So I just turned 43, I Crossfit about 4 or 5 times a week and feel like I push myself pretty hard. I started the HRV tracking on Dec 7. I've had 7 amber days, 1 red and all the rest have been green. (I worked out anyway on the red day because I felt pretty good and woke up sick the next morning). My weekly and monthly HRV loads are shown as low for every single day.

I guess this all means I could be pushing myself a lot harder? I feel like I work pretty hard and am worn down a good amount. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

You cannot push yourself hard all of the time even though your HRV is good. You need to cycle RPE for HIIT (CrossFit) just like you do for weight training programming ( you don't try to hit a 1RM every weight training session do you?).  Do you have a HR monitor?  If not, I would get one even though CrossFitter's scoff at them.  Monitoring your HR during CrossFit WODs  helps you to know what system your training, e.g,, aerobic, anaerobic, etc.  If you are constantly training above your aerobic threshold your not going to make gains that you are capable of making.  Another recommendation is to buy Joel's book on MMA Training because what he says in there is directly applicable to figuring out a decent CrossFit program. I am a CrossFitter too at least 5 times a week in addition to an hour or so Oly session prior to my WOD (I'm 58 so I got you on age!)  My attitude toward trying to kill every WOD changed completely after reading Joel's MMA book and learning how to properly train the different energy systems.  Some days I train at only 60% effort even though my HRV is GREEN.  I have added in additional LSD work that was missing in my programming.  I monitor my HR during the WOD so I train the targetted energy system.  My CF programming follows a progressive loading (intensity and volume) like my Oly programming.  So I would not necessarily go all out every time you are in the GREEN...put together a program and follow the loading scheme.

Correction "....training above your anaerobic threshold..."

Thanks Tom. I appreciate the feedback. I will put Joel's MMA book on my reading list ASAP.

Maybe my post was a bit convoluted, but I'm not really worried about the day to day results, as they seem to be working fine. It seems that when I do get amber or red readings, it tends to be on weekends. This seemed strange at first, because I don't usually train on Fridays. But I have a pretty long commute to work, so I think that it's just more of a cumulative effect of the long work week. This past Saturday I got amber. I didn't dial it back in the gym that day as much as I should have and felt pretty run down the rest of the day. Sunday I was red, and felt pretty crushed, so I took an unplanned rest day. I feel good today, and I was glad I invested in it this morning. Might've dodged a bullet and days like that are exactly the reason I bought it.

I'm wondering more about the weekly and monthly HRV loads. I was very surprised that I didn't have one day in nearly two months when my weekly HRV load was high. There have definitely been weeks where I pushed myself pretty hard. Your point that I shouldn't try to kill every WOD is well taken. But if I had been doing that, shouldn't my weekly HRV load have been high or at least medium a few times?

 

I just noticed that today and yesterday where my first two HRV medium weekly load days. Still, seems like there should have been more.

 

When I started using the HRV monitor I was surprized too when it showed me consistently GREEN when I felt pretty beat up from previous days workouts.  Conversely, I was surprized when it showed AMBER or RED when I felt pretty good but I did not follow my recovery protocol faithfully so I could account for the HRV change.  So perhaps you are more fit than you thought so you may need to rethink your programming.