Episódios
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Often, when someone comes through the ranks of class workouts and starts to contemplate competing in CrossFit, they conjure up an image of their training having to dramatically change to "take it to the next level". In reality, they need to get more exposure to the sport and develop experience.
Telling someone to do more of the sport can seem like a cop-out answer, but there is so much to work on and develop in CrossFit; it can take a few years to see where you need to focus your training. In this episode, we talk about how an athlete can get more exposure in an intelligent and structured way. We also discuss the timeline of progress that different athletes have in the sport.
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] Getting more exposure to the sport [3:50] Structuring your training more like a competitor [7:00] Getting experience to help with pacing [8:30] The low hanging fruit when getting started [11:15] Benefits to focusing on training hard and being consistent [14:00] Quickest timeline from beginner to semi-finals [22:00] Patterns of progress with different athletes -
After a competition, athletes are usually keen to get to work and train for potential weaknesses highlighted in the competition. But often, this is too hasty, and it's wise to have a process figured out on how to approach the review and planning post-competition period.
This week, we discuss some of our processes for reviewing an athlete's performance after a competition, reducing the noise, and clarifying what needs work. Do you follow what the leaderboard says or go off of the subjective experience of the athlete? Do you let the athlete take the lead, and what happens when their intuition is wrong? Often, surprises come up in competition, which might be hard for the athlete to deal with, but it usually creates a more profound learning experience. Check out this episode to learn more on how to approach this period.
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: [3:00] What Luke does in his coaching [6:10] How to debrief after a competition [7:30] Getting surprised on things in competition [9:15] The effects of competition on your health [15:00] What changes do you make in training [17:30] Keeping training reactive and dynamic [20:00] When athletes have the wrong takeaway [22:00] Letting athletes having their input even if they're not on the right track -
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Since Adrian Bozman has led the programming for the CrossFit Games, each season has seen more variety in the skills and movements involved.
From the max sandbag to shoulder event at the games to learning cross-over single unders in class, everyone in the sport has felt this inclusion of new skills in some way. This shift in the programming pays homage to the roots of CrossFit, and acts as another variable to progressing the sport, as you can only increase weights and volume to a certain extent.
In this week's episode, we discuss developing these new skills in training, which skills have been good inclusions (or not), and how to best introduce these skills into 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 podcasts are posted in video format on YouTube as well.
Show Notes: [3:00] Why are we seeing more higher skilled gymnastics movements [6:00] Having to learn new movements on the spot at the CrossFit Games [7:00] What skills are good to learn that shouldn't be tested in competition [9:30] Trying to get ahead on the possible new skills coming up [11:30] What makes some of these skills harder to judge [15:30] Does "just figure it out" make a good event [17:00] Does CrossFit test athleticism [19:30] How can CrossFit include new skills better -
In a data-heavy sport like CrossFit, it can be pretty easy for athletes to get overwhelmed when setting goals. You have your placings in the open and other competitions and your training numbers. We don't have much control over leaderboards and tend to overestimate what we can achieve in our training when increasing numbers.
In this episode, we talk about goal setting for CrossFit, how it can be easy to get overly invested in the open and why competing can help you enjoy your training and give you the experience you need to improve.
Check out this episode to learn when data can be helpful and when it can be less helpful in goal setting and know why athletes who manage chaos and setbacks tend to do better in the sport.
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] Goal setting in CrossFit [2:30] Over investing in the open [5:30] Enjoying your training [6:30] Glorifying obsessive and driven CrossFit Games Athletes [10:00] When people do well with goal setting [13:00] Keeping people engaged in training [16:00] Using competitions to guide your goals [22:00] When data isn't helpful [27:00] Managing chaos and handling setbacks well [30:00] Jon is mentally tough -
Recently, CrossFit announced a price increase for the yearly affiliation fee and that you must also hold a CrossFit Level 2 qualification to open an affiliate. This episode is a topical one, where we talk about the value of the CrossFit name now, whether the price increase is warranted and whether this is acting as a filter to elevate the brand name of CrossFit.
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: [0:30] What is the CrossFit affiliation fee [3:30] Why is there a price increase? [6:00] Jon's thoughts on the price increase [11:00] Is CrossFit becoming less popular [19:00] Why do you need a level two before opening an affiliate now? [23:00] Is the level two prerequisite overall a positive thing? [30:00] What does Greg Glassman say about all this on Instagram -
Since the first CrossFit Games, there have been certain trends that athletes have adopted to excel in the sport. There have always been those athletes who do well under the direction of a coach and others who might be more independent or even train with a group of fellow competitors.
