Linchpin Conversations

Thoughts after my hip replacement. | Qualifying for the CF Games. | Nutrition goals for obese athletes. | Artificial intelligence. | Will CF Open workouts be programmed? | Dealing with chronic pain. | Back squat strategies. | Working out while sick. | 400m run modifications. | Working out for aesthetics. | Strengthening rotator cuffs. | Holiday themed workouts. | Overhead squat substitutions. | Rest periods for interval training. | Overcoming a disappointing workout. | Whats the most value lesson I learned as a SEAL?

You should not live sore or in daily pain from working out. This episode discusses what I mean by that & how to avoid it. Pain free is the way to be.

How many cups of coffee do I drink? | What draws people to CrossFit? | Top 5 must read books. | New Year's Resolutions. | 400m run = how many burpees? | Moving days around. | Lifting % charts. | Reset the monitor or allow "roll over" calories? | Ring muscle-up substitutions. | 50m of walking lunges = how many lunges in place?

A member of Linchpin is so fast on the workout "Jackie" that he may never set a new PR on it ever again. What should he do? Should be modify the workout? Does "Jackie" still have training value for him?

Rowing damper setting. | My favorite Christmas treats. | Conversions for a spin bike. | Improving grip strength. | The bike erg. | Programs to improve snatching. | Accessory work, explained. | Low ceiling wall ball solutions. | Using a ski erg in workouts. | Wall-facing HSPU's…why? | Should we call out poor ROM? And much more…

Linchpin offers over 12,000 minutes of educational content for FREE. The Linchpin private track provides 300+ videos every year to members. Everyone should be on a journey to increase their Fitness IQ. Here are ways you can do it.

Fear of box jumps. | Update on my hip replacement. | Learning to kick into a handstand. | Strokes per minute rowing. | My typical day. | Linchpin for collegiate athletes. | Using wrist wraps for deadlifts. | Stretching. | Row vs Run vs Bike.

Linchpin Lifestyle extends outside the walls of your gym. It is a way of life. It is the gradual pursuit of self improvement and awareness, step-by-step. Seemingly small things, done in a purposeful manner can lead to big changes. In 2024 we are offering a monthly challenge designed to easily fit into your life. It will require minimal time & no gear at all. The Linchpin Lifestyle challenges will not be workouts. They will be activities focused on helping people between the ears. Enjoy!

How to program dumbbells workouts. | How to pace workouts. | Cycling snatches. | Heavy rope single-unders vs normal double-unders. | Lifting barefoot. | Modifying overhead lifts. | Checking your own technique. | Frequency for repeating benchmark workouts. | And much more!

Strict vs Kipping. Which should you prioritize? How to you modify workouts to increase strict strength?

Switching around the schedule. | More Linchpin Challenges? | Dumbbells + Heavy Days. | Testing workouts. | Touch-n-Go vs Quick Singles. | Rope climbs substitutions. | Should I buy a rack or rower? | Is CrossFit dying? | Dog training. | btwb fitness levels.

Real world, actionable, honest ways to keep working out when you don't feel like it.

Update: 1-week post-op Total Hip Replacement. | Linchpin Test 14. | Free E-book on programming.

Well, here's what happened...

People taking injections for weight loss. | Questions about squat racks & pull-up bars. | Linear back squat programs. | When to wear a weight belt. | Mental health & fitness. | Working out when sick. | And much more!

Real examples of how I scaled/modified 3 recent workouts. The workouts discussed happened on Nov 1st, 6th & 7th. Never feel obligated to perform a movement or loading just because it is "Rx'd". Remove ego & embrace scaling. Make smart decisions that will allow you to train pain free forever.

When are you too old to make gains? | How to workout at Planet Fitness. | What if Kipping hurts my shoulder? | Why push press more than you can press? | Does the order of the workouts matter? And MUCH more…

Highlights from my experience & interactions at the 2023 Rogue Invitational with the fittest & strongest people on the planet.

You do NOT need a lot of space or equipment to become VERY strong & fit. We discuss the minimum dose required to obtain the maximum result.

See you at the Rogue Invitational. | Linchpin + doing a sport. | Can you out-train a bad diet? | Do Games athletes eat candy bars? | Fitness was a new parent. | How to prep for a Military ruck event.

Share this with friends & family that need to hear a simple, straightforward discussion on what we do for fitness, how it works & why it makes sense. Telling people we do "constantly varied, functional movements at high intensity" usually causes confusion. This discussion should solve that problem.

Dr Andrew Huberman's training ideas. | Revisiting goal times. | Fitness at 80 years old. | Improve your front rack. | When to do accessory work. | And much more…

You should modulate the intensity of your training days. High intensity every day is not optimal for most people. Low intensity days & moderate intensity days have tremendous value. Intentionally & deliberately training at low & moderate levels allows athletes to fully express high intensity when they choose to. We explain how to make this happen during your training sessions.

