If you know the movement pattern and the ROM that you need if you don’t do it when your doing a WOD is that fair to count it ? Sure it seems harmless but you need to have some integrity to continue to get better. One reason people cheat a little bit is that we want to feel good about yourself. You don’t want to think of yourself as a cheater, but some can cheat a little and still feel like a good about their performance. Another mechanism to condone cheating is using rationalization. We can rationalize a little cheating a little by using statements like : “If I hadn’t screwed up that one double under, I would have been twenty seconds faster.”
Oh and in WODs this “fudge” factor occurs quite often. The score changes by only a little bit and some people might notice a little. You might have someone who says: “Wow, you were quick onto that second exercise. I was only at ten reps and you had finished all fifteen.” This should maybe raise a red flag to yourself and the people around you. So what if your not the first on the whiteboard, our records are there for you to get better in the long run!
So why shouldn’t you cheat ? First off it’s contagious. Just think if you see one person get away with not performing the exercise correctly and they didn’t get a NO REP then why shouldn’t you just cheat a little too? However this also works both ways, so when you hear a coach cue that you should be reaching a fuller ROM this is a hint they see you but don’t want to call you out just yet !
Be a good example for others by doing things in correct form and function. If you are performing good reps, the people around you will tend to follow suit. Athletes who pay attention to those around them will see that the integrity of the gym also goes up. Learning to set high standards for the gym, athletes and yourself is important in keeping everyone safe and performing exercises correctly.
Learning to NO REP yourself is actually a good thing. It proves that you have a good understanding of the ROM and the function of the movements. It takes a lot to really NO REP yourself especially in a workout and more important in moves that you already struggle with.
We can reduce the fudge factor with a few simple changes:
- Make notice of incomplete movements to show that others notice and care.
- Discuss how important integrity is to the community.
- Use an integrity pledge. Keep it above where scores are entered. Athletes to put a check mark next to their name indicating they followed the integrity pledge.
- As an athlete, you are an example to others. If you practice integrity in the gym it can be contagious to others. Don’t let someone with a bigger fudge factor determine your actions.
- Determine how others act based on your good example.
So next time your in a WOD be a great example to others, choose to NO REP yourself and have integrity for your gym, coaches and fellow athletes around you!