Test and retest.
Most people have an understanding that they should be checking in on their numbers by retesting workouts that they’ve done before.
If those numbers are getting better…then great! Progress!
But, if they’re not, then something must be wrong.
In reality, once athletes get past the beginner stage, progress is much lumpier than we think.
Our day-to-day performance varies significantly.
We get stuck on long plateaus where we don’t feel like we’re making any progress.
And we periodically taste a higher level of performance – but then quickly drop back down to our previous level.
While this can be frustrating and psychologically challenging, this is, in fact, par for the course.
Check out the full conversation with Jon, Luke and Todd to learn:
- Why improved numbers on testing benchmarks don’t always translate into people getting better at the sport
- The most common psychological traps to avoid during your next testing week
- What typical patterns of improvement actually look like for elite performers – and why they don’t always get better on testing even if their fitness has improved
Listen below – or on the podcast player of your choice.
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Show Notes:
- [00:15] While knowing your testing numbers is helpful, being too attached to numbers can have negative consequences. And, beginner, intermediate and advanced athletes all need to think about their numbers differently.
- [06:32] Even if you improve your strength, your cyclical time trials, and your max unbroken sets of gymnastics movements, you may not actually get better at CrossFit.
- [11:29] Managing expectations is key to going through testing periods. If athletes think that they’re always supposed to set a new record, they can get themselves into some psychological trouble.
- [17:16] Performance is more variable than people think – especially amongst folks who aren’t the ones who are always at the top of the leaderboard.
- [19:13] How often should athletes go through a testing period? How can they manage the psychological aspect of testing?
