrossFit Wednesday.

HYROX Thursday.

Run Friday.

Weightlifting Saturday.

HYROX Saturday.

HYROX Sunday.

PLEASE COME SPEAK TO US FIRST. 😂

You don’t get bonus points for attending everything.

And we didn’t create all these different options because we expect everyone to do all of them.

They’re tools.

Different people need different tools at different times.

Let’s figure out which ones you need.

Then let’s build something you can consistently execute.

Because you probably don’t need to do everything.

You need to do the right things consistently.

Train with purpose.

Work on your weaknesses.

Recover properly.

Measure your progress.

Adjust when needed.

Keep your family, work and life in the picture.

And remember:

More Is Not More

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do for your progress is stop adding things and start following a better plan.

If you’re unsure what your training should look like, book a Goal-Setting Session with one of your coaches.

Let’s sit down, figure out what you’re trying to achieve and build a plan that actually makes sense for you.

💙 Stronger. Fitter. Healthier.