Legion Strength & Conditioning Podcast

In many sports, a lot of the training time is taken up by practising and playing the sport itself. In others, this happens less often. In something more skill based, like football or basketball, the need to practise contributes to more exposure to playing the sport. But in something like middle distance running or sprinting, the recovery cost of an all out effort in your event usually means this does not happen as much. CrossFit likely sits somewhere in the middle. We need to practise the types of metcons that will come up in the Open, qualifiers or competition, but the recovery cost can be quite high. The one advantage CrossFit does have is that its variety means you can balance out the training stress to allow for more practice of these harder metcons Check out this episode to hear our thoughts on the best frequency of hard CrossFit metcons. Listen to find out what happens when you practise these workouts too often and not often enough, as well as our thoughts on why this is a difficult thing to get right with athletes. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

It is common knowledge that beginners and more advanced athletes need to approach strength development differently. Beginners tend to need more volume to practise the skill of the lifts, whereas more advanced lifters need greater intensity to drive strength gains. We can see this in the contrast between basic programmes like Starting Strength and something like the Texas Method. So does a prescription like "build to a heavy set of five back squats" actually help your typical general population athlete coming into CrossFit classes? Building to a heavy set is about expressing strength rather than developing it — but there are situations where this can be a very useful prescription. More explosive or fast twitch athletes might find the volume of something like 5x5 too much and counterproductive from a recovery standpoint. And we are not always in a strength development phase with every athlete — there will be times when qualities are on maintenance but the lifts still need to be practised. In this episode we discuss the utility of a prescription like "build to a heavy," where it has its drawbacks with beginner lifters and where it can be useful in other situations. We also get into what different types of athletes need and respond well to it, and how to manage something like adaptation currency to maximise long term strength gains. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

How you approach training differs significantly depending on whether you are just doing CrossFit classes or training specifically for competition, even if you are only a hobbyist competitor. Training is more repetitive and structured when you have competitive goals, whereas in a class setting, you will have more variety, and part of your training is going to be focused more on the experiential side and less on long term training results. Luke recently took on a new client who has a good weight training history and now has the goal of trying out and learning how to do CrossFit. That is what sparked this topic for the podcast. Whilst there are some quicker results to be had with more structured training, there is also a lot of tacit knowledge you pick up about CrossFit from simply doing a more varied programme in class. Check out this episode to hear our thoughts on the best way to start CrossFit, whether structure is all that important at the beginning, and what the main objectives and goals are when you are just getting started. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

Speed and power training is something that is gaining traction in the training world and trickling into the CrossFit world. Elite athletes are posting videos of the more "out there" training they are doing, some people in the community are calling out the testing body of the CrossFit Games, and GPP purists in CrossFit are getting involved. Should speed and power be tested at the CrossFit Games, and is it something appropriate to give to general population clients in classes? In short, yes and yes. In both cases this is a gap in the testing and training we typically see in CrossFit. Interestingly, this was something tested more often in earlier iterations of the CrossFit Games, and CrossFit originally targeted sports athletes, with the programme said to provide a more well rounded form of GPP than most strength and conditioning programmes out there. In this week's episode we discuss how CrossFit should start to use this in the testing of athletes, how it might be tested, and the additional benefits of training these qualities. Check out the episode to find out more, including how you can include this in group class programming at a CrossFit box If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [1:00] Is speed and power a big gap in CrossFit's GPP methodology [3:20] Speed and power tests that have been at the CrossFit Games [5:45] Slow strength being at odds with speed and power [7:30] Is Olympic weightlifting a good expression of speed and power [9:30] Manipulating strength training to target power [12:45] How much can an average CrossFitter improve on this [15:00] Not testing speed and power work properly in CrossFit [20:00] How can you build this type of work into CrossFit classes [26:30] The risk factor of programming this for general population

CrossFit's primary message has always centred around health, but how healthy is competing in CrossFit at a decent level, and how healthy is taking any sport to its highest level? The trade-off between performance and long term health can be a murky line. Many hobbyists who take the sport seriously push performance to a point where it starts to affect their short and long term health. The common trade-offs range from general aches and pains and reduced immune resilience through to more catastrophic injury. CrossFit training tends to build an extreme tolerance to training volume, which means the first two are far more common than serious injury. They also tend to creep up gradually, often to the point where you realise it is not worth it a little too late. In this episode we talk about where that line sits for some competitors, when high performance nutrition becomes unhealthy, and why basic lifestyle guidelines are probably not the marginal gain for elite level athletes. Check out the podcast to find out more and see what our longevity training split would look like. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [01:00] Longevity, health and the trade-offs with competing in CrossFit  [02:30] Can you have both?  [05:30] Aligning expectations with your level of competition  [10:19] The main trade-offs with taking performance too far  [14:00] Nutrition for high performance  [19:00] Basic lifestyle guidelines for elite level athletes  [21:00] What does our longevity training split look like?  [25:30] Choosing a sport or activity for longevity

