\nOnline Courses: Contact us at seminars@crossfit.com \nCrossFit Games Support: Reach out to support@crossfitgames.com \nFor T-Shirt Purchase: Check your inbox for instructions from customer@trackorder.site
\n","orderHistoryHeadlineText":"Order History","orderHistoryLabelText":"Order History","viewOrderDetailsText":"View order details"},"resourcesKickerText":"Resources","rulebookLabelText":"Rulebook","rulebookLinkUrl":"https://games.crossfit.com/rules","preferenceCenter":{"checkAllText":"Check All","emailCommunicationBodyText":"Select which lists you would like to receive communication from","emailCommunicationHeadlineText":"Email Communication","newsletters":[{"bodyText":"Every day since 2001, CrossFit has published a Workout of the Day for new CrossFit athletes, seasoned veterans, and anyone in between. Subscribe to Workout of the Day emails, and you'll receive CrossFit programming in a three-days-on, one-day-off, two-days-on, one-day-off cadence.","brazeGroupId":"d68551b9-ac7e-437e-bfd2-d225702413cc","headlineText":"Workout of the Day"},{"bodyText":"Get inspired with the latest and/or trending articles, stories, videos, and podcasts focused on the CrossFit community and methodology.","brazeGroupId":"1bfd806e-efe3-404d-9980-c8f38c39490b","headlineText":"What's Trending"},{"bodyText":"Be the first to know when official updates and announcements are released from CrossFit HQ.","brazeGroupId":"cb28cb07-ca09-4739-b73b-7413f95a4892","headlineText":"Updates and Announcements from CrossFit HQ"},{"bodyText":"This subscription is for those interested in announcements, updates, and stories about the CrossFit Games season and its competitors. ","brazeGroupId":"e56abfcc-c940-482d-879c-eed93958cbbe","headlineText":"CrossFit Games"},{"bodyText":"This monthly newsletter includes important CrossFit Games competition season updates, resources, and tips. It is intended for competitive athletes but is open to anyone interested in learning more about the CrossFit Games season.","brazeGroupId":"fce49890-9b3c-4e1f-9e06-1bd06cd696a3","headlineText":"The Hopper"},{"bodyText":"The Professional Coach provides a wealth of articles, media, and webinar opportunities that cover all aspects of coaching, including best practices, real-world coaching application, scaling, methodology, nutrition, CEU opportunities, and more. With contributions from experts inside and outside the CrossFit space, this twice-monthly newsletter is the ultimate tool for any coach looking to improve their skills and knowledge. This newsletter is exclusively available to those who hold a Level 1 Certificate or higher. ","brazeGroupId":"653207fb-9734-44c9-a988-23eb18142529","headlineText":"The Professional Coach"},{"bodyText":"The Affiliate Update is a newsletter for CrossFit affiliate owners and includes upcoming event details, business and marketing resources, and general updates from CrossFit HQ. The Affiliate Update is only available to licensees of record (LOR).","brazeGroupId":"1d3e4c63-f03f-4b61-8453-1fbb186ae27e","headlineText":"CrossFit Affiliate Update"},{"bodyText":"An email series for learning what it takes to open and run a successful CrossFit gym","brazeGroupId":"6ab8a53a-167c-4c74-b5ea-3a06cb857068","headlineText":"Interested in Affiliation"},{"bodyText":"CAP is a weekly email available exclusively to affiliate owners that provides comprehensive class plans, resources, and educational tips to help coaches deliver an exceptional experience to their members.","brazeGroupId":"ba7e977e-ec76-41e3-8465-158d38167ed6","headlineText":"CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP)"},{"bodyText":"CrossFit Health serves as a vital bridge connecting the realms of fitness and healthcare. Committed to delivering valuable insights, CrossFit Health harnesses the expertise of renowned professionals from the health, wellness, and CrossFit communities. Our mission is to educate individuals on the transformative potential of CrossFit as a powerful lifestyle intervention, ultimately optimizing health outcomes.","brazeGroupId":"a9c5a8a4-df0a-4b0c-acb6-e9b4631fc00c","headlineText":"CrossFit