Legion Strength & Conditioning Podcast

While we are still waiting for some details to be announced, the 2021 CrossFit Games season is starting to take shape.

In an ideal world, we will see the best aspects of the Regionals system and the best aspects of the Sanctionals system combine.

In a less than ideal world, Covid will throw a wrench in the 2021 season much like it threw a wrench in the 2020 season.

With the uncertainty in the air, how should athletes approach training for the 2021 Open? What should change for people who are prioritizing The Open compared to people who know they stand a good chance of making it to the Semifinals?

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• [00:13] Quick breakdown of the announcements for the structure for the 2021 CrossFit Games season.
• [07:40] How should athletes approach The Open vs the Quarterfinals vs the Semifinals?
• [17:20] How will the semifinals era compare to the Regionals era?
• [23:04] Adapting to potential shifts in the season structure based upon new announcements and the situation with Covid.
• [32:00] What is Jon doing for his athletes—some of whom are prioritizing the Open, some of whom are prioritizing the Quarterfinals, and some of whom are prioritizing the Semifinals? How should people think about training for and peaking for The Open?

Having spent time in a lot of different gyms and seen people following a lot of different competitive programs, I know for a fact that many of the coaches who write those programs would have a meltdown if they saw what was being done in their name.

I've seen athletes in my own gym who I personally coach doing things that have made me freak out. And, when I'm like "Ok, wait how long have you been doing this that way?" the answer is sometimes, "Well, basically the whole time."

Misalignment on how an athlete executes a session and how a coach intends a session to be done is inevitable. Taking this gap all the way to zero is not only unrealistic, but it would also eliminate many of the opportunities athletes have to learn about their own abilities through trial and error and making mistakes.

If a coach hand holds too much by always prescribing paces, always correcting form, and always giving suggested rep schemes for fractioning, athletes become dependent and fail to develop autonomy. Just like helicopter parents can make children fearful and dependent, helicopter coaches can stunt the development of athletes.

On the other end of the spectrum, athletes will often learn the wrong lesson from their mistakes or repeatedly fail to achieve the proper training stimulus without some guidance.

How do we find the balance between being overly prescriptive while also making sure that we are still providing the necessary guidance and nudges for athletes? Check out the full conversation with Jon and Todd for our perspectives—as well as a pretty nasty assault bike challenge from Jon.

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• [00:13] How can coaches help clarify the goal of a training session for athletes? And, the surprising multitudes of ways that athletes will figure out how to do sessions incorrectly.
• [04:50] How to find the right balance between making sure that athletes have guidance in executing their sessions vs excessive hand-holding
• [12:20] Jon concocts a sadistic workout. And, the tacit knowledge that people acquire about how to train correctly from training in groups.
• [23:37] Reprise of the Colborn Challenge: Bike starting at 60rpm for males and 50 rpm for females. Increase by 3rpm every 3 minutes until failure to maintain pace.
• [27:27] When is it appropriate for coaches to prescribe unreasonable paces that may be outside of an athlete's comfort zone?
• [34:02] If 20 people complete the Colborn Challenge, Jon will also do it. Please send images of the completed test to @legion.sc on Instagram.

As athletes improve in the sport of fitness, their weaknesses become obvious and apparent to them.

"Man, I really struggled on those handstand push-ups."

"My weightlifting numbers just aren't up to snuff."

Driven athletes home in on their weaknesses and will want to work on them obsessively.

However, especially for a lot of intermediate athletes, improvements will come over time simply from more exposure to the movements and the demands of the sport.

How can athletes and coaches know when they need to focus in on specific movements through targeted training, focused cycles, and special accessory work? And when will athletes just improve over time from doing the movements more? Check out the conversation with Jon, Luke, and Todd to find out.

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• [00:13] Why do some athletes improve just from being exposed to a training stimulus—even without focused work or a structured program?
• [02:50] How can athletes find a balance between "doing the sport" and dedicating specific time to doing skill work on target movements?
• [10:52] Some people are very capable of figuring things out on their own. Their success can mislead others about the best way to acquire skills.
• [19:47] Many impatient athletes and coaches look for complicated solutions to stalled out progress in intermediate athletes. In reality, they often just need more exposure over time to a specific movement or skill and will improve eventually regardless of the structure of training.

Intensity and volume reign in the competitive fitness landscape.

While debates go back and forth about which is more effective for adaptation (Hint: It depends), very few people are asking whether they should just stop training when they still have something left in the tank.

In fact, many athletes who we coach often ask if it's ok that they feel like they could have done more.

In some cases, they want to add in more accessory work. In other cases, they wish they had done more intensity and/or volume in their daily training session.

But, leaving something in the tank is a crucial part of long-term development.

Check out the conversation with Jon, Todd, and Luke to hear how to balance the concepts of "minimum effective dose" and "maximal tolerable dose" in training, when it's appropriate to do extra work after a session, and when you should empty the tank in training.

