Performance Plus Podcast: Recent Episodes
Performance Plus Programming
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
In this episode of the Performance Plus podcast, Zach explores strategies for improving performance in the 2025 CrossFit Open, starting February 27th, 2025. He highlights the recent shift towards more inclusive and conditioning-biased workouts in the Open, providing examples from past years. Zach offers specific insights into important movements likely to appear, such as muscle-ups, double-unders, and thrusters, and recommends key Performance Plus programs to enhance endurance, gymnastics skills, and overall conditioning in preparation for the Open.
00:00 Introduction to the CrossFit Open Preparation
00:48 Understanding the Shift in CrossFit Open Programming
02:54 Analyzing Past Workouts and Trends
06:08 Key Movements to Focus On
07:50 Performance Plus Programs to Boost Your Open Prep
10:01 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
In this episode of the Performance Plus podcast, we discuss the importance of Zone Two cardio for CrossFit athletes, emphasizing its role in building aerobic capacity and improving overall performance. The conversation covers the physiological benefits of training in this zone, including increased mitochondrial density and heart efficiency. Zach and Johnny also explore other training zones, such as tempo and threshold, and their relevance to CrossFit programming. Practical advice on how to incorporate these training methods into a CrossFit regimen is provided, along with insights on balancing endurance training with CrossFit workouts.
Download the Build Your Engine eBook here: https://performanceplusprogramming.com/build-your-engine-ebook/
Takeaways
- Zone Two cardio is essential for building aerobic capacity.
- Training in Zone Two increases mitochondrial density.
- A stronger heart leads to better performance in workouts.
- Zone Two cardio is less taxing on the body than high-intensity training.
- CrossFit athletes often neglect Zone Two training.
- Tempo and threshold zones are important for overall fitness.
- Zone Five training focuses on maximizing VO2 max.
- Proper programming can prevent overuse injuries in athletes.
- Balancing CrossFit with endurance training can enhance performance.
- Taking breaks from CrossFit can help maintain fitness levels.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Zone Two Cardio
- 02:53 Benefits of Zone Two Training for CrossFit Athletes
- 06:03 Understanding the Heart's Role in Zone Two Training
- 08:50 Exploring Tempo and Threshold Zones
- 12:06 Maximizing Performance with Zone Five Training
- 14:54 Practical Applications and Programming for CrossFit Athletes
- 18:11 Balancing CrossFit and Endurance Training
In this episode of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast, Zachary Long and Johnny discuss the importance of heart rate monitors in conditioning training, emphasizing the accuracy of chest straps over wrist-based monitors. They explore personal experiences with different devices, the impact of caffeine on performance, and the significance of tracking heart rate data for effective training. The conversation highlights the need for precise monitoring to achieve desired physiological changes during workouts.
Download the Build Your Engine eBook here: https://performanceplusprogramming.com/build-your-engine-ebook/
Takeaways
- Heart rate monitors are essential for understanding physiological responses.
- Chest straps provide more accurate heart rate data than wrist monitors.
- Using heart rate data can help optimize conditioning training.
- Caffeine intake can significantly affect workout performance.
- Tracking wattage can be an alternative to heart rate monitoring.
- Placement of wrist monitors is crucial for accurate readings.
- Personal experiences with heart rate monitors can vary widely.
- Understanding energy systems is key for effective training.
- CrossFit athletes can benefit from heart rate monitoring during Metcons.
- Age can influence caffeine sensitivity and workout intensity.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Heart Rate Monitors
- 03:12 The Accuracy of Heart Rate Monitoring Devices
- 05:56 Training Insights and Personal Experiences
- 09:10 Caffeine and Performance Impact
In this episode, Zachary Long and Johnny discuss the intricacies of energy systems in fitness, particularly in the context of CrossFit and functional fitness. They explore the three main energy systems—phosphagen, glycolytic, and oxidative—how they function, and their importance in training. The conversation delves into the concept of lactate threshold, its role in performance, and strategies for effectively training these energy systems to enhance overall fitness and conditioning.
Download the Build Your Engine eBook here: https://performanceplusprogramming.com/build-your-engine-ebook/
Takeaways
- You can't just rely on one type of training for conditioning.
- Understanding energy systems is crucial for effective programming.
- The lactate threshold is a key metric for performance.
- Training should target specific energy systems intentionally.
- Improving lactate threshold enhances overall fitness capacity.
- Aerobic training supports recovery in high-intensity workouts.
- Intensity and recovery are critical in energy system training.
- Using power output can be more effective than heart rate zones.
- CrossFit athletes need to balance intensity with recovery.
- A solid understanding of energy systems aids in better programming.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Energy Systems in Fitness
- 02:46 Understanding the Three Main Energy Systems
- 06:09 The Role of Lactate Threshold in Performance
- 12:06 Training Strategies for Energy Systems
- 20:51 Conclusion and Future Programming Insights
In this episode, we dive into common advice athletes receive when asking how to improve conditioning—like joining a run club or doing Zone 2 cardio. While these strategies can help, they often overlook key factors needed to boost performance in functional fitness. We break down why these are only partial solutions and set the stage for more complete strategies that work for high-intensity training.
