The Freedom Project

Today, I talk you through the 5 tools I most often prescribe athletes so they can have the best training and competition experiences possible. I cover: how to overcome fear, how to stop missing the lifts you know you should be hitting, how to stop resigning yourself to failure, and how to give athletic performances you're proud of.

Today, I interview Mary Beth Prodromides who is one of our athletes. Mary Beth won the CrossFit Games Masters division yet again this year, and in doing so has enjoyed a complete revamp of her mindset. In this episode, we're going to walk you through, step by step, her mindset training protocol and how we got there.

In today's episode, I will share the exact system we have used to train mindset in thousands of athletes. I'll go into how to apply it to your life, and what to look out for. Enjoy!

Authenticity is the path to your potential as an athlete. Yet often you find yourself hiding behind a mask of someone else to protect yourself. In this episode, I dive into how to develop the courage needed to become authentically you, and perform at your highest level

Your mind and your body, as we’ve discussed plenty of times on the limitless athlete podcast, are intertwined. You cannot separate one from the other. Your body influences the feel of your mind, as much as your mind influences the feel of your body. That’s why your head drops and your shoulders round when you feel defeated in a workout. It’s why you stand up tall when you win. It’s why your breath changes with your mood and your heart beats faster at the mere thought of a workout. Your body assumes a posture - both physically and metaphorically - when you give it a repeated stimulus. If you think you’re defeated for twenty years, your body (your gut, your brain, your nervous system) assumes that to be the truth, and acts like it. If you’re going through extreme stress, your body recognises the emotional state you’re in and limits access to certain states. And, when your body is fried from overtraining, over-caffeinating, over-breathing, and under recovering, your thoughts and emotions will run amok. What this gives us is both a problem and an incredible opportunity. How do you break free of the two way conversation of the mind-body? Isn’t it interlocked and reinforcing the story you believe, the emotions you feel, the thoughts you have and therefore the way your body performs? Well, yes. But the two way conversation also gives us two potential openings to change: one - the more traditional in the world of sports - the psychological work; and two, by regulating our nervous system. In today’s show, Head Coach Rachel takes the lead and interviews Jessica Maguire, a vagus nerve master and physiotherapist. Expect to learn: How your vagus nerve influences your emotions and mood How to tone your vagal nerve for better performance The habits you can integrate into your life for better performance And much more Now I bring you, Coach Rachel, and Jessica Maguire.

How you are thought of by others - or rather, how you perceive how others think about you - is what you’re wired to care about. The most dangerous thing for humans until very recently, has been being kicked out of the tribe. That’s why you naturally care so much about what people think of you. But nowadays, your life isn’t on the line if a few gym members don’t like you - even if it feels like it. And really, no one even notices your mistakes. Yet fear of standing out - of being the tallest poppy - is often the very thing which holds you back. “What if I go full send on this workout and people think I’m a try hard?” “Will mum still love me if I am really successful?” “Will my friends still want to hang out with me if I don’t go to this event?” The pursuit of being an elite athlete is fraught with this perceived pressure. This is what Hannah Hardy, Team Games Athlete and 23rd place finisher in this years’ quarterfinals, had struggled with for so long. That is until she began working with Mindset Rx’d to train her mindset. You’re going to hear today how Hannah transformed her mindset. Think of it like a case study which you can listen to in order to extract your own mindset training process. In Hannah’s words “mindset is the gateway to unlocking your full potential.” If you listen to this show and think “I would like to know more about training my mindset,” then apply for a free Mindset Assessment with me. I open up a maximum of three mindset assessments per week which are completely free of charge. In this assessment, you and I will not only assess your strengths and weaknesses, but also devise a plan for how to train your mindset. If you want to chat about working together, we can do that, but the main objective is to give you a thorough insight into your own mindset and how to improve it. To apply for one of these spaces, head to our Instagram @MindsetRxd and click the link in our bio. Or check the show notes and click the link at the bottom. Now, I bring you, Hannah Hardy. https://mindsetrxd.lpages.co/free-mindset-assessment

“Moderation is for cowards” What holds too many athletes back is the fear of committing to their next level. What will I lose if I go all in? What will that do to my relationships, my career, my time to serve others? If you really want to be great, those are the wrong questions to ask. What will I lose if I don’t take action on my dreams? That’s the real question to ask. You’ll lose the chance of being a true success, yes. But you’ll also lose the one chance you had to be the person you wish to be. You’ll miss out on satisfaction, on an adventure, on immeasurable growth. When you ask the dying about their biggest regrets in life, it’s not the things they did that they wish never happened. It’s what they didn’t do. The opportunities they shunned, the hot date they never built up the courage to ask out, the decision to hide away from their truest expression of themselves. You only get one go at this life, you don’t know how long it’s going to last. -- Today I speak to Pat Sherwood of CrossFit Linchpin. Pat is a longstanding member of the community who has walked the balance of going all in and of seeking balance. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and it’s my pleasure to bring this to you in the hope it helps you decide if you want to go all in.

