For Gyms, Why Adding Movement Workshops Is a WIN WIN WIN

CrossFit® gyms and CrossFit® inspired gyms are truly special places. Beyond just offering fitness and wellness, they create a community where people from all walks of life can come together around shared values: health, longevity, self-care, and confidence.

One thing that often surprises new members is just how much learning happens here. 

The process of learning and achieving new skills is one of the most powerful forces behind long-term commitment to fitness. That feeling of satisfaction after tackling a tough challenge or mastering a new movement is incredibly motivating and, frankly, addictive!

Fostering a culture that recognizes and nurtures this element, the joy of learning, can create a deep and lasting bond between your members and your gym.

This is precisely why hosting regular Movement Clinics or Workshops is so essential. Workshops are a true win-win-win: they benefit the business, the coaches, and most importantly, the members.

But where do we start?

Just like anything we want to get good at, consistency is key, and that starts with planning ahead.

How often?

When your gym is ready to host workshops, the first step is deciding how often to run them. I recommend starting quarterly for the first year or two to see if it's something you and your community enjoy and find valuable. 

When?

Next, set a day and time for your workshops.

You can poll your members for feedback, but be mindful: open-ended polls can sometimes lead to frustration if their preferred time isn't selected. If you do use a poll, give specific options. Example:

• Thursday at 6:00 PM
• Friday at 6:00 PM
• Saturday at 11:00 AM

Another approach is to observe your gym’s natural flow and choose a quieter time slot. This way, you don't disrupt a popular class that members already love.

What? 

Choosing the workshop topic is the fun part, but it can also be overwhelming. To keep things simple, focus on a few key questions:

• What would benefit my members the most?
• What is my (or my coaches') technical ability (or slightly above)?
• Do any of my coaches have a specialized background?
• How much time do we have?
• What equipment or space is available?

A helpful way to organize your workshops is by modality:

• Gymnastics
• Weightlifting
• Monostructural (Running, Rowing, etc.)
• Sport-Specific / High Skill / Odd Object Training

If you’re hosting quarterly workshops, you can rotate through these categories once each year. If you run workshops monthly, you could rotate through each 3-4 times per year, like this:

• January: Gymnastics
• February: Weightlifting
• March: Monostructural
• April: Plyometrics
• May: Gymnastics
• June: Weightlifting
• July: Monostructural
• August: Strongman

 …and so on.

How? 

Once you've set the frequency, the schedule, and the topics, it's time to plan the structure. Questions to ask:

• How long should the session be?
• How should I organize the drills and practice?
• How do I create the best experience for members?

This is where the rubber meets the road, and you are the driver. The best way to learn what works for you and your members is simply to dive in and practice. That said, here’s some advice: less is more. When coaching workshops, it's tempting to cover every drill and progression for a movement. But realistically, less is more, especially in a group setting. Pick one specific "Focus of the Day" and build 2–3 drills that support that focus.

Example: Focus: Fast Ring Muscle-Up Transition (no false grip):

• Drill 1: Face Pull on Low Rings – WATCH A DEMO
• Drill 2: Hip Extension + Pull Back – WATCH A DEMO 
• Drill 3: Hip Extension with Face Pull + Low Ring Muscle-Up Transition (Main Drill) – WATCH A DEMO 

These drills build progressively toward the primary skill. In a group setting, three drills like this can easily fill 30 minutes when you account for demo, explanation, setup, practice time, corrections, and re-dos. Getting comfortable with the "less is more" mindset is a skill, and it takes practice and patience!

Plan for breaks.

Teaching workshops can be intense. It’s easy to lose track of time! Plan for scheduled breaks to give members (and yourself) a mental breather. I find the best time for a break is right after the main focus drill. If your workshop has two parts (e.g., technique work followed by a conditioning piece), a break is essential between them.

Have the outline written on the board.

Because workshops are much more involved than regular classes, it’s important to have the session outline written on the whiteboard.

Be as detailed as you need to feel confident. It keeps you organized, and shows members the path for the session.

Explain the "why."

Taking a moment to explain why you’re focusing on specific elements empowers members to understand their movement better.

Example: Instead of simply telling members to "pull back" during a Ring Muscle-Up, explain that pulling back aggressively creates better hip extension and strap tension, leading to faster transitions. When members understand why, they’ll look for the right feeling, not just repeat instructions blindly.

Categorize your workshops.

This might seem obvious, but it's important to clearly communicate who the workshop is intended for. If you're coaching advanced drills that require a certain strength level, set clear expectations so members know whether it’s right for them. You can design multiple levels for drills, but that takes more time and planning. If you’re newer to hosting workshops, keep it simple and focus on one group that will benefit the most.

In Summary

Workshops and movement clinics have played a massive role in helping me grow as a coach. They’ve pushed me to plan more thoughtfully, research deeper, and experience various drills firsthand. Through trial and error, and plenty of learning from my mistakes, I've built a stronger, more effective coaching toolkit.

Beyond skill development, workshops are also a powerful opportunity to connect with members on a deeper level. Without the pressure of rushing through a workout, we can give personal attention, identify individual weaknesses, and offer tips, tricks, or personalized drills that genuinely make a difference.

If you want to strengthen your coaching, build community, and help your athletes unlock new levels of potential, workshops are one of the best investments you can make for yourself, your team, and your gym.

To make it even easier, HWPO AFFILIATE provides a monthly movement workshop that gyms can use to schedule and deliver high-quality clinics without building an entire class plan from scratch.