Wodify Pulse is an in-gym heart rate tracking experience that integrates seamlessly with the Wodify Kiosk and Wodify Core software. For box owners, Wodify Pulse is an effective revenue-generating system that keeps members engaged and motivated to return to their CrossFit gym. The easy-to-use mobile app and activity belt powered by Myzone help members accurately monitor their effort and take full advantage of their time spent in the gym. However, what you may not know is that Pulse works as a new tool for coaches to use during a workout.
Wodify Pulse’s versatility is what makes it so effective. Regardless of a workout’s components, time frame, or stimulus, Pulse’s easy-to-read color-coded tiles measure an athlete’s effort, so the coach always knows who’s giving their all...and who needs to step it up.
Take CrossFit benchmark workouts like Fran, Isabel, and Grace, for example. They’re designed to be sprints. On the surface, you might think that slower athletes aren’t working as hard as their faster counterparts. However, with Wodify Pulse, speed isn’t the defining metric. Effort is. So even if an athlete is moving slowly compared to the rest of the class, their heart rate might still be in an appropriate zone relative to the stimulus of the workout. With a quick glance at the Pulse display on the monitor, the coach can easily spot who needs to increase their effort (not necessarily their speed) in order to get the full benefit of the workout.
Another popular benchmark WOD where coaching with Wodify Pulse can dramatically help is Cindy, a 20-minute long, cardio-heavy grind. According to Head Coach Ray Singson at CrossFit Main Line in Ardmore, PA, it’s really easy for athletes to go out too early and crash in the latter half of the workout. “Pulse really helps our athletes learn to appropriately pace their effort and break through plateaus,” he said. “It gives athletes the opportunity to achieve more consistency and to take ownership of their intensity. That way, they get more output and can see higher scores than they have in years of training.”
Sprinting and grinding are two ways of getting through a tough WOD, but let’s not forget about recovery. Any experienced Crossfitter will tell you, any workout with built-in rest is deceptive. That minute or two of recovery time is just there to give you a false sense of security, so you can endure even more punishment when the next round starts.
A coach who pays attention to athletes’ Pulse tiles during the minute-long rest in a workout like Fight Gone Bad can better prepare them for the second and third rounds. Athletes whose heart rates have dropped significantly during the rest period are going to be able to sustain their effort longer and can be pushed to get better results. Athletes who haven’t recovered as much should be coached to safely continue the workout at a reasonable pace to avoid injury.
Finally, there are the Hero WODS; long, grueling workouts that require extra effort and drive. The most famous of these is Murph, a challenging workout that can easily last an hour or longer for many athletes. The key to coaching this WOD with Pulse is to make sure athletes understand that they are capable of so much more than they think. “I was able to guide several athletes through Murph when they didn’t believe they could get through it,” said Coach Bill Naegele, from RedPoint CrossFit in Fayetteville, NC. “The benefit of Pulse comes when I can see exactly how much rest time they need by how fast their heart rates drops.”
While there are many advantages of adding the Wodify Pulse heart-rate training system to your gym for owners and athletes, don’t ignore how it can help coaches lead more effective classes for any type of workout. The end result is faster progress for your members, and in turn more people coming back to the gym.
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