In CrossFit terminology, intensity is most closely related to which concept?

• A. Volume
• B. Time under tension
• C. Recovery
• D. Power

Answer: (D)

The main concept being tested is that intensity in a CrossFit workout is best understood as the rate at which work is performed. This maps most closely to power—the amount of work done per unit of time. When you push harder by moving a heavy load quickly or performing work faster overall, you increase power and, with it, the workout’s intensity.

Volume, while important, is about total work (load times reps times distance) and tells you how much work you did in total, not how hard you were working at each moment. Time under tension refers to how long the muscles stay under load, which relates to endurance and hypertrophy but not the rate of work. Recovery concerns rest intervals, which affect how sustainable your effort is, not the immediate rate of work during the work bouts.

So, increasing the speed of a lift with a given load or lifting a heavier load quickly raises power, thereby increasing intensity.