But as the sport grows and coaching businesses grow with it, you're starting to see a lot of athletes training under a training camp model. You're even finding that many of the best athletes from years past are heading up these camps. But how many of the top performers at the CrossFit Games train at these camps?
Using training camps to facilitate competition in training has its advantages, but does the group aspect of the training get in the way of long-term development for athletes?
This week, we talk about the upsides and potential drawbacks of a group training model versus an individualised approach and discuss what the role and impact of a coach might be to higher-level 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.
Show Notes: [0:30] Training camps in the US and Europe [4:00] When athletes bounce around training camps and programmes [5:00] How much do the interpersonal dynamics effect athletes staying on [7:00] Balancing training environment, competitions and individual training needs [9:30] Athletes getting paid to follow programmes [13:00] What would yield the best results - unstructured group training or structured individualisation? [16:30] Athletes not feeling good enough for a individualised programme [19:40] Does coaching matter at the top level? [22:30] What kind of impact can coach actually have on an athletes overall development -
Team competition back in the earlier days of CrossFit consisted of relay-style workouts, where the total score was the sum of individual efforts. This style of workout meant that the training could primarily be individual, and often you would see a broader range of abilities in team, maybe with one athlete always getting bottlenecked by a certain weight or skill. Now we see elements like the worm, synchronised reps and different workout structures that make team competition more about the team.
In this episode, we discuss balancing a CrossFit Games team's individual and team training, with Jon providing insight into the preparation for CrossFit Omnia. Here are some of the interesting topics discussed in this episode;
We often hear about teammates pushing each other in workouts to go harder, but does it work the other way around? Do athletes subconsciously slow down and go easier when others call for rest? Do those team dynamics work both ways?
One of the key things to consider when managing the distribution of team and individual is weighing up the trade-offs between practicing team workouts and not quite getting the right stimulus for everyone versus doing individual workouts where it's easier to get everyone hitting the desired stimulus.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] How does Jon manage the team training at CrossFit Omnia [5:00] The distribution of team workouts vs individual workouts for team athletes [7:00] Why is doing team workouts important? [8:00] Worm work for teams [13:00] Does teamwork detract from an athlete's overall fitness [17:00] Team dynamics slowing performances down [21:45] The right distribution of team and individual training for team athletes during the season -
CrossFit recently announced another round of season changes to the CrossFit Games, most notably increasing the field for quarter-finals qualification and decreasing the available games spots at semi-finals in some of the strongest regions. With frequent changes to the season structure in the last five years, who has been the most affected by this, and how does it impact the sport for some competitors?
This week, we talk about how the bubble athlete usually gets affected the most and how this can be frustrating when this majority makes up the ecosystem for the sport. We also discuss other ways in which the season could work and how fewer qualifiers and more in-person competitions are more of what every athlete needs in the sport. We'd like to hear from you, the listeners, and see if you have any ideas on how this could work better and how you feel that the season changes will impact your season as a coach or athlete. Drop us a message on Instagram.
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] News, entertainment and British tabloids [3:45] Barbell Spin is "of the people" apparently [5:00] Recent season changes announcement [10:00] Does increasing the field for quarter finals impact qualification for semi finals? [15:00] Does the programming matter as much now as the field becomes stronger? [18:00] Bubble athletes getting the rough end of the changes all the time [20:00] Is there a better way to structure the season [25:00] Athletes placing different at in-person competitions compared to qualifiers? [27:30] Can we structure the season like other sports? -
This week, we look at Flux Training intervals again and how a coach might programme that for a CrossFit athlete. We also touch on some different, less tangible KPIs to look at when measuring an athlete's performance or improvement, mainly an athlete's ability to recover while doing work and how Flux Training can help build the fitness and pacing skills to do that.
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] Luke's recent use of Flux Training with his athletes [4:30] Making work intervals slower to keep the recover intervals more productive [6:10] Using flux training with mixed work [10:30] Alternative ways of measuring improvement in interval training [14:30] Keeping workouts aerobic or being able to recover while doing work [18:00] The difference between endurance sports and CrossFit [21:30] How to programme this for a CrossFit athlete? -
Zone two training has done the rounds and is gaining much attention from the competitive scene. CrossFit, being an “endurance sport”, is an idea that is gaining popularity, and big names like Mat Fraser and Chris Hinshaw talking about the importance of low-intensity endurance work has made this training type of training pretty popular recently. But is it effective for improving someone’s endurance for metcons and typical CrossFit? It could be what a powerful and fast twitch athlete needs, but it might also be like trying to get a stronger squat by just doing accessory work. Flux training is an approach to interval training that is more flexible, emphasising rolling on and off of higher and lower intensity paces, which captures the sports-specific pacing of CrossFit quite well. The circuit nature of CrossFit usually entails that pacing is more variable and less consistent than your usual endurance event, and this is something that flux training embraces. Check out this episode for why flux training might be a better option than traditional intervals.
