WOD: Rest Day

Post leisure activity to comments. 

Richard digs deep to finish the extended baseline WOD

Scaling “Angie”

We have posted before on the unique ability to scale any CrossFit workout to meet the needs of any fitness level.  It is an important concept to communicate because it keeps people from pushing themselves too far, too fast.  This concept makes it possible for complete novices to safely jump into a CrossFit workout.  It also helps to remember scalibility when you see a WOD that causes you think, “I could never do that!”  For one thing, if the skill is beyond your capability (like a muscle up for instance) then just know there is a reasonable substitution that will help progress you toward that skill.  Perhaps the skill is within your capability, but the load may be too great or the number of repetitions too high.  In that case you will perform that skill until failure and then move to the subtitution to complete the rounds or repetitions prescribed.  Part of the thrill of CrossFit is completing WODs that previously you felt may have been impossible.

Yesterday we tackled “Angie”.  On paper she is a menacing WOD.  It is not uncommon for someone to utter the words, “I could NEVER do that!” or “Are you crazy?” when they see it written on the whiteboard.  Yesterday we saw the full range of scalability.  To do “Angie” prescribed, you need to complete all 100 repetitions of each skill before moving on to the next.  However few people are able to do Angie prescribed on their first attempt.  For most people it takes so long to get through just the first round of pull-ups that the intensity drops way too low – and you know how we feel about that!  So we had a number of substitutions to appropriately scale this WOD.  Some folks completed 50 reps of each exercise.  Some folks substituted ring rows for pull-ups.  Quite a few people used rubber bands for pull-ups.  Then we had people who broke the WOD up into sets of 10 or 20 reps in order to keep good form and high intensity.  There were even a few RXs for the day.  Overall, it was a marvelous dipslay of appropriate activity for everyone’s levels and as usual – everyone hitting it hard.  Nice work yesterday, now enjoy your day off today!!