By: Joaquin Ramirez

Now that The Open is upon us, I have heard quite a bit of talk around the gym on whether or not you should scale or not. I have put together a couple guidelines to help you decide on this. I know that doing a workout Rx will technically place you higher than crushing the scaled version but you are missing the bigger picture. The point of The Open is to push your boundaries and let you compete based on your ability level. It is also a measuring tool to see how much you can improve year to year. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing a workout scaled. Maybe next year your goal is to Rx every workout.

If you are not close to getting a muscle up and the workout starts with 10 reps there is no point in swinging around on the rings for 15 minutes knowing that you aren’t close. You are better off pushing yourself and doing the scaled version to the best of your ability. If you have never attempted a handstand pushup, then a Friday Night Throwdown is not the time to learn. If the weight is more than your 1 rep max then simply scale back and get a good workout in. The Open is meant to be fun, it is meant to push you and challenge you whatever your ability level is. The Open is meant for everyone and anyone can do the open. Whether you scale or not just have a good time, work hard and throw down with your friends. Good luck to you all and we’ll see you on the leaderboard!

(Featured Image: Ang Fontana Photography)