Linchpin Conversations

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.

Progressive Overload & Social Media influencers. | Miss a workout or make it up? | Make it to the Games on 1 workout a day? | V-ups, T2B, K2E, GHD sit-ups, etc. | Zone 2 training. | Fitness with a new baby. | Protein sources. | How to avoid being super sore.

Paul S. is a husband, a father, a businessman & Linchpin member in Amsterdam. He played football all his life & that lead him to CrossFit. He followed competition programming for a while until it started causing him injuries. During the lockdown he found Linchpin & has never looked back. This is his story.

Geoff G. is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He came from a serious running background & his best marathon time was 3 hours & 7 minutes. He fell into the "more is better" trap of doing too much volume & weight. Then he found Linchpin & started making better decisions with his training. This is his story.

Swapping workout days & sore legs. | Healthy vs unhealthy competition with others. | New running program update. | Strict vs kipping pull-ups. | Improving HSPU's. | Do you need to PR workouts to be fit?

Linchpin Conversations "Greatest Hits", Part 4. This episode covers our most popular episodes between shows 151 through 200. Enjoy!

Should we do a Spartan Race? | How to know if you are pushing yourself too far? | What does fitness look like for older people? | What to do if you do not like a gym's programming. | SDLHP vs power clean. | Best grip style for deadlifts. | Are high level CF athletes healthy? | How to do a % based workout of you don't know your 1RM.

Nathan G is an elementary school teacher who realized in his early 20's that his health was heading in a terrible direction. He was drinking too much, smoking cigarettes, eating poorly & leading a sedentary life. He completely turned his life around & shares his story in this interview.

Linchpin competitive athlete program. | When is best to do accessory work? | Should gyms offer CF, Oly, Yoga, Bootcamp, etc? | My doctor told me not to lift heavy, what should I do? | Help! I'm a tall athlete! | Is warming up important? | Using a heavy jump rope. | Running hills. | Improving pull-ups. | Training for a half marathon.

Cindy M.has been doing CF since 2015, but she did not always love it. In 2020 she joined the Linchpin private track. She & her husband have built an incredible home gym. She taught herself double-unders & pistols. This is her story.

The class structure of lift heavy + metcon = mediocre results. | Kids, sports & burn out. | Fran as rx'd at 70 years old! | Shoulder issues & the overhead squat. | Linchpin. = truth in fitness. | How to train kids.

Eddy L. is a husband, a father, a motorcycle enthusiast & a Linchpin member. He has worked through serious shoulder injuries caused by weightlifting & explored ways to improve his mind-body relationship. Here is his story.

What is Linchpin's secret? | How are the goal times determined? | Interests outside of fitness? | Touch-n-go vs quick singles. | When does fitness decline? | Getting kids to work out. | Deload weeks.

Tanner B. is a husband, a father, a USAF helicopter pilot. He is also strong! He can deadlift 550 pounds for a double & his back squat went from 425 lb to 565 lbs with Linchpin. This is his story.

Intensity & learning movements. | Minimalist shoes & working out. | Sumo Deadlift High Pulls. | Never want to do HSPU or HSW? | Choosing the right accessory work. | Can you get better at running without running?

Linchpin member interview with Jen F. She is a Navy wife, a mother of 3, a coach & much more. She & her family are stationed in Japan. She shares her story & journey with me during this episode.

What is the most valid criticism of CrossFit I've heard? | Ways to improve running. | Who do I want to interview? | Does CrossFit prepare you to play a sport?

Laura & her husband both follow Linchpin. She has 3 kids that she homeschools & that does not leave her with a lot of free time. Previously, she had a bad experience at a CF gym & thought the transition to working out at home would be difficult, but the Linchpin community has made it easy for her. She shares her story in this interview.

Dealing with tennis elbow. | Origins of the Linchpin name. | 2023 Rogue Invitational. | Hand care. | Rate of perceived exertion. | Repeats vs new workouts. | Nutritional supplements. | What if you miss a couple of workouts?

Chris A. is a Linchpin member who is 6'6" tall, weighs 260 pounds & punishes the Rogue Echo bike. The knocked out 50 calories on the bike in 32 seconds! He is a former elite level triathlete that had his sites set on the 2016 Olympic Team. This is his story.

Box Jumps vs Step-ups vs Broad Jumps. | Do I log all my workouts on btwb? | My favorite ice cream & donut flavor. | Heart rate variability. | A brief chat on nutrition.

Darryl is a Linchpin member & the principal of a school in Singapore. He joined Linchpin in 2018. This is his story.

Through a chance encounter I was fortunate to meet Randy in Whistler, Canada on a family vacation. Randy is 35 years old & says following Linchpin helped prepare him physically for the 900 hours of chemotherapy he underwent last year. Since then, following the scaled daily workouts have gotten him to the point where he could go snowboarding for the first time in a very long while.

Should you sit during rest periods? | Ring row progressions. | Improving gymnastics. | Turning 40 years old. | Master athletes & loading.

Olivia has been following Linchpin since 2015 & joined the private track in March of 2018. She lives in Alaska with her husband & her two kids. She talks about pregnancy, why scaling is cool & the wonders of community.

Forward lunges vs Reverse lunges, which are better? | Being 300 pounds & beginning to work out again. | Are sit-ups bad for your back? | Best cardio equipment. | Are warm-ups necessary?

A member of the Linchpin community can do 5-6 strict pull-ups, but does not know how to kip. What should he do during a 21-15-9 workout to improve his fitness, modify the workout & still preserve the intended stimulus?

Emily Sherwood joins me to discuss L-sit modifications, Bedtime routines, Ice baths, Games athlete programming & how to get Strong.

Is there a benefit to lifting heavy on tired legs or is it smarter to rest & hit the lifting on a day when you feel 100% rested?

Individual vs Affiliate programming. | Is the CF Open a "pass or fail" test?

The Deadlift vs the Squat! If you could only do one movement for the rest of your life, which would you pick & why?

Dropping in to gyms when traveling. | Bo Jackson, Micheal Jordan & 100 mile races. | The Egyptian Pyramids. | Tips for working out at 5:15am.

Our community is full of single moms, working mothers & countless other women whose lives are hectic. but they still find a way to make fitness a priority.

Interviewing Linchpin members. | Bear hug holds. | Working on weaknesses. | Rebounding box jumps. | Working around aches & pains.

"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." This quote by Blaise Pascal is one of my favorites. It is a guiding principle behind my personal philosophy on how to program beautiful & effective workouts.

The purpose of the Linchpin Tests. | Choosing the right loading. | Improving movement as a garage athlete. | Books everyone should read.

Experienced athletes lifting less frequently & getting new PR's. We share real success stories.