How to Measure Fitness

When starting CrossFit, we talk about quantifying and measuring fitness in order to assess your progress. The most obvious way that we do that is with the clock. But is that really the best way to measure your progress? When starting off, it probably isn't.



If your squats on your first Fundamentals WOD looked like the picture on top, and 3 weeks later, they looked like Stephanie from CrossFit Invictus below that, but you times were slower; would you be disappointed? You shouldn't be. Yet, I've seen CrossFitters hard on themselves for a slower time, or less reps, when they've moved up on the scaling ladder.

Remember, the clock is just a method we use to quantify fitness, but it isn't our only way. Fitness is 1. Competency in all 10 General Physical Skills, 2. Increased ability to perform tasks, and 3. Competency in all 3 energy pathways. So, for a novice, time is nothing more than a motivational tool. Range of Motion, weight, quality of movement, and exercise selection are the real measures you should be focusing on in your log books.

Our coaches at ThreeRivers CrossFit scale by intensity (which is really self scaling by the mental & physical limitations of the athlete), weight (to be kept within the limits of an athlete's ability to maintain safe form), volume (sets, reps, duration), ROM (pushing the limits of an athlete's flexibility and strength), and finally exercise selection (the athlete's ability to perform the Rx'd exercise).

So what does that mean? Let's take a look at a novice doing "Diane" (21-15-9 reps of 225lbs DeadLift and Hand Stand Push-ups). This athlete may be so deconditioned that the safest way to introduce him to "Diane" is 15-12-9 reps of PVC pipe deadlift and Pike Pushups to 3" above the ground. I've scaled the exercise selection, the ROM, the volume, the weight, and while I will encourage the athlete to push himself hard, I will put a much greater emphasis on proper movements rather than intensity.

So, when this athlete comes back to "Diane" and uses 135# DeadLift and Band Assisted Hand Stand Pushups with full ROM, do I care if his time is slower? Not at all. He has increased his work capacity and fitness so much just by being able to perform those movements that he could take an hour and a half and I'd be happy with his progress. Only when he is doing the WOD as Rx'd does the clock become anything more than a motivational tool.

Which leaves me with one last point. I love the use of the clock in CrossFit. I love the competitive nature it encourages. I love the effectiveness it gives in measuring progress once you are doing the WODs as Rx'd. But, that effectiveness is only valid if you are maintaining a standard of quality. If you are shorting your reps, if you cut your ROM, if you don't give every movement your best effort towards perfection, that little number on your stop watch tells you nothing. To be honest, I don't really care if you are a clock whore. If I catch you, I'll laugh at your lame efforts and mark it under "modifications" on the white board. But really, I'll just be sad for you because you are missing the true intent and spirit of CrossFit.

So, keep pushing hard, and keep chasing PRs, but also do it with an awareness of what those numbers really mean, and keep the integrity to have it mean something.

Train Hard, Have Fun!
John