Today, I interview Danny Lehr of Caffeine & Kilos. We discuss a host of topics, but the main theme is how to incorporate more structure into your life so you can achieve your goals.

A few years back, we worked with an athlete called Kat. Kat was the partner of the gym owner; a good athlete, but who struggled with skill work. She also struggled with how she appeared to the rest of the community she led. Because of this, she held back from practising skills and pushing to her limits in front of others. Of course, this slowed her progress and growth. Over the following months, we taught her the power of vulnerability. She began feeling comfortable with messing up skills in front of others. She fell whilst practising handstand walking but learned to laugh about it. She pushed her limits and completely blew up in workouts but she learned not to feel judged. She signed up for the next level of competition and fully committed when she was there. She learned to go all in. Because of this, she not only reached her next level but felt more confident and secure in herself too. When we wrapped up our coaching time, she spoke words I’ll never forget “vulnerability is my superpower.” Today’s podcast embraces how to be vulnerable as an athlete. I speak to former Thunderbird pilot, Michelle “Mace” Curran, about how she overcame imposter syndrome and the fear of failure through embracing vulnerability in an authentic way. Michelle is a US Air Force Major, and was formerly the lead solo pilot in the Thunderbirds - the first female to fly that position. She’s now coaching others on how to embrace vulnerability for growth.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” - Aristotle “Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power” Lao Tzu Or simply “Know thyself” Socrates It doesn’t matter if you were born millenia ago like Aristotle, Lao Tzu, or Socrates, or born today like you. Knowing yourself is the first step you must take in order to fulfil your potential as an athlete and as a human. In this podcast, Phil Mansfield, Coach at Red Pill Training, frequently asks the question “do you push the piano, or play the piano?” What he’s getting at is something like “are you someone who thrives in grunt work, routine, and discipline, or are you someone who thrives in chaos and the unknown?” By knowing this, you know how to structure your training and recovery, and even how to think about your self-talk. But self-knowledge doesn’t stop there of course. What really drives you to be your best? What are your fears? What are your worst habits and best attributes? What do you spend undue time worrying over? What is the story at the heart of your performance challenges? Who do you believe you are? How has time and experience trained your nervous system’s default setting? What are you really imagining before a lift? If you don’t know these things, you will be a leaf in the wind; blown about by external circumstance; lacking any say in your outcome. At the end of the day, you can only control the controllable. The only controllable is you. So begin a kind of study. Part psychological, part philosophical, part sports performance, part anthropological. Make notes and question why you’re doing what you’re doing. Get to know who you really are from a different perspective. Become the observer, as someone once said to me. Phil is a true gem of a human and we cover some really fertile ground for athletes. It’s always fascinating to find someone who says similar things, but from a different perspective to yourself. This is what I found in this conversation.

You want to compete with confidence. That way when you turn up to the competition floor, you’ll back yourself. You’ll spend less time worrying about what others do. And hopefully, you’ll be able to execute your plan to your highest standard. An average plan executed with 100% confidence is better than a perfect plan executed with 50% confidence. Let’s view the goal of confidence through our RRP Method: Regulate, Rewire & Perform. A 2016 study showed that self-esteem may be associated with improved parasympathetic functioning. In other words, the more you are able to regulate your state, the more you back yourself. Without proper nervous system regulation, you are far more likely to doubt yourself, compare, and stress. Coach Rachel said to me in a conversation yesterday “all great truth is found in paradox”. When it comes to rewiring your stories, there couldn’t be a truer word spoken. Consider two opposing beliefs: “I am the best here, and I am certain to win” and “I don’t deserve to be here. I’m going to fail miserably.” Obviously both have their drawbacks, but also they have hidden benefits. The arrogant “I’m the best here” opinion may fill you with the kind of self-assuredness that helps you peak. Look at Conor McGregor in his early UFC days for an example. The “I don’t deserve to be here” mentality, may actually help you outwork many others in training. But the drawbacks of both are self-evident and extremely limiting. To perform at your best, you must be able to step outside of both of these narratives and believe only in truth. That is, what exists outside of the story you tell yourself. Only when you see the world truthfully can you perform at your best. Then from a Perform perspective, you can’t just hope to be confident. You need the strategies, tactics, and routine that reinforce confidence in your performance. A game plan without pre-lift routines, pre-competition routines, mental reset buttons, and a firm understanding of workout-specific self-talk will only undermine you. So, RRP: Regulate, Rewire, Perform. In today’s episode with CrossFit Games legend and entrepreneur, Jason Khalipa, you’re going to learn so much about confidence and how to deploy it into your life. Remember to subscribe to the show and leave a kind review, and also to follow us Mindset Rx’d on Instagram.

