To Scale or Not to Scale

You walk into your CrossFit gym and after saying a few hellos your attention is drawn to the whiteboard. You immediately start eyeing the prescribed (Rx) weight and know that it is a little out of reach to finish within the time cap. But you shrug your shoulders, and when the conditioning portion of the workout of the day (WOD) comes, you put on the Rx weight and give it your best shot. As you predicted, you get time capped, but live to fight another day.

Not the scale we are talking about today people

Essentially, this approach is not "wrong", however - is it optimal? There are several things to consider when approaching a workout and whether or not you should scale, but the primary focus of scaling should be recognizing the stimulus of the workout (i.e. the PURPOSE of the workout).

YES! I am telling you that when coaches program for their classes, kicking your ass is NOT their only goal (however it normally plays a role). The stimulus can be found in varied movements across different time structures (sound familiar? Yep- basically the definition of CrossFit).

Your body has three different metabolic pathways: Creatine Phosphate, glycolytic, and aerobic. CrossFit is also made up of three different types of movements: Monostructural, Gymnastics, and Weightlifting. Within these movements there are different ways to adjust the intensity: loads, carries, or static holds. Each workout of the day is designed to stimulate these modalities and systems in different ways, so it is important to understand what the intended goal of workout is.

For instance, let's say that part of the workout is a gymnastic skill of handstand push ups, and you are to perform 6 sets of 5 reps in about 15 minutes. Instead of throwing yourself instantly against the wall and starting to perform this movement, carefully consider what would most benefit you. This portion of the workout is designed for technique, skill, and strength. If you know that your form is not optimal, then scaling down and doing a modified version to clean up your movement patterns would probably be the best choice. This will equip you to perform the prescribed movement better in the future. Also, rushing into a movement that you may not have the strength to perform well could end up in injury and sideline you for weeks - which when you consider that consequence, scaling might not sound so bad.

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

Our ego plays a huge role in when we decide to scale or not, so checking it at the door is probably best. You see other people loading up their barbell or grabbing their equipment and you want to compete with them (and beat them). However, most of our workouts should not be viewed in this mindset. You should rarely train to beat those around you, or even yourself. This is the difference between practice and competing. Practice is still hard work and a good workout, but it is done deliberately to get better at something, and NOT necessarily to PR.

A good example of this would be a workout where there is a movement or skill that you are not greatly proficient or strong in. Today the WOD at my CrossFit Gym (CrossFit Dana Point --- if you are local to SoCal you gotta come check it out!) involves squat cleans. A movement that I am ok in but still not the strongest. The final set calls for 5 reps at 155 (Rx for females).... so guess what? I'm gonna be scaling today considering the most I have ever squat cleaned is 135#. And you know what? That's fine! I have been trying to clean up my movement pattern so working at a slightly lighter weight will give me the opportunity to improve that and improve my overall fitness.

There is a term we use in CrossFit - Virtuosity. It means doing the common uncommonly well. Which means that when you perform a workout, you are aiming to uphold all the movement standards to the best of your ability, even if that means scaling a movement (so you can't do kipping pull ups yet? Then you are going to do the BEST jumping or banded pull ups anyone has ever seen!). Does that mean that EVERY rep will be absolutely perfect EVERY single time. No, we aren't machines. But it DOES mean that we can set that bar and aim for it so that we end up pretty damn close (Shoot for the stars and land on the moon people! Still incredible!).

So the next time you see a workout on the board and try to gut through the Rx version - really think about what the stimulus of the WOD is, and what would most benefit you according to your abilities and fitness goals. Not sure? Ask your coach! They will be able to guide you to the best option (and not let you sandbag the workout either - ALSO NOT PERMITTED! hahaha).

You are here to better yourself, right? Scaling is sometimes the BEST way to do that. So, forget your ego and approach each workout to achieve your goals. Stop competing against everyone, including yourself, and use your time wisely to get more fit.

#WOD #CrossFit #scaling #workout #stimulus