Legion Strength & Conditioning Podcast

Using data to track (and hopefully improve) performance is nothing new for the kinds of coaches who listen to strength and conditioning podcasts. We hope that data will help us find patterns in messy, complex systems (like the human body) and guide the training that we give athletes. But what happens when that information is not used correctly?

Consider the recent widespread use of stretching and mobility apps. While the upfront assessment and prescription of "personalized" mobility videos scratches an itch for athletes, human movement is a lot more complex than measuring how many degrees of mobility you have at a particular joint.

Thoughtful athletes and coaches are prone to focusing too much on metrics — and thus dedicating their training to improving numbers that correlate less than we'd like to think with actual performance.

In episode 94 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast, we talk about how you can 'keep the goal the goal' and use data as a guide to better performance.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [1:15] What's triggered Luke recently
• [2:45] The misuse of movement and mobility apps
• [4:50] How Todd uses movement screens
• [8:00] Creating problems for the sake of legibility
• [10:00] The dangers of oversimplification
• [15:45] Simplifying complex systems to make things legible
• [17:35] Goodhart's Law – chasing metrics
• [20:10] A misused metric: the cycle time of movements in CrossFit workouts
• [22:00] Causality in workout performances
• [24:00] Using data to make useful changes and improve technique
• [27:20] How to effectively use data (and not just optimize for numbers on a spreadsheet)

We've all been there. You come into the gym feeling tired and run down, and the day's programming calls for a 1RM back squat. Should you swap days around and do something different? See how your warm-up sets feel and go from there?

It's competition season in CrossFit, so you may see more people than usual writing out spreadsheets of split times on mini-whiteboards. But what happens when you start missing those target splits?

In a sport like CrossFit, the skills of racing and improvising are essential. Rarely does a detailed workout pacing plan survive past the first few rounds of a long AMRAP.

Athletes need to be able to extract the relevant information from their plans and "metcon mathematics" to make better decisions in workouts — rather than hoping to come up with the mythical perfect splits that they can execute to perfection.

Episode 93 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast dives into the details of planning workouts, split times, and pacing. Listen and learn more about developing the skill of improvising, how training with others makes you better at racing, and how prescribing split times can create learning experiences in training.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [1:10] The compounding effects of athletes practising decision-making in workouts
• [2:00] The importance of being flexible with your plans for workouts
• [5:25] How to develop the skill of improvising
• [8:00] If you can execute your plan perfectly, you might not be going hard enough
• [8:45] Looking back at split times is more useful than planning them ahead of time
• [10:15] "Training" split times versus "racing" split times
• [12:10] Using target splits to give athletes a specific stimulus
• [14:50] When to use "start slow and speed up"-style workouts
• [16:40] Adapting the plan in live competition
• [18:30] Practicing adapting to the unexpected while training with others
• [21:10] The value in jumping into training with others whilst on an individual plan
• [22:15] Getting athletes to make better decisions over time — rather than worrying about avoiding mistakes

To improve, do we need to faithfully execute everything in our training program exactly as written? Not really — the goal of training is to stimulate adaptation, not to check everything off of a list.

Athletes often get caught up in the details of plans and progressions and may lose sight of the overall goal of training. To create long term progress in training, we need to be adaptable in order to hit the right training stimulus. Sometimes, this means changing the plan and being flexible.

Making the correct change requires an understanding of the intention behind our training. Is the priority in a session hitting a specific pace? Or a certain rate of perceived exertion? Is the goal to push to the limit, or to feel paced and sustainable?

Making adjustments to training in order to reach the desired stimulus empowers athletes to create great results in training.

Check out the latest episode of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast to learn more about training with rate of perceived exertion in CrossFit and how to use other markers of progress (like technique, movement quality and average performances) to help with long term development.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [3:00] The goal of training is creating a specific response
• [4:15] Being too invested in the day-to-day performance of training causes issues
• [7:00] Why communicating the intent of training is important for auto-regulation
• [10:00] Too much focus on performance can hurt adaptation
• [12:00] Being adaptable is better for long-term progress
• [13:45] How we create training progressions based on athlete response
• [17:10] Using programming as a means of communicating
• [17:35] Choose-your-own-adventure style training progressions
• [19:55] Results don't tell the whole story
• [22:40] Using RPE to let people adjust training easier
• [25:50] What is the main driver of adaptation?

How much does your performance in the Open matter if you are confident that you will make it to Quarterfinals?

Many athletes have shifted their focus in training away from the Open and onto Quarterfinals, but staying focused on the bigger picture goal after a disappointing Open finish can be difficult.

While Open finishes can provide helpful data points in guiding training priorities, it's dangerous to get too attached to specific scores. In previous years, many athletes would specifically train for and peak for the Open. Now, with the focus on Quarterfinals, Open performances will be a bit more all over the place.

