The Art is in the Programming

By Joanne Cogle and Michael Craw
(November 8, 2021)

Coaching CrossFit and Aging Populations (4- Part Article Series)

CrossFit, and CrossFit Affiliates, have seen an increase in the Master age athlete over the past few years. What has that meant for the coach and programmer?

As an affiliate, we are given free rein for our programming. The core intention is to work across all modalities; however, when it comes to the Master athlete, many programs make a few mistakes. These mistakes include volume, scaling, and recovery.

First, volume becomes an issue for many of our Master age athletes. Much like our younger athletes, too many reps at heavier weights can lead to overuse injuries. With our aging population, those number of reps should be even lower to protect the joints, ligaments, and other soft tissues. Coaches can adjust the number of prescribed repetitions, allowing the athlete to finish the workout with the rest of the class, while safely providing the desired stimulus. For this population, more is not always better.

Second, we often find that limited range of mobility and previous injuries are a limiting factor and as a result, appropriate scaling becomes critical. While we as coaches can scale the weight of any movement, it is often beneficial to scale the movement itself. For example, a barbell deadlift may turn into a kettlebell deadlift to allow for a safer range of motion for the low back and hamstrings, or perhaps the pull-up turns into a ring row to protect the shoulder joint. Again, this approach provides the athlete a safe sustainable exercise while upholding the desired stimulus of the workout.

Training the older person, particularly one that is new to CrossFit, means focusing on those things that they need. Rationally coming to terms with ‘the focus’ is accepting that exercise performance will decline over the lifespan. Accepting biological decline is something that aging people face from day one, but our CrossFit CSG coaches explain to older clients that they can delay their decline through movement that targets increased mobility and greater strength. So, the message to our aging populations is quite simple and very positive, though your body is in regression if you continue training you will be more flexible and stay stronger than if you don’t!

My programming of ‘WODS (Work out of the day) with purpose’ integrates longevity and performance. Performance is important but workouts that have movement linked to longevity mean an athlete is functioning at the highest level for the longest period without pain and injury. Specific WOD goals are set for each session requiring intensity early in the class. The art in working with aging populations is not simply a matter of scaling workouts, because that person is, for all purposes, an athlete! This programming awareness is essential for coaches that are seeking to successfully train older people.

Finally, and perhaps a perk is an increased need for recovery. As we age our bodies need more time to rejuvenate muscle fibers. While we recommend athletes to workout 3-6 days a week with 1-2 days of active rest for maximum results, this looks a little different for our Master athlete and it’s encouraged to participate in active rest every 2-3 days. Active rest days, such as walking, yoga, or swimming, should become more frequent and sleep should be prioritized.