Legion Strength & Conditioning Podcast

Legion Strength & Conditioning
  • 4.8 (16)
  • FITNESS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
Legion Strength & Conditioning Podcast

Coaches Jon, Luke and Todd have decades of combined coaching experience, and they've each worked with multiple CrossFit Games athletes. They’ve seen every coaching method, programming trick, and mindset hack under the sun, and, in the Legion Strength & Conditioning podcast, they deconstruct what works best to get CrossFit athletes results -- better and faster.

  1. 2D AGO

    #154 - Who's Cheating?

    Cheating in CrossFit has been around since the early days of the Open and online qualifiers. From athletes looping videos to some competitors being exposed year after year at Regionals, it's a persistent undercurrent in the sport. But how widespread is cheating and does it always happen intentionally? At one end of the spectrum, you have blatant rule-breaking, like switching out a medicine ball for a lighter one. At the other, you see more subtle infractions, such as a judge giving a warning for a squat that is just shy of full depth. Both technically count as cheating, but they are worlds apart in intent and impact. In this episode, we dive into the kinds of cheating we've seen over the years, some being very entertaining, and examine how the current CrossFit Games season, with its heavy reliance on virtual competition, creates even more opportunities for rule-bending. 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] Cheating in online qualifiers [3:00] How many athletes are cheating in the open? [8:00] Cale Layman in this years open [10:15] Having to verify scores when athletes judge each other [13:00] Qualifying athletes to the games without in person competitions [16:10] When an athlete or judge might accidentally cheat [19:30] Is the 2025 season going to be a good test? [21:00] Team athletes making it to the games without basic skills

    26 min

  2. MAY 18

    #153 - How to Train?

    One of the classic clichés often repeated by coaches is that the best programme in the world, executed poorly, is far less effective than the worst programme executed well. While it’s true that a poorly designed programme can still be ineffective, there is merit in the idea that how you train matters more than what’s on paper. Teaching athletes how to train effectively and execute a programme to the best of their ability is one of the best leverage points for a coach. Much of this comes down to observing and interpreting training outcomes. These results often reveal whether the athlete is approaching training with the right intent, understands what truly matters, and knows which outcomes will most help their progress. In this week’s episode, we explore some of the common areas where athletes tend to need more guidance in their training. We discuss motivation, the athlete’s relationship with the training process, and share a few stories of interesting results we've seen 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: [2:30] Teaching athletes how to train [5:00] Picking up helpful ideas from training with others [8:00] Navigating feedback with training [10:00] When an athlete doesn't care that much [14:30] Communicating and processing results [17:30] Recording the results for conditioning [21:30] Recognising what results are important

    26 min

  3. MAY 7

    #152 - Are You Actually Getting Better?

    One of the challenges in a highly varied sport like CrossFit is determining whether we’re actually improving. Once an athlete has accumulated a significant amount of training volume, the classic test-retest approach on isolated elements of the sport becomes less effective.   We can spend weeks or even months working on a particular movement, only to struggle with it again when the context shifts slightly. Coaches can use tools such as variation, psychological momentum, and developing complementary areas to support progress—but what happens when an athlete hits a ceiling with a specific movement or combination?   In this week’s episode, we explore strategies for programming that help athletes continue improving their weaknesses. We discuss when it’s best to zoom out and focus on general adaptations, and when it’s necessary to get tactical and hone in on the specifics. 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] Test retest [3:20] Improvement through repetition [6:00] Using variation to help [10:00] Hitting your ceiling for progression [13:00] How do you actually measure physiological improvement [17:00] General versus specific adaptations [21:00] Working on major weaknesses longer term

    27 min

  4. APR 2

    #151 - Big Changes to Training

    Have you ever felt the urge to flip the table and completely change your training or someone else's programme? Maybe a few small competition experiences have made you feel like your training is heading in the wrong direction. Perhaps you're getting tired of working on the same things. Or maybe you want to change your training goal entirely. Whether you're making big changes to your training goals and what you train for, or you're shifting the direction and focus of your training while keeping the same goal, some of these changes can be reactionary and driven by frustration—this is where you need to be careful. In this week's episode, we discuss where these changes may come from, whether from an athlete or a coach, and how to manage some of the unhelpful tendencies behind them. Tune in to hear more about general programming strategies that help you stay agile and pivot your programme, when the programme actually doesn't matter that much, and why naming a training cycle is an essential programming skill. 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] Introduction [2:45] Making changes to overall training goals versus training focus [4:45] More options to compete in fitness [7:30] Changes stemming from frustration [10:00] Minimum Viable Programme [13:00] How to communicate programming to athletes [15:30] When coaches make big changes to programming [18:00] Does programming actually make that much difference [24:00] Doing conditioning before strength

