Chasing Excellence

Competing vs Comparing

September 07, 2021 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MB

Is comparison the thief of joy? That's the question we pose at the start of this week's episode, talking about intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, what a true competitor looks like, and how to use our ambition for good. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

The Secret Sauce of CrossFit Programming

August 31, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MB

We're getting into some best practices for delivering effective GPP programming. We're talking about programming for horsepower, why 18-minute WODs shouldn't be considered "long," and why we offer three different programming tracks to our members. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

Benchmark: Simplifying Nutrition

August 24, 2021 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MB

We're revisiting one of our most popular conversations from the early days of the podcast, talking about why I prefer to keep my nutritional advice simple, the value of getting blood work done, & why both quality & quantity matter. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

Life-Changing Quotes (Hoppertalk #05)

August 17, 2021 13:26 - 1 hour - 61.8 MB

HopperTalk is back this week. Patrick and I talk through the adult problems nobody prepared us for, whether Tia is the most dominant athlete in CrossFit Games history, things from the 90s that we miss, and more. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Questions Answered: 02:05 - What's a quote that's permanently changed the way you look at things? 11:10 - What is something free on the internet that everyone should take advantage of? 24:00 - What benchmark workout should appear in the CrossF...

2021 CrossFit Games Debrief

August 10, 2021 10:00 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MB

We're talking through my experience at the 2021 CrossFit Games - from NoBULL's first year as the sponsor, to my thoughts on the programming, CompTrain's overall performance, and the young guns making a run for the podium. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

When an S.O. Doesn't Care About CrossFit (2:00 #29)

August 03, 2021 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MB

The 2:00 Drill is back, featuring your questions on the chasing excellence approach to dating, why we don't program strength-only days at CrossFit New England, choosing whether to go to the gym early or sleep in, and more. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Questions Answered: 02:10 - Approaching dating with an attitude of chasing excellence 04:20 - Differentiating one-upping and trying to relate 06:40 - Determining whether to go to workout early or sleep more 08:50 - Spending $65 a w...

Important Details, Strong Networks, & Simpler Lives

July 27, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MB

In this edition of our 3x3, I'm talking through some of the small things that CrossFit New England does well, how I think about building stronger relationships, and ways to make our lives simpler. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

Benchmark: Daily Discipline

July 20, 2021 11:00 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MB

We're revisiting one of our most popular conversations from the early days of the podcast, talking about why it's important to determine our level of discipline and then never break the chain of daily success. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

The Protein and Produce Diet for Kids

July 13, 2021 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MB

We talk all the time about the five factors of health, but how do they apply to our kids? We're diving into that question, talking about how I ensure that my kids are eating well, how we set up the house to reduce food conflict, and more. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

If You Want To Run Fast, Run Fast (2:00 #28)

July 06, 2021 10:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

Your questions are back in the spotlight. We're answering questions about programming when you have limited time and equipment, why I don't think we need to establish a VO2 Max threshold for Games athletes, dealing with CrossFit skeptics, and more. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Questions Answered: 01:45 - Dealing with comparing ourselves to others 04:30 - Increasing coaching skills with limited time 06:40 - Moving from living to thriving 10:40 - Determining VO2 Max for CrossFit a...

Greg McKeown on the Pursuit of Sustainable Excellence

June 29, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.2 MB

Greg McKeown is the author of Essentialism and Effortless. He joins us to discuss why easy things aren't always trivial, having faith that the process will work, working backward from our optimal max, and a whole lot more. Find us on Social: Greg | Ben | Patrick 👉🏼 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. 👉🏼 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding.

Stop Fearing Failure (Modern Wisdom Interview)

June 22, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 76.7 MB

This week, we're republishing a conversation I had with Chris Williamson on his podcast, Modern Wisdom. We go deep on what it means to live a life of excellence, the hierarchy of mindset, living for the remembering self, and a whole lot more.

Useful But Rarely Taught Skills (HopperTalk #04)

June 15, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MB

HopperTalk is back! This time around, Patrick and I are giving our thoughts on normalizing naps, what we'd change about CrossFit's early days, whether we think first impressions are usually accurate, our favorite Games events, and more!

