Chasing Excellence

A Health Revolution

December 14, 2021 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MB

We're talking this week about health as an integrated system and about how the 5 Factors are all essential inputs in that system. We dive into the knowledge/doing gap, kicking ass into our 90s, the age of abundance, 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.

Personal Responsibility in Daily Excellence

December 07, 2021 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MB

In a (somewhat accidental) follow-up to our conversation about the Fulfillment Framework, we're talking about why pride looks selfish in the short term, making the right kind of difficult choices, why being joyful is brave, 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.

Two Eyes on the Process (Keep Going Rebroadcast)

November 30, 2021 11:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MB

We're rebroadcasting a conversation I had recently on the Keep Going Podcast. John and I talk about the hierarchy of mindset, why taking massive action matters more than anything else, how to work through bad days, and a bunch more. Grab the new book here. 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 Brandi...

Dr. Amishi Jha on Owning Your Attention

November 23, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MB

Dr. Amishi Jha is a researcher, professor, and author of the new book, Peak Mind. She joins us to talk about the work her lab is doing to uncover the power of mindfulness training on attention, focus, and resilience. Find us on Social: Amishi | 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.

Don't Stop Until You're Proud

November 16, 2021 11:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

We've got my co-writer on Unlocking Potential, Christine Bald, on to talk about the process of writing a book, getting things wrong until you get it right, balancing patience and ambition, and a bunch more. Find us on Social: Christine | 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.

Operating at the Speed of Trust

November 09, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MB

For the last few years, I've been working on a new book. It's called Unlocking Potential, and it's about leadership, getting a team into group flow, the mistakes I've made, and a bunch more. Get a sneak peek in this episode. 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: 10 Habits to Stop Having

November 02, 2021 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MB

In this throwback to 2018, we're rebroadcasting an episode all about the habits we have that we should finally kill - including hitting the snooze button, yelling at people in traffic, and using your phone while you eat. 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.

Ron Friedman on the Reverse Engineering Success

October 26, 2021 10:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MB

Author Ron Friedman joins us this week to discuss his new book, "Decoding Greatness." We talk about the three ways to find success, the "scoreboard principle," and what it looks like to practice in three dimensions. Find us on Social: Ron | Ben | Patrick About the Show Chasing Excellence is dedicated to dissecting what it means to live a life of excellence, inside the gym and out. New episodes every Tuesday. About Ben Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games cham...

Ron Friedman on Reverse Engineering Success

October 26, 2021 10:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MB

Author Ron Friedman joins us this week to discuss his new book, "Decoding Greatness." We talk about the three ways to find success, the "scoreboard principle," and what it looks like to practice in three dimensions. Find us on Social: Ron | 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.

Monster Energy at the CrossFit Games (HopperTalk #06)

October 19, 2021 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB

This week, Patrick and I trade answers about whether CrossFit should have had Monster Energy at the Games, what we want every teenager to know, the big changes we've made that have had the biggest positive impact, 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.

Monster Energy at the CrossFit Games (HopperTalk 06)

October 19, 2021 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB

This week, Patrick and I trade answers about whether CrossFit should have had Monster Energy at the Games, what we want every teenager to know, the big changes we've made that have had the biggest positive impact, and more!

The First Question to Ask Before Changing Your Diet

October 12, 2021 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

Before you decide to go keto or vegan or low carb or high protein, take a listen to this short conversation about the most important question you need to ask and answer, first principles, and starting with the end in mind. 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.

Lauren Johnson on Becoming Elite by Choice

October 05, 2021 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MB

Lauren Johnson is a mental performance coach for professional athletes and entrepreneurs. She joins us to talk about the difference between challenges and threats, the power of self-talk, separating facts from feelings, and more. Find us on Social: Lauren | 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 3 WODs I'd Program for the Olympics (2:00 #30)

September 28, 2021 12:56 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MB

Your questions are back in the spotlight! This time around, we're talking about how to make sure your ladder is up against the right wall, the pros and cons of an open gym period, lactate threshold training, and a bunch 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.

The Fulfillment Framework

September 21, 2021 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MB

We've talked about making sure our ladders are up against the right walls, but how do you also make sure you're climbing up the ladder? We dive into that here, talking about the system I use to chase fulfillment, from my big goals to my daily tasks. 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.

Sergey Young on Thriving at 200 Years Old

September 14, 2021 10:00 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MB

Sergey Young is an author and investor working to radically extend human health and lifespans. He joins us to talk about the definition of aging, the technology of the near future, creating lives worth extending, and more. Find us on Social: Sergey | 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.

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 #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 - ...

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