How many pull-ups = a rope climb? | Heavy day rep schemes. | Sleds & ski ergs. | Fitness trackers & heart rate. | Should someone 55+ workout less? | Rower vs Air Bike.

A television news program posted on their evening show a list of 4 exercises that they stated are "Bad exercises for people 50 & older". The 4 exercises were…Pull-ups, Push-ups, Squatting with weights & Deadlifts. The world is in serious trouble if we listen to these "experts".

The Rogue Invitational. | Women beating men in competition. | Slam balls. | Reducing soreness. | Group training vs Solo. | What coach influenced me? | The gymnastics pullover.

Let me explain...

Thoughts on CF Games going to Texas. | If you see bad programming, should you say something? | Training de-conditioned & overweight athletes. | Defining health. | How to use rest periods effectively in training. | Are knee push-ups bad?

Doing hard things is good for you physically AND mentally. Linchpin Test 13 is very hard & people from all around the world stepped up to the challenge. These are some of their stories of obstacles they overcame.

No warm-up…is this ok? | Stride length vs cadence for running. | Origins of Linchpin. | Is anyone ever at 100%? | Proper grip for deadlifts. | Handstand walks. | Why do we snatch?

Rod & Diane Coachman own CrossFit 1209 in Augusta, GA. They opened during the global pandemic & have been growing an incredible community ever since. Their gym follows the Linchpin Private track for Gym Owners. We discuss the evolution of their gym, how to have a strong community & if certain races/ethnicities are lacking in CrossFit.

Get better at snatching & ring dips without doing them. | Improving endurance. | Programming multiple part workouts. | Linchpin vs VNR. | How are Goal times created? | Should you workout when tired? | And much more…

Justin Carter, PH.D. is a professor at the University of North Alabama & a member of the Linchpin Private Track. His area of expertise is understanding the psychological factors that influence an individual's performance in different areas of life. He has created a study & is looking for volunteers from Linchpin to participate.

Unique aspects of Linchpin. | Programming. | Data, studies & research. | Box squats. | Improving strict pull-ups.

Every workout has a purpose & was intentionally designed to achieve a specific training need. This video covers the workouts from August 21-26, 2023 & dives into "why" they were programmed.

How many times a week should you squat? | My rules for physical & mental health. | Intermittent fasting. | How many burpees equal a 400m run? | Practicing skills.

A woman emailed me several questions & concerns she had about joining Linchpin. I believe the topics she raised are applicable to many people & therefore I decided to share my responses here for everyone.

Should we train rotational movements? | Can you maximize fitness doing bodyweight movements? | Bulgarian split squats vs lunges. | Working with Chris Hinshaw. | Goal times. | I only do strict movements, is that ok?

Every workout has a purpose & was intentionally designed to achieve a specific training need. This video covers the workouts from August 7-12, 2023 & dives into "why" they were programmed.

My favorite part of the 2023 CF Games. | Fitness Trackers...necessary or not? | When to use sleds & prowlers. | Heavy Days at a high heart rate. | Training Days vs Testing Days.

Phil T. has been working out his entire life & has been doing CrossFit since 2007. His first workout was "Linda" & he puked. His local gym shut down during the pandemic & that's how he found Linchpin. He shares his story & lessons learned during this interview.

What's my favorite Games event? | Details on the 1.5 Mile Run program with Chris Hinshaw. | How to let people know CF is for anyone. | How to modify workouts when short on time. | Wrapping your thumbs around the pull-up bar. | If you can only do 3 workouts a week, which should you do?

Our community has doctors, lawyers, first responders, stay-at-home moms & dads, teachers, physical therapists, software engineers, farmers & everything else you could think of. Here is a discussion of what people do.

How do you know if you're really pushing yourself in a workout? | Training in a Gym vs At-Home. | Should "intensity" drive decisions to scale workouts? | "Want vs Need" regarding training volume. | My conditioning needs work, what should I do?

Can you be too strong? A discussion about a polarizing topic.

The best coaching cue I ever got. | Do I prefer competition or wellness? | Strategies for Deadlift day. | I will never be good at gymnastics...help me! | How to use the VNR cycles. | Deload weeks. | Is there a point where you're "strong enough"?

Ben M. is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He has had a bad back most of his life & fitness has helped alleviate some of his symptoms. He also had a serious knee injury many years ago that causes him to scale & modify workouts. He has found a great path of making long term decisions to improve his health & fitness. This is his story.

A deep dive into programming. | Why do people hate running? | Are dumbbells enough for fitness? | Subbing jump rope for running. | How to stay fit as a new parent.

Michael is a husband, a father of two children & a Linchpin member. When his first child was born 2 years ago he stopped working out. When his 2nd child was born he found a way to make fitness happen during this very hectic period of life. This is his story.

As people get fitter do I make the workouts harder? | How important are goal times & intensity levels? | Working out in heat & humidity. | A replacement for GHD sit-ups. | Training vs Testing. | Smoothies. | Doing your own workouts from time to time.