Monday 130128- Cheating at CrossFit

7x2 Hang Power Cleans. Go Heavy. Rest 90 seconds between.

3 Rounds for time:
25 Pullups
25 Push Ups
25 Situps
25 Squats

Post results to StrengthDiary!

From time to time, an athlete in the gym will call to my attention "cheating" by another athlete. The suspect did 17 reps instead of 21, completed 4 rounds but wrote down 5, or didn't squat below parallel on a lot of their reps. It's very frustrating to bust your butt and watch someone cut corners and write down a better score. Even though the score we post lasts for just a day, we are all competitive, want to do our best, and expect a level playing field. I'm not talking about someone who scaled a WOD to their ability, or someone with limited mobility who is trying their hardest, I'm talking about deliberately doing less for the purpose of a better score.

Doing the full range of motion is hard. Doing ALL the reps is hard. Watching someone you wouldn't suspect pass you in a WOD but still completing your reps is hard. Leaving your ego at the door and finishing last while doing a workout that challenges you is hard. Getting your chin over the bar on pull up 100 after 99 others is hard. FOLKS, HARD IS WHAT WE DO. CrossFit is a demanding regimen, and for this reason it is effective and delivers amazing results.

If you want easy there are things you can do. You can dance around in your living room and quit when you're tired. You can hire a personal trainer and talk about your weekend while doing three sets of ten. You can "ellipt" while watching TV at the Globogym. You can even show up to CrossFit, cheat reps, rounds, range of motion, etc. Here's the thing about cheating and the easy way though- your fellow athletes and coaches will know and lose respect for you, the glory of your score isn't earned, and the results will not materialize.