Members come to us all the time with quetsions about all topics around fitness. Generally, the questions revolve around the same general idea: When Should I . . .? Here are a few examples:
When should I . . .
– eat before a workout
– take a rest day
– start counting macros
– start training if I want to run a marathon
When Should I . . . Move Up In Scaling?
CrossFit is an ever progressing fitness program. As soon as you develop the ability to do one thing, you simply make it more difficult. Did you finally get a pullup? Great, do 5 of them. Have you been doing chest to bar pullups for a while? Awesome, let’s teach you how to do a muscle up. Did you squat 200#? Nice work, now add 5 more pounds.
Since we all start a different levels of fitness, CrossFit is universally scalable to fit all fitness levels. If you can’t do a pushup on the ground, we raise your hands on a box. If you can’t do toes to bar, we scale to hanging leg raises. Scaling does not make the movement “easier.” It modifies the movement to a level that you can perform so that you receive the benefits of the movement with good form and good range of motion.
At Industrial Athletics, we provide scaling for all of our workouts (Platinum, Steel, Brass, and Bronze). This standardized scaling provides members with a level system to progress as they achieve new levels of fitness. Most people start at the Bronze level, and move up from there. However, it isn’t always clear when you should move up. So, here is some help:
1. Are you comfortable with the weights and skills at your current scaling? If you generally complete a workout at the Brass scaling, but can easily lift the weight, or don’t need the band for pullups anymore, it is time to move up.
2. Has your progress toward your goals become stagnant? (Here is that idea of overcoming adversity again) We don’t progress if we don’t challenge ourselves. Remember when you started at Industrial Athletics and everything seemed so hard, but everything was a win toward your fitness goals? If you are no longer seeing progress, it is time to increase the challenge. Time to get out of your comfort zone. “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” as they used to say in CrossFit gyms.
3. Are you crushing every workout? During our workout reviews, the coach will tell you the goal of the workout. Pay attention to that goal and how you perform at your chosen scaling. If the goal is to finish in 15 minutes, and you finish in 10 minutes, it may be time to jump up to the next level.
It Isn’t Going To Be Easy or Smooth
One final note to keep in mind, increasing your scaling is never easy and never smooth. Your times and rounds will drop for a while. Be prepared to jump back and forth between scaling levels for a bit. You may be able to move up to the Steel scaling when the workout is running and deadlifts, but stay at Brass for now when it is involves bar muscle ups and burpees.
In the end, talk with the coach. Your continued progress is why he or she is there.
