If I asked you if you scale your workouts, your answer should be a resounding, "HELL YAAASSS!!!"
I've been doing CrossFit long enough to know exactly when I need to scale a movement to make the workout easier, or because of a nagging injury. My body needs a break by my 3rd or 4th training day. Also, by this point in the week, my brain definitely could use a break. To be honest, many days I just want to come in and move.
Recently, I did a workout with a 12lb Medicine Ball and Box Step-ups instead of Jumps, as opposed to when I usually use a 20lb Ball and Jump to 24" Box. I have to be honest, it felt magnificent. I ended up moving faster, better, and my workout was super fun because of it. The rest of the day, I had more energy and was smiling from ear to ear.
I'm usually a Level 2 athlete, and rarely a Level 3, so scaling to Level 1 was a nice break from my weekly grind.
Now, there also comes a time when it's necessary to SCALE-UP your workouts. Allow me to explain:
Let's just say that you've been coming to Shoreline CrossFit for 4 years now, and every time there's a workout with Kipping Pull Ups, you do the Level 1 option of Ring Rows instead. Then, when the program prescribes strict pull ups, you do ring rows again. When it's chest to bar pull ups, you do ring rows instead. When it's rope climbs or muscle ups, you do ring rows instead.
Do you see my point here? Sometimes you need to scale up a workout by trying a harder movement, or a variation of a harder movement (in the aforementioned upper body pulling examples, a pull-up negative, or a banded pull-up could work). Can I get a resounding HELL YAAASSS??!!
Maybe you're unsure of how you should scale up. If you ask your coach, we'll definitely provide you with something challenging and PROGRESSIVE!!! If you have some down time at work, why not research a harder movement?
If you do know your options, why haven't you tried banded pull ups or jumping chest to bar pull ups or even a bar muscle up. If you're physically prepared and at no risk of injury, you have to step your game up once in a while.
The greatest thing about what we do here at Shoreline CrossFit is offering a ton of variety. In fact, there are at least 75 unique movements programmed each week, and hundreds of variations of these! So, you have options, trust me!
Regardless of who you are, sometimes you have to break the cycle you're in and try something new. Whether it's taking a much-needed break, or adding 10lbs to the bar, but when asked the question if you scale, your answer should be a resounding, "HELL YAAASSS!!!"
Go get it!
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