Why "Scale the WOD"?

A SCALED WOD

Why are we ashamed of this? Does scaling the WOD mean that I didn’t do it correctly? That I need to give more of myself? Why is there a stigma attached to scaling the WOD in the Crossfit community?

I have been doing CrossFit for more than 6 years and I can proudly say that I still scale the WOD. Even better: I plan to keep scaling it. Yes, I will continue to do this.

WHY SCALE THE CROSSFIT WOD?

The answer’s not simple…

One of the objectives of CrossFit is to lift more and to go farther and faster. But farther and faster than who? Than myself – I am my own competition. This may come as a surprise, but the objective of Crossfit is not to do it Rx. The objective of Crossfit is me versus myself.

For me, CrossFit is a way of life. I want to be able to do CrossFit all my life. At this point, doing the WODs Rx, even if I am physically able, is not practical if it means that I cannot function normally for the rest of the day. I want to enjoy my life and be productive outside of Crossfit.

WHEN TO SCALE THE WOD

Getting out of my comfort zone is necessary for improvement in anything. Staying within my comfort zone is dangerous and means stagnation. But many people can practice a scaled WOD and still be working outside of their comfort zones.

It’s better to finish the WOD before the time cap than to do it Rx and not complete the WOD. It’s better to preserve the objective of the WOD with scaled movements than to cling to a weight or motion as long as Rx appears on the board.

PERSONAL CROSSFIT GOALS

Finally, you need to know your personal Crossfit goals. My goal is healthy living. Doing the WOD Rx is not necessary for me at the moment, although I’m sure that one day it will be. When that day comes, I will proudly do Rx because it is part of progress. Not the purpose.

Saúl Bustamante

(All opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinion of the writer and do not represent the opinion of Bahia CrossFit.)