Linchpin Conversations

Levi is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He has been doing CrossFit since 2014 & joined Linchpin in 2020. Over the last 10 years life has presented several challenges to his family, including serious health issues one of his daughters faced. This caused many starts & stops during his fitness journey. Levi discusses these things & much more.

Buck is a husband, a father, a school teacher & a coach. He also loves barbells & has 15 different ones in his garage gym. He has been a powerlifter, a football player & gym rat over the course of his life. He tried several online programs & found a home with Linchpin. This is his story.

Evolution of Linchpin programming. | Coming back from an injury. | Building grip strength. | The story behind "Broken Frog". | Tips for new parents trying to stay fit. | Are you "cheating" on workouts? | Linchpin's origin story. | Who programs the VNR workouts? | btwb fitness level. | What gains can you expect from Linchpin?

Marcus M. is a firefighter in Norway. He has been a member of Linchpin since 2018. This year for "Murph" he decided to do a 42.2 km run, 1000 pull-ups, 2000 push-ups, 3000 air squats & another 42.2 km run. (42.2 km is a full marathon) This took him 27 hours & 50 minutes. This is his story.

Sport Specific Training. | Foot position & lock for rope climbs. | Pain with pull-ups. | Off-season training for Games athletes. | What do I do on Rest Days? | Wearables, Heart Rate, Gadgets & Gizmos. | Running conversions for men & women. | VNR skill cycles & Linchpin. | What if CF did not exist? | Optional Accessory Work. | Internal vs External Shoulder Rotation.

Jeanne & Dawn are sisters living in Minnesota. Both have been married 30 years. Dawn has 2 kids & Jeanne has 3. They work out together each day, help each other make good decisions & keep each other motivated. This is their fitness journey.

Training around an injury | Bench Press | Modifying interval workouts. | Linchpin Camp/Open. | The ideal CF bodyweight. | Is Linchpin enough for Competitors? | Working out in extreme conditions.

Melanie is a single mom with 2 kids & a Linchpin member. She was born & raised in Guyana & moved to the US when she was 11 years old. She has an amazing career as a Thoracic Surgery PA & stays very busy raising her 2 kids & getting them to their sports practices/games. This is her story.

Sprinting over 40 years old. | Sleds & odd objects | Listening to your body. | 70% effort forever? | Zone 2 training | Progressive overload.

Terri G is a wife, a mother, a business owner & a Linchpin member. She & her husband get up at 5am every day to make sure they get in their workout. She talks about her fitness journey & what lead her to Linchpin.

Why don't I watch the CF Games? | Carb Backloading. | Linchpin in 5 years. | No-equipment option. | A Superpower I want. | "Nobody Cares. Train Harder." | Is "Murph" too much? | Upcoming physical challenges? | Single-arm training.

Jeff D is a husband, a father, & a Linchpin member. He & his wife decided to quit their jobs, sell all of their possessions & go on the adventure of a lifetime. The explored 25 countries in 15 months. Jeff talks about life, adventure, coffee & fitness.

Tall athletes vs Short athletes, pros & cons. | 3 Songs for the rest of my life. | Woking out during & after sickness. | Fitness for kids. | C2B pull-ups with a low ceiling. | How much intensity is needed at 40+ years old? | Dumbbells = fitness.

Scott is a husband, a father & has a job which has him sitting most of the day. He has been a member of Linchpin for over 2 years. Life got hectic, as it does for many of us & he let his health & fitness deteriorate to an unacceptable level around the time his second child was born. He made a decision to change his life & has not looked back. This is his story.

No bike or Rower...what can I do? | "Not For time" vs "For Quality" | Barbell Squats vs Dumbbell Squats. | Is a "Hilly" running course good or bad? | Controlling heart rate. | Are Double-unders important? | Stay fit when life is hectic. | Origins of the name "Linchpin". | Supplements.

Blake is a husband, a father & a member of the Linchpin community. He had a terrible accident in the Army when his parachute malfunctioned. This accident, along with other major life changes lead to him gaining nearly 100 pounds. In this conversation he talks about is journey back to a healthy weight & lifestyle.

