Accountability, Integrity and their rightful place in a WOD

Cheating in a WOD is something that happens at most CrossFit gyms. We have all been there, we have all thrown a ball during a WOD and just come short of hitting the target. We have all gone to failure on pull-ups and not quite managed to get our chin over the bar. Or even been mid double-unders and lost count. In those moments everyone is so engrossed in their own pain and suffering no one has really noticed if that was a complete rep or not, or if you shaved 10 reps off those double-unders. In that split second without giving it too much thought you count it as a rep and move on. Or do you?

Firstly I want to highlight that as coaches we notice. We know how long it takes to complete every rep of nearly every movement in CrossFit and generally speaking, we know most of our members abilities.

It’s a regular enough occurrence. I’ve had members complain before about someone “cheating” in a WOD. Our job as coaches is not to count your reps, it’s to give you the tools to improve. So with that in mind my response has always been the same. Those athletes that hold themselves accountable to higher standards, to not cutting corners, those athletes that have the integrity to “no rep” themselves, whilst in the short term may come up shorter on the whiteboard, will always in the long term make bigger gains.

Some of greatest traits CrossFit teaches its athletes is accountability and integrity. Accountability doesn’t just mean showing up. It's not about what you do, it’s about how you do it. And the integrity to no rep yourself is something that will award you admiration from your coaches and fellow athletes as well as bigger gains and greater progress.

Next time you are mid WOD, you lose count or you miss your target what are you going to do?

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

Vince Lombardi

- Coach Sariet