Barbell Shrugged - Talking Training W/ Crossfit Games Athletes, Strength Coaches & More

When was the last time you did a conditioning piece that you actually enjoyed? Chances are (unless you did track in high school) you don’t find long spouts on the air dyne or rower all too fun. Neither do we, so when we met Aaron Guyett and got to talking about battle ropes, and all the practical applications they have when it comes to conditioning, we decided he needed to be on the show. Aaron is the master instructor for Onnit Academy’s battle rope program, and runs a facility in CA called Innovative results. We met up with him at his facility to talk about how you can use battle ropes in your conditioning workouts. When it comes to using battle ropes, most of us just know one or two exercises that we saw on Instagram. In this episode, Aaron dives into all the different movement patterns and practical applications that battle ropes have including grip strength, power, and the ability to train all 3 metabolic pathways. Tune in for this one and make sure to catch the break where Aaron does a hands on demo wit

One thing that separates CrossFit from most other training systems is the fact that you are required to develop proficiency in a wide range of fitness modalities- weightlifting, gymnastics, powerlifting, etc The MMA game is very similar and unlike boxing, wrestling, or any specific martial arts, fighters are required to be generalists in all the systems. There are a lot of variables, and when it comes to coaching, that makes things a lot more challenging.  In this week’s show, we linked up with wrestling coach, Darryl Christian at RVCA headquarters to chat about how he is working with some of the top MMA fighters in the game like Dominick Cruz. We talk program design and get into the details of what he looks into when working with some of the top fighters.  If you are a fighter, a CrossFitter, or anyone who is looking to get more strategic in your training, there is a lot to take away from this episode. We dive into topics such as How to measure training volume When and why to focus on recovery vs high volum

It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t have iPhones in our pockets, let alone access to the world’s information at the click of a button. Back in the day, coaches and athletes had to figure shit out on their own.  Nowadays, the fitness industry is growing faster than ever, and with that comes new innovations and knowledge around training. That is mainly due to the fact that coaches and athletes are communicating and sharing their experience more and more.  We wanted to hear from one of the top coaches in the game on this topic, so we headed over to Bonsall, CA to visit Mike Burgener. Coach B has watched this evolution occur and has been apart of some of the biggest evolutions in the sport of weightlifting and strength training.  In this episode, Coach B shares his insights into the fitness industry as it is today, and tells stories of what it was like in the beginning. We talk about why most athletes who want to go from pretty good to competitive need to start focusing on training their weaknesses. Mike share

We all see the cool shit on Instagram- the handstands, the backflips, the one handed balance thing on the fire hydrant, but want is not often highlighted on the social media is the process it takes to get to that skill level. In this week’s show, we brought back Max Shank to talk about how you can incorporate more movement development into your training. Max has been on the show before and we recently recorded an episode with him talking about healthy shoulders. You can find that episode here. This time around, we visited Max at his backyard gym to talk about what is often referred to as flow and how incorporating a movement practice into your daily routine can help you prep your body for hard training session later on.  Whether you are interested in pursuing higher skill level movements like acrobatics and hand balancing, or just looking to start your day with a routine that will prime your body to get shit done in the gym, this episode will get you on the right path to start pursuing more higher level movem

"alignment is about balancing the motion with the chemistry. you can't fix your mechanics if your chemistry is off"   In Fitness, we talk about mobility, a lot. We talk about performance a lot, and we talk about exercise technique, a lot. But what is often left out is what is going on the rest of the day.   It turns out, how we move when we are not in the gym (which is most of the time) effects how we move (and secondarily, how we perform) in the gym.   No matter how active you are or how much you pay attention to your technique, you are going to have incompetencies and inbalances. One of the goals of an effective and intelligent training program is to uncover and seek out those imbalances and fix them.    In this week's episode, we visit the Human Garage in Venice Ca. Just like it sounds, the human garage is an (underground) body work clinic. The thing is, this place is not like any massage studio or chiropractic office you have been too. It is much more.    We talked to the owner/founder Gary about what is