Us athletes like to identify as hard chargers. We’re tougher, more resilient, and more tenacious than regular Joe’s. As such we pride ourselves on how we can keep on pushing when others would stop. Like I’ve said before, this is an essential skill to develop for any athlete, and any human. If you gave up at the first sign of discomfort, you wouldn’t get very far in life. However, your body and your mind aren't made for endless grind. Speaking from an evolutionary perspective, we were built to work very very hard, and then rest completely and fully for a long, long time. Let’s dissect this a little bit. We can break this problem down into three components: rewire, regulate, and dominate. Rewiring is the process of changing the story. The story getting in the way of most athletes is the hustle and grind mentality. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”, “I’ve gotta outwork the competition”, or maybe a fear trap of “oh my God, everyone’s working harder than me and I will fail if I let myself rest.” Regulate is the physical side of the equation. Too many athletes we speak to spend their days constantly switched on. Pushing, grinding, forcing their body into the ground. Which is fine if there’s ample recovery too. Even your down time isn’t really down time: the hours on your phone are not the rest you think they are. Your body and mind still perceive this as work. Finally, dominate. This is on the competition or gym floor. We’re grinding instead of flowing. Great performances don’t come from a place of constant grind, they come from putting yourself in a place of effortless effort. Without these three components, minds fill with negativity and bodies don’t perform. To perform at your best by harnessing your full mindset, rewire, regulate and dominate. In this conversation with Kelly Starrett, we discuss the value of putting the brakes on - enforced down time - in order to put yourself in a better place. We also discuss the value of having fun, changing up your warm ups, the greatest mindset challenge Kelly has ever faced and a tonne more besides. Enjoy this wide ranging conversation with the wonderful, Kelly Starrett

If only what worked for everyone else worked for you. The amount of times you hear “oh, I just started meditation, and that fixed all my mindset challenges.” “you know when I began journaling, that solved all my issues.” “it was a psychedelic trip that changed my mentality.” Well, great for that person. But what about for you? 99.9% of your DNA is genetically identical to mine. That doesn’t mean we should follow the same programming, even if we have identical goals. It doesn’t mean our coaches should speak to us in the same way, even if we go to the same gym. It doesn’t mean my mindset practise and yours should be identical. Mindset is one-size-fits-one. Are you driven by numbers and quantifiable data? Or is it the feeling that drives performance? Do you want to succeed because deep down you want to be loved, or do you want to succeed to prove yourself to the world? You are you; not only because of your parents' genetic data being passed down to you, but because of their parents’ DNA sequences being passed down to them. And so on and so forth since the first living entity on earth. That’s incredibly unique. Then, you have to consider the fact that every single experience you’ve ever had - every conversation, every reprimand, every pass you made in your school team, every particle of light entering your retina, has shaped you in one way or another. You - are unique; beautifully so. So you’ve got to find out what works for you. That means certain failure many times. That means stepping away from conformity and safety. That means being taken out by the unknown. But if you really want to express the most brilliant version of you, you need an idiosyncratic approach - that is an approach that is shaped to your needs. In this interview with US Olympic swimmer, artist, and founder of RISE athletes, Caroline Burckle, the main theme is this one of finding what works for you, specifically are you a thinker or a feeler? Expect to also learn, how to find your one-size-fits-one approach how you can regulate your nervous system better, the warning signs you’re not regulated, when split times hurt performance and much more. If you enjoy the show, remember to subscribe to get more interviews with athletes and coaches to take you to your next level.

That moment you realise you’re actually good at CrossFit is a double edged sword. There was probably a moment where you looked round the gym and you realised that you were no longer the athlete you were when you started. Or maybe you won a comp and that changed your own perception. These watershed moments are a brilliant opportunity to rewrite your story. No longer are you an amateur, you are good at this. Be careful though, because if you’re not aware you’ll create expectations which will limit your performance. Let’s define expectations quickly. Expectations are visions of the future, not that you hope to happen, but you bank on happening. What’s the problem with that, you may ask? Well, firstly, where did these expectations come from? Was it what you consciously crafted for yourself? Or are you assuming that the people you surround yourself with - your coaches, fellow athletes, and family, now expect a level of performance from you? Implicit in this is the challenging idea “what if I let them down?” Or does this come from fear? Fear of going back to the struggle? As we’ve previously discussed on this show, fear generated beliefs are often limiting beliefs. Expectations are too unyielding to be helpful. When you expect something to go a certain way, your sense of security is attacked when the anticipated result fails to materialise. Expectations create unhelpful pressure too. Our best performances happen when we’re not overwhelmed by the amount of pressure we feel. So what’s the alternative? Aspirations. Firstly, there’s aspirations of outcome based goals. There’s nothing wrong with saying: “I aspire to get to the Semifinals. Then, we have aspirations of input based goals. “I will do everything within my control to go unbroken on the double unders.” “I will put full effort into planning my macros and recovery.” Have high standards by all means. Have hope for your future. Don’t, however, hold onto expectations which will limit your performance. Today’s guest, 7x CrossFit Games athlete Margaux Alvarez, speaks so eloquently about many things in the following show, but the theme running through this, and something she is clearly highly adept at, is observing and refocusing expectations. Alongside expectations, we also discuss: How the tragic passing of her sister changed the way she lived her life What Margaux would teach an athlete on the cusp of reaching their next level The biggest hurdle Margaux had to overcome in competition The balance of discipline and self-compassion

