How to Talk to Your Coach
Today we tackle an odd topic, how to have a conversation with your coach.
For many of you, this might seem silly as your coaches are your close friends, part of your social circle, or maybe even family. But for others, this can be an awkward and even intimidating thing to do.
First off, one thing to remember is that in general, and especially here at Crossfit Terminus, Crossfit coaches love what they do. The reason we spend early mornings and late nights among the sweat, loud noises, and hot/cold temperatures is because we truly love helping you achieve your goals, seeing you hit PR’s, and gain self-confidence in all areas of your life. We are passionate individuals, and often that passion can manifest itself in some intense conversations, or some reactions that may be seen as extreme. With that in mind, here is a guide to approaching some common conversations.
I hit a PR/success/new job/positive in my life:
We love hearing about your successes inside and outside the gym. If you hit a PR, mentally attacked a WOD with a new level of intensity, got a new job, or had a great date the day before, tell us about it! This is a great conversation in person and during all times of the day. We want to celebrate these successes with you. For us, it’s heartwarming that we may have had a hand in your achieving those things. (Except for the date, that’s all you)
I have a tweak or sore spot:
This is something we are happy to help with. Some things that you should be prepared to answer:
-Where is the pain?
-What is the intensity of the pain?
-Was this caused by a specific movement?
-What things have you tried so far to mend it?
-Do you have old injuries that might have caused this?
As far as timing, if you feel it before a class starts, pull us aside and let us know so that we can have some scaling options ready for you. If it happens mid-workout, please lean on our expertise if we ask you to stop the workout and move to mobility for the day or even scale to something else. We want to keep you happy and healthy.
I have a complaint/issue:
We aren’t perfect. Not even close. So we will often make mistakes. This can be as small as explaining a movement or a workout a little bit wrong, to as big as saying something that offends you or being over-the-top with our passion during a coaching moment.
We want to hear about these things so we can address them, apologize, and prevent the problem from happening again. The best way to let us know would be over an email or facebook message. The reason for this is two-fold. First, this allows you the chance to truly process and evaluate what happened, and then put those feelings in writing. Second, this allows us to not be reactionary in our response. Instead we get the chance to think about the situation logically and give you an honest response.
*Side note* One thing we make a point to not partake in is talking negatively about other members. There is a line between gossip and someone else truly hurting your experience at the gym. If it is the latter, we can have that conversation.
I want specialized/competitive programming:
We get this conversation a lot and we understand why. With Squat Mafia being so successful on a competitive level, Emily being a Games Athlete, and many elite athletes dropping in to train, the siren song of being a competitive Crossfit athlete is strong. I would encourage everyone to track their progress and go back and look how much stronger, faster, and fitter they are than 6 months to a year ago.
That being said, the regular GPP programming has proven time and time again to create high-level recreational Crossfit athletes. When attacked with intensity 5 days a week, the normal programming will make you dramatically better at Crossfit and a much more fit individual. With that in mind, your coach will have a few questions for you.
-Why do you want to compete?
-Are you aware of the risks of competing at a high level/training with high volume? (Multiple WODs a day)
-Do you spend at least 2 hours a week outside of class purely doing mobility?
-Have you consistently been attending Crossfit 5 times a week?
-Does your schedule allow for multiple hours a day of training?
-Do you have specific, measurable benchmarks for the next 3, 6, 12 months with Crossfit? What are those?
When you have the answers to these questions, set up a time where you can sit down with a coach outside of class time to talk through a gameplan for you. With personal training, individualized programming, and targeting within the existing programming, there are several options available. As coaches, we will also prioritize health and wellness over competition though.
There are so many other conversations and topics that we could talk about, but a good general rule is to communicate to your coach. We love talking to you and getting feedback. We simply ask that you take the context and location of the conversation into account and be patient when we may react strongly.
-Coach Casey