Scaling Is Not Cheating: How We Scale Workouts So You Keep Getting Better
Walk into any class at CrossFit Uncommon and everyone sees the same workout on the whiteboard. The former college athlete and the dad who has not touched a barbell in years. Same workout, different versions. That is scaling, and it is the reason this style of training works for almost anyone who walks through the door.
Some people treat scaling like a consolation prize. It is not. Scaling is how we make sure you get the training effect the workout was written for, at the level you are at today.
What scaling actually means
Every workout has an intended stimulus. Some are short and heavy. Some are fast sprints. Some are long, steady grinds. Scaling adjusts the load, the reps, the range of motion or the movement itself so you hit that same stimulus.
If a workout is meant to be fast and you spend ten minutes stuck on the bar doing singles, you are not doing a harder version of the workout. You are doing a different workout.
Scale the load first, keep the movement
Our coaches usually change the weight or the reps before they swap out a movement. A banded pull up or a jumping pull up still lets you practice the skill and keep moving. The longer a movement stays in your training, the better you get at it.
Swapping a movement out completely is the last step, not the first.
Ego is the most expensive thing in the gym
Loading the bar to match the person next to you is how form falls apart and how people end up sore for a week or sitting on the sidelines. Nobody remembers what weight you used on a Tuesday. Your body remembers every rep you did well.
Scaling around a cranky joint
If a shoulder or a knee is talking to you, scaling lets you keep training instead of sitting out. We change the range, the load or the movement so you can still work hard around the issue. We wrote more about that approach in How We Train Around Injuries Before They Happen.
If something feels truly injured, get it looked at by a qualified professional first, then let us build your training around their advice.
How you know it is time to move up
You finish close to the time or rounds the workout was designed for.
Your movement still looks good when you are tired.
Your coach tells you it is time.
When all three line up, add a little weight, a few more reps or the next version of the movement. Then repeat.
Bottom line
Rx is a destination, not an entry requirement. Show up, pick the version that lets you move well and work hard, and let the progress stack up week after week.
New to CrossFit or coming back after time off? Book a free intro with a coach at CrossFit Uncommon in North Austin. Link in bio, or start at crossfituncommon.com.
