“Men will die for points.” ~ Greg Glassman

Coach Glassman also said that CrossFit prepares us for life. It prepares us for life by dishing out constantly varied workouts using functional movements and we provide the intensity and then, boom. Life is ever changing, so to create something that can somehow best prepare you for that, is it any wonder that scaling is necessary for everyone from time to time?

I mean consider the range of possibilities anyone can experience in life. Illness, death, birth, love, etc. The possibilities are truly endless and yet this program best prepares you for any and all of them. And we’re not just talking being prepared on the physical level though that is the most obvious, but there is also an emotional and psychological impact too.

Sure, the idea of scaling is a blow to the ego, but we’re not here to make our ego feel good. And how good does it really feel to say you did the workout Rx even though it took you twice the time?  Or how good does it feel to say Rx when you lift a load that you know is too heavy and then can’t put your own shoes on the next day? It certainly isn’t making you more fit.

Don’t be one to die for points. Instead, use your head and remind yourself daily why you’re here. Scale when necessary, not to make the workout easier, but to give the best quality of movement possible at the highest intensity possible for you for the day. Do that with the understanding that every day will be a little different in terms of your abilities and you’ll get the most out of your training and you’ll be best prepared for anything that life throws at you. We have plenty of other avenues in life to satisfy our egos.