Most athletes have no idea how breath control effects health, endurance, and performance. Learn how breath control can lead to better health, endurance, and athletic performance.

As coaches, we know the importance of exercise in achieving our clients' fitness goals. But it's equally, if not more, important to understand the role of lifestyle habits in achieving sustainable success. That's why at OPEX, we want our coaches to put the same care and attention into creating lifestyle programs as we do exercise programs.

Chances are, if you’re a coach, you spend a good chunk of time helping your clients warm up before their training session. Sometimes, the warm-up even takes longer than the workout, right?

James, a proponent of individual design, highlights that the main difference is autonomy. Individual design gives clients programs created specifically for them with the goal of long term health “our goal is to create a gym that our clients can use forever” added James. Group fitness focuses on delivering the cortisol hit clients are looking for and adds to the already short half-life of that methodology.

At the time, 39-year-old Pilhofer owned a CrossFit affiliate—today it’s called MSP Fitness in St. Louis Park, Minnesota—and while he said he learned a lot from the CrossFit methodology, he also found himself seeking educational opportunities outside of CrossFit.

Ahh, the elusive task of writing effective programs. As coaches, we are all interested in writing better, more intricate (program) designs as we learn and grow. After all, individual programs are the foundation that keep clients motivated to train–and keep them progressing through their fitness journey.