Download the Build Your Engine eBook here: https://performanceplusprogramming.com/build-your-engine-ebook/
Takeaways
- You need to identify your weaknesses to improve conditioning.
- Conditioning involves understanding various energy systems.
- Zone two cardio is essential for endurance athletes.
- Strength plays a significant role in conditioning performance.
- Different athletes require different training focuses.
- The complexity of CrossFit requires a tailored approach.
- High relative intensity affects conditioning outcomes.
- Energy systems are interconnected with muscular systems.
- Understanding your max strength is crucial for conditioning.
- Future discussions will explore energy systems in detail.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Conditioning and Endurance Training
- 02:55 Understanding the Engine: Energy Systems in Conditioning
- 06:11The Importance of Individual Strength and Conditioning
- 09:01 The Interplay of Strength and Conditioning
- 11:55 Complexities of CrossFit and Conditioning
- 15:08 Looking Ahead: Energy Systems Explained
In this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, Zachary Long discusses critical insights from two research studies on CrossFit injuries. He highlights the common injury sites, including the shoulder, knee, and lower back, and emphasizes the importance of technique in preventing injuries. The conversation also covers the relationship between training duration, competition level, and injury risk, providing valuable information for CrossFit athletes to enhance their training and reduce injury likelihood.
Takeaways
- CrossFit injury rates are comparable to other sports.
- Shoulder, knee, and lower back are the most injured areas.
- Box jumps are the leading cause of injuries in CrossFit.
- Longer participation in CrossFit correlates with higher injury risk.
- Competitors face a greater risk of injury than non-competitors.
- Technique is essential for injury prevention in CrossFit.
- Accessory work can help strengthen vulnerable joints.
- Coaching on Olympic lifts is crucial for safety.
- Engaging in other physical activities may increase injury risk.
- Injury prevention strategies are vital for CrossFit athletes.
Chapters
- 00:00 Understanding CrossFit Injuries
- 02:46 Key Findings from Research Studies
- 06:04 Injury Prevention Strategies for CrossFit Athletes
In this episode, Zachary Long discusses the implications of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on tendinopathies, drawing from recent research and clinical observations. He highlights the increasing prevalence of TRT prescriptions and its correlation with tendon injuries. The conversation delves into the physiological effects of TRT on muscle mass and strength, as well as strategies to mitigate the risk of tendinopathies through dietary and training modifications.
Takeaways
- Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) prescriptions have increased significantly.
- Men on TRT may experience tendinopathies more frequently than those not on TRT.
- Research shows a dose-response relationship between testosterone and muscle mass gains.
- Individuals on TRT are at a higher risk for tendon tears.
- Collagen protein supplementation may benefit tendon health.
- Slow-tempo training can be effective for tendon rehabilitation.
- High-rep band finishers can improve tendon stiffness.
- Increased energy from TRT may lead to higher training intensity.
- Tendons may be overloaded due to increased muscle strength from TRT.
- Athletes on TRT should consider specific strategies to manage tendon health.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Testosterone Replacement Therapy and Tendinopathies
- 02:53 Research Insights on Testosterone and Muscle Mass
- 06:11 Link Between Testosterone and Tendon Injuries
- 08:06 Strategies for Managing Tendinopathies on TRT
How do you prioritize your goals when you want to improve your snatch, deadlift, handstand, bar muscle-up, and engine simultaneously? Tune into this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast to hear how Coach Pamela Gagnon successfully does this with her athletes.
Topics Covered
- How to goal set
- What skills are foundational and translate to all other physical skills
- How to use the Open as a benchmark for setting goals
- To prioritize gymnastics endurance vs strength
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
If you haven't heard, CrossFit HQ has significantly changed the upcoming CrossFit Games season. The Master and Adaptive Athletes will now have their own CrossFit Games that are run by Legends and Wheel WOD, respectively. The change has created quite a stir within the community, so we thought it would be fun to get our own Masters Games Legend, Pamela Gagnon, to give an opinion on the move.
Check it out!
On episode 42 of the Performance Plus Podcast, Pamela Gagnon joins Coach Johnny B to share what it was like transitioning from a D1 gymnast at Rutgers to a Games athlete.
On the episode, we cover the following topics
- How Pamela got into competitive fitness
- What was the hardest thing (lift, technique, etc) for her, coming from a gymnastic background
- What was a surprise
- The sneaky reason why gymnasts do better in functional fitness
- The secret to going deep into the pain cave
If you enjoy what you hear, please share our podcast with others.
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
On episode 41 of the Performance Plus Podcast, gymnastics expert Pamela Gagnon sits down to discuss how to get butterfly chest-to-bar pull-ups.
Many of us can rock out big sets of chin-over-bar butterfly pull-ups but crash and burn when chest-to-bar pops up in the open or a WOD. Is it a strength or skill problem? Check out this episode to find out that and...
