5 Shortcuts That Don’t Make Us Better
Listen, we understand. You want to Rx the workouts. You want to kick ‘so and so’s’ butt in the next WOD and find your name above his (or hers) on the Wodify whiteboard. Oh, the satisfaction that will bring. Yes, we can almost here you fist pumping and shouting from here. While the leaderboards is fun and much of CrossFit’s success can be linked to the friendly competition it generates, there are just some things that aren’t worth doing. At the end of the day, this is about being happier and healthier, right? If you cut a few corners here and there, ultimately the only person that suffers is you. Right?
Frank Bodnar says it best in his article titled “5 Shortcuts That Don’t Make Us Better.”
One of the biggest temptations in CrossFit is to compare ourselves to those around us and do everything possible to give the impression that we are elite. Taking shortcuts — whether on a trip or at a job — always seems enticing, but can we really get ahead by doing less? The risk vs. reward may be tough to sort out in some circumstances; however, shortcuts rarely lead to progress. I want to encourage you to avoid the temptation to take shortcuts and instead commit to doing it right and getting better.
Here are 5 shortcuts that will hinder your progress:
1. Skipping Reps and Half Squatting:
You skipped 5 out 20 burpees per round or performed less than excellent air squats and ended up beating that person you’ve been chasing everyday. You’re sitting pretty on the whiteboard (and trust me I hate to be a Debby Downer), but at the end of the day you’re only cheating yourself. I will never count people’s reps, but as a coach I know where people are at with their fitness level. If someone is shaving reps, or half squatting, or cheating creatively on anything, it sticks out like a sore thumb. I don’t always have time to address it immediately, nor do I want to baby sit adults during workouts. But trust me when I say it will eventually become obvious to those around you. Whether it’s during the CrossFit Open or a competition elsewhere, you will most likely be held accountable at some point. Take some pride in what you do and be accountable to yourself first and also strive to be an example to others. Be less about you and more about your community.
2. Max Out Everyday:
Rather than putting in the time and patiently working on technique and mobility, you keep showing up and trying to max out on all your lifts. While you may pass some people early on, your gains will suffer when you keep catching weight on your toes and lack the form and mobility to keep adding more weight. Not to mention you will also put yourself at risk for injury. Maxing out is cool, but there is a time and a place to do it. Trust the coaching and programming and be humble enough to take weight off the bar and master the fundamentals first in order to set yourself up for more success in the future. I know you’ve watched YouTube videos of Klokov, Jon North, and Kendrick Farris. Those guys have decades of experience at an elite level. You don’t. They also spent years on just the fundamentals from an early age. You haven’t.