Health"},{"bodyText":"Be the first to know when new products are added to the Official CrossFit Store and receive special offers and discounts conveniently delivered directly to your inbox.","brazeGroupId":"905db0be-a3c8-4f5b-8903-536a04cb0a40","headlineText":"The CrossFit Store"},{"bodyText":"This subscription is for companies interested in on-site event activations and vendor booths at the CrossFit Games and other events hosted by CrossFit.","brazeGroupId":"92fa7fe8-262a-4d6a-9b0d-9fcc8cc17e7d","headlineText":"Interested in On-Site Event Activations / Vendor Booths"},{"bodyText":"Get alerted for upcoming courses. CrossFit courses and certifications are open to individuals and trainers seeking to improve their health and fitness through effective training and nutritional strategies.","brazeGroupId":"dd1ee7a4-2ef5-477b-affb-77347ce81684","headlineText":"Interested in Finding a Course Near You"}],"preferenceCenterHeadlineText":"Newsletter Preferences","preferenceCenterLabelText":"Newsletter Preferences","uncheckAllText":"Uncheck All"}}},"pages":{"breadcrumbs":{"links":[{"text":"Essentials","url":"/essentials"},{"text":"Masters Champ Kyle Kasperbauer on Workout Recovery: “Motion Is Lotion”","url":"#"}]},"contentPublishDate":"20211022","contentType":"article","commentTopics":[{"title":"Masters Champ Kyle Kasperbauer on Workout Recovery: “Motion Is Lotion”","topicId":"article.20211018150525073"}],"title":"Masters Champ Kyle Kasperbauer on Workout Recovery: “Motion Is Lotion”","topicId":"article.20211018150525073","socialMetaData":{"title":"Masters Champ Kyle Kasperbauer on Workout Recovery: “Motion Is Lotion”","image":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/22145742/Kasper-Reco-1024x576-1.jpg","description":"Proper recovery is just as critical for peak performance as training, says three-time Masters 35-39 champion Kyle Kasperbauer. And it's just as important for the everyday CrossFit athlete as it is for high-level competitors — perhaps even more so. "},"categoryLinks":[{"text":"Essentials","url":"/essentials"}],"cfdailyLinks":[{"text":"211023","url":"/211023"}],"path":"/essentials/masters-champ-kyle-kasperbauer-on-workout-recovery-motion-is-lotion","components":[{"name":"ArticleHeader","props":{"topicId":"article.20211018150525073","date":"20211022","cfdailyLinks":[{"text":"211023","url":"/211023"}],"categoryLinks":[{"text":"Essentials","url":"/essentials"}],"articleDate":"20211022","authorName":"Brittney Saline","bylineText":"By","headlineText":"Masters Champ Kyle Kasperbauer on Workout Recovery: “Motion Is Lotion”"}},{"name":"TextBlock","props":{"children":"
Kasperbauer takes on Event 4 at the 2021 Games after visiting the Airrosti tent for some body work (Photo by Ginnie Coleman photography).
\n
It’s 7:00 p.m.
\n
You’ve survived a long workday, made it to the gym, and just finished a killer workout that’s left you feeling not unlike a pile of cooked spaghetti. You peel yourself off the floor, grab your bag, and head for home and the comfort of the couch.
\n
Right?
\n
“If you’re sore, the last thing you want to do is go home and sit,” said Kyle Kasperbauer. “Motion is lotion.”
\n
And Kasperbauer knows what he’s talking about. He’s been competing in CrossFit since the 2009 Games in Aromas, California, and is a four-time individual CrossFit Games athlete, two-time team Games athlete, and three-time Masters 35-39 champion. Few of his cohorts from back then remain by his side on the competition floor today.
\n
“How have I lasted this long?” he asked. “I started this in 2009 at 27 years old, and I’m now almost 40 years old, and I feel just as fit. My body feels great, I’m enjoying life with my children … and it’s because of CrossFit.”
\n
Because of diligent attention to a critical aspect of CrossFit, that is: recovery.
\n
Recovery, Kasperbauer emphasized, is just as important for developing peak physical fitness as training. It’s a realization he made circa 2011, around the time he’d begun focusing exclusively on high-level CrossFit competition.