-the pre-requisites for the chest to bar butterfly pull-ups
-the strength timing, and skill ratio for chest-to-bar butterfly pull-ups
-drills to get chest-to-bar butterfly pull-ups
Check out these programs we reference in the show
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/chest-to-bar-superstar/
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/butterfly-pull-up-training/
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
On this Performance Plus Programming Podcast episode, the mic is getting turned around as Dr. Zach Long interviews Coach Johnny B to discover why Zone 2 heart rate training is critical for fitness athletes.
Coach Johnny B is a level 3 CrossFit trainer, has his masters in sports science and rehab science from PennWest, and is an Ironman and a sub-three-hour marathoner. The dude loves crosstraining endurance athletes using functional fitness and helping fitness athletes optimize their performance by adding the proper endurance pieces into their diet.
On the podcast, the topics we discuss include
-How to determine your zone 2 heart rate
-Why training zone 2 is essential for elite fitness & longevity
-How to program zone 2 cardio
-The physiology of zone & eccentric ventricle hypertrophy
-Some sample zone 2 workouts
If you are a fitness athlete struggling with longer workouts or workouts the involve steady-state machines like the Echo Bike, Rower, SkiErg or running make sure to check out the Performance Plus Programming endurance accessory program options here https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/program-category/endurance/
Is CrossFit dangerous? When this question is posed in most settings, the resounding answer will be yes. If you follow Performance Plus, you know that we proudly support the CrossFit training methodology, BUT for the sake of being honest with ourselves, we decided to answer this question in the most honest way we know: by looking at the literature.
On episode 36 of the Performance Plus Podcast, Dr. Zach Long answers the question "Is CrossFit Dangerous?" as guided by the research. Join us to learn
-If CrossFit is dangerous
-Why people think CrossFit is dangerous
-What the most common injuries are in CrossFit
-The injury rates in CrossFit vs. other athletic activities
-Risk factors for injures in CrossFit
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
For years, we've all been told that squatting too low will hurt our knees. Unfortunately, most of the people expressing this sentiment have no evidence to support their claims supporting their hate for deep squats.
The fact is, when you look at the research, the complete opposite is true. Full-depth squats are better for our knees AND produce more strength gains in specific muscle tissues.
Tune into this episode to get the full story on squat depth from Physical Therapist Dr. Zach Long.
Topics Covered on this episode:
- Is a partial range of motion squat better for strength or hypertrophy?
- Are below parallel squats bad for your knees?
- Are squats going to build your glutes?
- How to improve squat mobility.
Ultimate Mobility Checklist
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/movements/
Squat Mobility Overhaul
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/squat-mobility-overhaul/
The Truth About Squat Depth & Injury Rates
https://thebarbellphysio.com/the-truth-about-squat-depth-injury-rates-the-knees-out-cue/
The Best Drills for Improving Squat Depth
https://thebarbellphysio.com/the-best-drills-for-improving-squat-depth/
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
In episode 37 of the Performance Plus Podcast, the roles are reversed, and Pamela interviews Johnny about training for an Ironman or Marathon as a CrossFitter.
For those who are unaware, our tech/ops guy, Johnny Bouchard, is also L3 CrossFit Coach, former affiliate owner, and "normal person elite" endurance athlete.
For years Johnny has completed multiple marathons and Ironman/triathlons while maintaining above-average Fran (3:03), Diane (3:40), and Amanda (3:31) times, which is different for endurance athletes.
In this episode, he gives us a deep dive into the training secrets of going REALLY LONG without losing your fitness.
Topics Include
-How to WOD & train for an endurance event (from a schedule standpoint)
-What are the expectations for these events
-What are some of the perils of going long for the first time
-What to say to the haters that think you can lift and train endurance at the same time
If you want to know more about Endurance Programs go check them out here
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/program-category/strength-and-endurance/
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, the one and only Pamela Gagnon shares her gymnastics origin story.
Topics we cover include
-How Pamela got into gymnastics as a child
-What was the indicator that made Pamela realize she was an elite gymnast
-The gymnastics grind and how it changed Pamela's childhood
-What it takes to be an elite gymnast as a kid and teen (from a skills standpoint)
-How Pamela got recruited to be a D1 Gymanst
-Why Pamela turned down the Olympics
-The most embarrassing moment of Pamela's gymnastics career
-How to party and be an elite gymnast
If you want to know more about Pamela Gagnon, make sure to follow her on Instagram @pamelagnon and check out her company, Performance Plus Programming
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On Episode 35 of the Performance Plus Podcast, coach Pamela Gagnon and Johnny B sit down to debrief the 2023 Semi-Finals.
Pamela Gagnon is the gymnastics coach for Mayhem Nation Athletes and appeared at the semi-finals to help athletes with strategy.
In the episode, we talk about
- How Pamela helped the Mayhem Athletes
- Our thoughts on the events
- Is doing weighted muscle-ups a good idea?
