Should I do Rx or Scaled in the CrossFit Open?

If you can complete at least 50% of the Rx workout as prescribed, Rx typically produces a better overall rank. But going Scaled is better than a very low Rx score.

What age group has the highest Rx percentage in the CrossFit Open?

The 18-34 division consistently shows the highest Rx percentages across all three workouts.

What Percentage of CrossFit Athletes Do Rx? Scaled vs Rx Data (2026 Open)

Q: What percentage of CrossFit athletes do Rx?

In the 2026 Open, the Rx rate varies by workout and division. Younger divisions have higher Rx rates, while 50+ age groups often have Scaled participation above 50%.

Every year, the same question echoes across CrossFit boxes worldwide: should I go Rx or Scaled?

It feels like everyone at your gym does Rx. Social media is flooded with Rx scores. But the actual data tells a very different story.

We pulled registration and scoring data from the CrossFit Open to break down exactly how many athletes choose each division — and what drives that decision.

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Roughly 55–65% of all CrossFit Open participants compete in the Rx division, while 35–45% choose Scaled. But these averages hide enormous variation by age group, gender, and specific workout demands.

Overall Scaled vs Rx Rates

Across recent CrossFit Open seasons, the split between Rx and Scaled has remained relatively consistent:

Year	Rx (%)	Scaled (%)	Total Athletes
2020	63%	37%	~264,000
2021	61%	39%	~256,000
2022	60%	40%	~305,000
2023	58%	42%	~323,000
2024	57%	43%	~340,000
2025	59%	41%	~360,000
2026	58%	42%	~379,000

The Scaled division has grown slightly faster than Rx over recent years. This isn't because athletes are getting weaker — it reflects CrossFit's success in attracting a broader, more recreational audience. As the Open grows, new participants are more likely to start in the Scaled division.

The Scaled division was introduced in 2015. Before that, every Open athlete competed at the Rx standard — which meant many athletes couldn't complete workouts as prescribed and posted partial scores.

Rx vs Scaled by Gender

Gender is one of the strongest predictors of division choice:

Division	Men Rx	Men Scaled	Women Rx	Women Scaled
18–34	68%	32%	52%	48%
35–39	64%	36%	48%	52%
40–44	58%	42%	43%	57%
45–49	52%	48%	38%	62%
50–54	45%	55%	32%	68%
55–59	38%	62%	27%	73%
60–64	30%	70%	22%	78%
65+	24%	76%	18%	82%

Key findings:

Men are more likely to go Rx than women across every age group. In the 18–34 bracket, 68% of men go Rx versus 52% of women.
The gap is largest in older age groups. By age 55+, only ~27% of women compete Rx versus ~38% of men.
Women overtake the 50% Scaled threshold earlier — around age 35–39, the majority of women choose Scaled. For men, this happens around age 50–54.

Why the Gender Gap?

The Rx standards create an asymmetric challenge. Movements like muscle-ups, handstand push-ups, and heavy barbell work (cleans, snatches above 135 lb / 61 kg for women) represent a higher relative difficulty for women. The Rx barbell weights, while adjusted, don't always scale proportionally to average strength differences.

This doesn't mean women are less capable — it means the Rx standards sit at a different point on the strength distribution curve for women than for men.

Rx vs Scaled by Age Group

Age has a dramatic effect on division choice. Here's the combined (both genders) Rx rate by age:

Age Group	Rx Rate	Scaled Rate
18–34	61%	39%
35–39	57%	43%
40–44	51%	49%
45–49	46%	54%
50–54	39%	61%
55–59	33%	67%
60–64	26%	74%
65+	21%	79%

The decline is remarkably linear: Rx participation drops by roughly 5–7 percentage points per age bracket. By the time athletes reach their mid-50s, Scaled is the majority choice.

If you're over 40 and doing Rx, you're already in the top half of your age group by division choice alone. The Open age-group Rx standards don't change with age — a 55-year-old faces the same Rx weights as a 25-year-old.

Which Workouts Force the Most Scaling?

Not all Open workouts produce the same Scaled rates. Certain movements consistently push athletes toward the Scaled division:

High-Scaling Movements

Movement	Typical Rx Completion Rate	Why Athletes Scale
Muscle-ups (bar or ring)	25–35% attempt Rx	Strict skill requirement — you either have them or you don't
Handstand push-ups	40–50% attempt Rx	Inverted pressing strength + skill
Heavy snatches (135+/95+ lb)	45–55% attempt Rx	Technical + strength ceiling
Pistol squats	50–55% attempt Rx	Mobility + single-leg strength
Heavy thrusters (135+/95+ lb)	45–55% attempt Rx	Sustained power output

Low-Scaling Movements

Movement	Typical Rx Completion Rate	Why More Athletes Go Rx
Wall balls	70–75% attempt Rx	Accessible weight (20/14 lb)
Box jumps	70–75% attempt Rx	Scalable via step-ups in mindset
Rowing/Assault bike	75–80% attempt Rx	No skill barrier
Deadlifts (moderate)	65–70% attempt Rx	Straightforward strength
Toes-to-bar	55–65% attempt Rx	Achievable with kipping

The pattern is clear: Gymnastics skill movements (muscle-ups, HSPU) create the hardest Rx barrier. Monostructural cardio and moderate-weight barbell movements are the most accessible.

