Varied Not Random

-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....

-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.