- What gymnastics event would Pamela program in for the Games
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On episode 34 of the Performance Plus Podcast, we deeply dive into how to grip for pull-ups, muscle-ups, and toes to bar.
We kick the episode off by covering why the sketch grip (no thumbs) is not an option—explaining it from a performance and safety perspective.
Then we roll into variations of a gymnastics grip for different implements like rings, bars, etc.
We finish up by covering the best exercises for developing grip strength. The best way is to download the FREE Performance Plus Grip Overhaul program here .
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from Performance Plus members and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On this podcast episode, Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B discuss the 6-12-25 method.
Want to get JACKED? If you are looking for body builder-like hypertrophy gains, Charles Poliquin's famous 6-12-25 method is for you!
It is the fastest way to get ripped without getting skinny. The 6-12-25 method, popularized by Charles Poliquin, facilitates massive lactate spikes, facilitating growth hormone production. That means fat loss while sparing muscle mass.
The 6-12-25 method is where you do three exercises in a row for the same muscle group using minimal rest between those exercises.
The program is split into four workouts and covers the entire body over a 4-day split. The format is simple – You start with three exercises (A1, A2, and A3).
- The first exercise is six reps at a 30×0 tempo
- Rest 10 seconds
- The second exercise is 12 reps 3010
- Rest 10 secs
- Third exercise 25 reps 3010
- Rest for 3 mins and complete thrice, then move on to the next exercises.
Doing this type of training has a huge hypertrophic. response, there are three primary mechanisms responsible for increased muscle hypertrophy:
- Mechanical Tension
- Metabolic Stress
- Muscle Damage
And it hits all three.
Tune in to hear all the details on how to program this method and how to see results.
If you want to learn more about Hypertrophy check out these articles written by the Barbell Physio himself:
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by CrossFit Games athlete and Bachelorette veteran Luke Parker to talk about training, faith, and running Ironman races with no training.
CrossFit Mayhem’s Luke Parker is a former college baseball player who also competed on Season 15 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” Parker began doing CrossFit in Georgia before joining CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, TN. In his career, Luke has quickly ascended from doing Murph as his first workout in 2019 to competing in the CrossFit Games on a team in 2022. He took time out of his busy training schedule to GO DEEP on some topics like
-How you answer the call in dark workouts
-How faith motivates Luke
-Why NOT training for an Ironman is a GOOD idea (for him)
-Why baseball players should lift overhead
-What makes Pamela Gagnon one of the greatest coaches on planet earth
Learn more about Luke Parker here https://www.instagram.com/luke_parker777/?hl=en and here https://linktr.ee/LukeParker
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On this episode Dr. Zach Long shares all the secrets for fixing your hip impingement while squatting.
Hip impingement is a common complaint that we see in fitness athletes due to the demands of their sport that push the hip joint through full ranges of motion repeatedly. As the sports of CrossFit and weightlifting have become increasingly popular so has the number of athletes suffering from hip impingement. This condition can be quite difficult to treat and is unfortunately one we often see very poorly treated in the medical world.
On this episode we talk about how to properly diagnose, treat and scale for hip impingement during squatting.
Some specific highlights include
- Squat variations to alleviate pain
- Stop stretching the hip flexors
- Minimizing sitting & sedentary activities that may make the symptoms worse
For more info on hip impingements check out this article written by the one and only Dr. Zach Long.
Get your hips stronger hip flexors with this program from Performance Plus.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
\TRY IT HERE
On this Performance Plus Podcast episode, CrossFit Games athlete Tyler Christophel joins us to discuss faith, family, fitness, and why baseball players SHOULD do overhead lifts.
If you are unfamiliar with Tyler Christophel, he is a three times CrossFit game (individual in 2020, Team in 2017, and 2018). He currently competes as a Mayhem Athlete and is getting married to everyone's favorite, Baylee Rayl.
Topics we talk about in this episode are
- How Tyler incorporates skill work into his sessions
- Tyler's journey from being a baseball player to a CrossFit Games athlete
- Avoiding burnout as a competitive athlete
- Faith and how it motivates Tyler's fitness
- Get After It and other rapid-fire topics
Follow Tyler on social media https://www.instagram.com/tchristophel12/?hl=en
Tyler's Partners https://linktr.ee/tchristophel12
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard, each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to care for your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website.
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On this Performance Plus Programming podcast episode, Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B dive deeply into tendon issues and how to fix them.
We cover:
- The difference between tendinopathy and tendonitis
- Why athletes get tendinopathy
- How to treat a tendinopathy
- Why Inflammation is GOOD
- How to find the right medical provider to get you better from your injury
- The danger of injections and tendinopathy
Below are links to the programs we reference in the show.
https://onwardphysio.com/
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/bulletproof-knees/
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, we are joined by the Director of Mayhem Athlete, Jake Lockert, to discuss why Mayhem Athlete's programming is just flat better than everyone else's.
If you are not familiar with Jake, he is a long-time games-level Mayhem Athlete who became the president of the company after partnering with Rich Froning to do a study on his training while getting a master's degree.
