The pillars on which we teach exercise are Mechanics, Consistency, and Intensity.
MECHANICS:
Proper movement mechanics will always be our guiding light when determining how and when to progress someone in exercise complexity. The body can do amazing things when it’s positioned correctly to do so. We pursue perfect mechanical advantage during exercise, even if it may be unattainable.
CONSISTENCY:
Consistency in these mechanics will guide us in progressing toward intensity. Consistency isn’t about doing the exercise correctly for a handful of reps while a coach cues and corrects you. True consistency is the ability to perform correct reps over and over again — without cues or corrections — whether you’re fresh or under fatigue.
INTENSITY:
Once mechanics and consistency are established, we can introduce or increase intensity. Many people assume intensity means doing things faster, but we can actually increase intensity through speed, load, volume, and movement complexity.
While intensity can be the “secret sauce” to expedite results, when applied improperly, it becomes a shortcut to injury.
This is why we follow the progression of MECHANICS → CONSISTENCY → INTENSITY at CrossFit MetroEast.
The Summary:
Master proper mechanics. Be ridiculously consistent with them until they become so automatic that you don’t have to think about them. Then, ramp up intensity with sustainable load, pace, and complexity to maximize results without increasing the risk of injury.
If your experience with CrossFit or other “high-intensity functional workouts” has lacked proper instruction, modification, or programming — and has led to injury — you didn’t get the right experience. For that, I’m sorry.
Not all programs, coaches, and gyms are created equal. This stuff works — there’s no doubt about it. If it were unsafe or ineffective, I wouldn’t have used it as my own training plan for the past 17 years or prescribed it to hundreds of clients over the last 12 years.
If you want a fresh perspective on what it looks like to participate in a safe, effective, functional fitness program, we’d love to chat. You can book a free consult HERE.