\n
“I was reaching levels of fitness that I’d never been at; it was amazing, and I loved it,” he said.
\n
But his body was also starting to “talk” to him, he said. His joints sometimes ached, and he had to work harder and longer to achieve full range of motion. He also discovered there were consequences to too much hard training and too little rest.
\n
Photo courtesy of @meadowsmedia.
\n
“So, if I’m not recovering very well throughout the week and then I really want to go to that sixth gear and really push it all the way down to the floor, I just didn’t have that,” he said.
\n
Thus began a diligent routine focused on long and thorough warm-ups, post-workout stretching and mobility, and a greater awareness of how activities of daily life affected his body.
\n
“Everyone always thought I was a little bit weird at first, (because) I was always showing up about 20-30 minutes before class even started,” Kasperbauer recalled, “and I would do my own warm-up. I would stretch out and smash … and then I would get taken through the (class) warm-up, and by that time, I was warm.”
\n
Back then, he said, the extra work wasn’t imperative, just smart. Now, it’s a necessity.
\n
These days, Kasperbauer begins a training session with 10-20 minutes of mobility work targeting whatever issues might currently be plaguing him. After that comes a 5- to 10-minute dynamic warm-up followed by accessory work, strength, and aerobic-capacity work. Post-workout comes more mobility work, stretching, and smashing.
\n
It might sound like a lot, and that makes sense — Kasperbauer is still competing at one of the highest levels of competition in the Sport of Fitness. But a focus on recovery, he insisted, isn’t just for the sport’s top athletes. In fact, it’s perhaps even more important — from a health and longevity standpoint — for the everyday CrossFit athlete.
\n
“Another big issue is just the fact that a ton of people will come in, do a workout, and then get in the car and go back to the office and then sit at their desk, and they’re just sitting there,” said Kasperbauer, who coaches four to five classes per week at his affiliate, CrossFit Kinesis. “And they do that five days a week. And it’s so many hours of sitting at a desk and so many hours of tightening to where all of a sudden you come back (to the gym) and you’re not even moving properly, because you haven’t spent any time in a good position.”
\n
“It’s a difference of thriving with recovery involved in that plan or just surviving,” he added. “Eventually there’s going to be something knocking at the door, and it’s going to require your attention.”
\n
Photo courtesy of @meadowsmedia.
\n
There’s more to recovery than proper warm-up and mobilization. Quality and quantity of sleep, proper nutrition, and hydration all affect performance in the gym.
\n
“I think everybody should wake up and immediately drink 20 ounces of water before anything — before their coffee, before their breakfast, before anything,” Kasperbauer said.
\n
He also praised the benefits of omega-3, vitamin D, and magnesium supplementation, as well as dry saunas and cold showers. After all, recovery, Kasperbauer said, is just a catch-all term for “mindfully being healthy the rest of the day.”
\n
Remember to take your rest days — and don’t be afraid to go light when your body’s telling you to, or even to substitute one movement for another altogether.
\n
“Yeah, we all want to play on the playground and do the same thing that the other kids are doing,” Kasperbauer said. “But if you can’t do that one thing, you can do 17 other things that will be almost just as effective. And that’s the most amazing thing about CrossFit.”
\n
Yes, it can be frustrating to modify movements or take weight off the bar.
\n
“But I would say that it is part of the process,” Kasperbauer counseled. “Nobody’s asking (an athlete) to be the best on the whiteboard. … It’s OK to back off a little bit. Move well; be intentional. Get your brain out from the world, get it into the gym, think about the movement, think about knees out, elbows up, and just move. … And then leave better than you walked in. “
\n
In August, Kasperbauer earned his third masters championship with three event wins and seven top-four finishes. Still, with a wife, two young children, and an affiliate to run, he says he’s now more like the “general population CrossFitters” than ever — and he says you don’t have to invest as much time into recovery as Games athletes do to reap its benefits.
\n
Take five minutes before and after each workout to stretch and mobilize. Eat well, drink water. Take five more minutes to stretch before bedtime.
\n
“I do it … when I’m watching a little ESPN or something right before I brush my teeth and go to bed,” Kasperbauer said. “Just being mindful, step by step, little by little.”
