Suggestion(s)....

[sandwich]

I was thinking, while doing last night's WoD, is there any way the person who creates these workouts could also create a s/m/l version of it? I had trouble keeping proper form with some of the excersizes, and I knew I would tank if I tried to do 100 push presses with 95lbs. Obviously, some of you have no problem with that, but I think it would be helpful to have a beginner/sport/expert version of the workout, with a minimum weight, a moderate weight, and then an expert. I don't even know if you have to change the number of reps, just the weight.

It might make it a little easier to compare one's scores against other participants. It's hard to judge my times, with scaled weights, against other peoples' times, but if I could see "as rx'ed, sport, 29:13" or something, it would give me a better gauge of my performance, and once I'm familiar enough with these excersizes, I can do the big guy workouts. Obviously one has to know their limits and scale weights respectively, but I feel like this could be a good way of bringing newbies like myself into it and up to speed faster.

Just a thought. I'm very thankful to whomever puts these up, they're real butt-kickers and I'm more sore than I've been in years, which I think is a good thing...this was just something I was thinking of to get more participation or at least more time reporting.

[deck_]

I am no expert in Crossfit so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

The thing with the NavySEALS.com Crossfit WOD is that they are designed for the super-fit - they are designed for potential Navy SEALs. Other people of course follow them, but the 'target market' of these workouts is the super-fit, so I don't see a need for scaled versions.

If the WODs are far too difficult, then it might be a good idea to try the main Crossfit site WODs. If not, I believe the best thing to do is scale them according to your body-weight. Assume that the WOD's are designed for a 175 pound person, and scale according to your body weight (percentage wise). For exercises where you lift heavy weights (deadlifts, thrusters, etc...), scale the weight. For exercises where you lift your own body (push-ups, pull-ups), scale the number of reps.

Hope that helps!

[spollen_usn]

Obviously your goal is to be able to complete these exercises in their entirety. If you can't perform them as perscribed scale the workout yourself so that you can complete it without loosing form, as you stated in your post. I.E. If 100 push presses @ 95lbs is too much weight, for now, then scale it: perform 30 pp w/ 60lbs 30 w/65 30 w/70 and try 10 @95. Or you could do 95lbs and only do 50 push presses.
The beauty is that you can tailor it to fit your physical ability. As you feel more comfortable completing the workout, add weight and repetitions. Soon you will amaze yourself when you hit the gym,park,garage(wherever you workout) and kill the origional workout! Keep your head on straight and don't be dissapointed if you are not where you want to be physically. If you have the correct mindset you will never be as physically fit as you want to be! Theres always a chance to improve at somthing. Hope this helped.

[sandwich]

If these workouts are designed for the super-fit, then why are those people bothering with them? Shouldn't they go ahead and enlist, if they're already fully capable of doing everything they need to do? Just a thought...I mean, if you're ready to go...why are you hanging out here? My suggestion is exactly intended for wannabe SEALs. I'm not as physically capable as I'd like to be...thus performing crossfits...so that when I am where I'd like to be, I can enlist with no reservations and a boatload of confidence.

I guess what I'm suggesting is that there is a pre-arranged scale-down...perhaps in reps or in weights, to allow for more individual progress and to inspire healthy competition at both the highest level and for newcomers.

There are workouts I have no problem with, and there are workouts that I have loads of trouble with. I certainly intend to stick with it until I can do the complete workouts, as prescribed, with no issue and competitive times, but I feel like it would be helpful to have an organized scaled-down WoD to attempt until then. If nobody wants to write it down, I'll continue to scale it down myself, but it would be nice to be able to compete with others, rather than just myself.

[deck_]

Well, I know exactly what you mean that some workouts are fine and some are just ball-busters. Lots of people do scale the workouts and say that they do in their posts, so it is still possible to compare times by taking the scalings into effect.

Now that I think about perhaps a standard rule for scaling for every workout could be posted somewhere, like: scale all weights down 30% and all reps for body weight exercises down 40%. That way, anybody who uses that standard scaling could say so and would be able to compare times to everybody else who used it.

And in response to why I don't just enlist in the Navy SEALs... I'm Canadian :)

[sandwich]

I'm Canadian :)

hahaha...it's ok, I forgive you.

[jltiger143]

try this link:

http://www.crossfitbrandx.com/index.php/forums/viewforum/16/

They offer scaled versions of the WOD and are considered THE source for such. Click the link for the WOD you are interested in (listed by date). I believe they scale under:

buttercups - very beginner
puppies - beginners
pack - intermediate
the porch - advanced
big dawgs - as Rx'ed

so for instance, this is the scale for the other day's WOD: Run 15k

Big Dawgs:
As Rx’d

The Porch:
Run 10K

Pack:
Run 5K

Puppies:
Run/walk 2.5 - 5K

Buttercups:
Run/walk 2.5K

No shame to scale or modify as needed.

Hope that helps.

[deadly nedly]

If these workouts are designed for the super-fit, then why are those people bothering with them? Shouldn't they go ahead and enlist, if they're already fully capable of doing everything they need to do?

Everyone's situation is different. Personally, I was saving for my laser eye surgery, and now I'm waiting for it to heal. You obviously made a hasty statement here; it's easy to think of any number of reasons why someone may want to do these WODs and not be able/want to enlist right now. College, life, etc.

