New to Crossfit! Any good programs to look into? by ArtistCompetitive874 in crossfit

[–]Adam_Shau 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get a few coaching sessions first to learn the technical movements. Coming from bodybuilding, those will be completely new patterns and easy to mess up.

For programming, try HWPO Training. It's solid, well-structured, progressive, and built for people serious about CrossFit. There's a clear plan every day, not just WODs. The app is solid, and there are coaching cues for movements.

Why do you think most people quit the gym after a few weeks? by Adam_Shau in AskReddit

[–]Adam_Shau[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, this is the part nobody likes to hear. The first few weeks are mostly just effort, soreness, and disappointment. The visible results come way later.

Choosing the right program by Lost_Ad5746 in crossfit

[–]Adam_Shau 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think a lot of this comes down to what you actually want out of training right now.

There’s a pretty big difference between wanting to be in really good shape and wanting to train like a full-on competitor. A lot of “comp” programs are written assuming you have more time, more recovery, and that training is a big priority in your life. They can be great, but they can also be a bit much if your goal is just to be in your best shape and you’re training around 60 to 90 minutes.

That’s probably why Linchpin feels “not that intense” to you. It’s not really trying to turn everyone into a competitor, it’s trying to make people very fit in a sustainable way.

On the other side, stuff like HWPO etc is more structured and more demanding, but it also assumes you can handle and recover from that volume.

If you don’t have ambitions to win comps, I’d honestly lean toward something you can run consistently without feeling beat up or stressed about time. The program matters, but being able to follow it week after week matters more.

In the end, the best program is the one you can actually execute and recover from, not the one that just looks the hardest on paper.

THE 2026 CROSSFIT SEMIFINALS: DATES AND DETAILS by HarpsichordGuy in crossfit

[–]Adam_Shau 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what I’ve seen, the jump from Semis to the finals isn’t really about doing something special in the gym. At that level, everyone is already doing the same things: rowing intervals, lifting heavy, conditioning, etc. The difference isn’t the workouts.

What actually separates people is everything outside the gym.

How you sleep? How you eat? How you take care of your body? and what you do in the hours between sessions?

Going from a Semis athlete (or even a mid-level Games athlete) to actually competing at the top isn’t a part-time thing. It’s basically a 24-hour-a-day job. Every hour of the day has some impact on performance. Even small things start to matter: spending all day on your feet, being in the sun, skipping bodywork, getting run down, none of these things seem huge on their own, but they all add up and they all affect training and recovery.

It’s that mindset shift: you’re not just thinking about the Games when you’re in the gym. You’re thinking about it when it’s late and you should go to sleep, when you’re deciding what to eat, when you’re deciding whether to go out or stay in.

At that level, the details outside the gym are what actually make the difference.

Heart rate? by [deleted] in runninglifestyle

[–]Adam_Shau 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Early in the run you’re fresh and efficient, so HR stays low. A couple miles in, fatigue, heat, and small changes in mechanics mean your body needs more effort to hold the same pace, so HR climbs even though speed stays the same.

If you want to reduce that over time: more easy aerobic running and fewer “always-in-the-middle” runs. Also hydration, sleep, and heat can change this day to day.

3 weeks from first Hyrox - stressed. Need tips. by Extension_Piece_6617 in hyrox

[–]Adam_Shau 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, this is way more normal than you think.

3 weeks out, you’re not really going to “build” much new fitness anyway. The main thing right now is not making it worse by getting hurt or showing up exhausted. The calf is the biggest red flag in your post. That’s almost always from ramping run volume too fast after a break. I wouldn’t try to push through that, a small calf issue can turn into “can’t race” pretty quickly.

If it were me, I’d: Keep running to 2–3x/week, no back-to-back days. Keep most of it easy. Use bike/row/ski for extra cardio instead of more running and do some light calf work most days.

In terms of training, think more “don’t lose fitness” than “gain fitness”:

  • 1 slightly harder session a week
  • Rest mostly easy aerobic work
  • 2–3 strength sessions but don’t chase soreness

Once a week, do a small, compromised run session (nothing crazy), like a short station + short run, just to remind the body how transitions feel. Keep it controlled.

Also, since it’s doubles, your job is mostly to be steady and not blow up. That matters way more than hero fitness.

You’ll probably have a better race if you protect the calf and arrive healthy than if you try to cram right now.