While many visualise CrossFit as a purely physical endeavour, the realm of mental math cannot be overlooked. Whether you’re calculating percentages for a lifting set, tallying reps during an AMRAP, or managing time in a tight EMOM, your mental agility becomes as crucial as your physical prowess.
Consider this: you’re in the middle of a heavy workout. It’s an AMRAP, and you’re switching between exercises. Every second spent calculating reps or weights becomes a second not spent working out.
Amy, one of our coaches at Bua Celbridge and a talented CrossFitter in her own right, muses that “I’ve had instances where I’ve miscalculated my weights and ended up lifting heavier than planned – a happy accident, but one that could have been avoided with sharper mental math.”
Enhancing mental agility
- Practice: Just as you’d train your muscles, train your brain. Start with simple math exercises and progress from there
- Use apps: There are numerous apps designed to challenge your brain with math-based games
- Engage in class: Instead of waiting for the coach to spell out weights and reps, try to figure them out first. It becomes a mini-challenge within the workout
By making mental math an integral part of your CrossFit training, you’re not just increasing your intellectual prowess, but enhancing your overall performance.