A goal I'm working on. | Book recommendations. | You only have 30 minutes to train. | Swapping training days & rest days. | DIY rope climb set-ups. | Oly lifting in a wetsuit. | How to get fitter. | My dream vacation.

It is common for athletes to repeat workouts. It is also common to scale workouts & then slowly increase their difficulty over time as you progress. Should you compare times on the "same" workout if you increase the weight, for example?

Habit I would like to add or delete. | Improving high skill movements. | What movements are not worth the risk? | Advice for opening an affiliate? | Shoulder health. | Fit a long workout into a short time. | How long does it take to get strong? | Linchpin Monthly Fitness Tests. | "Open Prep" & "Murph Prep". | Lifting for 1RMs. | Mental fortitude. | How to NOT race the clock. | "For Quality" & "Not for time" workouts. | Shoes for working out. | American Ninja Warrior.

Small, daily amounts of fitness can lead to big changes in your life. You don't need a lot of time or fancy equipment to be fit & healthy. All you need is knowledge, discipline & support.

10 exercises for the rest of my life. | How to deal with "tennis elbow" | Not for time workouts + accessories. | Challenges with an online community. | btwb fitness level, which workouts count? | Improving Olympic lifts. | Linchpin vs competitive programming. | Recommended level of intensity. | Training 3 times per week. | The state of kid's sports. | How to lose body fat. | Skill work.

In this epsiode we discuss how to get better at pull-ups, as well as defining what "pull-ups, any style" means when you see that as part of the description of a Linchpin workout.

Pegboard training. | What if you miss a workout? | Dynamic range of motion warm-ups. | What does "taxing the Central Nervous System" mean? | C-kip vs Butterfly kip. | How to attack Quarter Final workouts.

This was a comment left on my instagram by someone I do not know. It sparked many thoughts, ideas, topics & concepts I felt would be worthy of discussion. I hope you find this conversation helpful in guiding your long term fitness journey.

Ivan K. is a coach & part owner of CrossFit Minic in Basel, Switzerland. He is a Level 3 Coach & has been a trainer at gyms all around the world. He has experienced the difference between good & bad programming. Ivan made the switch to Linchpin at his gym & he explains why.

Explain the "Levels" on btwb. | Working 13 hours a day & staying Fit. | Monday Monster Mash & the Buttery Bros. | Improving the Olympic Lifts in your garage. | Mon thru Fri workout, Weekends off schedule.

There are many people who love snatching, & just as many who hate it & avoid it at all costs. Why do we snatch? What are the benefits? If someone did not want to snatch what are some effective modifications or substitutions?

"Spur of the moment" workouts. Linchpin for Affiliates. | How to lose 20 lbs by summer. | VNR Pull-up program. | Working out twice a week. | Programming a Games workout. | Favorite hobby outside of fitness. | What do I think of Hyrox? | What does being a good coach mean? | High intensity vs "Dancing with the Devil". | How to know the difference between discomfort & injury. | Rx loads vs % loading.

Depending upon the phase of life you are, there may be value in considering "starting fresh" and "forgetting" your previous personal bests. Of course the topic is nuanced & has many layers worth considering that will vary from individual to individual, but the general topic should help athletes set expectations and is a useful thought experiment.

Do the Linchpin monthly test not "Respect the Heavy Days". | Favorite Heavy Days at a High Heart Rate | How to increase grip strength. | Shipping Linchpin merch overseas. | Will CrossFit build muscle? | The "Tempus" feature on the btwb app. | Scaling to increase intensity.

In this episode we walk through the Monthly Linchpin Fitness Tests which will happen beginning in May 2024. Below are the monthly tests, which will be labeled as "Checkpoints".

What counts as "Rx'd"? | Improving Engine & Pain Tolerance. | Heavy Day Rep Schemes. | Fran. | Deadlift form on Open workout 24.2. | Improving Running Technique. | Setting Fitness Goals. | Training High School Athletes. | Improving Olympic Lifts When Training Alone. | Tall Athletes & Body Positioning.

