Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Here is a great article I read on CrossFit Verve’s website and wanted to share it with everyone.

I vote no RX. . . for anyone. Yep, that includes you and me. By Courtney Shepherd

This is by no means the first blog I have written revolving around the topic of scaling/ modifying WODs, I doubt it will be my last. I have a dream, it’s not a big dream, but a dream none the less, that one day people will walk into the gym, and not care what the RX version of the workout is. That instead we can walk in, look at the board, and think to ourselves “how can I best accomplish this WOD meeting my own personal fitness needs and no one else’s.” Now when I say “no one else’s” I am referring to the guy/ gal standing next to me that I’m currently comparing myself to in some way or another. We’ve all done it, “I’ve been here longer than that person, I should be able to do what they are doing”, “I look the same as that person, I’m sure I’m as fit as them”. The problem with these thought processes is that no two of us are alike. No two of us are going through the same CrossFit journey, hence we can not compare ourselves to anyone but ourselves. When a workout is described as being “a fast WOD” or “a light weight” or “something we should be able to do unbroken”, these phrases are not meant to break spirits or crush dreams. They are meant to help us focus or goals and make a game plan for the day. If we have been working out for a while we should begin to have some knowledge about our capacities. Those that are newer to CrossFit may have a harder time with this, but that’s where the trainers come in. They’ve seen a few things, they know what’s what, they can help build a game plan like it’s their job. . . . you know, cause it’s their job. You don’t have to be new to CrossFit to get help building a game plan for a WOD, but there does need to be a game plan.

The game plan needs to challenge us while still meeting the intent of the WOD. If the WOD should take 10 minute, it needs to take 10 minutes. If we take 20 minutes then we have not built any capacity in the intended areas, something was lost not gained. If the pull-ups are meant to be unbroken and we do them in singles, we have not gained any strength in the pull-up department. Period. Next pull-up work out that comes around we won’t be any better than the last time, we did not build on our pull-up capacity. In both of these examples we probably still got a workout in, we still sweat, and that’s fine, if that’s what our goal is. But I have a feeling our goals are bigger, better than just sweat. So how do I work on my goals? Simple. We need to stop RXing our WODs.

Say what? Did anyone’s head just explode? I came across and article online, “How to Avoid Scaling All Your WODs: Why Going Rx is Preventing You From Going Rx” by Chris Norman (click here for full article).  The author brings to light some of the things going through all our minds when we look at the board and we start examining other people’s times and who did or did not do it RX.

“Have you ever decided not to post your score after a workout because you had to scale or modify the movements? Do you feel that due to the scaling, you aren’t doing the “real” workout? Are you ready to start posting Rx times on the board?

Some athletes make going Rx look like a piece of cake, and some even scale up, making the workout more difficult than what was prescribed. Are they doing something you’re not? Nope – they’ve just accumulated enough strength and skill work over time to be able to handle Rx workouts. If you’d like to start going Rx on your WODs, you need to: 1) Get stronger, 2) Practice your skills, 3) Stop going Rx.“

The author gives several “how to’s” to working towards that RX but I would like to focus on his final “how to”, Quit Going RX.

“Going RX when you’re not ready to do so is only hurting you. Why do we prescribe Rx weights anyway?

The Good– Having an “Rx” keeps a lot of athletes motivated. It gives them something to strive for, something to accomplish, and satisfaction when completed, knowing you performed the workout exactly as it was intended to be performed.

The Bad– It makes some athletes feel like they aren’t getting a good workout when scaled. This is far from the truth. With the exception of a few genetic freaks, everyone scaled at one point; it’s how you get better.

The Ugly– Rx can have the inverse effect and be a motivation-killer. If you are a guy and can’t perform the WOD using the prescribed women’s weight, it can surely mess with your ego.

What To Do About It- It’s easy to fall into the “Rx trap” – that feeling that you need to do it Rx or you’re not really working out, or that you shouldn’t be proud of yourself. The fact of the matter is that regardless of what the Rx is, you should pick weights and scale in such a way that it challenges YOU. Everyone is different, and everyone is at a different point in their fitness journey.

Priority #1 should be mechanics. If you can’t perform a movement/lift with a certain amount of weight with good technique, then you should scale. Seriously!

Priority #2 is consistency. Can you maintain good technique for multiple reps? If not, you may need to scale.

Finally, priority #3 is intensity. If you find yourself continually putting down the weight or stopping, then you should be scaling. Select a weight and modification that allows you to stay moving. Your conditioning will greatly improve this way.

Going Rx with bad form is only a quick road to injury and no progress, and stopping after every other rep is really counter productive to the entire purpose of metabolic conditioning.”

When approaching a WOD we need to make a game plan, our very own personal game plan. A plan that pushes us but does not slow us down. A plan that builds us up and keeps us moving and does not cause us to sit and stare at a clock. We don’t need to go RX to get stronger, we need to practice good mechanics consistently at an intensity that allows for it. So go forth, WOD on, and keep the focus on your goals and what makes you better. Because you will be better.