As a CrossFit trainer, we don’t have a continuing education requirement. If you want to do it, go for it. If not, ehh, no big deal – just retake your test in five years and you’ll be fine…

Yeah, I don’t think it should work like that. Continuing education is a big deal for me. I sought to increase my level of responsibility and knowledge with my career, so worked my butt off and earned a master’s degree. Why shouldn’t I apply the same dedication to CrossFit? Yes, its expensive, but its an investment and myself and my future gym. I’m doing it, case closed.

My biggest challenge at first was like OMG, there are like, for sure way too many options! Do I want to be a certified personal trainer? Yes, okay. Wait which accrediting body is the “best?” Same question with kettlebell. Switch my game plan, maybe I’ll take a CrossFit Seminar. Now its, which specialty: defense, endurance, football, goal setting, gymnastics… there’s fifteen choices. Okay, calm down. Take my time. Read more.

USA Weightlifting, boom. Pick up and put down heavy $hit, fast. We have ourselves a winner! I love lifting heavy stuff and think I’m pretty decent at it. But what I am lacking is specific technical tools to understand how to improve my own form and more importantly those that I am instructing. The specific cues and directions I can use with members to help them improve in form and function.

The USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach certification is a weekend long course where they scare the pants off of you (or maybe just me) about the test you must pass in order to receive the certification. Time is spent actively practicing the moves, watching videos, listening to lectures and coaching other participants through the moves. Spending both full days with a focus on only two lifts was an excellent structure to the course. Auxiliary movements were covered later on the second day – guess what, we squatted. How totally weird for a CrossFitter… J Overall I learned a lot from the weekend and I am very excited to start putting it into practice.

To add to my USAW immersion experience and taking CrossFit’s advice of “regularly try and learn new sports,” the week prior to my cert I participated in a USAW sanctioned Olympic lifting meet. CrossFitters are all go! go! go! (really more like: 3, 2, 1, GO! but close enough). In an Olympic lifting meet, there’s a lot of sitting. And waiting. And performing six total lifts on a platform. AND HAVING TO LEARN TO CALCULATE KILOGRAMS ON THE FLY (again, maybe just me on that one). Same exact sentiment as the with the cert though, overall a great experience.

Now as athlete and coach, I feel more competent in my ability to perform and instruct these movements. I could have taken the CF Oly cert, but why not expand your horizons? It’s like visiting another box, you get to see their take on things and make an informed decision about what works best for you.

Okay, full circle here. I’m not done learning! The continuing ed continues! I’m already signed up for two more certs, these two are CrossFit specialty seminars and I cannot wait. January 12-13 CrossFit Powerlifting at Coca CrossFit in North Ridgeville, OH and this one I’m super pumped about, December 8-9 CROSSFIT KIDS at CrossFit Chicago. Guess what that means future members… :)