Shorter Metcons...

Below is a clip from CrossFit Portland regarding why they value using shorter MetCons. Don't worry, if you love the long haul those will always be around, although not really in the standard programming for the next 8 weeks. Alternative information/perspectives is important for you guys as many of you effectively design some portion of your own training (open gym, lifting class, doing your own WODs etc) So this is something for you to chew on. The next couple months of programming will give you some more experience in this realm so that you may form your own conclusions and opinions.

Emphasize shorter WODs with a higher peak power output: There are many reasons to emphasize shorter metcons, or to perform them in more of an interval style with prescribed rest between rounds. Long workouts necessitate pacing yourself, just as one wouldn’t take off in an all out sprint to start a marathon. Shorter workouts allow a trainee to attack and leave it all on the table, leading to a higher intensity workout. Many of the metabolic changes we are looking for come primarily from the intensity, not the overall volume. If one trains like this to improve peak power, then when necessary, they will perform well at longer WODs or real life efforts. The reverse is not necessarily true.

Also, we can limit some of the negative hormonal responses from exercise by training this way. You will get a overall lower release of stress hormones (that will break the body down) and a larger release of anabolic hormones (that will accelerate repair and regrowth).