How much of a fitness coach's value comes from program design? In this OPEX Coach quarterly office hour, Carl Hardwick and OPEX coaches discuss how AI is changing workout programming, what clients value in a coaching relationship, and where coaches can make the biggest difference. The conversation looks at why a strong program matters, when coaches may be spending too much time refining the details, and how to keep the focus on the client's goals and follow-through. Carl also shares how AI tools could support coaching through data analysis and personalization, while coaches decide which parts of their work they want to automate.

Most of us came up believing that hard work is the answer. I did. A lot of us grew up in gyms where the workout that left you on the floor was the one that was the ‘most effective’, and the story we told ourselves was that it carried over to better fitness. Do hard things in here and you get harder out there. At work, at home, as a parent, etc. That instinct is not wrong. Hard things do teach, and the coaches who protect clients from anything uncomfortable end up contributing to their fragility. I believe this strongly enough that James and I disagreed on the show about how far to take it. He was careful to say challenging, not suffering. I went the other way. I think bouts of suffering are good for people (not the on the floor, can’t move tomorrow kind, the kind where the thing takes every bit of you). I would like to reframe this one a bit though, because “hard” has been covering for a lot of things that are not hard work at all.

OPEX CEO Carl Hardwick & CMO Kandace Hudspeth went live to have a conversation about what The OPEX Method is, how it got here, who it is for, and most importantly how it is supporting career coaches.

Most of us were taught to be supportive as coaches, to support the client and their goals. This is half right IMO. The client is an adult, they know themselves, and a coach who cannot adapt is a coach who loses people. So when a client asks to try something, we immediately go into ‘support mode’. We fold it in, we adjust the plan, we tell ourselves that flexibility is what keeps somebody bought in for the long haul. That instinct is not wrong, and the coaches who NEVER bend tend to end up being self righteous coaches. I would like to reframe this one a bit.

In many of the life coaching/consultation courses I've taken in the past, I was always told to remove my biases and do not 'impose'. The consult exists to find out what the client actually wants. The programs we design exist to get them there. Meet them where they are. Don't put your bias on somebody else. Most of us hold that pretty tightly, because the coaches who ignore it end up building the client they wanted instead of the one sitting in front of them. So we ask better questions, we listen harder, and we let their goals set the direction. I would like to reframe this thought a bit. What if as coaches, we started to look at ourselves as leaders? As teachers trying to move our clients upward? Something that I have taught in CCP for many years is:

Twenty years ago, before the leaderboards, the sponsorships, and the global stage, there was one champion. This weekend at the 20th anniversary CrossFit Games, OPEX Founder James FitzGerald was honored as the Inaugural Fittest On Earth, the sport's first champion. For those who know James, the recognition lands a little differently. The title was never the point. It was the beginning of a mission that has now spanned more than 30 years.

Follow along on this live weekly vlog series documenting strength coach Dr. David Skolnik going through the The OPEX Method Mentorship. Here is the Week 10 update and mentorship summary.

Most coaches don’t struggle because they lack skill. They struggle because they can’t explain what they do in a way that feels clear, honest, and easy to act on. Week 10 of Inside the OPEX Method focused on fixing that problem, then pairing it with a simple way to bring in leads without turning coaching into a second job. In this recap, Kandace and Carl closed out a 10-week mentorship with 40 coaches, shared what Week 10 covered, and explained why the program stays small and hands-on.

Follow along on this live weekly vlog series documenting strength coach Dr. David Skolnik going through the The OPEX Method Mentorship. Here is the Week 9 update.

Most fitness coaches love program design, client relationships, and getting people results. Marketing and content creation, not so much. But if you want a full client roster and a stable business, your personal brand and content strategy cannot sit on the sidelines. Week 9 of the OPEX Method mentorship dug into how coaches can show up online in a way that feels honest, aligned, and effective. Instead of chasing trends or hacks, the focus was on building a content approach rooted in beliefs, values, and real coaching skills. This recap walks through the big ideas from the week: how the internet has changed, why personal brands matter so much for coaches, the Coaching Content Signature framework, and how to think about marketing without feeling like a sellout.

Follow along on this live weekly vlog series documenting strength coach Dr. David Skolnik going through the The OPEX Method Mentorship. Here is the Week 8 update.

What actually turns a knowledgeable coach into a professional coach with a real, sustainable career? That is the focus of Week 8 in the OPEX Method mentorship, and it is a big shift from just learning systems to actually building a life around coaching.

This week moved from sets, reps, and assessments into purpose, value, pricing, operations, and how to wrap a real business and lifestyle around the craft of coaching. It was packed with honest reflection, practical tools, and some needed conversations about money, metrics, and what it means to show up as a pro every single day.

Follow along on this live weekly vlog series documenting strength coach Dr. David Skolnik going through the The OPEX Method Mentorship. Here is the Week 7 update.

Week 7 was all about the OPEX Basic Lifestyle Guidelines (BLGs), how to assess them, how to prescribe them as habits, and how to use tools inside Coach RX to track lifestyle in a real, practical way. It was a shorter week because of the holiday, but there was a lot packed into it.

Follow along on this live weekly vlog series documenting strength coach Dr. David Skolnik going through the The OPEX Method Mentorship. Here is the Week 6 update.

Most clients want results in 14 to 30 days, but real progress rarely fits into that kind of timeline. If you coach people, you already know the tension between short-term expectations and the reality of long-term development. Week 6 of the OPEX Method Mentorship zooms in on how to bridge that gap with clear planning, better systems, and stronger communication.

This recap breaks down the key ideas from the week: how to think in long-term cycles, how to use short-term and daily plans to support that vision, how CoachRx supports the process, and how to communicate it all in a way that builds trust and consistency.