If you have been a CrossFitter for any substantial length of time, you have likely come across the concept of secondary training sessions (often referred to as ‘two-a-days’). The idea behind working out more than once per day is pretty straightforward; the more training you can fit in, the more fit you will be. This article will discuss when it is appropriate to start incorporating two-a-day training sessions, and how to properly do so (especially with our newly added twenty-four hour access 😉).
As stated above, the goal of additional training sessions is to increase overall work volume. However, this needs to be built upon an already laid foundation of consistent training. If you are newer to CrossFit and/or training three to four days per week, it is recommended that you first establish the habit of training five to six days per week before adding any secondary training sessions to your day. We want to disperse the training volume as evenly as possible throughout the week to facilitate recovery and prevent overtraining.
If you are in a position to start implementing multi-session days to your training schedule, how should you start? Again, the goal is to increase overall work volume, but in a manner that is safe and to a degree that your body can reasonably adapt to. Suppose you currently attend five classes per week, each an hour in length. If you add an hour training session to each day, your overall work volume would double, which would be a really great way to crash really quickly.
It is important to consider how many sessions per week you plan to add, the length of each session, and the resulting increase of overall work volume. If you are wanting to experiment with working out more than once per day, we recommend starting with an additional one to two hours of supplementary training per week, and observe how well your body responds after the course of four weeks. You can also consult with one of our coaches, who will help you lay out a plan for success, whether it be extra conditioning, strength, or technique work.
