Looking back, ever been in a situation where asking one simple question could have saved you a worlds worth of trouble? Ya. No, me neither haha.
I have been coaching my friend Janna in the 6am class for over a year now. She is a pleasure to have in the class and brings all kinds of positive energy to the crew. Right before CoVid shut us down, I went on holidays. I had the time booked off for holidays but wasn’t flying out until later that day so I decided I would join the 6am crew for a workout. The coach that day was joking around and getting everyone’s names on the whiteboard. Coach politely asked Janna how to spell her name.
“J - A - N - N - A” she replied. I was sitting off to side on one of the blue boxes listening to them and immediately interrupted the entire class. See, when Janna started at 306, I just assumed it was spelt “J - A - N - A” and went with it. I assumed. Janna didn’t correct me because she is too nice and gracious of a human being. That day however, the other coach asked the question.
Ive had this topic in my bank of ideas since that day. Just simply asking a question. In CrossFit, we are constantly challenged by new and different movements, ideas, desired outcomes, stimulus, on and on. That’s the whole point. We want to challenge our system with something new. As coaches, we do our best to make sure everything is explained and laid out for you before we get into the workout. However, all of our minds work differently. While I thought one “N” made sense for Janna, had I asked the question, I would have found out the right answer. If there is something you are unsure of in class, something that you would like more clarification or explanation on, ask the question!
We have all heard the sayings before; “if you are thinking it, probably someone else is as well” and “there’s no such thing as a stupid question”. Provided that question is on topic, I agree with both of those statements. Sometimes the explanations or cues we give might not clock with you. That’s ok. Ask the questions so we can spend the time making sure you are getting the most out of your time in the gym.
This blog is your permission to take the time to make sure you are clear. Slow things down. Ask the questions. There’s a lot going on within the hour you are at the gym. We want to make it the best hour of your day. So ask away! A simple moment of clarity might go a long ways in your fitness journey. Don’t take the example from this guy and assume; sorry JanNa! :)