Rx Or Not Rx?
“Your influence is never neutral.”
– Dr. Jerry Lync
Deep Squats (Thoughts)
There are certain terminologies in the CrossFit world that you will want to understand to improve your experience. The term Rx is one of these trigger words that you will hear often among CrossFit enthusiasts. So what does it mean and how is it used?
The term Rx means that you are accomplishing a workout “as prescribed”. Most CrossFit workouts have a specific number of reps and weight you need to use for the workout. Once you complete the workout with the appropriate amount of reps and weight, you can say that you have completed the Rx for the workout. This can be a very challenging task, especially if the workout you are doing involves heavy weights.
What I want to hone in on today is the black and white nature of whether something is Rx or not. Here are some clarifications that seem to get lost of some.
Squatting movement where the hip crease does not go below the top of the knee? NOT RX.
Movement requiring full hip/knee extension but isn’t met? NOT RX.
Arms not locked out and in line with body? NOT RX.
Squat is low enough, but ball does not touch ABOVE the line? NOT RX.
The list can go on and on into what is not Rx. We coach to what the Rx IS and then scale/modify off of that. Any change or variation is no longer Rx in terms of writing it on the board. DO NOT write Rx next to your name if the standard is not met for EVERY rep of the workout.
In order to avoid being Mr. Negative in this, I’d like to introduce a different type of Rx concept. In addition to coaching the Rx weights and movement standard there is also the Rx stimulus. This means that if we describe a workout of light thrusters and pullups intended to be completed in 5 to 9 minutes that takes 12 minutes to do “Rx”, then that is not the intended stimulus for that workout. If someone scales the thrusters to an empty barbell with banded pullups and finishes in 6 minutes, then they Rx’d the stimulus of the workout. No Rx for the board, but you will make great gains towards a full Rx workout in the future.
The Open workouts are going to present a unique opportunity in contrast to a normal class. While class workouts are intended to help you improve strength, endurance and skills The Open is a competition designed to test your mettle against CrossFitters around the world. Essentially, if you CAN do the Rx weights/movements in The Open, you should do that. You may have a much lower score than doing it scaled, but your ranking will be MUCH higher because you did Rx. I will encourage you to Rx Open workouts as long as they can be done safely.
Of course, now I’m going to spin this into a plea for you to sign up for The Open.
We have 81 signed up. Let’s get to 100.
See you in class.
Tim
What’s Going On
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Saturdays, 9am
2/28, 3/7, 3/14
Overheard in Class:
“Because it’s NOT Rx.”
Timfluencing
She the Confident: The Mindset Advantage for Female Athletes by Shay Haddow is a book designed to help female athletes build confidence, overcome self-doubt, and handle pressure, focusing on mental skills alongside physical training. It provides strategies for dealing with mistakes, overthinking, and fear, using real-life stories and actionable steps to improve performance and life skills both on and off the field. The book addresses the high pressure on young female athletes and the alarming rate at which they quit sports due to a lack of confidence.
Tim’s Takeaway:
This book was referred to me by Samantha Jones, Radford University Lacrosse Coach. She gave it to her team to help get them understanding what true confidence is and where it comes from. It’s a quick read/listen with real, actionable steps designed to build confidence with solid habits. Share it with your kids and then read it yourself.
Thank you for your support.
I look forward to what we will do together.
