We program some pretty intense workouts. Each of you have different capacities. Some of you are super strong and some of you have engines that can go and go. Some of you have a great combination of both. Everyone has room to improve.
No matter where your strengths/weaknesses are, you are probably going to come up against a workout that you cannot do as programmed. This is when it becomes very important to understand a few things.
First, every workout has an intended stimulus. Coaches will provide the stimulus prior to the workout. Whether they tell you the minimum number of rounds you are expected to complete or the expected time the workout should be finished in or they give you the expectation of how many reps you can do at the workout weight when fresh, these are important items to consider when preparing for and participating in your workout. If the stimulus is ignored the desired effect on a person's fitness can/will be drastically lessened and possibly entirely negated. A simple example of this would be, if we are trying to increase a person's ability to sprint a 400M run in the shortest time possible and they jog the 400M, nothing has been accomplished in achieving the goal.
Second, Every workout is infinitely scalable. No matter how long you have been doing CrossFit/working out and no matter what your fitness level is, every workout can be tailored to you. The coaches are there to help you scale and tailor the workouts to help you meet the stimulus. Whether this means changing the movements, weights, repetitions, etc. all things are on the table to help everyone get the stimulus and a good workout. If you don't know what you can vary by the end of the workout briefing, ask the coach for more input. Every one of them is very good at coming up with ways to help you get the workout you want/need, but they may need your input to help mold the workout to you.
Third, drop your pride. We all want to Rx every workout. That is understandable. We don't want to just use a bar when the Rx weights are 95/65. We don't want people to look at us as weak or deficient. This is where we need to humble ourselves and realize we are in this thing for our own self-betterment. The quicker we realize that and realize we will make far faster progress by working out at the edge of our own levels, the better off we will be. Let's face it, when we put too much weight on and move it poorly, we not only don't get the work we need, but we also endanger ourselves.
So, going forward, please pay attention to stimulus and modify your workouts to fit you. A better workout is it's own reward. You will make progress, stay safe and have more fun. You, yes each one of you, are amazing by showing up and moving through this all with us. I admire each one of you that comes through our doors to make changes. We love watching you get better and look forward to helping you as we all go forward together.
- Coach Rob