I wouldn't hold your breath for official scaling here. Jiltiger had a great suggestion with brand x. Honestly, if you can't run/swim/PT at a respectable level, you should focus on that first. Crossfit as RX'd tends to bring you from intermediate to advanced. Modification is again required to go from advanced to world class. Beginner to intermediate is up to you, scaling CF is one option for this. There are others. If you don't have a coach on hand, another option is probably far more straight forward. Like the warning order.

If you absolutely love THESE workouts, you might look into the virtual coach program here at NSC.

[sandwich]

in my defense, I wasn't really trying to make a generalized statement. More along the lines of, if there are people that are in such great shape that doing these crossfit routines offers no performance gain, and the workouts are only targeted to them, then what's the point? It was mostly for juxtaposition, I understand that most of the people performing these routines stand to gain vastly and even the last 10% won't lose anything from doing them. I know there are plenty of reasons people aren't/don't join, but again, if you're doing a workout designed to get people into shape for BUD/S but are already in great shape....I think I'm repeating myself, and I'm off my original point.

I consider myself to be intermediate, maybe slightly advanced. I've been training for a while but I know that some of you are powerhouses in almost all aspects....I have yet to get there. My commentary is mostly directed to what I thought might be more beneficial to getting people that are interested in entering the SEAL program into shape to graduate from BUD/S. I think these workouts work, and I'm being challenged in ways weightlifting hasn't been able to.

[deadly nedly]

I think the assumption was made within the thought "people in such shape that these workouts offer no performance gain." These people don't exist. Just because they are pounding through the workout in half the time it takes you doesn't mean they aren't getting anything out of it. They might get something different out of it. Instead of strength and muscular endurance they might get speed, power-endurance, mental fortitude, etc. The beauty of putting functional movements in a blender with high intensity is that the same WOD will benefit people on MANY different fitness levels.

However, in order to set the bar sufficiently high for this community, the baseline (WOD completion, much less a competitive time) must be set at a relatively high level. Accessibility doesn't seem to be much of a priority here. Accessibility is available through the virtual coach program, but if you're expecting to look up the WOD, pound it out, and post an impressive time.. you'd better report to NSC a hard mofo because we got some studs on here, as you've found.

Instead of getting hung up on the high level of competition here, I'd suggest keeping a workout log and competing against yourself to begin with. Just cleaning up your nutrition will tend to bridge the gap between intermediate and advanced. That tends to be the missing link for most young dudes. It was true for me, it is true for everyone I've trained, except this one guy that could stay up all night, eating donuts and drinking beer while destroying everyone physically. He was a freak, most people aren't. He's a SF guy now (and I bet he'd be even more jocked if he'd clean up his nutrition, but the ends don't justify the means for him).

Chances are, your muscles are ready to compete at that level, but your supporting systems, including your mind, aren't. Make no mistake, part of the beauty of crossfit is that it's just f'ing HARD, physiological benefits be damned. That's where the mental strength, and the confidence you were referring to earlier comes into play. When you know that you can do virtually anything you set my mind to. THAT'S power you can't buy, and something that doing a few pushups here and there won't get you.

And does mental strength = a performance gain? You bet your gluteus maximus it does.
.

[scskowron]

There are workouts I have no problem with, and there are workouts that I have loads of trouble with. I certainly intend to stick with it until I can do the complete workouts, as prescribed, with no issue and competitive times, but I feel like it would be helpful to have an organized scaled-down WoD to attempt until then. If nobody wants to write it down, I'll continue to scale it down myself, but it would be nice to be able to compete with others, rather than just myself.

If you've noticed Mr Ord puts together a ton of workouts which are variations of these types of workouts:
- long metcons with 2-4 miles of running, 40-60 minutes, usually Fridays or Saturdays
- mixed metcons with a lot of lifts 15-25 minutes
- metcons with high rep olympic lifts
- push oriented workouts - presses, push presses, jerks
- runs or ruck humps, usually Fridays or Saturdays
- ME lifts with some extra sets for endurance

Some people are always going to excel in one of these categories...it's inevitable.

Find your weaknesses and train specifically towards them. The better your weaknesses get, the less you'll have to scale.

[mhlawther]

I've been doing these these workouts heavily scaled for over a year now. Even though most of the time I don't even get close to what some people are posting, looking at their times gives me something to work towards. My times are hardly ever competitive when compared to some of the monsters on here, but what I do is compete against myself. I keep track of the workouts that we do on a more regular basis and try to beat myself the next time it comes around. It may not be close to what some of the other guys are doing but as long as I improved from last time it shows that I am making progress towards those goals.

[spollen_usn]

Being compettative is always going to help, but you have to understand that some dudes out there are animals, period. You will also learn that some maybe even most of these "animals" will drop out. Be compettative but don't let the idea of not being able to perform 200 pull ups without leaving the bar slow your training, or you have already lost.

[wcor]

And in response to why I don't just enlist in the Navy SEALs... I'm Canadian :)

There are a few of us canucks on here now. We are slowly taking over.:D

Funny thing about being Canadian. My brother is going to school in the states. One day, some marine recruiters came up to him and gave him the whole usual speech. He said he was canadian. Their responce was that it was no biggie, a little hick up. He'd be a marine in no time.I don't how true that is about canadians joining but its a true story. Now, If where only that easy to get a SEAL contract.....;)