Internal Training Load, Exercise Exposure, Monotony, and Well-Being Across Eight Weeks of Preparation and the CrossFit® South America Semifinal: A Case Study

This study characterized internal training load, monotony, strain, acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR), well-being, and exercise-specific training exposure across a 9-week monitoring period encompassing eight weeks of periodized competition preparation and the subsequent competition week in a highly trained CrossFit® athlete. Internal training load was quantified using the session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) method, while monotony, strain, ACWR, and well-being were monitored throughout the period. Training followed accumulation (weeks 1–4), a planned deload (week 5), transmutation (weeks 6–7), realization/taper (week 8), and competition week (week 9). The mean weekly training duration was lower during realization than during accumulation (728 vs. 300 min·week−1; ~59%), accompanied by reductions in the mean weekly total internal training load (~60%), monotony (~35%), strain (~73%), and mean weekly metabolic-conditioning exposure (~48%). The ACWR ranged from 0.64 to 1.11 across the five calculable preparation weeks (weeks 4–8). Weekly self-reported well-being means ranged from 14.6 to 18.1 among available observations; data were incomplete in week 5 (n = 2) and week 9 (n = 3). Week 9 included the CrossFit® South America Semifinal, and competition-day exposure was reported separately from preparation-phase comparisons. These observations are descriptive and do not establish improved recovery, reduced fatigue, or competition readiness.