Linchpin Conversations

Training vs Testing. The gym owners dilemma. Life is busy…focus on food or fitness? Learning handstands. Fitness while traveling. (Links to another question) Working out in public. Favorite Ice Cream. Dangerous movement combos. Warm-up sets vs Working sets Midline work.

Matt is a husband & father of two girls. He has been a fulltime dive instructor for over 25 years. This occupation has enabled him to travel the world seeking adventure & opportunity. He was born & raised in the U.K., but he has called the Philippines home since 2003. He currently owns a dive business & resort focused on scuba adventures. This is his story.

Our favorite workout style. The story behind "Linchpin". Reverse Hypers. 2026 Games Meet up? Struggling with Dips. Thumb wrapped around pull-up bar, yes or no? What has CF taught me that applies to life? Testing workouts. Extreme Scaling of workouts. Help! Air Squats destroy me!

Steph is a wife & mother of 3. Her days are hectic. She works from home full time as an underwriter. When she is not occupied with that she is caring for her 3 kids & running them around to soccer practice & games. She found fitness later in life & has found a way to make it a daily habit. This is her story.

Linchpin Conversations…intro Manual Treadmills The Daily Videos Dumbbells for Heavy Days Doomsday Prepping. Finding a good doctor. Choosing an Air Runner. CrossFit Medical Society. Leaderboards. "Tactical Games"

Dawn is an Occupational Therapist who currently works with Ukrainian soldiers who have lost arms and/or legs in the war. She helps them learn to use their new prosthetic limbs so they can function in the real world & perform life's tasks. This is her story.

Open Heart Surgery & Linchpin. What I wish I knew when I started CrossFit. Weight belts…necessary or not? Odd Objects & the Transverse Plane. Programming Games workouts. Pull-up rep schemes. How long does programming take? Increase your deadlift. Swapping around training days. Wall Walks.

Mike is a husband & father of two children. His life has been a combination of practicing law & serving in politics. He resides in Kansas City, Missouri where he has served the people of that state in various capacities. He talks us through politics as well as his fitness journey.

Hand maintenance. Power Clean stance. How to avoid McDonald's. Dealing with Tendonitis. Pregnancy & core work. Linchpin Test 13 origins. Competitor programming. Programming & AI.

Ken is a Senior Chief currently on active duty in the Navy. He has served 16 years so far & is about to transition to a new duty station in Greece. He got exposed to CrossFit while on deployment & was shocked by how difficult the workout was for him to complete. This sparked his interest & he never looked back. He has been the catalyst for many other Sailors & Marines to join the Linchpin community. This is his story.

HYROX racing. Accessory work. Dumbbells & Sandbags. Intentionally "burning out" certain muscles? Distance Conversions for Air Runners. Respect the Heavy Days. Skip the warm-up or Cool down? What if you never Back Squatted again?

Kevin is a husband & a father of a little girl. He spent many years of his life as a coach at various gyms. When he learned he was going to be a father he knew something in his life needed to change. He quit being a coach & became an EMT. This has been a great career transition for him, but his work schedule is demanding. He works two 24-hour shifts each week & still eats well & trains. This is his story.

CrossFit brand vs people's perceptions. How to train during your lunch break. VNR Jump Rope course. Rogue Invitational in Scotland. Linchpin & Soccer. Top CrossFit Journal articles. Tips for someone new to fitness. Switching training days around. Heavy day strategies. Linchpin workout options explained.

Dermot is a husband & a father of two boys. He lives in Ireland with his family & works for the government doing IT work. His commute to the office is 150 km! (93 miles) He does this commute 3 times a week. On those days he gets up & works out at 5:30am. He spent many years as a distance runner, but embraced CrossFit about 10 years ago. This is his story.

Linchpin Test 13 The VNR 1.5 Mile Run program Front Rack position struggles. Choosing the right workout option. A Better Warm-up How to increase strict pull-ups When to do yoga.

Alainna leads a busy life. She is a wife & a mother of two little girls. Her occupation as a dental hygienist means she is caring for people all day long, & then has to go home & care for her family. She is committed to being strong & healthy for herself, as well as her family. She gets up early in the mornings to make sure her workouts happen. This is her story.