Do you catch yourself Instagram stalking to check up on how other athletes are doing? Scrolling through the leaderboard to check your placings when really you should be in bed? Watching other athletes in workouts when you could be in your own lane? Comparison has never been easier. Instead of strawmanning this argument let’s take the side of comparison. Let’s listen to the voice in your head that says “just check the leaderboard one more time… let’s see what so and so did in that qualifier or how their training is going.” I mean, surely it provides some benefit, right? When watching others you can identify things you can do better and even character skills to aim at. You may see the exact key that you need to unlock your next level. But listen carefully. Is that voice saying things like “ah man, I admire so and so’s grit and determination, and here’s how I can work toward that.” or, is it saying things like “shit, I’m not good enough, I’m not strong enough, I’m too slow.” What’s more, what does this do to your self belief? Improve it or lessen it? It probably will give you a boost of motivation, but fear driven motivation is quick to disappear and can cause long term mindset challenges. When you are deciding whether your comparison is useful or not, consider these three questions? Does it make me feel more like or less like the person I want to be? Does this help me create a relationship with myself which helps me? And most importantly, what’s the story I’m telling myself? In this episode with Brent Fikowski, we go into great length to discuss comparison and how to stop it. One thing we can all take from this interview is Brent’s ability not to double down on his emotionally disruptive states by getting upset at himself. He’s aware enough not to let his anxiety make him anxious or stress make him more stressed. This is one thing we can all be careful about: not becoming frustrated by our frustration or sad about our sadness. Experiencing the emotion once is enough. Alongside comparison, we also discuss: Dealing with doubt Self-generated confidence Overcoming self-criticism How to handle online qualifiers And incorporating fun into training If you enjoy this episode with Brent Fikowski AKA The Professor, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

Maybe the pressure is what drives you forward. Unerringly. Ceaselessly, toward your best. Could you have done what you have done without that pressure; forcing you, pushing you? But you recognise the times that the pressure has got too much. When will I snatch Xkg? When will I reach the semis? When will I be good enough? Pressure creates diamonds, they say. But pressure has also been your downfall. The pressure certainly wasn’t creating diamonds when I didn’t sleep for three days straight, not because I was busy, but because I couldn’t. It wasn’t good for me when, at 3am, I was a nervous ball of energy, unable to get a break from the constant criticism & judgment in my head, and unable to get more than 5 minutes of sleep. The pressure was making life miserable. And I know it makes the life of so many athletes miserable too. Maybe that’s you. Maybe the pressure and the force and the stress you’re putting yourself under is not needed in order to be successful. Maybe you could do all of this without the pressure. Maybe the pressure has become something you’ve grown attached to, because who would you be without it? What if you weren’t good enough without the pressure? I’m asking you honestly now, are you attached to the pressure? The very same pressure that is a stone in your shoe every time you workout or compete. What would happen if you dropped this pressure? Sure, you’ve proven to yourself that you can run a mile with a stone in your shoe. You could probably run a mile without that stone too. Think back to your best performances - in training or elsewhere. What did they feel like? Did they feel forced and stressed and full of pressure? Or did they feel open, free and effortless despite their difficulty? No one is asking you to shy away from difficult things, or to quit holding yourself to a high standard. Quite the opposite. I’m saying free up the space to perform your best by dropping the energy you’re currently devoting to fighting this self-imposed pressure. The podcast you’re about to listen to with CrossFit athlete Lucy Campbell goes into this subject of pressure. She speaks candidly about pressure to perform and to conform & how that affects our identity. Her background in sports psychology which makes for a really informative opinion. We also discuss body image, the role of identity, overthinking, comparison and dealing with injury. If you enjoy the show, please head to Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube and subscribe.

You are not your emotions. But you can’t discount them either. In those moments of fear, rage, love, or side-splitting hilarity, you can’t deny those emotions are as real as the headphones you’re listening to this podcast through, or whatever is in your visual field. You feel emotions whether you like it or not, and emotions sway you whether you like it or not. We often get into mindset training because our emotions have too much of a say in your life. Your fear of standing out prevents you from truly committing to training, or leaving it all on the floor in a workout. Your anxiety prevents social connection. Your nerves ruin your competition or qualifier performance. Due to its popularity and its effectiveness, the Stoic framework provides a great starting point to getting a handle on these emotions. Quotes like “if you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment” are often misinterpreted in a way that suggest we should be removing our emotions. Your emotions serve a purpose though. Disgust means you probably shouldn’t eat that food. Doubt is a good sign not to trust someone. Awe creates gratitude. If we dismiss our emotions entirely, we lose sight of a highly evolved skill set which gives us a unique advantage. Subtle emotions give subtle clues to what we need. Left to run amok though, emotions destroy us. There’s a middle ground to seek then. This middle ground is one from which we can observe emotions without becoming immersed in emotion. The goal is to get to a point where frustration doesn’t ruin any more of your workout than it needs to, and where confidence doesn’t lead you to blindness of your weaknesses. You want to be able to use your emotions as indicators of truth. Your emotions are telling you something the reptilian part of your mind knows to be true, but your more recently evolved brain structure hasn’t caught up with yet. Viewed through a purely evolutionary lens, your emotions exist because they serve a purpose. Otherwise they would have been wiped out of existence long ago. Your job is to see them for what they are - indicators which may or may not be trustworthy. In this conversation with Logan Gelbrich, we discuss the limitation and nuance of emotions, as well as: How to hold the standard of success Logan’s journey of mindset and what he’s learned along the way Psychological safety and self-expression Developing awareness The 5 different perspectives you can view any scenario through What great culture looks like & how to develop it And why the Sphinx may be thousands of years older than the experts think. Logan is one of those people who connects me to a deeper level of awareness, and I thoroughly hope you’ll enjoy this conversation.

