The Paul Weber Podcast

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In this episode, we discuss the differences, pros and cons of hybrid and mixed training.

Hybrid Training

• Less interference than mixed workouts
• Bigger adaptations to each training stimulus
• More targeted to a specific modality
• Adaptable to injury history, equipment
• Higher training loads

Mixed Training

• More specific to fitness competition
• Improved pacing of mixed workouts
• Varied and exciting
• Increased motivation via th...

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Common Conditioning Mistake:

1. Too frequent high intensity training
2. Intensity limiting total training load
3. Only practicing race pace at high RPEs
4. All-out effort in hard sessions
5. Excessive training variety
6. Starting workouts too hot
7. "Always ready" approach to training

Best Practice:

1. High-low model
2. Large training loads with more low intensity training
3. Practice race pace at submaximal RPEs often to lower percept...

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In this episode, I discuss:

• The confusion among health and wellness leaders and coaches about the utility of Zone 2
• Zone 2 for living long and healthy
• Zone 2 for performance
• Why your time is the most important factor in how much Zone 2 you should do
• The energy intake-training load relationship
• Comparing low intensity training to high intensity training
• Exceptions for people at physiological extremes

For those who wan...

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Join us for the live training: Conditioning for Fitness Athletes.

Thursday, October 23rd, 3pm MT

Tap the link to save your spot: https://www.paulbweber.com/conditioning-for-fitness-athletes

If you can't make it live, all good, you'll get permanent access to the recording.

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When I start working with a new athlete, the first question we ask is:

"What are our training priorities?"

To help decide, we look ...

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In this episode, we cover:

• Evaluation of the Sport
  • Movement Analysis - which parts of the race create the most separation?
  • Physiological Analysis - what does Hyrox ask of the body?
• Assessment of the Athlete
  • Physical Characteristics of Elite 15 Hyrox Athletes
    • Height
    • Weight
  • Performance Characteristics of Elite 15 Hyrox Athletes
    • 5k Run
    • 10k Run
    • Half Marathon
    • 2k Row
    • 2k Ski
    • 3RM Squat
    • 3RM Deadlift
    • 3RM Military ...

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In the early 2000s, perhaps similar to today, there was plenty of gatekeeping in an attempt to professionalize the fitness industry.

The gym culture in many places lacked effort and was full of unnecessary complexity.

Greg Glassman (founder of CrossFit®) came in and said, "get rid of all the equipment."

Just keep the rower, box, barbell, pull up bar. That’s all you need.

And challenge yourself. Go as hard as you...

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The goal for the conditioning-biased athlete is to chronically increase training load while maintaining the load-recovery balance.

More simply, conditioning is about learning to do more work.

Fitness athletes have no problem with more training. 

We are often eager to prove we can work the hardest. 

As a result, we increase training load on too short of a timeline.

I remember compressing a week of training into a single day...

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In this episode, we discuss how metcons are characterized by severe and extreme intensity exercise that is often intermittent in the context of each task, but continuous in the context of the workout.

We cover:

• the fatigue mechanisms of severe intensity exercise
• the fatigue mechanisms of extreme intensity exercise
• why severe vs. extreme intensity matters
• which movements are severe intensity and which ones are extreme

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For all that we have to learn from other sports, fitness competition is unique. 

Few other events last multiple days, or require both strength and conditioning. 

There's the decathlon, which emphasizes strength and power. 

Then there are military selections, which emphasize conditioning. 

Fitness competitions fall somewhere in between. 

Fitness sport combines many disciplines into one monster weekend:

• endurance spo...

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Key Takeaways

1. Frequency of higher intensity training - 2-3 days/week/modality, 3-5 quality sessions per week per modality
2. Periodize - lower overall training volume and more competition-specific training as you get closer to the competition
3. Control the "load-recovery balance" - watch for signs of overtraining/underrecovery:
   1. joint pain
   2. weakened immunity
   3. GI distress
   4. low libido
   5. disrupted sleep
   6. impaired blood suga...

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In this episode, we discuss:

• The four intensity domains and their effect on physiology
• Intensity distributions of elite endurance athletes and fitness athletes
• Best practices from elite endurance sport
  • frequency of quality sessions
  • periodization
• The intensity-HPA Axis dysfunction-health degradation cascade
• A three-phase approach to training and peaking for severe intensity conditioning
  • Phase I - Accumulate Vo...

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Depending on the movements, gymnastics may demand:

• strength (as in legless rope climbs or strict deficit handstand pushups)
• movement efficiency (as in ring muscle ups and handstand walking)
• muscle endurance (as in high rep pullups or toes to bar)
• and/or cardiorespiratory conditioning (as in burpees and box jump overs)

The burpee and box jump over are unique in that:

1. Most athletes have the requisite strength to ...

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In this episode, we cover:

• examples of pure weightlifting workouts
• how the work rates in weightlifting modalities compare to traditional endurance modalities
• the physiology of weightlifting workouts
• the biomechanics of weightlifting workouts
• the 3 step process I use for improving weightlifting capacity:

1. Strength + Raw Capacity
2. Barbell Cycling Skill
3. Barbell Cycling Capacity

In fitness sport, we test conditioni...

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Conditioning intensity can be divided into four domains: moderate, heavy, severe, and extreme. 

Moderate Intensity

Personal anecdote: walking to New York City

In athlete language: "easy", "Zone 2"

What it feels like: you can speak in complete sentences

Typical duration: 2+ hours

Moderate intensity is below the first Lactate Threshold (LT1), which is the pace at which lactate begins its sustained increase...

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Key Takeaways

1. For beginners, the primary limitation is motor control. Program design should facilitate skill acquisition by providing lots of reps.
2. Intermediates with lots of muscle to gain should optimize for mechanical tension. Train in the 3-10RM range with approaches to failure. 
3. Advanced athletes who have already tapped most of their muscle growth potential should utilize both training close to failure for muscl...

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Tap the link to save your spot at the live training this week.

https://www.paulbweber.com/mastering-gymnastics-for-fitness-athletes

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We only get one body.

Those who have gone through serious injuries know this. Many athletes have injuries that change their bodies for the rest of their lives.

On one hand, we accept this as part of pushing our bodies to the limit.

But in the adrenaline-fueled, warrior culture of modern fit...