Scaling Your WODs for Success

SnicciFit

I stumbled across this article yesterday:

http://eattoperform.com/2013/03/20/a-guide-to-modifying-for-strength/

and this quote really struck me "...most days, you should use weights and rep ranges that let you finish at about the same time as the big dogs (and with energy to spare)."

A friend shared this article with me as well:

https://www.againfaster.com/blog/2012/01/13/zatsiorsky-scaling-and-power/

They pretty much say the same thing. My approach to most WODs in the last in the 8 months I've been doing CF is to scale in way that would allow me to finish about the same as the "majority" or "average" already on the board. Now that I think about it, that's pretty dumb (although it seemed brilliant until I read these articles). Why am I shooting to have an "average" score? Isn't that going to keep my score "average." I've got a new method for scaling my WODs now based on the ideas in these articles :happy:

MissXFit13

That's so interesting! I have been doing the opposite in fact. I try to do Rx for weights, or as close as I can get to it, and I'd sacrifice time for heavy weights with good technique. I guess I could do lighter weights with speed, but sometimes I feel like I didn't accomplish much when I'm done. I'd prefer to do more strength over huffing and puffing metcons, too, but that's just where I am right now.

Especially when the competitive people in my gym tend to take longer to finish since they are tossing the heavy weights around, I do finish closer to them.

According to that formula (less than 50% of 1RM), I should have done less than a barbell (45lb) for my snatches today. That seems weird and wouldn't challenge me at all. I'm so curious to see how this works for you!

MissXFit13

Then again, if Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell guys do it...I might be on board. Hmm...this is giving me something to think about!

SnicciFit

I'm going to look at it this way... 50% OR what I think will allow me to finish "with the big dogs"

SnicciFit

I'm going to look at it this way... 50% OR what I think will allow me to finish "with the big dogs"

Today's WOD (I plan to do it tonight) is:

Strength
Every 30 seconds for 15 total reps, complete 1 clean & jerk @ 75% 1 rep max


WOD
4 rounds for time:

25 Pushups
25 KBS

So, for the strength part, I'll stick with the 75% of my 1RM, but for the WOD, I've recently graduated to swinging the 30lb (from 25), so I'll look at the board and decide if 30lbs would still allow me to finish as fast as the big dogs or if I should go lower. Chances are, I'll have to go lower to finish fast enough. My thought process yesterday would have been to go heavy to challenge myself, but if this wod is designed for me to keep moving with little rest, then obviously, I'll need to go lower weight.

I'm really having fun with CF and while I want a bunch of PRs, I'm totally willing to experiment with how I get there. So... I'm going to try this method on for probably the rest of the year and see where it takes me!

MissXFit13

That looks like a great WOD! I might try it tomorrow after I lift.

Mrs_Duh

Great article!

SnicciFit

Reading through the posts on the web, it looks like finishing in under 10 mins will be the goal. I also see where the coach for some of the classes has replaced people's KBs halfway through with heavier ones. If he's coaching my class tonight, I may have to explain myself BEFORE the wod.

SnicciFit

I scaled by using a 25lb KB (rather than the 30lb) and I finished in exactly 10 minutes. I really pushed myself to keep moving and take very little rest. I argued with myself all the way up to the 3...2...1 WORK! about which KB I should be swinging. It goes against everything I have been thinking for the past few months.

jlcuster

One tool to help you do this is CustomWOD.com. Essentially, the website has you measure your performance (3RM deadlifts, AMRAP 1 min box jumps, etc.) then it can automatically scale the daily WODs for you. The measurement phase is long as there is a lot to measure, but so far, I've enjoyed doing it.

wswilliams67

Froning has a video on bodybuilding.com that pretty much says the same thing about scaling. If people in your class are finishing WODs in 15:00 and you are taking 25:00... you need to scale lighter and keep the intensity up.

SnicciFit

I applied these principals again today:

5 rounds for time:
25 Jumping Squats
20 KB/DB Push Press (Both arms, same time)
15 Pullups

I used 15lb dumbells (rather than 20lb) and used the medium band for the PUs. I was just starting to use a smaller band in the last few weeks, but I wanted to be able to at least do 3 sets of 5 for the last rounds.

I finished in under 20 minutes which is right in line with where I needed to be. :happy:

WillieMN

Froning has a video on bodybuilding.com that pretty much says the same thing about scaling. If people in your class are finishing WODs in 15:00 and you are taking 25:00... you need to scale lighter and keep the intensity up.

+1

I do RX when possible and know I can maintain form, yet be challenged.
There are some moves I'm still behind and will need time to develop for RX weights.
Yesterday we did Isabell (30 snatches @95lbs for female). I just PRs on snatch with 90lbs the day before, so thinking scaling it down was appropriate.

But body weight movements (pull ups, ring dips, etc) no scaling any more even if it takes longer

MissXFit13

I think it all depends on the type of WOD. Some WODs (think Fran) like AMRAPS or with high reps are supposed to be for explosive speed and constant effort and movement with no rest to get you huffing and puffing and work on endurance. In those cases, I will scale down to a weight that I think I can get in all the reps unbroken and with speed.

Others when the rounds are broken up into lower reps, I will definitely challenge myself with higher weights, even at the cost of adding a minute or two to my score, as long as it means I'm not taking a lot of rest breaks or dropping their bar after every rep. I'm really not looking to finish before anyone or get a great time written up on the board, because at the end of the day, I'm not there to compete, I'm there to get stronger.