In CrossFit, the whiteboard holds significant importance in the CrossFit community. It’s probably partly my fault that the whiteboard has become just the place the workout is written. This is why I think we need to bring the whiteboard back, and by that I mean recording all scores for all athletes for all workouts on the whiteboard:
Helping coaches: Seeing the whiteboard at the end of the day will help us as coaches and me as the person who oversees our programming identify any particular areas that as a community we need to work on, or that particular athletes need to work on, meaning we can offer support, guidance, and encouragement based on the recorded data.
Performance Tracking: Athletes who record their workout scores, times, or other relevant metrics on the whiteboard are more likely to track their fitness- whether then on paper, notes, spreadsheet or an app like Boxmate. It serves as a visual representation of your progress. By comparing your current results with previous performances, you can gauge your improvements and set new goals.
Competition and Motivation: The whiteboard fosters a sense of friendly competition within the CrossFit community. You can see how you stack up against your peers, which can motivate you to push harder and strive for better results. It creates a sense of camaraderie and encourages people to give their best effort during workouts.
Accountability and Commitment: Writing down workout results on the whiteboard creates a sense of accountability. When others can see your scores, it encourages you to do workouts diligently and to a high standard, stay committed to your training and work towards consistent improvement. It also allows fellow athletes to provide support, guidance, and encouragement to each other.
Community Building: The whiteboard promotes a sense of community and interaction among us all. We can see and celebrate each other's accomplishments, offering encouragement and praise. It becomes a conversation starter, as people can discuss strategies, techniques, and progress with fellow members. This sense of community contributes to the overall positive and supportive atmosphere in CrossFit gyms.
Benchmarking and Programming: CrossFit often incorporates benchmark workouts, known as "Girls" or "Heroes" workouts, which have standardised names and specific requirements. The whiteboard provides a platform to record these benchmark workouts, allowing you to compare your performance with others worldwide and measure your fitness levels against established standards.
Overall, the whiteboard is an integral part of the CrossFit culture, playing a vital role in performance tracking, motivation, accountability, community building, and benchmarking. It adds an interactive and competitive element to training sessions, helping individuals strive for continuous improvement in their fitness journey.
From Monday, coaches will be actively encouraging you to give your score for record on the whiteboard. Please let’s do this as a community and let’s see where it can get us!
~Koach Kudders