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When scaling a workout, we are predominantly faced with two options: lowering the volume and/or lowering the skill level/weight.
For example, let’s look at a recently programmed hero workout, “Jason.”
For Time:
100 Air Squats
5 Ring Muscle Ups
75 Air Squats
10 Ring Muscle Ups
50 Air Squats
15 Ring Muscle Ups
25 Air Squats
20 Ring Muscle Ups
25:00 Cap
For the majority of athletes at your gym, scaling the Ring Muscle Ups is non-negotiable. It is a hard, high skill movement that requires a lot of upper body strength. And there are 50 RMU prescribed in this workout with less and less rest in between bigger and bigger sets. Shewww!
I am going to use myself as an example.
I have never done this workout before and Ring Muscle Ups are a newer skill for me. On a good day I can string 3-4 in a row.
There are a few routes I could take:
Option 1: Do less RMU. Depending on how my warm up feels, I could do 3-6-9-12 rep scheme (30 total) or 2-4-6-8 rep scheme (20 total). I am leaning towards the latter since it is my first time doing this WOD (and it looks like a trap).
Option 2: Do slightly less volume and do Bar Muscle Ups. This will still be challenging for me. Even though I am way more proficient at BMU, 50 reps with less time for my arms to recover on the bigger sets is daunting. So, I'm thinking 4-8-12-16 rep scheme would be a good route.
Option 3: Keep the volume and do Chest to Bar Pull Ups. This is still not easy but definitely the “safest” route of the three and will keep me moving and well within the time domain.
None of these options are bad options.
However, I think that too often we choose to lower the skill or lower the weight in order to keep the written volume/reps.
Sometimes you have no choice because you simply don't have the skill or strength to do what is prescribed.
But what if you do have a higher skill or heavier load in your toolbox?
As a seasoned coach who has been doing this awhile, I tend to see beginner and intermediate athletes opt for more volume because they believe (perhaps subconsciously) that if they don’t do the prescribed number of reps, then they didn’t work hard enough.
I am here to tell you that is NOT TRUE.
In order to make progress, you need to get out of your safe zone and go into uncharted territory.
If you want to get better at something, you have to actually apply it. And you can’t be afraid of it going to shit or getting time capped.
If you are someone who regularly scales the weight because: “I don’t think I can do that many power cleans at 95lbs,” I encourage you to keep the load next time and do less reps. Practice using that heavier weight.
If you are someone who can do a few push ups but “I know they will run out quickly,” I encourage you to honor the full push up next time and do less reps. Practice doing that harder skill.
Not only are you going to build strength, but you will build CONFIDENCE. And the next time you see that weight or movement, you can build off of what you did before.
For “Jason,” I will likely do Option 1. It might go well, it might not. But that’s ok. Because making progress sometimes means venturing beyond what you know you can already do.
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