2500 years ago, Socrates bought the Greek aphorism, Know Thyself into the forefront of philosophy. His point was that before you can claim to know anything, you must know yourself. Human wisdom, he said, begins with the recognition of one’s own ignorance. You and I, as athletes and as humans, are ignorant. We see the world through our narrow perceptive bubble. Our beliefs filter out information which could help us in pursuit of our goals. Our confirmation bias dismisses anything too uncomfortable to digest. Our own personal experience fashions a lens which distorts the colour of the world. What does this mean for us as athletes? We turn away from the information which is the exact data which would highlight a path of growth - the thing we say we want. We hide from the uncomfortable truth of weakness. We avoid situations, conversations and tests which may bring our limitations to light. All of this results in what Justin Cotler calls the worst thing an athlete can have: doubt. Am I fast enough? Am I strong enough? Will I miss this rep? What if I get sick again? Or, more to the point: Am I good enough? Do I deserve to be here? Will people still like me? Will I be happy? Doubt is the antithesis to what athletes truly require: confidence. In this conversation, Justin Cotler and I discuss the path athletes, coaches, and humans alike can take to becoming more confident. We also discuss: The role of ego in sports The testing of your mindset Why not being talented may be your greatest advantage Generating self-knowledge And creating turning points in your life

The wonderful Kari Pearce joins Coach Tom today to discuss what it truly means to fully commit to being the best version of you you possibly can be. Kari not only exemplifies this as an athlete, but a businesswoman too. Kari is all in on her potential as a human. Expect to learn how you can go all in on your potential too. Alongside this, we'll also discuss how to deal with bad luck (withdrawing from the CrossFit Games in 21 and being medically withdrawn prior), how Kari changes her mindset for different events, how she keeps training fun, and the book she recommends to everyone. Make sure you subscribe to Limitless Athlete wherever you get your podcasts.

Today, Coach Tom is joined by Nessa Carey, author of Epigenetics Revolution to discuss how epigenetics plays a role in your mindset, both from a performance perspective and a mental health perspective.

In the final part of the series, Coaches Rachel and Tom show you how to train your mindset so that you can get your mindset out of your way.

Today, Coaches Rachel and Tom explore the biggest mindset issues coaches face. This is why burnout, losing the love of training, and financial challenges happen, from a mindset perspective. You'll discover how your mindset has been created and what challenges it may present.

You see the world through the lens of the story you believe. What you consider your truth distorts the information you take in, to fit in with your narrative. Believe the world is flat, and you’ll only see, hear, and feel things which confirm that opinion. You’ll dismiss the very real evidence in order to prevent your inner world’s certainty from being disrupted. Experts become shills, friends become distant, and you become ever more convinced of your opinion despite the world telling you otherwise. Of course, the world being flat is a extreme example, but for how long did the world believe that women shouldn’t lift weights, smoking had no impact on your health, and that our race denoted our worth? Beliefs have real world consequences; Societally and personally. Do you believe that you’re always going to be the victim? Do you believe the world has missed your genius and in fact owes you something? Do you believe you’ll never succeed, you’re worthless, you don’t deserve love, or you’re inherently weak? And more importantly, are you blind to the bountiful truth which proves otherwise, just because some inner part of you seeks the certainty of your confirmation bias? Your beliefs aren’t shaping your world in a metaphysical or hypothetical way. They’re shaping your world through filtering out aspects of reality, selecting your thoughts, crafting your emotions, choosing your behaviours, and dictating your success. You are the only person who has the power to see through your internal bullshit and realise your potential, and that begins with making conscious decisions about how you’re going to interpret the world. In this interview with the mindset coach to some of the best CrossFit athletes around, Brett Piperni, we’re going to explore the way you can consciously choose your interpretation of reality and therefore set yourself free from your limits.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation I had with Dr. David Spiegel. Dr. Spiegel is one of the United States’ most respected experts in the clinical uses of hypnosis. He is associate chair of psychiatry and behavioural studies at Stanford University. He has over 40 years of clinical research. This conversation is all about hypnosis for two kinds of athletes, those who want to address their baseline mental health - so addressing sleep, stress, anxiety and the like - and those who want to unlock new levels of performance. What I discovered through researching this podcast and having this conversation is that many of the tools we dismiss instantly are hugely valuable assets. I had always considered hypnosis as some form of trickery. In Dr. Spiegel's words though, all we’re doing is accessing a different state of consciousness of intense absorption. You can use this pliable state of consciousness to enhance your mindset in ways that wouldn’t normally be accessible to you. We’ll also cover some of the foundations of hypnosis and what to look for in a good practitioner, as well as how to utilise self-hypnosis

