Leaderboarding is killing your goals

I will go first.  My name is Cassie Hill, and I have leaderboard pride.  Most of us are competitors at heart- it’s one of the things that drew us to the sport of fitness.  When I started CrossFit I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t hang from a bar, squat below parallel, or run a lap around the building.  A 12” box jump left me paralyzed and I spent half my time staring in awe at others in the box, admiring their amazing skills and telling myself, “I’ll never be able to do that.” So, after four years of hard work, to look at the leaderboard and see that I’ve lifted the heaviest or went heavier or faster than someone makes my heart soar, but it also hurts my long-term goals.  

Far too often we get caught up on that little blue button sitting next to our metcon score and we cheat ourselves.  We look at the WOD and think “Those weights look doable” or “I can do it if I do singles” and fail to look more closely at the WOD’s intent.  Metcon, or metabolic conditioning, according to the CrossFit Journal, “refers to conditioning exercises intended to increase the storage and delivery of energy for any activity”  The CrossFit model teaches that varying the types of exercises performed prevents the body from adapting and increases functional strength. We do this in short periods of time by using intensity. Intensity is power. Power is the ability to move loads, over a distance, quickly...and safely. This means that we need to take the time to develop ourselves.  It begins with our mechanics, moves to consistency, and eventually builds to intensity. When we fail to learn to do things correctly before adding those coveted RX loads, it leads to injury.

Another trap the leaderboard sets before us is the measuring of those around us. We can do this in a couple of different ways: comparing the length of someone else’s CrossFit journey to our own and feeling like we should be better at XYZ than we are, and the mental “no repping” of those around you (you know, the person whom you think never locks out a rep or you are always questioning if they counted their score correctly). While very different, both of these “measuring up” faults can be combated with the same mantra: head down, eyes forward.

Constructive things we can do in place of leaderboarding:

Create goals:  Goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely).  If you need help identifying SMART goals, please come talk to a coach, we want to help you!

Lead by example: Be coachable, help the new guy next to you who is floundering in the sea of CrossFit acronyms, and have integrity.  People will see and respect those attributes.

RX virtuosity: Spend time working on the basics. Work on those strict pull ups, hollow holds, and PVC pipe snatches.  We can all improve our movement patterns and strength in some area. Strive to do the common things uncommonly well.

Tim Grover, longtime trainer of Michael Jordan, said in his book Jump Attack, “Athletic success is the result of knowing what to do, the willingness to do it, and the drive to continually improve at it.” It's time to take your eyes off the leaderboard and focus them intently on your goals and what it will take to get there.