For Coaches: 7 Checks Before You Let an Athlete Go Heavier
Updated: Oct 15
THE CHECKLIST · FOR COACHES · BY COACH FRITZ
An athlete asks to add 10 pounds, and you have about four seconds to answer.
Say yes too quickly and you may be coaching the rep that goes wrong. Say no with nothing to back it up and you lose their trust. I don't think either call needs a gut feeling. It needs a short list you can run in your head while you walk over to the bar.
Below are seven checks I use when I review athlete video, adapted for a live class. Each one gives you the check, why it matters and what to do if it fails. Screenshot it, and you will also leave with a 30-second script for saying "yes" or "not yet" without an argument.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Check the Reps You Just Watched
Look at what already happened before you think about what comes next. The set you just watched is your best evidence.
Check 1: The last rep matches the first. Why it matters: one good rep proves very little. Three similar reps in a row show control, not luck. If it fails: keep the weight, add a rep or two, and ask for one more clean set before you load the bar.
Check 2: Position holds at the hardest point. Why it matters: the bottom of the squat, the pull off the floor and the overhead lockout are where faults show up first, and heavier weight magnifies them. If it fails: keep the load and add a two-second pause at the sticking point. Same weight, more honesty.
Check 3: Speed doesn't collapse. Why it matters: a slow grind on a warm-up set usually means the next jump is too big, and you can see bar speed from across the room. If it fails: drop 5 to 10 percent, or hold the weight and cap the reps so every one stays quick.
Coach's cue: Same rep, same speed, same position. If you can't say yes to all three, the weight stays.
Check the Day, Not Just the Lift
A weight that is right on Monday can be wrong on Thursday. These two checks are about context, and they are the ones coaches skip most.
Check 4: The load fits the stimulus. Why it matters: if the workout is written to be fast and a heavier bar forces singles after round one, the point of the workout is gone. If it fails: choose the weight that lets them hit the planned sets, usually with a couple of reps in reserve early, and explain the intended stimulus in one sentence so it doesn't feel like a demotion.
Check 5: They tell you they feel okay. Why it matters: poor sleep, a stressful week or a cranky shoulder changes what is smart today. Ask one specific question, like "How do your knees, back and shoulders feel?" If it fails: hold the weight or go lighter. If the answer is sharp pain or something that keeps coming back, send them to a qualified professional instead of guessing.
Check the Athlete and the Room
The last two checks have nothing to do with technique. They decide whether a heavy attempt ends well even when it goes badly.
Check 6: They know how to fail. Why it matters: a heavy set goes wrong most often when the first time an athlete dumps the bar is the real time. If it fails: stop and teach it before adding load. Which way the bar goes, hands off, step away. Then check space, bumpers, rack height and safeties.
Check 7: The number comes from their log, not the mood. Why it matters: a loud room, a friend's PR or a whiteboard full of names makes people reach. A logged weight and RPE is calm information. If it fails: ask what they did last time and how it felt. If it was RPE 8 or higher, repeat it before going up, and then take the smallest jump you have.
Spotting a loaded barbell in a squat or press is rarely as safe as it looks, and nobody can catch a clean or a snatch. Teach bailing, use safeties and clear the platform before the weight goes up. Athletes with pain should see a qualified professional before loading.
Running It in 30 Seconds
You won't recite seven checks on the floor. Fold them into three moves.
Look. Did the last three reps match, and is the speed holding? That covers checks 1 to 3.
Ask. "How do you feel today, and what did you use last time?" That covers checks 4, 5 and 7.
Decide. Can they bail safely here, with this space? Then give one of three answers: yes, a small yes, or not yet.
The "not yet" is where coaches lose people, so give it a finish line. Try: "Not yet, and here is what I need to see. Two more clean sets at this weight and we go up next time." That turns a refusal into a plan.
Training for a race-based team format taught me that wanting to take on more doesn't mean your body is ready for it, and that you earn capacity through training first. The barbell works the same way. When an athlete can see what they are earning, the answer stops feeling like a door slammed shut.
Where I Stand
I disagree with the idea that a PR day means everyone should chase a number the clock gives them. I would rather an athlete leave with a clean, repeatable weight and a clear target than a missed rep and a bruised ego. \"Not yet\" is a coaching tool, and I think we should use it more often and explain it better.
Try this today: In your next class, run the three-move check (look, ask, decide) on every athlete who asks to go heavier, and give at least one a specific \"not yet\" target such as two more clean sets at the current weight.
Add-Weight Checklist Quick Recap
Reps match. The last of three reps should look like the first, or the weight stays.
Position holds. Watch the hardest point of the lift. If it breaks, pause there at the same load.
Speed stays. A grind means the jump is too big. Drop 5 to 10 percent or cap the reps.
Stimulus fits. Pick the weight that lets the workout be the workout.
Body feels okay. Ask one specific question. Sharp or recurring pain goes to a qualified professional.
Bail is known. Teach the dump and check the space before the load goes up.
Log decides. Use last time's weight and RPE, then take the smallest jump available.
The Rep You Protect Today
Most of these checks take a few seconds once they become habit. The payoff is athletes who trust your yes because they know your not yet always comes with a reason.
Pick one check to focus on this week, maybe the speed check, and watch for it in every set. I am still sharpening my own eye on this, and I think that is how it should be.
If you want a second set of eyes on your own lifts or your programming, take a look at ATHLETESPHERE coaching.
Your turn. Which of the seven checks do you skip most often in a full class, and what usually gets in the way? Tell me in the comments below. I read every one, and your answers shape what I write next. If this helped, tap the heart so it reaches more athletes.
Keep reading
Further reading: National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
Coach Fritz Bautista · Head Coach, ATHLETESPHERE
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2) ✓ · CrossFit Programming Certificate · MBA Graduate · Digital Marketing Certified · Coaching athletes from all walks of life online
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