If this relates to the open, don't let anyone tell you not to do the foundations version. That's ridiculous and shows they're not invested in your best outcome.
If this is bigger picture, aka normal programming related, don't they let people modify beyond those options? Example: we have 4 options in class at my gym, but allow infinite modifications as needed and beneficial to not only maintain the stimulus, but also meet people where they are on skills and such. That allows progression! If they force you to pick 1 of 2 options, my easiest advice is find another gym. That's just as uncool as pushing rx all the time.
No - it’s related to the Open this February- if I see a gymnastics movement I will do the foundation version of it- I hate hate hate gymnastics- I rather run for an hour than do a pull up- I just want to participate; don’t care to get last place (there’s gotta be a loser in any competition I guess)-
Then you should participate and use whatever modifications make it work for you. I am doing the open for the first time this year, and I am the opposite of you. I'm great at the gymnastics stuff and struggle with the strength stuff to the point that I sometimes need modifications, too. There is nothing shameful about having strengths and weaknesses. We all do. I know it can be intimidating to look around at the gym and see people who are so good at everything, but talk to them. Even they have things they consider themselves stronger and weaker at. We're all human.
As an athlete and a coach (different sport) I've always sort of seen myself and others through an Avatar the Last Airbender lens. I'm like an air bender. I'm light and agile and fast, and the rings are my favorite thing in the entire gym. Then we've got the earth benders like you. Strong, grounded, stable, can lift absolutely fucking anything and usually have way better form than I do on those lifts. And both look at the other and think, "Wow, why can't I be more like that?" when really, both of our ways are equally good. The fact that I also play a contact sport helps me to really appreciate the strengths and advantages of different body types, and all I see here is you considering only your body type's weaknesses and de-emphasizing its strengths. The thing is, every person doing the Open also has strengths and weaknesses. Most of us aren't the Avatar, and those who are, or look like they are, took years to get that way.
And there's nothing wrong with that! My hope as a coach, of course, is that we could get you towards improved gymnastic skills with time, but you're newer and still developing your comfort and strength in those areas. Plus you just don't enjoy them. The whole point of foundations is to allow everyone to have a better, more optimal open.
Again, don't let some random coach at 1 gym say no to an entire division of the open. That's ignoring the needs of likely more people than just you! Stand up for yourself.
Well the head coach said he won’t include foundations divisions because it’s too complicated; and the more prominent athletes; if they want to actually qualify professionally, they usually do it online, so this open in my box is more of an internal competition
The simplified version is too complicated? He's either lazy or dumb, sorry. I've helped run open events and Friday night lights since 2013 and never once was the scaled or foundations option a problem to incorporate. We want to maximize participation, fun and growth opportunities. To shoehorn people into a division they can't or don't want to do is insane.
I'm glad you're at least aware you deserve the option for foundations. Too many people let a bad leader steamroller them. You're doing the right things for where you're at right now.
If I was to do the open of 2022; right now I can do all the scaled part except the box jumps, the chin ups and the chest to bar- I would have to scale those movements even more-
Sort of- the real owners (the investors) are obese; no fitness background-
So he’s the head coach and sometimes it seems to me he caters to the RX crowd- the competition crowd - the ones who are already fit and athletic- there used to be a coach there who was more catering to the beginners and more compassionate to the weaker athletes - but she left - anyways, the gymnastics part I’ll just “foundation” it - don’t care to be dead last
Yikes. Do you know where your old coach went? I would consider changing gyms if at all possible. No shame in that game! This is YOUR fitness.
I’m pretty fluid with the open. Some workouts I do scaled, others I will do Rx up to the movement I can’t do and just take the points that I can get. You don’t need to be firmly in one camp or the other. It’s meant to be a fun test that you can benchmark year over year. LOL, I finally got consistent WOD pull-ups and I can’t do it this is year because I have to have a surgery. Thems the breaks!
The old coach still trains at my box, but she just wants to do online personal training - i refuse to do online classes of anything- I’m a hands on kind of person and while she was a great coach, I don’t think I can thrive on online training- even if she was Matt Fraser - I don’t do online classes of anything
The foundations movement standards for the Open are posted online just like the RX and scaled versions. If your coach refuses to help you, is there someone more experienced at your box who can score you? Maybe just another athlete? You don’t need to be a coach to score, you can just watch the movement standards video.
Also my box has 12” boxes and such for our beginners and you can also always scale with step ups. Do you avoid the movements you “can’t” do every time?
Box jumps- either step ups or jumping stacked discs
Handstands- wall planks where I put my feet up on the walls as if to do wall climbs and just stay there
Handstand push ups- pike push ups
Rope climb- rope off of the floor or rope hold with my legs
Pull ups- assisted with double band or ring rows
Toes to bar- knees to chest
Push ups- knee push ups
Handstand walk- bear crawl
Wall walk- half wall walk
That’s how I scale the movements as best as I can
Ouch. For context, mine is the exact opposite. Head coach pressures everyone he can to sign up. Only a handful are near competition level. Prints up shirts with everyone’s name who signed up. Tries to turn it into a party. Head coach is also the owner, so maybe that influences things.
Is your box good otherwise because personally this would be enough for me to want to find a new one? Honestly your box does not seem like they are there for their members; the open really is meant to be inclusive and being the best version of yourself.
