Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Visiting Ours


When drop-ins arrive at your gym, coaches recommend a friendly, inquisitive approach for best results.



Ask questions. Lots of questions. When it comes to coaching strangers, that's the advice from affiliate owners in some of the country's most visited spots.



Inquire about such things as medical conditions, how long the athlete has been doing CrossFit, his or her home gym, among other things, advised Charlotte Psaila, owner of CrossFit Kapaa on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. In the winter and summer months, the 800-square-foot affiliate sees at least two drop-ins a day, she said.



“Pretend like they are newbies 'cause to us they are newbies,” Psaila explained. “We've never seen them do anything.”



Zach Forrest echoed those sentiments. If the workout that day involves snatching, then the drop-in athlete will perform the same warm-up as everyone else, said the owner of CrossFit Max Effort in Las Vegas, Nevada. There, coaches interact with 10 to 20 drop-ins on weekdays, he said.



“We'll still review basic pull mechanics from the ground, basic squat positioning and receiving position. We're still going to treat them as though they're learning for the first time just to ensure they're on the same page as us.”



But before coaches even arrive at the point of teaching movement and providing cues, first things first: Be welcoming.



“The most important thing ... when it comes to their receptiveness to coaching is to be as friendly as possible,” Forrest said.

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