It’s all about being smart. As I have gotten older I’ve taken a page out of @richfroning book and decided to work smart. I know my limits… well at least some of them. With the state of my knees, extreme loads and depths at or below 90 degrees cause some issues. When you get a WOD or any type of activity, the key is to analyze it and determine where you can to the red line and where you have to be cautious. So let me tell you a story…
Birthday WOD
We were facing a Birthday WOD last week called ‘Battle Ground’ and after having a quick look i noticed some ‘things’. Lots of deep knee bends. Wallballs, Box Jumps and Burpees. How to approach this one? Well if i can hit a solid 10 in the Wallballs and Box Jumps at a comfortable pace and close with 5 Burpees I would be happy. That leaves Hang Power Cleans and Push Presses. Go all out.
Little Adjustments
With multiple rounds of 8-12 Strict Press @85lbs my shoulders and arms were tired. This meant a little more focus on being consistent instead of going until burnout. Taking my time with the knee bend movements and pushing with the rest, I managed to hit 218 reps. All at RX for a change (it’s been a while since I hit a workout at RX). Maybe there was another 5-9 reps I left out there, but I will live to play another day.
Now how does playing it smart benefit you? Well, especially since life is a long game, not killing yourself for one workout is important. You might not find yourself on the top of the leaderboard, but you will find yourself on the board on a more consistent basis. This can go a long way to helping you build up the strength, endurance or confidence required to continue the journey.
Beez