\n
It’s no different than the work you do in the gym. The small efforts you put in each day pay off over time with increased fitness and improved health.
\n
“The whole point (is) that we’re in the CrossFit gym to prevent us from being in the hospital,” he said. “And so let’s spend now versus spend later. Let’s enjoy our lives and do the things we want to do by simply just focusing on the recovery just a little bit more.”
\n","hideText":"Hide","status":"active","type":"alert_banner","userCanHide":"no"},"header":{"desktopLinks":[{"below":[{"id":93961,"parent":"93960","target":"_self","text":"What is CrossFit?","url":"/what-is-crossfit"},{"id":93962,"parent":"93960","target":"_self","text":"Find a Gym","url":"/map"}],"id":93960,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Getting Started","url":"/what-is-crossfit"},{"below":[{"id":93964,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"About","url":"/education/about"},{"id":93966,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Level 1 Certificate Course","url":"/certificate-courses/level-1"},{"id":93965,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Explore All Courses","url":"/education/explore-courses"},{"id":109033,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Private Courses","url":"/private-course/"},{"id":109034,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Military Resources","url":"/army-ignited"},{"id":93967,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Coaching Resources","url":"/education/resources"}],"id":93963,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Courses","url":"/education/about"},{"below":[{"id":95951,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Workout of the Day","url":"/wod"},{"id":93969,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Explore Workouts","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/workout"},{"id":101892,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Hero Workouts","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/heroes/"},{"id":93970,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Movements","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/crossfit-movements"}],"id":93968,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Workouts","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/workout"},{"id":93971,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Learn","url":"/media"},{"id":93972,"parent":"0","target":"_blank","text":"Games","url":"https://games.crossfit.com"},{"id":105467,"parent":"0","target":"_blank","text":"Store","url":"https://store.crossfit.com/?utm_source=owned&utm_medium=nav&utm_campaign=main"},{"id":106137,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Open A Gym","url":"/open-crossfit-gym"}],"mobileLinks":[{"text":"Open a CrossFit Gym"},{"text":"Browse","links":[{"below":[{"id":93961,"parent":"93960","target":"_self","text":"What is CrossFit?","url":"/what-is-crossfit"},{"id":93962,"parent":"93960","target":"_self","text":"Find a Gym","url":"/map"}],"id":93960,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Getting Started","url":"/what-is-crossfit"},{"below":[{"id":93964,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"About","url":"/education/about"},{"id":93966,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Level 1 Certificate Course","url":"/certificate-courses/level-1"},{"id":93965,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Explore All Courses","url":"/education/explore-courses"},{"id":109033,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Private Courses","url":"/private-course/"},{"id":109034,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Military Resources","url":"/army-ignited"},{"id":93967,"parent":"93963","target":"_self","text":"Coaching Resources","url":"/education/resources"}],"id":93963,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Courses","url":"/education/about"},{"below":[{"id":95951,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Workout of the Day","url":"/wod"},{"id":93969,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Explore Workouts","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/workout"},{"id":101892,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Hero Workouts","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/heroes/"},{"id":93970,"parent":"93968","target":"_self","text":"Movements","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/crossfit-movements"}],"id":93968,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Workouts","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/workout"},{"id":93971,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Learn","url":"/media"},{"id":93972,"parent":"0","target":"_blank","text":"Games","url":"https://games.crossfit.com"},{"id":105467,"parent":"0","target":"_blank","text":"Store","url":"https://store.crossfit.com/?utm_source=owned&utm_medium=nav&utm_campaign=main"},{"id":106137,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Open A Gym","url":"/open-crossfit-gym"}]}],"brandLinks":[{"id":93974,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Open a CrossFit