There’s a common trap that many training programs fall into, and for 6 years since we opened CrossFit Donelson, I’ve been vigilant to keep it out of our gym. The thought process that “if some is good, then more is better” is appealing for obvious reasons, but it often leads to stagnation and exhaustion. On the other hand, the idea that “less is more” might seem counterintuitive, but when applied correctly, I’ve found that it often produces better results in the long run.
The “More Is Better” Mindset That Left Me Burnt Out
For many years, both before I was introduced to CrossFit and even some after that, I thought I needed to be in the gym for multiple hours every day to make progress. I would stay after class to do whatever additional work I thought I needed to get where I wanted to be. For a short time, it worked. I got stronger, learned new skills, and became more able to handle long sessions at the gym… or so I thought.
After about 6 months, I hit a plateau. No matter how hard I worked, I wasn’t getting stronger or better, and I was getting frustrated almost every day by my lack of progress. I even voiced my concerns to my coach and friends, and while they gave some training advice, they mostly told me I needed to relax and enjoy the pursuit of fitness again. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but it was definitely what I needed, because they were absolutely right, even if I didn’t know it at the time.
Why Doing Less Felt Scary… Until It Started Working
Eventually, between starting a business and starting a family, fitness took a back seat to real life. I don’t mean that I stopped training entirely, I just didn’t have time to devote 2-3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week anymore. I had more important things to do than spend all my spare time working out.
At first, I was worried I would lose a lot of my strength and conditioning, but to my pleasant surprise, that didn’t happen. In fact, I got STRONGER and FITTER than I had been before. It turns out, the CrossFit model of one workout a day actually works! In fact, not only does it work, it’s the best method for developing a general base of strength & conditioning that I’ve encountered. Later, when I revisited my educational materials to study for my Certified CrossFit Trainer (CCFT) exam, I would comprehend this even more, but at the time, this was a very enlightening experience for me. Not only was I able to continue getting fitter, faster, and stronger, but I still had time for my work and energy for my family. Win-win!
How Functional Training Prioritizes What Actually Matters
So what does this look like in practical terms? It means showing up to our group fitness classes 3-5 days a week, trying your best, and trusting the process. It means listening to your coach when they correct your form or give you advice. It means resisting the urge to spend several extra hours each week lifting heavier or running longer. Yes, a few minutes of extra work is good – a lot is not.
There are several benefits to this beyond just physical fitness. First, you only need to dedicate 3-5 hours per week of your life to being physically fit, leaving so much more time to spend on the things that really matter in your life. Second, you don’t have to be an expert at knowing or discerning which exercises or programs you need to include in your routine. Third, you’ll get actual coaching – not just someone DJing a song playlist and starting the timer. Finally, and possibly most important, you’ll recover enough to actually make progress in your fitness, not just beat yourself up every day and barely return to baseline for the next session.
Stop Chasing Exhaustion and Start Chasing Function
Following up from that last point, when I first started functional training over ten years ago, I thought I needed to exhaust myself almost every single day in order to maximize my results. I couldn’t have been more wrong, but you know what they say – “you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Yes, you need to work hard and long enough to create a stimulus that your body will positively adapt to (it’s called supercompensation). Unfortunately, I was doing so much that, even with adequate rest and nutrition, my body couldn’t compensate and improve, much less improve.
Why Functional Training Shouldn’t Be Overwhelming
Many people do this, again thinking that “more is better” but in actuality, less is often better when done with intention. This is why CrossFit is, by definition, a low volume, high intensity program (don’t be scared by that term, intensity is relative to each person). The methodology of CrossFit understands and teaches that, when applied correctly, a concentrated dose of exercise can be far more effective than a large, watered-down dose.
Why I Designed Our Gym Around People, Not Perfect Workouts
At CrossFit Donelson, I always design workouts with our members in mind. There are many great programs out there that can work in theory, but if they don’t work for us, then they are useless to me. That’s why our coaches are such a critical part of our community, because not only are they leaders in our culture and values, they also connect with each and every person who walks through our doors, learning their abilities, limitations, areas of weakness, and areas of strength. They use this knowledge to help people scale the movements we do for the best workout possible. I tell them often that I couldn’t operate without them, and it’s true. It’s also true that our members are what make CrossFit Donelson special, because they wholeheartedly embrace our mission and vision, including the mindset that doing less is often better than more.
Fitness Should Provide Clarity, Not Clutter
This principle of “do less, better” is something that I’ve embraced in many areas of my life besides just fitness, because it also applies to work, hobbies, marriage, parenting. Less clutter and more clarity often brings renewed purpose and energy to whatever you do. If you want some help in reshaping your functional training or just life in general, schedule a Free Consultation with me. I’d love to chat with you.
Spencer Smith
Owner & Head Coach
