What constitutes a missed rep?

[revera]

Coach,

I have been doing SS for 6.5 weeks. I have read both SS and PPfST 2nd Ed. I eat ~5000kcal/day, including a gallon of whole milk. My current stats, all numbers in lbs:

Male, 5' 7"
Age 21
Weight 148 -> 174

Squat 135 -> 240
Bench 95 -> 145
Press 75 -> 110
Deadlift 135 -> 265
P.Clean 75 -> 115

My past two workouts I've been struggling to complete my squat sets. Feel heavy as hell, shaky legs; almost definite form breakdown based on a lovely new ache in my right knee. I've been making 5lb jumps each workout.

I haven't reset any of my lifts so far, and none of them show any signs of slowing except for squats. I haven't had to dump the bar, but would it be unreasonable to take these as "missed" reps in the spirit of PP page 107 and start my first squat reset?

[Mark Rippetoe]

A "missed" rep is a rather clearly-defined event. It was either high, or it didn't go up. Hard doesn't count, because hard is normal after the early novice period.

[Steve Hill]

A "missed" rep is a rather clearly-defined event. It was either high, or it didn't go up. Hard doesn't count, because hard is normal after the early novice period.

I, and many youth of America, would appreciate it if you could re-author the program to be easy. And give us big guns, huge chesticles, and six-pack abs please.

[Carlos Daniel]

Rip, this is something that just occurred to me. In my long and extensive experience under the bar I have only failed once on the squat, on a somewhat ambitious intensity day on TM. The 5 people I have "coached" on the SS lifts had similar stories: they have all missed a rep here and there on the OHP, dead and bench but hardly a single one on the squat. Is this something you have also seen on your novice trainees? I hypothetise (is there such a verb?) that it maybe is the case that the mind fails before the body on the squats on novices (this is certainly true on 20 rep squats), or that the prospect of folding like a lawn chair under the bar is scary enough to make one lift the damn weight.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have seen a couple of guys fall over on their asses the first day. But it is in fact uncommon for a novice that knows how to squat to miss a rep, at least until the very last stage of the period. Cut them off high, yes, but mashed in the bottom doesn't usually happen.

[Carlos Daniel]

I have seen a couple of guys fall over on their asses the first day.

I had this happen for the first time with my last guinea p... I mean, trainee. Didn't even know that could happen, I was wholly unprepared. The things you learn when you coach other people can be interesting, if for not other reason than you getting better at coaching other people and yourself.

[mstrofbass]

I had this happen for the first time with my last guinea p... I mean, trainee. Didn't even know that could happen, I was wholly unprepared. The things you learn when you coach other people can be interesting, if for not other reason than you getting better at coaching other people and yourself.

A girl I was training would fall on her ass unless she had a bar on her shoulders. Very entertaining to me.

[revera]

A "missed" rep is a rather clearly-defined event. It was either high, or it didn't go up. Hard doesn't count, because hard is normal after the early novice period.

Got it. Thanks for your time, coach.

[Tamara Reynolds]

A girl I was training would fall on her ass unless she had a bar on her shoulders. Very entertaining to me.

Sadly, she will never be good at CrossFit. How would she possibly get through 100 air squats for time?

[Kregna]

I wanted to know what constitutes a missed power clean... as the weight gets higher the bar doesn't come up as high and isn't as clean but I still get it to my shoulders