Linchpin Conversations

1. What is the history/evolution of CF Linchpin? 2. Is cooling down & stretching actually effective? 3. Applying the Sickness-Wellness-Fitness continuum to CF Linchpin.

Understanding & implementing these concepts is mission critical to your success in CrossFit regardless if you are brand new or have been working out for a decade.

An interview with Abbie Pritchard. Abbie is my sister-in-law & over the last 18 months she has lost nearly 100 pounds. She walks us through her weight loss journey, shares best practices as well as lessons learned.

Do you have limited time each day to workout? We provide you the simple information you need to take control of your fitness even if you only have 30 minutes a day. We cover how to modify any workout, including heavy days to fit a tight timeline.

1. Knee push-ups vs elevated push-ups 2. Some strength & conditioning coaches say training only 3 times a week is optimal, why does CrossFit train more? *WARNING...Question 2 leads down a long rabbit hole. 🤓

Brian & Anne are members of CF Linchpin who train in their garage/driveway every day. After learning their 70-year old neighbor, Mr. John, recently fell in his home & was unable to get up, they decided to help him get back in shape. They share their experiences & lessons learned through this incredible journey.

1. What is the process for coming up with the various workout options each day? 2. Did I ever get a question at a CrossFit seminar that I could not answer? 3. What advice would I give to a new CrossFitter? 4. What advice would I give to an experienced CrossFitter? 5. Hand width grip for various styles of pull-ups.

Hard skills vs soft skills required to be an effective coach are discussed with real life examples.

1. What movement is effective, but not programmed for some reason? 2. Best way to incorporate hypertrophy work with Linchpin? 3. Are Dumbbell workouts enough to be for life? 4. How has Linchpin evolved over the years?

Jay King is a CrossFit Level 3 Coach as well as a school teacher. He started a CrossFit kids program at his school that had 400 children participating in it. Jay shares his knowledge & expertise regarding programming, training & coaching for kids.

1. Does the Linchpin programming & goal times get adjusted based on data from the community? 2. What to do when a gym owner is making bad programming decisions. 3. What is the future of CrossFit Health?

A member of the Linchpin community asked for suggestions to help sustain his health & fitness over time. He said he struggled with consistency & getting back into working out after life/work disrupted his schedule. Recommendations are given to help increase consistency.

1. What was my favorite lecture to give at CrossFit Seminars? 2. Status of the On-ramp programs. 3. In-person meet-ups are happening. 4. Goal times & dumbbell workouts. 5. Favorite tv shows and/or movies.

We also discuss how "Nobody Cares. Train Harder." and "Scaling is Cool." can both coexist in an athlete's life.

1. Should you prioritize sleep or training? 2. Which is worse, Hell Week or a baby with colic? 3. If you could only do 1 workout for the rest of your life... 4. Signs of Good vs Bad programming in gyms

He discusses what lead him to CrossFit, why he opened a gym, what their community is like, how they dealt with COVID and offer advice to new gym owners.

1. The mysterious post-it notes on my wall are explained. 2. Does athlete participation influence Linchpin programming? 3. What are some of my quick & easy meals? 4. Does my wife plan on competing again? 5. Is it okay not to workout during a vacation?

I discuss the pros & cons of the many ways I have experimented with working cheat meals into my nutrition & life. Some things worked well & others were epic failures. The good, the bad & the ugly are exposed.

1. What are the BTWB Challenges all about? 2. How to build an engine, aka improve conditioning. 3. What did I think if the 2021 CF Games programming? 4. What gyms around the world follow CF Linchpin? 5. What are the considerations for programming a competition? 6. How impressive was Annie Thorisdottir's performance at the Games? 7. Will there be a Linchpin meet-up at the Cascade Classic & at the Rogue Invitational?

Jordan Holland is one of the main organizers of the Cascade Classic. This event is in its 8th year and attracts as many as 600 competitors. It is a highly inclusive and fun event that takes place in Washington State. Jordan discusses the event, how people can compete and/or volunteer and why he chose to have CF Linchpin program the qualifier events.

A recap of my quick trip to the 2021 CrossFit Games & my participation in the CrossFit Health panel regarding chronic disease.

1. If you go to a CrossFit gym how can you evaluate the quality of the programming? 2. Simone Biles, gymnastics & mental health. 3. On-ramp programs. 4. How to overcome a fear of handstands & being upside down. 5. How to get back into fitness after pregnancy. 6. Advice to young gymnasts.

Social media is a tool with the power to significantly impact our physical and mental health in either a profoundly positive or negative manner. The potential pitfalls of social media comparison are discussed as well as why it is most important to only compare yourself to you.

1. Why have some gyms gone away from classic CrossFit programming? 2. How am I enjoying being a "girl dad"? 3. If I competed at the CF Games what workout would I want to see & not want to see? 4. How important is a "CrossFit" style shoe for training? 5. At some point should Masters athletes not lift 1RM's?

My new baby girl is 3 weeks old and I'm exhausted. This is forcing me to realize my daily sessions in the gym are about making smart decisions, moving my body and relieving stress. During this phase with the newborn I need to realize that I will most likely not set any PR's and that's okay. I discuss my performance, both physically and mentally on two recent benchmark workouts.