Gym","url":"/open-crossfit-gym"}],"loggedInMenu":[{"id":72863,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Manage Account","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/dashboard"},{"id":72864,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Competition Dashboard","url":"https://games.crossfit.com/manage-competition/athlete"}]},"footer":{"mainLinks":[{"below":[{"id":9764,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"What Is CrossFit?","url":"/what-is-crossfit"},{"id":9765,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"Get Started","url":"/get-started"},{"id":45861,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"Workouts","url":"/workout/"},{"id":45862,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"Movements","url":"/essentials/movements"},{"id":1741,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"FAQ","url":"/faq"},{"id":90183,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"Help Center","url":"https://crossfit.my.site.com/Support/s/"},{"id":45103,"parent":"511","target":"_self","text":"Careers","url":"/careers/"}],"id":511,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"About CrossFit","url":"#"},{"below":[{"id":45864,"parent":"45863","target":"_self","text":"Courses Near You","url":"/courses-near-you/"},{"id":45865,"parent":"45863","target":"_self","text":"Certificate Courses","url":"/certificate-courses/"},{"id":45866,"parent":"45863","target":"_self","text":"Certifications","url":"/certifications/"},{"id":45868,"parent":"45863","target":"_self","text":"Online Courses","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/online-courses"}],"id":45863,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Education","url":"#"},{"below":[{"id":45870,"parent":"45871","target":"_self","text":"Open a CrossFit Gym","url":"/open-crossfit-gym"},{"id":45884,"parent":"45871","target":"_self","text":"Field Leaders","url":"/field-leaders"},{"id":90935,"parent":"45871","target":"_self","text":"Global Mentor Program","url":"/global-mentor-program/"},{"id":93982,"parent":"45871","target":"_self","text":"Affiliate Portal","url":"https://affiliate.crossfit.com/tools/"}],"id":45871,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Affiliates","url":"#"},{"below":[{"id":16638,"parent":"45875","target":"_self","text":"Find a Trainer","url":"https://trainerdirectory.crossfit.com/"},{"id":45876,"parent":"45875","target":"_self","text":"Scholarship Program","url":"/scholarship-program-inquiry"},{"id":45877,"parent":"45875","target":"_self","text":"Foundation","url":"/foundation"},{"id":104122,"parent":"45875","target":"_self","text":"CrossFit Medical Society","url":"https://www.crossfitmedicalsociety.com/"}],"id":45875,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Community","url":"#"},{"below":[{"id":45881,"parent":"45879","target":"_self","text":"About the Games","url":"https://games.crossfit.com/"},{"id":45880,"parent":"45879","target":"_self","text":"Leaderboard","url":"https://games.crossfit.com/leaderboard/games/2022?division=2"},{"id":45882,"parent":"45879","target":"_self","text":"Schedule","url":"https://games.crossfit.com/games/schedule?_ga=2.142929340.802559833.1690817966-401013740.1685640771"},{"id":91727,"parent":"45879","target":"_self","text":"Workouts","url":"https://games.crossfit.com/workouts/games/2023"}],"id":45879,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"The CrossFit Games","url":"#"}],"brandLinks":[],"socialLinks":[{"id":66715,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"facebook","url":"https://www.facebook.com/crossfit"},{"id":66716,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"twitter","url":"https://twitter.com/CrossFit"},{"id":66717,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"instagram","url":"https://www.instagram.com/crossfit/"},{"id":66718,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"youtube","url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcQ6TPwXAYgZ1Mcl3M1vng"}],"contactLinks":[{"id":531,"target":"_self","text":"Careers","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/jobs"},{"id":532,"target":"_self","text":"Contact Us","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/contact-us"}],"legalLinks":[{"id":533,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Terms & Conditions","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/terms-and-conditions"},{"id":534,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Privacy Policy","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/privacy-policy"},{"id":10717,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Cookie Policy","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/cookie-policy"},{"id":57312,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Disclaimer","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/disclaimer"},{"id":10883,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Contact Us","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/contact-us"},{"id":45883,"parent":"0","target":"_self","text":"Report IP Theft","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/iptheft"}]},"locationPages":{"simpleTiles":{"cards":[{"bodyText":"CrossFit