    30 min

  5. MAR 10

    #150 - Arguing About Book Learning

    Having a formal education in sports science, kinesiology, or a similar field may seem beneficial for a CrossFit coach. However, you might end up learning a lot of technical information without any context or knowledge of how to apply it. Conversely, you may develop extensive coaching experience and navigate situations in the moment with ease but lack the technical knowledge or critical thinking skills to tackle more complex challenges. This week's episode is all about striking a balance between being book-smart and having the coaching experience to handle situations effectively. We discuss Jon's background with a sports science degree, the drawbacks of an overly mechanistic view on training, and the importance of knowing what to communicate to athletes—and how to do so effectively. 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 book learning helpful in CrossFit [2:30] Jon's background doing a Sports Science degree [4:30] The gap between knowledge and a coaches eye [8:00] Being able to connect knowledge to context [10:00] Overly mechanistic view of biomechanics [12:30] Skepticism about biomechanical explanations [23:30] How to effectively filter your communication to athletes

    28 min

  6. MAR 2

    #149 - Beyond MGW

    When learning anything, it can be difficult to step back from the details, and this is especially true for CrossFit programming. Often, you'll find coaches who are highly focused on the means (the exercises, the sets and reps) rather than the methods (the programme, the desired stimulus, the weekly plan, etc.). As much as constructing a programme or workout based on the latest sports science information is considered the best approach, sometimes it doesn't hold up, and you need to rely on your own training or coaching experience to create something more contextual and effective. In this episode, we discuss some of our own self-reflection while programming, as well as other programme methods. We also explore how MGW and the programming information provided by CrossFit have their limitations. 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] Being able to abstract workouts into bigger picture programming [2:00] Where CrossFit's programming methodology can lead you [3:30] Focusing on the details too much as an inexperienced coach [5:45] Writing programming in layers [8:45] Not seeing the higher order pattern when starting out programming [10:00] What is this workout going to feel like? [12:30] Programming more variance for experienced athletes [14:30] Using your own experience in training [17:00] Writing programming that is influenced only by the CrossFit world [20:00] Being self reflective in your programming [23:30] Treating all movements as equal through an energy system lens

    27 min

  7. FEB 19

    #148 - World Fitness Project

    In the past couple of months, a new type of fitness competition has been generating a lot of anticipation. Headed by multiple-time CrossFit Games athlete Will Moorad, the World Fitness Project is entering the competitive landscape in a year when the CrossFit Games is undergoing its biggest changes yet. The competition consists of two tour events and a finals event at the end of 2025. There are 20 professionally signed male and female athletes, along with 10 challengers at each event. Additionally, team and masters competitions will take place at these events. Overall, this competition appears to create a clear pathway for athletes to compete in the sport and make a living as professional fitness athletes. They have released a movement list for the season, already demonstrating standardisation we haven't seen in CrossFit. The WFP has signed many of the sport's top athletes, with several planning to compete in both the CrossFit Games and the WFP season. In this week’s episode, we discuss what this could look like from a training perspective and whether it provides mid-tier competitors with a more structured and potentially rewarding outlet than what CrossFit has offered in the past. 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 WFP? [3:30] CrossFit lending itself to a tour-style sport [4:30] The challenge of making money from events [6:30] Streamlining competition for athletes [8:30] Frustrations with online competition [11:30] Getting structure in training through competition [14:30] Competing in person vs. focusing solely on qualifiers [18:00] Standardisation in competition [22:30] Will the WFP offer more structure than CrossFit? [24:30] The “no man’s land” for many competitors [26:00] The importance of having direction from competition

    29 min

  8. JAN 20

    #147 - Improving Moderate Weight Barbell Conditioning

    There are a few qualities in CrossFit that can be quite difficult to improve for certain people. It’s usually a mix of different problems that manifest in one or two specific styles of workouts in CrossFit. It’s not quite this, but not quite that, either. One of those qualities is moderate-weight barbell conditioning pieces—typically something like a 135/95 barbell performed for high reps with a lot of other movements included in the workout. It’s not a heavy barbell where strength is going to slow you down, but it’s also not a lighter barbell where your breathing is going to be the main limiter. It is an endurance issue, but due to the movements this issue arises on, there is a strength element at play as well. The important thing with training this quality is not to let yourself blow up and reach that point of no return. You want to develop as much capacity and training volume below that point to try and push this further. Check out this episode to hear how we work on this issue, how we structure workouts for endurance limitations, and how this problem relates to other qualities required 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: [0:30] The issue at hand [2:00] Adjusting traditional CrossFit metcons first and then going deeper if needed [5:00] Structuring workouts to target more enduring qualities [9:40] Hard workouts are easy to programme [11:00] Not a clear-cut route to improving this quality [12:30] 80/20 rule with pulling and pushing your training [14:15] Breaking the movement down to keep the athlete moving [16:00] Interval Weight Training [17:30] Is this a movement-specific problem? [20:00] Difference between barbell battery work and moderate-weight conditioning [21:15] Squatters versus hingers

    26 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Coaches Jon, Luke and Todd have decades of combined coaching experience, and they've each worked with multiple CrossFit Games athletes. They’ve seen every coaching method, programming trick, and mindset hack under the sun, and, in the Legion Strength & Conditioning podcast, they deconstruct what works best to get CrossFit athletes results -- better and faster.

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