1. How big is the Linchpin community & what do the demographics look like? 2. Should you buy an Air Bike, Rower or Ski Erg? 3. If you frequently scale the loading in workouts so you focus on building strength for a while? 4. How to fit in fitness in a hectic life. 5. Food prep, tips & tricks. 6. How to avoid biasing workouts based on your personal preferences.

Greg Stephens is a real estate agent, a PGA professional & a member of the Linchpin community. He shares his journey from previously weighing 260 pounds to now weighing 180. He tells us how he found CrossFit & how it can benefit golfers.

1. At what distance do I decide to use a dedicated running shoe? 2. Can a tall person win the CrossFit Games? 3. How can one program (i.e. CrossFit) get everyone "fit"? 4. How is "fitness" defined? 5. How do different people's goals factor into fitness?

We just had our 3rd child, so there is a little newborn baby in our life! Fitness, sleep and nutrition continue to remain priorities, but adjustments need to be made. Whatever life throws at you does not need to completely derail your long term health and fitness journey. I discuss the steps I've taken in the first week of my new daughter's life and my plan moving forward.

1. Funny and/or worst experiences coaching or training. 2. How to break through mental barriers with Oly lifts. 3. Are there movements to avoid or modify for older athletes? 4. How to use the BTWB specialty programs for barbell lifts & gymnastics.

Real life disrupts your workout schedule. I walk through the last 3 days of poor sleep, less than ideal nutrition, travel and how I heavily modified workouts to make fitness possible.

1. Can you improve on a movement without doing it every week? 2. What if you don't have enough time to properly rest during intervals?

Addictive experiences can be "engineered". This is neither inherently good or bad. The critical factor is increasing your awareness about what makes certain behaviors addictive in a good way versus addictive in a bad way. We want YOU to be in control and that is only possible through information and education. A "fitness addiction" has the potential to become unhealthy if certain factors get out of control.

1. Writing a book 2. Scaling for various age groups 3. Estimating your 1RM without attempting a 1RM 4. Benefits of gymnastics 5. Get a 100 lb. weighted pull-up without training for it

The difficulty of the task/workout needs to be appropriately paired to the skill level of the individual athlete. If the task is well beyond the athlete's skill level it can lead to frustration, anxiety & failure. If the difficulty is too low the athlete grows bored & does not progress. Finding the sweet spot is critical.

1. Box Jumps vs. Box Step-ups, pros & cons. 2. Adding a weight vest to training 3. Linchpin meet-ups 4. What to do if you cannot maintain pace during intervals 5. Top 3 book recommendations

The purpose of general & specific warm-ups. A hybrid model is presented. Practice rounds are discussed. Examples are given for specific workouts.

1. What is my biggest source of inspiration when programming? 2. Daily rituals, time & task management tips/tricks 3. How to maintain intensity near the end of a workout And much more...

Can someone be fit & healthy without snatching? What movements do not get the respect they deserve?

1. Could Adrian Bozman come on the AMA? 2. Can Rest Days be shifted around? 3. Regular Oreos or double-stuffed? 4. Three items to have when the Zombies come. 5. Biggest obstacles I've had to overcome in CrossFit. 6. Topics for the Varied Not Random podcast. 7. Getting in a "pump session" after the workout. 8. Working on weakness.

Marcus owns CrossFit KH in Germany. He is a member of the CF Seminar Staff and is also the CrossFit Country Manager overseeing more than 500 affiliates in Germany, Austria & Switzerland. He shares his story as well as advice for gym owners & trainers.

1. In what area could CrossFit improve? 2. How do you know when to take an unscheduled Rest Day because your body needs it? 3. The benefits of a "Foundations" or "On-ramp" program. 4. How to use CrossFit workouts to compliment another activity like running or cycling.

CF Linchpin Test 5 For time: 20 Back Squats, 225/155 2 Mile Run 20 Back Squats, 225/155 The "Fitness Level" in the BTWB app is also discussed.

1. How to develop Chest-to-bar pull-up strength. 2. Using D-balls & Sandbags on Heavy Days. 3. Is Elite Gymnastics a broken sport? 4. How "over-involved" parents can make their kids hate sports. 5. Why do I prefer helping "normal" people instead of coaching elite CrossFit competitors? 6. How to employ Active Recovery.

Karl is a Level 4 CrossFit trainer who lives in Scotland. He has work at roughly 400 CrossFit seminars all around the globe. He is a wealth of knowledge and shares valuable insight on training and how to be a better coach.

1. Butterfly kip vs C-kip, which is safer/better? 2. A member asked how it is possible that his major lifts are improving even though we only go heavy once a week. His old gym lifted heavy every day. Now he goes heavy only once a week and lifts are going up. How is this possible? 3. Is "Rowing Murph" a good modification for people who cannot run? 4. Weight belts & knee sleeves...do they have utility?

Tips & tricks to successfully perform CrossFit workouts in a traditional gym environment.

1. How to stay healthy & sane in a global pandemic 2. Every training session should have a goal. 3. Targeting individual weaknesses. & much more...

Rod talks about community, coaching, helping people and why he chose to open a gym in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Do I ever make Super Fitness Robot times that are unobtainable just to see if people can do it? 2. Pros & Cons of pursuing high skill movements like the snatch alone in your garage. 3. Dynamic stretching in warm-ups. 4. What are the benefits of "Rucking" & why do people seem to enjoy it so much?