The Paul Weber Podcast

Send us Fan Mail While carbs function mainly as a fuel source and scale up as training increases, protein and fat are mainly structural and signaling molecules. The benefits of protein and fat rise dramatically before leveling off at a certain threshold. Below the minimums is a sort of "multiplying by zero" - you're leaving structure and function on the table. Above the thresholds i...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I recap the first Xenom in Dallas last weekend. I talk about my experience coaching 6 athletes across 3 divisions, my clients' experience with the equipment, judging and logistics, how Xenom lets you stand shoulder to shoulder with elite athletes and compete in the same events, while also having the global leaderboard that made past CrossFit Opens so appealin...

Send us Fan Mail Energy balance is the most important nutrition consideration in athletes. In this episode, we cover the physics of energy balance, as well as how gut chemistry determines how many of your gross calories become usable energy. I break down the carbs vs. fats debate, the 70-75% VO2 max crossover point, how glycogen and blood sugar are the primary fuel substrates for hybrid athletes,...

Send us Fan Mail Body fat % — Elite athlete reference ranges Men Bodybuilder on-stage ~4% Elite marathon runner 6–9% Pro road cyclist 6–10% Elite 100m sprinter 7–10% Elite XC skier ~11% Elite CrossFit men 11.8% ±2.4 Elite triathlete men 11.9% Elite Olympic weightlifter ~12-13%‡  Bodybuilder off-season ~13% Elite powerlifter (lightweight) 12–16% Women Bodybuilder on-stage ~10% Elite marathon runner...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover the nutrition hierarchy and why some factors are higher order than others. Here's an overview: Consistency Energy Macronutrients Micronutrients Timing Supplements For each category, we cover underlying biological mechanisms and best practices. *This is adapted from Dr. Eric Helms’ Muscle and Strength Pyramid with added context for CrossFit competitor...

Send us Fan Mail Fitness competition is more popular than ever. More people participate in bodybuilding shows, triathlons and hybrid fitness competitions every year. Of these three categories, hybrid fitness is the fastest growing by a significant margin, largely due to Hyrox's explosive growth. The 2011 CrossFit Open was the first mass participation, hybrid fitness competition, with 26,000 p...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I tell stories about the value of coaching. --- Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you: ​ Book an Intro Consult : This is the next step for athletes who want to work with me 1:1. My coaching is for fitness competitors and hybrid athletes who want to see what they're capable of. Once you book, you'll get a link to complete an intake f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover: Terms The autonomic nervous system - anatomy and functions Autonomic balance Sympathetic tone Types of Exercise and How each Affects Autonomic Balance Acutely and Chronically Aerobic exercise (with some key differences between low intensity and medium-high intensity) Resistance exercise The Athlete's Autonomic Nervous System The Phases of Overtraini...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the evolution of fitness sport over the last 10-15 years. We cover: professionalization - the maturation of the fitness sport ecosystem education - understanding of sport-specific demands individualization - the coaching industry early specialization - pros and cons technology --- Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you: ​ Book an In...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we answer these common questions: Should I focus on bodybuilding/hypertrophy? How much can I condition and still get stronger/build muscle? How much Zone 2 should I do? What specific skill work do I need? Should I bulk or change my nutrition? How much, if any, metcons should I actually do? If I am doing metcons, should I separate them from strength training? --- W...

Send us Fan Mail Most competitors know they need an offseason, but what does that really mean? In this episode, I cover the process I follow with my athletes every offseason. Key Takeaways: Most people show up to fitness sport with a variety of training ages. If you have <4 years of experience anywhere, bring that area up to speed. From there, offseason training should allow you to stay consist...

Send us Fan Mail "XENOM™ is the Decathlon of Fitness™, a 10-event, stadium-scale global competition that standardizes and scores total human performance on a points based index, creating the first repeatable global benchmark for CrossFit® athletes." In this episode, we cover: What Xenom is and who is behind it The nine announced Xenom events Movement Analysis MWG Movement Patterns Notabl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover: The shift in programming trends for Quarterfinals and the AGOQ Workout Approach 101 The 25% Rule Time requirements and work requirements How to approach workouts with tiebreakers Workout execution and order

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover how nutrition goes deeper than "calories in, calories out." The body is governed by more than just physics, it is also governed by chemistry. Our goal is to fuel high amounts of training (eat, digest, utilize, eliminate) while minimizing side effects. We cover: Biology of the Gut Dysfunctions of the Gut The athlete's gut microbiota How gut...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover: The HPA Axis - what it is and what it does Ways to measure function of the HPA Axis Cortisol isn't king, it's also not the enemy How to recognize HPA Axis Dysfunction, burnout, and Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) Best practices for preserving the HPA Axis How endurance training, interval training and resistance training affect HPA Axis activity acu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I cover the consensus statements of scientists, coaches and athletes from a recent, international conference "aimed at enhancing elite athletic performance and health". I also add context based on my personal and clinical experience, and give actionable advice for fitness athletes. Themes "Overarching themes from the conference deliberations were ho...

Send us Fan Mail The Competitor Lifecycle First workout Classes/free resources Competitor program Initial, fast progress Overtraining Injury/sickness/stagnation Hire a coach Train less, get healthy Focus training, make gains Acceptance, completion, peace In this episode, I talk about my personal experience going through each of these stages and examples of this I see month after month.  I discuss...

Send us Fan Mail Skill-intensive sports vs. Training-intensive sports Skill-intensive sports (e.g. golf, basketball) Competition conditions are less predictable (nearly impossible to replicate perfectly in training) Performance is more difficult to quantify Performance depends on precise motor control under pressure Greater physiological capacity and effort do not always translate into better resu...

Send us Fan Mail 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 cardiorespiratory fitness, gut health, building athletic momentum, and how I apply these lessons learned with my athletes. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,...

Send us Fan Mail Link to the full movement analysis: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSF-hQpEd2H/?hl=en&img_index=1 Most frequent Open movements (2021-2025): Burpees Double Unders Thrusters  Chest to Bar Bar Muscle Ups Wall Walks Deadlifts Most frequent Individual Quarterfinals movements (2021-2024): Row Burpee Box Jump Overs Rope Climbs Cleans Snatches Wall Balls Kipping HSPU Strict HSPU Ring Mus...

Send us Fan Mail 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 multiple days gives an advantage to the athletes who recover the fastest. By the final day, it may be less about who can perform the best fresh, and more a...

Send us Fan Mail Gymnastics in Fitness Sport When 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 jump over, which I train with a conditioning perspective, rather than the approach I'll describe below. For almost every other gymnastics movement, the time to exha...

Send us Fan Mail 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 more. However, neural effects are why world class female lifters are stronger than most men, despite having way less muscle. Neural effects are al...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I describe a Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) model for fitness competitors. The model depends on three concepts: Extensive to intensive training Long to short residual training effects Pre-requisites to expression With these in mind, I created a phased approach to each of the three disciplines in fitness sport. Strength Functional Hypertrophy Basic Strength...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the differences, pros and cons of hybrid and mixed training. Hybrid Training Less interference than mixed workouts Bigger adaptations to each training stimulus More targeted to a specific modality Adaptable to injury history, equipment Higher training loads Mixed Training More specific to fitness competition Improved pacing of mixed workouts Varied and...