Dec 7, 2018
<p>The training of many elite athletes involves seemingly
endless intervals suffering on the assault bike and the erg.
While there seems to be a general understanding now that the flashy
1RM PRs clogging up our Instagram feeds don't necessarily translate
into improve performance in the sport of CrossFit - what about the
long hours of grunt work spent rowing, running, biking and
skiing?</p>
<p>Are you wasting your time sweatin' to the oldies on the
assault bike? Does hard work actually pay off here?</p>
<p>There is certainly value in putting in work in cyclical
modalities, and we use running, rowing, biking, etc. regularly in
the training programs for our clients.
However, the link between improving aerobic capacity in something
like a 5k row and getting better at twenty minutes of burpee box
jumps and DB snatches is a bit more tenuous than one might
think.</p>
<p>So, how should we think about integrating running and
rowing into our programming?
Is it enough to do some "CrossFit metcons" and layer an
interval-based endurance program on top of that?
What is the relationship between improving scores on tests of
cyclical aerobic capacity (like a 2k row, 3k run or 10 min assault
bike test) and improving mixed modal tests (like Open workout 18.1,
17.1, or named workouts like Kelly or Eva)?</p>