150410 - Is Efficiency Cheating?

With every new Ramp Up we have, either the question comes up or I bring it up: Is being efficient cheating? The easiest example is the kipping pull-up. We kip pull-ups in CrossFit for overall work purposes, not to specifically develop your pulling strength up to and potentially over a fixed object. The more work you do, the fitter you become. Weightlifters don't have heartache with push-presses, which are a way to use your hips to accomplish either more reps or more weight.

The answer is, that efficiency is not cheating. Purposely mis-counting, shorting the range of motion or distance, those are examples of cheating.

Strict pull-ups have a rightful place in the hall of strength and we encourage folks to get those before they start swinging around willy-nilly on the pull-up bar. We program both strict and kipping versions of movements in our WODs because both are important for different reasons. Once we develop efficiency, then we find ways of making it even harder, by going faster or longer. That's the essence of CrossFit. 

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General Warm-Up
3 rounds
Down and back lunge
10 squat jumps
then
Accumulate 2 minutes of wall sit

CrossFit
3 rounds
5 clean to thrusters M:75 F:55
10 burpee plate jumps
15 power snatches M:75 F:55

5/3/1 Week 1 Back squat
Specific warm up
5x 40%
5x 50%
3x 60% 
Work sets
5x 65%
5x 75%
5+ 85%
Accessory work
7 min burpees
100 abmat sit-ups