Crossfit Coaching & Instruction Methods 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete consistently rounds their lower back at the bottom of a deadlift. Which cue is most likely to correct this fault?
- 'Proud chest' or 'Show me your logo' (Correct answer)
- 'Push your knees out'
- 'Drive your hips forward'
- 'Squeeze the bar tight'
Correct answer: 'Proud chest' or 'Show me your logo'
Cueing 'proud chest' or 'show me your logo' prompts thoracic extension and helps the athlete establish and maintain a neutral spine.
Question 2: The CrossFit coaching progression for teaching a new movement is best described as:
- Explain, demonstrate, practice, correct (EDPC) (Correct answer)
- Demonstrate, practice, test, advance
- Lecture, video, practice, competition
- Assess, scale, coach, retest
Correct answer: Explain, demonstrate, practice, correct (EDPC)
CrossFit's foundational teaching sequence is Explain, Demonstrate, Practice, Correct — guiding athletes through understanding and execution.
Question 3: When an athlete performs a kipping pull-up with poor shoulder position, a coach should first:
- Regress the athlete to strict pull-up practice to build shoulder stability (Correct answer)
- Encourage the athlete to keep kipping and add more reps
- Increase the band resistance to force better mechanics
- Have the athlete switch to ring rows immediately
Correct answer: Regress the athlete to strict pull-up practice to build shoulder stability
Kipping movements require a stable shoulder foundation; regressing to strict work addresses the root cause of the fault rather than masking it.
Question 4: In CrossFit instruction, a 'global' movement fault is one that:
- Affects the entire body position and alignment during a movement (Correct answer)
- Occurs only in the lower extremities
- Happens only at the beginning of a lift
- Is specific to one joint or body segment
Correct answer: Affects the entire body position and alignment during a movement
Global faults are systemic breakdowns that compromise overall body position, as opposed to local faults that affect a single joint.
Question 5: What is the role of a coach during the 'workout' portion of a CrossFit class (not warm-up or cool-down)?
- Actively observe athletes, provide safety corrections, and offer targeted encouragement (Correct answer)
- Rest and let athletes work independently without interruption
- Perform the workout alongside athletes to demonstrate effort
- Record scores and times on the whiteboard for all athletes
Correct answer: Actively observe athletes, provide safety corrections, and offer targeted encouragement
During the workout, the coach's primary responsibility is athlete safety, movement quality monitoring, and providing motivational feedback.
Question 6: Which scenario best illustrates 'scaling for intensity' rather than 'scaling for mechanics'?
- Reducing the load on a barbell so an athlete can maintain the intended workout pace (Correct answer)
- Substituting a box squat for a full squat due to a knee injury
- Using a band for pull-ups because the athlete lacks the strength for strict reps
- Shortening the range of motion in a push-up due to shoulder impingement
Correct answer: Reducing the load on a barbell so an athlete can maintain the intended workout pace
Scaling for intensity means adjusting load, reps, or time so the athlete can achieve the metabolic stimulus of the workout, not just correct a mechanics issue.
Question 7: A coach wants to give an athlete corrective feedback mid-workout. The most effective approach is to:
- Give one clear, actionable cue and observe whether it improves the movement (Correct answer)
- List all observed faults at once so the athlete can work on everything
- Stop the athlete's clock and demonstrate the correction extensively
- Wait until after the workout to provide all feedback at once
Correct answer: Give one clear, actionable cue and observe whether it improves the movement
Mid-workout corrections should be brief and focused; one actionable cue is more effective than overwhelming an athlete with multiple simultaneous corrections.
Crossfit Coaching & Instruction Methods 3
An athlete consistently rounds their lower back at the bottom of a deadlift.
Which cue is most likely to correct this fault?