Barbell Shrugged - Talking Training W/ Crossfit Games Athletes, Strength Coaches & More

In this episode, Doug Larson, Dr. Mike Lane, and Coach Travis Mash sit down with Dr. Andrew Jagim, Director of Sports Medicine Research for the Mayo Clinic Health System, to talk about what actually works for building stronger, more resilient young athletes. Andrew shares how his applied research feeds directly back into real-world coaching, especially for under-resourced D3 athletes, and why the best youth training is simple, fast, and consistent. The group also trades notes on training their own kids: short sessions, minimal setup, and keeping things engaging so the habit sticks for life. They break down practical youth strength programming: unilateral work for stability (step-ups, lunges), basic patterns (kettlebell deadlifts, goblet squats, push-ups), and building hips/glutes to protect knees, especially for tall, fast-growing athletes where coordination and lever changes force constant "auto-regulation." A major theme is injury prevention without turning training into a grind: 15–25 minute workouts, circ