Chris Hinshaw AMA

[shyliekee]

@oldman1941 First of all, thank you Chris for the amazing programming on AerobicCapacity.com. I've been following it at best I can, but have a couple questions mainly regarding pacing.

1) I'm struggling with pacing the workouts that do not have strict definitions for the paces. I know it's probably different for everyone, but do you have a rough estimate of what % of mile speed a recovery jog would be?
2) Most of the workouts have recommended paces based on your current PR at various distances. How often should I be retesting those distances in order to be sure I am getting the right intensity in my workouts?
3) My 400m PR is 1:04 while my mile is 7:00. I assume this is a no-brainer but I should be prioritizing the aerobic threshold and lactic threshold workouts if I have to choose only a couple per week, correct?

Thanks again for your wisdom

 

[rxjo10]

@oldman1941 Hey Chris, what are your thoughts on barefoot/minimalist running? Also, have you incorporated any breathing techniques (Wim Hoff Method, Breath of Fire, apnea) in your programming? Thanks!

 

[lixypixy]

@oldman1941 Chris,

Do you work with athletes with diminished lung capacity from lung diseases, for example pulmonary fibrosis/cystic fibrosis?

What would your recommendations be in an athlete with subpar lung function (fev1 50% range and fvc 60%) in terms of maximizing or improving current stamina, conditioning, and overall respiratory efficiency?

 

[dereklirus]

@oldman1941 Hey Chris- I run a :59 sec 400m but only a 5:31 mile. What is the reasoning for the huge drop off? And what distance/time domain would be most beneficial to improve it? Thanks for popularizing running in the CF community. It has been great to see people get out of the gym

 

[frenchtoastjones]

@oldman1941 Hi Chris,
I think it was in Barbell Shrugged interview that you mentioned programming differently for fast twitch dominant athletes, but didn't elaborate on that. Can you talk more about it here?

Also, what running form drills would you recommend?

Thank you!

 

[letgo08]

@oldman1941 Hi Chris, thank you so much for doing this and thank you for the great training advice and free workouts. My question is this: if my breathing is very labored and I struggle with anything greater than a 400m how do I build up the capacity to do more? I do a lot of the AT workouts but the LT really kick my butt. Advice with this? As a side note, I would LOVE to see more workouts designed like the AT workouts where they do not always require a track (especially LT!). Its harder for me to get to the track and the ones available are at high schools and technically not public. Thank you again for all your great insight!

 

[hisbondsslave]

@oldman1941 Hey Chris - I was part of the original NorCal endurance crew with Dana and you when I was training for an Ironman. It's amazing to see how much your programming has grown... well deserved, you helped me tremendously.

Your focus is obviously on bringing endurance skills to Crossfit athletes.. do you think crossfit training will get adopted by professional endurance athletes?

Second question, of the games athletes you train, is there anyone you can't keep up with?

 

[ibt4u]

@oldman1941 Hi Chris,

I will be deployed on an aircraft carrier for a while but wanted to continue training my running. We have limited access to actual surface to run on (sometimes flight deck is available). There are several treadmills, bikes and towers available.

What's your opinion on using standard treadmills to train running, as oppose to self-propelled? I've heard some arguments that they reinforce poor running mechanics so they should not be used. Just wondering what your take on it is.

 

[mcsims]

@oldman1941 Thanks for doing this AMA, I'm really enjoying all of your answers so far. How do you fit your programming into the rest of the athletes' programming? For example, Rich Froning is pretty well known for designing his own programming for the most part. So do you work around his framework or does he work around your framework? Also for athletes such as Katrin and Mat who are also coached by someone else how does that end up being organized? Is it just a lot of communication between you and Ben Bergeron or do these athletes just have such freakish tolerances for work that they get better regardless of how things fit together? Thanks!

 

[cnsgrl]

@oldman1941 I swim like a sack of potatoes. About once a month I have access to a lake to practice. What is a good starting distance interval... pls don't let me drown.

Some say that CFers do too many metcons and not enough monostructural endurance work. While I agree in a sense, I think that metcons are necessary due to compounding fatigue in certain exercises. What say you?

 

[yosoy220]

@oldman1941 I am overweight female, 5'10" and I just can not seem to get my 400m run consistently below 2.5min. Can I do some running after the gym class to get faster? Something like 5-10min? What would you suggest? I feel like I'm running through mud. My row isnt bad. I can consistently do 500m under 2min. But that might have more to do with my height.

 

[christine98]

@oldman1941 How often should CF affiliates (or self) program endurance workouts compared to strength and normal metcon/conditioning work outs?

 

[tlostandfoundt]

@oldman1941 My question would be in regards to the regular gym goer.

Firstly, what would you say the basic essentials someone should have?

Secondly, what would you say the steps & essentials would be to move this athlete to a competitive level (More local competitions than elite level status)

 

[bb2008]

@oldman1941 Hey Chris, thanks for doing this AMA!

1. When you started CrossFit years ago, coming from an endurance background, what was the most challenging aspect?
2. Do you still participate in long distance races? If so what kinds?
3. Finally and most importantly. Would you rather train 1 Jason Khalipa sized duck or 100 duck sized Jason Khalipa's?

 

[catrinabrosko]

@bb2008

1. My strength. I never picked up a barbell before CrossFit
2. No more long distance races for me. However, I do very long training workouts.
3. I'd rather train 1 Jason Khalipa sized duck. (I have a good track record with this size duck...haha)

 

[dawn16]

@oldman1941 Hey Chris, thanks a lot for doing this. What do you do for basic maintenance of the ankles/calves/hips when running frequency picks up? Living in the Northeast, coaches definitely get fired up for nice weather and increase running frequency almost immediately, but I've noticed that I have a difficult time keeping my ankles and calves mobile & fresh with 3+ running "sessions" and all of the other ancillary squatting, jumping, or other movements that would stress the ankle that we do.

 

[eastside]

@oldman1941 Hey Chris thanks for doing this. What kind of breathing exercises would you recommend for someone who feels they can never take a full breathe. I always feel like I take quick shallow breathes during cardio.

 

[dawn16]

@oldman1941 Chris what is your opinion on crossfitters or endurance athletes switching from a paleo to a plant based diet?

 

[skyhawke4u]

@oldman1941 Hi Chris,
First off thanks for doing this. My question is related to exercise induced asthma. I feel stuck at my current speed no matter what I do to try and improve my run time for my pt test. My mile and a half has been stuck at 11:57 for over a year. Lung wise I feel like I am hitting a wall and can't go any harder or risk an asthma attack. Thanks for any advice on how to train.

 

[babies4me5]

@oldman1941 Hi Chris,

Always wondered this about myself and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I am a fast sprinter, 10-50 yard sprint, rest, repeat. Everything changes when I'm playing a sport like soccer, where it's a lot of running with sprinting at the same time, no real rest time. Once I've been running for more than 15-20 minutes, my sprint speed drastically decreases, and my legs feel like jello when I try to sprint. What are the reasons for that? How can it be fixed?