This post is mostly a precursor to the next, but it deserves a post of its own.
One of the fundamentals of CrossFit is the idea of proper movement first, then consistency in that proper movement, followed by intensity. Unfortunately, I feel like this is overshadowed, be it from pride, peer pressure or media (social, marketing, competition, etc.). I am very happy with Greg Glassman’s decision to push health to the forefront of CrossFit. I feel this was always his purpose over the competitive side of the sport.
The competitive side is fun, and even a necessary part of the sport, but total health must be our focus. Along with nutrition, prioritizing proper movement at appropriate intensity will be the basis of CrossFit Tertiary. (There are a few secondary areas we will focus on too, but those blog posts will come later.)
Proper movement does not necessary mean perfect. Perfection would be great, but I consider proper movement to be safe, effective, and appropriate for the individual athlete. I also try to think about intensity in all forms: movement, distance, speed, load, height, and so on.
It is our responsibility as trainers to teach and ensure proper movement. We will work with athletes on an individual level to find the appropriate level of intensity. It is athlete’s responsibility to ask questions if they have them and tell the trainer where they are having issues.
Scaling appropriately falls to both the trainer and athlete. Coaches will work with each athlete to try to ensure the proper stimulus is met. Athletes must set aside ego and scale as needed. Any workout, properly scaled to ensure proper movement at an appropriate intensity level to reach the intended stimulus, is a good workout.
That is our daily goal: A good workout. The best hour of your day.
-Bowen