We know coaches struggle with three main things: burnout, losing the love of training/being in the gym, and finances. All of these, and many other challenges have a mindset component to them. We know because we are coaches and we coach, coaches. Luckily, there's a path to fixing this and finding the career you always wished you had. This is the first in a three part series where we will teach you as coaches how to address these challenges.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation I had with CrossFit Games athlete, Bethany Shadburne. Bethany’s vulnerability in this podcast was inspiring to see as she walked us through what it’s really like to be an elite level athlete, and the mindset struggles which go along with that. A large part of the conversation is focused on how Bethany has overcome various mindset challenges using mindset training including journaling and creating a supportive community. Our main topic is a discussion around the mismatch of physical and mindset fitness and how that stops you from accessing your full potential, can lead to overtraining, a lack of trust, and being overrun by fear-dominated scripts. Alongside this we discuss... How people pleasing can destroy a coaching relationship The value of friends who speak the truth Generating confidence The details of Bethany’s mindset training How the fear of getting fat and not being good enough push Bethany towards doing too much and therefore getting injured

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation I had with Simon Jeffries. Simon Jeffries is a Mindset and Performance Coach with The Natural Edge. In a former life, Simon was in the UK Special Forces. In the conversation, Simon takes us through his life and how he wound up joining the Royal Marines, then enrolling in, and eventually successfully completing, selection for Special Forces.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation Tom had with Jonas Kaplan - Cognitive neuroscientist at USC’s Brain and Creativity Institute and Co-Director at Dornsife Neuroimaging Center The theme of today is the structure of beliefs, and what creates them. Jonas & Tom stick to as broad an application of beliefs as possible, so they don’t talk much about applying to athlete specific examples. But they do discuss how this applies in general. By listening to this show, you can gain a deeper understanding of how beliefs are formed and the biological structures which are involved in the research behind them. Alongside the fundamentals of belief, they also touch on: The role of the gut in our beliefs What parts of our brain are responsible for beliefs How to challenge our beliefs The emerging research of psychedelics & beliefs The vagus nerve and its role in the way we feel

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation between physiotherapist, breathwork practitioner and much more besides, Justin Ternes and Tom Foxley. Justin is passionate about helping patients address pain, injury and physical limitations through functional exercises, manual therapy skills, biopsychosocial education, pain science and mindfulness techniques. In this podcast, Justin gives a great introduction to the way our breath can be used as a kind of control dial for our mental state.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation between author, and former Navy SEAL Commander, Rich Diviney and Tom Foxley. After spending over 20 years in the Navy SEALs, Rich wrote The Attributes, a book detailing what he believes are the attributes we all possess which lead to our success, or lack thereof. In Rich’s opinion, we all possess these attributes, but in different quantities. This podcast shows the necessity for an athlete of any caliber to get to know themselves. Self-knowledge is the foundation on which mindset growth can be built.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation between 25x powerlifting world record holder, Stefi Cohen, and myself, Tom Foxley. One huge topic we cover is the difficult balance of femininity and the masculine parts of athleticism. This one goes deep and we dive into appearance and social pressure to look like everyone else. Stefi is an incredible human. She is one of those rare breeds who seemingly excels in multiple areas of life. Plus, she's a lovely human being. Stefi is a 25x world record holding powerlifter and the first woman in the history of the sport to deadlift 4.4 times her bodyweight. She recently took a break from the platform and transitioned to professional boxing (1-0-1). She is also a doctor of physical therapy and exercise physiologist who is passionate about education and bringing her audience a "no B.S." evidence-based view of all things training and nutrition through her company, HYBRID Performance Method. Stefi is also the co-author of Back in Motion with Dr. Ian Kaplan and co-host of the HYBRID Unlimited podcast. The main topic of conversation: how a beneficial mindset is often found between two oppositional factors: Hard work and self-compassion Professionalism and relaxing Masculinity and femininity Force and passivity Recovery and work It’s a balancing act that we must seek to maintain. We also discuss: Self-doubt and how to deal with it Trusting the process Those moments of discovery which are uncomfortable Never loving powerlifting Femininity in a “masculine” sport, and identity challenges around that.

