Managing Safety and Intensity

Managing safety and intensity  should be a collaborative effort with the coach and the athlete. However, the large bulk of this demand is placed on the coach.

The Coach

The coaching staff is the most integral part of providing athletes with an experience that keeps them safe while delivering results. Coaches guide athletes on a path to develop correct technique before significantly increasing loads or speed. In other words, they guide them deliberately through the charter of mechanics, consistency, intensity, plus threshold training. This could be achieved through an on-ramp process and/or accurately tracking the athletes’ data and attendance.

As athletes advance, the coach will continue to refine more subtle faults to help them improve their movement efficiency and increase intensity (power). The coach is also responsible for creating new challenges for them to achieve. This can be achieved by effectively managing their threshold. If the athlete continues to perform the same scales, loads, reps, etc., they will stop progressing. Effective threshold training is critical to avoid premature plateaus.

The coach is also responsible for managing athletes’ relative intensity. As mentioned previously, relative intensity means intensity is relative to an individual’s physical and psychological tolerances. We work to ensure each workout meets athletes’ needs through effective scaling and threshold training to help them achieve the intended stimulus of the workout of the day.

A less well-understood component is that an athlete’s relative intensity may change frequently. For example, an athlete might have a poor night’s sleep or be in a period of high stress. This athlete may be best served by a workout that is lower in intensity than they typically perform. This is why a key component of a session is a time to check in or assess your athlete’s readiness before starting the main session of the day. This can be achieved through a quick chat or by assessing your athlete’s body language and struggles during the general and specific warm-up.

The coach is also responsible for effectively implementing quality warm-ups and cool-downs. Warm-ups prepare the body for upcoming demands, allow coaches time for skill refinement and load management, and lay the groundwork for effective scaling. Effective cool-downs also allow athletes to recover more quickly and be prepared for the demands of the days ahead.

The Athlete

The athlete’s primary role is to check their ego and listen to their coach’s guidance on scaling, movement refinement, and quality programming. The athlete is also responsible for listening to their body and letting their coach know when they are feeling banged up, so the coach can adapt the workout accordingly. Affiliates with a strong culture that sets expectations for their athletes at the outset of their journeys alleviate many of these potential issues before they start.

Good Technique Is Not Just for Safety

Adhering to proper movement mechanics is not solely for safety. Yes, good mechanics will reduce risk. An added benefit is that proper mechanics also boost performance and intensity. If athletes want to perform at their best, lift the heaviest weights possible, beat their buddies at workouts, and do more cool skills, then high-quality technique coupled with progressively increased intensity levels will do the trick. Good technique is a win-win situation!