Soreness during first few months of crossfit.

Matt McManmon · 04-14-2004, 03:15 PM

Crossfit is very demanding as we all know. I've been following Crossfit 2-3x a week for almost a month now. alot of the workouts make me sore, sometimes very sore. I do try to hasten my recovery asmuch as possible. still though sometimes i have to take extra days off, and i almost always have been lessening the loads/rounds for the WOD's. My question is for the more experienced crossfitters on the board, how long did it take before you could nail a workout hard for the given loads/rounds and not be sore the next day? Were you strictly doing crossfit, or training for another sport simultaneously?

Patrick Johnston · 04-14-2004, 04:09 PM

I am still sore from time to time. Sometimes I get very sore. Most of the time, it is quite managable. I am often surprised by how sore I am. But just as often, I am surprised by how sore I am not.

I also box and do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Larry Lindenman · 04-15-2004, 04:44 AM

I think the beauty of Crossfit is it doesn't allow you to adapt. This creates a situation where you will often be dealing with soreness, even in the advanced stages. In my mind CF's tag line "Forging ELITE Fitness" says it all, this aint no power to the people.

Thomas Whitehead · 04-15-2004, 06:42 AM

I think you have to realize that if you aren't getting sore the next day, you didn't really push it as hard as you can. Granted, as you do more CrossFit and you get more fit, your body will recover more quickly. You may not get as sore as you had been getting. Or, the soreness may go away much more quickly. But, I find, especially with CrossFit, that I am constantly kept on my toes. And, I'm almost always waking up the next morning thinking to myself "Wow, I really did a good job with those workout yesterday." I think this reaction, and the ability to go out and push it hard again the next day is a lesson from experience. First, your body needs the experience before it can recover that well. And, also, your mind needs to toughen up and realize that you can go out, and you can push it again the next day.

Roger Harrell · 04-15-2004, 07:26 AM

If you are training properly and continuously increasing load/difficulty you will always get a bit sore from working out. Look at the gains you are making, not if you are sore or not. Like Thomas said, if you are not sore, you are probably not pushing it.

Ryan Shanks · 04-15-2004, 09:35 AM

The way I deal with recovery is to go a bit lighter. I'm trying to do all the workouts, so I know it won't help me if I am too gassed out from Monday to do Tuesday. The level of strength they're asking for is very high, so don't feel bad if your not 100% yet.

Mike Yukish · 04-15-2004, 10:05 AM

Crossfit is very demanding as we all know. I've been following Crossfit 2-3x a week for almost a month now. alot of the workouts make me sore, sometimes very sore.

Certain exercises do the same for me. Good Mornings are a great example. My hams killed me for days afterwards, because of the dynamic stretch I got.

So I include the exercises that really leave me sore into my warmup. I do light stiff-legged DLs every few warmups or so. Always some dips and squats, etc. As an added benefit, a lot of the different exercises we do in the WODs are fun, so it's enjoyable to fiddle around with them. Double-unders are a good example. L-sits. Handstands. Ring dips.

It makes a real difference, so I'm left "hard work" sore and not "muscles torn in half" sore. : )

Sebastian · 04-15-2004, 02:12 PM

I have another question along the same lines as the opening question here. I started Crossfit on Monday (lucky to start on a rest day) and am a little sore today (Thursday). I know there is no chance I could run or row 10k as worn out as my legs are. I was going to take today as a rest day and start back strong tomorrow with the 10k run and just follow the WOD regimen one day behind, and every now and then until I get in better shape take a day off and get another day behind. In a few weeks, once I am in better shape, just skip up to where CF is and be back on track. What do you experienced CF'ers think?

Scott Parker · 04-15-2004, 02:40 PM

matt-

when i first started crossfit i was REALLY sore. i'm not talking how most people feel after a workout - i mean so sore sometimes it hurt to sit in a chair! honestly that lasted for a month or two! like you, i thought to myself, man, is this ever going to get better? like others have mentioned, with time and patience your body will learn to adapt and it will pass. also, like others have previously mentioned, i still get sore from the WOD, but nothing like what i was experiencing when i first started. just make sure you are stretching and drinking enough water. it won't cure it, but should help!

scott

Thomas Whitehead · 04-15-2004, 03:21 PM

Well, the way I would look at it is like this. The 3 on 1 off philosophy, I think anyway, works very well. If you are too sore to do the 10k today, consider toning it down a little. Run a shorter distance at a slower pace and do a lot of stretching. I, personally, would try to stick to the CrossFit schedule as best as I could. If you push off today's workout until tomorrow, you might push yourself and try for 4 days in a row. And, after that, you might be worse off.

