To the Athlete Who Only Practices What They're Already Good At
Updated: Oct 15
LETTER TO THE ATHLETE · TRAINING SMART · BY COACH FRITZ
You saw the handstand push-ups on the whiteboard and suddenly remembered you needed to stretch.
I'm writing this as a letter because I see you all the time in athlete video. Your barbell cycles look sharp. Your engine is solid. And the one movement that holds your workouts back gets the least attention, because it's the one that makes you feel like a beginner again.
This is not a lecture. Dodging what you're bad at is human. What I want to give you is a way to pick one weakness, give it 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, and measure whether it's moving, without wrecking the strengths you enjoy.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Dear Athlete, I Get Why You Dodge It
Nobody likes being bad at something in front of a room. You walk into class as the person who pulls a clean deadlift and moves fast on the bike. Then ring muscle-ups show up and you're on the band with a shaky kip while everyone else flows. Of course you'd rather spend your extra time on what feels good.
Here's what I want you to know. Being weak at something is not a character flaw. It's information. It tells you exactly where your next improvement lives, and it's usually closer than you think.
Most athletes I coach online don't lack effort. They lack a plan for the uncomfortable movement. So they skip it, scale it to something that no longer challenges them, or max-test it every Friday and feel worse each time. None of those build skill.
What Dodging It Actually Costs You
Mixed workouts are rarely limited by your best movement. They're limited by your worst one. If you're a strong cleaner who falls apart at 12 toes-to-bar, the workout belongs to the toes-to-bar. Your clean doesn't get a vote.
There's a slow cost too. When you always pick the comfortable version, your weakness doesn't just stay put. The gap between it and your strengths widens, and the movement gets scarier every month.
I don't want you overcorrecting, though. Stacking a pile of extra work on top of full classes is how shoulders and elbows get cranky. The plan has to be small, consistent and boring enough that you'll actually keep doing it.
Pick One Weakness, Not Five
Answer these three questions and write the answers down.
What do I scale or skip first?. If a movement makes you reach for the lighter option every time, it goes on the list.
Where do I rest first in a workout?. The movement where you drop off the bar or break the set earliest is usually where your capacity is lowest.
What would change my training most if it improved?. A strict pull-up opens up more workouts than a pistol does. Pick the one with the bigger payoff.
Then choose one. Only one for the next eight weeks. If you list five, you'll do all five badly for four minutes each and nothing will change.
Coach's cue: Practice it fresh, stop two reps before it gets ugly, and leave the session wanting a little more.
Three Ways to Fit It In
I use these formats depending on the movement and your schedule. Choose two per week, not all three.
Warm-up skill snack (10 minutes). Before class, work an EMOM for 8 minutes: 2 to 3 quality reps of the movement or its progression at about RPE 6. For handstand work, that could be 3 to 4 short holds of 15 to 20 seconds with a minute between.
Post-class strength (15 minutes). Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps of a strength builder for that weakness, such as ring rows, pike push-ups or tempo goblet squats. Aim for RPE 7 and rest 90 seconds.
In-workout practice. Keep the movement in your normal WOD, but pick a version you can finish clean in sets of 3 to 5 reps. Rest on purpose before form falls apart. Two controlled sets beat one ugly one.
Sharp pain, numbness or joint pain that lingers after training is a reason to stop and see a qualified professional. Gymnastics work in particular loads the wrists, shoulders and elbows, so add volume gradually.
When every set feels crisp at RPE 7, make one change: add a rep per set, add a small amount of load, or move to a slightly harder variation. Not all three, and not every week.
Give It Eight Weeks, Then Retest
Test before you start and again after eight weeks, using the same standard both times. That could be max strict pull-ups, a handstand hold timed against a wall, or a short workout at a fixed load where you record your time. Write the number in your log.
Don't max out in between. Weekly testing tires you and tells you very little. If the number moved, keep the cycle going or pick a new weakness. If it didn't, check your sleep, your total weekly volume, and whether you're practicing too close to failure. Then adjust the progression instead of quitting. Some movements simply take longer than eight weeks.
Where I Stand
In most mixed workouts, I'd rather have you be solid at everything than brilliant at three things. I'd choose 25 minutes a week on your weakness over a fourth session of what you already love. You don't have to enjoy it, you just have to show up and keep the reps clean.
Try this today: Write down the one movement you'd skip if you could, then do 5 sets of 2 to 3 clean reps of it (or its easiest honest progression) before your next class at about RPE 6.
Weakness Training Quick Recap
Name it. Your weakness is the movement you scale, skip or rest on first.
Choose one. One movement for eight weeks beats five movements for a few days.
Stay submax. Work at RPE 6 to 7 and stop two reps before form breaks down.
Keep it small. 10 to 15 minutes, two times a week, added to your normal training.
Progress one variable. Add a rep, a little load or a harder variation, never all at once.
Retest once. Use the same standard at week 0 and week 8, and log the number.
The Rep You Stop Avoiding
You don't have to become great at the thing you dislike. You just have to stop letting it be the reason a workout goes sideways. A few clean, calm reps a week add up faster than you expect.
Pick the movement tonight, write it at the top of your training log, and put the first 10 minutes in your next warm-up. I'm cheering for you on this one.
If you'd like your weak spot built into a week of training so you don't have to plan it yourself, take a look at Sphere Programming.
Your turn. Which one movement do you scale or skip first, and what's your current best on it (reps, hold time or load)? 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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