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Going into Regionals our on-site team had hopes to make it into the top 15 as a rookie team, this is their story.

Max lays out whats to come from TTT following Regionals and heading into the Games.

To purchase one of the shirts head to http://www.trainingthinktank.com/shop

The first of my three talks at the TTT Open Camp was a fired up plea with our athletes to ensure they did not try to put me or my ideas on a pedestal as the organization continued to grow and gain more notoriety.

At one point, I was the guy who believed that enough reading, enough experience, enough social proof, enough money, and enough physical prowess would be proof that someone had the answers.

It took many years to realize that those 'answers' don't exist and that many of the 'gurus' put on pedestals were just flawed regular people sitting behind a curtain, just like in the famous story "The Wizard of Oz."

I'm not your Wizard. Join me in this 3-part series of my talks from our Open Camp last week and I'll show you what's behind the curtain and how "Oz" was built. - Max

Travis Mayer began working with Max in 2012. This is their story. Our coaches breakdown how 17.4 went for us and our athletes.

--Soundtrack--
Dialogue by Alan Watts
"Race In" by Battles
"Segue 1" by Failure
"Raise Your Weapon" by Deadmau5
"Battleborn" by The Killers

CrossFit Games Update Show footage by CF HQ

Max answers the following 4 questions (time-stamped and listed below) taken from our Instagram and answers them against a 4-minute clock. Then at the end he'll answer as many questions as possible in 4 minutes rapid fire style.

01:14 - If the strongest powerlifters rarely implement tempo work, why do you favor tempo work so much? Let's assume its for a client with no previous injury background. Layne Norton and Greg Nuckols have written how Poliquin overuses tempo work.

05:11 - Have you ever had an athlete with a messed up hormone profile? After making the proper lifestyle changes how long does it take before the hormones come back to normal? (sorry if the wording is off)

09:55 - Can you discuss the future plans of the educational course offered by TTT?

15:25 - Using MED principle ( Minimum effect dose ) , i assume you did Test for see if the athlete adapt or not .how you know this is the right dose or not? (too much) thinking about 
interference and residual effect.

RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS
21:05 - Which books about training prescription do you recommend? Thanks!

21:40 - Would you ever consider playing Lex Luthor in a Superman movie?

22:08 - Do you ever find it beneficial for individual design athletes to join a group class on occasion? Conversely, how do you coach someone transitioning from group classes who may have a hard time with motivation or giving it 100% effort without the competitive environment a class tends to offer?

23:31 - Are the days of the regional competitor who works a 40 hour work week (standard desk job) coming to a close?

23:51 - Do you (Max) have performance parameters or prerequisites that you use as a guideline for determining if an athlete is a good fit for your coaching or is it more about mental fortitude/performance? I know you spoken about how Travis Mayer was a high level athlete before and now Noah Ohlsen is on board as well. What is that consultation process like?

24:55 - Why is a shoe called a shoe?

AM
A. Squat snatch; build to a max (3 attempts above 245#)
B. Squat clean and jerk; 3 singles @330#; rest as needed
C. Deadlift; 3x3 @425-465#; rest as needed
D. Two leg sorensen hold; 15 seconds x5; rest as needed (ensure your
hips are off the pad and work on tension cues we discussed)
E. Slow controlled single leg eccentric into isometric holds; 9 reps
on each leg: -3 reps normal pistol - 3 reps off leg out laterally, - 3
reps shrimp squat position
F. Side lying adductor lift off isometric; 10 seconds x3/side; rest as needed bw
G. Jefferson curls; 3 slow controlled reps not for time

11:30 Soft tissue work with Tony

Noon
Warm up 10 min:
3 sets of 50 feet of each of the movements:
- ankling
- straight legged calf forward jumps
- Lateral slow shuffles
- low skips
- forward walking hip circles
- reverse walking hip circles
- A walk
- high knees
- butt kicks
+
Outdoor trail run @the mill 10 min continuous easy pace
... walk 2 min
Run 5 min @tough aerobic pace (not maximal, but enough to feel like
you are close to your limit)
... jog @ easy recovery pace to the base of the hill we ran with chandler
Hill run 1 time @max effort
...
walk 10 min easy cool down

PM
road bike 10 min easy
+
Road bike sprints 1 min @near max effort
road bike 5 min easy recovery
x3
+
Road bike 10 min easy

This was the first Saturday session in our new on-site training environment schedule as we head into the 2018 CrossFit Games season.
____
Music: Clams Casino

Below are all the questions from a September 5, 2017 IG post answered "rapid fire" style by Max El-Hag in part 2 of this 5 part series.

00:25 - How do you split the sessions for a competitive athlete and how much that change in the competitive season?

01:10 - Are you accepting interns/apprenticeship at TTT? Been following all the media and would love to be apart of it all

01:39 - Is the mentor ship program still on the table in your developmental programs?

02:12 - When are you going to recruit athletes to the gym, (from the video you had around the games)

02:42 - How do you go about programming "testers"? Or measure an athletes progress in their capacity to perform certain movements or domains?What formats do you use, are they interval repeats, death by.., etc. Is the format the same every time you test an athlete?

