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In “Supertraining,” Mel Siff makes a case for “imperfect training”: occasionally varying the balance of loads, stances, speed and others to better prepare an athlete for sport.Older coaches will remember Paul Chek’s “balance” training for the “core” in the early 2000s. For years, parents visiting my gym would cite the value of “training the little muscles in the core” while talking about their kids. Heck, “core” is STILL a buzzword in training circles of lower educational average.Obviously, the nature of sport is unpredictable. But can the training room best prepare an athlete for that unpredictability? Is the scope of unpredictability different for each sport, and therefore trainable only on the field or rink?“Imperfect training,” in my mind, can be spread across a broad spectrum:– inherently unsafe, with little value (risk > reward)– inherently unsafe, with moderate-to-high value (risk = reward)– inherently safe, with moderate-to-high value (reward > risk)– inherently safe, with little value (risk + reward = 0.) It’s irrelevant to our purposes to discuss activities which create no reward. But all training carries an element of risk. Small “injuries” – including muscle tearing, elevated blood pressure, glycogen depletion and exhaustion – are necessary to spur super compensation. In that light, where is the line between “small injuries created on purpose” and “small injuries that are a side effect”? What about small injuries that cause no real limitation or long-term damage, like blisters? “Imperfect” training raises the risk associated in training. BOSU balls were popular toys (but not with Siff, nor with me) for years. The unstable surface of a BOSU ball was argued to create more stability around the ankle and knee joints. Higher risk for a reward or arguable value. Where do box jumps fit into the risk/reward picture? Low-rep box jumps done from on high? High-rep box jumps done from a medium height? Where is the “safe” line in either scenario? The common answer is, “It’s the duty of the ...

by Gretchen Bredemeier, Two-Brain Youth Programs Mentor   Thinking about starting a new youth program, or building on the one you have? Here are Gretchen’s Top 5 tips:   1. Take the time to plan long-term. Short-term thinking and planning is one of the biggest barriers to successful youth programs. It’s why I do everything I can to help gyms overcome this hurdle during mentorship. You can’t just deal with things as they come and expect to thrive.  You have to get ahead of stuff! You respond better, create better, and program better when you work from a long-term plan. Most youth programs are doing exceptionally well if they can think through things a month at a time. Youth coaches and managers work other jobs, have kids… they just tend to have lots going on.  It’s the gym owner’s job to set the vision of a Youth Program, and create an annual plan with quarterly goals.    2. Get your youth coaches certified. Sure CrossFit Kids or BrandX is an insurance requirement for youth ages 12 and under, but there are gobs of great reasons to make sure your coaches are certified.  As I coach adults, I’ve never had anyone ask about my certifications. As a Youth Coach, however, I actually decided to hang them all on the wall above my desk and require that all parent conversations happen at that desk.  It’s embarrassing (I don’t want to be THAT person), but parents need to see them. Certs make parents comfortable and help to gain their respect in a “sport” that is still seen as “scary” and “unorthodox” in most areas.  It gives parents the security of knowing that you gained your knowledge from something greater than YouTube. Certs go a long way to professionalize our profession. Certifications can be brought up and used to validate content (particularly anything controversial- like early specialization). At this transition point, as CrossFit begins ...