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: [3:30] Easy aerobic work is like doing accessory work for strength training [5:00] Do people have enough time to do all these extra zone two sessions [7:00] Figuring out how to sneak in easier endurance training [10:00] The opportunity cost for regular people versus professional athletes [11:15] Increasing volume tolerance for the sport or junk volume [13:30] The ceiling on someones endurance [15:30] What is flux training? [19:00] Starting with very structured intervals as a beginner athlete/coach [20:00] Athletes trying to turn fartlek or flux style training into structured intervals [21:30] Flux training being a better tool for the average athlete [23:30] Developing intuition as an athlete [26:15] Is running a better training tool than other endurance modalities -
In this episode, Jon shares his experience at the CrossFit Games, coaching CrossFit Omnia to another top-ten finish in the team division. We talk a lot about balancing the weight and order of the events with cuts at the games. This year saw the cuts happening after two days of a heavy engine focus in the programming, which would have affected a lot of teams and athletes that might be more suited to typical CrossFit style events. Is this something to be expected at the CrossFit Games, or could it be managed better? Check out this episode to hear about Jon’s experience at the games and our thoughts on all things programming, cuts and strategy for the games.
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] Jon’s reflection on the 2023 CrossFit Games [2:00] Omnia’s performance on the first two days [5:45] Taking risks in competition [8:00] Is there a way to ‘game’ the games? [9:30] The engine biased events at the games [11:30] Why are European teams generally better at endurance based events [13:30] The tactics of the bike event [17:30] Heavily strategy based events at the games [20:00] Cuts at the games and the order of the workouts [24:30] Is the games improving and getting better? [26:45] The testing determines the results -
Is a testing phase of training a reliable assessment for a new athlete coming on board? It's practical, but it's essentially condensing the things you'll find out in training and competition into 1-2 weeks. Many athletes don't want to do it as well. They are usually more eager to start training and stay productive through that initial stage.
One direction all of our coaching styles has moved towards more is creating an initial training phase, where testing might be a part of that, but the emphasis is on the training. Having a common starting point for your athletes is a good way of covering all your bases as a CrossFit coach. From there, the programme can evolve, and the training priorities emerge from the training as time goes on.
In this week's episode, we talk about how we onboard athletes and how using common training progressions can help create more predictable and reliable results and give something more familiar to navigate when trying to move an athlete forward on something. Imagine writing different progressions for the problems you often see in multiple athletes. Recycling previous progressions, and making adjustments of course, can help you make more effective decisions as you start to notice patterns in various 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.
Show Notes: [0:30] Creating a common starting point for athletes with a programme [1:45] Using repeated progressions with athletes to make results more predictable [3:20] Using a Saturday throwdown style workout to build the athletes profile [4:00] What does the first week of training look like [5:00] Distribution of working on specific and general things for the athlete [6:15] How the training programme evolves through iteration [8:10] Do people actually want to do testing weeks? [10:20] Using competitions as more reliable data than testing in training [15:00] Using the first period of training to identify training priorities [18:00] Structuring and organising progressions -
What makes training difficult isn't the challenge of getting someone fitter and stronger. It's understanding how to keep athletes improving for a long time
What happens when it feels like you stop improving? In a sport where you get punished more for your weaknesses than you do rewarded for your strengths, finding ways to progress long-term is essential. But maybe our framing of improvement needs to evolve with time spent in sport. We might need to look more granularly at our skills and develop them this way.
In this episode, we look into some of the ways we can start feeling like we're not improving and ways to combat this and still make training challenging, engaging and ultimately get you closer to your training goals.
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: [3:00] When do athletes start to feel like they're not improving [4:00] Athletes should reframe their expectations [6:15] Ceilings on performance in CrossFit do exist [9:00] Structuring training priorities for more advanced and experienced athletes [10:50] Good responders to training are not the norm [12:30] Finding a way of making yourself productive on things you're limited on [14:30] Going down the specificity route too hard [16:00] Repetition without repetition with skill acquisition [19:30] Giving people more variation to keep motivation [21:00] Keeping training different and interesting for those that train alone [23:00] Do coaches know if what they programme is going to work? [24:00] Working on your weaknesses and GOAT day! [25:30] Making training progressions more narrowly defined -
There are a lot of subtleties in coaching that you can't pick up in textbooks and from theory.
We all probably know a coach that doesn't have all the qualifications, but they grasp the craft better than others who might have always had their head in a textbook.
