Linchpin Conversations

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.

Dealing with mom guilt. | Winning the 2014 NW Regionals. | Favorite movement & workout. | Working out during & after pregnancy. | The glide kip. | Do we workout together or separately?

How many "indulgences or treats" does it take to derail your nutrition?

Info about affiliating your garage. | Top 10 grocery store items. | The bench press. | Experimenting with workout schedules. | Linchpin Test 6 challenge.

Being consistent with your training, due to making smart decisions, is far more important than being a hero on any one workout.

Qualifying for the CF Games as a master athlete. | Various coaching styles | Low intensity training days. | Crossover Symmetry. | Attending a CF L1 seminar.

Tips & tricks to avoid burn out in CrossFit.

Living with chronic pain. | Is 100% intensity needed for results? | Lessons learned from the SEALs.

Lifting heavy once a week makes people STRONG. Need proof? Listen to real back squat stories from members of the worldwide Linchpin community. Respect the heavy days & good things happen.

Zone 2 Training. | Lifting heavy every day...good or bad?| Heavy Day programming frequency.

A member of the Linchpin community is going to the selection process for Delta Force. I reached out to a friend who was at that unit for many years for insight, advice & guidance regarding physical preparation.

Funniest thing I saw in a gym. | CF Games vs Real Life. | Other podcasts I recommend. | Will I grow a beard? | Fear of going heavy after an injury. | What if snatching hurts? | Linchpin Test 5 Challenge.

Programming vs Community. Linchpin is not just fun & effective workouts, it is a real community in the truest sense of the word. If you want to maximize your potential, make sure you are surrounding yourself with people who support you & care about you.

Benefits of Garage Gym life. | Importance of nutrition. | Linchpin for gym owners. | Convincing people to get fit. | Doing a marathon. | Treadmills vs Air Runners.

Who cares! I already messed one up as well. Life goes on. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off & move forward.

1. Purpose of the hook grip. 2. A typical day of eating. 3. Kettlebells vs dumbbells. 4. Sport specific training. 5. Non-motorized air runners. 6. How to intro a new person to Linchpin. 7. Logging workouts. 8. Linchpin Test 5 is the January challenge.

Thoughts, feelings, reflections & observations from this experience, as well as what is my plan moving forward.

Tomfoolery & shenanigans. Creating an online community. Goals for 2023. Working out no matter what. Pull-up progression & more.

Motivation Stories from real people. We share some stories from membres of the Linchpin community around the world. We celebrate their success & draw motivation from their dedication to long term health & fitness. Life gets busy & they still find time to make fitness happen!

A discussion on how the 2023 CF Open workouts will be included in the CF Linchpin programming, as well as why "Open prep" is nothing but clever marketing.

Is never cooling down & stretching bad? Can a computer program great workouts? Should you pace the early rounds of a "death by" workout? When are you not doing enough? Linchpin Test 4 is the December 2022 Challenge.

This sucks & I hate it...this is what filled my head before today's workout. I was in a very negative mindset & needed to change my attitude. Then I remembered a phrase from way back in my military days, "Everybody wants to be a Frogman on Friday". This phrase snapped me out of my negativity & got me back on track. This phrase is explained in this episode & much more.

What do I miss about my training days before I found CrossFit? Fitness/Sleep/Recovery trackers. What is a "short & sharp" workout & how to modify it. Daily fitness for desk jockeys. Linchpin Test 4 is the December 2022 challenge.

Do less. Do it better. Get stronger & fitter. One workout a day is all most people need & can handle. Everyone needs to hear this message.

In what order should skills & movements be learned? A skill/movement development path for beginners to follow & progress is presented.

1. Working out while sick. 2. Winter is coming. 3. Gaining weight. 4. Accessory work. 5. Aerobic capacity. 6. Daily habits for success. 7. November challenge - Linchpin Test 3

Real people share real life stories. None of these people are sponsored, professional athletes. They are people like you & me. They have busy jobs, minimal free time, lots of stress, kids, tons of responsibilities & yet they still find time to make fitness happen!

Regrettable workouts. Is swapping days a bad thing? General scaling questions. Helping a 63 year old with chronic pain. Football + CrossFit. New running program. November challenge: Linchpin Test 3

Can sub-maximal efforts of lifting & sprinting sustain and/or increase fitness?

1. Favorite moments from the Rogue Invitational. 2. Elite athletes & deficiencies. 3. My 90th % workout on btwb. 4. Learning to program workouts. 5. Prioritizing the 10 General Physical Skills as people get older. 6. The November challenge: Linchpin Test 3.

If you cannot front rack a barbell & you truly think your positioning will never improve, what should you do to keep working out?

Women losing muscle mass as they age. Lifting belts, knee sleeves, etc. Combining CF & your sport. High rep Oly lifting in workouts.

Real people share why they choose fitness. Members of the global Linchpin community share their "why" that keeps them motivated to make long term health & fitness a priority in their life.

What was my best resource to learn about fitness? What is my favorite CF Journal article I wrote? How to scale/modify dumbbell workouts. October Challenge - Linchpin Test 2.