Jake's job with Mayhem is overseeing all the operations and ensuring everything happens, and he is fantastic at it. The man makes it happen, whether it be programming, coordinating with the Mayhem subject matter experts, helping run Train with Rich, or parenting his kids.
In this episode, we dive deep into what makes Mayhem such a strong program and brand. We also look forward to the company launching new things and discussing the Performance Plus and Mayhem partnership. Thrown in there for good measure are some thoughts on Moon Pies, periodization, and not training for a full Ironman race.
Learn more about our partnership with Mayhem Athlete here https://plus.mayhemathletes.com/; use the code MAYHEMPLUS and get 15% off of all Mayhem programs for life.
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for seven days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill-based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
We're back! After a long time off, the Performance Plus Podcast returns for another season of sharing helpful information for CrossFitters and other athletes.
This week Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B sit down to dissect knee pain while squatting. This condition is commonly referred to as Patellar Femoral Pain Syndrome in the medical community. The diagnosis refers to non-specific pain caused by the knee cap.
In the episode, we detail how to diagnose if the knee pain you are experiencing during squats is PFP, why it is happening, and what to do about it.
Check it out and let us know if you have any questions via a DM @performanceplusprogram for @thebarbellphysio on Instagram.
Below are links to the programs we reference in the show.
Ultimate Mobility Checklist FREE)
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/ultimate-mobility-checklist
Bulletproof Quads https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/bulletproof-knees/
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
Today we are talking about the general fear people have around rounding their back while lifting. Recently we saw a popular influencer who put a video up of a golfer rounding his back over as he reached into the hole to pick a golf ball. The IG personality claimed said golfer would herniate the discs in his spine from picking up a golf ball with a round back, which is just complete and utter BS.
So we decided to an episode on why YOU SHOULD round your back while pocking things up. The fact is that the spine flexes and flexion of the spine is not inherently bad, especially when you know loads aren't excessive.
Tune in to find out
•What the research says about rounded back deadlifts
•How to start incorporating rounded back deadlifts into your training
•How to find the right load for rounded back deadlifts
•How to avoid general back injuries
If you are struggling with a weak back that keeps getting injured during deadlifts make sure to check out Zach's latest article on Fixing Low Back Pain During Deadlifts.
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
In Episode 2 of Season 2 of the Performance Plus Podcast, Johnny and Pamela sit down to talk about butterfly pull-ups and why people hate them so much.
In this episode, we cover
- Why we should learn to do butterfly pull-ups.
- What are the prerequisites for butterfly pull-ups?
- How to develop the skill of the butterfly pull-ups.
- Why hating butterfly pull-ups is silly.
Programs and articles mentioned in this episode:
Butterfly Pull-Up Training Program
Butterfly Pull-Ups For Beginners
Developing Butterfly Pull-Up Strength and Technique
Transcript
Johnny: Pamela, do you think butterfly pull ups are a valid form of pull up and should people pursue doing them?
Pamela: Okay, kind of a double edged store question. So butterfly pull ups are a functional way to add to intensity, to get from hanging to chin above or chest to the bar. Now, people love to hate them because people in CrossFit use them in the wrong way. It is not the foundation of a pull up. It is the advanced pull up, meaning when you go to your L one for CrossFit, it's mechanic consistency than intensity.
Butterfly pull-ups are the most way to bring intensity, meaning it's the fastest way to do a pull up. So I love them for achieving intensity, but if you do not have control of many strict slow and control. A good test is if you can do a 5 reps of a :03 tempo up and :03 tempo down. If you can't, you probably are jumping the gun and doing butterfly pull up way too early in your athletic career.
Johnny: I always think of them as a skill. Like a high level skill. It is the application of all this training that people are doing is to be able to apply this to a sport. It's a sport specific movement that allows you to be fast, like, to move quickly from, like you said, hanging to over the bar. And in other sports, people don't get crap for being their sports specific skills. Nobody gives gymnast crap for being able to do massive flips in the air on a floor routine or back walkovers on a balance beam. Those are sports specific skills that are built by doing lots of foundational movements. Why is it that everybody hates the butterfly pull up and CrossFit?
Pamela: Well, one, people look like flopping fishes because they're not strong enough to do it correctly, so it gives it a bad name. And you're right. Gymnasts do giants on bars. That's a swinging movement, right. So that's a skill specific swing. So this is a swinging movement skill specific to our sport. People don't understand the CrossFit as a sport. And I honestly have to say that a lot of people in the everyday CrossFit class setting kind of don't understand it either. It's been lost in translation since 2005.If you look back the old CrossFit Journal videos you will see Nicole Carroll doing Nasty Girls with strict ring muscle ups.
