Tex | 04.10.2012

This is heavy, Doc

I was recently told that it takes more than four years in this business to become an expert. This was meant to be an insult towards me, but my immediate response was, “you’re right”. Even though it takes a long time to become an expert, the barrier for entry into this business into this business is very low. As I mentioned Monday, there are 100’s of new CrossFit trainers every week, over 20,000 a year! As you are beginning to look into new CrossFit gyms, I’m sure you have some questions. How do I find the right coach for me? How many gyms do I have to go through before I find the right fit? I just invested so much here, how can I find anything like it? Do I just back to regular gym? This is heavy… (Now the title makes sense!) Below you will find my recommendations of what to look for in coaches when searching for a CrossFit gym. Disclaimer: I am not an expert, it takes more than four years in this business to become an expert.

Goals!
You all knew I would start with this. Goals sum up everything you need to know about your coach, the program, and the gym you are looking into. Ask what the goal, direction of the program, is; is their explanation all over the place with no clear direction, are they simply just trying sell you so you can sign a contract for membership, or is the goal clear and concise? There are plenty of CrossFit gyms out there with competition focuses, general fitness focuses, endurance focuses, or all!, find one that has a direction that is in line with your goals.

Does the coach have goals? These can be educational, training, or professional. Coaches should always be students! Major training certifications require continued education of all of their trainers. CrossFit does not, but does the coach hold themselves to this standard? New techniques are constantly being created and tested and it is important for the coach to be up to speed on new findings in training, nutrition and injury prevention.

It is a great sign if the coach is an athlete, especially if they are practicing what they are putting their athletes through. Ask them about their training goals; do they have any competitions, meets or races coming up? Are they putting themselves through the program they are implementing to test drive it? They don’t have to be the best athlete, but they should have an understanding of the hardwork, commitment, and failure(yes, this is a good thing) that you are putting into your training. As you have found out the hard way, being an athlete is a character builder which leads me into…

Standards
How accountable does the coach hold their athletes for the quality of their movements? This has been touched on all week. There is a great parallel from which the standard a coach holds their athletes to the standard the coach holds themselves. Depth, round backs, I can go on forever. Training is a movement beauty contest, I’m always looking for a deadlift to take to prom. It is a coach’s responsibility to push you towards a higher standard until you hold yourself to one, that’s a true sign of a great coach. “No rep”, is a motivation and an opportunity to improve yourself, not a knock on your performance.

3,2,1…Coach?!
There are two coaching aspects to pay particularly close attention to: one) their approach to each new athlete, and two) the program they run. The first is easy to gauge since this can be judged in their first interaction with you. When dealing with a brand new athlete a coach should take the approach of working backwards with you. Do you have any injuries, do you have any limiting factors that can prevent you from performing certain movements? Your safety is always priority number uno, Jim spent a lot of time talking about this Tuesday. Is the coach someone who can work with you to fix these imbalances or someone who will just start a clock?

When looking at the program, you should shift your focus from past injuries to possible injuries. Is there a goal, direction in the program, or are the workouts random? Is the focus more on quality movements or sloppy time? Bottom line, is the program sustainable? No matter what you are training for, it isn’t to get hurt. Does following the program put you at a risk for injury? Sometimes injuries are unavoidable, but if a lot of the gym members are having the same injuries, then something is amuck. Cali talked about the 3P’s for an athlete yesterday (persistant pursuit of perfection), but there is also a 3P’s for programming: Purposeful, Practical, and Prudent. Purposful- What is the reason behind doing this movement/workout? Practical- Can this movement/workout be done (by the athlete, logistically for class)? Prudent- did this movement/workout accomplish what it was supposed to, was it successful? Challenge your coaches and ask them WHY you’re doing what you’re doing!

Community
The can only thing I will tell you to look for two things: one) are they are supportive in your progress as an athlete, and two) are they proactive in supporting in their community. We are all fortunate to be in the situation we are in life, so it is important that we support those who are not. CrossFit itself is very active in supporting great causes, but how active is the box you’re looking at outside of the fight gone bads and hopes? Are they supporting a local cause? A cause close to a coach or athlete? Workouts are often humbling, but not as humbling as seeing others in unfortunate situations that need our support. Be sure to find a place that has their ideals in line, and focuses more on building the community than merely membership.

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SWOD:

Power Snatch 2RM

DWOD:

Complete the following:

Tabata Sledgehammer Strikes
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Athletic Position Burpees
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Sledgehammer Strikes

*Alternate left and right side swings after each :20 interval.
*Use between a 8-16 lbs sledgehammer.
*The round with the smallest amount completed is your score.

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