Why Constantly Varied?

As a community we are all familiar with the definition of CrossFit; constantly varied, functional movement, performed at high intensity. We take pride in our functional movements and most of us regularly explain to our non-CrossFit friends why functional is better, and yes it is okay to be friends with them. We can also describe how the high intensity has helped us lose weight, save time, and routinely challenge ourselves.

However, there may still be the question in the back of our mind, is it REALLY possible to get better at our activities when we are always changing the activity we are working on? Every now and then someone may say to us, and maybe even some of our newbies think it themselves, how does this CrossFit stuff work if we don’t spend those thousands of hours practicing one thing at a time like most of the fitness world?

Our coaches make it clear that we track our results over months, and years of training to confirm that we are in-fact getting healthier. Then again, what if this is your first year? What if this is your first month? How can we explain to others and understand ourselves, that constant variance matters?

In CrossFit we are forming a broad, general and inclusive fitness. We train to a level where we are ready for anything and everything life may throw at us. Long distance, short distance, odd objects, heavy weights, high reps, jumping, climbing, pushing, pulling, squatting, pressing, and yes snatching. The unknown and the unknowable. By the way life rarely gives us a tranquil environment and peaceful mind, in any given situation, to perform these tasks in.

We train a constantly varied, routine-is-the-enemy, way in order to avoid over capacity in one area and deficiency in another. AKA the lifter who can’t run and the runner who can’t lift.

To be better humans, not just athletes, we must be ready for Mother Nature. We regularly train outside of our comfort zone, attacking our weaknesses, because Mother Nature has no idea what our comfort zone is. Even if she does, she does not seem to care. She definitely does not cater to our strengths, and she will not give us a pass on our weaknesses. Mother Nature is constantly varied. Therefore we use constant variance to be generally, physically prepared.

 

-Coach Cullen