Scaling Crossfit workouts

Question 1

scaling error

Answer 1

Errors in scaling time domain are quickly evident. In the deadlift workout listed above, if the majority of your class spends 6 minutes on the set of 21 but your scaled athletes finish in 90 seconds, then you’ve likely made a scaling error. Besides causing athletes to miss the desired training stimulus, this scaling error can affect class cohesion and an athlete’s sense of belonging. Ideally, we’d like to keep an entire class working together without creating significant outliers (i.e., someone who finishes in 3 minutes when everyone else works for 20 minutes, or vice versa).

Question 2

skill development sessions

Answer 2

be doing repeated handstand-push-up 1-rep-max efforts over the course of an hour. Save that for skill-development sessions

Question 3

1. Time Domain (Desired Metabolic Pathway)

Answer 3

When considering how to scale this workout, strive to preserve the original intent: ATP/CP and aerobic training via heavier loading. Therefore, don’t scale load to the point that an athlete works so quickly she remains primarily in the glycolytic pathway. One method for accomplishing this goal is to post the load as “355/235 lb. or 80-85 percent of 1-rep max.”

Question 4

General Movement Patterns

Answer 4

We preserve movement patterns based on the “compound yet irreducible” property of functional movements. For example, if we want to improve our squatting position and mechanics, then we must squat. Targeted mobility can improve our positions, but if we never squat (even at a reduced range of motion), then we can’t fully develop our squa

Question 5

3. Complexity

Answer 5

An application of Starrett’s three movement categories (Chapter 5) is scaling the push jerk to the push press for an athlete unable to receive the push jerk in the re-dip due to shoulder-mobility limitations. This also applies to receiving the snatch in the squat position versus the power position.
If an athlete can consistently accomplish a complex move- ment with all points of performance, then, in general, scale load instead of complexity. If, however, the movement is no consistently safe, then scale complexity. The ultimate goal is for athletes to continually progress in movement complexity. Trainers must guide their athletes toward this goal instead of allowing stagnation in simplified scales.

Question 6

Elements of Scaling

Answer 6

Volume (Total Reps)

Task-Based Workout
Programmed version 4 rounds for time of: Run 400 m
50 air squats
Scaled version (intermediate) 4 rounds for time of:
Run 400 m
35 air squats
Scaled version (beginner) 4 rounds for time of:
Run 200 m
20 air squats
Time-Based Workout (With Moveme

Time-Based Workout (With Movement Scales)
Programmed version
10-minute AMRAP of:
10 power snatches (115/75 lb.) 15 ring dips
20 GHD sit-ups

Question 7

Longterm

Answer 7

Scaling for ROM is part of a bigger plan for long-term athlete development. Once a ROM limitation is identified, use coaching cues (tactile, visual and verbal) to identify whether the root cause of the limitation is poor motor control, mobility restriction or both. After identifying the root cause, scale ROM during workouts to develop intensity within the existing safe ROM, while applying mobility and motor control outside workouts to increase safe ROM. This long-term ROM- development plan is illustrated in Figure 2

Question 8

During warm up

Answer 8

During warm-up, identify the athlete’s daily safe ROM for the movement: the point where the athlete consis- tently loses points of performance despite coaching cues (verbal, tactile and visual).
• Scale ROM to keep the athlete within their safe ROM for the workout.
• Modify movement ROM at the starting position (raising deadlift) and/or the finishing position (stopping kettle- bell swing at eye level).
• Scaling may include objects to act as tactile cues in some cases (butt target for squat).

Question 9

Application in Competitions

Answer 9

. Reducing load, time or complexity but not adjusting the total rep count or total potential rep count—If you reduce loads and/ or modify movements but keep the rep count and time domain unchanged, you are likely to increase risk for less experienced athletes. You must consider total rep exposure. Remember this when developing chippers and AMRAPs, too. Have realistic boundaries for rep count based on athlete experience. For example, we could say that a workout needs adjusting for beginners if it exceeds 30-75 cumulative reps for upper-body movements or 50-100 cumulative reps for lower-body movements. These are not recommended numbers; they are just examples of bound- aries to consider when developing workouts for scaled divisions.

Not considering the cumulative effect of multiple workouts over the course of the entire competition—For beginner or intermediate athletes doing normal training at an affiliate, three to five workouts a week is likely the norm. Exposing them to multiple workouts over the course of a day or weekend has a compounding effect on their ability to recover and their motor control in challenges later in the competition. As a rule, rep count and loads should decrease over the course of an event for scaled divisions. Ending competitions with a long chipper might have a margin of safety for very experienced athletes, but it’s not responsible programming for less experienced athletes.