Every sport evolves. Look at gymnastics in the 1940s versus the 1970s versus 2020, right. It's evolving. Our sport has evolved, but our mentality of why it's evolving, too many have not caught up. Okay, so when I started in 2011 and I was asking you to do a rain muscle up, it was tricks. It wasn't even, like, an option. I didn't learn tipping until probably a year and a half into process. So, yeah, it's evolved, and we just have to understand why it's evolving. And as athletes get better, we want to be more intense, but we also have to have them. Yeah. And I think that's the people want to mimic the people that they admire, I guess. I want to go to the gym. I want to look like Risk Ronnie when I'm on the pull up bar. But the reality is I'm probably not strong enough to be doing t
Season 2 of the Performance Plus Podcast kicks off with a bang! Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B sit down to discuss shoulder pain while performing kipping pull-ups.
Yes, we know the internet hates kipping pull-ups. So we start the show off by telling you why you should do a kipping pull-up and then how to see if you are ready to handle them from a mobility and strength perspective. Then we get into a discussion on proper mechanics and how they can also cause pain. We finish up the podcast by talking about programming to improve your kip.
In this episode, we talk about a few things that can help your kipping pull-ups. Here are links to those resources.
Ultimate Mobility Check List
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/ultimate-mobility-checklist/
Kipping Mechanics Program
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/kipping-pull-up-mechanics/
First Strict Pull-Up Program
https://performanceplusprogramming.com/shop/first-pull-up-program/
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
You asked the questions and now they are getting answered. Episode 22 of the Performance Plus Podcast is an Ask Me Anything with Pamela Gagnon. On this episode we cover 5 different questions that were submitted by you via Instagram and email.
- Favorite food memory from travels
- Do her kids CrossFit
- Does Pamela measure all of her food?
- How does Pamela train?
- What is the most important cue or dill for gymnastics?
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
You asked the questions and now they are getting answered. Episode 22 of the Performance Plus Podcast is an Ask Me Anything with Pamela Gagnon. On this episode we 10 cover different questions that were submitted by you via Instagram and email.
- Pamela talks about learning to play the guitar
- Better Jersey rock icon: Springsteen or Bon Jovi
- Better Jersey TV Show: Jersey Shore or The Sopranos
- Nanos or Chuck Taylors
- The comeback of Inov8's
- 400m Run or 40 Cal Bike and why the air bike is hard for ladies
- Favorite girl WOD
- The one gymnastics skill everyone should have
- Why the handstand is more important the pull-up
- What is the worst injury Pamela has ever had and how does she prevent injuries?
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
With the proliferation of wearables in the world there are million different metrics you can measure. So how do you know which ones matter? Tune into episode 21 of the Performance Plus Podcast to hear Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B discuss important health and fitness metrics you should be tracking.
Topics covered on this episode include
- What measurable matter
- What devices are best for measuring things like sleep and recovery
- What nutrition metrics are most important
- What metrics you can ignore
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
On Episode 20 of the Performance Plus Podcast Pamela Gagnon and Coach Johnny B discuss the importance of spotting for learning gymnastics.
Topics covered on this episode include
- Why spotting is important
- How to spot someone safely
- How to spot someone in a CrossFit workout
- The steps to become a good spotter for gymnastics
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
You asked the questions and now they are getting answered. Episode 19 of the Performance Plus Podcast is an Ask Me Anything with Dr. Zach Long. On this episode we cover 13 different questions that were submitted by you via Instagram and email.
Check out the episode to hear the following questions answered
- Best way to measure shoulder mobility progress
- Why would I feel my adductors more in the back squat
- My back always hurts when I deadlift
- Why did you go to PT school
- How did you get your start writing for the CrossFit Journal
- What’s the story behind the Barbell Physio
- How did you get into/find CrossFit
- How did you meet Pamela
- What is the story behind the Performance Plus
- Fran or Grace
- Nano or No Bull
- Froning or Fraser
- You have written hundreds of articles for the CrossFit Journal and Barbell Physio. Topics range from dissecting the squat, overhead position, the snatch and the athletic hip to BFR and your favorite fitness apps. What is the one article you wish every trainer would read and why.
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to CRUSH all your goals? Try out the Performance Plus Programming membership for 7 days FREE. Our membership gives you access to over 40 different skill based programs to help you crush all your goals.
TRY IT HERE
The open is upon us! On a special edition of the Performance Plus Podcast, Pamela Gagnon and Coach Johnny break down open workout 22.1 to give you the secrets to crushing this workout.
In this episode, Pamela details a strategy and three key tactics to improve your efficiency and overall score. Johnny shares some mobility and prep ideas from Dr. Zach Long, who was indisposed today.
Check it out, and let us know how it helps.
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
Does CrossFit cause injuries? How can injuries in CrossFit be prevented? These are common questions we get from members of our community. So on episode 17 of the Performance Plus Podcast, Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B take a deep dive into the scientific literature to answer these questions.
Specific Topics We Cover
- Did the Superbowl halftime show make you feel old?
- Are injuries more common in CrossFit than other sports/activities?
- What are the most common injuries in CrossFit (Back, Shoulder, Knee, Elbow, Wrist)
- It seems that those within their first year of training and those who engage in this training modality less than three days per week and participate in less than three workouts per week are at a greater risk for injuries. Why?
- Can injuries be prevented?
