Today, 9 years after I started my CrossFit journey I learned something new. You would think that after all of these years in the fitness industry, I would “know it all”. But I don’t.

I went to the 11:30am lunch class today with Coach Johnny. Before class, Coach Johnny demonstrated a more controlled way to do an abmat sit-up. Now, I have alway prided myself on how fast I can do sit-ups and can often do large unbroken sets pretty easily. Today however, Coach Johnny suggested that we slow the movement down and really engage our core as we move intentionally through the movement. Surprise, surprise, it worked! No, my score wasn’t as fast as it could’ve been and I wasn’t at the top of the leaderboard but I maintained the intended stimulus of the workout and I got fitter. Not to mention, I know I will be sore tomorrow.

Coach Johnny has only been coaching for 5-6 months. I could have easily dismissed his recommendation and done them the way I “always” do. But I truly value the knowledge that he brings to the table. All of our Golden Ape coaches are well educated and have so much to offer the Golden Ape community.

My goal in training is, and alway has been, to continually learn and evolve as an athlete. Train smarter not harder, right? It is really true that there’s a smarter way to train. If your coaches really know what they are doing (I assure you that Golden Ape coaches are the best), and you let them, they will help you train smarter not harder.

In the 20 something years that I have worked in the fitness industry, I have seen many people spin their wheels in the gym day in and day out. They jump from program to program, trainer to trainer, chasing the next best thing and never satisfied with their results. The majority of them will end up frustrated or injured and ultimately quitting.

Our coaches are well trained and can spot a coachable athlete from a mile away. It’s virtually impossible to coach someone who isn’t willing to improve and change. The best athletes in the world have coaches who hold them accountable. Remaining coachable will carry you faster towards your goals than you can carry yourself.

How do we know if someone is coachable?

Here are just a few ways:

1. Reaction: The athlete responds positively to feedback and expresses a desire to be coached through both their words and actions.
2. Self-Awareness: The athlete demonstrates an awareness of the situation and the difference between their current state and their desired state.
3. Behavior Change: The athlete makes the changes that the coach suggests that brings them from current state to desired state.
4. Performance: The new behavior improves performance in a real and measurable way.
5. All of the above is done with a good attitude.

Our GA Coaching staff is here to help guide you through this progression to get you to your desired goals. The athletes who continually meet their goals are the one’s who remain coachable and committed to the process no matter how difficult or humbling it may be. We are here to serve you. We are here to help you dig deep, to help you see yourself and your potential the way we see it. You have goals. Our job and our passion, if you allow us, is to help you realize and tap into the potential you have to crush those goals.