Xfit WOD vs PM WOD

[Ralph Garcia]

I'm specifically referring to the difference in metcons posted on the Crossfit WODs and the Performance Menu WODs and their prescription for fixed weights vs. percentages.

I know Crossfit suggests the WODs be scaled for each individual to compensate for skill, strength, height, weight, etc. Why would Crossfit not use percentages instead? For example:

Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters – 55% BW
Pullups

Any thoughts on this? Is it simply to make life easier for the mathematically challenged?

[Leo Soubbotine]

For the same reason that they don't adjust 100 m sprint to the limb length of a runner. It's just a set standart and it's simple to judge.

Plus "Fran" evens it out pretty quickly - a lighter person will blast through pullups and get toasted by thrusters, while a heavier person will suck at pullups, yet thrusters will be a breeze.
This way everybody has something that kills them.

[Derek Simonds]

In regards to the percentages. Greg's WOD's are primarily focused on the Olympic lifts and the people that are doing the WOD are all at some level Olympic lifters. This means that we have a group of athletes that all have attempted a 1RM for a specific movement. This allows programming that is percentage driven. Unfortunately with the variety of exercises prescribed in the xFit WOD and the athletic population there would be many athletes that had never attempted a 1 RM for a given exercise. A lack of an actual 1 RM means you can't use percentage based programming. For a great take on 1 RM's you have to read Dan John's article, I think it is on tnation.

The metcon portion of Greg's WOD is totally designed to make sure that we don't lose all semblance of metabolic conditioning while focusing on our Olympic lifting. I think Greg has written that most of his metcons should be completed in under 15 minutes.

Leo is dead on in regards to Fran being pretty even when everything is taken into consideration. I have seen several discussions in regards to scaling the weights based on a percentage of your weight versus the hypothetical crossfitters weight. An example would be if you weigh 200 and the hypothetical average crossfitter is 180 and the prescribed weight is 225 then you would scale up by 1.11 to 250. I guess the same would work in reverse to lower the weights.

[Mike ODonnell]

I would say BW % have nothing to do with strength....as you will of course lose weight (fat) the more you workout and eat right...so do you lower the weight? Also as your strength increases....as there are probably many people who can thrust close to BW 100%. In the end....if it's supposed to be a metabolic workout and you take 60min to finish it while everyone else does it in 10min or less....lighten the load. If its a strength workout and you take 2 seconds to blast through it...make it heavier. Also depends on your goals of maximizing strength...maximizing conditioning....or trying to get improvements on both at the same time.

[Allen Yeh]

Originally Posted by Mike ODonnell

In the end....if it's supposed to be a metabolic workout and you take 60min to finish it while everyone else does it in 10min or less...

That sentence resembles the first time I did Linda "the three bars of death."

[James Evans]

Rutman usually gives a bodyweight % for his workouts.

http://coachrut.blogspot.com/

[chris hill]

Originally Posted by Allen Yeh

That sentence resembles the first time I did Linda "the three bars of death."

you mean it isn't supposed to take that long?

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Allen Yeh

That sentence resembles the first time I did Linda "the three bars of death."

When I did that workout a couple years back and didn't scale the weights.....I timed it with a calendar.