04:34 - Have you picked up any new elite athletes since the Games?

06:05 - Have you come to a conclusion as to whether you think it's better to always pace workouts or to sometimes front load the work in a workout?

06:40 - Do you think crossfitters have reached their peak weightlifting numbers? Or will they eventually start to approach the numbers that olympic weightlifters hit?

07:26 - Let's say you had an 18 year old come to you who said I want to go to/win the crossfit games. S/he has an athletic background in some sort of sport at a high level, understands the commitment, has the drive to do it etc but has never done any (or very little) strength and conditioning work. In the most ideal situation how would you plan for this athlete to succeed? How many years of prehab, technique focus, mono structural work would you think to put in before crossfit sport specific work and how many years would you aim the program around to accomplish that goal

09:09 - The 3 most important things a coach should provide to his athletes?

10:09 - do you see crossfit backing off the intensity level a bit. and putting some focus on "practice". and if not do you think it should or stay with what made it what it is today?

11:39 - Given that you have openly expressed your love for writing in your blog, have you ever thought of writing a handbook on CF training? Is that even possible given the current state of knowledge on the sport or CF is evolving so fast that it will never allow for a comprehensive study?

12:50 - Really enjoyed the video from your YouTube channel on the Regional Events. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Games Events and what was your approach with both Travis (Trevor) and Noah

15:11 - When you decide to start a remote coaching program what do you expect from the athletes?

16:43 - When, if ever will you guys be releasing anything with affiliate programming?

18:34 - What are the top 5 training "principles" all athletes and coaches should follow? And, which one is most often overlooked?

22:10 - How do you count the volume (weekly / month etc ...) of a strength training, but with a metcon for the energy system that has weights, at the end of the cycle do you count this volume together? (i.e. WB in metcon, do you count UB push 50x, same as bench press?)
How do you deal with this volume coming from Metcon? I ask because it ends up finding a very large variable, which can interfere with your strength training or energy system, as well as many others. (if possible details rsrsrs)

2nd - How much volume do you decide to start? 70% of test results, how much does it increase from week-week? (I know it depends on the athlete but ..)

When your office becomes THE Office.

(Clip from the intro of "Road to The Games" Part 3)

Max shares some of his favorite quotes from the book "The Gift of Injury: The Strength Athlete's Guide to Recovering from Back Injury and Winning Again" by Stuart McGill & Brian Carroll

Below are 5 questions pulled from a September 5, 2017 IG post answered against a 4-minute timer by Max El-Hag in part 3 of this 5 part series.

01:34 - How do you maximize recovery for your athletes? And how would you adapt those principles for people who train 4-6x week that are training to be as fit as possible for life?

05:26 - How will the influx of younger (18-19yr old) athletes change the dynamic of competitors reaching the Regionals and games levels of competition? Will the more experienced competitors always win out? Will we see a shift towards a much younger age group at the games?

09:44 - What do you use or how do you movement screen your athletes? Is it more of you just watching them move+strength numbers+conditioning test scores? New athlete walks in the door, what do you start with? Thanks for the insight!

13:45 - Nutrition: I am currently at 18.6%bf & 42%muscle mass. I want to be leaner. Had been following a 30/30/40 (protein/carbs/fats/) but it hasn't been reducing my bf%. I am thinking of trying ketogenic plan. I Train 6days a week. 5 crossfit. 1 outdoor run/bike. Wed & Thur I train twice a day. What do you think about keto & crossfit?

18:05 - What are your thoughts on the teenage crossfit games and teen athletes in general (for girls specifically 🙃)? (Longevity, mental state, peaking, pros, cons, etc. ) Also, what age should female athletes really make a push for the regionals/games? And.... if you were stuck on an island forever with only one TTT member\staff... who would it be and why? 😅💩👀

Max explains how we think about developing strength in regards to CrossFit training, and the various protocols we use in programming with 17.3 as a guide.

How Max views success.

Max shares some of his favorite quotes from the book "How To Think" by Alan Jacobs.

WARM-UP 👇
General Flow
1min Row
50' Animal Walk of your choice
1min Ski
50' Animal Walk of your choice
1min Bike
50' Animal Walk of your choice
x2-3 sets
+
Joint / Movement Prep
A. Wrists -gymnastics 4-way wrist prep
B. Shoulders - Cat/Camel - Planche Lean - HS Reach-through
C. Hinge/Spine Prep:
-PVC Hip Hinge Drill
-DB 2-arm Jefferson Curl
- Lying Supine Bent-knee Windshiled Wipers
-RKC PLank
- Mcgills big three

Specific Prep
A. HSPU - work on feet together standard and kip technique
B. Deadlift - warm-up hinge pattern and find proper tension for workout
C. Double Unders - find cadence you can hold for workout
+
2-4 sets @ comp pace
60-120 Sec Row slowly building in effort
5-10 HSPUs
5-10 Deadlifts
20-60 Double Unders based on proficiency of movement
rest 1-2min bw sets w easy assault spin
…
rest 5-10min… and go!
____

SCALED VERSION 👇
4 rounds for time
10 pike position strict HSPU (feet on box or on the floor)
15 deadlifts (185/135#)
150 DUs (or 50 "single, single, double" complexes)
____

MOVEMENT STANDARDS 👇
HSPU - 24x36" box, must start each rep with arms fully locked out, hips fully open at the top
Deadlifts - no bouncing, hips/knees/shoulders in line at the top of each rep

Max shares how he views pain in the sport of fitness and training athletes.

