Wednesday 101117

Skill

Double unders (Again? Yes, again!)

WOD

4 rounds for time of:

Run 400m

Rest 3 minutes between rounds. Go all out on these 400s!

 
Shawn and Trevor!

Load Choice and The Safety Net

Let's talk some more about load selection. Sometimes we walk through the door breathing fire and feeling great. When it comes time to select a load for the WOD we go big. Why not, we need to do things like that to have breakthroughs. It said that in the post yesterday, and if it's on the internet it must be true, right? So we load up and by rep number 3 we realize that maybe we've bitten off more than we should have. So what to do? Pull off the weight and scale down? Maybe. Fight through it with that weight even though it will take a long time? Maybe. Call the coach a bad word and storm out mid-WOD? Maybe, but hopefully not. There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer.

Sometimes the thing to do may be to gut it out. Is the range of motion still good? Is technique acceptable? Are you moving the weight safely? If the answer is yes then go for it. Yes, it's going to be hard. But by now you know that's good, right? 

Here's the other side of the coin? Is range of motion not being met? Is technique breaking down to an unacceptable level? Are you in danger of hurting yourself or someone else? If the answer is yes, then you need to scale it down. Another question is do you feel like you could end up hurt by using this load. It isn't a cop out if you feel something in your gut that tells you "if I continue I'm going to get hurt." Time to scale it back. The last consideration is the time domain of the WOD. If we set up a WOD to be finished in around 10 minutes, and it's going to take you 45 minutes to finish with the heavier load, it may not be the best choice. This is where you consult your coach.

Now let's talk about the safety net. If you make the decision to go heavy but you set up a safety net before the WOD, you're setting yourself up. For example, if you're going to load up the bar with 25# bumps but you bring the tens and fives and stage them next your bar "just in case", you've given yourself a safetyy net. How many of you have decided to swing a heavier KB but brought the next weightdown and had it there "just in case", only to have one of the coaches grab the safety net and put it away? I know it's happened to more than one of you! So here's the reason: that lighter weight will be there, looking all good, whispering in it's sexiest voice to you mid-WOD "pick me up, I'm so much lighter, it will be so much better to use me." Who could resist that dirty talk?! You don't need that distraction, and by having it there it's like you've already comitted to not finishing with the original weight you selected.

There's lots of considerations when deciding something as simple as what weight to use. Think about some of these things next time and talk with your coaches. That's what we're there for!