Energy System Testing is a really good thought, listen to the latest podcast we did with Sean Hayes. He discussed adding ESD testing:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/performance-health-podcast/id1620479589?i=1000580129930

Time is always the most important thing to evaluate on where to go with testing. Space too. In the advent of time and space is limited especially if were working with in a team setting you can use Resting Heart Rate, Heart Rate Recovery, Blood Pressure, Heart Rate Variability:

RHR – ANS Balance – Stroke Volume
> 65bpm/min Poor
< 50bpm/min Excellent

Blood Pressure – Pressure in Vascular System – Vagal Tone
Dialostic BP – > 80 Poor
Dialostic BP – < 70 Excellent

HRV – System Variability
< 40ms Poor
> 75ms Excellent

HRR – CNS Fatigue
Parasympathetic Input Between Sympathetic Input
< 25bpm/min Poor
> 50bpm/min Excellent

If anything is poor, you probably need to increase capacity or do more work oriented protocols.

1 I hope all is well. I had a question regarding the programming you provide at Allegiate. Specifically, how do you navigate around members who aren’t as consistent with their training? For instance, if you had a client who has to frequently travel, do you keep them on the block of training they were on when they last came in or do you place them right back in with the rest of the team and the team’s current program?

– Two parts this one: membership based and three day class rotation. All of our members are on membership which gives them unlimited access to the classes, barring clearance (see Movement Screen Module in the Movement Course). This allows for members to be more fluid with their schedule. It also gives credence to macro average over micro organization. What I mean by that is that we encourage getting three sessions per week. Sometimes that may mean a couple of weeks of 4x, a couple of 2x, a couple of 5x, a couple of 1x. The overall average (getting 150 training sessions a year) plays out towards larger goals. This leads to organization of a three day total body split that rotates for a calendar month: workout 1, workout 2, workout 3, workout 1….. So each week you show up every other day you get all three workouts, but if you have to go back to back you can get multiple days and still travel.

With group based training both sides need to make compromise. You serving the regression to the mean, not the individual. If all your members average 3x a week thats a huge win. If build your program around structural balance and then performance you should be ok. If clients have very difficult schedules combined with very specific needs we push them to private training.

Nothing is perfect, but this works out well for us. We have around 2.5 average session per member week, 97% retention rate month over month and we continuously show improvement with KPIs of body comp and relative strength. In the end thats all that matters.

Check out the Movement Screen module in the movement course as well the nutritional screen in the nutrition course, reality is no one can be on the same program but we need systems in order to control who is doing what and why.

We base everything off screening: Movement Screen (Forceplate, Nordic, Grip, FMS, Table tests) and Nutrtional Screen (Resting HR, Blood Pressure, Body Comp, Bodymass) – that dictates how we can customize the program in a group or team setting. Third book dives a lot into this a group/team setting.

Really enjoying the in the lab series! I think traditional sauna is the way to go as well. I know you mentioned not wanting to turn this into a product placement, but would you be willing to lay out what brands you looked at that met your criteria and what you ultimately picked?

We run three levels of staff:
– Associate Coaches – Facilitate a great hour: Coach Classes, Coach Privates, Run Consults, Run Screens
– Lead Coach – Facilitate a great shift: Program for Private Clients, Lead/Instruct/Support Associate Coaches, Coach Classes, Coach Privates, Run Consults, Run Screens
– Head Coach – Facilitate a great week: Schedule, Staff Meetings, Training New Staff, Program for Private Clients, Lead/Instruct/Support Lead and Associate Coaches, Coach Classes, Coach Privates, Run Consults, Run Screens

Each phase is based on both tenure, performance, and acquired skills. We run training off Trainual (Staff Training, which is built around deficiency) and this Curriculum (Staff Education, which is built around learning new concepts). The idea is that we build an infrastructure of capable and autonomous coaches that have a strong support network.

The idea stems from horizontal leadership structures – you are control when you are in front of a client or group. You need to be competent and confident in that situation. We have structure but dont want to limit creative solutions in complex environments. Simply put, we want our coaches to be critical thinkers and problem solvers with the benefit of systems.

1 Simple answer is we have an ongoing program where people start and stop at various times, said differently we have no real start or end. Also, it allows a high volume, high-intensity exposure back to back to optimize motor pattern development.

2 Try to alternate based on stance/grip, position of external load, and angle of body/load to gravity.

3 The third is less utilized patterns like split squat, deadlift, overhead press, bent over row. We find more ROI from big bang-for-the-buck patterns like squat, trap bar deadlift, dips, pullup variations.

– We have a Level I Biomechanics course that goes a lot into this coming up in May and September – you should do that.

4 Keeping average intensity between 8-15% is the primary reason we choose one focal point over another, other consideration is a lot around logistics and being able to execute at scale.

– Level II Physiology goes into this pretty significant detail. Looking at 2025 to offer that course.