Weightlifting Shoes. An unhealthy obsession with being healthy. Fitness Freedom. Lifting or Cardio…pick only one! Why are push-ups so hard? Mobility work into the accessory work? The best coach I ever had. Introducing a friend to fitness.

Darcy is a hard working, driven single mom with a teenage daughter. She spent many years of her life in difficult, physically demanding professions that historically were dominated by men, such as being an aviation mechanic. After years in that profession she transitioned to being a teacher. She finally has landed her dream job that blends the worlds of aviation & education. This is her story.

How to push past your limits. Working around a busy schedule. Strategy vs Cheating. Can you be Fit & Fluffy? Maintaining hook grip. Banded Pull-ups Pacing longer workouts. Extra Lifting.

Connor is the owner of CrossFit Winnebago. He tried several different programming options for his gym before deciding that Linchpin was the best choice. This is his story.

Tips to enhance recovery. Is walking 10k steps necessary? Grips Help…I can't do a Pull-up! When to use a weight vest. Strategy for "Death by" workouts. Golfer's elbow. Coming back from double knee surgery. Air bike with broken monitor Prepping for a Marathon Row

Melanie is a Data Systems Archival Analyst, a birth doula, a post partum doula, & an infant care specialist. Needless to day, she is a busy woman with a hectic schedule. She excels at being available to people during critical & pivotal times on their lives. This is her story.

How & when to learn a new skill. Thoughts on the CrossFit brand. Linchpin Test 13. What is "Wizard Pepper"? Good substitutes for Deadlifts.

Craig is a husband & a father. He lives in Melbourne, Australia & grew up as a swimmer. Over the decades he let his fitness slip away & then decided to regain it. He has been living a vegan lifestyle for roughly 10 years. He loves hiking & has tackled the famous 211 mile John Muir trail. This is his story.

Tabitha grew up playing tennis & basketball. In college she did Dragon Boat racing & even represented the U.S. in Hong Kong. She also spent time doing long distance running before finally developing a love for CrossFit. When her gym in L.A. closed, she began working out at home & discovered Linchpin. This is her story.

Unhealthy obsession with being healthy Are complex movements really necessary? Box jumps on heavy days. Competition vs longevity. Recovery strategies. No room to run. Does the order of workouts matter? (Comes up twice) Run a marathon with Linchpin? Help! My doctor told me not to squat heavy. "High Intensity" in real terms. Movement modifications. Linchpin & BJJ.

Scott is a husband & father of 3. He served a 20 year career in the Air Force flying aircraft such as the B-52, MC-12, E-11, E-4 & others. Plenty of time during his career was spent in harsh conditions away from his family. These days he is a civilian who flies for FedEx & enjoys being able to spend time with his family. This is his story.

Jean has been a Linchpin member for nearly 6 years. He was recently elected to the Halifax Regional Council in October 2024. He is doing his very best to leverage his communications background & fitness IQ to navigate his new role in politics. His work schedule is demanding & unpredictable, which makes fitness challenging. This is his story.

How to get stronger with limited dumbbells. Rower vs Bike Erg vs Air Bike 1RM's after 40 years old. Linchpin & Rugby. Workout in AM, accessory work in PM. Modifying distances based on gender. Slam balls. What does being "Quad dominant" mean?

Mark is a husband and a father who does Linchpin, while also coaching at an F45 gym. He has worked his entire life in the electro-mechanical technology field for various chemical industries. He shares insight into his occupational history as well as telling us the difference between F45 & CrossFit in his opinion.

Mark is a husband and a father who does Linchpin, while also coaching at an F45 gym. He has worked his entire life in the electro-mechanical technology field for various chemical industries. He shares insight into his occupational history as well as telling us the difference between F45 & CrossFit in his opinion.

Linchpin & Jiu-jitsu Are all air bikes the same? Box Jumps "any style" Help me pick the right loading. How to incorporate more running. How to program workouts. Outfitting my dream gym. 1 Rep Maxes

Linchpin & Jiu-jitsu Are all air bikes the same? Box Jumps "any style" Help me pick the right loading. How to incorporate more running. How to program workouts. Outfitting my dream gym. 1 Rep Maxes

Amber is a busy wife & mother of 2 kids. She has a demanding profession as the Director of Academic Success Coaching at the University of Central Florida. 70,000 students attend that school, making it one of the largest in the U.S. Amber discusses the current academic landscape & challenges facing students these days & how she still makes fitness a priority.

