How Your P360 Experience May Differ From Your Box
There’s a lot of great boxes out there doing a lot great things. We get lots of questions from folks at boxes about how we differ (as we are electively not a CF gym), so we thought this page might serve to help answer that question.
If you’re coming from a CF background or simply wondering how we differ from, here are a few ways in which our training may be different than what you’re accustomed to.
ALL 3 MOVEMENT PLANES
Squats, deadlifts, cleans, jerks and snatches are in “saggital” plane of movement, which is extension and flexion. CF athletes very much excel in the saggital plane.
However, when it’s all you do, you greatly limit your athleticism because you’re only accessing one plane of human movement.
To perform optimally as an athlete, we must also get work in the “transverse” plan (rotation) and the “frontal” planes (adduction, abduction).
At Performance360, we rely heavily upon the saggital plane movements, however we also include a steady dose of lateral movements and rotation, making sure we hit all three planes of human movement.
This results in a better athlete.
Example: The squat primarly works the glute maximus.
Why This is Limited: There are three major muscles of the glute complex. The maximus, and also the very important medius and minimus. If you ignore the glute medius all the time, the result will be unstable spine and hips and knees that will ultimately invert on squat that reach near maximal (not mention and a disproportionate aesthetic development of the butt).
How We Address That: We frequently include lateral movements like lateral hops, monster walks, “glute makers” and more that target the glute medius, for all around balance, strength and good squat habits.
OUR STAFF IS WELL ROUNDED
Every single coach on staff is a current or former competitive athlete, and is trained and certified USA Olympic Weightlifting coach.
We have current Team USA members, IPL Elite RAW powerlifters and jiu jitsu competitors on staff, as well as former body builders, Major League Baseball players, and collegiate rowers, volleyball, baseball and swim athletes.
Coach Brenna earning Elite Raw status at the IPL World’s in 2015.
Additional education includes:
- USA Powerlifting
- USA Sports Performance
- USA Weightlifting
- StrongFirst SFG Russian Kettlebell
- Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Certified
- National Strength and Conditioning Association
- National Academy of Sports Medicine
- National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association
- Dr. John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition
- NPTI Nutritional Coaching
- ERY-T 200 Yoga
- Happy Back & Mobility
- 7,500 Yoga Hour
- Strength Matters Educational Summits
- Juggernaut Training Systems Education Summits
- Perform Better Educational Summits
- Plus, our two year Coaches Onboarding Program (COP) and 90-day, three part coaches exam.
Each coach leaves their unique fingerprint on our programming.
WE SUPPORT YOUR AESTHETIC GOALS
Functional is cool, we all know that.
But just because you want to train like an athlete and get a 500# deadlift doesn’t mean you can’t also want to look damn good naked.
The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. (Just ask Skye who added 10 pounds of muscle or Mayra T. who sculpted her bikini body to earn the centerfold for Maxim Magazine)
P360 member M.J. after her wedding prep.
At Performance360, we allow vanity and for you to care about how you look. We’re in sunny San Diego, for crying out loud!
Our training has elements of muscle development and targeted fat loss, as well our dedicated Muscle and Shred classes, each run multiple times per week.
WE CUSTOMIZE
Our gym is centered around highly individualized programming.
All of our workouts feature program deviations for both BEGINNER DEVELOPMENT and ADVANCED PROGRESSION, as well as restrictions you may have with injury or mobility.
Beginners will focus on basic movement patterns. They will perform longer circuits to build their endurance and the overall initial focus will be on building the foundation of strength.
Advanced athletes will hit different percentages on their lifts. They will often perform body weight movements with weight, and be asked to perform circuits at greater intensity.
Nothing about your Performance360 experience will be cookie cutter.
WE DON’T BUY INTO “IT HAS TO HURT”
Maybe you’re familiar with the phrase, “No Pain, No Gain”. This is the worst possible advice any trainer or facility could give. If something hurts, something is wrong and you need to fix it locally before it affects you globally.
