I had a client recently send me the events for an upcoming comp they're doing and across a single day we're looking at 250 squat repetitions mixed between WB / Thrusters / Lunges / BJO. They wanted to know what they can do to prevent muscle soreness and preserve performance. The answer is that you probably cannot eliminate soreness completely, especially if the event has a lot of eccentric loading, high volume, unfamiliar movements, or repeated hard efforts across multiple days. But you can reduce the likelihood that soreness becomes performance-limiting. Here are the tools I recommended: ------------------------ 1. Good training principles are still the foundation The best soreness prevention strategy is smart progressive exposure. If the competition is going to demand high volume, high density, heavy eccentrics, running, GHDs, lunges, DB cycling, CTB, or repeated contractions in a pattern you are not used to, then we want as much exposure to those demands before the competition as is safe and possible given your timeline. That does not mean crushing yourself every training day leading in. It means giving the body enough of a preview that the competition is not the first time your tissues see that stress. This is why event / weekend simulations can be valuable. A well-timed simulation gives you: - movement exposure - pacing feedback - confidence - tissue preparation - a better understanding of where soreness may show up This is also why we want to avoid big “new” training inputs too close to competition. It increases the injury risk and can leave you in a compromised state at the event. ---------------------------- 2. BFR / IPC can be a powerful pre-event tool BFR IPC, blood flow restriction ischemic preconditioning, is one of the better tools we have for preparing the body before a high-output event. The goal is to create a short, controlled ischemic exposure that may activate protective mechanisms before hard exercise. Think of it as a “preconditioning signal” to the tissue.

Here is this week's strategy guide - this is basically just a test of RMU as you clearly saw in the demo. I've tried to give some strategy and points of performance around preserving the RMU by the end. GOOD LUCK AND LET US KNOW HOW IT GOES!

Hey everyone - just wanted to share the 26.1 Strategy Guide I created, feel free to use this with your athletes or share with your gym communities. Coaches - if you have feedback or sections you disagree with I'd LOVE to have some dialogue here. I've been creating these now since the 2017 Open, but never really got a chance to get critical feedback on what goes into them.

In your Stimulus Matters episode on Individualized Coaching you mention a list of movements you ask your clients for during intake. Could you post that list here? Thanks a lot!

Hey everyone, quick preview of this weekend’s Stimulus Matters episode. Ryne and I hit record in the middle of a conversation that started with a personal “side quest” of mine (weightlifting, running, weight cuts) and quickly turned into a much bigger discussion on season prep. We dig into what happens when multiple coaches are involved, why oversight and constraints matter more than having the “perfect” program, and how coaching actually changes once the Open and Quarterfinals are on the calendar. We also talk chronic vs acute volume, borrowing concepts from strength training for conditioning progressions, using the Open as a bridge instead of something to coast through, and how programming decisions need to shift based on athlete level and resilience. To watch: CLICK HERE