Podcast
Total Athletic Podcast
Hosted by Mike Catris · EN
Mike Catris (Former CrossFit Games Athlete and Elite CrossFit Coach) and Matthew Plowman (Aspiring Elite 15 Hyrox Competitor and Hyrox Coach) discuss all things fitness.
Training, nutrition, competition and much much more. Expect unique insights from the perspective of elite athletes, coaches and fans of fitness.
6episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Can You Build Muscle And Run Faster At The Same Time?
Feb 200:47:39Tap to summarizeWe break down how to keep and build muscle on a hybrid plan while improving aerobic fitness, using recent race lessons, clear training principles, and practical nutrition. We share what to prioritise across the season, how to manage intensity, and why station efficiency changes everything.• Amsterdam race recap and pacing outcomes• Compromised work structure and why it translates• Station efficiency as free speed and recovery• Doubles versus singles mentality and pacing• Can you gain muscle on hybrid training• Managing interference with cardio intensity• The big three for maintenance: recovery, nutrition, volume• Protein targets, carb timing, and refuelling• Heavy lifting, rep ranges, and effort to failure• Periodising off-season and race prep blocks• Variety, lateral work, and adherence for progress• Upcoming UK HIROX events and programming optionsPlease reach out to either one of us with any questions whatsoeverDo the like, share, subscribe, thing, whatever
Transcribe →Fasted Or Fuelled and What is "Strong Enough"?
Jan 1201:00:05Tap to summarizeWe weigh fasted training against performance fueling and show how to match carbs to intensity and duration. Then we tackle Hyrox strength, define strength endurance, and map the fastest path to “strong enough” without wasting sessions or breaking down.• download milestone, YouTube plans, guests and seminar series • fasted training preferences, low vs high intensity fuel needs • fat oxidation myths, energy balance clarity • psychology of sugar, mouth-rinse effect, hydration timing • race prep consistency, practising fueling in sims • strong enough standard for Hyrox, when strength matters • prioritising running and station economy once strength is adequate • defining strength endurance, systemic fatigue over junk reps • interval weight training for durable performance • programming variety year-round, specificity near raceLike and share, and subscribe, and do the thing everyone asks you to do on all the other podcasts
Transcribe →Building Your Base: Why Training Age Matters
Dec 2300:46:33Tap to summarizeWe explore why training age and a broad fitness base decide how far you can go in hybrid sport. We compare sport backgrounds, break down base building, and show how recovery, psychology and smart progression beat ego-driven volume.• training age as the hidden advantage • base building through zone 2 and steady volume • transfer from football, cycling, CrossFit to HYROX • strength, muscle mass and efficiency trade-offs • high vs low responders to training adaptation • intensity traps, overreaching and under-recovery • real recovery vs fake easy sessions • linear progression: add time, watts or cut rest • life stress and CNS load using the health bar analogy • race psychology and the skill of pacing and restraintLike, subscribe, share, and share
Transcribe →How Threshold Training Actually Works And Why It Matters For HYROX
Dec 1700:44:13Tap to summarizeWe break threshold training down to plain language and practical sets that build speed without constant redlining. Along the way we show why bikes boost running, how cadence drives transfer, and what strong calves do for durability and race pace.• what lactate threshold really is and why hydrogen causes the burn• how to structure threshold sets to brush the line and recover• double threshold day pitfalls and recovery costs• using bike and row work to build the engine with less impact• matching bike cadence to run stride for better transfer• treadmill versus road and when to switch for specificity• calf and Achilles strength for efficiency and injury resistance• Zone 2 on the bike: damper, RPM and duration fixesIf you don’t already, please subscribe and like and share and do all of that good stuffChuck it on your story
Transcribe →We Love Wall Balls… Just Not With A 10-Minute Queue
Dec 900:41:17Tap to summarizeWe break down a win at the ATHX masters final and a near sub-60 Hyrox Pro in London, then dig into course design, heat, congestion, and why hybrid sport is booming. Clear takeaways on fuelling, cooling, pacing the rock zone, and how to train for repeatable progress.• ATHX’s fixed-season format and why it drives better training• Hyrox London one-lap layout, rock zone impact and pacing• Temperature effects on running, recovery and sled friction• Congestion, wall ball queues and fairness for age-groupers• Volunteer models, standards and credibility as the sport scales• Sponsorship growth, brand pressure and athlete support• Practical fuelling, cooling and transition strategies• Upcoming races in Manchester and Amsterdam plans• Listener Q&A and topic requests for training and nutritionPlease feel free, drop us a message if there's anything you want us to cover in the coming episodes.
Transcribe →CrossFit Vs HYROX
Dec 101:05:31Tap to summarizeWe size up CrossFit and HYROX without tribal noise, asking what “fit” really means when one sport changes the test and the other fixes the rules. We share backgrounds, pull apart energy systems, and map how both can raise the athletic floor and ceiling.• hosts’ sporting backgrounds and aims for the show• naming the Total Athletic Podcast and scope across training, recovery, and mindset• CrossFit vs HYROX accessibility and skill barriers• culture, ego, and participation categories across both sports• CrossFit’s influence on hybrid training and gym design• why HYROX is not “just circuits” and where it gets hard• closed vs open skills and defining “fittest”• glycolytic vs aerobic demands and pacing strategy• the ideal HYROX athlete profile and crossover prospects• how both sports can improve each other’s weaknesses• growth, governance, media, and athlete storytelling• our upcoming HYROX training plans and timelinesWe are launching our eight-week HYROX prep program this weekend because it’s eight weeks out from Manchester and Amsterdam. We are also going to be launching a generic rolling calendar HYROX program.
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