Thinking Inside The Box - Next-Level Recovery

Training for and competing in CrossFit competitions places significant physical stress on the body, which is why we need to pay special attention to our recovery demands during these phases in our training.

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Peak season

The end of the year is always a busy time for competitive CrossFit athletes. After the build-up and hype of the Reebok CrossFit Open, Regionals and Games, there is generally a lull over winter, but everyone has shifted into high gear again as we prepare for a number of local competitions.

The team at CrossFit 152 Biogen, including myself, have been training hard to prepare for Last Man Standing, which took place at the end of September. We were also hard at work organising the MiFitness Games, which were held at FIBO Global Fitness Africa. Over and above all of that, I also had to keep up with sessions at the box and manage the gym, which meant I had a lot on my plate.

Serious demands

My stress levels and recovery demands were obviously high. To ensure my fitness and conditioning positively progressed, and that I didn’t tip over into a state of overtraining, I started using a WHOOP Band, which I had imported from the US (it’s not currently available in SA).

It’s an extremely popular device among elite Games athletes as it provides a significant amount of data from the device’s numerous sensors, including sleep metrics. This user data is then synced to WHOOP’s cloud-based system to analyse and deliver important performance metrics.

Of particular relevance to me has been the daily recovery score it provides. By tracking resting and active heart rate 24/7, along with heart rate variability (HRV), the device can determine how well your body is recovering after hard sessions.