Crossfit Endurance: What is it?

In the next few months Crossfit RVA is going to provide increasing opportunities for both our endurance athletes and those members interested in trying endurance events to train using the Crossfit Endurance (CFE) methodology. After receiving a lot of questions about CFE, I realized it was time to write a little bit about what it is and how to get started.

CFE maintains that Crossfit’s intense exercise cycles, constant variation of stimulus and functionality is the best way to train for any athletic event- including endurance events.

So here is the good news for our current members: the start of a CFE plan begins with doing our normal Crossfit WOD’s 4-6 times a week. So if you are already an avid CrossFitter, you are well on your way to training for the Monument Ave. 10k, Xterra triathlon, or Suntrust marathon.

So how does CrossFit Endurance work? The training program consists of normal CrossFit WODs, supplemented with 1-2 CFE training sessions per sport. For example, if your sport is running, you would CrossFit as usual, but add in two CFE running workouts per week. The CFE WOD’s should be varied; you’ll typically do 1 tempo workout and 1 interval workout per week. If you are a single discipline athlete, e.g. runner or cyclist, you can add another interval workout each week.

For multi-sport athletes such as triathletes, the initial prescription remains the same: 4-6 regular Crossfit WOD’s per week. From there we will add a maximum of 2 CFE WOD’s per discipline. That is potentially 12 WOD’s in a single week, so we’ll need to carefully monitor your progress, and reduce volume if the symptoms of overtraining appear.

But why does CFE work? For a few reasons: the first is by increasing your lactate threshold. By training at higher intensities your body can draw on lactate as an energy source. Lance Armstrong has incorporated this for years by intentionally training at higher intensity in order to increase his power output before he hits that lactate threshold. He pedals at a much higher cadence then most cyclists in order to ride at his most efficient, but he can only do this because he has extended his ability to work in this high output zone.

Second; short, intense workouts are more effective to guard against fatigue reduction. By continually running or riding more miles, your body builds up a chronic fatigue that is hard to recover from. Traditional endurance training focuses mainly on long-slow distance (LSD) training. This high-mileage approach wears on your joints and connective tissue, and without adequate rest will put your body at risk of injury.

Finally, much of the CFE methodology has to do with training energy pathways. I will not rehash that information, since it was covered a few weeks ago (see “Energy Pathways and Performance under our “Articles” tab), but needless to say you are doing an “aerobic” workout as soon as you start huffing air on any workout. Is there really any doubt that your cardiovascular system is getting taxed during “Fran” or “Helen?” I don’t think so. But, that is a distinction people have a hard time making: most athletes feel they must separate their “cardio” from other forms of exercise. That simply is not the case- the burning of your lungs during Crossfit is Cardio!

Just as most people that first try Crossfit are skeptical that a 10-20 minute workout can accomplish their fitness goals, even more people cannot fathom that they can become good endurance athletes without training 25-30 hours a week. So, as we start to flesh out our training plan to best assist our endurance athletes, please feel free to ask the questions you have. I know for many of you, resistance will accompany curiosity- that’s okay. We look forward to the challenge of making you better!