offers a results-based, community-driven approach to functional training that helps you build strength and improve your health—over your lifetime.","headlineText":"Functional Fitness for Everyday Life","icon":{"alt":"Lifting Icon","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/26123658/crossfit-icon-workout-barbell-overhead-press.svg"}},{"bodyText":"Stay motivated with our community of coaches and members, who support your goals through approachable group training classes, helping you stay accountable and excited for each session.","headlineText":"Community Support and Motivation","icon":{"alt":"Heart Icon","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/26123700/crossfit-icon-heart.svg"}},{"bodyText":"Coaches scale class workouts to your fitness level to help you achieve your strength building goals.","headlineText":"Tailored to Your Fitness Levels","icon":{"alt":"Graph Icon","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/26123649/crossfit-icon-levels.svg"}},{"bodyText":"CrossFit coaches are experienced and trained to provide well-rounded and personalized guidance to individuals with varying fitness levels and goals.","headlineText":"Industry Certified Coaches","icon":{"alt":"Certification Icon","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/26123656/crossfit-icon-check-badge.svg"}}],"headlineText":"Build Strength for a Fuller Life"},"gymFinderPromo":{"bodyText":"Contact CrossFit to start your fitness journey. We’ll connect you to the closest gym in your area.","headlineText":"Get Started today","image":{"alt":"Man Lifting Barbell","sizes":{"1536x1536":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","1536x1536Height":512,"1536x1536Width":768,"2048x2048":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","2048x2048Height":512,"2048x2048Width":768,"hero":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","heroHeight":512,"heroWidth":768,"heroLarge":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","heroLargeHeight":512,"heroLargeWidth":768,"large":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","largeHeight":512,"largeWidth":768,"medium":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","mediumHeight":512,"mediumWidth":768,"mediumLarge":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1.jpeg","mediumLargeHeight":512,"mediumLargeWidth":768,"small":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1-300x200.jpeg","smallHeight":200,"smallWidth":300,"thumbnail":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/13135656/aa6daff2983e555e3688654515568d25-1-768x512-1-150x150.jpeg","thumbnailHeight":150,"thumbnailWidth":150}},"links":[{"link":{"priority":"primary","text":"Find a Gym","url":"/map"}},{"link":{"priority":"secondary","text":"What Is CrossFit?","url":"/what-is-crossfit"}}]},"locationCourseCards":{"courseLinkText":"Register Now","findCourseLink":{"text":"Find More Courses","url":"https://www.crossfit.com/courses-near-you"},"headerText":"Courses Near You","seminarType":["level-one","level-two"]},"socialSharing":{"facebook":{"description":"Jump into CrossFit in [City Name]! Our certified coach led group training and fitness classes feature strength, conditioning, and functional workouts.","title":"CrossFit Gyms in [State] | Functional Fitness Classes & Group Training"}}}},"user":{},"coachCertifications":{}}
Kasperbauer takes on Event 4 at the 2021 Games after visiting the Airrosti tent for some body work (Photo by Ginnie Coleman photography).
It’s 7:00 p.m.
You’ve survived a long workday, made it to the gym, and just finished a killer workout that’s left you feeling not unlike a pile of cooked spaghetti. You peel yourself off the floor, grab your bag, and head for home and the comfort of the couch.
Right?
“If you’re sore, the last thing you want to do is go home and sit,” said Kyle Kasperbauer. “Motion is lotion.”
And Kasperbauer knows what he’s talking about. He’s been competing in CrossFit since the 2009 Games in Aromas, California, and is a four-time individual CrossFit Games athlete, two-time team Games athlete, and three-time Masters 35-39 champion. Few of his cohorts from back then remain by his side on the competition floor today.
“How have I lasted this long?” he asked. “I started this in 2009 at 27 years old, and I’m now almost 40 years old, and I feel just as fit. My body feels great, I’m enjoying life with my children … and it’s because of CrossFit.”
Because of diligent attention to a critical aspect of CrossFit, that is: recovery.
Recovery, Kasperbauer emphasized, is just as important for developing peak physical fitness as training. It’s a realization he made circa 2011, around the time he’d begun focusing exclusively on high-level CrossFit competition.
“I was reaching levels of fitness that I’d never been at; it was amazing, and I loved it,” he said.
But his body was also starting to “talk” to him, he said. His joints sometimes ached, and he had to work harder and longer to achieve full range of motion. He also discovered there were consequences to too much hard training and too little rest.
Photo courtesy of @meadowsmedia.
