Why Metabolic Conditioning is the Key to Your CrossFit Success

Hello everyone,

Today, I want to explore a concept that's pivotal for our journey as athletes and CrossFitters – the "Theoretical Hierarchy of Development." It's a roadmap that outlines the key components in our pursuit of excellence.

If you take a look at the diagram, you'll notice four stages, starting with Nutrition at the base of the pyramid, followed by Metabolic Conditioning, Gymnastics, Weightlifting, and Sports at the top.

This hierarchy begins with the foundation of nutrition. What we put into our bodies profoundly impacts our performance and progress. Proper nutrition sets the stage for everything that follows. As I often say, "You eat good food, you look good; you eat junk, you look like junk!" But today, we won't get into the nutrition topic. Instead, I want to focus more on what defines us as CrossFitters.

Next Up....

We have metabolic conditioning, or as we commonly call it, Conditioning. This is where we build the engine that powers our performance. Think of it as the cardiovascular base that enables us to push ourselves harder and longer during workouts.

Now, you might be wondering why we're going into this hierarchy stuff. Well, it's pretty straightforward: getting the hang of this logical progression is a big deal for your journey as an athlete and CrossFitter. It helps us make sense of why we're doing certain workouts and what we're aiming to achieve. If we're lacking in any part of this pyramid, it can slow us down in the stuff that comes next.

That's why in our daily WOD, we have two distinct parts – first, Strength/Skill, and second, Conditioning. The Conditioning part is where we focus on metabolic conditioning, aligning with the second step of our hierarchy. Nearly if not every session includes conditioning because it's fundamental to building cardiovascular sufficiency and overall fitness.

On the other hand,

You might have observed that weightlifting or gymnastics aren't a regular feature in every session as part of our Strength/Skill segment. They alternate, with only one of them being the focus on specific days, not both. Additionally, there are days when we exclusively have conditioning sessions. This isn't because weightlifting or gymnastics are less significant; rather, they come later in the hierarchy. This prioritizes conditioning as the primary focus for our daily workouts.

Now....

I know some of you have raised questions about how often we do conditioning sessions. Let me break it down for you. We put a strong emphasis on this aspect for a reason. Metabolic conditioning is a key piece of our journey. It's not just about getting your cardiovascular fitness in top shape, both for aerobic and anaerobic capacity. It's also about making sure your body is ready for the upcoming workouts that might involve weightlifting, gymnastics, or sport-specific skills.

So, the fact that we incorporate conditioning in most sessions isn't to sideline other aspects of our training. Instead, it's a deliberate choice to fortify our foundation and enhance our overall athletic performance for future program cycles. We're committed to helping each of you reach your fullest potential as athletes, and this balanced approach is a fundamental part of that commitment.

This program is CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP),

Designed and prepared by CrossFit's most experienced seminar staff from HQ. I cannot emphasize enough that we couldn't be more CrossFit than this. And remember, we are a CrossFit Affiliate Gym, not a weightlifting gym.

Let's remember that we're in this together, and our pursuit of excellence demands a holistic approach. Keep pushing yourselves, work on your weaknesses, and strive for continuous improvement. Together, we'll ascend this hierarchy and reach new heights in our athletic endeavors.

Always remember, our coaches will always be there to help you.

Stay strong and stay committed,

Coach Dann
Head Coach,
CrossFit Pahlawan

Snippet on the package of CAP

ARE YOU READY FOR CHANGES?