Varied Not Random

- Pat & Adrian respond to a question from the community, “Which movements are “under-coached?”. - Pat & Adrian each discuss the movements they feel often do not get the coaching attention they deserve.

- Pat & Adrian respond to a question from the community, “How should you introduce someone new to CrossFit?”. - Adrian has a multi-step strategy he feels will set anyone up for success. - Pat takes a different approach and offers various ways to have discussions around certain topics/concerns that new people frequently have.

- Pat & Adrian explain the difference between Relative & Mathematical Intensity. - Real world examples are given to help understand the importance of both. - They discuss how they decide what level of intensity is appropriate for any given workout.  - Focusing on correlates of intensity is not the most effective path to increase your fitness.

- Pat & Adrian interview Nicole Christensen, the owner of CrossFit Roots in Boulder, Colorado. - CF Roots began in 2009 in a one-car garage & has grown into a 5,000 square foot gym. - Nicole is a subject matter expert on developing some of the best coaches in the world. - She has created systems to ensure her members receive the experience they deserve & that her training staff remains...

- Sometimes there is a difference between the meals people post on social media & how they really eat. - Pat & Adrian reveal what their daily nutrition actually looks like. - Breakfast, lunch, dinner & treats are all discussed with complete honesty.

- A gym owner made the decision that men are not allowed to take their shirts off during workouts.  - This gym owner asked for feedback as to whether or not this decision was correct. - Adrian & Pat address this topic in the broader context of making decisions that impact the culture in your gym.

- Pat & Adrian whether or not heart rate is an accurate measure of intensity.  - The origins of max heart rate are discussed, as well as its application to athletes. - They also talk about what is considered to be the best way to measure intensity.

- Pat & Adrian discuss how long your rest periods should be for interval training. - The phrase “Rest as needed” is demystified & explained.  - They cover why the length of rest should vary depending on intent of the workout & what you are specifically trying to improve.  - Supporting data is provided by the CrossFit Journal article 56 entitled, “Rest & Recovery in Interval-Based E...

- Adrian & Pat each give their top 3 favorite workouts. - They discuss what makes each workout special & why it made the list. - Honorable mentions are given to several other workouts that finished just outside of their top 3.

- Minimal space in your house, apartment or garage is all you need for fitness. - What are the essential pieces of equipment when space is limited? - Adrian explains his multi-step process to assess your gear & being programming for yourself. - Pat & Adrian give examples of ways to modify/replace movements if you don’t have common gear like a pull-up bar, squat rack, jump rope, etc.

- Are Heavy Days more important than other training days? - Why do CrossFit workouts assign a prescribed loading instead of using percentages? - Adrian & Pat share their experience and opinions on these topics.

- Adrian & Pat discuss various types of supplemental workout gear in hopes of figuring out what is necessary and what’s not. - They discuss Olympic lifting shoes, weight belts, chalk, wrist wraps, gymnastics grips, tape, lifting straps, knee sleeves, knee wraps and mouth guards.  - What are the claimed benefits of  these items? - Should you use them and if so, why and when?

- Adrian & Pat discuss all aspects of scaling & modifying workouts. - What is “Scaling”? - Why should someone scale a workout? - How does it work & benefit the athlete? - Who should scale & how often? - Can scaling a workout be done incorrectly?

- Adrian & Pat conclude their discussion & exploration of the various models of fitness from the “What is Fitness?” article which was published in 2002. - The first model, The 10 General Physical Skills was covered in VNR episode 32. - The second model, “The Hopper” was covered in VNR episode 34. - The third model, “The Metabolic Pathways” was covered in VNR 35. - This episode discussed th...

- Adrian & Pat continue their discussion & exploration of the various models of fitness from the “What is Fitness?” article which was published in 2002. - The first model, The 10 General Physical Skills was covered in VNR episode 32. - The second model, “The Hopper” was covered in VNR episode 34. In today’s show they discuss “The Metabolic Pathways”, which is the third model. - What are th...

- Adrian & Pat continue their discussion & exploration of the various models of fitness from the “What is Fitness?” article which was published in 2002. - The first model, The 10 General Physical Skills was covered in VNR episode 32. In today’s show they discuss “The Hopper”, which is the second model. - What is the Hopper? How is it used? What does it tell us? Should it guide our training...

- Adrian & Pat speak with John Mack, the owner of CrossFit All Levels in Windsor, Ontario Canada. - CrossFit All Levels opened in 2013, but in 2018 they started a special class for Adaptive Athletes. - This class originally had one member who had Down Syndrome, but has significantly grown over the years. - Adrian & Pat interview John as he shares how the program started, lessons learned as...

- Adrian & Pat talk about “The 10 General Physical Skills” found in the 2002 CrossFit Journal article entitled, “What is Fitness?”. - The 10 General Physical Skills are presented as one of several models used to define fitness. - All 10 skills are identified & defined. - Adrian & Pat discuss if any one skill is more important than another and/or if all 10 are of precisely the same impo...

- Adrian & Pat talk about the Air Squat, Front Squat, Overhead Squat & the Back Squat. - The benefits and key aspects of each overhead lift are explained. - High bar versus low bar back squat is discussed. - Box Squats & Pause Squats are also covered.

- It has been said, “Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.” Is this statement true and/or fair? - Is being able to perform all possible CrossFit movements necessary to be an effective trainer? - Do great athletes make better coaches? - Adrian gives three actionable steps to help you teach a movement you cannot do.

- Pat already had 2 kids and now he has a 3rd child...a new baby girl that is only 13 weeks old. - Adrian talks with Pat about the ways he has found to keep working out with the added demands of a baby. - Pat’s baby girl, Layne, has Colic. This makes her an extremely challenging baby, which makes finding time to workout even harder. - Working out with minimal time (only 20-30 minutes) is discussed...

- Adrian & Pat talk with Chris Spealler, the owner of Park City Fit. - Park City Fit is located in Park City, Utah, which is a very expensive location to pay rent or attempt to buy a building. - Chris walks down the path which led him to purchase raw land and build a brand new 10,000 square foot facility for his business. - He faced many obstacles, delays and frustrations during this long proc...

- Adrian & Pat talk with Joe Masley. Joe is a firefighter, CrossFit Seminar Staff member, co-owner of CrossFit Marshfield, as well as a former Marine. - Joe shares his experience around training to be physically prepared for a demanding occupation such as being a first responder. - Tips & tricks for maintaining fitness while doing shift work are covered. - The pros & cons of training i...

- Adrian & Pat talk about the Press, Push Press, Push Jerk and Split Jerk. - Set-up and finish positions for each movement are covered, as well as the general mechanics. - Common faults are discussed. - The benefits and key aspects of each overhead lift are explained.

- Adrian & Pat talk with EC Synkowski, the owner of OptimizeMe Nutrition, a company dedicated to making nutrition easy through providing solutions for anyone to improve their weight, health, and overall wellbeing through sustainable diet methods. - EC gives her Top 3 things to focus on with nutrition. - Calories in / Calories out versus hormonal response to macronutrients is covered. - The imp...