Why We Love Interval Training at CrossFit Golden Gate
At CrossFit Golden Gate, you’ll notice we program a lot of interval work - short bursts of effort followed by rest. It’s one of the most effective ways to build a higher level of fitness. Whether you’re newer to training or chasing performance gains, intervals allow us to train smarter while still pushing intensity.
More Quality Volume, Less Burnout
One of the biggest advantages of interval training is that it lets athletes accumulate more high-quality work. When you work continuously for a long time, fatigue eventually forces you to slow down. By breaking a workout into intervals with recovery intervals, you can maintain faster speeds and better movement quality across the entire session.
Instead of one long grind, you complete several rounds at a higher pace. The result is more productive volume and more reps at higher power output and more practice of good mechanics.
Training Different Energy Systems
Intervals also help us target multiple energy systems, which is a key part of building well-rounded fitness. Shorter, higher-intensity intervals train the anaerobic system, improving your ability to produce power quickly. Slightly longer intervals challenge the aerobic system, helping you sustain effort and recover faster between bouts of work. By manipulating interval length, rest periods, and intensity, we can develop both systems and help athletes become more resilient across a wide range of workouts.
Improving Threshold and Work Capacity
Another major benefit of interval training is threshold development—the ability to sustain challenging efforts without completely blowing up. Training near your lactate threshold improves how efficiently your body processes fatigue-related byproducts and allows you to hold a harder pace for longer.
what this really means:
You recover faster between sets
You maintain intensity deeper into workouts
Tough workouts feel more manageable over time
Positive Hormonal Response
Short, intense intervals also produce a strong hormonal response, including increases in growth hormone and other beneficial metabolic signals. These responses support improvements in fat metabolism, muscle preservation, and overall conditioning, which is one reason interval-style training is so effective for body composition and long-term health.
Better Pacing and Mental Focus
Intervals also teach athletes how to manage effort and pace intelligently. Instead of going out too hot and fading, athletes learn to repeat sustainable efforts with intention. This builds both physical and mental stamina—two things that carry over to everything from Open workouts to everyday life.
Training Hard, Training Smart
Ultimately, interval training allows us to push intensity without sacrificing quality. It’s a way to challenge athletes while still maintaining good mechanics, smart pacing, and recoverable training loads.
At CrossFit Golden Gate, our goal is always the same: build strong, capable athletes who can perform at a high level for a long time. Interval training is one of the best tools we have to make that happen.
And yes… it’s also a lot of fun.
tuesday, march 10
A.
5 sets of 3 power cleans
B.
3 sets: (HARD EFFORT!)
60s to complete: 4 C&J (135/95) + max reps DUs
90s rest
60s to complete: 4 C&J (135/95) + max cal echo bike
90s rest
monday, march 9
A.
6 sets:
sets 1-4: 2-3 reps strict press with 3s eccentric
sets 5,6: 5 reps push press with 3s eccentric (same weight as part A)
B.
5 sets:
In 90s, complete:
9 TTB + 9 thrusters (95/65) + max reps burpees over the bar
rest 90s between sets
score = total reps burpees over the bar
thursday, march 5
A.
4 sets:
2 sets of 10/arm, 2 sets of 8/arm SA DB press
10-12 DB bench press
B.
20 min amrap:
200m run
3 wall walks (Rx+ 5 wall walks)
200m run
20 DBS (50/35)
wednesday, march 4
A.
5 sets:
2 power cleans + 1 squat clean
touch and go reps
B.
“16.2”-ish
for time: (12 min cap)
25 TTB
50 DUs
15 squat cleans (135/85, 95/55)
25 TTB
50 DUs
13 squat cleans (185/115, 11/75)
25 TTB
50 DUs
11 squat cleans (225/145, 135/95)
tuesday, march 3
A.
4 sets:
3 strict press
B.
2 sets:
3-5 tempo push press @ 31X1
*same weight as strict press
C.
14 min amrap:
7 CTB pull-ups (Rx+ 3 RMUs)
14 single arm hang DB clean and jerks (7 L/7 R)
14/12 cal row
monday, march 2
A.
deload
Back Squat 8 sets of 2 reps @ 55%
one set every 75s speed focus not load!
B.
“14.5” & “16.5” (15 min cap)
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
thrusters (95/65)
bar facing burpees (NO STEPPING OVER THE BAR!)
friday, february 27
26.1
for time: (12 min cap)
20 WBS (14/20 lb) (9/10 ft)
18 box jump-overs (20/24 in)
30 WBS
18 box jump-overs
40 WBS
18 med ball box step-overs
66 WBS
18 med ball box step-overs
40 WBS
18 box jump-overs
30 WBS
18 box jump-overs
20 WBS
thursday, february 26
A.
4 sets: superset
10 SA DB press (or push press) 3s eccentric
12 DB bench press (3s eccentric every rep)
B.