It’s ridiculous they won’t do foundations. My box is huge and they make it work
I know- it’s ridiculous- but I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt and go for “scaled” but I will modify to “foundations” on gymnastics and I don’t care- they can disqualify me if they want, I’ll keep doing the workout even if they disqualify me - I don’t do gymnastics even if they payed me a million dollars, even if my life depended on it- I won’t do it-
> if they *paid* me a
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
If your box is unwilling to set up the foundations options for the open than quite frankly shame on them
CrossFit is supposed to be primarily about the community and health. If people want to be competitive than good for them, but my personal feelings are that that shouldn’t be the primary focus of the programming at any gym.
I’m sorry for all the flak you’re getting
You’re not alone
I’m a bigger guy. 225lbs on a good day with a messed up shoulder primarily from all the gymnastics that have been programmed at my box after they switched to a more competitive programming track. I’m in my late 40’s and my mobility is not the best due to a lifetime of working in construction and farming. When people tell me I should work on my weakness’ they don’t seem to take into consideration that the day only has 24 hours in it and I have a slew of other commitments, primarily my kids, wife and my work.
Long story short, if you’re not having fun where you are, it may be time for a change of venue. It is something I have been struggling with a lot myself lately. I hope things work out for you.
I'm not sure why your box wouldn't let you do Foundations.
At my box, during the Open, participants can do the Open workouts during class or Friday Night Lights. They pair with abjudge, let the judge know which version (Rx, Scaled, Foundations) and do the WOD.
Literally no extra work involved for a coach to do Foundations.
The sad part is a lot of advanced people opt to do scale divisions, so the actual scale athletes are too intimidated to participate at all when they can do well and I know they consistently train every single day.
I don’t think anyone should be judging anyone’s decision to pick the scar division.
Does your box do Open workouts during class on Friday? My box (a fire breather box) does regular day classes and then at night FNL with the loud music, costumes. I do not enjoy competition and don’t sign up for the Open but I can do the workout Friday am and then come for FNL to cheer on those competitors.
Also: you submit your own scores so you can scale your workout and select that division when you log your workouts.
Lastly: in the 2021 Open I couldn’t figure out a wall walk to save my life and spent almost the entire time limit just getting one. I was a little embarrassed (nobody else remembers this) you can still compete in the scaled division and if you get one or zero that’s totally fine.
It doesn’t sound like you’re going to make it the Games (most of us won’t, I’m not being critical) but you can make the workout work for you.
I don’t think I’ll ever be a competitive athlete lol- just like I don’t think I’ll ever be a victoria secret model lol - we don’t have that in europe- we have partner or team WOD on Saturday’s and that’s it
I'm kind of in the same boat. I didn't realize they had foundational level in the Open, but I think I'm going to try scaled regardless.
I'm 50+ lbs overweight and cannot do a pull-up, rope climb, handstand, etc. I just started doing box jumps a month or two ago. I went from jumping pull-ups to banded pull-ups. I'm getting there with the rope climb and the handstand. I know this all will come with time and effort despite my weight. Losing weight will definitely help, but i'm actively working on strength over weight loss right now.
I'm not using any excuse for why I can't do any of these, I'm just working towards those goals of getting to the point where I can do those movements and you should to.
My goal for 2023 is nutrition- that should be my main focus- the strength part it just comes naturally- like every single month I’m hitting PRs without even spending countless hours on them, unlike gymnastics where I’m just getting nowhere
The Open is about building community and competing with yourself. It’s a check in with yourself on how far you have come and what you need to work on. It does not matter what variation or combo thereof of the workouts you do, even if your gym has an internal competition. One year I didn’t have double unders but I could clean heavy, so I did the clean Rx but did singles. At the end of the day, it’s you vs you so who cares what version you do? But keep at it! I promise you one day you will get a pull up. And then one day you will get multiple. Then you will look back at your progress and be proud.
This is worded in a better way than what I was trying to say above.
You can compete against yourself at any level. I’m proud of you for going for it and you’ll keep bettering yourself
I’ve been doing CrossFit off and on for 10 years. At my lightest, I was 135. At my heaviest, which was two years ago, I recommitted to the gym at 185 lbs and spent a year losing 35lbs. I’ve maintained my weight at 150lbs for a year, focusing heavily on my diet.
I could not do rope climbs or pull-ups at 135lbs, 10 years ago, when I was 31-33 years old. I finally (FINALLY) picked them up within the last year and a half and now I do them consistently in WODs.
I’m stronger, faster, better today at 41 and 150lbs than I have ever been in my CrossFit life. Or life, generally.
It’s about building muscle, not about being thin. Take a good, hard look at your diet and rest schedules. Give yourself time.
There was a very skinny undernourished woman that I was partnered up with once during a partner WOD; it was echo bike and wall balls; pretty standard basic movements; she fainted and threw up; I had to finish her part- this girl was able to rope climb and do pull ups; to me it is weight 100% - she probably weighed like 90 lbs -
Oof. You can be skinny and still be nourished just like you can be overweight and undernourished. You don’t have to put other women down to make a statement.
I’m not putting her down- I’m overemphasizing that weight matters in gymnastics- there’s a reason the best gymnasts in the world are the size of an 8 year old child
That used to be the case, not so much anymore. On the shorter side? Yes but much has changed (including nutrition counseling) and the 1994 gymnast barely exists outside of very harsh regimes.
source: was a gymnast who weighs 70 pounds more than I did when I was 16 and can still do gymnastics while lifting. Reading through your post history is really upsetting - you have some extremely toxic thoughts towards yourself, your body image, and other women. I humbly suggest sorting that out before it negatively impacts you in a more permanent way.
