Consistency before Intensity
Scott Semple has come up with four rules for CrossFit newcomers:
1. Focus on the volume of work prescribed, not on the loads. The Workout of the Day is designed for the fittest of the fit. Unless you’ve been doing CrossFit for years- or unless your genetic code has something that mine doesn’t- I suggest making reps a higher priority than loads. The cardiorespiratory stimulus of completing the prescribed reps at a reduced load seems to be equivalent to or greater than that of taking the significant extra time and rest to get through too-heavy loads, and this strategy leaves something in the tank, which  I  think is essential for healthy, long-term training. For example, “Diane” consists of 21, 15, and 9-rep rounds of 225-pound deadlifts and handstand push-ups. I recommend disregarding “225 pound” and “handstand” if they feel unmanageable and instead choosing loads that allow you to complete the workout, whether in complete sets or resonably broken ones. (“Handstand” in this case is essentially a load designation. Piked {inverted and bent at the waist}, feet-raised {toward a handstand}, standard {horizontal}, and feet lowered {as in upward facing stair push-ups} are all legitimate ways to scale push-up loads.

2. Scale prescribed workouts according to bodyweight. If full-load workouts are nearly within reach, I suggest scaling them according to bodyweight before attempting the full prescription. In general, I assume that the WOD’s are designed around a 175-pound male and then scale the loads appropriately for my bodyweight. To determine my personalized WOD load, I multiply the prescribed load by a modifier of 0.88 (my 154-pound weight divided by the 175-pound model weight). So for me, “Diane” would consist of a 198-pound deadlift and handstand push-ups. (Age and gender may also be sensible modifiers.)

3. Use speed as an intensifier before weight. Once a personalized WOD has been achieved, I make a faster result, rather than an increase in weight, my goal on subsequent performances of that WOD. I find it much more rewarding to shave seconds than to struggle under more plates. Subsequently, faster times increase my motivation for each workout. The thought “my work-to-weight ratio is higher” is a better motivator than “I’m not as strong as I want to be.” (However, this is a personal bias based on my sport of choice. Focus on weight if that’s where your priorities lie.)

4. Most importantly, low motivation does not necessarily mean that you’re lazy. Lowered motivation may be your body’s way of recruiting your emotions as a messenger that it needs a break. I suspect that most CrossFitters are action-oriented people, so a day or two of sloth or lethargy may not mean you’re a slacker. It could be precisely the necessary Workout of the Day for you. When I can ignore my ambition and listen to my body on days like this, I often discover that “yeah, my legs are pretty heavy” or “man, it hurts just to lift a bottle.” Best of all, a few extra rest days mixed into a full workout schedule often brings the snap back. It could be the difference between a  workout that is a chore and one that sets a new  personal record.

Coach Glassman issued the warning in a CrossFit Journal: “We have counseled in ‘getting started’ and repeatedly elsewhere that the WOD is designed to exceed the capacities of the world’s fittest humans and that starting CrossFit by throwing yourself to the WOD 100% will result in devastating failure. We recommend that anyone starting CrossFit get through a month of “going through the motions’- before diving in with full intensity- establish consistency before intensity. Countless bad-asses from sporting and special operations communities, long regarded as bulletproof have been burned at the stake of ego and intensity.” (CFJ 29, January 2005, 9-10)