Comments on: re: Scaling…

By: Ben Moskowitz

Ben Moskowitz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:36:27 +0000

So Dutch, you would say that a hybrid style of training would lead to faster progress than using Brand X scaling? Under particular circumstances?

By: dutch

dutch — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:16:26 +0000

Kris,
You are right. There is value in going RX’d. Sometimes.
Good point!

By: Chris Wood

Chris Wood — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:51:43 +0000

Dutch:

I’m honored you took the time to reply. Thanks for your insights and for your blog!

Pierre’s article is one of the best I’ve read in a while. He does a great job of presenting a hybrid of strength/OL program, coupled with scaled metcon to maximize power output.

In the 3+ years I’ve been CF’ing, I’ve shifted my training to more of Pierre’s template – strength/OL and shorter metcons rather than following the main page as Rx’d. Slogging through 2-3 long metcons per week, at my age and with my sleep/recovery, is totally counterproductive to my goals. 1-2 long (> 15min) metcons a month still can challenge strength endurance, while still being able to progress in strength, OL, and skill work.

By: Kris Kepler

Kris Kepler — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:25:25 +0000

Completed the CFFB wod from Tuesday 5 burpees on the minute w/ max thrusters @135lb for the remaining seconds in the minute. Goal is to reach 100 thrusters. As with any Hero wod or metcon, as your post suggests I try to have a gameplan/ completion time in my head to shoot for. If I didn’t prepare myself mentally before hand I think it would be real easy to take unnecessary breaks or not push as hard as i can. Once I started the wod on more then one occasion did I have to ignore the “little person” in my head that’s telling you to scale or stop and take a break .. Needless to say i completed the wod in 34min, 4 minutes off my time that i had written down… not bad. Went to site today to post my time and started reading all the comments about the workout in which of the 100 or so posts only 2 people did the rx’d weight, while the majority scaled down the weight and the amount of reps they chose to do, it makes me ponder the mental awareness of the complete athlete who is not only physically fit, but mentally fit as well. I know their is guys on that site that are stronger, faster, better technique, but might be lacking the mental strength to push through a demanding wod like a Hero wod. Scaling is necessary when need be, but never sell yourself short.

here is a great will smith video talking about just this… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEMEBBwO6J8 sorry for the long rant..

By: Show Me Your Snatch -- WOD for 090625 at CrossFit Durham, North Carolina |

Show Me Your Snatch -- WOD for 090625 at CrossFit Durham, North Carolina | — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:01:58 +0000

[...] Fitness Article Links Guide to Eating Out Scaling Getting CrossFit, Day [...]

By: Dutch

Dutch — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:12:31 +0000

You are awesome amie!

Thanks for your support and keep up the good work!

By: Amie

Amie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:03:53 +0000

Dutch-
I read the PM article, and when I got to the part with examples and read “athlete 1″, I realized, “HEY! That’s me! That’s cool Dutch wrote about me!”, but then I realized, “Wait a minute, that’s me….oh no!”

That day was the day I turned into WODzilla, and the WOD totally broke me. I’ve never been so mad and frustrated as I was by that WOD, and I was determined to not quite (sometimes stubborness isn’t a good thing!). The one thing I remember most though was the briefing you gave me afterwards, and I feel I learned more in that few minutes than maybe I have in two+ years of doing CrossFit.

I like how you explain scaling because it just makes sense. Prior to the talk we had, scaling made me feel like somehow I was wussing out, that I didn’t do “good enough” for that WOD. I know I felt that way, partly, because in comments posted for WODs, people that scale often apologize for scaling, like it somehow doesn’t count. I felt like if it took me 30 minutes to do something Rx’d, then so be it. I’ve since learned that Rx’d is something to shoot for, but I will better serve my goals by scaling and increasing my power output.

The way you explain scaling, like the example you use for Fran, makes total sense to me. Wanted to say thanks for opening my eyes to a much better perspective of WOD because I have really benefited from it and grown into a much more productive CrossFitter (though I still run like a slow fat kid, haha)…. I’ve found there are many more WODs I can do now as Rxd, and the things I do scale, I’m getting better at, though they are still challenging for me.

Excellent posts of late – keep ‘em coming!

By: dutch

dutch — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:51:09 +0000

My pleasure David!! I am glad to hear you have benefited from all the info.

By: David

David — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:48:20 +0000

Makes perfect sense. I have found the article on scaling in the PM to be EXTREMELY beneficial to my training. Just applying the principles to help find an estimation to what I should be scaling to has made a BIG difference. I couldn’t agree more with you on this: “I would say that using some dedicated strength work to improve your strength while scaling fran down so it takes 5 minutes will give a quicker gain in overall fitness than doing fran as rx’d until you can do it in 5 minutes.” Instead of being totally trashed from trying to do the WOD rx’d the day before, I can put in another quality training session the next day. Buying your DVD and reading that article in the PM are 2 of the most helpful things I have done for my training and my clients. Thank you