Whether they cheat the movement standards or cheat the numbers its still cheating.
Occasionally we’ll hear from someone at the gym who is competitive minded and pushes themselves hard but regularly comes out behind someone else who shorts…something. It sucks. They look to us, the trainers and gym owners, to make that other person do it right. It would be awesome if we had that ability with everyone. Heck, as our trainers come from our athlete group and are all competitive folks they’ve all experienced that feeling and had it run through their minds once they step to the other side of the training that they can now fix what we haven’t for whatever reason. I won’t make myself feel better and say that I’ve held everyone to strict standards all the time. I know I haven’t. My only excuses are that its only fun running your head into a wall so many times and I’m not your mama. Personal responsibility has to step in at some point. I’ll coach aggressively those who want to be pushed or get better or hold themselves to standards. Carrie R, Tom and Nancy W and Leslie A jump to mind here immediately though I know there are lots of others who ask for and expect more coaching.
Some folks are on a path to better health and flexibility and fitness in general so they are asked to do their best, to dig a little deeper every time, but aren’t expected to be full range on everything. Do your best. That’s it. For those athletes, though, that ARE fully capable of doing the whole range of movement but don’t want to sacrifice time…well…you’re instead shorting your growth and yourself and everyone knows it. And after a while those who train with you might note your fast times on WODs but they also put an asterisk next to your name and say that’s a fast time but that person shorts everything so it doesn’t count. It sucks but its true. Who do you want to be? That part is up to you.
Ronnie Teasdale at CrossFit Mean Streets in LA wrote about cheating in the CFGames WODs and Kelly has posted it to his blog and shared it with me. Check out the post: The CrossFit Games Open and F*cking Cheaters
He’s right in that two big things are going to happen out of this situation. 1. Fully competent athletes are not going to make it to Regionals because cheaters beat them at the Open level. 2. The cheaters will be exposed for who and what they are…in front of an audience…and on video…to be replayed and reposted over and over. How fun. I’d rather be right and not make it than cheat and be exposed.
Thanks, Kelly!
Love you Pam.
You are so politely talking about what I feel like shouting about EVERY DAY!
While I would love to hold EVERYONE to proper standards every day, I know not everyone gives a crap.
Those that do get the best of the workout, of us.
Awesome article! Everyone should be competing against themselves.
…I didn’t turn my wrists out on the muscle up I got in WOD #4 of cf games but counted it. I let LL know about it but still feel as though it shouldn’t count. There, I said it. I can sleep now.
“My only excuses are that its only fun running your head into a wall so many times and I’m not your mama.” I love it! You are so funny!
Thanks for sharing Ronnie’s post. I think the Open format is unfair, but it’s true that cheaters will be exposed at Regionals, and I agree with Pam that it will be fun to watch. Still, it sucks for the non-cheaters that don’t make it and should have.
Travis, I forgive you
Great article from Ronnie and great post from Pam!
THANK YOU!
I feel better now………ha!
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