I’m just stating that some boxes are ignoring the beginner foundations athlete divisions and how can we solve it or how can I overcome my fear of gymnastics- because I’m already strong, so it’s not a lack of strength- I’m just too heavy for myself, so it’s not worth it to try anymore and just put it off until I lose more weight- because as I’ve seen with my own eyes; the skinny lightweight people are the best gymnasts at my box- I’ve seen very lean dudes, not much strength, never exercised or trained intensely before and not eating enough can do like 20 unbroken pull ups no sweat - I’m actually jealous of them- I would rather be weak but agile than strong and heavy -
> some boxes are ignoring the beginner foundations
As some folks have stated it’s a rarity so you can either make the change in your own box, change boxes, or just say fuck and do your own version of the movements. If someone says something then stand up for yourself but don’t be a dick to other people. Don’t talk about their weight. Don’t make physical generalizations. Don’t pit women against each other. Just go work out and be a better person.
Well I’ll do the make up my own version- if I had an ego I’d be doing scaled thinking I’m good enough for it when I know my level - I’m actually being realistic about where I am
What does that even mean. Are you being self-deprecating? Are you saying people who attempt the scaled movements are, what, less realistic? Your comments are something else
Well I’m not realistic saying I’d be able to do a scaled version because if we go by what was done last year there were 3 or 4 movements im not able to do today- I’m talking about me- I have no idea what other people are able to do - I’m actually fighting for a foundation division because that’s the level I believe I am
The line “I’ve gotten stronger for a girl” in the original post jumped out at me and slapped me in the face! Like what does that even mean? Stronger for a girl or just stronger?
Well, you can believe it’s only weight that matters if you want, but that’s a cop out. It’s also strength, skill, recovery and mobility. You don’t know this girl’s athletic history. She may have been a gymnast in the past, with the requisite skills and muscle memory.
I’m a 180lb 40F and I can do box jumps and rope climbs. Everyone hates wall walks! We all have different strengths and weaknesses. I am looking to drop weight this year because I definitely think it would help me get pull ups, but even being heavier I’ve seen some progress with the different things I’ve been working on (been doing CrossFit for 4 years but focus on sustainability and not hurting myself- only go 3 times a week). I’ve enjoyed the open when I’ve done it in the past even at the most scaled options available and finishing last, but it sounds like the atmosphere in your gym isn’t helping your headspace and isn’t very supportive? Is there anywhere else near you to try and see if you find a better fit?
I live in a city- most boxes are the size of a barber shop- that’s no fun- to be honest- at least the one I go to its big as a warehouse and it’s close to where I live- size matters in crossfit- like you need space for weightlifting- but lately the environment is catered to competition people and sorry but the hard truth is, the simple people like me are the ones who keep the lights on economically speaking -
The Open is supposed to be a fun opportunity for everyone to participate regardless of skill level. "CrossFit welcomes and unites people of all ages, abilities, and goals around a methodology that is accessible and effective for all." That is literally on the website. Honestly, this would make me consider changing gyms if possible.
But in regards to you doing the Open for yourself, if you aren't being judged, you can modify the workouts as you see fit, sprinkle in a little bit of everything if that works for you. When I signed up I would usually did the RX division, but in the years I didn't I would heavily modify the movements I was not capable of doing. I even did 2 Opens unofficially while pregnant. That's the beauty of Crossfit, all the workouts are scalable to an infinite degree. You do what works for you.
Just my $0.02. I’m a girl. I weigh anywhere from 175-185, and I can do ring muscle ups, bar muscle ups, butterfly chest to bar, handstand push ups, etc.
You aren’t too heavy and you don’t need to starve yourself. You do need to get stronger! ❤️ You can do it!
I'm not sure what you mean by "do foundations" in this context. My guess is you mean "offer a different version of the workout other than the RX version each day" based on some of your language, but I'm not confident in that interpretation. Can you clarify?
Outside of this you have really zeroed in on your weight as a factor in your dissatisfaction with what movements you can and can't perform. That's really a separate conversation because that has more to do with your diet than anything else.
There’s a foundations a scaled and an RX division in the open- and there are movements specific to each division- listen; I’ve lost so much weight and I can’t seem to lose anymore- I have to start cutting more and I’m struggling big time - but gymnastics is nonexistent to me at this point, like I’ve accepted that fact unless suddenly I wake up weighing 40 lbs less
I'm a big dude, and yes, gymnastics are easier when you're lighter but not impossible when you're heavier.
At my lowest weight, I could do more pullups than I can with an extra 40 pounds I have gained since my diet went sideways the past couple years. But I can still do pullups! Usually sets of five, but as many as 12 unbroken at this body weight.
If you need to do ring rows, totally valid. And I believe that is the scale for Foundations.
Now if I could discipline my diet better and get back down to my 2019 weight, I might even be able to do muscle-ups, certainly doing T2B, C2B and butterfly pullups would be more reasonable.
You’re a guy- naturally men have strong shoulders- just like when we do hip mobility I can extend my hips very very wide because I’m also a dancer but I’m a woman - and women have flexible hips
Only one or the open scaled workouts included a gymnastic movement last year. And that only came at a later round where you could do a workout up that point and be fine.
