Varied Not Random

-Samantha Briggs is a legend in the world of CrossFit. -She was 2013 CrossFit Games Champion & was crowned “Fittest on Earth”. -She competed at the CrossFit Games 11 times. -Currently, she is a firefighter & just finished paramedic school. -She discusses how her training has evolved over the years at this phase of her life. -Pat & Boz & Samantha discuss training, life & more.

-A VNR listener wants to know if Pat & Boz hope the CrossFit methodology & Sport will look the same in 10 years or evolve? -If we want it to evolve, how will it look? -What factors could impede change? -Pat & Boz discuss this topic & offer their perspective.

-Two VNR listeners wrote in with questions regarding injuries. -One woman is in her mid 40’s with a herniated disk she got when “ego lifting”. She’s 18 months into rehab & struggling with the emotional side of the injury. -The gentleman is in his 50’s & he has had 4 orthopedic shoulder surgeries in the span of 8 years. He is not sure if he will ever be able to go overhead again & is lo...

-The average One Mile Run time is presented for men & women at 30, 40 & 50 years old.   -The average number of Strict Pull-ups is also presented for men & women at 30, 40 & 50 years old.  -Pat & Boz discuss these numbers & provide context.

-A VNR listener wants to know which movement she should focus on developing first, ring muscle-ups or bar muscle-ups? -She also wants to know if she should learn the movement strict or is it ok to kip?  -Pat & Boz answer these questions.

-A VNR listener has two questions.  -First, what is the best substitute for pull-ups if you don’t have a pull-up bar? -Second, what is the best fitness regime to maintain muscle mass at 50 years old? -Pat & Boz discuss these topics.

-A VNR listener wants to know what trends in fitness today would be considered “fringe”? -Pat & Boz discuss fitness trends that used to be fringe, currently still are, and ones they wish would go away.

-A VNR listener wants to know if using heavier loads in workouts will increase his fitness? -Pat & Boz discuss this topic & offer some points to consider.

-Pat asked Artificial Intelligence what the top 3 Pros & Cons of CrossFit training are. -Pat & Boz discuss the Pros & Cons to decide whether or not Artificial Intelligence provided a fair & accurate assessment.

-Establishing a 1 Rep Max is an important part of your fitness journey. -Warm-ups, rest periods & loading choices all play a critical part. -There is no one correct way to establish a 1 Rep Max, but Pat & Boz explain what they like to do.

-Chris Rawlins is a jump rope expert. -He is a Buddy Lee Jump Ropes Level 3 Master Trainer. -He was the original Lead Instructor and Program Manager for the former CrossFit Jump Rope/Buddy Lee Masterclass. -Chris discusses all aspects of the jump rope that can be utilized & maximized. -Most people are only unlocking a fraction of the capacity available through proper jump rope training. -Pat &...

-A VNR listener has been working out since 2012, typically in the afternoon. -For the last 6 months they have had to train at 5am. -They find lifting weights & being explosive at that hour to be very difficult. -They want to know why training in the morning is different from training later in the day. -Pat & Boz dive into this topic.

-Should you program your own workouts or follow other programming? -There are pros & cons to creating your own workouts. -There are pros & cons to following programming created by someone else. -Pat & Boz dive into this topic.

-Competitions, regardless of whether they are local comps or large scale events have potential pros & cons. -They can be fun community events & provide people with a goal to train for. -However, not all comps are created equal. -Pat & Boz have an unfiltered discussion on this topic.

- Many people define whether or not they “PR” on a given workout using rather simple metrics. - If they do the workout faster, it is a “PR”. If they lift more weight, it is a “PR”. - While these are useful metrics, they are not the only factors athletes should take into consideration. - Pat & Boz discuss this topic.

- Over the last 4 years Pat & Adrian have recorded 200 episodes of Varied Not Random. - Pat & Boz reflect on lessons learned & key takeaways from all of the guests they have interviews & the topics they have discussed.

- Dr. Carolynn Francavilla is Board Certified in Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is a nationally recognized obesity expert, lecturing to clinicians on the topic obesity. Dr. Francavilla serves on the Obesity Medicine Association Board of Trustees. - She discusses obesity’s causes, treatments & much more with Pat & Adrian.

- Nick Lima is a professional soccer player.  - Nick has played for various MLS team & was a member of the US Men’s National Team. - He discusses life, training & more with Pat & Adrian.

- A VNR listener wants to know how Pat & Adrian found out about CrossFit many years ago. - What was their introduction to CrossFit like & what was it like back in the early days? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & more.

- A VNR listener wants to know how to incorporate learning gymnastics skills into a program. - Weightlifting gets its own dedicated day…should gymnastics? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & more.

- John Clark has been Britain’s Natural Strongest Man 2X, Midlands Strongest Man 2x, England's Strongest Man competitor 3x, deadlifted 880 lbs drug free & also squatted 836 lbs. - Pat & John discuss his view on training, nutrition & more.

- Denis Vasilev is an 11 time World Champion in kettlebells. - Pat, Adiran & Denis discussed his journey into this sport, how he trains, technique, how & why people can benefit from kettlebells & much more.

- Ozempic is one of the most popular pharmaceutical productions currently on the market being used for weight loss. - Millions of Americans have either tired this product and/or are currently taking it. - Who should use this product? - Is it necessary? - What are the pros & cons? - Special guest EC Synowski from OptimizeMe Nutrition provides her perspective. - Pat & EC Synkowski discuss th...

- Jerry Pritchett is regarded as one of the best deadlifters in the world. - He competed multiple times at the World’s Strongest Man. - He earned the title of “America’s Strongest Man” in 2017. - His best deadlift was 465 kg (1,025 lbs) & his best “raw” deadlift was 415 kg (915 lbs) - He is also a father & a professional metal fabricator.  - Pat, Adrian & Jerry discuss what it takes to...

- A VNR listener wants to know if he should lift before or after his CrossFit class. - Currently, he takes a CrossFit class & then immediately after attends a weightlifting class. - He wants to know if this order is ok or if he should change his schedule to lift first. - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.