It seems like every other health article and Instagram post is trying to promote the next best supplement these days. It is very hard to get unbiased information on supplements. It is straight up confusing to feed through the hype and distinguish between clever marketing and what actual works.  Most sources? They have an agenda. Supplement companies misrepresenting science. Media sensationalizing headlines. Companies and individuals pushing unneeded supplements and other products onto you. We aren’t saying that all supplement companies are out to cheat you. There are some great brands and products out there for sure. However, it is not so simple to feed through all the noise. That’s why we brought Kamal Patel on the show. Kamal runs Examine.com. Examine is an unbiased database of supplement and nutrition information. What is unique about Examine, is that they have no monetary agenda around selling you products. They are pulling together all the science, reading the research, and putting it online.  In this e

You ever think about how much you use your hands when you train? Think about it. When you are using a barbell, a kettlebell, the pull up rig, or a pair of rings, your grip strength is playing a huge role in your strength, how long you can perform the movement, and the level of movement capacity you have. More importantly, it is typically the first thing to give out.   In this week's show, we caught up with Andy Galpin and Kenny Kane at CrossFit LA to talk about how you can step up your game when it comes to grip strength. We dive into wrist mobility, gymnastics drills, and why you need to be training your grip in different positions.   Example: the 2015 CrossFit Games Pegboard challenge. Some of the strongest athletes in the world are throwing massive weight overhead, doing gnarly metcons, and performing kipping pullups for days ...but as soon as they are required to turn their hand position 90 degrees, their grip strength goes to shit. You can bet that the games athletes who fell apart in that event are go

  If you've been doing a few minutes on a rower and half-ass rolling on a piece of foam for your recovery, you may have already figured out it's not enough.   Our guest this week, Jill Miller, founder of Tune Up Fitness and author of The Roll Model, said it perfectly, "Healing happens in our restorative state".    Your body is an adaptive machine.    If you want to get stronger and faster, you need to put the same amount of attention on how your recover if you truly want to be able to access the most out of your body and training.   We spoke with Jill about how we can better prepare our bodies to push hard and stay healthy while training by recovering better.    Although Jill's background is in the yoga world, the information she shares goes far beyond warrior poses and OMing. She has an amazing amount of knowledge of the human body and has developed tools and practices on self care, particularly with fascial work and mobility.    In this episode, Jill shares her strategies and translates some the science be

This week on Barbell Shrugged we are going to show you how to take your performance to the next level. It is 2017. We are using technology, more than ever, to understand the body-mind connection and make them both stronger. This is the next level for performance and creating an optimal experience for you as an athlete. Helping us dive deep down this rabbit hole, Daniel Schmachtenberger tells us how to neurohack your athletics. Daniel is the Co-Founder and Director of R&D at Neurohacker Collective. With a background in many bio science fields with a unique focus on complex systems optimization, Daniel and his team are leading the pack in designing whole systems approaches to performance and athletic enhancement without side effects.  We dive into better solutions for PRE-WORKOUT, recovery, nootropics, anti-aging practices, the cutting edge protocols for hormone optimization, and all the things you can be doing beyond the basics. We are going deeper than we ever have when it comes to performance enhanc

  This week on Barbell Shrugged we interview Stephanie Gaudreau and talk about how to break through diet dogma. Stephanie is the founder of Stupid Easy Paleo, and has been helping hundreds of thousands of people change their relationship and habits with food. Unlike most food bloggers, Stephanie is not trying to convert you to her version of eating. On the contrary, she is actually quite fed up with the dogmatic rules that many of the people in the Paleo community project on others.  When we hear the word "Paleo" we automatically think of a set of rules around the foods we can and cannot eat. Although there is value around starting with a template, the truth of matter is, we are all different. We each have unique biochemistry, different preferences, and personalized goals. With that said "eating like a caveman" does not explain much about how to eat, and it often leaves people confused, and influences others to create false assumptions around what it means to adopt Paleo principles. We brought Stephanie on t