Intro music: "Palace" by Clams Casino

Get a look into how the 2017 CrossFit Open went for us as athletes and coaches here at Training Think Tank, in the first of our 3 part series documenting our 2017 season. Full video coming soon.

Music: "Circuitry of the Wolf" by Mew

Below are all the questions from a September 5, 2017 IG post answered "rapid fire" style by Max El-Hag in part 1 of this 5 part series.

00:57 - How often would you schedule rest days? I know a couple shoot for 2 rest days a week. What's your philosophy? Is every session at max capacity or do you pump the brakes on some and focus on movements?
01:41 - Thoughts on bro sessions if you have a dedicated training plan, Are they bad or good? Does the level of the athlete also matter ?
02:42 - Periodization and the elite CF competitor: How do you apply it, if at all?
03:37 - Do you incorporate bodybuilding into CF training? I realized that working on regular bodybuilding stuff (lat pull down..) has helped me tremendously in weightlifting. Curious to see what your approach was with accessory exercises.
04:38 - Can you talk a little about the difference between respiratory vs delivery limiters? And maybe other aerobic capacity building considerations?
05:19 - Why won't you let me compete in the bodybuilding competition that I've always wanted to do?
05:42 - What do you recommend implementing into training routines in terms of rehabbing muscle imbalances due to previous injury? (specifically shoulder pain)
06:28 - Hey guys ! Is there any specific way how to breath during shorter 8-16 min metcons, to maximize oxygen uptake ? And if there is, will using any specific "drills" help with VO2 Max ? Thanks !
08:29 - Why is the belief that because many high level athletes (Rich, his team, and Mat specifically) don't have a coach or a training design, that one doesn't need a coach to succeed at the highest levels of the sport so pervasive?
09:57 - Is there a movement or event that's been in the crossfit games that you would take out?
10:07 - How will the influx of younger (18-19yr old) athletes change the dynamic of competitors reaching the Regionals and games levels of competition? Will the more experienced competitors always win out? Will we see a shift towards a much younger age group at the games?
10:25 - How do you maximise recovery for your athletes? And how would you adapt those principles for people who train 4-6x week that are training to be as fit as possible for life?
10:38 - What are some tests to gauge neural fatigue limitations or ways to improve on neural fatigue capacity in a metcon (if that's possible)?
12:07 - How does one get a job on the @trainingthinktank staff?
13:06 - What are some of the methodologies behind helping an athlete transfer aerobic power/capacity on ergometers to other more skilled movements?
13:48 - What are good benchmark tests for gymnastic ability for casual gym goer? Intermediate (top 2000 in region)? High level (top 200 in region)? Regional athlete? Games athlete?
15:02 - What are your thoughts on using Heart Rate Variability as part of recovery/fatigue protocol? Have you used it before with any success?
16:32 - What protocols would help in achieving a great score on the " Physical Ability Test for Entry Level Firefighters" aka "The BIDDLE". Video on you tube by the Santa Ana College. I have a 7:00 time score and I'm looking to get a sub 6:00 min time. ✌🏼️
17:06 - How many times does coach @ryne_sullivan13 stroke his beard on a daily basis?
17:18 - At what point are "The Girls" not useful for benchmarks in gauging an athlete's fitness?
18:01 - Do you think hero WODs are efficient workouts for training competitive athletes?
18:36 - How to build the mentality aspect??
19:14 - When training athletes, how do you decide which rules, techniques, and progressions are universal and which are only beneficial for certain athletes?
20:11 - What do you use or how do you movement screen your athletes? Is it more of you just watching them move+strength numbers+conditioning test scores? New athlete walks in the door, what do you start with? Thanks for the insight!
20:31 - Do you typically train the endurance of a strength quality after training the quality itself? For example, would you train absolute strength endurance in the phase following an absolute strength phase? My thought is that you need to develop the quality before you should train the endurance of that quality. Thanks!
21:30 - Whats the most effective way to improve movement patterns while not letting your engine deteriorate during the off season. Also at what point do you begin ramping intensity back up for the open season.
24:49 - Can we train at your gym if we live in the area?
25:04 - How do you integrate sports specific training with Crossfit? For example I play basketball and do Crossfit at the same time. Thanks Max

*A couple more were answered but YouTube won't allow much more text :(

TTT Coaches Adam Rogers & Brannen Dorman join Max in a discussion about the recent changes to the team format for the CrossFit Games.

The third and last of my three talks at the TTT Open Camp concludes my take on "Oz" and the current fitness market.

People come to "Oz" to learn about breathing, training, exercising fast, being strong, and various other physical disciplines. But I've found that sometimes there are more important lessons for life that drive physical performance in sport and I wanted to try my hand at sharing those concepts of community, brotherhood, and connection.

To find out the final twist of my personal story, you'll have to watch.