In this episode, I share my experience training with a conditioning bias, training with a strength bias, why I switched to bodybuilding and where I'm going next in my training.I talk about muscle growth, the importance of cardiorespirato...

Link to the full movement analysis: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSF-hQpEd2H/?hl=en&img_index=1Most frequent Open movements (2021-2025):Burpees

To excel at a multiday fitness competition, you need to be prepared for an immense workload.Athletes who may perform incredibly on Event 1 are gassed by Event 8.While every athlete must be powerful, having so many events over mult...

Gymnastics in Fitness SportWhen you do gymnastics, you are exercising in what exercise physiologists call the extreme intensity domain, with very few exceptions.The most notable exceptions are the burpee and box ju...

Strength adaptations come from morphological effects and neural effects.Morphological effects (mainly muscle growth) are why strength sports have weight classes. Assuming similar training styles, the more muscular athlete usually lifts m...

In this episode, I describe a Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) model for fitness competitors.The model depends on three concepts:Extensive to intensive trainingLong to short residual training effectsPre...

In this episode, we discuss the differences, pros and cons of hybrid and mixed training.Hybrid TrainingLess interference than mixed workoutsBigger adaptations to each training stimulusMore targeted to a spec...

Common Conditioning Mistake:Too frequent high intensity trainingIntensity limiting total training loadOnly practicing race pace at high RPEsAll-out effort in hard sessionsExcessive training variet...

In this episode, I discuss:The confusion among health and wellness leaders and coaches about the utility of Zone 2Zone 2 for living long and healthyZone 2 for performanceWhy your time is the most important...

Join us for the live training: Conditioning for Fitness Athletes.Thursday, October 23rd, 3pm MTTap the link to save your spot: https://www.paulbweber.com/condi...

In this episode, we cover:Evaluation of the SportMovement Analysis - which parts of the race create the most separation?Physiological Analysis - what does Hyrox ask of the body?Assessment of the A...

Thank you for sending questions!In this week's podcast, I cover:How much can I condition and still get stronger/build muscle/maintain muscle?How much Zone 2 should I do?When should I do "classic CrossFit"?

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 ...

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 proble...

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 fat...

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.&...

Key TakeawaysFrequency of higher intensity training - 2-3 days/week/modality, 3-5 quality sessions per week per modalityPeriodize - lower overall training volume and more comp...

In this episode, we discuss:The four intensity domains and their effect on physiologyIntensity distributions of elite endurance athletes and fitness athletesBest practices from elite endurance sportfrequenc...

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 hig...

In this episode, we cover:examples of pure weightlifting workoutshow the work rates in weightlifting modalities compare to traditional endurance modalitiesthe physiology of weightlifting workoutsthe biomec...

Conditioning intensity can be divided into four domains: moderate, heavy, severe, and extreme. Moderate IntensityPersonal anecdote: walking to New York CityIn athlete language: "easy", "Zone 2"Wh...

Thanks for being here! In this episode, I respond to the questions:If I don't train for a while am I going to lose all of my gains?Does psychological stress affect my performance?Do I ...

Key TakeawaysFor beginners, the primary limitation is motor control. Program design should facilitate skill acquisition by providing lots of reps.Intermediates with lots of mu...

In this episode, I reflect on some of the mistakes I made in my mindset as a competitor - and how I would coach that version of myself. I also share my experience toward the end of my competitive career, the health issues I ran into...

Tap the link to save your spot at the live training this week.https://www.paulbweber.com/mastering-gymnastics-for-fitness-athletes---We only...