20 min amrap:
15/12 cal Echo/Assault bike or 18/15 cal row
3 Rounds of “Cindy”
15/12 Cal Echo/Assault bike or 18/15 cal row
3 Rounds of “triplet”
“triplet”
4 hang power cleans (155/105)
4 front squats
4 STO
"Cindy"
5 pull-ups
10 push ups
15 air squats
wednesday, february 25
32:00 amrap:
2-4-6-8-10-12-… power clean (185/125)
2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18..… burpee box jumps
4-6-8-12-16-20…and so on…TTB
400m run after each round
tuesday, february 24
A.
4 sets: 4 strict press
B.
1 set: 4-6 tempo push press @ 31X1
*use same weight as strict press
C.
EMOM for 8 mins (4 sets):
odd mins: max reps wall walks
even mins: 45s echo bike or ski or row
rest 2 mins
EMOM for 8 mins (4 sets):
odd mins: 15 STO (115/75, Rx+ 135/95)
even mins: 60 DUs
score = total reps wall walks
monday, february 23
A.
6 sets: back squat
3 sets of 2 reps
3 sets of 1 rep
B.
“21.3”
For total time (15 min cap):
15 front squats (95/65)
30 TTB
15 thrusters
Then, rest 1 minute before continuing with:
15 front squats
30 CTB pull-ups
15 thrusters
Then, rest 1 minute before continuing with:
15 front squats
30 bar muscle-ups
15 thrusters
friday, february 20
A.
5 sets:
segmented clean deadlift + power clean
B.
2 rounds of (4 intervals):
3 min amrap:
500m row or 400m run + max reps burpees over the erg
rest 2 mins, then…
3 min amrap:
500m row or 400m run + max power cleans (135/95, Rx+ 185/125)
rest 2 mins
thursday, february 19
A.
4 sets:
2x12, 2x10 SA DB press
4x12-15 DB bench press
B.
for time:
800m run
then, 3 rounds of: 12 OH lunges (95/65) + 12 TTB
600m run
then, 2 rounds of: 12 thrusters (95/65) + 12 TTB
wednesday, february 18
A.
5 sets: 3 deadlifts (3s eccentric every rep)
B.
3 sets:
4 min amrap:
9 deadlifts (155/105)
6 hang power cleans
6 burpees over the bar
9 CTB pull-ups
rest 2 mins between amraps
pick up where you leave off
tuesday, february 17
A.
4 sets: 6 Strict Press
B.
1 set: 6-8 Tempo Push Press @ 31X1
C.
22.1-ish
15 min amrap:
4 wall walks
12 box jump overs
16 single arm DB hang C&J (50/35)
4 wall walks
12 box jump overs
16 alternating single arm DB snatches (50/35)
Why Exercise Should Feel Uncomfortable (and Why That’s a Good Thing)
Real physical adaptation requires stress. Not injury or over training but real actual challenge. When your body is asked to do something slightly beyond what it’s comfortable with like moving faster, lifting heavier than last time, breathing harder than you want to, moving when you’d rather rest, it has no choice but to adapt. Muscles grow stronger. Bones get denser. The heart becomes more efficient. That’s biology, not motivation talk.
If your workout feels easy and totally comfortable, your body has already adapted to it. Easy movement has value, but it won’t drive meaningful change on its own.
This is why our classes are effective. Pushing yourself and lifting heavy, like in our CrossFit classes, is uncomfortable. Conditioning workouts (WODs) and Hyrox classes are uncomfortable in a different way - lungs burning, legs screaming, your brain telling you to stop. That discomfort isn’t a flaw of the program. It’s the mechanism.
There’s also a powerful neurological component at play. Challenging workouts trigger a surge of dopamine, endorphins, and other stress-related hormones. Dopamine reinforces effort and achievement, endorphins blunt pain and elevate mood, and cortisol, when managed through short, intense bouts, helps the body adapt and recover stronger. In simple terms: doing hard things trains your brain to associate effort with reward.
The magic happens because you’re uncomfortable and because you stay with it anyway. The payoff? Strength that carries into daily life. Conditioning that makes everything else feel easier. And resilience, the confidence that comes from repeatedly choosing challenge over comfort.
Discomfort in the gym buys you comfort everywhere else. Our CrossFit and Hyrox classes are not meant to feel easy. They’re meant to make you better in and out of the gym.
monday, february 16
A.
back squat 3,2,1,3,2,1
B.
EMOM for 8 mins (4 sets):
odd mins: 45s echo bike or row or ski
even mins: 20 Russian KBS (71/53)
EMOM for 8 mins (4 sets):
odd mins: 50 DUs
even mins: 20 WBS
friday, february 13
A.
5 sets:
1 segmented clean deadlift + 1 segment hang squat clean
B.
for time:
30 power cleans (135/95, Rx+ 155/105)
30 front rack lunges
30 TTB
30/24 cal row