As you well know, the purpose of CrossFit® has never been to set the fastest time or lift the heaviest load. CrossFit® was born with the goal di verify the improvement of an athlete's fitness and to constantly challenge him with himself.
CrossFit® is intentionally difficult and there is a specific reason for that.
If you do some research online, you will find an article titled “The Purpose of CrossFit®” (The purpose of CrossFit®) published in The CrossFit® Journal, where Greg Glassman (cofounder ed former CEO of the CrossFit® brand), he claims:
“Successful people pursue difficult things; unsuccessful people avoid them.”
Think about the most successful person you know: Was your path to success easy? Probably not. He almost certainly overcame many challenges and hardships to get to where he is.
However,, the number of athletes who cheat on reps (kindly called zanzareps) is staggering. Now I ask you… If CrossFit® is a discipline in which you have to do your best to come out on top…
If an athlete does the rep during a wod… what can this tell us about his character?
Index
Small reflection: weaknesses are also found in elite athletes
CrossFit® is not easy, we all know it. Even elite athletes have their weaknesses.
Let's take as a starting point the last Games, where the DU crossover first came out or, even, the simple single unders.
How many athletes have you seen in difficulty? The crossover DUs were new exercises and the single unders certainly were underrated, but the athletes still attempted to do every single repetition.
The shortcomings have surfaced, this is normal! But I'm sure after that wod, everyone used these weaknesses as fuel to improve both physically and mentally.
And certainly in the box they counted each rep, one by one.
If you are a zanzarep, you deceive yourself first and then others
Hey, zanzarep: stealing reps is disrespectful!
It is a lack of respect for the coach who devotes his time and experience to preparing the training program and a lack of respect for other athletes around you.
But above all it is aa lack of respect for yourself! You have a duty to train with integrity, because that's what athletes do, not just elite ones.
If you are a zanzarep, know that we are watching you
Most mosquito reps thinks he gets away with it. They finish the wod with a huge smile on their face and feel proud that they finished first.
They don't realize that the others notice and know their game. Most of the time, we don't give ourselves weight, because we are busy improving our performance.
However, know that everyone knows how you train, cheaters!
Our advice? Don't be that kind of person!
In CrossFit® we are a community. We help and support each other; this is what makes this discipline unique of its kind.
Think how sad it is to train alone! Without the group that gives you the charge; your mates are there to support you, no matter how fast or slow you perform or how much weight you lift on the bar.
When it's all over, the only person you will have to deal with will be yourself. After all, who wins by stealing reps?