Research Articles We Reference
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967118803100
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsr/27/3/article-p295.xml
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/9000/The_nature_and_prevalence_of_injury_during.97557.aspx
https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/Abstract/2019/11000/Impact_of_CrossFit_Related_Spinal_Injuries.8.aspx
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5358031/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967117745263
https://www.scielo.br/j/clin/a/4FtbB77jTQtQgPmt4KrBjJy/abstract/?lang=en
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
Like it or not, we all get old and will have to deal with the physiological and psychological changes associated with the aging process. However, to a very large extent we have
control over the degree to which those changes impact our quality of life, because we are
only as old as we believe we are. On episode 16 of the Performance Plus Podcast three times masters CrossFit Games athlete Pamela Gagnon sits down with Coach Johnny B to share her keys to being a successful masters athlete. If you are over the age of 35 you need to check out this episode.
Topics Include
1. Why flexibility is key
2. How to be respectful of tweaks
3. The importance of good recovery habits
4. Why you can't ever give up as a masters athlete
5. How to scale modify volume/intensity
6. How to perform at a high level with out getting injured
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
Tired of doing singles or small sets of Bar Muscle-Ups in workouts and not sure how to build more endurance and technique? Then you need to check out this weeks episode of Performance Plus Programming podcast where Pamela Gagnon and Coach Johnny B detail our new Bar Muscle-Up Endurance program. Let's goooooo!
Topics Include
-Why people are limited in doing many bar muscle-ups
-Prerequisites for attempting to do multiple bar muscle-ups
-The keys to progressively overloading the bar muscle-up to build more endurance
Programs Talked About
Bar Muscle-Up Endurance
Building Lats to Fly
Chest to Bar Superstar
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
A press handstand is one of the coolest ways to show off your crazy gymnastics strength and control. It’s also one of the most difficult bodyweight skills a human can do. On this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast former gymnast and CrossFit Games athlete Pamela Gagnon sits down with Coach Johnny B to share the secrets of doing a Press to Handstand.
Topics Include
- Pre-requisites for Press to Handstand
- How to do a press to handstand
- 3 drills to build a press to handstand
- How long it will take to develop a press to handstand
A press handstand is a handstand done starting from either a standing or sitting position. If you are going to be starting from a sitting position, you should be sitting on the floor with your legs in a straddle and your hands on the ground in front of you. If you are going to start in a standing position, you can be in either a pike or straddle stand with your hands on the floor in front of you. Then you will need to lean forward with control and transfer the weight of your body to your hands.
As the weight is transferred to your hands you can slowly raise your feet and legs off the ground in either a pike or straddle position. Most gymnasts straddle their legs up. With control raise your legs until they are straight over your head in a handstand. While you are raising your legs, your shoulders will move past your hands, and then as your legs rise, they will move to straight over your hands.
If you are interested in building a press to a handstand check out these links
Performance Plus Building a Press to Handstand Program
3 Drills for a Press to Handstand
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
Do you know what sucks? Being able to do 1 bar muscle-up but not string together more. Do you know what else sucks? That annoying little middle kip during sets of toes to bar. Good news, we know why!!! Bad news, it's because you aren't strong enough. MORE GOOD NEWS we can fix it. Tune into this very brief episode of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast to learn how.
Programs & Articles Talked About In This Episode
- Building Lats to Fly
- 3 Drills To Build Toes To Bar Strength
- 3 Steps to Linking Your Bar Muscle-Ups
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
On Episode 11 of the Performance Plus Programming podcast Pamela Gagnon, Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B share their favorite fitness apps.
Apps Covered On The Show
-RP Diet (code pamela10 to save)
-MyFitness Pal
-Whoop
-TrueCoach
-HeadSpace
-WOD Timer
-PicPlayPost
-Performance Plus Programming App
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
Are you smashing your head into the wall trying to learn how to handstand walk? Have you been practicing the handstand walk weekly or daily with no progress? Then you need to check out episode 10 of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast because gymnastics expert Pamela Gagnon sits down to explain why you (and I) can't handstand walk and provide some solutions to fix your handstand walk.
Topics Covered On The Show
-The foundation of a handstand walk
-Benchmarks for progressing to a handstand walk
-Pointing the toes or not
-Why games athletes shouldn't scorpion the handstand walk
-How to properly progress to a handstand walk
Programs talked about in this episode include
Pressing Mechanics for Gymnastics
Handstand Strength and Stability Overhaul
Handstand Balance Breakthrough
Handstand Walking Program
Gymnasty Abs
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
The Open is coming. We are less than two months away. So we thought it would be a good time for all three of us to jump on the podcast to discuss what you need to be doing to get ready for the 2022 CrossFit Open.
Topics Include:
- What movements do we think you should be working on
- How to properly triage your strengths and weaknesses
- What gains can you realistically expect to make in 2 months
- What not to do in the Open
- The FREE Performance Plus Open Prep Program
- Our favorite and least favorite CrossFit Open workouts of all time
Ready to crush the 2022 CrossFit Open? Join this program to access the Performance Plus Programming Open Prep Program. In it, we will cover all the bases: weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and conditioning to have your body ready to crush the Open.
