SCALING

Scaling gymnastics movements, like pull-ups, in a large group setting can be challenging but manageable with a clear and adaptable plan. To promote long-term athlete development, the key strategies include: varying scaling options to prevent plateaus and maintain engagement, incorporating scaled movements into the warm-up for efficiency, scaling for the intended workout stimulus to maintain intensity, using complexes for progression by adding kipping elements, and ensuring accessibility by planning for safe and efficient transitions. These strategies help maintain athlete motivation and drive consistent progress in their gymnastics skills.

Never stop coaching your athletes. Continuous coaching is the fuel that keeps your athletes going. Remember, the coaching process, though it may seem complex at times, is fundamentally simple, and your confidence in this simplicity will reassure your athletes of their ability to progress.

For coaches, applying scaling and modification options and offering rep and volume options for athletes recovering from an injury is a skill that must be nurtured as they develop and master their craft. 

The art and skill of scaling CrossFit workouts can take a lifetime to master. The following exercise will help coaches at any stage continue to refine their scaling methods and will reference the “Scaling CrossFit Workouts” interview with Jeremy Gordon (CF-L4). This exercise is designed to run for one hour. Coaches will need a pen and paper to complete the exercise.

There’s a saying within the CrossFit community: “Our warm-up is your workout.” While the saying is cute, it’s not our aim. The development and execution of an effective warm-up are as important as the workout itself — for both the athlete and the coach. In the warm-up the coach can assess each of the athletes in the class. The coach can draw on their historic knowledge of each athlete (or lack thereof) as well as get a sense of how each person is feeling and moving today. From that informed perspective, the coach can customize or scale the workout for each individual as needed. Join Nicole Christensen (CF-L4) for a breakdown of how she used the general warm-up written for a group class in early May to assess and modify the workout appropriately for each athlete. On the day in question, the group workout was Individual Quarterfinal Event 3: For time: 120 wall-ball shots 120-cal. row 20-lb. ball to 10-ft. target/14-lb. to 9-ft. target

Nicole Christensen sat down with Jeremy Gordon to discuss his pivotal article "Scaling CrossFit Workouts." In it, he discusses the biggest pitfalls that beginner, intermediate, and advanced coaches encounter when scaling workouts.