Scalability

If any of you read the CF message board you'll see a lot of good information on a variety of topics. One thread I bumped into was about upping the level of the CrossFit WOD's as your fitness level increases. The jist was "is there an "advanced" level of crossfit? Several members had some good answers. My take:

1. CrossFit is so diverse, that there is always some aspect of fitness that you can improve upon. Already a monster with the heavy weight? When's the last time you made a PR (personal record)?

2. How's your run or row times? Pull-up numbers? Muscle-ups? Those can always get faster or higher.

2. Starting to hit ridiculously high numbers or low times in the named met-con workouts (Cindy, Fran, Helen, Grace, etc)? How about adding a weight vest or more weight to slow you down?

3. Any workout is scalable, either up or down. Reading on the daily comments board (underneath each day's WOD), you usually see many people scale the workout down because their fitness level isn't able to handle the WOD rx'd (as prescribed). Occasionally you'll see a few scale up, such as the met-con machines that add a 20# vest to Cindy and still crank out twenty-something rounds or the bigger guys bumping up the weights, doing Fran with 115# or even 135#. This type of scalability will keep everyone challenged that wants to be challenged.

4. An interesting and good tool (I think anyway) is the CrossFit North's Athletic Skill Levels. The idea is to be able to accomplish all the different physical task of a skill level within 30 days of each other. They are diverse enough that all different aspects of fitness is tested. Unless you can knock out Level IV, there is always room for improvement. Is it perfect? No, but then is anything?

5. So do you need more than CrossFit? If you are working for something specific (triathlon, weighlifting meet, kettlebell contest, strongman competition, etc), then of course. If you are working for general fitness, I think it covers most of the bases nicely and exposes you to a wide variety of activities that you can train on to enhance your overall fitness levels by exposing your weaknesses.

6. If you're still not convinced CrossFit is enough, then start looking into some modified protocols like ME Black Box to mix in with your CrossFit workouts.

However you slice it, CrossFit is the best overall fitness program I've been exposed to. If you find something better out there, let me know. Good luck.