Dr. Jonathan Fader on Looking at Life as a Sport

June 08, 2021 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

Dr. Jonathan Fader is a performance psychologist who's worked with pro athletes in the MLB and NFL. He joins us this week to talk about earning trust, getting our mental reps in, why he sees life as a sport, and a bunch more.

Discomfort vs Pain (2:00 #27)

June 01, 2021 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MB

Our 2:00 Drill is back! We're answering your questions about learning how to relax without guilt, helping athletes fulfill their dreams, understanding the difference between discomfort & pain, & lots more!

World-Class Health in 100 Words

May 25, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MB

Modern medicine might define health as the absence of disease, but that's not a good enough definition for us. So we're offering our own, in a format that many CrossFitters will recognize. (See full episode description for text.)

Tim Grover on Michael Jordan's Second Stat Sheet

May 18, 2021 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Michael Jordan didn't pay Tim Grover to be his trainer. He paid our guest to not be anybody else's trainer. The author of the new book, Winning, joins us to talk about why showing up is not half the battle and so much more.

Audacious Goals, Momento Mori, & Mobility Tips

May 11, 2021 10:00 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MB

This rendition of our 3x3 has us talking through tips for creating useful BHAGs in our businesses and lives, ways to remember that we're all going to die, and my recommendations for improving mobility.

How to Warm-Up More Effectively (2:00 Drill #26)

May 04, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MB

We've got some more great questions on this month's 2:00 Drill. We're talking through low intensity for CrossFitters, constructing a useful warm-up, what to say to an athlete right before a performance, and more!

Peter Rahal on the Hard Work of Building RXBar

April 27, 2021 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MB

Peter Rahal co-founded RXBar inside of a Chicago CrossFit gym, eventually selling to Kelloggs. He joins us to talk about the original vision of the business, the power of dyslexia, building culture, and the messy process of figuring out what's next.

How CrossFit Could Go Mainstream (HopperTalk #03)

April 20, 2021 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MB

HopperTalk is back! This time around, Patrick & I share our answers to questions about CrossFit going mainstream, what hell might look like, what businesses we'd start regardless of our qualifications, and a handful more.

We're Breathing All Wrong

April 13, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MB

Lots of interest lately about the importance of breathwork, so we're talking about my 100-day experiment with Wim Hoff breathing, what I learned from the Navy SEALs about stress management, and where I recommend you start learning how to breathe better.

Robb Wolf on Being a Health Translator

April 06, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.7 MB

Robb Wolf is an author, the founder of LMNT, and co-host of Healthy Rebellion Radio. He joined us to dive deep into a bunch of nutrition questions I've got, including nutrient density, how to feed our kids, and keto for CrossFitters.

How to Start Looking Looking at Food More Positively

March 30, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MB

Your questions are back in the spotlight today. In this edition of the 2:00 Drill, we're talking about adrenal fatigue, box breathing, how much volume is too much when pursuing health, and a whole bunch more. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Jump to: 02:00 - Determining whether you should stay with a coach 04:00 - Finding things to connect with a significant other over 14:00 - Dealing with adrenal fatigue 18:00 - Finding the right training volume for longevity 22:45 - Creating a healthier...

How to Start Looking at Food More Positively

March 30, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MB

Your questions are back in the spotlight today. In this edition of the 2:00 Drill, we're talking about adrenal fatigue, box breathing, how much volume is too much when pursuing health, and a whole bunch more.

Matt Fitzgerald on Becoming a Smart Athlete

March 23, 2021 14:05 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MB

Matt Fitzgerald is a coach and author of more than twenty books, including "How Bad Do You Want It?" In this conversation, we talk about pacing by feel, mental toughness vs mental fitness, competing for our identity, and lots more.

Questions We Should Be Asking Regularly

March 16, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MB

The 3x3 returns! This round, we're answering questions about questions. Here are the questions I think we should all be asking ourselves regularly to improve our lives, our businesses, and our performances.

The CompTrain Academy, Part 2

March 09, 2021 11:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MB

We're diving back into our conversation about the future of CompTrain, talking this week about our Elite athlete experience, what we'll look for in future Dev Team members, and what the Training Academy will one day look like.

