Coaches Luke and Sam bring decades of combined experience, including coaching athletes at the CrossFit Games level. They've tested a wide range of training methods, both with their athletes and in their own competitive journeys. Now, they're sharing those insights on the Barbell Strategy podcast to help you level up your coaching and training in the sport of CrossFit.
Barbell Strategy Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Luke Holmes
11 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Coaches Luke and Sam bring decades of combined experience, including coaching athletes at the CrossFit Games level. They've tested a wide range of training methods, both with their athletes and in their own competitive journeys. Now, they're sharing those insights on the Barbell Strategy podcast to help you level up your coaching and training in the sport of CrossFit.
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/23/2025
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Recent Episodes
May 6, 2026
#10 - Strength Standards in CrossFit
<p>"CrossFit is a strength sport until you're strong enough — and then it becomes an endurance sport."</p> <p>Trying to classify CrossFit as strength or endurance biased is a debate that keeps coming up in coaching and programming circles. The answer will always depend on who you ask and what their background is.</p> <p>What is certain is that you need to reach a baseline level of strength to compete effectively at any level. Most competitions structure their divisions around the weights used in metcons and the complexity of skills required. As athletes move toward more advanced competitions, the strength demands increase almost without exception.</p> <p>In this week's podcast we get into exactly how strong you need to be to compete at different levels, the Open, top 10%, and Semifinals. We look at how those numbers compare to elite strength sports and where the exceptions are.</p> <p>If you are looking for benchmarks and reference points to direct your own training or your athletes' programming, this is worth a listen.</p> <p>Check out Luke on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/lj.holmes/)<br /> Check out Sam on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/tailormadecoaching/)<br /> Check out Matt Harvey on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/mattharvvey/)<br /> Email Matt Harvey for content production! (mattharvey93@gmail.com)</p> <h2>Show Notes:</h2> <p>[1:00] How strong do you need to be to compete in CrossFit<br /> [2:30] What does strength training look like for elite athletes<br /> [6:30] Elite weightlfiting and powerlifting numbers versus elite CrossFit<br /> [8:30] How more experienced athletes should do strength cycles<br /> [9:50] What CrossFit can learn from weightlifting and powerlifting training<br /> [15:00] Are powerlifters athletic?<br /> [18:30] Strength numbers for Semi-final athletes<br /> [24:00] Exceptions to strength numbers and standards<br /> [31:40] Strength numbers for the top 10%<br /> [33:00] Different strength and weightlifting trianing methods<br /> [40:00] What does training look like for the athlete compared to the coach</p>
April 14, 2026
#9 - Strength Endurance for CrossFit and How to Develop It
<p>Maximal strength is an important part of CrossFit, it is very obvious in the beginner phases of the sport when you are not strong enough to do some of the things you see in class, at competitions, or what athletes are doing at the Games.</p> <p>However, once you have reached a certain level of strength, the challenge then becomes expressing that strength under more greater fatigue or within an endurance style test. Strength endurance is a large part of the sport and is often how heavy, strength based efforts are tested.</p> <p>In this week's podcast, we cover all aspects of strength endurance, including why it is important, how to develop it, and how to structure training progressions. If you are looking for very clear programming takeaways for you or your athletes, this is the episode.</p> <p>Check out Luke on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/lj.holmes/)<br /> Check out Sam on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/tailormadecoaching/)<br /> Check out Matt Harvey on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/mattharvvey/)<br /> Email Matt Harvey for content production! (mattharvey93@gmail.com)</p> <h2>Show Notes:</h2> <p>[0:30] Introduction to strength endurance in CrossFit<br /> [3:00] The actual strength demands of CrossFit competitions<br /> [6:00] Does getting bigger 1RMs help with strength endurance for CrossFit<br /> [8:30] The different types of strength endurance testers in CrossFit<br /> [13:30] Central governer and strength<br /> [16:00] How to manage different types of strength movements and strength workouts<br /> [20:00] Trends in competition workouts and loose KPIs for CrossFit athletes<br /> [25:00] Experimentation with strength endurance progresisons<br /> [26:45] How to create training progressions for strength endurance<br /> [30:40] Using variations to help with barbell cycling<br /> [38:00] How specific does training need to be in strength endurance progressions<br /> [42:00] Getting athletes more confident with repping out heavier workouts<br /> [44:30] Don't try to develop regular strength and strength endurance at the same time</p>
March 24, 2026
#8 - Strength Development in CrossFit: Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced
<p>Everyone comes into CrossFit with different training experience, but what should it look like when someone is strength training as a beginner, progressing through to intermediate and advanced levels?</p> <p>In this episode we discuss the different phases, along with the appropriate training methods and styles of programming to use at each stage.</p> <p>Having a clear path and approach will help you navigate someone's strength development over the long term, ensuring they are not making quick gains that plateau early.</p> <p>This is more than just building the correct foundation. It is about understanding what an athlete needs at different points in their training career.</p> <p>Check out Luke on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/lj.holmes/)<br /> Check out Sam on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/tailormadecoaching/)<br /> Check out Matt Harvey on instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/mattharvvey/)<br /> Email Matt Harvey for content production! (mattharvey93@gmail.com)</p> <h2>Show Notes:</h2> <p>[1:45] Developing strength too quickly<br /> [3:00] Strength development for a beginner<br /> [7:00] Learning basic movements in strength training<br /> [12:00] Learning how to train for strength<br /> [15:00] Variation in strength training and CrossFit<br /> [19:15] Strength development for an intermediate athlete<br /> [27:30] Individual adaptation to strength training<br /> [34:00] Variation in strength work and conjugate methods<br /> [42:00] Preparing for competitions and long term planning<br /> [44:45] Avoiding overconfidence in the programming you write</p>
11 total episodes available
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