We find that a lot of athletes are doing most of their training in either CrossFit classes or with a small group of “more competitive” friends – and that they’re often trying to figure out how to tack on additional training sessions to what they’re already doing.

There’s been a shift over the last several years in the fitness community towards a better understanding of “training as a stressor.”

This is a fantastic thing, since folks seem to recognize that more is not always better, and training is not helpful if you’re not able to recover from it.

However, this has also led to a industry of recovery tools – often with associated highly mechanistic and scientific-sounding explanations of things like upregulating parasympathetic tone and and influencing the cortisol signaling cascade.

But, do these things actually do anything?

How much does recovery really matter in terms of long-term progress for athletes?

And, can we actually do anything to change our ability to recover?

Check out the full conversation with Luke and Todd to learn:

  • What are the most important variables that impact recovery – and which ones can we actually impact through our actions?
  • Do people really have a genetic ceiling?
  • How to think about volume and intensity in training – and why the “high/low” model from endurance sports is great for CrossFitListen below – or on the podcast player of your choice.

Listen Here

Show Notes:

  • [00:15] How much do things like saunas, massage guns, supplements, and breathing drills really impact recovery?
  • [06:12] A framework for thinking about recovery: What are the most important variables that impact recovery? Which of these do we have control over? When is it worthwhile to focus on marginal gains?
  • [15:08] Do people really have a genetic ceiling?
  • [19:44] How do we design training programs appropriately relative to someone’s ability to recover?
  • [24:04] What are tangible takeaways for people in terms of thinking about volume and intensity – and how should people design their programs to balance volume and intensity?
  • [31:10] Why the “high/low” model from endurance training is relevant for CrossFitters – and why it helps us find the appropriate level of training stress.