“So, if I’m not recovering very well throughout the week and then I really want to go to that sixth gear and really push it all the way down to the floor, I just didn’t have that,” he said.
Thus began a diligent routine focused on long and thorough warm-ups, post-workout stretching and mobility, and a greater awareness of how activities of daily life affected his body.
“Everyone always thought I was a little bit weird at first, (because) I was always showing up about 20-30 minutes before class even started,” Kasperbauer recalled, “and I would do my own warm-up. I would stretch out and smash … and then I would get taken through the (class) warm-up, and by that time, I was warm.”
Back then, he said, the extra work wasn’t imperative, just smart. Now, it’s a necessity.
These days, Kasperbauer begins a training session with 10-20 minutes of mobility work targeting whatever issues might currently be plaguing him. After that comes a 5- to 10-minute dynamic warm-up followed by accessory work, strength, and aerobic-capacity work. Post-workout comes more mobility work, stretching, and smashing.
It might sound like a lot, and that makes sense — Kasperbauer is still competing at one of the highest levels of competition in the Sport of Fitness. But a focus on recovery, he insisted, isn’t just for the sport’s top athletes. In fact, it’s perhaps even more important — from a health and longevity standpoint — for the everyday CrossFit athlete.
“Another big issue is just the fact that a ton of people will come in, do a workout, and then get in the car and go back to the office and then sit at their desk, and they’re just sitting there,” said Kasperbauer, who coaches four to five classes per week at his affiliate, CrossFit Kinesis. “And they do that five days a week. And it’s so many hours of sitting at a desk and so many hours of tightening to where all of a sudden you come back (to the gym) and you’re not even moving properly, because you haven’t spent any time in a good position.”
“It’s a difference of thriving with recovery involved in that plan or just surviving,” he added. “Eventually there’s going to be something knocking at the door, and it’s going to require your attention.”
Photo courtesy of @meadowsmedia.
There’s more to recovery than proper warm-up and mobilization. Quality and quantity of sleep, proper nutrition, and hydration all affect performance in the gym.
“I think everybody should wake up and immediately drink 20 ounces of water before anything — before their coffee, before their breakfast, before anything,” Kasperbauer said.
He also praised the benefits of omega-3, vitamin D, and magnesium supplementation, as well as dry saunas and cold showers. After all, recovery, Kasperbauer said, is just a catch-all term for “mindfully being healthy the rest of the day.”
Remember to take your rest days — and don’t be afraid to go light when your body’s telling you to, or even to substitute one movement for another altogether.
“Yeah, we all want to play on the playground and do the same thing that the other kids are doing,” Kasperbauer said. “But if you can’t do that one thing, you can do 17 other things that will be almost just as effective. And that’s the most amazing thing about CrossFit.”
Yes, it can be frustrating to modify movements or take weight off the bar.
“But I would say that it is part of the process,” Kasperbauer counseled. “Nobody’s asking (an athlete) to be the best on the whiteboard. … It’s OK to back off a little bit. Move well; be intentional. Get your brain out from the world, get it into the gym, think about the movement, think about knees out, elbows up, and just move. … And then leave better than you walked in. “
In August, Kasperbauer earned his third masters championship with three event wins and seven top-four finishes. Still, with a wife, two young children, and an affiliate to run, he says he’s now more like the “general population CrossFitters” than ever — and he says you don’t have to invest as much time into recovery as Games athletes do to reap its benefits.
Take five minutes before and after each workout to stretch and mobilize. Eat well, drink water. Take five more minutes to stretch before bedtime.
“I do it … when I’m watching a little ESPN or something right before I brush my teeth and go to bed,” Kasperbauer said. “Just being mindful, step by step, little by little.”
It’s no different than the work you do in the gym. The small efforts you put in each day pay off over time with increased fitness and improved health.
“The whole point (is) that we’re in the CrossFit gym to prevent us from being in the hospital,” he said. “And so let’s spend now versus spend later. Let’s enjoy our lives and do the things we want to do by simply just focusing on the recovery just a little bit more.”
Masters Champ Kyle Kasperbauer on Workout Recovery: “Motion Is Lotion”