Varied Not Random

-A VNR listener wants to know if squatting & deadlift should be avoided. -He recently listened to a podcast which included several well known people in the fitness industry & they generally said they avoid squatting & deadlifting with their clients. -Pat & Adrian tackle this topic.

-HYROX is gaining popularity. -What is it? -What does a HYROX race/event consist of? -Should normal CrossFit programming prepare you or is specialized training required? -Pat & Adrian tackle this topic.

-Some gym members love partner workouts. -Other members hate partner workouts. -Some members find them fun & motivating, while others find the peer pressure an anxiety ridden nightmare. -Do you like posting your results on a public whiteboard in the gym for everyone to see? -Do you consider the whiteboard to be inspirational or a source of public humiliation? -Pat & Adrian take opposite st...

-3 different topics/questions are covered in a “quick fire” style. -Will artificial intelligence dominate workout programming? -Is it better to blow off the warm-up or the cooldown when short on time? -How can you avoid eating fast food when short on time? -Pat & Adrian explore these topics.

-A VNR listener wants to know if the Olympic Lifts are worth all of the effort required to perform them. -Their point is that these lifts are so technical & complicated that many people would be better off pursuing similar athletic benefits (like explosive power) through less challenging exercises like sprinting & box jumps. -Pat & Adrian explore this topic.

-A VNR listener wants to know what “side benefits” there may be to working out, other than the obvious ones like improving your health & fitness. -Pat & Adrian explore this topic.

-In today’s show Pat & Adrian tackle 3 topics. -A gym member wants to add some extra “at home” training & is looking for advice. -A VNR listener wants to know if fancy gizmos & gadgets are necessary to improve your fitness? -The final topic is whether or not strength is overprioritized. -Pat & Adrian discuss these topics.

-A gentleman has been doing CrossFit 5 days a week for 15 years straight.  -Now, at 47 years old, he has lingering injuries, has lost interest in many movements & his motivation is low. -He says he is bored & has no desire to suffer during workouts. -He wants to know if he is alone in feeling this way & what others have done in this situation.  -Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

-A VNR listener wants to know if fitness would be better measured & tested by using metrics such as watts or joules. -Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

-Some Gym Owners program their own workouts, others choose to use someone else’s programming. -What are the Pros & Cons of these two different approaches? -Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

-Pat & his family recently took a 3-day vacation. -During that time he did not miss any training & worked out in the hotel gym. -He discusses what the original workouts were & how he modified them in the hotel gym. -The original workouts were… Monday July 21, 2025 9 Rounds for time, or not: 12 Dumbbell Power Snatch, 50/35 100m Run 8 Box Jumps, 24"/20" 6 Toes-to-bar Tuesday Ju...

-Do you need to understand the CrossFit methodology to do it? -Does the average gym member simply do the workouts without truly understanding CrossFit? -Does this even matter? -Pat & Boz discuss these questions.

-Adrian discusses all of the 2025 CrossFit Games events & Pat reacts to them.

-Is sprinting dangerous for most people? -Is there a reason to ever “sprint” on tired legs? -Pat & Boz discuss these items.

-Have you ever been utterly destroyed by a workout? -Sometimes you can see a tough workout from a mile away. -Sometimes you get completely wrecked by a workout & you never saw it coming. -Pat & Boz chat about workouts that totally smashed them.

-A VNR listener, who is a staunch defender of the CrossFit methodology, asked that Pat & Boz did their best to explore any potential negative aspects of the methodology. -Pat & Boz tackle this topic.

-A VNR listener, who is a collegiate volleyball coach, asked the following questions: -How can coaches be better instructors & motivators? -How do the best coaches inspire/push/challenge their athletes to grow & compete? -How can they build a culture towards “winning” or “milestones”? -Pat & Boz answer these questions.

-Kristie A. asked the following question: “At what age should you start dropping the weight during workouts?”  -Kristie is 54 years old & can do dumbbell snatches with the “Rx’d” 35 pound dumbbell. -Her friend asked her why she keeps doing the “Rx’d” load & her response was, “Because I can.” -Pat & Boz answer this question.

-A VNR listener asked the following question, “I've been thinking about the pathway to become a consistent CrossFitter. Are there any lessons that we can learn from the people who stick with it?” -Pat & Boz answer this question.

-A VNR listener asked the following question, “Do you believe elite CF athletes are healthy?” -Pat & Boz answer this question.

-An athlete has been doing CrossFit for 12 years & struggled with many Rx’d loadings. -They are 40 years old & noticed a difficulty in improving strength. -They want to know if they should apply a progressive overload approach to daily Crossfit workouts, pursue a dedicated strength program or simply struggle through the Rx’d loadings each day. -Pat & Boz answer this question & more...

-What is the major difference between CrossFit & traditional strength training? -Which person would be fitter? -Pat & Boz answer these questions & more.

-Dr. Allison Brager is an active duty neurobiologist and Major in the U.S.Army supporting Special Forces and NATO partners.  -At present, she has reapplied as a NASA astronaut candidate, having been a semifinalist for the Class of 2020.  -Her research examines genetic and neurobiological factors of resiliency to extreme stress in extreme environments to include Antarctica and the Central American...

-Jamie Shepperson originally submitted a question about squatting that was answered on VNR episode 181. In his question he revealed his occupation as a window cleaner. -Pat & Boz thought it would be fascinating & fun to speak with someone about the physical demands of that rather unusual occupation.  -Jamie reached out saying he would be open to discussing the demands of his job & this...

-Ryan Hudson is the owner of Level 5. -He owns a CrossFit gym as well as a more traditional body building style gym. -Over the years he has built his business up to 1,200 members. -Ryan’s gyms offer key card access & are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. -Ryan explains his journey as a business owner, the lessons he has learned & shares how others can replicate what he has accomplished....