Episodes
Chasing objective, easy-to-measure goals are one thing. But chasing subjective, hard-to-measure ones are another thing altogether. So, how do we get started making progress on things like improving our empathy or being a better spouse? That’s what we’re diving into this week. ========= EXPECT TO LEARN: ========= 📍 How to training when your CrossFit gym cancels your favorite class 📍 Why the goal of mindset shouldn’t be indifference, but a lack of judgment 📍 How to wrangle life admin tasks...
Published 06/06/23
We’re taking a listener question about helping our kids avoid some of the adversities of life and talking broadly about stimulus and response, being generation breakers, and why “what we do around here” is such a powerful force. =========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ===========  📍 How to improve our aerobic capacity 📍 Why your gym community can serve as a useful decisional filter 📍 How defaulting to simplicity is a powerful communication strategy 📍 The importance of awareness in rebuilding a...
Published 05/30/23
Published 05/30/23
We’re answering a listener question about whether CrossFit affiliates are offering a “watered down” version of CrossFit, and whether that’s a good thing if so. We’re talking about the CrossFit Games, standardization across gyms, Hyrox, and more. =========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ===========  📍 Whether our mobility work should be consistent or varied 📍 How to stop comparing yourself to your gym buddies 📍 Ben’s recommendations for bloodwork 📍 How to make time for yourself with young kids 📍 A...
Published 05/23/23
Should we sacrifice now for security later, forgo security later and enjoy now, or find a balance between the two? Friend-of-the-show Julie Foucher joins us to talk through that and listener questions about why she’s training now, how to handle rep shavers, and more. =========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ===========   📍 How hard it was for Julie to transition out of being a CrossFit Games athlete 📍 Why “feeling” fitter might be more important than chasing specific numbers 📍 What parasympathetic...
Published 05/16/23
In February of 2021, we released an episode called “Overcoming Excellence Fatigue.” It started with a question about how to exist inside the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Here’s a clip about how Ben thinks about that gap. ========== SUBSCRIBE ========== Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs 
Published 05/12/23
We talk about the five factors of health all the time, but what are the books, movies, and people we turn to to learn more about them? We’re giving you our list this week. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ==========  📍 The question to ask yourself before (or while) you’re watching the news 📍 How to combine CrossFit with seasonal outdoor pursuits 📍 Some strategies for eating clean when you’re days are packed 📍 How to recover, train, and eat while breastfeeding 📍 A surprising revelation Ben...
Published 05/09/23
Way back in October of 2020, the writer James Clear (author of the wildly successful “Atomic Habits”) joined us on the show. In this clip from that episode, we talk about the patience required to build the kinds of habits that have real impact. Watch the full episode here. =========== Subscribe:  =========== Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
Published 05/05/23
Life, business, and sport continually give us setbacks. How do we know when those setbacks mean we should quit or that we should put our head down and keep working? That’s the listener question we’re talking about this week. =========== EXPECT TO LEARN:  =========== 📍 How often Ben uses chalk in the gym 📍 Fueling strategies for a 24-hour burpee challenge 📍 Tips for getting over performance anxiety 📍 Why the ultimate success might be peace of mind 📍 A strategy to fall asleep faster ...
Published 05/02/23
Why is it so easy to get so busy? In this clip from a longer conversation Patrick had with the Digital Barbell podcast, he talks about some of the strategies he’s implemented to stay busy without getting overwhelmed. You can listen to the full conversation here. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
Published 04/28/23
Kelly and Juliet Starrett are world-class trainers and longtime leaders in the CrossFit space. They join us this week to talk about their newest book, Built to Move, which is a masterclass for all of us who want to continue to kick ass into our 90s. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 Why Kelly and Juliet wanted to write Built to Move 📍 What the 10 out of 10 Club is (and why we should want to get in it) 📍 How the book can be used as a roadmap for both coaches and athletes 📍 What “rewilding” the body...
Published 04/25/23
In this clip from a longer episode from 2019, Ben and Patrick talk about responsibility, focus, and the need for all of us to better pay attention to the few things inside our control. Watch the full episode here. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
Published 04/21/23
How can we increase the skill of adaptability? That’s the listener question we’re talking through this week, hitting on the reality of change, the role our ego and attitude plays, and what we can learn from Sesame Street. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 How to incorporate training for a half-marathon into CrossFit 📍 If there should be an upper limit on daily protein powder intake 📍 The shift in routine Ben has made to prioritize more sleep 📍 What to say to someone who complains too much 📍 The new...
