Great article in the Professional Coach archives. Athlete IQ is the ability for an athlete to make smart decisions during a workout while under fatigue — things like pacing, breathing, rep strategy, and scaling appropriately. Most athletes aren’t trying to blow up during workouts; they simply haven’t been taught how to think once the clock starts. As coaches, we spend a lot of time teaching movement mechanics but often forget to coach decision-making and strategy. When athletes develop Athlete IQ, they hit the intended stimulus more often, progress faster, and train with intention instead of ego. One of the most powerful things we can do as coaches is help athletes plan their approach before the workout and reflect afterward, building their ability to think while fatigued. Give the full article a read — some great reminders on how we can develop smarter athletes, not just tougher ones. https://www.crossfit.com/pro-coach/crossfit-stronger-smarter-athlete-iq?lid=u1c14bzk2j02&utm_source=braze&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=&utm_content=

If you’ve taken your Level 1 or Level 2, you already know the Tell–Show–Do–Check model. But here’s what we add: 👉 FOCUS. After you tell them what to do… give them one clear focus point. One thing. One intention. One lens for the workout. This completely changes how you coach warm-ups, prep sets, and even cool downs. Instead of rambling cues… Instead of over-coaching… Instead of correcting 7 things at once… You anchor the athlete. Clear mind. Clear task. Clear improvement. This is how you move from “class instructor” to actual coach. Breakdown is inside. Let me know what you’d add 👇

Here’s the breakdown from the video I posted earlier. If you haven’t watched the original yet, go back and see how many faults you can catch before watching this breakdown. 👀 Developing your coach’s eye is a skill—and it only gets sharper with reps.

Just broke down a newer athlete’s clean & jerk. What other faults stand out to you? And more importantly — would you fix them in the same order I did, or prioritize something different?

Watch the video and put your coach brain on: • How many faults do you see? • What kind of cue would you use to fix each one? – Verbal (simple words / verbs) – Visual (demo, target, comparison) – Tactile (tap, band, object, constraint) There’s no single “right” answer—just better or worse tools for the moment. I’ll post my breakdown on Monday, walking through every fault I see and exactly how I’d coach it in a live class. Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s sharpen the lens. 🧠💪