07 Feb The G-Force Source: rx’d doesn’t make you cool
“Ahead of efficacy is safety.”
– Greg Glassman, CrossFit Inc. Founder and CEO
No matter where you train, you will always see the urge and desire in an athlete’s eyes to want to “rx” a workout. Man or woman, many want it. But there seems to be a very skewed understanding of the worth of performing a workout as prescribed, and less value placed on performing a scaled workout in a safer manner. An rx’d workout doesn’t grant you bragging rights, it doesn’t make you The Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Batman, or Darth Vader. What’s much more hero-like is finishing a scaled workout safely, efficiently, and without damage to our divine bodies.
There are many articles out on the world wide web, mostly written by coaches, urging readers to consider scaling workouts. Therefore, we can safely assume that the lack of scaling is a worldwide apocalyptic plague that has infected many.
As Coach Glassman states above, safety comes before achieving a better result. There is absolutely no shame in scaling, despite distorted popular opinion. At G-Force CrossFit, we prefer to see you all perform a workout safely and efficiently, rather than at a heavier weight and with more complex movements and performed F-U-G-L-Y. Scale your workouts and get them done safely.
There are two CrossFit journal publications that discuss this very matter. Read up on Scaling: How Less Can Be More, and Scaling CrossFit Workouts.
We’ve been testing lifts at G-Force over the past couple of weeks, and we’ve seen some fancy new personal bests. Here are last week’s new bests for our members:
PUSH JERK
Si: 80 -> 90
SNATCH
Little Loz: 56
Sergio: 45
CLEAN & JERK
Gareth: 85
Si: 100
Vanessa: 45
Alison: 57.5
Kim: 100
Bec: 52.5
Courtney: 70
Alby: 85
Well done crew! There’s more testing this week, so be sure to come into the gym well fed, rested and hydrated!
G-FORCE MOVEMENT BANK
Pistol squat and progressions
The one-legged squat is one of CrossFit’s more complex movements. Like the snatch, muscle-up, and handstands, it is one of the latter movements that we add to our repertoire of successfully learned ones.
Like all other movements, they’re not impossible to achieve, and they come with a set of progressions to help you get that successful pistol squat. If you think strength, mobility or balance is your issue, do Carl Paoli’s simple tests to see whether or not you qualify for a pistol squat. If you do qualify (and most people will), you can begin with progressions for the pistol squat.
The most scaled version of the pistol is an air squat. If you can do an air squat, try air squatting with both feet together and without lifting up onto your toes. You can then move onto other progressions shown by coach Chris Garay in this short video on YouTube. The movements include pole-assisted pistols, banded pistols, pistols to a seated position on a box, pistols standing on the box, counter balance pistols, and pistols with a raised heal (using a weight or just your oly lifting shoes).
If you’d like to try some of these progressions, see your coaches and we’ll help you get set up.
See you all in the gym.
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