Making the Transition from CrossFit to Strength Sports
Confession: I started in CrossFit. Everyone at my gym knows me as the guy that won't run because it'll mess up his squat day, but there was a time that I was head over heels for the sport of fitness. You've found your way to this post so I'm going to assume that you're a strength enthusiast or are considering making the transition to strength sports. My advice: do it. It's awesome. There's nothing cooler to me than loading a 300 lb atlas stone and snatching 250lbs. My girlfriend agrees and if we're being honest we all do it for the ladies so there's that to look forward to. So, you're thinking about changing from CrossFit to full time strength training? You, my friend, are in for a rough, rough transition.
However with that transition come so many rewards that it's worth every bit of struggle. Ever tried a 20 rep squat test at 225? That's your max squat you say? Imagine if your max was 400. How much easier would that 20 rep test be? Ever had to push your broken down car onto the shoulder of the highway? Same premise. Being strong just makes life easier.
Never had to study before because your coach programmed for you, corrected your form, and modulated your intensity with all kinds of neat tricks? Good luck. You'd better learn to review videos of yourself every day or get in touch with a coach who knows the ropes.
Used to getting participation points for showing up to class even if you half ass the WOD? Adios to those days. When someone half asses they're strength work with me they get left out on their own. Don't waste my time. You're looking to get strong, which means lifting heavy, often, and in large volume. Welcome to a whole new world of fatigue and soreness.
If you're still reading then I'll take this moment to acknowledge the fact that you probably already experienced everything I just mentioned. You're a strength athlete and everything above goes without saying. The deeper you get into the strength world the more comfortable you'll get with your own style of training. It may be 5/3/1, Westside, 5 by 5's, the Cube, Olympic Lifting, Strongman etc... but every single training style is designed to get you as strong as possible. Here are a few things to expect from your new training program.CrossFit has built up a huge base of conditioning for you which will be helpful, but now you need to prioritize your main lifts. Any conditioning work has to be accounted for in your program. Don't fall into the trap of trying to push both your conditioning and your strength at the same time, you're setting yourself up for mediocrity. Your strength will suffer from the conditioning and your conditioning will suffer because you'll be fatigued from your strength work.
"I'd rather be dead than average" - Mad Dog Bell. Don't settle for mediocrity.
You have to eat more. A lot more. I know you think you're eating enough, but you're not. Here's my challenge to you. Get on My Fitness Pal and spend one week tracking how much you eat. If you're under 1 gram of protein and 2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight you're under eating. Every ex-crossfitter struggles the most with their new nutrition plan. You will be fluffy for a while. We can bring your body fat back down later but in the beginning you will have to put on weight. Those abs will disappear for a bit and your pants will be a little tighter but when you go from deadlifting 225 to 400 it'll be worth it. As an added bonus all that extra muscle mass is going to look really good in a speedo, even if there's a little extra fluff on top. Trust me.
This is not the time to think about cutting weight and trying to drop a weight class. If you're transitioning from CrossFit you're relatively weak compared to the rest of the playing field (even for the weight class below you) and putting on weight is the best way to make up some lost time. Bigger humans are better able to produce force, and mass moves mass. Build your body mass to move more weight.
I'm going to say something that may be unnecessary but nonetheless was a mistake I made as a young lifter so I'll touch on it briefly. Let go of your preconceived notions of strength training. CrossFit has opened the door for you to begin your strength journey and taught you many things. Don't let those lessons close your mind to what you could learn from veterans in the strength and conditioning world. Even if you disagree just hold your comments and take a look around you. If you're surrounded by people stronger than you then maybe it's time to bring back the student mentality. It's normal to have questions, but be respectful of those who have been in this game longer than you especially when they've clearly been successful. That's all I have to say about that. Welcome to the world of strength my friend and I'm glad you're here. You're in good company. This is a journey that will take a lifetime but strength is a gift that keeps on giving. Keep this in mind as you progress down your new path:
"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general".
Yours in strength,
Nate Schwartz
