You’re not satisfied with your results, so you decide to train more. Sound familiar? But is that the right approach?
Training six days a week isn’t always better than training three days a week. Someone training three times a week with intention, listening to their body, and challenging themselves at the right moments can often achieve more than someone who “obsessively” trains six times a week.
Of course, if someone trains six times a week with full focus, intention, and adequate recovery, they may progress faster than someone who trains only three times a week. But this is often the exception rather than the rule. Let’s take a closer look at the factors that determine if more training is really always better.
Age
As you get older, your body’s ability to recover quickly decreases. Younger athletes tend to be more resilient, but for those over 35, recovery becomes an increasingly important part of the training routine. While this doesn’t mean you can’t train effectively as you age, it does mean that recovery periods have a greater impact on your progress.
Your Daily Life
Your results in the gym are connected to the rest of your life. Do you have a demanding job, children, or perhaps some recent stress? All these factors affect your energy levels and recovery. It’s helpful to recognize that CrossFit is only one part of your life, and your body performs best when your energy and stress levels are in balance. Adjust your training schedule based on what you can handle each day so that you don’t push yourself to exhaustion due to outside stressors.
Nutrition
Nutrition plays a vital role in how well your body recovers. Training puts a lot of stress on your muscles, and without the right fuel (like protein, healthy fats, and carbs), your body simply can’t recover optimally. The better your diet, the better your recovery and growth. A balanced diet not only gives you more energy during your workouts but also ensures that your body recovers faster and grows stronger between sessions. Training more without the right nutrition may actually harm your results instead of enhancing them.
Men and Women: Recovery Cycles
Did you know that men’s and women’s recovery cycles differ? Women typically have a 28-day cycle with hormonal fluctuations and varying energy levels, while men have a 24-hour cycle. For women, it can be helpful to adjust training intensity and rest periods to align with their cycle, as some phases require more energy than others. For men, this may be less relevant, but they should still listen to their bodies and recognize when rest and recovery are needed.
Workout Intensity
Not only frequency but also the intensity of your workouts affects how much rest you need. The higher the intensity of your workouts, the more rest your body requires to recover. High-intensity training can accelerate results, but without adequate rest, your progress may plateau. A mix of intense days and lighter workout days helps you perform at your best without exhausting your body.
Consistency Over the Long Term
Perhaps the most essential principle in CrossFit: consistency is more valuable than short periods of excessive training. Training consistently three times a week for five months can yield more results than training six times a week for three months and then stopping for a month due to injury or burnout. It’s about creating a rhythm where you continuously improve, without extreme highs and lows. By focusing on the long term, you work step by step toward sustainable results.
Coaching and Guidance: The Key to Effective Training
At our gym, we believe that good guidance is the difference between simply training and training effectively. The more coaching, the better your results can be. Our coaches are always there to support, correct, and motivate you. However, even within our offerings, there are different levels of guidance intensity. For example, our Get Shredded program and Kickstart program are held in smaller groups, allowing for more personal attention and a focus on your unique situation, goals, and recovery needs.
Our coaches consider all the factors covered in this article, such as your age, daily stress, nutrition, and workout intensity. In smaller groups, a coach can quickly identify if you’re pushing too hard or if you need a bit of extra motivation. This personal approach makes it possible to balance your training, rest, and recovery, helping you not only become stronger but also preventing injuries and promoting sustainable training.
Conclusion: Learn to Listen to Your Body
Training should energize you, not drain you. Your body and mind will give you signals about when rest is needed. There’s no need to feel guilty for taking a rest day—in fact, that rest is often precisely what your body needs to become stronger. Don’t train more to fill another gap in your life; see it as an essential investment in your health and well-being. Training less, but with full focus, guidance, and intention, can sometimes yield better results than training more without adequate rest and focus.
So remember: it’s not about how much you train, but how smartly and balanced you train.