I'm not a whiner, at least I don't think of myself as one. Occasionally though, I complain. Before complaining I feel I need to say that I think the world of my crossfit grandmaster, Dave. He is wonderful. He has a degree in physics from the University of Chicago and brings scientific precision to his approach to fitness instruction, and has given me so much information on how to get more fit that I will be forever in his debt.
Last night we did 20 rep max for back squat, adding at least 5 more pounds from last week. I did 20 back squats with 175 lbs., 10 more than last week. Progress. Cool.
Then we did 150 situps for time. Dave urged us to attack these and not hold back. The penalty for stopping was 5 burpees. I didn't stop, but slowed down considerably after the first 50. I wondered as I was wearing a hole in my butt if this exercise was doing my gut any good. Was core fitness happening?
My hunch is that after about 75 situps, the body gets mechanistic and subtly starts cutting corners and taking the easier, shorter path, and that diminishing returns sets in. Does exercise have diminishing returns, I wonder. Do big sets translate into big gains? What is the relationship between number of repetitions and results?
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