Look, we get it. CrossFit workouts are difficult. When you originally picked up that 60/40Kg barbell, it probably didn’t feel like much. But after 4 rounds, it might feel closer to 100/70.
Most people don’t like being last. Especially in CrossFit.
Perhaps you don’t like finishing behind someone who looks like they couldn’t lift an empty barbell off the ground, but just spanked you in pull-ups and wallballs.
Maybe you thought the workout wasn’t going to be as challenging as it ended up being.
Let’s be clear, at XNTRC the results board is NOT a leader board, Notice I said “Results board” and not score board. That’s right, it’s a results board and the only result you should be concerning yourself with is your own.
Suffice to say, there’s a lot of competition in CrossFit, that is the nature of the sport.
As CrossFitter’s, its bread into us to be better than yesterday, somewhere along the way some people mistakenly translated this to “Be better than everyone else”
But here’s the thing. Well, the things.
When you shave reps you cheat yourself out of a workout. You probably defeat the purpose and intended stimulus of the workout itself, because despite what most people believe the elements of the workout are not in fact random/ There is method to the rep scheme in a 21-15-9
When you rep shave you also negatively impact the box as a whole.
Why?
Well, because what you are doing perpetuates an unhealthy sense of competition, even if you think you’re getting away with it.
The beauty of CrossFit is that people come in at every level of fitness, and this should be celebrated.
Just because you are great at one or two things, doesn’t mean you’re going to be an efficient mover. THAT’S WHAT CROSSFIT IS BUILT ON.
We all lose count sometimes & that’s ok, “Did I do 120 Double unders or 110?” but when 21-15-9 looks more like 17-9-4 we have a problem!
When you blaze in at a ridiculous pace, other people, especially newer CrossFitters, notice. They look around and say, “Well, shit, literally everyone got through that in 2 min and I’m on minute 7, I’m not good at this CrossFit shit, heads go down and we lose good people.
New CrossFitters need to see the struggle, they need to see a strong athlete suffer through burpees just like they are. We all share the same Intensity.
We learn not by what we’re told, but what we see around us. And while we’re on the topic, if you’re having to shave reps to finish in a reasonable time that’s probably a good indication that you chose the wrong weight. Or rep scheme. You didn’t scale appropriately. And once again it sends a message. THE WRONG MESSAGE!
No one cares about your time on the whiteboard. I promise. We’re all too busy trying to figure out how to break up 150 wall balls or how we don’t want to pick the bar up for round 4 of hang cleans on DT.
While we may not care about the times or the weights, we do see you and so do your classmates.
We see you turning 15 pull-ups into 12, We see you keeping pace with someone else so that you can slip in for the W before them & post a faster time. You’re not fooling anyone.
If the whole point of rep shaving is to save your ego, just know that you don’t look fitter. You look dishonest and caught up in other people’s opinions.
This is not what CrossFit is about. So, scale your weights, your movements, and your reps when you need. Stop trying to crush others around you or waiting until the coaches back is turned.
Because we see that too.
Leave your Ego at the door!
We respect anyone that comes into our classes to try and get a little bit fitter each day, but We have a hard time respecting dishonesty.
You are the only one judging yourself when you grab lighter weights; we don’t care.
No one cares what your score was, everybody cares if you cheated.
“The truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square” – Michelle Obama
So, take your time, have fun oh and learn to count.
Team XNTRC
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