Varied Not Random

- What if you only have a pair of dumbbells, can you get fit? - What if you only have a single dumbbell? - How should you modify barbell workouts for dumbbells? - How do you replace barbell Heavy Days with dumbbells? - Pat & Adrian tackle these topics & more.

- A VNR listener is struggling with arthritis.  - Her doctor told her to stop doing CrossFit. She is seeking advice. - Pat is actually dealing with a similar issue & is scheduled to have a total hip replacement. - Pat & Adrian discuss arthritis & the various options for managing it.

- Do supplements actually work? Are they worth the money? - EC Synkowski is the owner of OptimizeMe Nutrition & is a subject matter expert on this topic. - EC, Pat & Adrian discuss Multi-vitamins, BCAA’s, Fish Oil, Creatine, Protein Powder, Caffeine, Powdered Veggie Drinks & much more.

- After repeating benchmark workouts several times it can be fun to modify the workout to make it a new experience for athletes. - Pat & Adrian discuss how to put a fun twist on benchmark workouts. - They describe how to accomplish this through general principles, as well as provide specific workout examples. 

- Gerald Parker is a husband, a father, a CrossFitter & he is also a Judge serving on the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Bench (General Division). - This Division hears all adult felony criminal cases &  civil cases.  - Judge Parker has been instrumental in creating programs that use physical fitness to help people get their lives in a positive direction & avoid prison.  - He dis...

- Dave Durante is a multiple time USA gymnastics national champion and was part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team as an alternate. He helped coachStanford University to an NCAA Team Title in 2009. Dave was a lead coach with the CrossFit Gymnastics L1 course from 2013-2015. He also wrote and developed the CrossFit Gymnastics Advanced Course. Dave is co-owner of Power Monkey Fitness and Power Monkey...

- David Osorio is the owner of CrossFit South Brooklyn.  - This gym was established in 2007 & has undergone countless evolutions. - David shares some of the best practices he has developed over the years to optimize CrossFit in a group setting. - David does not assign an “Rx’d” load for his gym’s workouts. He also has 2 days a week when members have the freedom to choose parts of their workout...

- An athlete has bad shoulders & has undergone multiple surgeries. Overhead movements such as the push jerk seem to do more harm than good. - The athlete feels the movement should be avoided, but their coach believes otherwise. - When, if ever, is it appropriate to stop doing certain movements? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

- A rowing athlete was told by their coach that in order to improve they needed to spend more time rowing. - This same rowing coach also told the athlete there was no benefit in strength training or high intensity training. - Pat & Adrian explore the validity of this claim.

- What are good substitutions for pull-ups if you don’t have a pull-up bar? - What are the differences & similarities between pull-ups & chin-ups? - Is one movement better than the other?

- If you have an occupation, like a 1st responder, that requires you to be ready to work at any time, with no warm-up how do you adequately prepare for this? - Should people in this line of work modify the manner in which they train? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & more.

- A VNR listener is concerned the programming at their gym is bad & wants to know how to fix the situation. - Pat & Adrian discuss how to evaluate programming. - They talk about the various aspects one should consider when discerning the effectiveness of a program.

- We’ve all had workouts where the weight felt extra heavy or it took much longer than expected. - Bad workouts can negatively affect your confidence, fill you with doubt & have you questioning your training. - What should you do after a “bad” workout to help get yourself back on track physically & mentally? - Pat & Adrian dive into this topic.

- Pat & Adrian discuss a CrossFit Journal article entitled “Foundations”. - This article was published in April 2002. It is full of useful information & explanations of methods that hold true even though 20 years have gone by.

- Chris Hinshaw  is widely considered one of the top endurance coaches in the world.   - He is a 10x Ironman Competitor who has coached 34 CrossFit Games Champions as well as 50+ CrossFit Games Podium Athletes. - Pat & Adrian talk with Chris about the benefits of running, why it works & various strategies to improve your performance. - Chris & Pat created the VNR 1.5 Run Program &...

- A VNR listener wants to know if working out will correct poor posture? - This VNR listener says he has poor posture in his neck & shoulders.  - He wants to know if he should fix his posture before he begins doing CrossFit? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.

- 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.