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• [00:13] Am I leaving gains on the table if I feel like I have more in the tank after a session? Pushing too hard on a specific session can limit overall improvement from a training cycle.
• [07:50] Minimum effective dose vs maximum tolerable dose and how to apply these concepts to specific training sessions
• [12:58] Achieving the best possible result in a session and getting the best training dose are not the same thing—more advanced athletes can often intuitively find the correct balance here
• [17:19] Is it ok to add in extra "easy work"—like skill work, easy biking or running, core exercises, etc.
• [25:08] When is it appropriate to actually push to the limit? What kind of mistakes do athletes make in training sessions that prevent them from finding their actual performance limits?

We've got another episode with Sergio going deep on the metabolism of lactate—and its underrate role as a signaling molecule and a preferential fuel source for many internal organs.

In this episode of Science with Sergio, we review some of the highlights for performance-based athletes in George Brooks's extensive 2018 review of lactate shuttle theory in Cell Metabolism: The Science and Translation of Lactate Shuttle Theory

As we discussed in our previous Science with Sergio episode, lactate gets an unfair bad rap—being blamed for all kinds of things like muscle soreness and fatigue.

Like most biological systems, it can be difficult to disentangle causation from correlation in the metabolism of lactate, and we attempt to do so in this episode. While this does get pretty deep, we try to offer explanations for some of the more technical concepts and jargon as we go.

Check out the full conversation with Todd and Sergio for a technical perspective on what's actually going on with lactate and lactic acid—as well as some wild speculation about how to apply these concepts to practical training for athletes.

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• Medium: @pecirnosergio
• Instagram: @sergiopecirno

• The Science and Translation of Lactate Shuttle Theory
• Calcium ions
• Conjugate acid-base pairs
• Lactate dehydrogenase
• Todd Nief's Show: Evan Peikon (Training Think Tank)
• Partial pressure
• Torr
• Maintained exercise-enhanced brain executive function related to cerebral lactate metabolism in men

• [00:13] Some common misconceptions about lactate: it causes soreness and fatigue.
• [06:45] How does pH work and what does it mean for something to be an acid-base pair?
• [13:10] How do metabolic byproducts actually cause fatigue? And, is there a separate role for lactate in fatigue other than through the production of hydrogen ions?
• [20:14] Does lactate have anything to do with soreness? Is there value in "flushing" after a training session?
• [33:14] Why do some tissues seem to prefer lactate as a fuel source? And, how can the correlation of elevated blood lactate levels with negative health outcomes confuse us?
• [41:14] What is lactate's role as a "signaling molecule?"
• [44:30] What are actionable takeaways for athletes and coaches based upon a better understanding of lactate metabolism on interval training and recovery protocols?

Like everyone else in the CrossFit world, all of the Legion coaches wasted at least a few hours a few weekends ago streaming the CrossFit Games instead of doing whatever work we should have been doing.

And, like everyone else in the CrossFit world, we all each have some opinions on the programming and the testing—some positive, some negative, and some just flat out armchair pontificating.

Check out this conversation with Jon, Todd and Luke to get our take on the design of the events for the 2020 CrossFit Games—and our thoughts on how CrossFit handled the variety of challenges thrown at them for the entire 2020 season.

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• [00:13] Some quick takes on the testing for this year’s Games—and the challenges of running the event given the variety of changes to the 2020 season.
• [07:47] How having only 5 athletes changed the dynamics of the competition.
• [13:22] Some critiques of the events—and the benefits of not having anything “shocking” this year
• [19:09] Somes positives of the events—and commentary on what the actual separator was on a few events
• [26:00] Final thoughts on the Games workouts

And now, for a new segment on the Legion podcast: “Science with Sergio”

Lots of CrossFitters talk about lactate or “lactic acid,” like joggers from the 1970s—saying things like “my legs were burning with lactic acid” or “my lat are so sore from the lattice acid from that workout yesterday.”

Our understanding of the metabolism of lactate has progressed quite a bit, so we wanted to dig into a paper from Iñigo San-Milán and George Brooks that gives a more detailed and accurate framing of how lactate functions in the body as a fuel source, a signaling molecule, and—in some cases—as a fatigue mechanism.

On this podcast, Sergio and Todd break down “Assessment of Metabolic Flexibility by Means of Measuring Blood Lactate, Fat, and Carbohydrate Oxidation Responses to Exercise in Professional Endurance Athletes and Less-Fit Individuals.”

By better understanding the in-the-weeds metabolism, we can better filter fitness snake oil and have a more accurate framework for how athletes get through conditioning—and what actually slows them down.

Check out the full conversation with Todd and Sergio to learn:

• How elite athletes metabolize lactate
• How aerobic and anaerobic metabolism relate to lactate production
• How to practically apply this understanding of metabolism to training CrossFitters

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• “Assessment of Metabolic Flexibility by Means of Measuring Blood Lactate, Fat, and Carbohydrate Oxidation Responses to Exercise in Professional Endurance Athletes and Less-Fit Individuals” by Iñigo San-Milán and George Brooks
• ATP/ADP sycle
• Citric acid cycle
• Electron transport chain
• “Fast-Twitch Vs. Slow-Twitch Muscle Fiber Types”

