190207 - Soapbox Thursday

Why RX Doesn’t Mean a Thing to Me. - Michael Reynolds

What is RX for a workout? It’s an arbitrary standard designed to meet some sort of criteria as outlined by CFHQ or the person(s) designing a workout. This may be a desired training effect, a specific range of motion, or a weight as determined by experiment or experience.
If you are inexperienced, unable to reach the desired range of motion, or just weak in the lift or movement, then RX may not be appropriate for you.
Even if you can do those things, RX may not be appropriate for you.
Have back pain whenever you load your spine? RX isn't for you until we address the problem.
Can’t extend fully overhead when doing any kind of pressing motion? RX isn’t for you until we address the problem.
This brings us to the Open.
The Open comes around once a year. It’s an excellent way for athletes that have done the Open in previous years to be tested in 4 new events and one repeat event (if recent Open history is any indicator)
If this is your first year, then it’s a great way to test the waters of competitive CrossFit in a fun, supportive and high energy environment with all your workout friends. For many of our newest folks, the scaled division or scaling particular workouts will be optimum. Now, sometimes folks overstep their abilities and miracles happen. First strict/kipping pull-ups, muscle-ups and 1RM lifts can and do happen during the Open.
What else happens in the Open is that people are “forced” to scale through lack of ability.
I’ve been doing CrossFit since 2004. I’ve RX’d just about every workout that’s been seen more than once (there are a couple heavy-ass Hero workouts that I haven’t, but those are special). I’m the only person in the gym who has done an RX’d Linda (10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of 1.5 bodyweight deadlift, bodyweight bench press and .75 bodyweight cleans) so I’ve got some CrossFit experience. And now, I scale a lot of the workouts.
RX isn’t a measurement of my capabilities, it’s a standard that I may or may not be able to meet due to my level of fitness, strength, age, diet, sleep, stress, etc, etc.

Scaling is not the enemy. You not doing your best is.

WARM UP -
2 Rounds
6 Stepping Mountain Climbers
6 Ab Mat Sit Ups
6 Stepping Lunges
20 Plank Shoulder Taps

MOBILIZE - Wall V Stretch and Wall 4 Stretch

WOD - For Time (20 minute cap)
46 Mountain Climbers
36 Ab Mat Sit Ups
26 Jump Lunges
16 Hand Release Push Ups
26 Jump Lunges
36 Ab Mat Sit Ups
46 Mountain Climbers

SKILL -
Bar MU Progression: Accumulate 12 Banded Bar Muscle Ups (in sets of 3)
Pull Up Progression: Accumulate 20 most difficult pull ups possible (even in singles) and 20 jumping C2B