We have staff trained in ERY-T 200, 100HR Happy Back and all of our coaches are highly trained in movement modification, progression and regression.
If something hurts, we show you how to move around it while still challenging yourself. On the spot, without any attitude.
Cherry pick no longer.
How to Fix Chronic Lower Back Soreness
Why You’re In Pain and What to Do About It
A WELCOMING PLACE FOR WOMEN
Our membership is 61% female.
Ashley (300# deadlift, 215# squat, 2:49 half mile) and Brenna (5:57 mile, 809 strength co-efficient) during their induction into our prestigious, Club Forged. A club that requires two years of membership and completion of our highest training benchmarks.
At Performance360, we foster a welcoming yet challenging environment for women to reach their potential.
We do not coddle and we will push you to be the strongest woman you can be, however you will do so in an environment where you always feel safe and secure.
Here is member Skye H. talking about joining and her first experience in the gym as a female beginner.
YOU’LL BURN MORE FAT
Proper training is like pairing the right wine with the right steak. Sure, you can throw any two together and get full and drunk.
Or, you can be a bit more sophisticated in your style and do things a bit more scientifically to produce a better outcome.
Because of our varied approach and emphasis on fuel systems, our combo of diverse strength work paired with extremely high intensity circuits and low intensity, higher volume circuits results in an environment where your body that has more lean body mass (which means you burn more calories) and is constantly in a state of caloric burning.
The Most Efficient Way to Burn Fat and Increase Strength
WE PROVIDE TARGETS
Our Clubs System and our custom Strength Score Calculator provides constant benchmarks, targets and motivation to improve.
We are firm believers in bench marking and progress tracking, everything we do is built and tested for you to be accountable to your own progress.
We test strength. We test stamina. We measure athleticism. We provide you with these benchmarks for yourself so that you can set your own goals and compete towards them.
WE KNOW NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE
While we feel the Paleo Diet is a fine diet, it is not the most optimal for certain performance goals.
We have multiple certified nutrition coaches, including our Head Nutrition Coach who has trained under the world-renown Dr. John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition System and three time National Champion, IFBB Pro Jeff Willet .
We offer two tiers of custom nutrition coaching in order to give you the best shot of reaching your performance and physique goals.
Make no mistake about it. Without a sound, science-based plan built just for you, you will not reach your true potential.
WE TAKE KETTLEBELLS SERIOUSLY, COMRADE
Kettlebells are a distant afterthought a lot of other gyms, where the technique matches up with the themes of the workout; speed at all costs.
The result is often a terrible kettlebell product given to members.
At Performance360, we are classically trained and certified in traditional Russian “hardstyle” kettlebell.
Movements frequently included in our training include the traditional Russian kettlebell swing, snatch, press, Turkish Get-Up, bottom’s up presses and holds, figure 8s, windmills and more.
The result is a backside that is trained substantially better, and better results.
4 Alter Egos to Avoid in the Kettlebell Swing
5 Tips for a Better Kettlebell Swing
A BROADER LENS OF COMPETITION
In a lot of gyms it’s all about “acute competition”, meaning it’s you against other people in your class for that specific workout on that day.
If you enjoy the daily abuse in the name of competition, then good on you. We just don’t see fitness that way.
At P360, make no mistake about it, we compete. Hard. We just take a broader scale perspective with it and we encourage that competition to be against yourself and your goals, and the development of the Performance360 “Nine Parameters of Athleticism”.
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Maximum Muscular Strength (Low Speed Strength): i.e., 1R power lift
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Maximum Muscular Power (High Speed Strength): i.e., 1R Olympic lift, max box jump
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Anaerobic Capacity: i.e., 30 – 90 seconds of all out IWT time.
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Local Muscular Endurance: i.e., 100 swings for time, max strict pull-ups
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Aerobic Capacity: i.e., timed mile run, 800m sprint, 10 minute row
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Agility: i.e., footwork on the speed ladder and hurdles
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Speed: i.e., sprinting
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Mobility: i.e., can you overhead squat? If not, why and let’s fix it.