The best part the program is 100% FREE!
JOIN HERE
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio and his website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Tune in each Monday for a new episode!
Do you have a hard time getting off the assault bike and doing muscle-ups? Are sets of 25 toes to bar in a metcon a problem? If so then you need to check out Episode 8 of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast.
On this episode Dr. Zach Long (DPT) and Coach Johnny B (MS, CFL3) sit down to talk about gymnastics conditioning for CrossFit.
During the podcast topics covered are
-Workouts from the Performance Plus Programming gymnastics conditioning program
-The difference between muscular strength and muscular endurance
-The skill/strength continuum
-Pukie workouts
If your gymnastics fall apart when volume and fatigue are added make sure to check out our new Gymnastics Conditioning plan. If you can complete sets of 5 muscle-ups, 10 T2B, 12 kipping pull-ups but don’t hold together very well during workouts, then this plan is for you!
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio
Visit Zach’s website
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
On episode 7 of the Performance Plus Podcast Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B sit down to talk hypertrophy for CrossFit athletes.
Topics include:
- What is hypertrophy?
- Can humans create more muscle fibers or just hypertrophy existing fibers?
- What is the ideal rep range for hypertrophy?
- Does hypertrophy style workouts like body building produce the best beach body
- Do CrossFitters need to focus on hypertrophy
- What is the best way to program accessory work for CrossFit to produce hypertrophy.
- Where does blood flow restriction training fit into the goal of training hypertrophy?
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio
https://thebarbellphysio.com
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
https://coachjohnnyb.com
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
Have a funky hip shift when you squat? Wonder why you look like a coming out of the bottom of the hole during a squat? Are your glutes firing? Find out on Episode 6 of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast, where Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B teach you how to diagnose weaknesses in the squat.
Topics Covered On This Episode
- Why Evan Williams Burbon is better
- How to eat tater tots and cut weight at once
- The Good Morning Squat
- The Hip Shift During Squats
- The Knee Forward Squat
- Valgus Knee Squats
- How to correct all of these issues during the squat
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Follow Zach @thebarbellphysio
https://thebarbellphysio.com
Follow Johnny @coach_johnnyb
https://coachjohnnyb.com
Follow Pamela Gagnon @pamelagnon
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
Want to be in the CrossFit Games as an Open or Masters Athlete? Ever wonder what sort of gymnastics skills you need to possess to compete at that level? Tune into Episode 5 of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast Pamela Gagnon to learn what a former 3x Games athlete and Mayhem Gymnastics head coach says are the standards for anyone that wants to compete.
Topics Covered On This Episode
-Volume of gymnastics required to make the games
-What movements do you need to be able to do in order to make the games
-How to train gymnastics for the games
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
On Episode 4 of the Performance Plus Podcast Dr. Zach Long and Coach Johnny B discuss how to program mobility work.
Topics include
- The most important detail of programming mobility
- How to structure a mobility program
- When to implement mobility work (before or after a workout)
- The appropriate amount of time to foam roll/do lacrosse ball work
- What to do if lack of mobility is causing pain
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
On episode 3 of the Performance Plus Programming Podcast, gymnastics expert Pamela Gagnon joins Coach Johnny B to detail the strict strength pre-requisites for gymnastics movements CrossFit in CrossFit.
Here are the topics we covered in this episode:
- The 2 foundations of gymnastics movements
- How many reps of strict gymnastics do we need to have before progressing onto kipping?
- One of the best parts of CrossFit is the feeling that "you can do anything" and kipping gymnastics feed into that. It allows us to do movements like pull-ups often times without really being able to do a pull-up. So what is your message to those people? The people who can do 5 kipping pull-ups, but can't do one strict?
- What is Pamela's favorite Star Wars movie
The Performance Plus Programming Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
On episode 2 of the Performance Plus Podcast, Dr. Zach Long jumps on to give us an excellent template for modifying and scaling training around pain and injuries.
Questions that are answered are:
- Do I need to quit training if I am in pain while working out
- When should I take complete rest from training?
- How long will an injury take to heal?
- How we can maintain the stimuli of a workout while being injured
- When is it time to see an orthopedic doctor?
The Performance Plus Podcast is a short, actionable podcast that answers common questions from CrossFitters and other athletes. Featuring Dr. Zach Log (The Barbell Physio), Pamela Gagnon, and hosted by Coach Johnny Bouchard each short podcast episode will help you achieve your goals. Whether you are training for a competition or want to get stronger, our step-by-step guide is all you need to take care of your body.
Tune in each Friday for a new episode!
One episode 1 of the Performance Plus Podcast Pamela fills us in on her new role as the head of Mayhem Gymnastics.
Tune in to learn:
-What Mayhem Gymnastics is
-How it is different than Performance Plus
-What workout Pamela can beat Rich Froning in
-What it's like to work at Mayhem Nation