The Art of Scaling
By: Jeremy Warner
The holy grail of CrossFit, to us normal athletes with full time jobs, is to write the coveted RX after our WOD score on the whiteboard. This blog post is going to explain the responsibility of the Coach in the equation. What day of the week, which WOD, or feat of strength is the Coach going to be an asshole and deny me the right to place RX next to my score? I mean why should the Coach tell me what I can or can not do? Let alone at least try! I am an adult and have the ability to make wise decisions when it comes to my health, I worked out before I found this Coach and CrossFit with no issues, what is different now?
Well, the difference now is that you decided to pay a professional for their guidance. Now I use the term professional in the sense that the Coach I know takes pride in the position they have been entrusted with, does the self study required, and has the experience to make the calls necessary to keep clients healthy and working towards a high state of fitness. So what does that Coach do in order to break the news to me that I can not get my RX status today?
1.) Coach gains the trust needed by properly explaining why I should scale in the first place. Coach does not do this by talking down to me, but by believing in my ability to accomplish other goals, closer to my own than that of the group portrayed on the whiteboard.
2.) Coach takes the time to show me exactly what I should be doing each day, not just addressing me as a part of a less fit group who does not deserve to go to the RX level. I listen to Coach because I know Coach cares not just about my ability to do a workout arbitrarily written on the whiteboard but as an individual who has their own goals to accomplish.
3.) Coach does not leave me out, like the last kid to be picked on the playground kickball team, I am given a workload similar in type and duration to ensure I can suffer with my team mates. Coach ensures we finish together and can share the sweet taste of victory as a team.
4.) Coach monitors my performance and progress. Coach will not let my pride or ego get the best of me, inhibiting my ability to make a sound decision on my own, Coach will make the hard call for me to ensure I continue to win my fitness battles. Coach decides on new, exciting ways to modify workouts to keep my interest and fitness levels high.
After I complete my daily assignment I realize that, although not the same, I have completed the workout at the RX level. It was my personal RX level, prescribed by my Doctor of fitness; Coach. Demand this next time you are told you have to scale, hopefully it will change your outlook on your daily training, and the need to RX, according to the whiteboard.
