05/09/2014 Original article re-posted from Beastmodal Domains (with some language editing!) You Rx’d that WOD? BEASTMODE! … wait. Should you have even done it as prescribed? Back it up. CrossFit is intensity, and intensity is relative to our individual physical abilities. I saw you work at a snail pace through the WOD, and you had no business doing push jerks with 155 pounds on the bar. Congrats on writing Rx’d on the whiteboard, but no one got to see it because you took so long that you’re the only one left in the gym, Rip Van WODKilla. Intensity is probably the most recognizable of CrossFit’s charter which includes mechanics and consistency. Since intensity is relative to what you are capable of, don’t get ahead of yourself and try to do something that is going to slow you down to the point of not bringing the ruckus. According to Pat Sherwood in the CrossFit Journal: “Intensity, as we define it, is exactly equal to average power (force x distance / time). In other words, how much real work did you do and in what time period? The greater the average power, the greater the intensity. This makes it a measurable fact, not a debatable opinion. Intensity and average power are the variable most commonly associated with optimizing favorable results. Whatever you want from exercise comes faster with intensity. It’s not volume or duration or heart rate or even discomfort. Do more work in less time (without overdoing it), and you’ll get fitter faster.” So why are YOU resistant to scaling? Pride and ego. Those two things are the downfall of many. Ask yourself this: “Who am I competing against everyday in the box? The monsters that finish everything Rx’d faster than those who scale? If that isn’t you, don’t be ridiculous and try to use loads that will slow you down and impede your progression. You are competing against you. Intensity is a truth only you will know, based upon your output. First of all, there is nothing wrong with scaling. Everyone needs to check their egos. We could sit here and talk about BEASTMODE, and truly try to inspire you to flip your Firebreather switch. But if that means you bite off more than you can chew and take too long to finish the WOD, you are missing the point. You’re not elite because your T-shirt says so. You are elite because you bust your butt. Intensity demands you identify the ranged time domain based upon your coach’s intentions in the programmed WOD. Knowing your capabilities (with guidance from your coach), select loads that will allow you to complete the WOD at full intensity relative to the intent. That’s why coaches like WODs with time caps. If it takes you 3 hours to complete “Eva”, stop. This stuff goes both ways. There are athletes who, when a coach suggests they should go heavier on a WOD, choose to do it Rx’d instead. You may want to do it as Rx’d so you can compete on a level playing field with everyone else in the box. Unless it’s an actual competition, that is dumb. Listen to your coach. You can do a metcon anywhere, but you can only get CrossFit coaching at a CrossFit affiliate. I pay for the coaching, not for the workout. Either way, when a coach suggests you scale and you don’t like it (because you want to do it Rx’d): do what they say anyway. They know what they are talking about and they know your capabilities. If you want to prove them wrong, pound out that WOD at the weight they told you to use, and do it with a level of intensity that will make the coach say, “Dang. I should’ve let them do it Rxd.” Buy In: Strength: Back Squat 2,2,2,2 *2 second pause at the bottom WOD: Score Type: For Time Scale: RX/Scaled 20 Pull-ups 30 Burpees 40 Kettlebell swings (53/35) 50 Wallball (20/14) 100 Double Unders
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 03:19:58 +0000
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