The most honest set of 5 is a set of 4. Priceless :-)

It may not be practical in a group setting, but in a garage gym it's quite easy to perform two rather than just one exercise during a heavy day. I always do one lower body and one upper body exercise. Is it a good strategy?

Mattie is a one in one billion athlete. I was sad that she was not in the Olympics.

Had MMA on point talked about this but do elite fighters have a training issue? There are a ton of greats that lost so much time due to injury meanwhile there are plenty of awesome fighters but not champions (guys like Donald Cerrone or Joe Lauzon) that fought plenty without crazy long injuries. Obviously there are greats of the sport that were pretty healthy like Demetrius Johnson but there's so many fighters in this list that lost out on prime fights due to injury

So awesome to see Dan's face light up when talking about his babies! They make life a lot more enjoyable despite the constant lack of sleep. Dan my friend, get ready for years of holding a child while cooking, eating, using the bathroom, vacuuming, dusting, etc. Hahahahaha, Dan's new CrossFit routine: For Time: Mow 5 acres and Weed-eat 200 ft of sidewalk.

Kristi is such a rock star. Thanks for the interview!

Thank you so much! I will put the suggestions (negatives with pause, negatives on parallettes etc) to use 🙏❤

Boz just got way cooler with Manhattan or Negroni as his go-to cocktail! Cheers!

How does pushing against a fixed object (floor) vs a free floating object (bar) influence the difficulty of bar vs handstand?

love from china!!!!

As far as working on skills during a workout goes, I was guilty for a while with dumbbell snatches. I finally decided screw my score, my back is blowing up when it shouldn’t and I need to work on these. That was the best decision I could have made. Now that my form is where it should be, I am WAY better at them and my back doesn’t feel a thing no matter how many we do.

Question for you guys. I know that Adrian does jiujitsu. My husband’s gym recently lost their “strength & conditioning” coach and I was curious if you guys could recommend a good program to subscribe to. The gym usually does jiujitsu every evening from Monday to Thursday, and extra morning classes on Tuesday and Thursdays. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday they also did strength and conditioning as a second class during lunch time. They usually had a warmup and then a quick kettlebell/dumbbell workout. Would the linchpin limited equipment be a good substitute for the strength and conditioning workouts? I don’t know if the “gym owner” track has those as well. Or what other program would you recommend? Something that could be a good choice as a second workout of the day and could be done in a jiu jitsu studio. Thanks!

One option if you want to learn from a different coach is you can take a different class?

Loved this episode 👏 great advice! I also get the FOMO of missing workouts sometimes, but you’re right that it’s just a workout. Whether you do it or not doesn’t define you as a person.

I love the nano 14s for pretty much any wod that doesn’t have running in it. If I am running in a metcon, though, then I love the 6s.

Pat was spot on with investing 4% of time into recovery, to allow for the remaining 96% of training to be "productive, meaningful, and pain-free." It was interesting to hear the comment made "elite athletes don't like taking time off." When I first started CrossFit (with the objective to compete as an elite athlete - still chipping away at that goal, 5 years later), I also had FOMO and felt like I needed to "burn it to the ground" each and every workout. That mindset and approach landed me in my physio's office too often. One of the most helpful things she said was in response to my comment "Hey, I bet you see your top level athletes all the time and they have a hard time sticking to your recommendations for rest/recovery, the way I do." And she said "Actually, no, the very best athletes are the BEST at sticking to my recommendations for rest/recovery because they can't afford to have protracted injuries. They refuse to sacrifice the quality of their training sessions by pushing through and making a 'niggle' that should only take 2-3 days to resolve into a major ailment that compromises their workouts for weeks or months." I became a convert at that moment and started living by "What Would An Elite CrossFit Athlete Do?" (A play on WWJD, but way to long to fit neatly on a patch or bracelet). Now I'm just as serious about my recovery as I am about my training - and I consider elite CrossFit athletes to be the opposite of amorphous blobs. So, when looking at the WOD, instead of FOMO, consider WWAECFAD?

I’m a “what if” person especially now I’m getting older and notice longer recovery. It’s like longer I rest I’ll get lazy so I just push through even I don’t feel great. I guess my question is how do I know when to reduce the intensity and load. Is there a threshold in terms of age and the amount of workout and intensity to allow effective recovery? I know there’re a lot of strong masters athletes out there however for me average gym goers I don’t know what I’m doing most times. Thanks

Great subject ! I am such a fan of Adrian Bozman ! So unfortunate he is not the one in charge of the games this year...last year was a masterpiece 🎉 But always good to learn new stuff and how to tackle some issues

Personal attestation to your viewer's fear about turning into an amorphous blob by taking rest. I took 4.5 months off from training. And I mean completely off. I was recovering from a nagging shoulder and biceps tendon issue, moved, and adopted a newborn in that timeframe, so my rest was equal parts voluntary and involuntary. When I got back out into my garage gym I tried to be smart about my intensity and loading for the first two weeks, slowly increasing both over those two weeks and what I can say is, my performance overall did not suffer enough to be noticeable, i.e. my 1RM deadlift did not decrease, my power clean did not decrease, my strict pull ups did not decrease. About the only real performance degradation I noticed was my cardio respiratory endurance, but a couple weeks of focused effort between running, air bike, and rower remedied that.