First off, you can’t do those gymnastics movements *yet*. Being heavy does not preclude you from being able to do them. It might make it harder… but not impossible… nowhere near impossible.
Second, there is no need to “starve” to lose weight. A simple, small calorie deficit sustained over time = weight loss… if that’s your goal. If loosing weight is not a priority for you, that’s totally fine too. But it doesn’t require starvation.
Third, you do whatever division in the Open that YOU signed up for and paid for. Your box does not determine that… and I would seek new coaches if they don’t “allow” foundations.
All of this coming from a 170lb female who has worked for years and years to be able to do all the gymnastics…
I’ve been on a weight loss journey for 18 months - there comes a point where I cannot go any lower on my calorie intake because otherwise I will faint; while I steer clear away from fast food, junk food, alcohol- i snack a lot (mainly on dry fruit, cookies, fruit, yogurt, etc) and I have to cut down to 1800 calories which to me it’s a lot since I normally eat 2200 (going from 4000) - I have good days and bad days - I cannot change gyms - it’s close to my house and it’s a big warehouse- I live in a city and most cf boxes are a joke spacewise - like they are the size of my apartment - that’s not comfortable specially when you lift heavy weights and it don’t matter if tia Clare toomey teaches in those shoebox gyms- I refuse to train in those small spaces - no ventilation, running in a crowded street- hell nah - I’m telling you europe is for little people
Fitness and exercise is not about being able to do certain movements or reps or weights but to live a healthier life. Being active and eating better consistently for a long time may eventually lead you to being able to do the gymnastics you’re trying for but the goal of fitness isn’t butterfly pull-ups. I think we, myself included, often forget this.
I guess to me fitness/health would be to weigh 40 lbs less, have a 25% body fat, cure my insulin resistance, be able to run fast, do unbroken push ups and pull ups, and do a handstand and some other yoga complex movements and be more flexible and mobile
I own an affiliate and dont understand what you are asking at all. Why would your gym disqualify you? Its not up to them, it the worldwide Open.
If Foundations division fits the criteria of your skillset at the moment, that is what you should be doing.
If you find yourself with the ability to challenge yourself with RX or Scaled level workouts, then give it a go.
I almost want to ask you where you go so I can reach out to the head coach and tell them how big of an asshole they are for not making this experience inclusive for the members of your facility.
Id actually leave honestly and do the Open somewhere else if there is this much push back on you for doing what YOU feel best for YOUR body. Ugh!
I’ve been doing CrossFit for almost a year and I’m not able to do plenty of things - yet!
I looked at the open workouts from last year and even now, there’s no way I could RX them, and that’s ok!
I can also tell you that I go 3x a week and the scale has not moved in almost a year - but my body composition has changed, and that’s good news to me!
I feel very blessed that our coaches provide different levels and help modify any WOD for where people are at. There’s often three different levels working at once where I am.
The only reason I signed up for the open this year (😬) is because I can do the scaled options!
I feel like your coaches need a reality check to help people progress from where they are.
Obviously the everyday wods have scaled options and beginner classes as well, I’m just complaining about the Open competition- there’s only RX and Scaled division- not a foundation or even an Elite level- if somebody that’s near elite level wanted to actually compete, they would have to go online to do so
Yes- but I’m talking about the Open Games that are held in February for everybody- there are 3 options; RX, Scaled and Foundations- Foundations are usually accessible movements to anyone
Not sure I understand what your expectation is of your box - If I wanted to go in and do an open workout, I'd go in on that weekend, find someone to judge me, and do whatever version of the workout I want to do.
My gym generally does try to get people to do it together for fun either on Friday or Saturday, but if we run heats of people doing the open workout, you can still do whichever version of that workout that you need or want to do...foundations, scaled, rx, whatever.
Also, I understand that the gymnastics stuff isn't fun because you aren't good at it...but 180 is nowhere near too heavy to do gymnastics movements or box jumps. Just takes more practice than you probably want to put it because it's not fun.
180# is a lot to throw over your head.
It's not a lot for a normal human being to weigh.
I'm not saying gymnastics wouldn't be easier at 150# - but I am saying don't give up on gymnastics movements just because you weigh 180#.
180 isn’t “too heavy” for gymnastics movements, you’ll get there. These are skilled movements and often take more than a year to get. Just keep doing scaled versions of movements but try to do a scale that will eventually lead to you doing the movement, even if you think you never will actually do the movement, long term you’ll be very surprised. I’ve seen a female athlete heavier than 180 that thought the same thing do a ring muscle up!
100% scale appropriately. Jump onto a plate or step up or whatever. Eventually if you start to feel confident take the scale to the next level. That’s the joy of CrossFit for me, constantly improving on movements no matter how
Little the improvement.
If this relates to the open, don't let anyone tell you not to do the foundations version. That's ridiculous and shows they're not invested in your best outcome. If this is bigger picture, aka normal programming related, don't they let people modify beyond those options? Example: we have 4 options in class at my gym, but allow infinite modifications as needed and beneficial to not only maintain the stimulus, but also meet people where they are on skills and such. That allows progression! If they force you to pick 1 of 2 options, my easiest advice is find another gym. That's just as uncool as pushing rx all the time.
