Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Nice. But Who’s Coaching It?

The panic begins: when programming changes spark fear

It starts the same way every time. A DM slides into my inbox with an emoji-heavy tone, half cheerful, half full-blown existential crisis. “Hey Athena, so… our gym is switching programming next week. They drop the names CAP, PRVN, and Mayhem, then hit me with: Thoughts?”

Sometimes, it’s a polite smiley. Sometimes, it’s code red, panic sirens, or the whole emoji apocalypse. But underneath all of it, I know what they’re really asking:

“Am I still safe here?”

“Will I still belong in the place I trusted with my body, goals, and time?”

The panic spectrum

Let’s talk about their panic. Some of them act like it’s no big deal. Others spiral into a 2 a.m. Reddit rabbit hole with three tabs open and reviews of old cycles. A few stand at the whiteboard, squinting like they’re spotting red flags on a dating app: Too many EMOMs? Hard swipe left.

And I get it. Underneath all the programming, panic is something softer, something more vulnerable. People are wondering if they still matter in the space they’ve committed to. They’re questioning whether their progress will continue or if it will be derailed. Most of all, they want to know if the people coaching them will still know how to lead, teach, and adjust for them.

That’s the real fear hiding behind the emoji storm. And it’s valid.

Some of the players: who’s behind the programming you’re doing?

So, if you’ve ever looked at a whiteboard and wondered who’s pulling the strings behind the pain, here’s a peek behind the curtain. CAP. PRVN. Mayhem. Invictus. CompTrain. NCFIT. Each of them comes with their own flavor. Mayhem? Built like a barbell, heavy strength, classic Metcon, no frills. NCFIT will have you warming up longer than most people stay married. PRVN? Expect intensity that feels like it’s personally offended by your rest days. And Invictus? You’ll spend a lot of time mobilizing your hip capsule. Different sauces, same meat. They’re all still serving up CrossFit fundamentals. Deadlifts are still deadlifts aren’t they? Burpees? They’re still emotional damage with an extra bounce to break your will.

Different flavors, same foundation

Sure, there are differences. Some lean on volume. Others live and die by strength cycles. But if you swapped the logos and changed the color scheme, most of you wouldn’t notice. And that’s not an insult; it’s reality.

Because the real difference? It’s not in the programming. It’s in the coaching.

Still, let’s give credit where it’s due. Sometimes gym owners choose a programming platform because they want more structure, or because the in-house programming wasn’t delivering. Sometimes it’s also an attempt to “level up” the gym’s competitive vibe, which can feel exciting for the five athletes chasing the leaderboard, but alienating for the other 95 members who are just trying to breathe and not die during wall balls. Some programming shifts are strategic. Your gym might be chasing better alignment, more transparent structure, or a system that actually supports progress. Maybe leadership is finally trying to build something that lasts longer than a hype cycle.

The real red flag

But sometimes, it’s just a smoke bomb tossed out to distract you from what’s really broken: the coaching, the culture, the care.

Let’s talk red flags. If your gym changes programming more often than you change your playlist, that’s not a strategy. That’s avoidance. That’s someone chasing novelty instead of doing the work. And if you’re wondering what they’re trying to fix, ask yourself this: Was it really the programming? Or was it the coaching all along?

Because here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud, but we’re going to anyway: Programming is not the solution for disengaged coaches. They can slap a new name on the whiteboard like a seasonal latte every quarter. But if the people leading the class are under-trained, unsupported, or just plain uninspired, nothing changes, not for your progress or confidence and not for the community they claim to be building but keep forgetting to lead.

What the best gyms know

That’s where the best gyms set themselves apart.

Top-tier gyms understand this. The best gyms in the world, regardless of which programming track they use, have one thing in common: they pour into their coaches. They train them to understand stimulus. They teach them to see movement patterns and recognize physical cues. They talk about progressions, regressions, timelines, and context. They treat programming as a tool, not a fix. They use it to support their coaching, not to replace it.

Why constant programming changes don’t work

Meanwhile, struggling gyms chase new programs the way yo-yo dieters chase detox plans, hoping the next thing will fix what the last one didn’t. But without cultural change, coach development, and leadership grounded in purpose, the switch is just cosmetic. It might feel different for a few weeks. Then it flattens again. The new wears off, and the real issues resurface. Because this was never about programming. Not really.

It was always about who is leading, teaching, and who is building the experience on the floor.

So, your gym just announced that new programming will start next week? You might be chill about it, or you might be freaking out. Either way, don’t panic. But do pay attention. Was the change communicated clearly? Do the coaches know why it matters and how to apply it? Are they scaling with intention, cueing with confidence, and adjusting with care?

The question that matters most: who’s coaching your programming?

Are your coaches leading confidently and clearly, or are they reading from a screen and winging it?

If your coach still sees you, teaches you, and adjusts for you, that’s a good sign. That means you’re in a place that values more than just workouts. It means you matter.

But if everything on the board changed and nothing about the coaching feels different (if it’s still hands-off, disconnected, or inconsistent), then this change wasn’t about getting better. It was about distracting you from what’s missing.