Thanks for a great podcast. This is a more nuanced topic that it initially appears. In my experience a deload week is better than outright rest. Many common chronic injuries, like achilles tendinosis, golfers elbow etc. don't improve with a few days rest. The best way to get over them is to keep moving within a reasonably pain free range of motion and appropriate scaling. Two weeks off will definitely result in detraining and it's not going to cure chronic aches and pains. If I'm injured I always try to move in a way that does not exacerbate the injury. Obviously, this doesn't apply to acute injuries like a hamstring tear or a contusion but for most "niggles", motion is lotion.

This is my type of autism

He put Li Fabin on notice in Phuket…so the Chinese will be ready. But this kid is and will only get stronger!! Go Hamp!!

Great episode. I continue my 100% record with V+R episodes 🤟. I’d love to know your thoughts on fitness addiction. I remember Rory Mckernan saying on one of the Games documentaries that CrossFit is a mental illness. For us non elite athletes it can be an issue to, that guy Rick from a few episodes ago comes to mind. The Ironman doing crazy amounts of training and not getting paid for it. I have a couple of people that I coach that are showing serious signs of fitness addiction. Severely overtrained, wanting more and more to the detriment of their relationships and overall health. I understand fitness can be a coping mechanism to combat the demons in our head, our traumas, it does for me. However I feel an intervention might be needed. I’d love to hear if you have experienced this before with any non competitive athletes, if so how did you approach it. As I feel these people need more help from a therapist than another workout. Such a delicate subject to approach. I care for there will bring above all else and looking for your advice. Thanks guys, keep up the great work

Good luck in Paris! Awesome that your Dad gets to coach you.

Everyone should watch the Hampton Morris Doc: Hamp the Champ

Thanks for highlighting Hampton. Good luck in Paris and have fun!

Please 🙏🏾 interview Hamptons dad !?!! ❤️‍🔥👍🏽😎🔥

Good luck in Paris, Hampton!

I love this podcast! Not sure if this has been a topic on your podcast yet but what would you say is the best way to prep for a CF competition when you know what the workouts will be. Just doing the events over and over, mixing all the movements in the events into different workouts, working mostly on the parts you know will be difficult for you, a combo of all?

May I please ask an anonymous question? This episode really resonated with me. I am a newbie CrossFitter just 1.5 years into my training. I was in a class at another gym where the coach was very focused on programming to his members. The class was structured with a solid warm-up, workout and cool down. He would also ensure related accessory work was added on a frequent basis. Very intentional and focused on advancing our fitness and strength, taking into account our levels. It was freaking fun (and hard!)!! Unfortunately he left the gym and is not coaching class any longer. I switched to another CrossFit gym that is very different. The programming is linear (six-week squat lifts, another week of pull-ups in every workout) not varied, no cool down or accessory work, and the warm up is a mini version of the workout. Under the guidance of my previous coach I saw results, felt stronger and fitter all the time. Now I’m not sure I feel very fit or strong. (Despite the pull-ups we do I have not been able to progress in obtaining a strict pull-up at the new gym whereas I with my previous coach I was improving my supine hang, ring row hold and kip swings.) Is it possible this more linear approach that is not varied is impeding my progress? Thank you for any advice you can share.

Haha "old" at 34. But I can relate. I started CrossFit at 37, and started it as a competitive sport, not just something to do for fun or to get fit. You can definitely make a drinking game out of every time she says "whatnot." I wonder what my random filler word is that I don't know I use?

This was a really cool episode. I will definitely make sure I watch her at the olympics

I listen from Apple podcast while I drive most days. Just dropping in to say, “this is the best podcast! So helpful, smart and funny!”

Boz & Pat, thanks so much for answering my question. That meant so much to me. I just wanted to take the time to answer Pat’s question about what I was referring to as “skill work”. We only do skill work in class if it is barbell work. We do not do any skill work for gymnastics. If gymnastics movements are in the WOD, the coach will go through the movements and modifications. However, nothing further than that. The suggestions you both made were extremely helpful and will help me a lot. Thanks again!

My gym is kind of the same, sadly. I think what the commenter meant was on the days when wods had gymnastics, the attendance was low, hence the part about the barbell club or, in other words, new wods being more focused on weightlifting and cardio. I’m only assuming but I don’t think it was about a dedicated gymnastics class. Gym owners in my area do lean towards what members want and most members want to sweat and lift heavy 😢.

Same train of thought, should programmers also have gymnastics achievements and progressions in their programming? Like we have in Murph where gyms start with Cindy and then progress all the way to doing Murph with a vest. It seems like mainstream workouts are mainly aimed at 1 rep maxes and intensity but not small achievements like 1st Muscle up, Toes2Bar and HSW.