Published 04/18/23
Here’s a clip from a conversation Ben had recently with Bryan from the Young & Alive Company. They talk about focus, distraction, the voice in our heads, and what we can learn from the Navy SEALs. Watch the full conversation here. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
Published 04/14/23
How do you set priorities when so many things feel important? That’s our question; we’ve got our friend Jon Gilson here to help answer it. Also, your questions about Zone 2 training, doing work we don’t hate, and outgrowing friends. Learn more about Optimal Agency here. Thanks to our sponsors this week: LMNT | Caldera+Lab | UCAN EXPECT TO LEARN:  📍 What Zone 2 training is and whether CrossFitters need to prioritize it 📍 What to think about when balancing financial security and...
Published 04/11/23
Here’s a clip from a conversation Ben had recently with James Geering of the Behind the Shield podcast. They chat about how to get the conversation moving in the right direction as it relates to health, manufactured stress, and how to be influential. Click here for the full episode. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs 
Published 04/07/23
In many ways, the 5 Factors of Health are as much a hedge against stress as a pursuit of performance and longevity. We unpack how stress manifests itself in the body and why it’s so important we are aware of it. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 How to think about weightlifting as you get older 📍 What you need to recognize as you make progress on losing a lot of weight 📍 Some suggestions for what to do if you find yourself getting sick a lot 📍 How to create balance when working from home 📍 Four books...
Published 04/04/23
Ben was recently on EC Synkowski’s podcast, The Consistency Project, talking about how CrossFit New England thinks about nutrition challenges. Here’s a segment of that episode where Ben discusses the 3 challenges that the gym currently runs. Click here to listen to their full convo. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
Published 03/31/23
Chris Kresser is one of the most respected clinicians and educators in the fields of Functional Medicine and ancestral health and one of Ben’s go-to’s for all things nutrition. He joins us this week to talk about nutrient density, feeding kids, gut health, and a bunch more. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 The reasons Chris says eating a clean diet isn’t enough anymore 📍 Why our microbiome is so important to our overall health 📍 The various ways you can get a sense of your own gut health 📍 The...
Published 03/28/23
In this Quick Set from a previous episode, Ben shares his experience living with and dealing with dyslexia. For the full episode, search the feed for “What We’re Reading #02.” 📍 Subscribe to the show:  Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
Published 03/24/23
We’re talking about what it means to “trust the process” this week, breaking down the 10 things we all need to keep in mind as we pursue our goals. Also, your questions about breath work, leadership, feeding kids, and more. EXPECT TO LEARN:  📍 Where F45 may fall short in comparison to CrossFit 📍 Why awareness is the most important step of making things better 📍 The reason why Ben switched his breathwork practice 📍 Why leadership is the hardest job in the world 📍 How the steps we take...
Published 03/21/23
How do you define success? What impact do you want to have? What problem are you trying to solve? Just a few of the big questions we’re talking about and through this week. We’re also cooking up a new monthly challenge, so stay tuned til the end! EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 What “overload” looks like in the gym, and when you should use it 📍 What to consider if you’re not losing the weight you think you should be 📍 The first big goal in getting back from an injury 📍 Why we can always have more...
Published 03/14/23
Friend-of-the-show EC Synkowski joins us this week to answer your questions about training for a 500lb deadlift into a sub-5:00 mile test, back injuries, and whether CrossFitters should try to work out during multi-day fasts. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 EC’s woo-woo moment that helped her tackle her long-time back problems 📍 EC’s first big question to ask about fasting 📍 Ben’s prescription for a weak back 📍 What to focus on when selling transformational coaching services 📍 The core memories that...
Published 03/07/23
Steven Kotler is expert on flow. He joins us to talk about why it’s important to develop multiple pathways to flow, why our mindset around aging needs a major rewrite, and the surprising correlation to lifelong confidence. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 What flow is and why it’s so important 📍 Why dynamic motion training is essential 📍 What it means to “get geezered” 📍 Why stability equals confidence 📍 The protocol for peak performance aging Big thank to our sponsors: Miracle Made | BetterHelp |...
Published 02/28/23
Introducing the CompTrain 3x3, where Ben answers your questions about the pursuit of elite athletic performance and mental toughness. This week, we’ve got 10 questions from the first 6 episodes of that show to give you a taste. Find the show on YouTube Learn more about our sponsors: Blinkist | LMNT EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 When to know if self-induced pressure is a good thing 📍 How the male/female calorie ratios on the bike or rower were calculated 📍 How to know if you’re a “competitor” ...
Published 02/21/23