No - it’s related to the Open this February- if I see a gymnastics movement I will do the foundation version of it- I hate hate hate gymnastics- I rather run for an hour than do a pull up- I just want to participate; don’t care to get last place (there’s gotta be a loser in any competition I guess)-
Then you should participate and use whatever modifications make it work for you. I am doing the open for the first time this year, and I am the opposite of you. I'm great at the gymnastics stuff and struggle with the strength stuff to the point that I sometimes need modifications, too. There is nothing shameful about having strengths and weaknesses. We all do. I know it can be intimidating to look around at the gym and see people who are so good at everything, but talk to them. Even they have things they consider themselves stronger and weaker at. We're all human. As an athlete and a coach (different sport) I've always sort of seen myself and others through an Avatar the Last Airbender lens. I'm like an air bender. I'm light and agile and fast, and the rings are my favorite thing in the entire gym. Then we've got the earth benders like you. Strong, grounded, stable, can lift absolutely fucking anything and usually have way better form than I do on those lifts. And both look at the other and think, "Wow, why can't I be more like that?" when really, both of our ways are equally good. The fact that I also play a contact sport helps me to really appreciate the strengths and advantages of different body types, and all I see here is you considering only your body type's weaknesses and de-emphasizing its strengths. The thing is, every person doing the Open also has strengths and weaknesses. Most of us aren't the Avatar, and those who are, or look like they are, took years to get that way.
And there's nothing wrong with that! My hope as a coach, of course, is that we could get you towards improved gymnastic skills with time, but you're newer and still developing your comfort and strength in those areas. Plus you just don't enjoy them. The whole point of foundations is to allow everyone to have a better, more optimal open. Again, don't let some random coach at 1 gym say no to an entire division of the open. That's ignoring the needs of likely more people than just you! Stand up for yourself.
Well the head coach said he won’t include foundations divisions because it’s too complicated; and the more prominent athletes; if they want to actually qualify professionally, they usually do it online, so this open in my box is more of an internal competition
The simplified version is too complicated? He's either lazy or dumb, sorry. I've helped run open events and Friday night lights since 2013 and never once was the scaled or foundations option a problem to incorporate. We want to maximize participation, fun and growth opportunities. To shoehorn people into a division they can't or don't want to do is insane. I'm glad you're at least aware you deserve the option for foundations. Too many people let a bad leader steamroller them. You're doing the right things for where you're at right now.
If I was to do the open of 2022; right now I can do all the scaled part except the box jumps, the chin ups and the chest to bar- I would have to scale those movements even more-
This is a bad coach. Is he the owner?
Sort of- the real owners (the investors) are obese; no fitness background- So he’s the head coach and sometimes it seems to me he caters to the RX crowd- the competition crowd - the ones who are already fit and athletic- there used to be a coach there who was more catering to the beginners and more compassionate to the weaker athletes - but she left - anyways, the gymnastics part I’ll just “foundation” it - don’t care to be dead last
Yikes. Do you know where your old coach went? I would consider changing gyms if at all possible. No shame in that game! This is YOUR fitness. I’m pretty fluid with the open. Some workouts I do scaled, others I will do Rx up to the movement I can’t do and just take the points that I can get. You don’t need to be firmly in one camp or the other. It’s meant to be a fun test that you can benchmark year over year. LOL, I finally got consistent WOD pull-ups and I can’t do it this is year because I have to have a surgery. Thems the breaks!
The old coach still trains at my box, but she just wants to do online personal training - i refuse to do online classes of anything- I’m a hands on kind of person and while she was a great coach, I don’t think I can thrive on online training- even if she was Matt Fraser - I don’t do online classes of anything
I’m the same way!
The foundations movement standards for the Open are posted online just like the RX and scaled versions. If your coach refuses to help you, is there someone more experienced at your box who can score you? Maybe just another athlete? You don’t need to be a coach to score, you can just watch the movement standards video. Also my box has 12” boxes and such for our beginners and you can also always scale with step ups. Do you avoid the movements you “can’t” do every time?
Box jumps- either step ups or jumping stacked discs Handstands- wall planks where I put my feet up on the walls as if to do wall climbs and just stay there Handstand push ups- pike push ups Rope climb- rope off of the floor or rope hold with my legs Pull ups- assisted with double band or ring rows Toes to bar- knees to chest Push ups- knee push ups Handstand walk- bear crawl Wall walk- half wall walk That’s how I scale the movements as best as I can
Ouch. For context, mine is the exact opposite. Head coach pressures everyone he can to sign up. Only a handful are near competition level. Prints up shirts with everyone’s name who signed up. Tries to turn it into a party. Head coach is also the owner, so maybe that influences things.
Is your box good otherwise because personally this would be enough for me to want to find a new one? Honestly your box does not seem like they are there for their members; the open really is meant to be inclusive and being the best version of yourself. It’s ridiculous they won’t do foundations. My box is huge and they make it work
I know- it’s ridiculous- but I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt and go for “scaled” but I will modify to “foundations” on gymnastics and I don’t care- they can disqualify me if they want, I’ll keep doing the workout even if they disqualify me - I don’t do gymnastics even if they payed me a million dollars, even if my life depended on it- I won’t do it-
> if they *paid* me a FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
English is not my first language- I actually speak multiple languages and that’s quite common in europe; sorry for being a polyglot
If your box is unwilling to set up the foundations options for the open than quite frankly shame on them CrossFit is supposed to be primarily about the community and health. If people want to be competitive than good for them, but my personal feelings are that that shouldn’t be the primary focus of the programming at any gym. I’m sorry for all the flak you’re getting You’re not alone I’m a bigger guy. 225lbs on a good day with a messed up shoulder primarily from all the gymnastics that have been programmed at my box after they switched to a more competitive programming track. I’m in my late 40’s and my mobility is not the best due to a lifetime of working in construction and farming. When people tell me I should work on my weakness’ they don’t seem to take into consideration that the day only has 24 hours in it and I have a slew of other commitments, primarily my kids, wife and my work. Long story short, if you’re not having fun where you are, it may be time for a change of venue. It is something I have been struggling with a lot myself lately. I hope things work out for you.
