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Maximizing Coaching Time Through More Purposeful Warm-Ups

ByPaul Markakis, CF-L2January 15, 2025

Workout
In 7 minutes:
1,000-meter row buy-In

Followed by as many rounds and reps as possible in the remaining time of:
3 power snatches
10 wall-ball shots (20/30 lb)

* Complete this cycle for 3 rounds. Rest 3 minutes between rounds. Score is max rounds and reps. *

Round 1: 95/135 lb
Round 2: 105/155 lb
Round 3: 115/175 lb

It’s a Friday afternoon and you get to your affiliate ready to coach. You did the class workout earlier in the day, so you know what your members should expect. This workout is both time-consuming and high-skill, so you created the perfect lesson plan timed out to the minute to deliver an exceptional class experience. Class starts … and you have three new drop-ins show up for a trial class, none of whom have touched a barbell in their lives. You now have more athletes than rowers, so you can’t start everyone at once. Your “perfect” lesson plan has gone completely off the rails. But as a professional coach, you’re adaptable and ready to handle any situation that comes your way. 

We’ve all been there as coaches. You think you have an ideal plan for your class, and something unexpected forces you to change everything. This is especially true when the class has a longer time domain or involves high-skill movements that require a wide range of modifications. 

One thing I’ve found that helps me maximize coaching time is a more purposeful warm-up. In this warm-up, I consider getting the athlete warmed up and ready for the workout while also maximizing the class’s efficiency. While still meeting the minimum conditions of a CrossFit warm-up as outlined in the CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide, several additional considerations serve as my mental checklist for every class I coach. 

Use as Little Equipment as Necessary

When coming up with my lesson plan, one of the first things I do is work backward from the Workout of the Day (WOD) and try to find ways to minimize equipment needs as much as possible. My rule is if a member won’t use a specific piece of equipment two to three different ways during a warm-up, it’s generally not worth having them get it out in the first place. For example, a good morning in a warm-up can — and often will — be done with a resistance band. But if that banded good morning is the only use of the resistance band in the warm-up, I’ll ask myself two questions: 1. Are there other appropriate warm-up movements I can include to incorporate the resistance band? 2. Are there other types of good mornings (e.g., empty barbells or PVC) that will utilize equipment the members will need for other aspects of the warm-up or the workout itself and can replace the resistance band? 

The same philosophy applies to kettlebells, barbells, or any other equipment used in a warm-up. 

Minimize Transitions

This goes hand-in-hand with using as little equipment as necessary. Any time members have to transition between equipment during a warm-up, there is typically a compounding effect of lost time due to transitions. While I’m coming up with my lesson plan, I also think through the flow of the warm-up and try to minimize as many of the transitions as possible. For example, if a workout contains wall-ball shots and power snatches, the snatch is more demanding of time during the specific warm-up. When athletes build up to their workout weight, getting their attention back to warm up other movements will be difficult. By warming up wall-ball shots first or including them in the general warm-up before working on the snatch, members can build to their power snatch weight independently while coaches check in with individual members to determine appropriate scaling options. 

Incorporate Scaling Options and Progressions Into the Warm-Up

Working scaling options and progressions into the warm-up is an easy way to save time later while still ensuring members are adequately prepared for the workout. For example, incorporating the high-hang muscle snatch into a group warm-up progression — maybe even as part of the general warm-up — helps prepare members of all experience levels for power snatches in the WOD. Less experienced members can also be advised that the high-hang power snatch will be a scaling option. 

This same strategy is highly advisable with gymnastics movements, as well — a tripod push-up from the floor in the general warm-up as a progression/scaling option for a handstand push-up or toe-assisted low-ring transitions in the general warm-up as a progression/scaling option for a ring muscle-up — as long as the movements are chosen such that they are generally achievable by all levels of athletes. Newer athletes will benefit from learning the appropriate scaling option, while more advanced athletes benefit by gradually preparing for the specific range of motion demands in the workout. 

Plan for the Worst Case Scenarios

The last consideration I make is reviewing my lesson plan to make sure I’ve accounted for as many worst-case scenarios as possible. If, for example, I have a row buy-in and more members than rowers, I have to account for extra time to stagger-start multiple heats. It’s always easy enough to add additional cool-down elements to a class if there’s extra time, and it’s certainly preferable to running over on time because of a poorly thought-out lesson plan. 

This might also include accounting for spacing issues that could cause a safety hazard (e.g., members doing power cleans close to another athlete who is doing push-ups) and having members walk through where they’ll do different movements, thereby ensuring they are all aware of who will be doing what movements in what space.

image of CrossFit athletes getting coached

 

about the author

Image of CrossFit coach Paul MarkakisPaul Markakis (CF-L2) is a CrossFit Level 2 Trainer at 12 Labours CrossFit in Columbia, Maryland. After completing his 12 Labours coaching internship in January 2022, he has regularly coached group CrossFit classes, Foundations, one-on-one sessions, and affiliate specialty courses. He has also judged various CrossFit competitions, including MACC FEST, the Syndicate Crown CrossFit Semifinals, and Wodapalooza. With this wealth of experience, Markakis is well-equipped to share the lessons from the incredible coaches who mentored him throughout his coaching journey and help create a community of healthier, fitter individuals.