Modifying WODs

WOD stands for Workout of the Day. It's a fun acronym used to describe the anti-routine, the daily pain and torture posted on CF's website or delegated at your local CF gym.

Read one description of a WOD and you'll probably laugh until you have tears in your eyes, or slowly back out of the room on your tip-toes.

But stay calm because WODs can be scaled, i.e. made easier, for real people like us!

Enter Brand X, an embedded link on CF's website that provides different versions of the WOD based on their clever scaling. Think dogs, because you're going to be working like one: pack, porch, puppies, and the (non-doggish) buttercups. There's no shame in any of these levels!

It will take a few workouts to find out just how weak, er, strong you are. I find that the puppies workouts fit pretty well, although not always. Sometimes they're waaaay harder than you thought they'd be, or they're a bit easy because, you know, you're not nauseous or dizzy enough afterward.

Anyway, this entry is about allowing yourself to change WODs and even change the Brand X workouts so they fit your abilities. Below is the workout from 9/9/09. I had to modify this a good deal, and in doing so, had the perfect workout.

Wednesday 9/9/09

Four rounds for time of:
100 ft Walking lunge, carrying 30 pound dumbbells
24 inch Box Jump, 30 reps
30 pound Weighted pull-ups, 20 reps

Post time to comments.

Okee! Let's see how we can scale this one down. Below is what Brand X recommends for the porch and the pack.

The Porch:
Four rounds for time of:
100 ft Walking lunge, carrying 20-25 pound dumbbells (Yikes, a bit too heavy maybe. But I'll try it).
24 inch Box Jump, 20 reps (Ok).
20-25 pound Weighted pull-ups, 10 reps (What? No way).

Pack:
Three rounds for time of:
100 ft Walking lunge, carrying 15 pound dumbbells (I don't have 15lb dumbbells).
20 inch Box Jump, 20 reps (Ok).
15 pound Weighted pull-ups, 10 reps or 35 reps no weight (35 reps no weight assisted is doable, BUT because of the rough nature of my pull-up bar, I'll most likely get a blister).

So what's a CrossFit girl to do? Mix and match, and get creative. Just keep it diverse and challenging.

Three rounds for time of:

100 ft Walking lunge, carrying 10 pound dumbbells (I did the first round with 25lbs and quickly substituted the 10lb dumbbells. I'm still hurting.)

20 inch Box Jump, 20 reps (I used the bench I have, which is not 20 inches.)

15 pound Weighted pull-ups, 10 reps or 35 reps no weight (Neither. Instead I did 10 pull- ups, no weight, no assistance. And no blisters!).

I don't think there's anything wrong with adjusting an already adjusted workout, as long as you're not going too easy. If you work out at a home gym you might not have the equipment needed to do every WOD. That's also ok! Recreate movements with a similar exercise. Either way don't compromise your workout for comfort. Keep it diverse and challenging, diverse, and challenging.