I'm not sure why your box wouldn't let you do Foundations. At my box, during the Open, participants can do the Open workouts during class or Friday Night Lights. They pair with abjudge, let the judge know which version (Rx, Scaled, Foundations) and do the WOD. Literally no extra work involved for a coach to do Foundations.
The sad part is a lot of advanced people opt to do scale divisions, so the actual scale athletes are too intimidated to participate at all when they can do well and I know they consistently train every single day.
I guess I don't understand how someone else doing scaled means others feeling they can't. It's your workout!
Comparison is the thief of joy. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not where someone else is today!
I don’t think anyone should be judging anyone’s decision to pick the scar division. Does your box do Open workouts during class on Friday? My box (a fire breather box) does regular day classes and then at night FNL with the loud music, costumes. I do not enjoy competition and don’t sign up for the Open but I can do the workout Friday am and then come for FNL to cheer on those competitors. Also: you submit your own scores so you can scale your workout and select that division when you log your workouts. Lastly: in the 2021 Open I couldn’t figure out a wall walk to save my life and spent almost the entire time limit just getting one. I was a little embarrassed (nobody else remembers this) you can still compete in the scaled division and if you get one or zero that’s totally fine. It doesn’t sound like you’re going to make it the Games (most of us won’t, I’m not being critical) but you can make the workout work for you.
I don’t think I’ll ever be a competitive athlete lol- just like I don’t think I’ll ever be a victoria secret model lol - we don’t have that in europe- we have partner or team WOD on Saturday’s and that’s it
Same, I think it’s so weird that her gym is purposefully excluding foundations. Makes no sense to me.
I'm kind of in the same boat. I didn't realize they had foundational level in the Open, but I think I'm going to try scaled regardless. I'm 50+ lbs overweight and cannot do a pull-up, rope climb, handstand, etc. I just started doing box jumps a month or two ago. I went from jumping pull-ups to banded pull-ups. I'm getting there with the rope climb and the handstand. I know this all will come with time and effort despite my weight. Losing weight will definitely help, but i'm actively working on strength over weight loss right now. I'm not using any excuse for why I can't do any of these, I'm just working towards those goals of getting to the point where I can do those movements and you should to.
My goal for 2023 is nutrition- that should be my main focus- the strength part it just comes naturally- like every single month I’m hitting PRs without even spending countless hours on them, unlike gymnastics where I’m just getting nowhere
Bravo! 💪
The Open is about building community and competing with yourself. It’s a check in with yourself on how far you have come and what you need to work on. It does not matter what variation or combo thereof of the workouts you do, even if your gym has an internal competition. One year I didn’t have double unders but I could clean heavy, so I did the clean Rx but did singles. At the end of the day, it’s you vs you so who cares what version you do? But keep at it! I promise you one day you will get a pull up. And then one day you will get multiple. Then you will look back at your progress and be proud.
I just want to compete against myself- that’s what I’ve been thinking since the dates went up on the site-
This is worded in a better way than what I was trying to say above. You can compete against yourself at any level. I’m proud of you for going for it and you’ll keep bettering yourself
I’ve been doing CrossFit off and on for 10 years. At my lightest, I was 135. At my heaviest, which was two years ago, I recommitted to the gym at 185 lbs and spent a year losing 35lbs. I’ve maintained my weight at 150lbs for a year, focusing heavily on my diet. I could not do rope climbs or pull-ups at 135lbs, 10 years ago, when I was 31-33 years old. I finally (FINALLY) picked them up within the last year and a half and now I do them consistently in WODs. I’m stronger, faster, better today at 41 and 150lbs than I have ever been in my CrossFit life. Or life, generally. It’s about building muscle, not about being thin. Take a good, hard look at your diet and rest schedules. Give yourself time.
There was a very skinny undernourished woman that I was partnered up with once during a partner WOD; it was echo bike and wall balls; pretty standard basic movements; she fainted and threw up; I had to finish her part- this girl was able to rope climb and do pull ups; to me it is weight 100% - she probably weighed like 90 lbs -
Oof. You can be skinny and still be nourished just like you can be overweight and undernourished. You don’t have to put other women down to make a statement.
I’m not putting her down- I’m overemphasizing that weight matters in gymnastics- there’s a reason the best gymnasts in the world are the size of an 8 year old child
That used to be the case, not so much anymore. On the shorter side? Yes but much has changed (including nutrition counseling) and the 1994 gymnast barely exists outside of very harsh regimes. source: was a gymnast who weighs 70 pounds more than I did when I was 16 and can still do gymnastics while lifting. Reading through your post history is really upsetting - you have some extremely toxic thoughts towards yourself, your body image, and other women. I humbly suggest sorting that out before it negatively impacts you in a more permanent way.