Tacit knowledge is what you pick up from doing the activity, and it's something that can be tremendously valuable in a dynamic field where you're working with people, like coaching.
You'll often go to a course and start learning models and progressions (explicit and codified knowledge) that organise a lot of the tacit knowledge you already have.
In this week's episode, we talk about the differences between tacit and explicit knowledge and share examples we've encountered in our coaching and helping other coaches.
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: [2:20] Seeing what other coaches notice in situations and stealing those ideas [3:20] How Luke threads tacit knowledge into weightlifting courses [5:00] Watching other coaches coach [6:15] Internalising and mimicking other people's behaviours [9:00] Behaviours of more experienced coaches [11:30] Being less boring explaining the workout before classes [13:15] When inexperienced coaches care about the details more and care about the wrong things [16:00] Should warm-ups be fun, and should you play games? [18:30] Does the explicit knowledge organise and structure a lot of the internal models we develop through tacit knowledge [20:45] Getting further with just tacit knowledge [21:15] Finding a balance between tacit and explicit knowledge and which one in what situation should be emphasised -
Have you ever returned after doing a course with your brain frazzled and unsure of what to do on Monday?
Well...that is part of the journey in upgrading your knowledge and coaching model, but how can you extract the helpful information to make it workable with the people you coach.
If you're working with people in person, maybe you can experiment with things immediately. But if you coach athletes online, you don't have that luxury, and you need to make sure that the things you include in someone's program are the real deal.
Experimenting in your training will be the best way of trying out new things and extracting valuable information to help solve the problem set you to tackle in your coaching. We continue this series on coach education and, in this episode, discuss coach education and specifically cover how to use new information in your coaching practice. Listen to find out why breathing drills are the hardest thing to get any online client to do, why the last course you did might have a 30-day challenge and more.
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] How to include material from a course into your practice [3:00] Practicing things in person versus online [4:00] Trying things on yourself in your own training [6:00] Why breathing work is really difficult to coach [8:30] Translating your own personal experience into someone else's training [10:00] Developing the skill of extracting the useful information and passing it on [11:45] The curiosity amongst early adopter coaches in CrossFit [15:45] Similarities between CrossFit and MMA [20:00] What's the goal of taking the next course? [22:30] Engaging in material fully to eventually upgrade your own model [24:30] Getting repeated exposure from challenges after courses -
Curiosity is what gets a lot of coaches into training and eventually becoming coaches, and usually, these people continue to digest a lot of information, content and education about training. But being able to apply this information in a practical setting can be challenging. Especially when much of the information out there isn't delivered in a way that makes this transition easy.
In this episode, we share our background in continuing education, going into detail about the courses we've done, books we've read and how we came across and discovered a lot of that information.
We also discuss the importance of making information workable and how some education is purposely watered down so it speaks to their respective audiences better.
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: [1:45] Luke's journey with continuing education [5:40] Making a point to take in some educational content every day [6:00] Making ideas from education workable for coaches [9:00] Luke's new learning and education in biomechanics [15:00] Learning for the fun of it versus learning to solve a problem [18:00] Reviewing old learning material [19:30] Luke's attempts of creating educational content [23:00] Offering a different perspective to help change someones mental model [26:00] Todd's experience doing a masters in computer science [30:00] Learning through rapid trial and error -
With the changes in the structure of the CrossFit Games in the past few seasons, the stakes of the open have changed, with many athletes not needing to take it as seriously. But what happens when CrossFitters see a leaderboard...well they approach it like any leaderboard. Misaligning expectations with the open like this is detrimental, especially if their training is not preparing them specifically for the open.
Although qualification to quarter-finals might be a lot easier for some folk, we can still get some valuable things out of the open. In this episode, we talk about how to manage expectations during the open and where it can be a great tool in sharpening that competitive edge before quarter-finals.
Check out this episode to learn more about how you should structure training around the open and quarter-finals if your goal is quarters, how to practice competing with open workouts, and we share our thoughts on programming new skills at the games.
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: [2:10] Less emphasis on the open for Jon and his athletes [3:00] How training during the open looks different now [4:30] Is the open a good gauge of your performance and how useful is the leaderboard [5:30] Do you need to manage training volume during the open? [9:10] Using the open to prepare and practice for quarter finals [10:20] Using the open to practice high stakes workouts [12:55] Getting athletes to practice filming workouts [15:00] Learning how to navigate doing qualifiers in busy gyms [16:45] Live competitions versus in-the-gym qualifiers [21:00] High level athletes getting exposed on low skill open workouts and having a wake up call [23:30] Still using the data points of the open even if that's not the goal [26:30] Creating good and varied open tests without just pushing the volume on everything [31:00] Is the programming better with Boz in charge? [33:00] Luke has superior CrossFit Games knowledge than Jon [35:00] Are games athletes athletic? [36:30] Are new skills being introduced at the games good for spectators? [39:30] Trade offs of including new skills at the games -
Ever had a very structured training plan that you were almost certain would come together, but when you did the competition or the qualifier, it didn't go as well as you'd hoped?
