For Coaches: Coaching Masters Athletes
Updated: 23 hours ago
In CrossFit competition, the masters divisions begin at age 35. That number surprises some coaches, because many 35-year-olds in their classes train like anyone else. I like it as a reminder that "masters athlete" isn't a single profile. It covers the 38-year-old former college rower, the 55-year-old who started training two years ago, and the 67-year-old who hasn't missed a Tuesday class in a decade.
What these athletes share isn't a set of limits. It's history: years of work, sport, injuries, jobs, families and habits that shape how their bodies respond to training. Coaching masters well means respecting that history and adjusting the details, not writing a separate, watered-down program.
Some of the most rewarding coaching I do is with this group, and I'm still learning from them. Many coaches have far more experience with masters athletes than I do, so treat this as what's working for me so far. I break the adjustments down system by system, because the changes that come with age affect some tissues and capacities more than others.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Start With the Conversation, Not the Birthday
Age alone tells you surprisingly little. Two 50-year-olds can have completely different training ages, injury histories and recovery capacities. Before I adjust anything, I ask: How long have you been training, and in what? What injuries or surgeries have you had? What does your week look like outside the gym? What do you want from training?
That last question gets the best answers. I've heard answers ranging from "I want to pick up my grandkids without thinking about it" to "I want to beat the 30-year-olds on the rower." Both are great goals, and they lead to very different plans.
Masters athletes are also more likely to be managing health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart conditions or joint replacements. Encourage anyone with a known condition, or anyone starting intense training after years away, to check with their doctor first, and follow any guidance they receive. That isn't a formality. It's part of coaching them well.
Revisit the conversation regularly. A masters athlete's situation can change quickly with a new job, a family event or a flare-up of an old injury, and the plan that fit in spring may not fit in autumn. A short check-in every month or two keeps your coaching matched to the person rather than to the notes you took on day one.
Joints and Connective Tissue: Earn the Range
Tendons and ligaments tend to adapt more slowly than muscle, and that difference becomes more noticeable with age. An athlete may have the strength for a movement long before their connective tissue is ready for high volumes of it. This is often where masters athletes get hurt: not from one heavy lift, but from a sudden jump in volume on something like running, jumping or kipping.
The adjustment is gradual exposure. Increase volume on high-impact and high-velocity movements slowly. Use strict or partial-range versions to build tissue capacity before adding the kip or the full range. Longer warm-ups, particularly for the joints involved in the day's session, often make a noticeable difference in how older athletes feel through the first working sets. I've watched athletes who used to grimace through their first round come in ten minutes early to warm up, and they move completely differently once class starts.
Muscle and Strength: Keep Lifting
Muscle mass and strength tend to decline with age if they're not trained, and this is one of the clearest reasons masters athletes benefit from resistance training. Strength supports daily function, balance and independence later in life. One of the biggest mistakes I think a coach can make is avoiding meaningful loads out of excess caution.
The adjustment isn't lighter training across the board. It's smarter loading: a thorough warm-up, well-chosen working sets, and a willingness to hold a weight steady for a few weeks when joints need time to catch up. Many masters athletes do well with moderate rep ranges and controlled tempos, with occasional heavier singles or doubles only when technique is solid and they feel ready. Encourage adequate protein as part of a balanced diet, and refer anyone who wants a specific nutrition plan to a registered dietitian.
Coach's cue: Respect the history, then keep building on it.
Recovery: Plan for the Days After
Many masters athletes notice that recovery takes longer than it used to. Soreness can linger an extra day, and back-to-back intense sessions can take more of a toll. Sleep, stress, work and family demands often shape recovery as much as age itself.
I feel some of this myself. After years of CrossFit training, I can tell you the mornings after two hard days in a row don't feel the way they did when I started. That's made me a better coach for this group, because I stopped seeing an easier day as a weakness and started seeing it as part of the plan.
Help them plan their week. Encourage mixing intensities rather than going all-out every day, and make it normal to choose a lighter version of a workout or to focus on skill and aerobic work on some days. Signs that recovery is falling behind include persistent soreness, declining performance, poor sleep and a drop in motivation. When you see those, suggest pulling back before an injury makes the decision for them.
Heart and Lungs: Build the Base
Aerobic capacity also tends to decline with age, but it remains highly trainable. Masters athletes often respond well to regular moderate aerobic work, the kind where breathing is elevated but conversation is still possible, alongside shorter, harder efforts.
In a class setting, that means offering pacing guidance rather than letting every workout become a sprint. It also means knowing the warning signs that should stop a session immediately: chest pain or pressure, unusual shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness, or an irregular heartbeat. Any of these calls for stopping, sitting the athlete down, and seeking medical help if symptoms don't resolve quickly or are severe.
Bones, Balance and Skill: Keep Them in the Program
Bone density tends to decrease with age, particularly in women after menopause. Resistance training and impact activity are both widely recommended for supporting bone health, which is another reason not to strip masters athletes' programs down to machines and gentle cardio. Load and impact should be progressive and appropriate, not avoided entirely. Athletes with diagnosed osteoporosis or osteopenia should follow their doctor's guidance on what's safe.
Balance, coordination and reaction speed also benefit from practice. Single-leg work, carries, controlled jumping and gymnastics skills all keep athletes adaptable. Learning new skills may take longer, so give more repetitions, clearer cues and more patience. So far, the masters athletes I've coached have been some of the most coachable people in the gym, because they know exactly why they're there. When one of them finally links their first set of double-unders after weeks of practice, the whole room feels it.
I think about this in my own life. The way I trained as a teenage swimmer and volleyball player isn't the way I train now, and training for Grid League looks nothing like my first year of CrossFit. We're all in different seasons of life, with different bodies, jobs and families. A masters athlete isn't a younger athlete with the numbers turned down. They're someone in a different season who deserves a plan built for it.
Coach the Person in Front of You
Masters athletes don't need to be protected from training. They need a coach who understands how the details change: slower progressions for connective tissue, deliberate loading for strength, planned recovery, a solid aerobic base, and continued exposure to impact, balance and skill. Most of all, they need a coach who listens to their history and builds on it.
Many masters athletes do well with a personalized plan that accounts for their schedule, recovery and goals, whether they want to compete in their age group or simply train well for decades. If you want to talk about supporting masters athletes in your gym, or you know someone who could use a more individual approach, get in touch with me here and we can find the right fit.
Your turn. I'm still learning as a coach too. If you run this differently in your gym, share it in the comments below. I read every one and would love to learn from you. If it was useful, tap the heart so more coaches find it.
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Further reading: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
Coach Fritz Bautista · Head Coach, ATHLETESPHERE
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2) ✓ · CrossFit Programming Certificate · MBA · Digital Marketing Certified · Coaching athletes from all walks of life online
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