DOUBLING DOWN
“Stick to the basics and when you feel you’ve mastered them, it’s time to start all over again, begin anew, again with the basics, this time paying closer attention.” —Greg Glassman
“The amazing coaching” is a common answer from owners/coaches/clients to the question, “what makes your gym good?”
The decades from around 1970 to 2000 have slowly removed coaching from the fitness industry, free weights being replaced by pin loaded machines, personal training giving way to 100’s of people in a room on stationary bikes or plastic steps, and a DJ providing enough noise to ensure the ‘instructor’ only has to count.
In the 21st Century, we have started to see a resurgence of coaching as a profession and it’s not a stretch to say that CrossFit led the way.
There’s no doubt that it’s tougher to make a successful business on a back of professional coaching (as weird as that seems at face value) and it’s also not very scaleable to large volume, so the fitness industry is doubling down on dumbing things down. Video fitness classes at the gym are bigger than ever. New versions of the same groups classes are constantly re-invented, fads and trends are quickly packaged and pushed out to the masses (drum fitness, kettlbell yoga, etc)
Smart investors are jumping in on the functional fitness bandwagon, and launching franchises by the hundreds that give the appearance of coaching, but actually rely on more of the above factors (loud music, dumbed down circuits, and screen/social media gadgetry) to keep people moving with minimal need for knowledge and professional skills.
So we are a long way from winning the battle.
The thing is though, that compared to the above issues, a coach only needs to be marginally competent to be ahead of the game, yet I am still hearing stories of coaches who work out in class and call that coaching, coaches who don’t know or care to know the names of people they are working with, and coaches that are thinly disguised athletes simply trying to do as little work as possible for free gym access.
This sort of stuff is the bare minimum, I can without arrogance state that we’re long past these issues, but in no way are we resting on our laurels. This year we’ll be doubling down, and continuing to make ‘the amazing coaching’ one of the best things about our gyms.
Having a coach is important to provide a more accurate picture of our reality, to instil positive habits of thinking, to break our actions down and then help us build them back up again.
It is a way to get feedback on our movement, our mental attitude.
It’s someone to talk to about goals, hopes, dreams.
It’s someone to build a relationship with.
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
Tom Landry
TRAINING JANUARY 7
MONDAY
FITNESS
A1. Power Clean + Hang Squat Clean + Squat Clean
Build to a working set in 15mins
A2.Single Leg Box jump (Tech)
3-4 of 8 reps, alternating
B.
In 6mins
800m Run
Max reps Power Cleans 90/60kg
Rest 3mins
In 6mins
800m Run
Max reps Deadlifts 90/60kg
TUESDAY
Fitness
A1.Strict HSPU
5 x 3-5
A2.Single Arm KB Row
5 x 6-8/arm
B.
21-15 -9 reps for time of:
Pullups
STOH 30/20kg
WEDNESDAY
Fitness
A1. Front squat
10-8-6-4, building
A2. Double KB Romanian Deadlift
18-15-12-9, building
B.
40/30 cal Row or Airbike
40 Wallballs 9/6kg
400m Run
40 Air Squats
AMRAP in 10mins
THURSDAY
Fitness
A.
1. HS Walk/Shoulder Taps
2. Bar Muscle Ups/Strict Pullups
EM x 10
B.
1) 2 Rope Climbs
2) 6 High Box Jumps
3) 50m Front Rack Carry
4) Rest
EM x 16
C. Optional
20 Weighted Situps (DB across chest)
20 Good Mornings (zercher or back rack)
20 Barbell Bicep Curls
20 sec Star Plank e/side
2 sets for quality
FRIDAY
Fitness
A1.Power Clean + Front Squat- build to a heavy set
A2.Ring Dip Supports- sets of 10-20sec (top and bottom)
B.’Elizaburpee’
15-12-9
Power Clean + Front Squat 61/43kg
Burpees
Performance
A.Squat Clean- build to a heavy single(not a max)
B.’Elizabeth’
21-15-9
Squat Clean 61/43kg
Ring Dips
SATURDAY
A.In partners;
@ 0:00
1600m run
400m Odd Object Carry
@ 15:00
1600m Row
400m Farmers Walk
@ 30:00
400 Double Unders
200m Sled Drag/Prowler Push