Why I Stopped Copying Rich Froning (And You Should Too)

Let me tell you about the time I almost puked on a millionaire's shoes.

It was 2019,esome fancy CrossFit seminar where everyone was talking about "strategic pacing" and "training like the pros." I'd spent months obsessing over heart rate zones, calculating perfect rep schemes, and basically turning every WOD into a math problem.

The workout was simple: 21-15-9 thrusters and burpees. Nothing crazy.

But there I was, hunched over my phone between rounds, checking my pulse like some kind of fitness accountant while this 50-year-old guy in Nike Monarchs was absolutely destroying me. No strategy. No pacing. Just pure, beautiful violence.

That's when I realized something: maybe we're overthinking this whole thing.

The Strategy Trap

Don't get me wrong—strategy matters. The advice about pacing, heart rate monitoring, and the 40% rule? It's all solid. Rich Froning didn't become a four-time Games champion by accident.

But here's what nobody talks about: Froning wasn't just strategic. He was strategically savage.

Watch his old Games footage again. Yeah, he paced himself, but when it mattered? When the moment called for it? Dude would absolutely send it. He had this ability to flip a switch between calculated patience and controlled chaos.

Most of us? We get stuck in one mode or the other.

The Two Types of CrossFit Athletes (And Why Both Are Wrong)

Type 1: The Overthinkers These are the folks who spend more time planning their workout than actually doing it. They've got spreadsheets, heart rate monitors, and probably a color-coded strategy for every possible rep scheme. Their problem? They've calcuated the soul right out of their training.

Type 2: The Demolition Crew These athletes treat every workout like their hair's on fire. First round? Beast mode. Second round? Gasping for air. Third round? Crawling to the finish line while questioning their life choices.

Sound familiar?

Here's the thing: both approaches miss the point. The real game isn't about perfect pacing OR going balls-to-the-wall every time. It's about knowing when to do what.

Enter: Controlled Chaos

This is what I call the sweet spot—being strategic enough to not completely blow yourself up, but staying wild enough to actually improve.

It's like this: imagine you're driving through a city. Sometimes you follow GPS religiously (strategic pacing). Sometimes you take a shortcut through an alley because you know the area (controlled chaos). But you never close your eyes and floor it through a school zone (complete chaos).

The best CrossFit athletes dance between these modes instinctively. They've got a plan, but they're not married to it.

The 80/20 Training Split

After years of experimenting (and making spectacular mistakes), here's what actually works:

80% of your training: Strategic

• Follow pacing guidelines
• Track your heart rate occasionally
• Use the 40% rule for bodyweight movements
• Plan your rest periods

20% of your training: Controlled Chaos

• Trust your gut over your strategy
• Push past your comfort zone
• Fail spectacularly sometimes
• Remember why you fell in love with this crazy sport

This isn't about throwing strategy out the window. It's about not becoming a slave to it.

When Strategy Wins

Use the calculated approach when:

• You're learning a new movement pattern
• The workout is longer than 15 minutes
• You're dealing with high-skill gymnastics
• You've been pushing too hard lately

Example: Yesterday's workout was 50 wall balls, 40 pull-ups, 30 box jumps, 20 handstand push-ups, 10 muscle-ups. This screams "strategy." I broke everything down, paced my breathing, and finished feeling like I could've done another round.

When Chaos Wins

Trust your instincts when:

• It's a short, intense workout (under 10 minutes)
• You're feeling particularly strong that day
• The movements are basic and you could do them in your sleep
• You haven't really pushed yourself in a while

Example: "Grace" - 30 clean and jerks for time. Sometimes you gotta just grip it and rip it. Feel the weight, trust your body, and see what happens.

The Real Rich Froning Lesson

Here's what I think made Froning special: he had incredible body awareness. He could feel when to push and when to pull back, often in the middle of a workout.

That kind of awareness doesn't come from following someone else's formula. It comes from experience. From failing. From those moments when your strategy falls apart and you have to dig deep and figure it out.

Your Mission (Should You Choose to Accept It)

For the next month, try this experiment:

Week 1-2: Be the strategist

• Plan every workout
• Track your heart rate
• Follow the pacing rules religiously
• Note how it feels

Week 3-4: Embrace the chaos (safely)

• Go by feel
• Push harder when your body says you can
• Back off when you need to
• Pay attention to what your instincts tell you

Week 5 and beyond: Blend both approaches

• Use strategy as your default
• Let chaos take over when the moment calls for it
• Start building that Rich Froning-level body awareness

The Bottom Line

Stop trying to become Rich Froning. Start becoming the best version of yourself.

Strategy is a tool, not a religion. Use it when it serves you. Abandon it when it doesn't. The goal isn't to execute perfect workouts—it's to become someone who can adapt, push limits, and still walk away wanting more.

Because at the end of the day? The perfect strategy is useless if you've bored yourself to death following it.

Now stop overthinking this and go do something that scares you a little.

What about you? Are you team strategy or team chaos? Drop a comment and let me know about a time when throwing your plan out the window actually worked out better. Or when sticking to your guns saved your ass. I read every single one.

And hey, if you found this helpful, share it with that friend who either overthinks every workout or goes way too hard every time. We've all got one.