Why I Cycle Off CrossFit Every 7 Weeks
My favorite Chiropractor and fellow CrossFitter Dr. Tayler Rabbetz at Chiro-Medical Group who works with many athletes was telling me about how Olympians train and take off weeks. Essentially to avoid burnout, they go six weeks on their sport and then take a week off while staying active with other things. I had been suspecting that taking more rest would be a good thing for me after 10 consistent years of CrossFit and noticing that whenever I went on vacation, I would come back feeling incredibly strong. I signed up for ClassPass realizing it would not only be the most cost effective way to explore, but it would give me a portal to see what’s available in the city and organize classes by day and time. For my first week away from CrossFit, here’s what I opened myself up to:
Monday: Yoga
I was drawn to the class title “Wake Up! Flow” at Wheel House to start the week and had a lovely time stretching out and holding some poses. The room was naturally lit from the San Francisco morning foggy sun with a window spanning the entire side wall creating a tranquil space on the second floor in one of the Embarcadero Center buildings. My body felt very supple and ready for the week ahead!
Tuesday: ZenFit
This studio found me on Instagram and I was immediately excited to experience the combination of Boot Camp, Yoga and Meditation in an hour. The first half of the class was dedicated to warming up and then internal training. We stretched out in yoga poses afterwards and then ended with a peaceful guided meditation. I had the opportunity to meet and chat with the founder Victor who shared some really insightful research on meditation being easier following exercise as another way to take advantage of the endorphins. I usually meditate first thing in the morning when my mind is the quietest but I did find it just as easy to meditate after the intense interval training!
Wednesday: FlyWheel (Spin)
I have enjoyed a few SoulCycle Classes but have always wanted to try this version with a leaderboard to help me know my power output in relation to the rest of the class. I didn’t realize that showing up on the leaderboard was an opt-in only feature and made sure to update my profile settings at the front desk when I left after asking why I couldn’t see my name up. While less spiritual, it was definitely a more intense (while still fun) spinning class compared to SoulCycle. I was particularly impressed by how the instructors coordinate the beats to the cycle counts and programming like a choreographed play!
Thursday: Rhythm & Motion (Fusion) Dance
I had enrolled in a series of Hip Hop classes a few years ago and wanted to explore other types of dance and see ODC. The instructor told me new people don’t usually drop into this class and was glad that I did. It was fast paced, fun and filled with warm energy by everyone participating. I took her advice of just focusing on the footwork if I was feeling overwhelmed which definitely happened a number of times in the hour!
Friday: Aerial Yoga
Suggested by a co-worker, I loved the idea of “Rise & Fly” to end the week on a high note. The curtains were surprisingly intense against the parts of my body that they were holding me up with like bending over forward and hanging from my hips. It felt like mobility (in the foam rolling sense) meshing with very active stretching. The Raven Fitness studio was intimately small, cozy and comfortable.
Sunday: Ultimate Frisbee
CrossFit is meant to train one to be ready for sport and I have always wanted to try playing with the gay league in the city. It just so happens that the organizer Woody is a member at my CrossFit Gym who got me to add this to the end of the week. This was by far the best running conditioning I have gotten in a long time and my legs were very sore the next day. A number of the veterans asked if I was pooped at the end and I told them I wasn’t! CrossFit definitely prepared me for two hours of running all over the place. While I missed all my throws and only caught the frisbee twice, I had a great time and was inspired to see so many serious frisbee players in action.
Intrigued? I’ll be continuing my cycling off every seven weeks if you have a suggestion or want to join me let me know! Other classes that have caught my attention and are on my list of studios to explore include TRX, Parkour, Boxing and more!
I’ve been using ClassPass to explore after realizing that was more economical then paying drop-in fees at every studio. You may use my referral code Referral Link you’re not a member to get $30 off.
The week I came back to CrossFit I set two new personal records in my Back Squat and Overhead Squat! How about that for active recovery week?
Last Updated/Enhanced: June 15, 2017
