Performance Plus Podcast

In this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, Zach discusses essential strategies for functional fitness athletes to overcome gymnastic skill hurdles, crucial for excelling in CrossFit. He emphasizes three critical areas: mobility, strength foundation, and movement-specific skills. Zach explains how lacking mobility can hinder proper form and efficiency in skills like handstand walks and ring m...

In this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, Zach discusses the importance of accessory work for fitness athletes, especially those involved in CrossFit. He highlights that while well-programmed CrossFit classes are beneficial for general fitness, they often don't address individual weaknesses. To truly excel, athletes need targeted accessory programming that focuses on specific areas suc...

In this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, Zach discusses why CrossFit athletes might benefit from lifting lighter weights to improve their Olympic lifts. Zach presents two studies supporting this argument, highlighting the importance of technique over maximal strength. The episode delves into the technical nature of Olympic lifts, emphasizing the need for practicing with lower fatigue to en...

Maximizing Performance for Hyrox: A CrossFit Athlete's Guide In this episode of the Performance Plus Podcast, Zach hands over the reins to Coach Johnny B, a CrossFit Level 3 trainer with extensive endurance event experience. Johnny shares his insights from recently competing in the Hyrox event in Atlanta, offering valuable advice for CrossFit athletes who are interested in participating in Hy...

In this episode of the Performance Plus podcast, Zach discusses the often overlooked topic of Ski Erg technique. He emphasizes the importance of practicing and perfecting technique, particularly if your gym has limited equipment. Zach breaks down the primary goal of Ski Erg, which is to generate power through a limited range of motion at a high frequency, rather than pulling the cord through its m...

In this episode of the Performance Plus podcast, Zachary Long discusses the critical role of mobility for fitness athletes, particularly those engaged in CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting. He emphasizes the need for targeted mobility work rather than general stretching, highlighting the importance of assessing individual mobility limitations to enhance performance and reduce injury risk. The conv...

Mastering Rowing Technique for Improved CrossFit Performance In this episode of the Performance Plus podcast, Zach focuses on the often overlooked rowing technique crucial for CrossFit athletes. He covers key points such as proper foot placement, initial setup positions, and a three-step sequence to enhance rowing efficiency. Zach emphasizes the importance of maintaining vertical shins, correct ar...

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,...

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 a...

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 c...

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...

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...

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, p...

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 mitigat...

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 benchmar...

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.  C...

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 gymn...

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...

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...

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...

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.  T...

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/triathlo...

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 standp...

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 gymna...

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 e...