Training that is structured has its upsides, it is predictable and a safe bet, but progress can be slow and it can become boring. Chaotic training can produce quick results but tends to lead to plateaus and a lack of direction. Finding the right balance between the two is one of the more constant challenges in programming, particularly in a group class setting. How much variation is useful noise and how much is just randomness is not always easy to judge. Managing the expectations and psychology of different members is often harder than writing a smart progressive programme. You are never going to please everyone. But direction in training matters, and so does writing something people actually want to show up and do. In this episode we talk about finding the right level of noise in a group class programme. We get into why members will often accept strength progressions but resist the same approach applied to conditioning, and we discuss whether CrossFitters would actually enjoy other group fitness formats like F45 and Barry's Bootcamp. Check out the episode for a few useful takeaways for anyone planning cycle progressions for group classes. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [0:00] What is noise in CrossFit training [2:00] Why this is challenging in a group class setting [4:45] Managing structure and variety in class programming [7:15] Is Barry's Bootcamp random or structured [11:00] Making class programming varied but legible and progressive [13:30] Would CrossFitters enjoy things like F45 and Barry's [17:00] How to trick CrossFitters into doing conditioning progressions [22:30] More chaotic progressions for CrossFit benchmarks [27:30] Discussion on how linear progressions work

This year's CrossFit Games Open workouts ruffled some feathers. The constraints of having only three tests mean that overdoing certain movement patterns, time domains, or workout styles can significantly skew the testing. This can really impact the enjoyment of your average CrossFit box member, who is not overly invested in their results but genuinely enjoys taking part. Ultimately, these situations raise the question of who the Open is for, what the main goal of this competition is, and whether the programming is aligned with these factors. In this week's episode, we talk all about the Open, the tests, and what it could look like if there were some level of standardisation or predictability to make it more engaging for every CrossFit box member. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [1:30] Unbalanced testing with the CrossFit Open workouts [5:00] Making the Open more enjoyable [7:30] The purpose of the CrossFit Games Open [11:00] Who is tracking their scores seriously in the Open [15:00] How can CrossFit separate itself from other fitness competitions with the Open [18:30] Does standardising the Open workouts make it more engaging [22:30] Is the unknown and unknowable useful for CrossFit

Striking a balance between using metrics and standards to guide fitness, without overdoing it, is more important in CrossFit now than ever. Fewer people are participating in the sport, both seriously and recreationally. The demands of the sport keep getting higher, and the competitive scene is unclear and somewhat chaotic, so more people are taking part in events like Hyrox or simply training for the sake of training. Todd has recently put together some standards for South Loop Strength and Conditioning, and in this episode we continue our discussion about what fitness standards and metrics have to offer, using some of the examples in the standards that Todd has created. Listen to find out what some of these standards are, how to design good benchmarks, and how to use them. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [0:45] Standards in fitness and motivation for training [3:00] How to use standards and metrics in training [6:30] Using metrics to balance out fitness and having a reference on weak areas [12:00] Keeping tests contextual to CrossFit [17:30] Are old school CrossFit benchmarks still valid data points [20:00] Designing tests to avoid bottlenecks [22:00] When certain tests don't tell us much about someone's fitness

There is a fine balance between using metrics to guide your training and becoming overly fixated on daily results. Tracking data too closely can lead to counterproductive habits, such as "rep shaving" during classes or attempting to force progress, often undermining long-term consistency and general enjoyment. But failing to track performance at all can result in a lack of clarity regarding progress and this is something many people in CrossFit expereince. In the earlier years of CrossFit, single-modality testing and benchmarking were popular. Standarising tests like a 2km row, a max set of pull-ups, or a max back squat, provides more legibility into your fitness than a mixed CrossFit workout. This appreciation for simple tests has largely been replaced by online leaderboards and constant comparison against others. In many cases, athletes would benefit more from using single-modality tests to get a clearer idea on what they need to work on. Listen to find out more about the different types of standardisation, tests and benchmarking we've explored over the years. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [2:00] Finding a sweet spot with tracking and goals but not taking it too seriously [4:30] Recording training in training diaries, apps and on the whiteboard [7:00] Using numbers to get more out of training [10:30] Luke getting confused with American terminology [12:45] Having a records board at the gym [16:00] The Level Method and getting buy-in from members [19:50] Training metrics in CrossFit [24:00] Using metrics as a coach versus an athlete [25:00] Having different levels of basic fitness benchmarks

Getting stuck writing programmes on a Sunday night, with creative energy at zero, is an all too common occurrence for coaches and is probably where a lot of copy and pasted programming comes from. Writing programmes needs some creative input, but having systems in place to make it easier, and understanding the many small tasks involved in programming and stacking them together, can be really helpful. In this episode we talk about our ways of managing dips in creativity, where we get inspiration from, and how we batch certain tasks and programmes together. Check it out if you want to learn a few helpful tricks and tips, and a bit of a system behind how you're writing your programmes out. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, head over to www.legionsc.com to get a weekly selection of training tips and our favorite articles. We run online workshops for coaches as well. Find out when our next workshop is here: https://legionsc.com/program-design-workshops These podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well. Show Notes: [2:30] When programming requires more creativity [4:00] Batching similar programmes together [6:30] Differences with programming for less and more experienced athletes [7:40] Getting past a creative block with writing metcons [11:00] Making yourself be more decisive [15:00] Using templates to create constraints on the programme [17:45] Getting inspiration from CrossFit and CrossFit Linchpin [20:20] A framework for creating the programme [25:00] Looking at progressions on old programming blogs