Today on The Debrief, Coach Tom discusses Hunter McIntyre's appearance on the Limitless Athlete Podcast. The point in question is "when are you working too hard, and when are you not working hard enough?"

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you'll be listening to a conversation between myself and Hunter McIntyre. Hunter is an elite, multisport athlete with an incredible background. He holds the world record in the workout Murph, has competed at The CrossFit Game, and is a world class Obstacle Course Racer. We discuss Hunter's journey from drug and alcohol abuse to one of the fittest athletes on earth. The turning point in his journey lies in committing himself to a deeper purpose and discards a self-centred worldview. This is where each of our path to growth begins: ownership. We also discuss: Standing out as a kid Self-binding strategies Learning to love hard work Staying mentally tough A surprising book recommendation Aiming at a flow state Why he's so controversial

Today, Rachel and Tom dive into finding deeper meaning behind your goals & why that's' important to athletes.

Special Forces veteran, and GORUCK founder, Jason McCarthy joins Tom on today's episode. Jason has created a brilliant community around the pursuit of the most simple but effective exercise there is: carrying large loads a long way. Call it rucking, yomping, or tabbing, it works. Plus, it had hugely beneficial effects on your mindset too. This is just part of what Jason and Tom explore in this episode. They also discuss Jason's life as a Green Beret and his transition out of the military, the benefits of suffering, and the massively inspiring Chad workout as well as the charitable effort behind it.

Today on The Debrief, Coaches Tom and Rachel discuss their own mental health struggles within CrossFit and training. They talk eating disorders, anxiety, and more besides.

Today, Tom speaks to Niki Brazier, about a variety of mental health challenges. In particular, they touch on postnatal anxiety, body image challenges, and intrusive thoughts. Niki is a familiar face to most in the world of CrossFit as she's a reporter at The CrossFit Games and is a regular guest on many shows and podcasts. There's value in this show even if giving birth isn't in your immediate agenda because mental health affects us all. What I love about how Niki talks is how honest and open she is, but without an ounce of shame or victimhood. We also discuss journaling practises, body image and share weird compulsive tendencies.

Today on The Debrief - partner episode of the Limitless Athlete Podcast - Tom & Rachel guide you in how to stop compulsive thoughts and actions. It's vital you can get out of those mental ruts that cause you to plateau your growth. In this episode, you can expect to learn: Why you perform numbing behaviours What activities will help you mentally recover Building mindfulness in being an athlete How to stop leaderboarding

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, Coach Tom speaks to psychiatrist and author, Dr. Anna Lembke, about the role of dopamine and how to stop it ruining your progress as an athlete. There's two main topics of conversation here: leaderboarding, and phone addiction. These are the two forms of addiction which form the greatest destructive habits to athletes like yourself. Dopamine is an extremely powerful neurotransmitter and plays a huge role in addictive behaviours and emotional patterns. Questions we'll answer: Why are you addicted to the leaderboard even though it makes you feel crap? How do you learn to put your phone down? What role does dopamine play in your mental health?

Today on the Debrief, Coaches Rachel and Tom will be dropping tips on how to improve your mood, energy and drive through mindset training. They'll help you from both a mindset and a physical perspective to stop having to drag yourself to the gym. They'll be drawing on the episode they recorded with Richard Aceves of StrongFit and Movement Ayahuasca. If you want to listen to that episode, that will prep you for this episode, but you can listen to this individually too. Questions Tom and Rachel will answer include: What kind of rest is good and bad for your recovery? How can you reserve energy? How do you stop making decisions which drain your energy?

The body and the mind are not two separate things. Your mind influences your body and your body influences your mind. In today's show with Richard Aceves, we go into this in detail. Can your mentality be affected by your left pec? How does being in fight or flight change your training? What role does nutrition play on your mood. These are all discussed in today's podcast with the wonderful, Richard Aceves

Today on the Limitless Athlete, Rachel and Tom discuss 7 strategies you can use to increase your mental fortitude.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you'll be listening to a conversation between myself and Stoic author/commentator, William B. Irvine. Stoicism is an essential tool I deploy every single day in every area of my life and training is no different. I found Bill through Sam Harris' app, Waking Up, and found his book The Stoic Challenge exceptionally helpful. So why are we exploring Stoicism (philosophy) when we're discussing mindset and athleticism? First, most athletes are lacking mental toughness & Stoicism provides an antidote to that. Second, this will get you taking action on success, not just wishing it. Additionally, it will teach you an essential skill called Framing. We also discuss Overcoming setbacks Adding meaning to suffering Anger and how it will destroy your gains When negative emotions stopped being helpful And maybe most importantly: Why failing is the missing ingredient in your success

Today, Rachel Binette & Tom Foxley discuss the mindset required for longer events. If you struggle with endurance style workouts, end up cherry picking shorter workouts, experience negative self-talk in longer events, or struggle when you get 4/5 through a longer WOD, this episode is for you. We draw heavily from the episode with Chris Hinshaw (episode 10 of the Limitless Athlete Podcast)