As we head into Quarterfinals weekend, this episode of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast discusses the challenges in maintaining focus on the primary goal with for athletes who know they are going to make it through the Open. Listen to learn more about how to adapt to new challenges in the sport, prepare for a competition like Quarterfinals, and cope with difficult results in qualification stages of competition

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [2:30] How the new structure of the CrossFit Games season effects goal-setting
• [7:35] How to handle underperforming relative to the field
• [9:45] Anomalous workouts in CrossFit competitions
• [11:45] How to stay focused on the bigger picture goal
• [13:45] Getting exposed due to not building enough functional volume in certain movements
• [16:30] Training has to reflect what will be tested at your goal stage
• [19:10] Quarterfinals simulation weekends
• [20:30] The importance of being rested and healthy going into competition
• [26:00] Being flexible and dealing with unexpected challenges in competition

When is it appropriate for athletes to adjust their training based upon how they're feeling?

If an athlete is fatigued and stressed going into a session and they're supposed to max out their snatch, should they adjust the session?

For a sport like CrossFit, athletes and coaches should consider the goal of the training session. Are we trying to target a specific training stimulus? Are we hoping to prep an athlete for a competition on a specific date? Are we looking to build resilience and the ability to perform under sub-optimal conditions?

Recognizing what our intention is for a session can be a challenge since training for CrossFit looks an awful lot like competing in CrossFit.

There are situations where the right thing to do is to push through and attempt to perform at your peak abilities in a given session. More often, adjusting the training session based upon how you feel - or potentially scrapping it all together - will be better for long-term development.

Check out episode 90 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast to learn more about how trying to force improvement can lead to a cycle of bad training, how training experience will affect auto-regulation, and how to create flexibility in your training.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [1:40] The mental side to maxing out
• [3:10] What is an acceptable range in variability of performance?
• [4:20] The value of "pushing through" in the sport of CrossFit
• [6:25] How to change the structure of training to simulate lifting under fatigue in competition
• [8:30] Purposefully developing the skill of lifting under fatigue vs. pushing through a training session when not feeling good
• [10:00] Creating flexibility in group classes
• [11:30] The joys of trans-Atlantic podcasting
• [12:15] How training age and experience level impact resilience
• [14:45] Training to create a competitive feel vs training to create stimulus and adaptation
• [17:10] When to totally change a training session
• [18:00] Trying to force "good days" in training
• [21:00] Fatigue that comes from missed max effort attempts

How often should CrossFit athletes compete? Only the Open and Quarterfinals? Do a local throwdown every weekend? Hit every online qualifier workout that comes up? As coaches, we see people make mistakes by both competing too often and be competing too infrequently.

Some people place all of their focus on the CrossFit Games season while not getting enough experience in live competitions. Others will compete too much, getting caught up in a cycle of constant peaking and sport specific training which doesn't give them enough time to develop in lacking areas. In episode 89 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast, we look at how we help athletes decide when they should focus on competing more, and when they need to spend more of their year training rather than competing.

Jon and Todd discuss the dichotomy between specific training for the sport versus developmental training, as well as why many athletes find it difficult to make a clear distinction. Confusion here can cause an athlete to either place too much emphasis on their work in the gym, or to constantly replicate competition in their training.

Listen to find out more and learn about some of the nuanced skills involved in competing, how the feedback from competition can help refine your training, and when to focus on that local throwdown and when to pass it up in favor of training.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [1:20] How to use feedback and exposure in competition to help your training
• [2:10] Being too focused on the CrossFit Games season
• [3:10] The differences between live competition and training
• [6:15] Learning the skill of improvisation
• [8:05] Using local competitions to know where you sit relative to the field
• [9:20] Choosing to compete for the hobbyist and for the serious competitor
• [11:00] Specific skills athletes pick up at competitions
• [12:35] Too much competition and not enough development
• [14:00] Talented athletes that are able to improve but still compete too much
• [17:00] The cycle of under-recovering from competitions and qualifiers
• [19:00] Training to compete or training to develop and improve long term
• [22:00] Taking time off after competition
• [24:30] Load management and the risk of injury
• [27:00] Another Whoop rant…
• [29:20] Developing intuition based upon how you feel
• [30:20] Political allegories and sofas
• [34:15] Recommendations for the competition shy
• [35:45] Recommendations for the competition fiend

In a rare topical episode, Luke, Jon, and Todd weigh in on the recent drama surrounding the firing of Dave Castro.

CrossFit firing Dave Castro is like WWE firing Vince McMahon. While Castro had a clear creative vision for the CrossFit Games, there were also obvious downsides to having so much responsibility for an entire sport's ecosystem in one person's hands. The guys discuss where this has worked well and where it has caused problems in the past.

