SCALING…CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO MAKE SMART DECISIONS
We as coaches get questions about scaling all the time.
Most of the time we are asked to find a movement substitute for something that someone cannot do yet (an alternative for RXd pullups or a lower more manageable weight to use). This is what separates the good coaches from the novices. Years of experience helps us ensure you use a movement or weight that will make you competitive with the rest of the group. At the same time our goal is to scale you to make you better overall and improve your level of fitness.
Sometimes we are asked to scale to program around an injury (rowing instead of running because your knee hurts, etc…). This is where experienced coaches shine. Even if you are hurting it doesn’t mean you can’t maintain your fitness and improve in some areas…it just means we have to take a smart approach so you heal properly or don’t hurt yourself worse.
Once in a while we get questions on how to scale up…these are a little more rare, but this is what makes us excited as coaches! Whether it is scaling down or up, our goal is to make our members better athletes and we know if you are asking how to scale up that we are helping you achieve that goal.
This is why I as a coach constantly ask our members to throw 5 or 10 more pounds on a bar in strength work or try to ditch the band on pullups. It is because I believe in you, even if you are unsure. And even more so, it is because I want to help you improve! I don’t mind challenging our members and pushing their limits. I believe I know when I see good form with room to keep going and when it is time to reel someone in. I carry a mindset into the gym that I want to perform at a high level every single time I exercise and if possible I want to PR something. I bring this same philosophy to my coaching and I want you to try to PR something or at least give your best each day.
I am challenging you as an athlete to WANT to scale up. You need to ask a coach before you do it on your own, but even if a coach tells you to stay where you are at we still appreciate the positive attitude and know that you have the desire to be better.
Some examples:
- Do the conditioning WOD with a #20 vest
- Use Strict Pullups or Chest-to-Bar Pullups when everyone else is using regular Kipping Pullups
- Grab a #55 Kettlebell when the other ladies are using a #35
- Try hand release pushups when everyone else is doing standard pushups.
- Scale up the weight on your barbell (within reason of course)
- Knock out 30″ Box Jumps when the rest of the guys are doing 24″
- Maybe it is as simple as doing a workout RX for the first time. (Possible the biggest accomplishment of all!)
There are a ton of examples…I could go on forever.
Like I said, you need to ask a coach before you go nuts…we as coaches and athletes have made the mistake of over scaling ourselves and others plenty of times and from those experiences we usually know when scaling up is a good idea and when it is suicide. (Luckily for all of you the coaches have played guinea pig with ourselves plenty of times).
No matter what though, you need to WANT IT…maybe not every time, but every once in a while, you need to want a challenge. Save it for a day when your feeling good (slept well, ate clean, not too sore…). And definitely save it for workouts that have movements you excel at (don’t do a bear crawl WOD with a #20 vest if you know bear crawls already kill you), but overall you just need to want it.
So who’s ready to get better?
-Coach Eric
TEAM WOD
Team Alternating Tabata
A. DB Hang Squat Clean (M:35ish DBs/W:20ish DBs)/Push Press (75/55)
B. KB Swings (55/35)/Burpees
C. Air Squats/AbMat Situps
D. Pullups/Pushups
- 4 Alternating Tabata Pairs – 4 Minutes Each, 8 x :20 Work/:10 Rest (16 Minutes of Total Work)
- Partner A starts on Hang Squat Cleans, at the SAME TIME Partner B starts on Push Press…after first :20/:10 interval, partners SWITCH movements and Partner A does Push Press while Partner B does Hang Squat Cleans.
- After 8 intervals of this, move to part B, etc…
- Score is total number of reps completed.
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