Preparing for a CrossFit Competition: Tips & Strategies

The week leading up to your Crossfit competition is one of the lesser understood elements of competition prep. You can’t do much at this point to create new physical adaptations, but taking a whole week off before a competition isn’t the best course of action. So what should you do?

With our Competition Taper templates, you can stay sharp during competition week without overdoing it. We make things easier for you by telling you how many days prior to your event you should do the training instead of telling you which day you need to perform the written work.

This will be the general structure you’ll see in the template, but as with everything else we do at Misfit Athletics, using your Athlete IQ whenever necessary is the varsity level approach we want you to take.

4 Days prior: Lift, 1-2 Conditioning Pieces, Skill, and Mobility

Lifts are kept in the 70-80% range for the best combination of speed, technique, and CNS priming. Conditioning pieces allow for high intensity without excessive soreness. We provide 2 pieces, but depending on your usual training volume only doing 1 may be more appropriate. Less is more. Skill sessions should focus on quality and movement efficiency, and the whole session is wrapped up with a mobility session that should be personalized to your needs.

3 Days Prior: Lift, 1-2 Conditioning Pieces, Skill, and Mobility

Similar structure the day before, however today we include a Maffetone session as one of the conditioning pieces. Feel free to mix machines if desired.

2 Days Prior: Flush and Mobility

This day is crucial – a longer, steady state cardio piece followed by a thorough mobility session designed to flush your body of any waste that hasn’t quite cleared from the previous days as you get ready to roll.

Day Before Competition: Primer Lift, Primer Metcon, Flush, Low intensity skill, and Mobility.

A short, snappy lifting session and short intensity metcon primes your central nervous system to move fast. If you know any of your events and there are unique movements that require some refinement, today is a good day to get a very low intensity skill session in. Don’t overdo it. Follow that up with a Flush and mobility, then get some rest.

We hope this taper template as well as some background information on the “why” behind each day gives you the direction and confidence you need to go into your competition locked and loaded. Give it hell, and good luck!