Give this episode a listen to see what other programming options there are for the CrossFit Games, how this could benefit the sport's growth, and what goes into planning and testing out competition workouts.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [1:00] The surprising timing of the announcement of Castro's firing
• [6:00] Does CrossFit lose its connection to its past?
• [7:20] Will more structure to competition be better for athletes?
• [10:30] Reactions from "old school" versus "new school" athletes
• [12:30] WWE style spectacle and entertainment
• [13:45] Balancing novelty and consistency in the Games programming and the potential benefits of more structure to the programming
• [19:40] Developing an infrastructure and ecosystem in competitive CrossFit
• [21:00] Hells Angels or CrossFit HQ?
• [22:00] Changing workouts during competition
• [23:30] Considerations for testing and planning competitions

When getting back into training after injury, it's easy to compile a laundry list of corrective exercises to throw into warm-ups and accessory work to add to training sessions. But, how much do these things actually help when we are chomping at the bit to get back into "real" training?

This episode wraps up the mini-series on injury and pain in CrossFit with a deep dive on returning to sport-level intensity. Just as the gap between skills and drills and doing fatigued ring muscle-ups can seem impossibly large, there's a big difference between banded rehab exercises and full-on competitive intensity.

Episode 87 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcasts covers how Luke incorporates rehab/prehab work into his training for the gym and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while dealing with chronic adductor tendinopathy. Luke, Jon and Todd draw parallels from Luke's situation to injury prevention for competitive CrossFit athletes.

Listen to the full episode learn more about incorporating rehab/prehab training into your sessions and how to think about volume as you return to training.

Listen to this episode to learn why some more experienced athletes 'get-away' with bad technique, what the guys think about Brooke Wells elbow injury at the games this year and how other factors such as lifestyle relate to pain and injury.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• 1:00 - Luke's training while being injured
• 2:40 - Luke's long list of injuries
• 4:35 - Luke's rehab/prehab protocol for adductor tendinopathy
• 5:20 - David Grey Rehab (not David Gray the 90's singer-songwriter )
• 6:30 - Working on general movements from PRI
• 7:45 - Bridging the gap between rehab/prehab work and specific movements in the sport
• 8:30 - Knee injury example of a return to play in CrossFit
• 10:30 - Creating problems through too much rehab/prehab volume
• 11:50 - Jon's suggestion to put Luke down like the old racehorse he is
• 12:50 - Where rehab and prehab work fits into training
• 16:40 - Implementing rehab/prehab work throughout the day to focus on adherence
• 19:45 - How people with different training ages should approach this differently
• 20:35 - The similarities between movement skill work and other types of skill acquisition
• 23:20 - Load management in BJJ vs sports like CrossFit or running
• 25:15 - How to separate rehab/prehab work in warm-ups and cool-downs
• 28:50 - Reframing rehab/prehab work and movement work similar to other skill work

In episode 86 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast, Jon, Luke, and Todd continue their mini-series on injury and pain. This discussion focuses on recovering from injury and the return to play process. Athletes and coaches often overreact to an injury, either pushing through pain and discomfort too much or, on the other end, catastrophizing and freaking out.

Strategies for injury management differ between acute injuries and chronic injuries, and the guys talk about what these strategies might look like for a competitive athlete.

Check out this episode to learn more about how to effectively use bulletproofing methods in training, how you might be able to find something to work on while injured, and how to build resiliency.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [3:00] Working through injuries and managing pain while training with chronic issues
• [4:00] Managing chronic tendinopathy while still practicing your sport
• [5:00] Overreactions to injury
• [7:30] Unrealistic expectations for return to play
• [9:00] How to build back into training
• [10:00] The importance of training around an injury
• [12:30] The drawbacks of compartmentalizing injuries too much
• [14:30] Bulletproofing without reducing overall training volume
• [15:35] Jon's adventures with bulletproof coffee
• [16:25] Todd's opinion of Dave Asprey
• [17:00] When athletes overvalue 'bulletproofing'
• [18:15] Specializing in movement training benchmarks
• [19:30] Keeping diversity in your training versus specializing
• [21:45] Using movement training to add volume to a competitor's program
• [22:55] Putting athletes in a position to improve their resiliency

Episode 85 of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast is the second part of a mini-series about pain and injury. Specifically, this episode goes over the relationship between technique, fatigue and injury. Whilst technique is essential to reduce the risk of injury, fatigue often plays a significant role, especially in a sport like CrossFit. Todd and Jon discuss the different factors that could cause injury when technique is often the main focus.

Listen to this episode to learn why some more experienced athletes 'get-away' with bad technique, what the guys think about Brooke Wells elbow injury at the games this year and how other factors such as lifestyle relate to pain and injury.

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 podcast are posted in video format on YouTube as well.

• [2:00] How the risk of injury decreases as technique develops amongst beginners
• [4:00] A beginners ability to create tissue damage compared to a competitive athlete
• [6:00] Fatigue tolerance level and risk of injury
• [7:00] Brooke Wells elbow injury and fatigue
• [9:00] More experienced athletes getting away with poor technique
• [10:30] Stressing tissue when under extreme fatigue
• [12:30] Why the relationship between technique and injury can sometimes be unclear
• [14:00] Dealing with the subconscious and injury
• [19:00] Developing technique or tissue tolerance to reduce injury
• [23:20] Creating safe training with appropriate programming
• [25:00] How lifestyle factors impact injuries
• [27:00] Decoupling the relationship between the activity and pain/injury