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04-14-2004, 03:15 PM	#1
Matt McManmon Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 110	Crossfit is very demanding as we all know. I've been following Crossfit 2-3x a week for almost a month now. alot of the workouts make me sore, sometimes very sore. I do try to hasten my recovery asmuch as possible. still though sometimes i have to take extra days off, and i almost always have been lessening the loads/rounds for the WOD's. My question is for the more experienced crossfitters on the board, how long did it take before you could nail a workout hard for the given loads/rounds and not be sore the next day? Were you strictly doing crossfit, or training for another sport simultaneously?

04-14-2004, 04:09 PM	#2
Patrick Johnston Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Modesto Ca Posts: 361	I am still sore from time to time. Sometimes I get very sore. Most of the time, it is quite managable. I am often surprised by how sore I am. But just as often, I am surprised by how sore I am not. I also box and do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

04-15-2004, 04:44 AM	#3
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	I think the beauty of Crossfit is it doesn't allow you to adapt. This creates a situation where you will often be dealing with soreness, even in the advanced stages. In my mind CF's tag line "Forging ELITE Fitness" says it all, this aint no power to the people.

04-15-2004, 06:42 AM	#4
Thomas Whitehead Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sackets Harbor NY Posts: 48	I think you have to realize that if you aren't getting sore the next day, you didn't really push it as hard as you can. Granted, as you do more CrossFit and you get more fit, your body will recover more quickly. You may not get as sore as you had been getting. Or, the soreness may go away much more quickly. But, I find, especially with CrossFit, that I am constantly kept on my toes. And, I'm almost always waking up the next morning thinking to myself "Wow, I really did a good job with those workout yesterday." I think this reaction, and the ability to go out and push it hard again the next day is a lesson from experience. First, your body needs the experience before it can recover that well. And, also, your mind needs to toughen up and realize that you can go out, and you can push it again the next day.

04-15-2004, 07:26 AM	#5
Roger Harrell Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Rafael CA Posts: 2,318	If you are training properly and continuously increasing load/difficulty you will always get a bit sore from working out. Look at the gains you are making, not if you are sore or not. Like Thomas said, if you are not sore, you are probably not pushing it.

04-15-2004, 09:35 AM	#6
Ryan Shanks Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 58	The way I deal with recovery is to go a bit lighter. I'm trying to do all the workouts, so I know it won't help me if I am too gassed out from Monday to do Tuesday. The level of strength they're asking for is very high, so don't feel bad if your not 100% yet.

04-15-2004, 10:05 AM	#7
Mike Yukish Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: State College PA Posts: 448	Crossfit is very demanding as we all know. I've been following Crossfit 2-3x a week for almost a month now. alot of the workouts make me sore, sometimes very sore. Certain exercises do the same for me. Good Mornings are a great example. My hams killed me for days afterwards, because of the dynamic stretch I got. So I include the exercises that really leave me sore into my warmup. I do light stiff-legged DLs every few warmups or so. Always some dips and squats, etc. As an added benefit, a lot of the different exercises we do in the WODs are fun, so it's enjoyable to fiddle around with them. Double-unders are a good example. L-sits. Handstands. Ring dips. It makes a real difference, so I'm left "hard work" sore and not "muscles torn in half" sore. : )

04-15-2004, 02:12 PM	#8
Sebastian Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 46	I have another question along the same lines as the opening question here. I started Crossfit on Monday (lucky to start on a rest day) and am a little sore today (Thursday). I know there is no chance I could run or row 10k as worn out as my legs are. I was going to take today as a rest day and start back strong tomorrow with the 10k run and just follow the WOD regimen one day behind, and every now and then until I get in better shape take a day off and get another day behind. In a few weeks, once I am in better shape, just skip up to where CF is and be back on track. What do you experienced CF'ers think?

04-15-2004, 02:40 PM	#9
Scott Parker Member Profile: Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Denver CO Posts: 489	matt- when i first started crossfit i was REALLY sore. i'm not talking how most people feel after a workout - i mean so sore sometimes it hurt to sit in a chair! honestly that lasted for a month or two! like you, i thought to myself, man, is this ever going to get better? like others have mentioned, with time and patience your body will learn to adapt and it will pass. also, like others have previously mentioned, i still get sore from the WOD, but nothing like what i was experiencing when i first started. just make sure you are stretching and drinking enough water. it won't cure it, but should help! scott

04-15-2004, 03:21 PM	#10
Thomas Whitehead Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sackets Harbor NY Posts: 48	Well, the way I would look at it is like this. The 3 on 1 off philosophy, I think anyway, works very well. If you are too sore to do the 10k today, consider toning it down a little. Run a shorter distance at a slower pace and do a lot of stretching. I, personally, would try to stick to the CrossFit schedule as best as I could. If you push off today's workout until tomorrow, you might push yourself and try for 4 days in a row. And, after that, you might be worse off.