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Fitness

Coaching the Coaches With James Fitzgerald, Ep 8 (Podcast)

Periodization within CrossFit. the truth about training, and how to find the best coach - listen for this and more.

Mindith Rahmat

Written by Mindith Rahmat Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

In this podcast, Breaking Muscle Radiospeaks with world-class strength and conditioning coach James Fitzgerald – many of you know him as OPT winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games.

James is also the owner and director of training at OPEX Fitness in Scottsdale, Arizona. At this facility, he and his team perform lactate balance point tests, neuromuscular efficiency tests, VO2 max testing, and a variety of other tests to help top fitness athletes obtain insight into their training and what will improve their performance.

In this discussion, James shares his perspectives on fitness with Managing EditorBecca Borawski Jenkins,CoachChet Morjaria, and you.

<em”>Press play to dive into the mind of James Fitzgerald.

Listen to Breaking Muscle Radio on:

Stitcher

iTunes

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James is devoted to continuing his own education and approaches all new scientific research with an open mind. He has worked hand-in-hand with a variety of doctors, researching the measurable impact that training protocols have on the human body.

As a coach for many top-level athletes, James is continually seeking to upgrade the current industry knowledge for both coaches and athletes. This culminates in his cutting edge outlook on the strength and conditioning industry.

  • 00:38 – From OPT to OPEX: What OPEX represents
  • 04:39 – The CrossFit connection
  • 05:24 – James’s pre-CrossFit accomplishments and achievements
  • 07:43 – Planning and periodization within CrossFit
  • 12:08 – The truth about the training plans of top athletes
  • 13:45 – The early days of the CrossFit Games
  • 14:51 – The evolution of the CrossFit Games and top-level CrossFitters
  • 17:55 – Thought on long-term CrossFit athletes (e.g. Spealler and Sakamoto)
  • 20:39 – Who can realistically get to the CrossFit Games?
  • 22:11 – An athlete’s battery – definition, importance, and measurability
  • 25:43 – Using a scientific approach with normal athletes
  • 26:23 – How clients want to be coached versus how they need to be coached
  • 27:57 – How an athlete can find the best coach for his- or herself
  • 30:30 – The OPEX philosophy and what makes it different
  • 33:24 – The different between a coach and someone who instructs fitness classes
  • 36:00 – The new CrossFit certification system
  • 37:00 – How to get started as a coach
  • 38:40 – The journey and the process. The future of OPEX and James
  • 43:42 – Thoughts on the sport of GRID
  • 46:44 – James’s details and upcoming projects

James first was drawn to strength and conditioning as a young competitive athlete. His athletic pursuits in national level soccer in high school, collegiate basketball, and junior hockey led him to a career in strength and conditioning. He graduated with honors from the University of Newfoundland with a bachelors degree in physical education and a minor in biology.

James’s business, OPEX Fitness, is run through a variety of capacities.He writes a free training programwhich is categorized into multiple levels of fitness. He has also developed a coaching certificate program at OPEX, which offers both online and in-person courses. OPEX also features an onsite testing facility and a remote coaching program that enables people to receive nutritional prescriptions and program designs via the Internet.

Click here for James’s Free Four Week Training Plan

Mindith Rahmat

About Mindith Rahmat

Mindith is a born mover. She has spent her life exploring various athletic disciplines, starting with ballet and modern dance from an early age. She went on to become a E-RYT 500 certified yoga therapist and teacher and discovered CrossFit after the birth of her daughter.

Mindith coached CrossFit at a number of boxes near her home in Southern California, which lead to her involvement in Russian kettlebells and Olympic weightlifting. She has coached a wide variety of populations and cares deeply for women’s health, specializing in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. She is currently studying the principles of Natural Movement and Kettlebell Sport, and is working to complete an additional teacher training in the Taoist art of Yin Yoga with Master Paulie Zink.

Mindith founded Breaking Muscle in 2011. Over 5 million people a month have visited the site, hundreds of thousands of them follow Breaking Muscle on social media, nearly 2,000 coaches have written or appeared on its pages, and there are thousands of free, fully-formed training plans freely available. Breaking Muscle has won numerous awards in the industry and is recognized for pioneering new approaches to fitness and coaching techniques. In 2021, Breaking Muscle was acquired by Barbend. Mindith continues to devote time to her kids, pursue her doctorate in psychology, do research, and teach.

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