Amber is a busy wife & mother of 2 kids. She has a demanding profession as the Director of Academic Success Coaching at the University of Central Florida. 70,000 students attend that school, making it one of the largest in the U.S. Amber discusses the current academic landscape & challenges facing students these days & how she still makes fitness a priority.

Fixing unilateral strength imbalances. Cherry Picking workouts. Staying FAST as you age. Useful data for programming. How to do Linchpin forever? What is a "good base" of strict pull-ups? Nutrition while working night shift.

Fixing unilateral strength imbalances. Cherry Picking workouts. Staying FAST as you age. Useful data for programming. How to do Linchpin forever? What is a "good base" of strict pull-ups? Nutrition while working night shift.

Hailey is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working in Kansas City. She is also a mom of two little girls. She has a full, hectic life where free time is precious & limited. She discusses her occupation as well as how she has been able to keep fitness a part of her busy life.

Is a "Cheat Day" necessary? Favorite workouts on vacation. Breath training. Body image issues for girls. Training in a commercial gym. Strangest place I've worked out. Pull-ups vs Chin-ups. Sled Pushes.

Is a "Cheat Day" necessary? Favorite workouts on vacation. Breath training. Body image issues for girls. Training in a commercial gym. Strangest place I've worked out. Pull-ups vs Chin-ups. Sled Pushes.

Dave is a husband, a father & has spent 22 years in the US Army. He has served in a variety of roles from commanding tanks to medicine. He has spent the later half of his career as a Physician Assistant in the Special Operations community. Needless to say, being physically prepared for unknown challenges is critical in his occupation. This is his story.

Dave is a husband, a father & has spent 22 years in the US Army. He has served in a variety of roles from commanding tanks to medicine. He has spent the later half of his career as a Physician Assistant in the Special Operations community. Needless to say, being physically prepared for unknown challenges is critical in his occupation. This is his story.

Burgener Warm-up & loading. Book recommendations. Training your kids. Does barbell spin matter? Movements we don't, but do anyway. Hormones, Women & Vitamins. 3 Tests of Fitness Pull-up grip. Burpee pacing Training for the Games vs Real Life. The order to learn gymnastics skills.

Burgener Warm-up & loading. Book recommendations. Training your kids. Does barbell spin matter? Movements we don't, but do anyway. Hormones, Women & Vitamins. 3 Tests of Fitness Pull-up grip. Burpee pacing Training for the Games vs Real Life. The order to learn gymnastics skills.

Javerya is a wife & mother of 3 children. She grew up in Pakistan in a culture that did not really encourage women to engage in physical fitness. Because of this, she did not get into fitness until later in later life. A few years ago she moved to the U.K. with her husband, who got her invloved with Linchpin. This is her story.

Javerya is a wife & mother of 3 children. She grew up in Pakistan in a culture that did not really encourage women to engage in physical fitness. Because of this, she did not get into fitness until later in later life. A few years ago she moved to the U.K. with her husband, who got her invloved with Linchpin. This is her story.

Progressive Overload explained. Progressive Overload as it relates to CrossFit.

Progressive Overload explained. Progressive Overload as it relates to CrossFit.

Trae is a husband & soon-to-be father. He works as a Certified Public Accountant & therefore has a very demanding work schedule, especially during tax season. He got interested in fitness at the end of college when he started to gain a bit of weight. He has tried all sorts of workout programs, but they never fully met his needs until he found Linchpin. He has been a Linchpin member for 2 years & looks forward to many more.

Trae is a husband & soon-to-be father. He works as a Certified Public Accountant & therefore has a very demanding work schedule, especially during tax season. He got interested in fitness at the end of college when he started to gain a bit of weight. He has tried all sorts of workout programs, but they never fully met his needs until he found Linchpin. He has been a Linchpin member for 2 years & looks forward to many more.