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Balance and Stability: i.e., can you close your eyes and perform body weight single-leg RDL?
These characteristics of performance may look familiar to you if you come from CF 10 Components of Fitness, after all they are the standardized measured athletic parameters set forth by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
However, at Performance360, we train all nine parameters with relative equal frequency and we develop a highly functional, all purpose human being.
A MORE DIVERSIFIED TRAINING PORTFOLIO
P360 is where routine perfectly marries variation.
Aside from the Big 5 Barbell Movements, we have a library of 551 movements that we incorporate into our training, taking the term constantly varied to a slightly different meaning.
The result is that your body gets stronger under the major strength lifts, but is also in a constant state of adaptation.
This allows your overall athletic evolution to truly be never ending.
The main type of workouts that we perform are as follows.
“Reps for Goal” Split Tier Workouts
Don’t want to always train for strength on your barbell lifts all the time?
Neither do we.
The Reps for Goal (RFG) system is unique to Performance360 and results in each athlete receiving custom training specific for their goal, whether it’s strength or muscle growth.
Our owner Bryan performing a 355# front squat at 178 pounds.
Once completed, fifteen to twenty minutes of a secondary circuit with varying movements and goals to focus on fat loss and conditioning.
Metabolic Interruptions
This format is unique to Performance360 and was developed by our Owner and Head Coach, Dave Thomas.
There are systematically prescribed intervals of thirty second rest periods. Surrounding it are clusters of power-dependent movements intended to be performed at full throttle.
The resulting benefit is sustaining use of the phosphagen (power) system for up to twenty total minutes, a high degree of oxygen expenditure (and debt), and noticeable increase in work capacity.
Timed Interval Weight Training (IWTs)
These workouts are for time and highly competitive. They feature a high-rep power-based movement, followed immediately by longer, maintained cardio at the absolute fastest possible pace you muster.
There are three rounds and you are scored on your average time per round. You must be fast, but you must also be able to recover and repeat.
Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM)
You will likely have experience in these and they are a regular part of our training at Performance360.
40:20 Work-Rest Intervals
In these workouts, we are performing movements that are easily repeatable over the course of 40 seconds, followed by a strict 20 second rest set. This would be performed anywhere from three to five rounds.
Why 40:20? In laboratory tests, the 40:20 work:rest ratio resulted in significantly reduced total work time and time to exhaustion, while producing higher metabolic values (VO2 Max).
Muscle Targeted Circuits
Slower, steady paced circuits alternating movements that focus on muscle hypertrophy of the superficial muscles, as well as strengthening of the deeper stabilizing musculature.
VO2 Max Rope Combos
These workouts focus on maximum output of our battling ropes in a fast-paced, high octane environment.
The ropes have a similar affect on the body of a sprint, requiring extraordinarily high oxygen use and energy expenditure.
Metabolic Clusters
Several short circuits with a focus on a few movements performed quickly. Typically in the seven minute range per cluster with a limited amount of movement so you can keep going without taking any rest.
THE ART OF GIVING A DAMN
Performance360 is the highest rated independent gym in Pacific Beach, earning more 5-star customer reviews than any other local gym.
The number one source of feedback we receive from folks who convert from another gym, is our level of detail in our instruction at Performance360. We cannot speak to what drives other gyms to succeed, but for us, it’s our members.
We care about your results. We care about your safety. We care about you.
We’ll learn your name, ask you questions and help you with your goals in ways you likely have never been exposed to.
We spend five to ten minutes before every workout going over the movements, offering tips and cues and getting you in the exact state of preparation you need in order to be successful.
We treat you with respect and assume every person that walks through our doors has potential to be great, regardless of the experience level.
If this is the type of experience you’re looking for, we invite you to join us for a class and see what we’re all about.