What Is "Intended Stimulus" (And Why Does It Matter?)

It’s a common misconception that as long as you finish the workout, you’ve "done the job." While finishing is great, the intended stimulus is what determines your results. In high-intensity functional training, the stimulus is essentially how the workout is supposed to feel.

What exactly is a stimulus?

The workout stimulus is the intended physiological effect on your body.It guides your intensity, pace, and effort to target specific energy systems.Instead of just moving weight or watching the clock, you are training for a specific adaptation.

The stimulus tells you how to approach the day. Every workout has agoal—is it for strength, power, endurance, or a mix? Are you about to complete a sprint like “Fran” or settle into Hero WOD “Murph,” it is important to consider how you feel during the workout.

Why should you care?

When you respect the stimulus, you maximize the training benefits of every movement. It also provides a clear roadmap for scaling. Instead of choosing the hardest version of a move, you choose the version that allows you to maintain the "feel” of the workout.

Finally, following the stimulus prevents overtraining. By rotating through different intensities, we ensure all areas of your fitness are challenged without burning out one specific muscle group or energy system.

How to put this into practice

1. Ask your coach: "What’s the stimulus for today’s WOD?" OR “What is the time domain?” (Shorter time domain = higher intensity/pace | longer time domains = more likely to pace strategically)
2. Adjust your effort: If the stimulus is a sprint (like "Fran"), you should feel like you’re sprinting. If it’s     endurance, aim for a "5K pace."
3. Modify wisely: Scale the movements or volume to maintain the feel, not just to get the work done.

A note on scaling

If a coach suggests you scale a workout, it’s not because they doubt your ability—we already know you’re a badass! It’s because we want you to stay safe and get the maximum physiological benefit. Scaling is the fastest way to progress toward your goals.

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