The CompTrain Academy, Part 1

March 02, 2021 11:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

What is the CompTrain Academy? That's the big question we're answering this week. I'm talking about the origins of the idea, why it wouldn't have happened without a change in CrossFit's ownership and a new CEO at CompTrain.

Why Mat Fraser Retiring Sucks (2:00 Drill #24)

February 23, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MB

A special CrossFit Open edition of our 2:00 Drill this week! We're taking your questions about finding a coach, using CompTrain but missing the community in the gym, and my take on who gets to call themselves a competitor.

Why Mat Fraser Retiring Sucks (2:00 #24)

February 23, 2021 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MB

A special CrossFit Open edition of our 2:00 Drill this week! We're taking your questions about finding a coach, using CompTrain but missing the community in the gym, and my take on who gets to call themselves a competitor. Learn more about InsideTracker here Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Jump to: 02:30 - Time it takes to improve your engine 06:00 - Incorporating skills practice into training 08:00 - Graduating to RX competitions 09:00 - Balancing sport and high-level CrossFit 13:15 - ...

Overcoming Excellence Fatigue

February 16, 2021 11:00 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MB

With so many people talking about how to chase excellence, it can be hard to continue moving forward when it feels like there's still so much left to figure out. Here are the strategies that have helped me keep perspective.

Should Ricky Gerard Get a 2nd Chance? (HopperTalk #02)

February 09, 2021 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MB

We're giving this new episode format a second go this week, talking through 14 random questions like where Lebron James might place at the CrossFit Games, what old person things that we do, pet peeves, and lots more!

Greg Everett on Becoming Tough

February 02, 2021 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MB

Greg Everett is the founder of Catalyst Athletics and the author of the new book, "Tough." In this conversation, we dive into pursuing toughness by developing our character, our capability, our capacity, and our commitment.

Great Coaches Beat Great Programming (2:00 #23)

January 26, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MB

We're reaching back into the grab bag of your questions for this month's 2:00 Drill, talking about helping kids with mindset, scaling businesses, my thoughts on the value of hypertrophy training alongside CrossFit, and more. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Jump to a question: 03:15 - How I can get my 12-year-old son to understand the concept, power, and impact that mindset can have in every aspect of his life? 05:45 - I have been doing the same exact job for three years and worked in th...

Great Coaches Beat Great Programming (2:00 Drill #23)

January 26, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MB

We're reaching back into the grab bag of your questions for this month's 2:00 Drill, talking about helping kids with mindset, scaling businesses, my thoughts on the value of hypertrophy training alongside CrossFit, and more.

Steven Kotler on Accomplishing the Impossible

January 19, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 64.7 MB

Steven Kotler is the author of 13 books, including "The Rise of Superman." His newest book, "The Art of Impossible" is a deep dive into how to achieve peak performance, and is out now.

More Books, Movies, & Podcast Recommendations

January 12, 2021 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MB

We're always getting questions about the books, movies, and podcasts we've enjoyed lately - so this week we're doing a 3x3 to help fill your bookshelves, Netflix queues, & Spotify playlists. All links are in the show notes!

Don't Chase Happiness

January 05, 2021 11:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB

Is the advice to "just do what makes you happy" a bad strategy? That's what we're talking about today, diving into what creates fulfillment, why we have to be careful about always opting for "fun," and loving the process.

Advice to a 12-Year-Old CrossFitter (2:00 Drill #22)

December 29, 2020 11:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MB

The 2:00 Drill is back this week, answering your questions about discipline and consistency, why I no longer do certain movements in my training, and my advice for how to work with and lead "sled dogs."

What's the Big Thing You're Chasing? (10 ?s #01)

December 22, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MB

We're testing out a new (fun?) show format this week called 10 Questions. Patrick and I share our answers to a handful of random questions, including popular things that are annoying and the most underrated CrossFit athletes. Find us on Social: Ben | Patrick Jump to a Question: 02:10 - What is something popular now that annoys you? 04:30 - What pro athlete from outside CrossFit would you want to coach? 08:45 - What is the craziest, most outrageous thing you want to achieve? 17:20 - If you...

Chasing Excellence

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