Tristan Bennett Fitness Coach

More volume won’t fix what’s not working.

But that’s where most intermediate athletes go first when progress stalls.

💬 Comment ‘AUDIT’ and I’ll send you a full guide to help you interpret your score, and see what you need to fix before you do more.

Instead of increasing training load, start by auditing your current structure across these 3 areas:

Recovery vs. Load - Are you adapting, or just surviving?

Skill Quality Under Fatigue - Are you reinforcing movement… or compensation?

Training Dose & Intensity - Is it precise enough to drive adaptation?

If any of these are misaligned, adding more won’t lead to better results - it’ll just accelerate breakdown.

Swipe through to run the audit.

Then comment ‘AUDIT’ and I’ll send you a full guide to help you interpret your score, and see what needs to change before you do more.

Most intermediate athletes aren’t underperforming because they’re not working hard.

They’re underperforming because their training hasn’t evolved with them.

At some point, effort alone stops being enough - and unless you step back and realign what you’re doing with where you actually are, progress stalls.

This is the 5-step process I use to get things moving again:

✅ Audit your current performance
✅ Focus on the real limiters
✅ Build a training week around those priorities
✅ Progress the right variables over time
✅ Keep everything aligned with your actual capacity

It’s not flashy. But it works, consistently.

Want a deeper look at how this plays out in real coaching?
Comment ‘STRUCTURE’ and I’ll send over the case study.

Want to know where you sit across the key CrossFit benchmarks?
Comment with ‘KPI’ and I’ll send the full list.

Most athletes stuck below Rx don’t need more volume, they need clarity.

The post breaks down the 7 most common mistakes we see.

I’ve also put together a fix list that shows how we assess and correct them in coaching.

These are the 5 areas we assess first, and where things often break down when you’re training hard but not progressing.

💬 Comment “FIX” and I’ll send it over.

Plateaued despite consistent training?

Before increasing volume, you need to assess whether your system is built to support it.

These are the 3 areas we audit in every athlete before prescribing more work - to ensure progress is sustainable, not self-defeating.

💬 Comment “AUDIT” and I’ll send you the structured audit to guide you through it.

Being more tired doesn’t mean you’re building better capacity.

Pushing harder doesn’t mean you’re expanding sustainable output.

Real aerobic capacity is about producing work you can sustain - repeatably, reliably, under increasing stress.

🎉 Big congratulations to Rich and Magda on qualifying for the iF3 European Championships! 🚀

And a huge shoutout to Brett on his first time competing at the national level. Even though he narrowly missed moving forward, securing an event win and battling through some tight finishes is an incredible achievement. Proud of you and how far you’ve come in our time together! 🙌

CrossFit is a “you must be this strong to play” sport.

If your max thruster is 100kg and a workout has 40kg thrusters in it, you’re going to have a much better time than if your max was 70kg.

Or if you can only strict press half your bodyweight, strict handstand push-ups are probably a non-starter.

Swipe for my top 5 minimum targets for the Rx athlete (and swipe to the end for some bonus KPIs)

Want me to send you my Complete Strength Benchmark List For The CrossFit Competitor?

First drop me a follow.

Then comment ‘STRONG’ below. 👇

Brett’s journey has been my privilege to share.

From struggling with double-unders to breaking into the top 200 in Europe, his progress is a testament to what’s possible with the right structure, accountability, and commitment.

Coaching is more than just programming.

It’s about being as invested in the process as your athlete is, adapting to their needs, and facilitating their growth beyond what they thought was possible.

Brett no longer feels like he’s “making up the numbers”, he’s competing, placing, and has a broader horizon than ever.

I’m very much looking forward to what’s next for Brett.

If you’re tired of hoping for progress and want a clear plan to reach your next level, DM me “COACHING” 📩 and let’s talk.

-Tristan

1️⃣ I used to think that more training was always better—until I saw athletes plateau despite their best efforts. Now I know precision beats volume every time.

2️⃣ I’ve questioned my own coaching methods when an athlete wasn’t progressing as expected. It took me time to understand that sometimes the missing piece isn’t in the programming—it’s in the relationship you have with the athlete.

3️⃣ There was a time I struggled with imposter syndrome—wondering if I was good enough, if I was making a real impact, if I knew enough. The truth is, even the best coaches doubt themselves at times. But I kept learning, refining, and proving to myself (and my athletes) that I belong here.

4️⃣ I still get frustrated seeing talented athletes hold themselves back because they chase the wrong things—maxing out, Rx’ing workouts they’re not ready for, avoiding their biggest weaknesses.

5️⃣ I’ve made mistakes in programming. I’ve adjusted, learned, and improved. Coaching is just like training—it’s an ongoing process, not a perfect science.

6️⃣ It can be a struggle to know what to do when even the most dedicated athletes have moments of doubt, frustration, and feeling like they aren’t good enough. But your worth isn’t defined by your performance—it’s measured by your character, your effort, and how you show up every day.

Despite all of this, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Helping athletes push past their limitations, unlock their potential, and grow as human beings is what drives me.

💬 If any of this resonated with you, drop a 🔥 in the comments—I see you, our mistakes and challenges are where we grow the most. You’ve got this 💪

-Tristan

If you’re gymnastics stuck, this is probably why.

Most CrossFitters try to kip before they can strict, cycle reps before they’re efficient, and wonder why they keep hitting a wall.

The truth? You’re skipping steps.

Gymnastics isn’t about doing more reps—it’s about mastering the right progressions, in the right order.

Swipe 👉🏻 for the exact 8-step framework I use to take athletes from average to elite in gymnastics.

💬 Comment ‘Gymnast’ and I’ll audit your gymnastics for free.

🫂 If this helped you, share it with someone who needs to see it.

I coach the value of consistency as well as the value of accepting where you are.

Return to fitness requires a healthy dose of both, underpinned with staying patient. In that way it’s like no other fitness or competitive goal.

Most important is to approach this not from the perspective of where I was, but from the reality of where I am.

1. A sn**ch
2. A squat
3. Some sn**ches
4. Some bending

Plenty of strict pushing and pulling as well, rebuilding a solid foundation before moving into more challenging dynamic contractions.

-Tristan

Emily Smith Client Testimonial

“I spoke with Tristan and realised he would truly put the personal into personalised coaching —helping me rediscover the joy of training while addressing my weaknesses in a constructive way.”

I’ve had the privilege of working with Emily for a number of years—coming to me burnt out and having fallen out of love with CrossFit and training.

Through that time we’ve rekindled Emily’s fire, while setting lifetime PBs along the way, which—although fantastic—haven’t been the focus.

Instead our highest priority has been working with an underlying philosophy of balance and self compassion.