What measures intensity? The size of your grimace? The rate of your heartbeat? The volume of your grunts? The size of your sweat angle? The amount of effort in suppressing Pukie? Scientists, fitness companies, and trainers alike have all come up with all sorts of voodoo and black magic gizmos to measure intensity in athletes. The most common of these is a heart rate monitor. Although not completely arbitrary, heart rates can be affected by so many other variables: fear, caffeine intake, and is relative to the individual.

CrossFit defines intensity as doing the WODs as hard and fast as mentally and physically possible. Given this definition, we need a quantifiable measure to determine this intensity. That factor is TIME. Did you knock 10 seconds off your Fran time? Finish your 5k a minute faster? Eek out another 2 rounds in Cindy? Congratulations, you’ve increased your physical and/or psychological limits and jacked up your intensity.

During this next WOD, between agonizing breaths, think about your limits. Can you push a little harder? Go a little faster? If so, DO IT. Push that envelope and discover how much more you have to give.

WOD 08.25.09

Chipperette
15 Squat Cleans (135/95#)
30 Toes to Bar
30 Box Jumps (24/20″)
5 rope climbs
30 Push Presses (40/25# DB)
30 Double Unders
15 Thrusters (135/95#)
30 Pull Ups
30 Burpees
100m OH Walking Lunges (45/25# plates)

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