For Coaches: Why Are We Doing This Again? Answer It Well
QUESTIONS ATHLETES ASK ME · FOR COACHES · BY COACH FRITZ
"Why are we doing this again?" usually lands right after you finish the whiteboard brief.
Early in my coaching I heard that as pushback. Now I hear it as a request for a reason, and a reason is cheap to give. Athletes who understand the purpose of a session pace it better, scale it smarter and argue less about the weights I choose.
Below are six questions athletes commonly ask coaches, with the answers I try to give. You will also get a simple three-part structure so you can answer any of them in about 20 seconds.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Hear the Question Under the Question
Most "why" questions are not about the programming. They are about trust. The athlete wants to know whether you have a plan or you are just filling the hour.
Athletes rarely say that out loud, so it comes out as "why this weight?" or "why this again?" When you answer with a clear purpose, you answer the real question too.
You do not need a lecture. You need a short, honest reason tied to what the session is trying to do, plus a choice the athlete can make. I will lay out that structure at the end. First, the questions.
Questions About the Plan
"Why are we doing the same skill again this week?" Skill grows from frequent, low-fatigue practice, not one big dose. A few crisp sets today usually beat one exhausted attempt on Friday. Give the repeat a target, like a steadier hollow position or a faster setup, so it does not feel like a rerun.
"Why is the weight so light? I can lift more." Probably true. But every workout has an intended pace, and the load is how I protect it. If a couplet should feel like a sprint, a heavier bar turns it into a slow grind with a different purpose. Say the target in plain words: "This should feel quick, and you should be breathing hard by round two."
"Why a time cap, and why this one?" A cap tells athletes how long the work should last. Some days I want a short, sharp effort. Other days I want steady output for 15 minutes. Share the number and the reason, and athletes pace themselves instead of guessing.
Questions About Rx and Scaling
"I can do all the reps, so why should I scale?" Doing a rep once is different from doing it well on round four. I watch for the moment positions change: knees cave, ribs flare, the kip turns into a swing. When that shows up early, the load or range comes down so the athlete trains the movement instead of surviving it.
Scale when form breaks down before the workout is half done, not after you feel a tweak. If something hurts sharply or pain lingers after training, have the athlete stop and see a qualified professional instead of testing it in class.
"Does scaling mean I'm behind?" No, and I say that directly. Scaling protects the stimulus, so it is a decision about the workout, not a ranking of the person. Athletes who scale well often progress faster because they stack good reps.
"So when do I go Rx?" Give a plan, not a pat on the back. Pick one lever, such as weight, range or reps per set, and aim to move only that lever over the next four weeks. A concrete next step beats "keep working on it."
Questions About Extra Work and Rest
"Can I add extra work after class?" Sometimes, yes. I ask about the goal first. If it is a specific skill or a weak spot, 10 to 15 minutes of focused work is usually reasonable. If it is a second workout because the first did not feel hard enough, I slow that conversation down.
Training for a race-based team format taught me that wanting to take on more doesn't always mean your body is ready for it. You earn that capacity through training first, and your body exposes the gap quickly if you skip that step. I pass that on whenever an athlete wants to stack volume.
"Why take a rest day if I feel fine?" Feeling fine is useful information, but it is not the whole picture. Fatigue tends to build over weeks, and it often shows up in sleep, mood and bar speed before it shows up as pain. I ask athletes to watch the trend across a full week, not just how they feel at 6 a.m.
A 20-Second Answer You Can Use Tomorrow
Every answer above follows the same shape. Use it when you are mid-class and have no time to think.
Purpose. Say what today is for in one sentence. "We are practicing a steady pull so your kip holds up later."
Feel. Say how it should feel. "Controlled breathing, every set crisp."
Choice. Offer two options. "Take the 45s or the 35s, whichever keeps that feel."
Check. Ask them to tell you afterward if it missed the mark. That feedback sharpens your next brief.
Coach's cue: One sentence of purpose, one sentence of feel, then hand them a choice.
Sometimes you will not have a good answer. Say so: "Good question. Let me think about why I chose that and get back to you after class." Then follow up. Athletes forgive "I'm not sure" much faster than a made-up reason.
Where I Stand
I think a coach who can't explain a workout in two sentences probably hasn't finished writing it. I disagree with the old line that athletes should just trust the whiteboard. Trust gets earned by explaining, and explaining makes my own programming better too.
Try this today: Before your next class, write one sentence of purpose and one sentence of feel for the main workout, then say both out loud in your briefing in under 30 seconds.
Answering Athletes' Why Questions: Quick Recap
Hear the real question. "Why this?" usually means "Do you have a plan?" Answer that and trust grows.
Explain repeats and light loads. Frequent crisp practice builds skill, and the load protects the intended pace.
Share the time cap reason. Athletes pace better when they know how long the work should last.
Scale the workout, not the person. Form breaking down early is the signal, and a clear four-week lever beats vague encouragement.
Earn extra work and read the trend. Ask about the goal first, keep add-ons focused, and judge rest by the week, not one morning.
Use purpose, feel, choice. Twenty seconds is enough, and "I'll get back to you" is a fine answer.
Your turn. 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.
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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