There are many ways to run a free class. What follows is some of the lessons that I’ve learned from teaching free classes more times than I care to mention.
– When prospective athletes walk into your gym for the first time, make sure they they are greeted politely and nicely told where to stash their gear. At the same time, don’t hold their hand too much. I think it is a great experience for a totally new athlete to have to weave their way through a packed gym to drop their stuff off in the back. It makes it clear from the get go that this place isn’t like any other place they’ve been to before.
– Start the class a minute or two late. Letting the new athlete “simmer” in the back and take the scene in is useful. Even better (but this can’t be forced), is if one of your gym’s athletes introduces themselves to the group while they are waiting in the back. As long as it happens spontaneously, this can be a huge bonus.
– Introduce yourself, and talk about your background for 15 seconds (or less). Then go around the group and have all the new athletes introduce themselves and say a little bit about why they are here. Remember their names. Listen for prior injuries, past exposures to Crossfit, and potential goals. You should also listen for tips on how to run the class. If every person says their goal is to lose weight, make sure you talk about some of the success you have had in helping people lose weight. Duh.
- Go over the outline for the class, which should be:
Introduction, warmup, instruction, workout, discussion.
Make sure to include the phrase ” The goal of today is to introduce Crossfit in a friendly, safe environment. I will not make you do anything you don’t want to do.” This usually addresses a common concern.
- Send the athletes out on a run, or have them jump rope for a couple minutes. Continue to engage with the athletes about their backgrounds etc.
- Start discussing how to do the movements for the workout. While the possibilities are endless, I tend to constantly repeat a few simple moves in the free class – goblets squats, push presses, swings, pushups, situps, low rep box jumps, and runs. Super simple, super effective.
- Each movement should have a “lesson” that accompanies it. When I teach the push up, I discuss the concept of scaling – hands on the wall, knees on the ground, knees off the ground etc. When I teach the push press, I talk about cheating by using your hips – and how all good functional movement starts with the hips. Don’t use any big words, and keep your explanations short and simple.
- After you go over the movements, talk about the workout. 100% of the time, you should pick an AMRAP Triplet lasting around 10 minutes. No exceptions. Everyone should finish at the same time – with no one feeling like they’ve been left behind. It is also very hard to beat the simplicity of a weightlifting movement, a gymnastics movement, and a monostructural movement.
- Talk about intensity. I like to say something like “On a scale of 1 to 10 for intensity I want you at 6.5. One is reading US weekly on the recumbent bike and ten is blood leaking out of your ears. Today is your first day with this kind of stuff. I want you to be uncomfortable, but not in danger of hurting yourself. ”
To Be Continued…
