Linchpin Conversations

Jay King is a CrossFit Level 3 Coach as well as a school teacher. He started a CrossFit kids program at his school that had 400 children participating in it. Jay shares his knowledge & expertise regarding programming, training & coaching for kids.

1. Does the Linchpin programming & goal times get adjusted based on data from the community? 2. What to do when a gym owner is making bad programming decisions. 3. What is the future of CrossFit Health?

A member of the Linchpin community asked for suggestions to help sustain his health & fitness over time. He said he struggled with consistency & getting back into working out after life/work disrupted his schedule. Recommendations are given to help increase consistency.

1. What was my favorite lecture to give at CrossFit Seminars? 2. Status of the On-ramp programs. 3. In-person meet-ups are happening. 4. Goal times & dumbbell workouts. 5. Favorite tv shows and/or movies.

We also discuss how "Nobody Cares. Train Harder." and "Scaling is Cool." can both coexist in an athlete's life.

1. Should you prioritize sleep or training? 2. Which is worse, Hell Week or a baby with colic? 3. If you could only do 1 workout for the rest of your life... 4. Signs of Good vs Bad programming in gyms

He discusses what lead him to CrossFit, why he opened a gym, what their community is like, how they dealt with COVID and offer advice to new gym owners.

1. The mysterious post-it notes on my wall are explained. 2. Does athlete participation influence Linchpin programming? 3. What are some of my quick & easy meals? 4. Does my wife plan on competing again? 5. Is it okay not to workout during a vacation?

I discuss the pros & cons of the many ways I have experimented with working cheat meals into my nutrition & life. Some things worked well & others were epic failures. The good, the bad & the ugly are exposed.

1. What are the BTWB Challenges all about? 2. How to build an engine, aka improve conditioning. 3. What did I think if the 2021 CF Games programming? 4. What gyms around the world follow CF Linchpin? 5. What are the considerations for programming a competition? 6. How impressive was Annie Thorisdottir's performance at the Games? 7. Will there be a Linchpin meet-up at the Cascade Classic & at the R...

Jordan Holland is one of the main organizers of the Cascade Classic. This event is in its 8th year and attracts as many as 600 competitors. It is a highly inclusive and fun event that takes place in Washington State. Jordan discusses the event, how people can compete and/or volunteer and why he chose to have CF Linchpin program the qualifier events.

A recap of my quick trip to the 2021 CrossFit Games & my participation in the CrossFit Health panel regarding chronic disease.

1. If you go to a CrossFit gym how can you evaluate the quality of the programming? 2. Simone Biles, gymnastics & mental health. 3. On-ramp programs. 4. How to overcome a fear of handstands & being upside down. 5. How to get back into fitness after pregnancy. 6. Advice to young gymnasts.

Social media is a tool with the power to significantly impact our physical and mental health in either a profoundly positive or negative manner. The potential pitfalls of social media comparison are discussed as well as why it is most important to only compare yourself to you.

1. Why have some gyms gone away from classic CrossFit programming? 2. How am I enjoying being a "girl dad"? 3. If I competed at the CF Games what workout would I want to see & not want to see? 4. How important is a "CrossFit" style shoe for training? 5. At some point should Masters athletes not lift 1RM's?

My new baby girl is 3 weeks old and I'm exhausted. This is forcing me to realize my daily sessions in the gym are about making smart decisions, moving my body and relieving stress. During this phase with the newborn I need to realize that I will most likely not set any PR's and that's okay. I discuss my performance, both physically and mentally on two recent benchmark workouts.

1. How big is the Linchpin community & what do the demographics look like? 2. Should you buy an Air Bike, Rower or Ski Erg? 3. If you frequently scale the loading in workouts so you focus on building strength for a while? 4. How to fit in fitness in a hectic life. 5. Food prep, tips & tricks. 6. How to avoid biasing workouts based on your personal preferences.

Greg Stephens is a real estate agent, a PGA professional & a member of the Linchpin community. He shares his journey from previously weighing 260 pounds to now weighing 180. He tells us how he found CrossFit & how it can benefit golfers.

1. At what distance do I decide to use a dedicated running shoe? 2. Can a tall person win the CrossFit Games? 3. How can one program (i.e. CrossFit) get everyone "fit"? 4. How is "fitness" defined? 5. How do different people's goals factor into fitness?

We just had our 3rd child, so there is a little newborn baby in our life! Fitness, sleep and nutrition continue to remain priorities, but adjustments need to be made. Whatever life throws at you does not need to completely derail your long term health and fitness journey. I discuss the steps I've taken in the first week of my new daughter's life and my plan moving forward.

1. Funny and/or worst experiences coaching or training. 2. How to break through mental barriers with Oly lifts. 3. Are there movements to avoid or modify for older athletes? 4. How to use the BTWB specialty programs for barbell lifts & gymnastics.

Real life disrupts your workout schedule. I walk through the last 3 days of poor sleep, less than ideal nutrition, travel and how I heavily modified workouts to make fitness possible.

1. Can you improve on a movement without doing it every week? 2. What if you don't have enough time to properly rest during intervals?

Addictive experiences can be "engineered". This is neither inherently good or bad. The critical factor is increasing your awareness about what makes certain behaviors addictive in a good way versus addictive in a bad way. We want YOU to be in control and that is only possible through information and education. A "fitness addiction" has the potential to become unhealthy if certain factors get out o...

1. Writing a book 2. Scaling for various age groups 3. Estimating your 1RM without attempting a 1RM 4. Benefits of gymnastics 5. Get a 100 lb. weighted pull-up without training for it