Love the show and the breadth of topics you guys discuss! If you could pluck any athlete or athletes out of their non-CrossFit sport and have them compete in the CrossFit season, who do you think would be able to compete at a Semifinals or Games level?

Love the podcast and look forward to Tuesdays when they're published. Something I'd love to hear your thoughts on is the place that mobility has in the Crossfit interpretation of fitness and/or health. I'm a 40 year old guy who's been around Crossfit for 10 years; and dabbled at different times in focusing more on different things like olympic weightlifting or endurance. But hitting my 40s, I've finally seen the light about spending time on mobility, flexibility, and range of movement. I now either attend a dedicated mobility and movement class once a week or dedicate a single workout day to it. Is there a case for coaches and gyms to dedicate even more time to these things in programming? Best wishes, Rob in London

Probably an unpopular opinion here: 1. Pancakes 2. Waffles 3. French Toast

I can’t stand the pillowy running shoes. I feel very unstable in them. I need to feel the ground to some degree when I run or walk. I love Nanos 6s for training and WOD runs. I use Altra Superior or Solstice for monostructural runs over 2 miles. Love the zero drop and very minimal cushioning. I actually have had a flat left foot since I was a kid and was able to strengthen the arch by doing CrossFit and not using orthotics, inserts, etc. Squatting in socks/barefoot was the key for me. My left foot is not flat anymore!

1) Wide toe box 2) Flat sole 3) Minimal cushion An overly cushioned, heel drop/toe lift shoe is made because people have poor running technique, and it only exacerbates those issues. Also, I’m with Boz. French toast is objectively the best breakfast starch.

Inov8’s all the way

I’d suggest that far more important than how fancy shoes are is that they fit the athlete’s foot well. What I mean by that is considering the actual dimensions of the shoe: • length • width • ratio of toe box width to back of shoe • heel drop As an example, I work out in Nanos with high arch support insoles, and they’re serving me quite well for mixed modality work. Without the insoles they’re nearly unwearable-my feet hurt like they’re injured after just a few minutes, and I don’t feel confident doing anything requiring stability, like box jumps. The insoles I happen to have are expensive adjustable ones, but they’re not meaningfully superior to cheap ones I have in other shoes. Similarly I really appreciate the wide toe boxes of my Tyr L-1 lifters and Lake MX 238 cycling shoes, as well as the insoles I have in them. Most people don’t have the foot issues I do, though, and likely don’t have to care nearly as much. But finding the stuff that works well for me has been transformative. It’s only been expensive because of years of trial and error. So Pat, you may or may not have gotten scammed-only you can know whether this has made a difference for you, particularly in the long term. If you’ve been fine your whole life so far, then your money would have likely been better spent elsewhere.

As a 66 year old with arthritis in right knee, I need a decent running shoe for any workout with runs over 200 meters. I can do the runs with more typical CrossFit shoes, but my knee will not be happy. For my athletic longevity, and I’m sure I’m not alone, shoe choice is important. If I need to change shoes during a workout, so be it!

I run marathons and ultras, and I do all of them in my NoBulls. I get a lot of flack for it from other runners, but they feel so good on my feet and make me happy. Every time I’ve gone to get fitted for a “proper”’pair of shoes I’ve hated them and gotten rid of them quickly. I’ve come to believe that the best shoe for you is the one that makes you happy.

I like the wider toe box (feels really nice and stable for lifting). I've gotten onto the Strike MVMT train a few years ago and love them!

@Pat Sherwood.. when I used to run.. back while on Active Duty (Army - prior to 2012) I used Brooks exclusively... Glycerin's for LSR's... and Ghost's for shorter runs... loved the Brooks for their shape and larger sized toe box... I have wider feet.. I'm a Nano-guy though, since getting into CrossFit (2012)... Nano-4 all time favorite.. even number Nano's were always best... the Nano-7... worst Nano. Today (2024)... similarly.. when Judging at Comps... will get some shoes... so now I use Nano-4 (from what I've lovingly kept useful), GoRuck Ballistic Trainers/MACV Jungle Boots... and not much else... I agree with you both... Running is a Skill that moves along that spectrum of proficiency... right now.. I don't run as much.. but I need to. Great conversation with Boz!

Xero shoes(an amazing minimalist shoe brand) if i have rowing/running etc otherwise i train completely barefoot and have for over 5 years and it has been perfect, Game changer on my foot’s ability to connect to the floor in deadlifts and squats etc

I started crossfit in wrestling shoes. I use Nano 8 that feel great. All these suggestions $120+ I'm going back in the direction of wrestling style now, and want to see how it feels. Found wide toe box zero drop minimal shoes "Whitin" offbrand #$30. Felt good for wod work. I do use Asics or New Balance running shoes for any real running wods but am working on my running technique. The price of shoes is crazy to me, and I spend as much time barefoot as possible but have to stand most of the day at work.