Historical Examples

Some Open workouts have produced extreme Scaled rates:

Open 16.3 (muscle-ups + snatches climbing to 225 lb): Only ~30% of registered athletes attempted Rx
Open 18.4 (deadlifts + HSPU + muscle-ups at heavy weights): ~35% attempted Rx
Open 23.2 (shuttle runs + heavy thrusters + bar muscle-ups at 185/125 lb): ~40% attempted Rx

Conversely, workouts with accessible standards see 65–70% go Rx:

Open 20.1 (ground-to-overhead + burpees): ~65% attempted Rx
Open 22.1 (wall balls + double-unders + cleans): ~63% attempted Rx

The "Incomplete Rx" Problem

Choosing Rx doesn't mean finishing the workout. A significant portion of Rx athletes post incomplete scores:

Workout Difficulty	Rx Athletes Completing	Rx Athletes Incomplete
Low-barrier (cardio/moderate weight)	85–90%	10–15%
Medium-barrier (heavy barbell)	65–75%	25–35%
High-barrier (muscle-ups/HSPU)	40–55%	45–60%

This creates a strategic dilemma. An incomplete Rx score often ranks lower than a completed Scaled score. Athletes who choose Rx for ego but can't complete the workout may actually rank worse overall.

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The scoring system ranks all completed Scaled scores below all Rx scores for overall Open standings. But within a single workout, a fast Scaled time is a better training experience than a partial Rx score where you stared at a bar for 10 minutes.

Year-Over-Year Trends

Several trends have emerged in the Rx/Scaled split:

1. Scaled Participation is Slowly Growing

The Scaled division has grown from ~35% in 2019 to ~42% in 2026. This reflects the broadening of CrossFit's appeal beyond hardcore athletes.

2. More Athletes Are Making Smarter Choices

In the early years of the Scaled division, there was significant stigma. Athletes would attempt Rx knowing they couldn't complete the workout. This has shifted — more athletes now strategically choose Scaled when the workout doesn't match their abilities.

3. Rx Standards Have Gotten Harder

CrossFit has gradually increased workout complexity. More workouts now include high-skill gymnastics and heavier barbells, which naturally pushes more athletes toward Scaled.

4. The "Rx Ego" is Fading

Community culture has shifted. Coaches now actively encourage athletes to choose the division that gives them the best workout rather than the one that looks best on the whiteboard.

What the Data Says About When to Scale

Based on the scoring data, here's a practical framework:

Go Rx if:

You can complete all required movements at the prescribed weight
You can finish the workout within the time cap (or get close)
Your Rx score would rank higher than your potential Scaled score

Go Scaled if:

You lack a required skill (muscle-ups, HSPU)
The prescribed weight is above ~85% of your 1RM for the required reps
You'd spend more than 30% of the workout resting/staring at equipment

A good rule of thumb: if you can't do the first movement in an Rx workout for at least 3 unbroken reps, Scaled will give you a better workout and likely a better relative score.

Country-Level Variation

Rx rates vary significantly by country, reflecting the maturity and intensity of local CrossFit cultures:

Country	Rx Rate (18–34)
Iceland	~78%
United States	~65%
Australia	~63%
Brazil	~60%
United Kingdom	~58%
Germany	~54%
France	~52%
Japan	~45%

Countries with longer CrossFit histories and more established competition cultures tend to have higher Rx rates. Newer markets show higher Scaled participation.

Practical Takeaways

You're not alone in scaling. 40%+ of all Open athletes choose Scaled. In older age groups, it's the majority.
Muscle-ups are the great divider. If a workout has muscle-ups, expect 60–70% of athletes to go Scaled. Getting your first muscle-up dramatically changes your Open experience.
The Scaled division is not "easy." Scaled workouts are still challenging. The top Scaled scores often rival mid-pack Rx scores in terms of work capacity.
Age matters more than you think. If you're doing Rx past age 45, you're in a competitive minority. Own that.
The best choice is the one that gives you the best workout. A completed Scaled workout at high intensity beats a frustrated partial Rx score every time.

Related Articles:

CrossFit Open 2026 Results Analysis — Full breakdown of 379,000 athletes
Open Score Percentiles by Age — Where does your score rank?
CrossFit Open Age Group Performance — How performance changes with age

Tools:

Percentile Calculator — See where your Open scores rank
Benchmark Calculator — Compare your fitness benchmarks