Hiring CrossFit Trainers.

[Chris Wyant]

Hey everyone!

So I am days away from submitting insurance and becoming an affiliate!

My question however, how do you find trainers to coach CrossFit when you are new to the area? Granted I grew up in the area that I am opening and know more than a half dozen trainers that I can hire, though none are CrossFit certified - and certainly none can get certified soon with them all being sold out. While I could hire them as "interns," I can't always be at the gym to monitor them.

I also feel that CrossFit is not exactly something you can post an ad on craigslist. Is there a portion of the message boards devoted to hiring trainers?

I am asking this before I officially post a thread for resumes in this section (I also don't plan on posting an ad until officially given the go ahead by HQ).

[Thomas Stevenson]

Just don't hire anyone who has a level one that is for sure... Make sure they have some sort of relavent knowlege and can LEAD people. If they are going to be the only trainer their they have to know what they are doing. Remember they are representing you.

Craigslist is fine... Thats how I found the box I work at. You just have to want to take the time to sort threw the crap. Plus if someone who isn't an avid crossfitter may not check these boards. You could be missing out on someone who has a wealth of knowlege and Expereince to supply and add to your box.

[Anthony DiSarro]

Start training people and i bet you'll find someone that really locks on and "gets it". Cultivate them into your first trainer.

[Mark Griffith]

Originally Posted by Thomas Stevenson

Just don't hire anyone who has a level one that is for sure... Make sure they have some sort of relavent knowlege and can LEAD people. If they are going to be the only trainer their they have to know what they are doing. Remember they are representing you.

Craigslist is fine... Thats how I found the box I work at. You just have to want to take the time to sort threw the crap. Plus if someone who isn't an avid crossfitter may not check these boards. You could be missing out on someone who has a wealth of knowlege and Expereince to supply and add to your box.

From what I understand you have to have a level 1 to train clients at an affiliate. An intern cannot train people. They can only do non-training work. A trainer with only another cert cannot train anyone in CrossFit.

Why would you hire a trainer that is not an avid crossfitter???

Don't hire a level 1? Huh? That is a purpose of the cert.

Give them smaller groups of clients until they build experience. (Their wage should reflect that) Mentor them.
I know it is better to get a level 1 with experience, but you may not be able to.

Of course the best would be a Level 2 with alot of experience. But there are much fewer of them out there.

[Casey Caudle]

Originally Posted by Mark Griffith

From what I understand you have to have a level 1 to train clients at an affiliate. An intern cannot train people. They can only do non-training work. A trainer with only another cert cannot train anyone in CrossFit.

Why would you hire a trainer that is not an avid crossfitter???

Don't hire a level 1? Huh? That is a purpose of the cert.

Give them smaller groups of clients until they build experience. (Their wage should reflect that) Mentor them.
I know it is better to get a level 1 with experience, but you may not be able to.

Of course the best would be a Level 2 with alot of experience. But there are much fewer of them out there.

Well Im an intern at my affiliate, The Body Lab, and I train people. I dont have the money for a certification. at first I just followed Matt Murski around and watched him train, but then I slowly started teaching people and training clients. I feel like I have learned so much more in the past few months than a level 1 could teach me.

[Mark Griffith]

Originally Posted by Casey Caudle

Well Im an intern at my affiliate, The Body Lab, and I train people. I dont have the money for a certification. at first I just followed Matt Murski around and watched him train, but then I slowly started teaching people and training clients. I feel like I have learned so much more in the past few months than a level 1 could teach me.

Here is exactly what the FAQ says:

9.36. Can I work as a trainer at an affiliate if I'm not certified by CrossFit?
You may instruct as an apprentice, under the mentoring of an L1 Certified CrossFit trainer.

All trainers at a CrossFit affiliate must hold a CrossFit Level One Certification. Apprentice (non-L1 certified) trainers may work under the direct supervision of a certified L1 trainer prior to obtaining their L1 certification.


So youre actually an apprentice.
Several months? Maybe the gym will sponsor your cert?
You have to register way ahead of time...

[Joel Secan]

Chris, sent you a PM

[Thomas Stevenson]

I'm not saying don't purposely hire non cert people. But people with relevant background such as power lifting, people involved heavily in strength and conditioning with a moderate knowledge in CrossFit are good candidates. Are you going to pass up someone with 10+ years of experience of olympic and power lifts or even gymnastics or joe shmoe who's only background is crossfitting for 2 years and just got there level one. The ability to teach oly Lifts are to me (only in my opinion) are the greatest assets to anyone coaching crossfit. Which isn't even covered in the Level 1. I've seen gymnastics coaches and former gymnasts make great crossfit coaches as well but had little pull to CF tell they started coaching it, because they bring a whole other knowledge base that allows further expansion and coaching to a program. I am biased because of my experience and I don't believe in being a purist of anything. Thats why I think crossfit football is so cool, and I think there will be many off shoots to come. Think outside the box cuz I think that is the key to crossfit.