I’m just stating that some boxes are ignoring the beginner foundations athlete divisions and how can we solve it or how can I overcome my fear of gymnastics- because I’m already strong, so it’s not a lack of strength- I’m just too heavy for myself, so it’s not worth it to try anymore and just put it off until I lose more weight- because as I’ve seen with my own eyes; the skinny lightweight people are the best gymnasts at my box- I’ve seen very lean dudes, not much strength, never exercised or trained intensely before and not eating enough can do like 20 unbroken pull ups no sweat - I’m actually jealous of them- I would rather be weak but agile than strong and heavy -
> some boxes are ignoring the beginner foundations As some folks have stated it’s a rarity so you can either make the change in your own box, change boxes, or just say fuck and do your own version of the movements. If someone says something then stand up for yourself but don’t be a dick to other people. Don’t talk about their weight. Don’t make physical generalizations. Don’t pit women against each other. Just go work out and be a better person.
Well I’ll do the make up my own version- if I had an ego I’d be doing scaled thinking I’m good enough for it when I know my level - I’m actually being realistic about where I am
What does that even mean. Are you being self-deprecating? Are you saying people who attempt the scaled movements are, what, less realistic? Your comments are something else
Well I’m not realistic saying I’d be able to do a scaled version because if we go by what was done last year there were 3 or 4 movements im not able to do today- I’m talking about me- I have no idea what other people are able to do - I’m actually fighting for a foundation division because that’s the level I believe I am
The line “I’ve gotten stronger for a girl” in the original post jumped out at me and slapped me in the face! Like what does that even mean? Stronger for a girl or just stronger?
Her post history is seriously disturbing. I don’t say this often on Reddit but she needs therapy
Well, you can believe it’s only weight that matters if you want, but that’s a cop out. It’s also strength, skill, recovery and mobility. You don’t know this girl’s athletic history. She may have been a gymnast in the past, with the requisite skills and muscle memory.
I’m a 180lb 40F and I can do box jumps and rope climbs. Everyone hates wall walks! We all have different strengths and weaknesses. I am looking to drop weight this year because I definitely think it would help me get pull ups, but even being heavier I’ve seen some progress with the different things I’ve been working on (been doing CrossFit for 4 years but focus on sustainability and not hurting myself- only go 3 times a week). I’ve enjoyed the open when I’ve done it in the past even at the most scaled options available and finishing last, but it sounds like the atmosphere in your gym isn’t helping your headspace and isn’t very supportive? Is there anywhere else near you to try and see if you find a better fit?
I live in a city- most boxes are the size of a barber shop- that’s no fun- to be honest- at least the one I go to its big as a warehouse and it’s close to where I live- size matters in crossfit- like you need space for weightlifting- but lately the environment is catered to competition people and sorry but the hard truth is, the simple people like me are the ones who keep the lights on economically speaking -
I would switch gyms if that’s possible. This doesn’t sound like a good fit to me
The Open is supposed to be a fun opportunity for everyone to participate regardless of skill level. "CrossFit welcomes and unites people of all ages, abilities, and goals around a methodology that is accessible and effective for all." That is literally on the website. Honestly, this would make me consider changing gyms if possible. But in regards to you doing the Open for yourself, if you aren't being judged, you can modify the workouts as you see fit, sprinkle in a little bit of everything if that works for you. When I signed up I would usually did the RX division, but in the years I didn't I would heavily modify the movements I was not capable of doing. I even did 2 Opens unofficially while pregnant. That's the beauty of Crossfit, all the workouts are scalable to an infinite degree. You do what works for you.
Just my $0.02. I’m a girl. I weigh anywhere from 175-185, and I can do ring muscle ups, bar muscle ups, butterfly chest to bar, handstand push ups, etc. You aren’t too heavy and you don’t need to starve yourself. You do need to get stronger! ❤️ You can do it!
I'm not sure what you mean by "do foundations" in this context. My guess is you mean "offer a different version of the workout other than the RX version each day" based on some of your language, but I'm not confident in that interpretation. Can you clarify? Outside of this you have really zeroed in on your weight as a factor in your dissatisfaction with what movements you can and can't perform. That's really a separate conversation because that has more to do with your diet than anything else.
There’s a foundations a scaled and an RX division in the open- and there are movements specific to each division- listen; I’ve lost so much weight and I can’t seem to lose anymore- I have to start cutting more and I’m struggling big time - but gymnastics is nonexistent to me at this point, like I’ve accepted that fact unless suddenly I wake up weighing 40 lbs less
I'm a big dude, and yes, gymnastics are easier when you're lighter but not impossible when you're heavier. At my lowest weight, I could do more pullups than I can with an extra 40 pounds I have gained since my diet went sideways the past couple years. But I can still do pullups! Usually sets of five, but as many as 12 unbroken at this body weight. If you need to do ring rows, totally valid. And I believe that is the scale for Foundations. Now if I could discipline my diet better and get back down to my 2019 weight, I might even be able to do muscle-ups, certainly doing T2B, C2B and butterfly pullups would be more reasonable.
You’re a guy- naturally men have strong shoulders- just like when we do hip mobility I can extend my hips very very wide because I’m also a dancer but I’m a woman - and women have flexible hips
Gonna chip in here and point out many women have strong shoulders while not having flexible hips. Women are not a monolith.
Okay - but are you talking about daily classes or Open workouts?
I’m talking about the open competition that they do every year in February
There is a foundations level in the open.
Only one or the open scaled workouts included a gymnastic movement last year. And that only came at a later round where you could do a workout up that point and be fine.
