Recently, at our boxes (gyms), we have had several athletes/members ask why we do this WOD or that WOD or this olympic lifting workout or that one? I think every box owner and coach has different reasons and answers for those questions, but they are probably generally the same. Let me be the first to say that I am 100% responsible for the programming at our gyms. From time to time I do discuss WOD’s with staff, but I program our fitness training based on the broad based community and their fitness needs. Our programming model has evolved over the course of the last 6 years. At first, I followed main site programming and posted that programming to our site. Then we began to develop our own programming based on more experience and a better understanding of what our specific community needed.
Sometimes it amazes me when a new athlete or coach decides they are going to recreate the wheel and do some alternate programming while in our community. Now, I do realize that there is a lot of good programming out there. But here are hard cold facts after 2,190 days of programming and training in our boxes, members who do this don’t last. They inevitably get hurt, burned out or frustrated with their results. I have several examples, but I won’t digress. On the other hand, members who follow the plan, do the work, listen and learn, get results! Why? Our training model is not built on the knowledge of one single mind, but the knowledge and experience of the collective compendium of coaches, trainers, and experts within the field fitness.
Our programming is designed to create skill, metabolic capacity across the span of human performance from explosive anaerobic capacity to mid and long range endurance fitness. Make no doubt about it, we consider what we do as a School of Fitness.
School -A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students (or “pupils”) under the direction of teachers.
We are not a “gym” or a facility to come in and workout at. If so, why do you pay what you do train at the average box. Most boxes charge 150-200.00 for unlimited training per month. Why pay that when you can pay 29.95 at 24 Hour Fitness if all you want to do is workout with no guidance, no instruction and no structure? By the way, when you did that, how did it work out for you? This concept of a “school of fitness” may seem rather foreign to you. But think about it, it is no different than a martial arts, music or dance school or academy. They teach specific skills and provide instruction to promote you to progress.
When I started CrossFit Fort Worth, I did it out of a desire to find like minded people who realize that suffering yields results. That HARD is good. That if you want different results than the masses, you have to do something different. I don’t expect everyone to want to train the way we do and that’s ok. I want my results, not theirs! If you look at our coaches or several of our founders members who have been with us for 3-5 years, they are the top performers in our community. Why? Time, hard work, genetics, and following the plan. It’s that simple.
At our facilities, our coaches are chosen mostly from our own community. They all have their Level 1 CF Trainer Certification and have completed our Mentoring Program. We then shadow them based on their experience and then let them start to teach in our coaching rotation and then eventually take over a class schedule. If you coach in our schools, you will be a professional, consider what you do as a profession, whether it be part or full time, and teach classes with an expectation toward excellence.
Let’s face it, the average member just wants to get in shape. But we don’t coach for the average, we coach for excellence at all levels of fitness. Sometimes it amazes me when a member trains with us and then starts complaining about what we program for them to do. Wait, I thought that is what they pay us for? To provide accountability, instruction and programming that will get them fit and looking good! Just like a student in a class, sometimes they complain. Get used to it, it is human nature. If they want to cherry pick or do their own thing, let them, somewhere else. It is not worth the headache. Also, there are some members that need corrective coaching, scaling, modification of programming because of their specific sport, health or level of development. This is different than cherry picking and wanting to do what they “want” to do just because they “want” to.
So if you train in our boxes, here are 10 things to get used to.
Get used to the HARD, it’s not getting any easier
Get used to doing things you don’t want to
Get used to being out of your comfort zone
Get used to learning NEW skills
Get used to exposing your weaknesses
Get used to humbling yourself
Get used to coaches and teachers who value you
Get used to a community, not isolation
Get used to excellence, results and not just promises
Get used to the NEW you
School is in session
Coach D
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