In many sports, you can get reasonably frequent exposure to competitions which can take the pressure off these competitive experiences. But in CrossFit, the ratio of training to competition is significantly one-sided. Competitions, even during the ‘season’, don’t happen that often, so when they do the pressure is on. But one part of the sport that might be even more high-pressure and stressful is qualifiers, especially during the off-season.

Managing qualifiers in the off-season can be challenging for several reasons. First, you have to start filming your workouts and working to deadlines. The self-comparison and leader-boarding can create doubt in your training direction if you don’t perform well. You are usually out of competition shape, and the workouts disrupt the flow and momentum you’ve built in the off-season. Generally, qualifiers are a very stressful time for a lot of athletes.

Check this episode out, where we unpack why they can be very stressful and how to manage that. But we also highlight the importance of qualifiers in the off-season, why they can help in staying sharp, having focus in training and how to navigate them better.

Listen Here:

Show Notes:

  • [1:20] Why qualifiers can be stressful during the off-season
  • [4:00] Understanding when you need to be peaked for competition
  • [6:00] Balancing sports practice with structured training
  • [7:30] What goes into being peaked for competition
  • [9:45] What do you change in a high-level athletes training during qualifiers
  • [12:45] Managing and handling the stress of qualifiers
  • [15:30] Old-school cheats and qualifiers
  • [20:30] It’s important to have periods of non-comparison in training
  • [22:30] Having qualifiers and competitions on the calendar have focus and intention in training
  • [25:30] Handling self-comparison from qualifiers
  • [27:40] Todd’s DIY medicine ball back in the day