I started wearing a Whoop strap in 2020 and have blogged several times about my experience. The Whoop strap is a wearable performance monitor that measures your strain (workout intensity), recovery and sleep. Since my Sleep Number bed monitors my sleep, I am most interested in Whoop's ability to measure my recovery and strain. WHOOP measures strain based on cardiovascular output and time spent in various heart rate zones. The longer you're above 70% of your max heart rate the higher your strain score. Whoop does best when workouts are 15 mins or longer. So for our classic short and intense workouts your strain may not get very high. That doesn't mean you're not working hard and gaining fitness. It just won't be reflected in the strain score, but it will be reflected in your recovery score. More on that later. What about lifting days? Here's how Whoop handles those training sessions: If you’re doing a strength-based workout with minimal reps and periods of rest (such as Olympic weightlifting), you will have a lower strain if your heart rate is not elevated for extended periods of time. Many WHOOP members have wondered how their data will reflect a strenuous strength session, so here’s the breakdown: Since all of our CrossFit workouts, both long and short, and our heavy days place some level of strain on our cardiovascular and neuroendocrine system our bodies must recover from the work. That is where Whoop really shines.
No matter your strain value for a specific workout, your recovery metrics are based on your personal biology (HRV, resting heart rate and respiratory rate) and those will absolutely be affected by the intensity of your workouts and the types of recovery practices you implement (hydration, nutrition, stress management, sleep, etc.). I have used my recovery values and the Strain Coach feature to guide the intensity of my training sessions. If my recovery value is low, then I will adjust the volume or load of my workout. If my recovery value is high then I know I can set my hair on fire and red line a workout. I have found that my body can recover from a weightlifting session if I'm in the Red recovery zone as long as I do not go for a one rep max lift. If you are interested in joining me on a Whoop journey, use my link to get your first month free. If you're already a Whoop user, join our True Spirit Whoop Group with the team code: COMM-AD6416.
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Heather Kahler was our VERY FIRST member, OG-1! Last Thursday, July 14th, was our 8th Anniversary! To celebrate, we're sharing the stories of our original members. This week we feature, Heather, who joined our gym the day we opened.
What was your fitness life like before you started training with True Spirit CrossFit? It was pretty non-existent. I tried a couple of things but I was so out of shape it was hard to keep going. What brought you to True Spirit CrossFit in the first place? I worked with Leslie at a previous gym and you follow her anywhere 😂 What was your first impression? Has that changed? Best community ever, and still is! Very professional and caring coaches. What was the first thing fun or positive thing you experienced while training with us? Powerlifting! I want to be a badass old lady! Are you working on any special CrossFit related skill now? Bodyweight back squat How has you life changed since training with TSCF? I have way more energy and mental stability. I'm just a happier person and I'm no longer terrified of aging! What's your favorite True Spirit CrossFit memory? I love all the Nights of the Living Deadlifts! Comfort is a Slow DeathLast year, our Montana Mighty Rucks Club read an excellent book by Micheal Easter called The Comfort Crises. I blogged about it here and here. The book, The Comfort Crisis, explores all the ways in which we allow ourselves to become complacent with comfort. One of the reasons I love CrossFit and rucking is that we learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. According to Michael Easter, the author of The Comfort Crisis, we are hardwired to want "comfort creep," yet we need to continue to push the boundaries of uncomfortableness to be strong and healthy mentally, physically and spiritually. The Comfort Crisis introduced me to the concept of comfort creep, but the term has been floating around the personal finance world for quite some time. In that context comfort creep is what happens when we start to make more money and we spend more of our disposable income on things that make us comfortable but our unhappiness remains the same or decreases. Essentially our spending rises to reach a perceived better quality of life without delivering a permanent benefit to our wellbeing. The same comfort creep is an insidious incremental increase of ease in our everyday lives with a commensurate decrease in our toughness. Easter describes it this way, "We sleep on the most comfortable mattress possible in our climate controlled home. We wake up and walk less than 20 feet to get into our climate controlled vehicles to work in another climate controlled building. Then we drive home to eat dinner that we didn't need to grow, forage or hunt. Then we sit on a comfortable sofa until it's time to go to sleep in our comfortable bed." According to Easter the majority of us spend too much time in artificially controlled environments. A study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency found the average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors.
To escape comfort creep we are encouraged to do things that make us less comfortable like camping, backpacking, CrossFit, rucking, hiking, cycling, etc. The major theme for holding off comfort creep is spending time outdoors. Time outside exposes us to the elements, sun, wind, rain, snow, and allows us time and space to think, be creative, explore and do all manner of things that improve our mental and spiritual health. The Japanese call time outside shinrin-yoku or forest bathing and doctors regularly prescribe it to improve physical and mental health. We are lucky here in Montana as most of us live here precisely for the outdoor pursuits. We hunt, climb, hike, fish, float and spend time outdoors because we know it makes us feel better. Is there a way to turn your next outdoor adventure into a mini-misogi to explore the boundaries of your comfort zone? Share your ideas with us in the comments. |
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