Varied Not Random

- Adrian Bozman was the lead programmer who created the events for the 2023 CrossFit Games. - In this episode Adrian walks through all of the events with Pat. - Adrian discusses his thought process & shares unique insights.

- A VNR listener wants to know if gymnastics grips & wrist wraps are necessary? - What purpose do they serve & who should use them? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

- A VNR listener is buying an existing gym. The current training staff seems to be “managing” the group classes well, but not actually “coaching” members. The new owner wants to elevate the staff to offer world class coaching. How can this be done? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

- A VNR listener asked if coaches should do the same workouts as members? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & offer their own perspective.

- A VNR listener asked which workout schedule is better, six 30-minute sessions a week or three 1-hour sessions a week? - This person is a new parent trying to fit as much fitness as possible into their busy schedule. - Pat & Adrian discuss the pros & cons of these two options & offer a 3rd option to consider.

- A VNR listener wrote in asking for an explanation of strict vs kipping movements for the average Joe. - Is one type better or more beneficial than the other? - Should one be given a higher priority than the other? - Do strict movements help kipping movements or is it the other way around? - Pat & Adrian to give their thoughts & opinions on this topic.

- A VNR listener wrote in asking if any specific criteria need to be met in order to call yourself a “CrossFitter”?  - Can you scale workouts & be a CrossFitter? - Can you avoid certain movements & still be a CrossFitter? - Pat & Adrian to give their thoughts & opinions on this topic.

- A VNR listener (Eugune Y.) wrote in asking if he should schedule a “deload week” into his training?  - He also wanted to know what the potential benefits would be. - Pat & Adrian to give their thoughts & opinions on this topic.

- A VNR listener wrote in saying they believed things making Crossfit prohibitive to people is the price of attending a gym & having to take “on-ramp” classes.  - Another VNR listener asked the question “Are CrossFitters athletes?” - Pat & Adrian to give their thoughts & opinions on these topics.

- A VNR listener asked Pat & Adrian to give their thoughts & opinions on working out “For Time” versus “For Quality”. - Another VNR listener asked what to do when some gym members refuse to do certain movements due to philosophical reasons or a fear of injury.

- A VNR listener who is a Police Officer wanted to know how to design a proper fitness test for 1st Responders. - Evaluating the requirements of the profession, programming considerations such as equipment, ease of judging, & much more are discussed.

- A VNR listener wanted to know why some movement standards (like box jumps & wall ball target heights)  seem to be based on gender instead of the individual athlete.  - Pat & Adrian give their thoughts on this topic.

- Working out & nutrition go hand in hand, but is one more important than the other? - Pat & Adrian give their thoughts on this topic.

- Hannah, a listener of the VNR podcast, asked if it is possible to get “burned out” on CrossFit & what you can do to move past that feeling. - She has been doing CrossFit for 3 years, but now does not seem to be getting PRs or learning new skills. - She is also recovering from a torn meniscus & just wants to find a way to start enjoying the gym again. - Pat & Adrian give their thought...

- Diane, a listener of the VNR podcast, asked if it is possible for members to learn & improve skills by only attending class, or is additional work outside of class required? - Pat & Adrian give their thoughts on this topic.

- Jackie, a listener of the VNR podcast, plans on opening a gym. They want to know if they should post the upcoming workouts on their website or keep them a secret until the members show up for class? - Pat & Adrian give their thoughts on this topic. - Pat shares the opinions of Nicole Christensen (owner of CrossFit Roots) & Scott Panchik (owner of CrossFit Mentality) on this subject as we...

- What should a coach do if a member is intentionally doing fewer reps to get a faster time on a workout? - Pat & Adrian give their thoughts on this topic. - Pat shares the opinions of Nicole Christensen (owner of CrossFit Roots) & Scott Panchik (owner of CrossFit Mentality) on this subject as well.

- What was the original intent of the CrossFit methodology? - What occupations found CrossFit very useful? - What does preparing for the “unknown & unknowable” really mean? - Pat & Adrian take a walk down memory lane regarding how CrossFit began.

- How many days a week should you work out & what should the schedule be? - Is 3 days working out & 1 day of rest better than 5 days on & 2 days off? - Pat & Adrian answer a question from a listener of the VNR podcast on this topic.

- If a box jump is too high for an athlete should they keep the height & do step-overs or should they reduce the height & jump? - Pat & Adrian answer a question from a listener of the VNR podcast on this topic. - What are the benefits of box jumps & why should someone try to include them in their programming?

- Pat & Adrian interview retired USMC Major Brian Chontosh, aka. “Tosh”. - Tosh talks about mental toughness, the benefits of challenges/adversity & the program he created to help veterans.  - Tosh has completed in ultramarathons up to 238 miles in distance, mountain biked for 24 hours, he has done 9 expedition adventure races & rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. - During his time in the...

- Haley Adams started CrossFit when she was only 14 years old.  - Now, at 22 years old she has competed at the CrossFit Games 7 times. - Haley discusses how being one of the top competitors in the world was not all glory & success. - She openly shares with Pat & Adrian her struggles to deal with the pressure she put on herself as well as her battle with an eating disorder. - Haley explains...

- Joe Pangallo is one of the owners of CrossFit Spring Hill. - Joe tells Pat & Adrian how he used episodes of Varied Not Random to help keep two members from quitting.  - Pat, Adrian & Joe discuss these stories, but they also explore many other topics & challenges faced by affiliate owners.

- Pat interviews Dale King, the owner of PSKC CrossFit. - Dale uses his gym as a way to help addicts during their road to recovery.  - Pat & Dale discuss the opioid crisis & how CrossFit is making a positive impact in the lives of people trying to overcome substance abuse issues.

Adrian Bozman is the Director of the CrossFit Games and did the Open Test programming this year. Pat interviews Adrian about each of the 2023 CrossFit Open workouts & the programming process behind them.