The Stimulus Matters Podcast | Ep. 1
The Difference Between Training Hard and Training Smart in CrossFit In the debut episode of the Stimulus Matters Podcast, Kyle Ruth and Ryne Sullivan ...
Episode 20 of the Stimulus Matters Podcast takes a reflective dive into the coaching journeys of Kyle Ruth and Ryne Sullivan. In a special Q&A format, the duo answers listener-submitted questions about how they transitioned from in-person personal training to high-level online coaching. The discussion doesn’t stop there—they also unpack important topics like training with asthma, respiratory health, and the value of breathwork in CrossFit performance.
If you’re a coach looking to expand your reach, or an athlete trying to better understand the systems behind high-level program design, this episode is packed with value.
The question that kicked off Episode 20 was: “How did you go from in-person personal training to online coaching?”
Ryne Sullivan’s journey began at CrossFit NOLA, coaching local football players and class members. After realizing his limitations, he pursued continuing education through OPT (OPEX) and the Poliquin Group to deepen his coaching knowledge. As Ryne’s athletes saw major performance gains—like one female athlete jumping from 3 unbroken ring muscle-ups to 30 for time in under 3:30—his reputation grew and remote clients began reaching out.
Kyle Ruth’s path started even earlier. With a background in exercise physiology and a master’s in applied sport science, Kyle had already coached at SwimMac Carolina and in traditional strength & conditioning roles. His move into CrossFit coaching and remote programming came as a response to lifestyle changes (having a baby) and a deep desire to work with driven athletes. His early involvement in individualized design through OPT and Training Think Tank paved the way for his long-term success in the remote space.
Both Kyle and Ryne agree: in-person coaching experience is foundational for anyone looking to become an exceptional remote coach.
The real-time feedback loop you get when coaching someone in person helps you refine your understanding of progressions, communication, and athlete response. You see what works, what doesn’t, and how to adjust on the fly—skills that become vital in a remote setting, where communication is slower and more structured.
Additionally, in-person coaching helps you learn how to individualize training systems: not just programming strength and conditioning blocks, but considering work schedules, stress levels, injury history, and movement pattern tendencies. These insights are what elevate a coach from template-builder to performance architect.
Both coaches touched on the evolution of systems—starting with writing skeletons by hand or in Microsoft Word, and eventually developing spreadsheets and more robust organizational tools.
Kyle still writes season plans and templates in spreadsheets for the flexibility they provide in long-term athletic planning. Ryne prefers drafting skeletons by hand before digitizing them. Tools like CoachRx are now used for day-to-day delivery, but high-level coaching still demands thoughtful, long-range system design, which isn’t something software can do for you.
In the second half of the episode, Kyle answers a listener question about how to train with asthma—drawing from his personal experience with severe exercise-induced asthma.
Here are the key takeaways:
The short answer? Not necessarily.
Ryne suggests breathing mechanics training is important, but should come after basic mechanics are addressed. If someone breathes into their traps or is overusing accessory muscles, the priority is fixing that pattern first.
Kyle adds that while he does use respiratory strength tools like the Breathe Way Better, especially with elite athletes, he’s careful to avoid overprescribing them. For most athletes, the key is learning how to take full, efficient breaths during high-rep efforts and transitions—like rowing after goblet pistols or during recovery periods in metcons.
It’s less about “breathing more” and more about learning when to breathe deeply and how to optimize recovery mid-workout.
One of the most impactful coaching conversations in Episode 20 centers on training muscular endurance for movements like strict handstand push-ups (HSPU). Kyle and Ryne compare two types of athletes: both can perform 30 unbroken strict HSPU, but only one can return quickly for another high-rep set. The other falls apart after a brief rest and struggles with repeatability.
Rather than prescribing more max-rep sets, Kyle introduces a speed-based autoregulation model for building muscular endurance. Instead of pushing to failure, athletes terminate sets as soon as perceptible rep speed declines—a concept Kyle calls “speed deflection.”
“When you feel a drop in rep speed, you stop. That’s your limiter—not burning, not failure.”
This approach reduces Type II fiber exhaustion and trains repeatability under moderate fatigue. Athletes rotate through repeat sets (e.g., 15 → 12 → 9 reps) with flush biking between rounds, accumulating 50+ total reps at high velocity. This builds not just capacity, but maintainable movement speed—critical for high-level CrossFit performance.
Another key insight from the episode is how to align athlete perception with movement reality. Ryne describes a scenario where an athlete thinks their rep speed deteriorated at rep 17—but on video review, it actually slowed at rep 13. This disconnect can be costly in competition settings.
“If you don’t know when you’re going to fail a rep, you miss opportunities to make smart decisions and move up the leaderboard.”
To solve this, the duo recommends:
This subtle shift helps athletes avoid failure, maintain performance output, and extend muscular endurance without wrecking recovery. It’s a perfect example of how nuanced coaching—backed by video, pacing, and feedback—leads to smarter programming and better outcomes.
One of the final coaching questions in Episode 20 addressed a common concern: how long does an athlete need to prepare effectively for a competition? The answer—like most things in coaching—is “it depends.”
Ryne emphasized that the athlete’s responsiveness is a key variable. Some athletes—especially those with high training ages or fast nervous systems—adapt quickly and can peak in just 2–3 weeks. Others, particularly those with greater strength or aerobic development needs, require a longer runway to make meaningful change.
Kyle added that when athletes are quick responders, he prefers to delay the peaking phase so he can spend more time attacking weaknesses earlier in the season. He explained that peaking doesn’t need to last 6–8 weeks. In fact, longer peaking blocks often lead to stagnation or loss of base capacity.
“The most effective tapers are short, specific, and built on a foundation of well-timed progression—not endless skill and intensity work.”
The takeaway? Prep length depends on:
Whether you’re training for Quarterfinals, WZA, or a local comp, the ideal prep window is the one that lets you arrive confident, adapted, and still hungry to perform.
Episode 20 isn’t just about the logistics of moving from gym floor to remote coach. It’s about the evolution of the coaching profession—and how important it is to keep learning, testing, and refining your systems over time.
For athletes, it’s a reminder that elite performance isn’t just about effort. It’s about systems—from breathing to strength cycles to recovery protocols.
For coaches, it’s a challenge: Keep learning. Keep tinkering. Your clients’ success depends on it.
