Testing & Physiological Profiling For CrossFit Athletes - Sean Seale

Aug 15, 2022

In this engaging discussion, Sean Seale, a strength and conditioning coach and podcast host, delves into the science of testing CrossFit athletes. He shares insights on physiological testing, including his preferred ergometer methods and the significance of low-intensity training for building aerobic capacity. Sean explains how to estimate lactate thresholds without lab equipment and emphasizes the benefits of low-intensity work for all athletes, enhancing both performance and recovery. Tune in for practical advice and innovative training strategies!

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ADVICE

Comprehensive 4/1 Step Test Protocol

Use a 4-minute on, 1-minute off step test with ~9–11 steps to profile athletes across intensities.
Collect heart rate, RPE, lactate, VO2 and MOXIE data at each stage to triangulate thresholds and zones.

ADVICE

Triangulate Multiple Metrics

Triangulate lactate, ventilation, RPE, heart rate and MOXIE rather than relying on a single metric.
Explain results to athletes and give simple, targeted training interventions based on the profile.

INSIGHT

Low Intensity Is The Foundation

Most CrossFit athletes underperform because they do too little or too-hard low-intensity work.
Properly calibrated low-intensity training builds the foundation to tolerate more volume and intensity.

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Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have S&C coach Sean Seale.

Sean is the host of Upside Strength, an amazing resource which includes a podcast, educational seminars and an awesome youtube channel. Through his podcast, he has investigated different physiological concepts and their application to endurance training and CrossFit, and it has been awesome to hear his journey of learning new ideas, putting them into practice and formulating his own approach to training, testing and monitoring. In this episode, we discuss his physiological approach to testing CrossFit athletes and determining training intensity zones and the importance of low-intensity training for aerobic adaptations.

But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media.

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First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems.

And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.

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In this episode, we discuss:

1:09 - Introduction
02:45 - Upside Strength & introduction to Sean Seale
12:08 - The change to a physiological focus
15:04 - Physiological testing protocols
22:36 - Physiological changes from training
25:07 - Determining intensity zones using critical power and lactate threshold
31:03 - Testing with minimal equipment
37:28 - Maintaining power output during tests
40:10 - How best to find critical power
46:14 - The importance of low-intensity training for Crossfit
50:45 - Any differences between hybrid athletes and Crossfit athletes?
55:26 - Lactate and fat oxidation in Crossfitters
58:29 - Recommendations