Got a marketing email from Wodify (our box management service) a couple of months ago advertising a new service they offer where you can fill your training calendar with WODs by the famous CrossFit Games competitor Jason Khalipa.
"The NCFIT Collective (Jason Khalipa's firm) "is a one-stop shop for workouts, programming, session plans, and coaching development." That's straight from their website.
I really didn't pay attention to it because I do all the programming for our box and our coaching development/mentoring program is pretty damn strong.
A couple of months go by and I get another email from Wodify not only advertising NCFIT again but they were now letting me know that they had added 3 other programming firms for me to choose from.
Their sales pitch is, "TAKE BACK YOUR DAY" and "Save time by not having to worry about programming or entering workouts manually".
This isn't new to the fitness industry. I've been programming for a long time now and I'll be the first to tell you that I don't come up with every workout I program. I didn't come up with Fran. Greg Glassman did. I didn't come up with any of the benchmark WODs. I didn't come up with Pendlay Row. Glenn Pendlay did. You can find badass WODs all over the internet and I search for them constantly to add to my programming because I need to make sure that we stay constantly varied.
But I ADD them to my programming. And I choose them only if they fit within a certain intended stimulus.
I totally get the attractiveness for a CrossFit box to rely on the programming of a famous Games athlete or Games athlete coach (Ben Bergeron has a very successful programming business). You want to give your athletes everything they need to become successful in CrossFit so... Why not use the programming of successful CrossFit personalities.
That's easy for me to answer, and pay attention because this is important: Neither Jason Khalipa nor Ben Bergeron, as awesome as they are, know my athletes. It really is that simple and there's just no getting around it.
While CrossFit programming is constantly varied I assure you that it is NEVER random.
And when a group of people rely on you to keep them safe and healthy you better make damn sure that you're more concerned about giving them what they need and be less concerned about "Taking back your day."
This is my day. Every day. 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
You as an athlete may think it's about the next horrible WOD. It isn't. Just programming a WOD without considering the abilities and capabilities of your athletes is flat out dangerous. Programming is ALL about getting your athletes ready for what's next. That requires a coach to KNOW their athletes so they can create that road map. Cookie cutter programming that you can plug in with ease in a calendar is just lazy. I assure you that it will never be, "gotta get this done so I can 'TAKE BACK MY DAY'".
Comments