How many days a week do you rx the wod? Every day? None? Somewhere in between? According to an article on mensfitness.com, to RX a wod "means the athlete performs all modalities using the prescribed weight and reps." My number is typically 4. Four out of 5 wods I do in a week, I can RX. Should I be satisfied with that?
Among the skills that I can't RX in a wod include bar muscle ups, ring muscle ups, ring dips, (almost there though!), rope climbs (should really practice them more), and anything of abnormally heavy weight (I'm a weenie!). Should these movements be left out of wods totally since I can't do them? If I can name one person at my box that can, they should be in there.
As I coach my classes on days with a heavy wod, I find that I dread doing it. But as soon as I hear that "3,2,1," that all goes out the window. Somehow I always get through it and feel a greater sense of accomplishment than if it were a wod that had movements and weights that are in my "comfort zone." Am I mad that I can't rx 100% of the time? Nope. Do I think that movements or weights that I can't do should be left out of programming? Again, a no.
This is always my advice to athletes of all different abilities: as long as you're continuing to progress, getting better, and faster, then what you're doing is working.
When you stop progressing, that's when you should question the programming. And when that programming includes 100+ athletes on any given day, it must be a challenge to the best of the best. Any wod can be modified to be easier but the day that someone needs to make it HARDER is the day that we have failed them. So, with that being said, this following week when you start your week off, I challenge you to write down the skills you have yet to master/cannot rx in a wod. If these starting popping up in the programming, how would you feel? Would you feel that they are too hard and shouldn't be in there?
If you feel that way, make it your mission to work HARDER on those things that are too hard for you. There are many things in CrossFit or fitness that everyone can do and then there are things that take a little more work to accomplish- and whatever that is for you, it's 100% worth the work when you do accomplish it. After all, if it were easy, everyone would do it!!
April Gamallo is Mommy to 2 year old Carmen, CrossFit coach, co-owner of Death by CrossFit with my partner in crime and husband, Chris, in Princeton, WV, elementary teacher, crossfitter (2 years). I do it 1., to keep up with baby girl 2. Because it's always different and challenging and 3. Because there is nothing better than a boxful of people of all different ages and abilities all pushing to be better than the person they were yesterday.