This episode is simply dripping with stories about how Chris has helped train the minds of some of CrossFit's greatest athletes. Mat Fraser, Rich Froning, Julie Foucher, Sara Sigmundsdottir, Kara Webb, Jason Hopper and many more feature in today's show. Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation between aerobic coach to the biggest names in CrossFit, Chris Hinshaw, and myself. Amongst many other pearls of wisdom, Chris discusses the Sticking Point - that moment in every workout when you are in the most discomfort and are most likely to quit. It’s these moments, both in workouts and in wider life, where you have the greatest opportunity. If you listen to one part of you, you panic, or you slow down, or you quit. If you listen to the other, probably quieter voice, you’ll confront an inner demon and add proof to the story you need to hear to fulfill your potential. Because of this, we have to predict when we’ll feel at our most uncomfortable, and prepare our minds for that moment. The better prepared you are, the more likely you are to come out on top. Alongside this, we also discuss... How Sara Sigmundsdottirs socks tell a story about mindset and learning The pros and cons of fear for competitors Why Chris made Mat Fraser write down every single workout How anxiety ruins endurance And far, far more.

Today, we search for nuance on subjects which caused some trouble to our previous guest, Khan Porter. We go into depth on whose opinions you should actually listen to, the pillars of mental health, and how to apply this to your athletic pursuit. Especially when you become wrapped up in your external results.

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation between multiple time CrossFit Games athlete, Khan Porter and myself. Khan has always been on my radar since I found CrossFit. Of course, he was a great athlete, but I sensed there was a depth to him you don’t often find. And sure enough, it’s his conversations around mental health which made him a must feature guest on this podcast. His piece on Morning Chalk Up ‘An Uncomfortable Conversation’ details his experience with a variety of mental health challenges and an eating disorder. It is, as the name implies, an Uncomfortable read. But it’s possibly one of the most important articles on CrossFit and mental health I’ve read. We all have mental health. It’s not a binary thing. Just as our physical health exists on a continuum from sickness to wellness to fitness, so does our mental health. So whilst those who resonate with the idea that they have mental health problems, those who don’t will also benefit from listening to this. We are always conditioning our mentality, whether we’re doing it consciously or not. Khan speaks candidly throughout this conversation and we discuss many things including: The value of writing down your thoughts as a kind of mental purge How basing self-worth on performance, or anything else external, can be devastating to our mental health How we cannot dismiss our subjective experience Exploring the darkness of our shadow self And even Khan’s use of psychedelics and the influence they’ve had on his mental health Unfortunately, we didn’t get around to discussing two topics of much interest to me: craft beer and Khan’s skin care routine. Apparently, there were more pressing topics.

Today, Coach Rachel and Coach Tom pull out the key extracts from Alison Scudds's appearance on The Limitless Athlete Podcast. Our biggest focus in this show is bringing to light the process Alison has used to train her mind - the Mindset Rx'd Method

Today on the Limitless Athlete Podcast, you’ll be listening to a conversation between CrossFit Athlete Alison Scudds, and myself. Alison is another brilliant example of an athlete who on one hand has all the mindset advantages handed down to her - supportive environment, parents who taught her to push hard whilst being kind to herself, supportive yet encouraging community - yet has chosen to work on her mentality because she’s seen that nature isn’t comprehensive. Nurture matters too. The central theme of this conversation is how to learn the ability to drop expectations and focus on the effort we put in. Most of us have been wrongly taught to solely value the outcome of our actions, and not the actions themselves, nor the character skills displayed in undertaking them. Yet it’s those character skills that made the outcome possible. If we exclusively focus on the outcome, we can do everything right along the way and not get the reward. This feels like a failure, when in fact, you did everything in your control. What this does is breed discontent with yourself or the world. Or, you could achieve precisely what you set out to achieve but with a God-awful plan. The nature of positive reinforcement means you will keep repeating this plan to no success. In a world that says never take your eyes off the prize, it takes courage to say “hey, no. I’m focusing on the process”. It feels strange that by taking our focus off the outcome, and valuing the effort we put in more highly, we get to have the cake and eat it too. We are happier, more content, and more motivated, and we’re more likely to achieve the goal we originally set out in pursuit of. In the words of William Irvine, my goal is mettle, not medals. Alongside all this, Alison and I also discuss Putting the fun back into training, despite it being tough Leaning into your strengths as an athlete instead of being like everyone else The basic tools athletes can use to optimise their mental state And preparing effectively for competition Alongside this episode, we’ll also be releasing a partner episode, The Debrief, where Mindset Rx’d Head Coach Rachel and myself help you apply the lessons within this podcast to your training and wider life. We’ll also be pulling out the key ideas you may have missed, and discussing how you can use this conversation, and the wisdom within it, to train your mindset and become a limitless athlete.

Today, Coach Rachel and Coach Tom pull out the key extracts from Justin LoFranco's appearance on The Limitless Athlete Podcast. Most of our time is spent on how to break through our barriers and find new levels of performance in doing so.