The simplest answer? Because your coaches deserve better.
Prescribing every warm-up squanders valuable time better spent refining programming quality and gym development. But more importantly, it robs coaches of essential opportunities to develop their craft.
Instead, I provide thoughtful warm-up guidelines — highlighting key movement prep, mobility considerations, and stimulus-specific recommendations — offering structure while leaving the creative design in your coaches' hands. This teaches coaches how to think, not what to think — developing problem-solving ability and independent judgment rather than dependence on scripts.
When mentoring new coaches, one of the first assignments I give them is to create and lead a warm-up tailored to that day's programming. They receive the workout and class timeline, but the warm-up design is in their hands — with the understanding that they'll be leading a class of our members through it.
Before leading, they must articulate why they structured the warm-up the way they did — explaining how it prepares athletes for the day's movements and stimulus. If the logic is sound and there's nothing significant to adjust, they guide the class through it. As they do, they share their reasoning with the members: why these movements, why this order, and how it all prepares them for the day's curriculum. Then they get to see how the warm-up they designed pans out in real time. Seeing their plan in action, getting immediate feedback, and refining their approach sharpens their coaching far more than following a pre-written script ever could.
This process accelerates coaching development in multiple ways:
Encourages critical thinking
Coaches must assess movement demands and athlete readiness.
Builds leadership confidence
Taking ownership of warm-ups strengthens their ability to lead.
Develops adaptability
They learn to adjust on the fly based on class needs.
Enhances athlete trust & engagement
Members respect coaches who clearly understand and explain why they do what they do.
Most notably, it sharpens their judgment and compels them to take ownership of their role as leaders in a position of power. I cannot emphasize that enough. Coaches are indeed in a position of power, and the importance of their roles as effective leaders shouldn't be discounted or overlooked, but rather supported and cultivated to flourish.
Your coaches are your front-line liaisons between you and your membership — the gatekeepers to your community. Investing in their development doesn't just create better coaches — it strengthens your entire gym culture. It builds leaders who think independently, solve problems creatively, and take ownership of their decisions.
This reflects what Jocko Willink and Leif Babin refer to in Extreme Ownership as the principle of Decentralized Command: empowering your leaders to make decisions and take ownership builds a stronger, more effective team — not a weaker one.
Yes, as Gym Owners, it is part of our responsibility to mentor our coaches. But as coaches ourselves, we can just as readily learn from our coaching staff — if we cultivate the right environment for it.
If you're a gym owner and want to learn more about how this approach empowers your coaching staff, reach out — I'd be happy to discuss it with you.