Relying on very structured approaches of preparation for CrossFit is a standard failure mode we find in the sport, coming from athletes and coaches that are pretty analytical.
The problem with this approach is that it can mean you lose a connection to the real world and the sport and not be exposed sufficiently to the challenges you'll come across in the sport.
In this week's episode of the Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast, Todd tells a story where he was reviewing the training of someone from his university who wanted to do parkour...but there was no parkour in his training. Todd has since helped out this parkour enthusiast, suggesting that you can't Stairmaster your way into doing back flips off of a wall and that he needed to do the actual thing.
Listen to hear more of our examples of how people lose their connection to the sport and how we should approach our plans, being more adaptable and learning to fail fast.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: [1:20] Todd's story [4:45] Over analysing and over-planning failure mode [5:30] Similar failure mode with training for CrossFit [6:20] Rigid and structured approaches versus a managing the chaos approach [8:30] Creating false barriers and prerequisites in the plan [9:20] Building the skill of competing [12:15] Losing connection to competition and the sport [13:50] The importance of failing fast [15:00] How to adjust plans quickly [16:20] Everyone learns at different speeds [19:30] Messy skill learning processes [21:45] Learning through iterative trial and error [23:30] Preparing someone for competition with lots of exposure to the sport The book Luke mentioned: How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills - Rob Gray -
We're a week away from Quarter Finals, and the qualified athletes have already had three workouts to sharpen the competing sword with the open. But as the workouts become more high stakes going into the next round, how do we support athletes?
Some athletes need encouragement and a good luck message, and they are good! Others will require a warm-up, a detailed plan and potentially some video review.
Although we might set boundaries on communication, and we tried to set our athletes up to be reasonably autonomous during competition, they will need help when they need help. And it's crucial that, as a coach, you're there to support them as best as you can.
Check out the latest Legion Strength and Conditioning podcast episode and hear how we manage competition time with our athletes. What types of things are we sending them when workouts get released, and how are good strategies overrated but poor plans can end disastrously?
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] Managing a coaching relationship during online qualifiers, the open and quarter-finals [2:30] Setting boundaries and coaching your athletes on how to communicate with you [3:30] What do you need to send your athletes when workouts are released [5:30] Chunking and batching tasks together [7:35] How are quarter-finals different [9:10] Being proactive and reaching out to athletes during competitions [10:30] What to do when athletes want an individualised strategy for the workout? [11:45] Setting your athletes up to push themselves [13:15] Managing anxiety with clearly structured warm-ups [15:30] Athletes having misguided expectations of strategies [19:20] How to coach athletes to make better plans for workouts [22:10] Getting logistics in order - assigning videographer and judge [24:00] Getting others to help you in quarter-finals [26:30] Having strategies can be overrated {27:45] Repeating workouts is less commonplace -
Ever found yourself or one of your athletes having a block in increasing the cycle speed with specific movements? You do 100+ burpees in a long workout, and it's the same 'step down, step up' style you do in a shorter sprint-style workout. Is it that burpees are just hard, is there a particular technique you should use, or is it that you have a strong distaste for burpees regardless of the workout?
It's probably going to be a combination of all three. It's not as clear-cut as following a certain linear progression with the movement. You will most likely have to simultaneously develop your fitness, develop the movement and intentionally practice the sport.
One way you can get unstuck with a movement could be to polarise the scenarios in which you are training the movement. Just like long-distance runners practice sprinting now and then, and weightlifters have a broad range of percentages they practice their lifting, using burpees as an example, you could regress the movement to something easier, some sprints and then your usual range of metcons with burpees included.
Check out episode #112 to find out how we work on getting athletes to move faster on things like burpees, box jumps and dumbbell snatches.
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Show Notes: [0:30] Only developing one gear in CrossFit [2:00] Having different movement strategies and different gears [4:30] What stops people from moving as fast [6:30] Why regressing a movement is important to increase cycle speed [9:20] Learning movements correctly for competition [10:45] Internal maps [13:30] Using higher paces as a training tool for slower movement strategies [15:45] Long-distance runners using sprinting to develop their slower-paced running [17:30] Building more movement strategies to develop confidence [19:30] Prescribing specific paces on machines in mixed training [22:00] Being intentional when practising the sport - Mostrar mais