Plus i want to note that a lot of people in this world have been crossfitting long before crossfit was formed... This isn't new Idea just finally put together and packaged with the name crossfit for the masses which is where I give credit, and they are getting a handsome reward for it.

(excuse me I got into a rant and I didn't want to erase it)

How I got my job was pretty much like an open tryout. My resume impressed them then I had to go in for two weeks non-paid and prove myself as a leader and my ability to program and coach every movement and exercise I claimed to be proficient in. I like the format of hiring like an open tryout you find out who really wants it. I like the Idea of finding someone you trust and grooming them too, if you have relevant knowledge to pass on and instruct people on giving instruction... So two ways both great just don't hire anyone based on a resume and pay them tell they are proven. In our box we don't shy away from heavy lifting so peoples lives literally are in our hands and it has to be treated that way. Safety is #1 period and knowledge is key. Though it is smart to not do things you can't properly teach, but I feel like you are robbing people of there money if you aren't giving them the whole enchilada of CrossFit in which i see heavy lifting and good form on the oly lifts are minimal or non existent at all. I had people threaten to walk out of the box when I introduced heavy lifting and they said that didn't want to be football players. Month down the road people are thanking me for there new strength gains and notice in power output in there other activities, especially the few cyclists I have at the box.

(This next rant will offend people)(Don't take this the wrong way because I love CrossFit and its contributions to Society at Large)

Level 1 is a joke of a cert (Just an overpriced workout session)... just a money making venture if you ask me... As for the other certs I don't know because I have no experience nor know anyone who has taken them. not that they aren't useful but you aren't learning a whole lot that can't be learned on ones own. I think of it as paying life time dues since it is a one time deal... Which is a more respectable way to look at it cuz calling it a certification is a bit concerning. I learned all of this when I was in high school and in college. My knowledge is a culmination of 12 years of experience lifting and teaching people to lift, I think that is worth more than a 2day cert that can be taken at anytime without fear of failing, just a big hole in the pocket book. Though I now know how lucky I was to have such an awesome PE & Weight Lifting Coach, plus meeting some other great lifters and coaches through out my life who taught me all of this stuff.

wow that went on longer than I expected... haha after reading that I realized how self absorbed I really am...Oh well... at least I can admit it.

[Neal Riley]

Originally Posted by Thomas Stevenson

Level 1 is a joke of a cert (Just an overpriced workout session)... just a money making venture if you ask me... As for the other certs I don't know because I have no experience nor know anyone who has taken them. not that they aren't useful but you aren't learning a whole lot that can't be learned on ones own. I think of it as paying life time dues since it is a one time deal... Which is a more respectable way to look at it cuz calling it a certification is a bit concerning. I learned all of this when I was in high school and in college. My knowledge is a culmination of 12 years of experience lifting and teaching people to lift, I think that is worth more than a 2day cert that can be taken at anytime without fear of failing, just a big hole in the pocket book. Though I now know how lucky I was to have such an awesome PE & Weight Lifting Coach, plus meeting some other great lifters and coaches through out my life who taught me all of this stuff.

it.

I went to my Level 1 Cert this past weekend and I disagree. I was familiar with almost everything there but I still feel that it was worth the time and money. There were many people there who had never had experience with Crossfit and they learned everything from proper form, cues, programming, nutrition, and what we define as fitness. You're going to learn something at a Level 1 cert no matter how much education you have.

You can't even really compare the hands on experience of the level 1 cert to some other types of Personal Training certification out there.

[Mauricio Leal]

Originally Posted by Thomas Stevenson

My knowledge is a culmination of 12 years of experience lifting and teaching people to lift, I think that is worth more than a 2day cert that can be taken at anytime without fear of failing, just a big hole in the pocket book. Though I now know how lucky I was to have such an awesome PE & Weight Lifting Coach, plus meeting some other great lifters and coaches through out my life who taught me all of this stuff.

As long as you've been lifting/teaching what did you think they were going to teach you? Some radically new techniques? I've had a similar background and, after reading a lot about the cert and CF methods in general, have decided I can do just fine without it. If you are good at what you do then that will be self-evident and being a CFA or having a CF Cert will be of no concern to anyone except those who put the CF brand on a pedestal when many people have been training this way without giving it a name for decades. I heap praises on the open source nature of this community and free exchange of knowledge and experience, but as far as the exercises themselves "there's nothing new under the sun, it's not what you do it's how it's done," meaning it's all about the style or combination (programming) and flow of movement patterns that make it unique, not the movements themselves. This is pervasive in many art forms.