Linchpin Conversations

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...

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.