Legion Strength & Conditioning Podcast Legion Strength & Conditioning

It is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in the fitness and performance industry. There is a lot of misleading information that coaches and athletes have to sift through, which is difficult when the information is accurate most of the time. 
But do many of these claims move the needle and improve an athlete on the things that matter? Does doing a lot of zone two work help with CrossFit performance? Do certain mobility protocols help with recovery?
In this podcast, we discuss developing skepticism with certain things in training and coaching and share some of the things we have fallen for as younger, more gullible 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: [1:30] Overly scientific claims in the fitness and training industry [3:00] Knees Over Toes [5:15] Structural balance [9:30] Overly mechanistic explanations [11:30] Using studies to support claims [14:00] Making claims about the 'one' missing thing [17:30] Going all in on something [19:20] The appeal of very technical explanations [20:00] Luke's zone two rant [24:30] What slows people down in CrossFit workouts

This year's quarter-finals workouts were well received by the CrossFit community as a whole. Many enjoyed the simplicity of the workouts, which provided a good challenge for athletes of various levels.
We saw workouts that were more compartmentalised than in previous years. There was less chaos, simpler skills, and no crushingly high volume of work on things like GHD sit-ups. The workouts this year actually present some useful retests and KPIs for athletes to use in their training.
In this episode, we discuss what we liked and didn't like about the workouts, where we see their utility in testing and benchmarks, and how we will change our programming to adjust to these changes. 
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] The ever changing landscape of the CrossFit Games season
[3:00] This years quarter finals programming
[5:20] Compartmentalising skills in
[7:00] Using this years workouts as benchmarks and KPIs
[9:00] You don't need to be peaked to do these workouts unlike before
[11:00] Balancing the workouts for different levels
[13:00] The legibility of the workouts helping make training decisions
[18:00] What we're going to change in our programming this year

Qualifiers can be a stressful experience for athletes. The online leaderboard and the doubt created by not seeing other athletes perform all make for potentially neurotic self-comparison. 
 
With quarter-finals being much easier to qualify for, the open has less weight than in previous years. And now you're starting to see athletes say they are not interested in peaking for the open, who then get upset when they perform not to where they expected. 
 
Managing the psychology and framing expectations for athletes is very important. Because letting emotions spiral out of control and overreacting can be a big disservice to your performance in the later stages of the season. 
 
This week, we discuss all things disappointment in qualifiers and specifically the open. We also touch on the importance of enjoyment in training and why in-person competitions are the way to go. 
 
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] Why can athletes get too caught up in qualifiers
[3:00] Self comparison spiralling out of control
[4:15] The variance in the tests have a significant impact
[6:30] Doing the open when you're not peaked yet
[8:00] Getting carried away with competition when you don't need to
[9:30] Training during the open for an athlete focused on quarter finals
[11:00] Framing what a good performances are for the athlete
[15:30] Being objective with the leaderboard
[17:00] Enjoying your training and doing in person competitions

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

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