• [00:13] Introduction to “Science with Sergio” and “Assessment of Metabolic Flexibility by Means of Measuring Blood Lactate, Fat, and Carbohydrate Oxidation Responses to Exercise in Professional Endurance Athletes and Less-Fit Individuals” from Iñigo San-Milán and George Brooks.
• [03:45] Some key foundational concepts: metabolic flexibility and fat and carbohydrate oxidation, lactate, the citric acid cycle, the electron transport chain, and aerobic vs anaerobic metabolism
• [12:08] Does lactate actually cause fatigue and soreness? What’s the deal with “lactate threshold”?
• [17:04] A breakdown of the study’s methodology and findings: elite athletes, recreational athletes, and metabolically damaged individuals all rode a bike 🙂
• [25:17] Lactate as a fuel source and why lactate both correlates with and potentially causes fatigue
• [35:27] How can people apply this understanding of lactate to actual performance in fitness? What is the value of Zone 2 training? How do CrossFitters do it wrong?
• [43:52] Why CrossFit has more complicated limiters than just mitochondrial function.
• [49:51] “The fat burning zone” doesn’t have anything to do with people losing weight or body fat.
• [53:37] Science with Sergio wrap up

Athletes who are in between classes and being high level competitors can often feel “homeless” in their training. They may also struggle with calling themselves a “competitor” if they’re not interested in trying to qualify for higher level events or if they still struggle with certain aspects of their fitness.

Still, these athletes often enjoy using the framework of CrossFit as a sport to guide their training and tap into their competitive energy.

In this episode, we try to give these athletes some questions that will help guide their training—and also support their desire to push themselves to improve without feeling like they need to push themselves for elite performance.

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• [01:19] A lot of people are interested in treating CrossFit as a sport, but aren’t interested in really dialing in elite performance or doing corny “athlete” stuff. What should these folks think about in their training?
• [03:52] What kind of goals could someone have for improving in the sport of CrossFit? Just the joy of competing? The process of self-improvement? Having fun in the gym?
• [08:10] Some people are good enough relative to other people that they feel like they “should” compete, but that doesn’t mean that they have to go all in on developing elite performance.
• [13:47] Even people who don’t have strong competition goals enjoy getting better—and hate getting worse.
• [19:52] How can athletes find a local competitive structure that allows them to find fulfillment. And, the value of training with people a bit above and a bit below your current skill level.
• [24:58] Summary of recommendations for “in between” athletes

The Morning Chalk Up recently posted an article by Hilary Achauer called “Remember When Gyms Programmed Their Own Workouts?”

Since all of us Legion coaches have combined decades of experience programming workouts for group classes at gyms, we felt it only right that we vent our thoughts on whether gyms should write their own programming into our microphones for your listening pleasure.

With the rise of several very high quality online programming options available for gyms, it can seem like a no-brainer to outsource the programming aspect of running a gym and focus on more pressing aspects of growing and managing the business.

What is lost by doing this, though? What are the downsides to coaches, and is there a reasonable business case to be made for spending the time and energy writing a custom program?

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that the alternative to a gym hiring out their programming isn’t necessarily a well-designed and fun program that keeps all of their members engaged, safe, and coming back for more.

It’s often a haphazard, WOD that an overburdened owner/operator found while searching Google in between responding to emails.

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• [00:13] How has the landscape changed over the last 10 years for gyms writing their own programming?
• [02:42] What are the concerns with following a more generalized program? What can go wrong when gyms templated programs.
• [07:37] What level of skill do coaches need in programming in order to be able to effectively deliver class programming?
• [15:11] Every group program is going to have people who question the program or argue. How can coaches and owners build trust in the program that they are following?
• [24:03] There’s a difference between actually coaching and just “administering” a class
• [27:32] Summary of the positives and negatives of purchasing a templated program or hiring someone outside of your gym to write programming

As people get into CrossFit, some percentage of them start to get pretty excited about the training.

While they just start off coming to classes, enjoying the workouts, and maybe making a few friends along the way, they start to realize that there’s a whole world of skills, personal records, and faster times to be uncovered.

For these folks, there often comes a tipping point when they decide that they want to do more than is in the typical CrossFit class.

But, what does that look like? It’s not just about jumping from doing a few 60 minute classes per week straight into multiple double days and 90s minute sessions that we see CrossFit Games athletes posting on Instagram.

So, how should people think about making the transition into doing more work outside of classes and focusing more on competing?

How does an idealized version of this journey compare to the often messy reality of how many athletes transition into more competitive training?

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• [00:13] What is the typical journey from just doing “CrossFit classes” to becoming a competitor — and what bad advice do people get along the way?
• [07:14] What is the most important thing someone can focus on as they attempt to transition to doing “more than in a class”?
• [14:00] Following “absolute best practices” isn’t necessarily realistic or important for people just getting into competing. How can people find low hanging fruit to focus on in training?
• [20:34] Training in a group — while often devoid of “best practices” — teaches athletes many of the tacit skills that they need in order to understand how to compete.
• [29:39] As long as people are learning and not pushing themselves too hard, it’s ok to do “stupid stuff” in training and almost every competitor has a period where they go through this process.
• [34:17] A lot of people do not necessarily want to push for absolute peak performance — it’s ok to just want to work out and throw down with their friends.