We all have different reasons for becoming CrossFit coaches. CrossFit changed your life and you want to help others… Exercising is the most fun part of your day, might as well get paid to do it… You got into health and fitness because you love it but personal training really sucks (this is my story.) After spending some time as a coach, having yelled “3...2...1...GO!” more times that you can count, you start to figure out what this job is really about.

If you’re anything like me you think the job is much less about "Forging elite fitness" and much more about "Forging better lives." The goals of both of these mantras align in a lot of ways. Where they are in opposition, I tend to choose “forging better lives.”

At any regular CrossFit gym the majority of the population wants to look better naked, get reasonably fitter and have fun with friends. When a coach is too focused on "forging elite fitness" at the expense of "forging better lives," they are missing the mark with everyday folks who don't need or want to be elite athletes.

As an example, coming down hard on an athlete for not hitting perfect depth in all of their squats during "Cindy" is not worthwhile. That athlete should be kept safe, cued and directed, but yelling at them post-WOD is a waste of their time and can slowly taint their perceived value of the class.

A high school football player needs/wants to be yelled at during practice by their coaches; an adult in a group fitness class wants to be nurtured in a positive environment where hard work is respected, not demanded.

Here are some more ideas on forging better lives that any coach can apply in their classes:

Shake hands

Maybe my Missouri is showing, as my buddies like to say, but it’s important to me to forge quality relationships with my students that start with a handshake. A strong handshake says thank you for trusting me with your fitness, we’re in this together, let’s do this.

Get to know your athletes, then care about them

Going to work everyday to teach one more f-ing burpee is going to stop doing the trick someday. Getting to help Rachel to her next snatch PR, shooting Stephen an email when you haven’t seen him for a week, laughing with Maria about her sons’ latest soccer mishaps- that’s what keeps you passionate about all the 3...2..1..GOs!

Create an environment where you can nurture relationships

There’s enough downtime in a CrossFit class to get to know your athletes, not to mention the silent learning that goes on as you watch an athlete fight through “Helen.” But this downtime cannot be used adequately if the music is blaring, half the class is confused as to what five by five back squat means exactly, and it’s your responsibility to make sure there’s enough toilet paper in the bathroom too. Getting to know people takes time and effort (on your part, a lot of these people may just want to sweat), but it’s worth it considering how much more the athlete and you will get from the experience.

Have fun yourself

Remember being a kid and being very aware your parents were phoning it in? If you’re not having fun, the athletes aren’t having fun. Prepare to a fault, structure your class, plan the WODs, etc., so that you can smile and laugh right along with the athletes.

Coach as you would want to be coached

You’ve read all the books on fitness, you’ve watched enough CrossFit journal videos, now how do you develop a coaching style? My first piece of advice to any n00b would be “coach as you want to be coached.” Would you take your own class? No? Then you have changes to make. Start by coaching a class you think would be fun and beneficial, and then fine tune from there.

Be honest

Make mistakes and fess up to them. Nothing is worse than a leader who can’t say, “Oops, that didn’t go well.” A high school football coach can disguise any error by yelling, “Go run a lap!” A CrossFit coach has to say, “I had a plan, we tried it, and it didn’t work. Let’s try something differently next time.”

Learn something new everyday

Did a tactic not go well last week? Now you know not to do it again (and you can pass this information on to your fellow coaches.) Every class is an opportunity to learn something about your coaching and your athletes. Having the worst day ever? Sometimes you have to go to work anyway, and develop a way to work with and/or around the circumstances so that the athletes can still get what they came for: a great workout in a loving environment.

Use the whip sparingly

This is the simplest way to look at it: many of your athletes paid $200+ to be at your box each month. They’re not looking to get beat up mentally and emotionally, just physically. A certain type of sternness can be used strategically, the athletes know you’re no bullshit, but bullying is never okay. Never.

Ask for constructive criticism, wisely

One way to find out if you’re doing a good job at forging better lives is to ask. But be careful. Because when you ask, they answer. An unwise way to ask for thoughts is a blog post. Nothing gets out of hand faster than internet comments. A wise way to ask would be something like, “Did you enjoy how we reviewed the snatch before 13.1 today?” It is a more targeted question that has some wiggle room and may lead to more conversation on coaching and learning style.

Make sustainable decisions

Three months after starting your coaching career, you get really tired. You’ve put in so many hours, you’ve flailed a bit which wastes energy, and you’ve reached your limit on conversations about calories in/calories out. Take a minute to say, “I’m blessed to have this job. How do I turn it into something I can do for a long, long time?” With each new decision ask yourself, “Is this sustainable? Will I be as passionate about doing it right now as I will be in three years?” There are always different degrees of yes, but the answer should be yes all the same. When you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, your product suffers and your customers can tell. They feed off your energy. Make it taste really good.

If the heart of your coaching endeavor is improving others lives, you’ll get a long way in this game. You’re open to experimenting, failing and putting yourself out there. Harness it. When anyone asks, “What is it you do?” you can smile and say, “Why don’t you try it and see?”