Actionable steps for new athletes looking to begin working out are presented.

Tips, tricks & recommendations are given to improve your chest-to-bar pull-up capacity.

How to fix achilles tendon pain. | When/If to add a VNR cycle. | Linchpin meet-ups. | Rope climbs vs Peg Boards. | Test Weeks. | Mixing the order of workouts. | Task vs Time Priority. | Working out on poor sleep. | Favorite Open workout. | Linchpin for Gym Owners. | Ascending vs Descending rep schemes. | How to time sprints when running. | Rogue Invitational in Scotland. | Preparing for the CF Level 1. | How to introduce a new person to CF. | Grounding sheets to improve sleep.

A real world testimonial is read from someone who left Linchpin & then decided to comeback. She shares her experiences & the decisions that lead back to the Linchpin community.

What does it mean to be "Ferociously Fit"? | How to peak on a certain day. | Burgener warm-up with tight shoulders. | Weighted pull-ups...belt or vest? | The Jefferson Deadlift. | Is there a need for more than a 30" box jump? | A busy life leads to reduced workout time. | Introducing a new person to working out. | Overcoming a fear of box jumps. And much more!

Workouts can be done as For time, For time or not, Not for time, Kinda for time. What's the difference?

Can you be too strong? | Linear strength cycles. | Running in place vs actual running. | Cheat meals. | Stretching. | Modulating intensity. | Training at elevation. | Hot yoga. | Firefighter works 2 days on & 4 days off. 1| Calculating dumbbell reps & loads. | And much more…

Various strategies for working delicious treats into a healthy life are discussed. I talk through my lessons learned, failures & victories with sugar.

Training around an injury. | Time goals for low intensity training. | Preparing for a 10 mile trail run. | Trimming calluses & hand care. | What workouts have "interference"? | Meal prep. | Is Rucking good for you? | Pros & cons of intentional weight gain. | Supplements & Creatine. | Modulating Intensity. | Running with an artificial hip.

Recovery, cool downs, stretching, volume & intensity. How to find your sweet spot as an athlete.

Does each programming block have a focus? | Show me your garage/home gym! | Hip replacement rehab protocol. | Takeaways from the nutrition challenge. | Using the "tempo" feature on btwb. | Intentional interference. | 90's rap. | Impactful people in my life. | The future of Linchpin & CrossFit in general. | RMU vs BMU. | Modulating Intensity. | And more…

All about the Deadlift. Traditional vs Sumo vs Trap Bar deadlifts. Which one is right for you?

Programming workout options. | Learning new movements. | Do genetics limit your ability to "get big". | Modulating Intensity & Heavy Days. | Should I go "Rx'd" if I miss the goal time? | Short on time, how to train. | Struggling with overhead squats. | VNR & btwb. | On Heavy Days do you need to keep the same load across all reps & sets? | Designing an Open workout. | Weight belts, wraps & knee sleeves. | Linchpin Test at the Games.

A Linchpin member has a full time in-office job & a toddler who does not sleep well. She is struggling to keep her health & fitness a priority. She reached out asking for helpful advice to navigate this difficult phase of life.

Heavy Rope Single-unders | My favorite shoe for CrossFit. | How is my diet? | Training 3x per week vs 5x. | Deload weeks. | Does the Abmat do anything?

Do you need a "Heavy" jump rope? Heavy rope single-unders vs light rope double-unders are discussed, as well as indoor running substitutions during bad weather.

Sleep or Working Out, which is more important? | Will more rucking be programmed? | A good warm-up when short on time. | How many women follow Linchpin? | Yokes, sleds & landmine twists. | Monthly nutrition challenge. | Why did I become a SEAL? | Functional Fitness vs HIT. | GHD vs weighted sit-ups. | Rope Climb substitutions. | How to bulk up. | Maintenance of gym equipment. | My favorite candy. | Heart rate tracking.

"Open Prep" is silly & unnecessary for most people. Let me explain...