Scaling Flashcards
What 4 considerations are to be made for assessing how best to scale an athlete.
- Experience level
- Technical proficiency
- Level of fatigue
- Injury status if applicable
Define progressive scaling
continuing to scale an athlete multiple times during a workout which may un-intentionally increase their intensity.
What are the 4 common elements to scaling?
- Movements & variations
- Loading parameters
- Repetition scheme
- Movement combinations
What is the trainers main goal when scaling a workout for an individual?
Maintaining the intended stimulus
What is generally the first element to be scaled in a workout?
Intensity
What are the 3 main ways to scale intensity?
- Force/load
- Distance
- Time
What is a common way to scale force to decrease intensity during a workout?
- Decrease the external load of a weightlifting exercise.
2. Decrease the mechanical disadvantage of an unloaded bodyweight exercise.
What is a common way to scale distance in a workout to lower intensity?
Decrease the total volume of the workout by lowering
- Reps
- Rounds
- Distance covered on monostructural
Define force in a workout?
The loading or mechanical disadvantage used during a movement.
Define distance in a workout?
The total number of reps & rounds in a workout
Define time in a workout?
The total time of the workout or interval of the workout.
What are the 5 basic classifications of athletes to scale?
- Beginner or deconditioned athlete
- Intermediate or novice athlete
- Former athlete with minimal CrossFit experience
- Advanced athlete
- Injured athlete
Define a beginner or deconditioned athlete
- Typically less than 6 months CrossFit experience.
- Minimal athletic background.
- Has been inactive for a considerable amount of time.
Define an intermediate or novice athlete
- Typically 6 months to 3 years CrossFit experience.
- Consistently training 3-5 sessions a week during that time.
- Competent with most movements but still may lack some areas of development.
Define a former athlete with minimal CrossFit experience
- Experience with functional movements & / some other form of competitive discipline but not CrossFit.
- May have held a high level of fitness in the past but not now.
- Often has a competitive mindset that doesn’t require alot of external motivation.
Define an advanced CrossFit athlete
- Typically atleast 3 years of consistent CrossFit training.
- Familiar & proficient in all common CrossFit movements.
- Possess a well rounded capacity with no major deficiencies.
Define an injured athlete
- Recently injured or have a chronic condition that may limit movement or loading choices.
- May fall into any of the other 4 categories depending on pre injury fitness & experience.
What are the main goals when scaling for a beginner?
Build basic fitness capacity, technique & confidence.
What are the 4 critical elements when scaling for a beginner?
- Reducing repetitions
- Reducing loading or mechanical disadvantage of a movement
- Reducing the duration of effort
- Creating opportunities for exposure to elements that need practice
What 3 main goals should you seek to achieve before increasing intensity for a beginner?
- Improving movement mechanics
- Consistency
- Strength through full range of motion
What 2 scaling options should be avoided unless injured or anatomically unable to perform?
- Reduction of change in range of motion
2. Avoid difficulty of unrefined movements or positions
What 3 areas will the intermediate athlete typically lack in?
- The appropriate amount of strength required for the movement.
- The technical skills to complete the movements safely & efficiently.
- The stamina to complete larger sets successfully.
If the intermediate athlete is lacking the strength to complete the workout as written, but is technically sound what would be the best approach to scale the workout?
- Keep the weights higher & lower the reps to a level that will maintain good mechanics & fit the intended stimulus of the wod.
- For bodyweight movements emphasize the areas of weakness.
If the intermediate athlete is lacking the technique to complete the workout as written efficiently and safely, what considerations should be explored to improve this area of weakness?
consider an option that stresses the development of the skill they are lacking.
If the intermediate athlete is lacking the stamina to complete a workout unbroken or in larger sets, how could you develop this?
consider maintaining the original repetition count, but lowering the weight & striving for infrequent breaks or rest periods.
What 4 considerations help to scale effectively for an intermediate athlete?
- Does the athlete struggle with higher loads?
- Does the athlete lack technical skills or experience significant technical breakdown under duress?
- Are there rep schemes the athlete tends to struggle with?
- Do you have any other insights from previous sessions that may allow you to choose an intelligent scaling option?
What are the most important elements to focus on when scaling for a intermediate athlete?
Considering the basic scaling options
Attempting to challenge the weaknesses of the athlete, not avoid them
Approach weaknesses with different variants regularly to avoid stagnation
What 2 main strategies should you avoid when scaling for an intermediate athlete?
Minimize exposure to the aspect of fitness that is lacking
Create a set pattern adhered to every time a difficult movement, load or rep scheme is encountered
What are the 4 common strategies used to increase intensity for an advanced athlete?
- Pushing for a faster time on a benchmark workout
- Working to sustain a more demanding pace for a longer period of time
- Working to complete larger, unbroken sets with less rest
- Continually challenged to refine their quality of movement as intensity rises.
What 2 common strategies should occasionally be applied for scaling up advanced athletes workouts?
- Increasing the load, duration or rep scheme of a workout
2. Choosing a more difficult movement variation, increased range of motion or piece of equipment
To scale accurately for the advanced athlete, what 4 considerations should you explore?
- Has this workout been performed in the past? If so, what was the previous result?
- If this workout has not been performed before, what was the result of a workout with similar elements?
- What element of this workout is likely to pose the greatest challenge for the athlete?
- Do you have any other insights from previous sessions that may allow you to choose an intelligent scaling option?
What are the most important elements to focus on when scaling for an advanced athlete?
- Increasing intensity through encouraging faster times and shorter rest periods
- Occasionally including advanced movement variations, equipment challenges or range of motion
- Occasionally requiring heavier loads or more difficult rep schemes.
Typically, scaling for an advanced athlete shouldnot?
- Create a workout that is lacking intensity, even though challenging
- Emphasize elements other than intensity too frequently
What are the most important elements to focus on when scaling for a former athlete?
- Gradually increase volume and intensity, especially for those returning from a period of inactivity
- Attempting to challenge the weaknesses of the athlete, not avoid them
- Approach weaknesses with different variants regularly to avoid stagnation.
What 3 main strategies should be avoided when scaling for a former athlete?
- Minimize exposure to the aspect of fitness that is lacking
- Creating a set pattern adhered to every time a scaling option is needed
- Allowing the athlete’s natural competitive inclination to push them too far too soon
What are the 3 most common strategies when scaling for injured athletes?
- Use uninjured movement functions.
- Use alternatives movements that will meet the intended stimulus as closely as possible.
- Omit movements.
What are the most important elements to focus on when scaling for an injured athlete?
- Keep the athlete moving in a pain-free range of motion
- Creating opportunities for the athlete to focus on other areas of their fitness
- Modifying movements while keeping the workout as close as possible to the original
- Omitting inappropriate elements of the workout if necessary
Typically, scaling for an injured athlete shouldnot
- Create a situation that pushes the athlete too hard too soon
- Create a situation where no challenge is experienced
- Disregard the basic scaling strategies