I want you to meet Ray Regno. We met Ray on a Wednesday at Mike Burgener's gym as he was off to the side coaching an athlete, teaching how to activate the lats in the overhead squat. As you'll soon learn, Ray is a really smart coach. He is one of those coaches who has a drill or movement for everything. We got to talking to Ray and were impressed with just how knowledgable he was about movement. The coolest part is that Ray is mostly self-taught. Through an obsession with the CrossFit® Journal, observing and learning from good coaches, Ray has been able to rapidly up-level his coaching game in a very short time. In this episode we talk about the value of progressions in teaching movement, how to speed up your growth as a coach, and why you should hold your athletes more accountable for how they move. PS: To all the coaches (and aspiring coaches) out there, this one is a must listen. Drop us a line in the comments below and let us know what you found to be most valuable in this episode.    PPS: Give Ray a foll

Performance Anxiety. It's a thing. Even the best athletes in the world fall victim to it. You put in the work, train hard, and hit the numbers you need to hit in order to be a contender. But when game day comes, something shifts. You question your capabilities, or tell yourself "I don't want to mess up or do bad".     It turns out there is a big difference between saying "I don't want to do bad today" and "I want to perform my best today". That may sound like some feel good nonsense but the truth is, our inner game plays a huge role in how we show up- in competition, in our relationships, and in pretty much all aspects of life. This week we traveled up to Venice Beach, CA to meet up with Mark England at Paradiso CrossFit. Mark is a language ninja and we dive into how the language we use directly effects how we think and perform.    Mark has some valuable information to share in this episode and has some real world examples of how we can develop the high level mental toughness (or as he puts it "mental fine

This week we interview John Glaude. John is not your typical athlete or coach. He is not in the Games, nor does he study myofascial release. We first caught wind of John via his youtube channel. He used to weigh over 300 pounds, throw back 2 liters of soda a day, and the only training he was getting in was a DDR session at his local arcade. A lot has changed since then, and he has since lost over 180 lbs and is hitting two a days in the gym.    We wanted to bring John on the show to talk about motivation, and hear about his journey. John is a bad ass story teller and has created a brand called Obese To Beast where he shares his journey to help others create change like he did.    He is a humble dude, but also has a lot to say. If you have any friends who are just getting started on their fitness journey or would benefit from hearing John's story, this episode is a great one to share.   Enjoy the Show,   -Mike

More dangerous than your opponent is your mind. If it doesn’t support you, you’re beaten before you’ve started. There are really only two types of fear: biological and psychological. -Tony Blauer When does fear come up- That moment you step up to a heavy barbell… When you are getting hit on by someone attractive at a bar… When you are speaking up to a new group of people… snakes… spiders… Fear is always driving us. Our awareness of it is more important than thinking we can ignore it or make it go away.  Tony Blauer has dedicated his life to knowing fear, and learning/teaching others how to manage it. He works with fighters, military units, CrossFitters, and everyone in between. We brought Tony on the show to talk about fear and how we can understand and manage it as athletes. As humans, the fear is build into the programming …the macho “I’m not scared” mentality is as much a lie as it a shitty strategy. Fear is biologically built into us, and ignoring it is impossible. However understanding it, and reacting q

This week we’re back with the crew and have a fun episode to share with you.    We had Kenny Kane and Andy Galpin join us at our local outdoor training spot in Encinitas. We wanted to bring Kenny on to talk about his ideas on coaching and this concept we all have heard about called mastery. Kenny has been in the coaching game for as long as CrossFit has been around, and started CrossFit Los Angeles in 2004. He has worked with 1000s of athletes and now is most passionate about working on helping coaches get better at coaching.    Kenny shares with us the evolution of his coaching experience and dives into concepts such as how he sets up his programming at CFLA and how to plan out specific styles of training days, to some deeper ideas like "the difference between doing athletic things and being an athlete, and how to find purpose in your training.    Give this show a listen to hear our thoughts on the topic. Then I want hear what this means to you.    You might reach enlightenment, or just get a few laughs an

