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Haven’t Pr’d Lately? It’s Okay

5 Sets Of:
Hang Snatch+Snatch (70%,75%,80%,85%,90%)

3 Rounds For Time:
5 Front Squats 65% 1RM
10 Pullups
15 Burpees
Rest 1:30

Success-diagram-300x220

Jay Rhodes from Outlaw North sheds light on the question: Why Can't I PR everyday?

When you train consistently for upwards of a few years you get to know yourself very well as an athlete.

When getting into CrossFit back in 2009, I had a decent understanding of myself as an athlete. I knew from the start that being able to casually run under 60 seconds for 400m was going to serve me well. I also knew doing over 20 handstand pushups in a row was a good thing.  On the other hand I couldn’t do a full overhead squat with more than about 75 lbs, and more than 5 toes to bar or knees to elbows would leave me gasping for air.

With every workout I would learn about where my threshold was, how hard to push for a given workout, where to push and where to hold back.

With every competition I picked up a few valuable pieces of knowledge.  Many times from making mistakes, but sometimes from watching what worked for others.

Over the last 2 years especially, I have noticed that my training goes through what I like to call “waves”.  Essentially, the ups and downs of training.
One week I will end up setting PR’s on anything I touch, then next I may struggle to hit 85-90% of those numbers, maybe less!  It’s not planned, it’s not intentional, it’s not accounted for in programming, and it can be very tough mentally and downright annoying when you hit that low point.  Sometimes it lasts a couple days.  My most recent one lasted nearly 3 weeks.

I am never worried when those low points come, because often times they are followed by a string of PR’s.  However, as a trainer and now gym owner, I have seen a lot of frustration from athletes who aren’t able to work up to their PR in any given lift on any given day.

Keep in mind the standard that you’re holding yourself to there.  You’re BEST day you’ve ever had; a stat or number you’d been trying to reach for MONTHS, should now be routine?! You crazy?
Improvement is going to happen at different rates depending on how long you have been training for. The longer you have been training the closer you are to reaching your potential (though I’m a firm believer that it will never be reached), and the harder it will be to keep improving at rapid rates.

Case in point. My Clean & Jerk.

Aug 2010 PR – 230 lbs
Aug 2011 PR – 290 lbs
May 2012 PR – 310 lbs
Current – 311 lbs
Sure, those numbers may seem huge to some people reading this, but to keep things in perspective I have increased my Clean & Jerk by 0.3% in 7 months.
In the time since that 290 lb PR – which was done in running shoes the morning after a cross country flight on minimal sleep – I can probably count on both hands (maybe with an extra finger or two) the number of times I’ve been able to work above that weight.  The number of times I’ve attempted to is more than I’d care to count.
But I was able to do it under less-than-perfect circumstances? And I’m stronger now? And better at the lifts? What’s wrong with me?

Nothing. Sometimes things just come together.

Here’s the thing. If you can work up to your maximum weights on any given lift on any given day- you probably suck at hitting maximum lifts.  It’s not realistic to be the exact same every day.
The more I pay attention to my training the more I realize that my body isn’t going to be performing at 100% at all times.  I’m going to do my damnedest to try to make it happen but sometimes it’s just not happening.

I recently had the opportunity to ask American Open Champion Jon North and his renowned Coach Glenn Pendlay if they find that their athletes see the same type of waves in terms of their abilities.
Glenn’s comment was that if you do have ups and downs in training,  you’re doing it right.

I think we’ll leave it there.

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13 comments

  1. Jennifer R.

    What? No Big Rob pic?

  2. BigRob

    Combo breaker!!!!

  3. Jarrod

    Nice read Coach!

  4. This post embodies a very important concept. It’s easy to get an idea from early on improvements that that type of linear progress goes on as long as you train. Once you pass the instant gratification phase of training is where the men get separated from the boys. When it gets tough to PR is when you need to be the most determined and consistent. Never let negative thoughts stand in the way of focused training. Have faith in your ability to continue to improve, even if those improvements are going to come more slowly. You can’t have your best day every time. Great re-post.

  5. xenia

    And then there is me, who seems to be eternally lost in the curly part of Aaron’s graft!!

  6. ^^ Xenia, I hope you meant graph.

  7. xenia

    Oooops,thanks Matt:)

  8. Leah B.

    Awesome re-post AO! I know this is something that I am constantly having to remind myself. I have hit this wall of self-doubt, discouragement, frustration, pressure etc etc many times in my short CF existence…however I have come to learn and partially accept 🙂 that each day will be different for me. I do my best to control the things I can; my sleep, my diet, and most importantly my attitude. Before regionals last year I spent time reflecting on what I wanted for our team and myself out of our regional experience, besides making it to the Games. One of the most important things that I wanted and that I reminded myself of constantly was that I was going to do my best with who I was that day and not to beat myself up mentally if I somehow thought I had fallen short…meaning how I was prepared mentally, had I slept well, had I eaten well, was my training dialed??? Knowing I had done my best to be as prepared as I could for regionals, I knew I could only do the best with what mind and body I had on that given day. We all go into competition or even stepping thru the doors of CFES with the best intentions of putting it all our there and even PR’ing but sometimes it doesn’t happen, for a multitude of reasons. I’ve learned that even with my best attempts at controlling what I can that there will be off days, weeks,even months but, I have also learned valuable mental apsects to CF thru these times. Make the most of these difficult times. Push thru and learn what you can…it makes you so much stronger and your successes so much sweeter.

  9. ^boom!
    and Xenia you got to watch it when you start talking curlies.

  10. Monica

    The timing on this post could not have been better! I read it just before heading over to Battle Born Crossfit in Reno for a WOD this morning wherein either in the warm-up and the workout out I could not link more than 5 double unders after having a huge PR on Annie last week, including 35 unbroken DUs (not a lot for many but huge progress for me) . . . anyway, I was able to let the frustration go and just did singles knowing that it was just a bad day and I will not be without them for long. So, the rule applies in all aspects of Crossfit – not just strength.

  11. Amber

    Great re-post AO. As a Crossfitter and even as a college athlete I struggled this topic a lot. Just as we practice good technique on our lifts, we need to practice positive thinking before we’re plagued with unbreakable habits. Perception is reality. It’s easy to make excuses (ask Justin.. I’ve told him numerous times that I’m convinced I have some gentic flaw that makes me unable to squat correctly) 🙂 Trust your coaches, trust your training and remember that the mind and body are connected. No matter what your goals are in Crossfit, if you risk your ego, have fun and practice positive thinking.. you’ll be surprised with the results.

  12. Jarrod

    Hang Squat Snatch = 115#
    3:54 w/Front Squat @125#

  13. Jessica

    Thanks for that AO 🙂