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Fitness

The Redline: Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

Training smart means understanding how to work the boundaries of your redline state. Often that's more intensity without more volume with better results.

Mike Tromello

Written by Mike Tromello Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

I wanted to really dig into managing a key part of your development as a CrossFit athlete or enthusiast: the notion that you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s the idea of training yourself to be able to withstand staying near or on top of your redline state in a workout. It’s not something that I can quantify for you generally because a lot depends on your age and athletic status, but it should be an integral part of any CrossFit training program because it is at the heart of the efficiency of HIIT and the CrossFit approach.

There are 3 quick reference discussion videos below to help understand the best way to take advantage of VO2 max training and that redline that is so important. In the first video, I’ll start by describing where the redline sits in relation to your heart rate zones. Then, I’m going to talk about how to apply VO2 max concepts to your training, and the final video is a quick recap on how to personalize the general concepts so that it is unique to your own physiology.

Mike Tromello

About Mike Tromello

Mike, a graduate of Occidental College, spent three years playing for the SCIAC Champion Tigers, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2005. In the summer of 2005, Mike spent six months playing professionally in Europe for the Gefle Red Devils of Sweden. Mike also served as the defensive coordinator for the organization’s prep team, as well as the head strength and conditioning coach.

Upon his return home, Mike went back to Occidental College to complete his master’s degree and earn his secondary school teaching credential, which he completed in the spring of 2006. In December of 2006, Mike represented Team USA against Team Canada in a football showdown between the two countries. Between 2005 and 2009, Mike spent five seasons as the strength and conditioning and secondary coach for the Occidental College football team.

In September of 2008, Mike took over as the middle school strength and conditioning coach at Harvard-Westlake School. Here, he was put in charge of the school’s developmental strength and conditioning program. For eight years, Mike aided in the school’s creation of a vertically-integrated strength program. Within this program students where taught how to build a technical weightlifting base, starting in the seventh grade, that was developed upon over time. Through technical efficiency learned at a young age, students vertically integrated to the high school program where strength was developed further. This program received much acclaim by major strength and conditioning associations, such as the NSCA. It also led Mike to publish a book on the subject matter: “Building the Beast: A comprehensive Guide to Adolescent Strength & Conditioning.” In addition to this work with adolescents, Mike also was the Head Strength & Condition Coach for the Varsity Water Polo and Track Teams. By the completion of his tenure at HW, Mike was a part of 2 National and 3 CIF Championship Teams. Mike was also put into the HW Water polo Hall of Fame.

In addition to his work as an elite strength & conditioning coach, Mike is also an accomplished CrossFit and Weightlifting coach. Over the past several years he has coached multiple athletes, all of whom have fared very well, to the national and world levels of Weightlifting: Frank Datello (2018 University National and AO3 Champion), Urbana Sepulveda (2019 Masters National Champ, 2019 Masters Worlds Silver Medalist, 2019 World Open Champ), Margie Rivas (2019 World Open Silver Medalist), Hannah Hall (2020 Youth & University National Champ), Crystal Riggs (2012, 13 & 15 American Open Championships, and 2015 & 16 USA Nationals), Katie Crowe (2012 & 13 American Open Championships), Chrissy Barron (2015 American Open Championships), Nathan Doud (2015 American Open Championships), Deanna Douglas (2015 & 16 University Nationals), Danielle Marino (2015 & 16 University Nationals), and Evan Hardman (2016 University Nationals), Lindsey Valenzuela (2009 American Open Championships) . In CrossFit he has coached multiple Games and Regional athletes, such as Hunter McIntyre (2019 CrossFit Games), Team Torrance Training Lab (2018 CrossFit Games), Tori Dow (2017 & 18 CrossFit Games), Hannah Hall (2018 CrossFit Games), Bill Grundler (2016 CrossFit Games 45-49 Silver Medalist), James Grundler (2015,16,17, & 18 CrossFit Games), Alison Locke (2014 & 16 CrossFit Games), Dan Wells (2015 CrossFit Games), Greg Smiley (2013 CrossFit Games), Chelsey Grigsby (2018 CrossFit Games), Dane McLaughlin (2018 CrossFit Regionals), Nolan Gouveia (2018 CrossFit Regionals), Katie Crowe (2011,12,13,14, & 15 Southern California & California Regionals), Jessica Goeser (2012,13,14,15 & 16 Southern California & California Regionals), Lindsey Deitsch (2014, 15 & 16 Southern California & California Regionals), and Daimino Stewart (2014, 15 & 16 Southern California & California Regionals), to name a few. In addition, he has coached his gym’s team (TEAM PRECISION) to every Regional / Sanctional since the inception of the CrossFit Games Open in 2011.

-WINNER OF THE 2016 STAR PHYSIQUE AWARD FOR MOST INSPIRING COACH IN HEALTH AND FITNESS
-MASTERS DEGREE
-CERTIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIST (CSCS)
-REGISTERED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH WITH DISTINCTION(RSCC*D)
-USAW NATIONAL COACH
-USAW LEVEL 2 COACH
-CROSSFIT LEVEL 2 COACH
-CIF COACHING CERTIFIED
-CALIFORNIA TEACHING CREDENTIAL

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