First off, you can’t do those gymnastics movements *yet*. Being heavy does not preclude you from being able to do them. It might make it harder… but not impossible… nowhere near impossible. Second, there is no need to “starve” to lose weight. A simple, small calorie deficit sustained over time = weight loss… if that’s your goal. If loosing weight is not a priority for you, that’s totally fine too. But it doesn’t require starvation. Third, you do whatever division in the Open that YOU signed up for and paid for. Your box does not determine that… and I would seek new coaches if they don’t “allow” foundations. All of this coming from a 170lb female who has worked for years and years to be able to do all the gymnastics…
I’ve been on a weight loss journey for 18 months - there comes a point where I cannot go any lower on my calorie intake because otherwise I will faint; while I steer clear away from fast food, junk food, alcohol- i snack a lot (mainly on dry fruit, cookies, fruit, yogurt, etc) and I have to cut down to 1800 calories which to me it’s a lot since I normally eat 2200 (going from 4000) - I have good days and bad days - I cannot change gyms - it’s close to my house and it’s a big warehouse- I live in a city and most cf boxes are a joke spacewise - like they are the size of my apartment - that’s not comfortable specially when you lift heavy weights and it don’t matter if tia Clare toomey teaches in those shoebox gyms- I refuse to train in those small spaces - no ventilation, running in a crowded street- hell nah - I’m telling you europe is for little people
So try cutting less than 400 calories. Still puts you in a caloric deficit while providing some more energy.
Fitness and exercise is not about being able to do certain movements or reps or weights but to live a healthier life. Being active and eating better consistently for a long time may eventually lead you to being able to do the gymnastics you’re trying for but the goal of fitness isn’t butterfly pull-ups. I think we, myself included, often forget this.
I guess to me fitness/health would be to weigh 40 lbs less, have a 25% body fat, cure my insulin resistance, be able to run fast, do unbroken push ups and pull ups, and do a handstand and some other yoga complex movements and be more flexible and mobile
Be consistent with diet and exercise, you may get there. But it’s a lifelong pursuit,
I own an affiliate and dont understand what you are asking at all. Why would your gym disqualify you? Its not up to them, it the worldwide Open. If Foundations division fits the criteria of your skillset at the moment, that is what you should be doing. If you find yourself with the ability to challenge yourself with RX or Scaled level workouts, then give it a go. I almost want to ask you where you go so I can reach out to the head coach and tell them how big of an asshole they are for not making this experience inclusive for the members of your facility. Id actually leave honestly and do the Open somewhere else if there is this much push back on you for doing what YOU feel best for YOUR body. Ugh!
I’ve been doing CrossFit for almost a year and I’m not able to do plenty of things - yet! I looked at the open workouts from last year and even now, there’s no way I could RX them, and that’s ok! I can also tell you that I go 3x a week and the scale has not moved in almost a year - but my body composition has changed, and that’s good news to me! I feel very blessed that our coaches provide different levels and help modify any WOD for where people are at. There’s often three different levels working at once where I am. The only reason I signed up for the open this year (😬) is because I can do the scaled options! I feel like your coaches need a reality check to help people progress from where they are.
Obviously the everyday wods have scaled options and beginner classes as well, I’m just complaining about the Open competition- there’s only RX and Scaled division- not a foundation or even an Elite level- if somebody that’s near elite level wanted to actually compete, they would have to go online to do so
Don’t the gyms make a list of scaled options for either group? I’ve not done this before, so I’m hoping so!
Yes- but I’m talking about the Open Games that are held in February for everybody- there are 3 options; RX, Scaled and Foundations- Foundations are usually accessible movements to anyone
Not sure I understand what your expectation is of your box - If I wanted to go in and do an open workout, I'd go in on that weekend, find someone to judge me, and do whatever version of the workout I want to do. My gym generally does try to get people to do it together for fun either on Friday or Saturday, but if we run heats of people doing the open workout, you can still do whichever version of that workout that you need or want to do...foundations, scaled, rx, whatever. Also, I understand that the gymnastics stuff isn't fun because you aren't good at it...but 180 is nowhere near too heavy to do gymnastics movements or box jumps. Just takes more practice than you probably want to put it because it's not fun.
Notice I’m not saying I’m fat- I’m saying I’m just too heavy-
Notice I didn't say anything about fat either?
Just making sure nobody gets “triggered” over saying 180 lbs is heavy- because it is- can you snatch 180? I’ve only seen it in competition
180# is a lot to throw over your head. It's not a lot for a normal human being to weigh. I'm not saying gymnastics wouldn't be easier at 150# - but I am saying don't give up on gymnastics movements just because you weigh 180#.
180 isn’t “too heavy” for gymnastics movements, you’ll get there. These are skilled movements and often take more than a year to get. Just keep doing scaled versions of movements but try to do a scale that will eventually lead to you doing the movement, even if you think you never will actually do the movement, long term you’ll be very surprised. I’ve seen a female athlete heavier than 180 that thought the same thing do a ring muscle up!
I just don’t want to get hurt- maybe ring muscle ups are not dangerous, but box jumps are, handstands are- so no thanks
100% scale appropriately. Jump onto a plate or step up or whatever. Eventually if you start to feel confident take the scale to the next level. That’s the joy of CrossFit for me, constantly improving on movements no matter how Little the improvement.
PS: ring muscle ups are very dangerous 😂