How do you get big? That is the million dollar question. Everyone in the fitness industry seems to have a different answer for you, and they all claim to have the secret sauce. Take this supplement. Use this rep scheme. Drink this before you go to sleep. It goes on and on. We wanted to see what science has to say about this, and invited Andy Galpin on to this week's show along with Kenny Kane to talk about the science of getting big. We go deep into understanding what our bodies need to put on muscle, and how we can shift our training focus on this adaption goal.   In the show, Andy outlines the three mechanisms of hypertrophy. Can you guess what they are? 

Jacked up shoulders holding you back? New's flash, you are not the only one. It turns out that shoulder pain and injuries are some of the most common of all dysfunctions for active individuals.   Just like most things we have come to learn and share with ya'll is that this is most likely a result of faulty movement patterns. You can go as hard as you want, and lift heavy things for days ..but the flip-side of that is that you have to take the time to focus on your movement. Believe it or not, it is also a good idea to take care of your joints with the same amount of focus you put into your WOD's ...a few minutes rolling around on a lacrosse ball ain't going to cut it.    So knowing that, we headed over to Ambition Athletics to interview one of our good friends, Max Shank. We chatted it up about movement, kettlebell training, and a bunch of other cool shit he is doing in his gym, and around the world with his workshops.    More importantly, we talked about the shoulder, how it operates, and how we can take car

It's officially 2017 and many of you are setting goals for the upcoming journey around the sun. Whether your goals are fitness oriented or have to do with your relationships, we encourage you to take action on them. We also think that you will get some useful take aways from this week's episode with Doctor Kirk Parsley when it comes to your 2017 intentions.    This week we had Doc Parsley come by to talk to us about the importance of sleep. You might be asking yourself, what sleep has to do with your new year's resolution? Well it turns out sleep has everything to do with most developments in our life. Everything from physical adaption, to skill acquisition, to emotional development (i.e. relationships) happen during your sleep cycle. Shitty sleep equals shitty performance gains, mood, sex life, and anything else you want to get good at.    Doc Parsley works with some of the top performers in the world ranging from Navy Seals, CEO's, and Professional athletes, however you don't need to be in the NFL or lead a

We drop into MovementRX this week to talk all things mobility with Theresa Larson and Anders Varner. We dive into lower back pain and how you can identify and fix the source of the pain in the body. Fact: 8 out of 10 humans (both athletes and couch potatoes alike) have some sort of lower back pain, and most of the time the pain is caused by some sort of imbalance or weakness somewhere else in the body.  Theresa and Anders bring to light some "oh shit" points on how our daily habits can be the cause of our pain. They also debunk some assumptions around mobility, and physical therapy. You can learn more about MovementRX at movement-rx.com and get their free guide on fixing lower back pain at lower back pain here    

What's good Shrugged crew. This week we are coming at you with a familiar guest, Brian Mackenzie. For those of you who don't know him, Brian is the founder of CrossFit Endurance, the author of Power, Speed, Endurance, and works with some of the top athletes in performance sport, such as CrossFit, surfing and endurance athletics.  We dropped into RVCA headquarters to chat with Brian about a performance metric that is so often not talked about, breath. We dive deep into how you can use breath as a tool to control the nervous system, and bring your training to the next level by simple learning how to tap into your breathing pattern We also get into how Brian is using things like ice bathes, sauna, and the unique combination of the two to control the body. We brought Brian on the show to chat about performance breathing, but naturally, we couldn't stop at that. We get into training philosophy, nature integration, and a bunch of topics to get your gears turning in a new way.