Varied Not Random
162 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 133 ratingsHosted by Pat Sherwood & Adrian Bozman, each episode is packed with insightful & actionable information aimed at people passionate about CrossFit, health & fitness, as well as general strength & conditioning. If you are an athlete, coach, gym owner or simply enjoy improving yourself & those around you through fitness, you've come to the right place. A podcast brought to you by the BTWB team.
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Episodes
VNR #158 - Kristi Eramo O’Connell, Hyrox racing & life after the CrossFit Games
April 16, 2024 09:00 - 57 minutes - 40.7 MB- Kristi Eramo O’Connell has been a lifelong athlete. - She competed 7 times at the CrossFit Games, six of which were as an individual athlete. - She recently ran a marathon in 3 hours & 4 minutes with minimal training. - She retired from the CrossFit Games with a new focus of “taking on different athletic challenges”. - Hyrox racing was one of her new challenges & she took 1st place. - Pat & Adrian discuss these topics & more with her.
VNR #157 - How, When & Why to talk about Nutrition
April 09, 2024 09:00 - 37 minutes - 26.2 MB- Why is Nutrition important? What aspects of fitness & health are affected? - How & when do you broach the subject with someone? - What are actionable steps to try with clients and/or friends? - Pat & Adrian answer this question based on their personal experiences.
VNR #156 - How to eat when traveling
April 02, 2024 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.8 MB- A VNR listener asked for tips & tricks for eating well while traveling. - Pat & Adrian answer this question based on their personal experiences.
VNR #155 - If CrossFit never existed, what would we do?
March 26, 2024 18:00 - 26 minutes - 18.8 MB- A VNR listener asked the question, what would Pat & Adrian be doing if CrossFit never existed? - Pat & Adrian answer this question with regard to physical fitness, as well as occupation.
VNR #154 - "Cheating" on CrossFit with BodyBuilding
March 19, 2024 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MB- A recreational athlete has been doing CrossFit for 6 years & is considering dropping a couple of Crossfit sessions each week to add in some bodybuilding. - They want to know if they would be “Cheating” on CrossFit by doing some globo gym isolation movements. - Form, function & aesthetics are discussed. - Want vs Need is discussed. - Accessory work is touch on. - Pat & Adrian dive into this great topic.
VNR #153 - Chad Vaughn - 2x Olympian in Weightlifting
March 12, 2024 16:00 - 1 hour - 45.9 MB- Chad Vaughn is a 2-Time Olympian, 9-Time Senior National Champion, 2003 Pan American Games Gold Medalist, 3-Time Pan American Games Team Member, 6-Time Pan American Team Member, 6-Time World Team Member & Former Senior American Record Holder. - He is also very well versed in CrossFit. - Pat & Adrian cover a wide range of topics from Chad’s journey to the Olympics, coaching athletes, & lessons learned from a lifetime of lifting.
VNR #152 - Gym owner refuses to program short workouts
March 05, 2024 17:00 - 28 minutes - 20.5 MB- A gym owner refuses to program short workouts. - The gym owner feels that most people come to the gym to do a “nice long workout”. - A trainer (not the owner), who is responsible for creating the programming for the gym does not agree with the owner on this subject & feels short workouts need to be programmed. - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & offer guidance.
VNR #151 - Pat & Boz play “20 CrossFit Questions”
February 27, 2024 17:00 - 31 minutes - 22.7 MB- In this lighthearted & fun episode Pat & Adrian play “20 Questions” with a CrossFit theme. - Below are the 20 Questions. Feel free to post your answers in the comments section under this episode on the btwb YouTube channel. Power lifts or Olympic lifts for the rest of your life? Run, bike or row? Time priority or task priority? Ring Muscle-ups or Bar-muscle-ups Squat or Deadlift? 115 lb barbell or a pair of 50-lb dumbbells? Pull-up bar or a rope to climb? Closer to a sub Sub 6:00 ...
VNR #150 - Fitness on a budget
February 20, 2024 17:00 - 24 minutes - 17.5 MB- A VNR listener asked why there are not more opportunities for low income people who cannot afford the monthly fee to attend a CrossFit gym. - This VNR listener has people workout in his barn gym for free if they cannot afford to go anywhere else. - Pat & Adrian discuss ways to bring fitness to people who cannot afford a gym membership.
VNR #149: Rehab after a total hip replacement
February 13, 2024 17:00 - 35 minutes - 24.9 MB- 9 weeks ago Pat had a total hip replacement surgery. - Week by week he has been building himself up. - This episode explores the unique process Pat created to expedite his road to recovery. - Adrian interviews him about his journey, thought process, lessons learned & struggles.
VNR #148 - Hotel & Vacation workouts - tips & tricks
February 06, 2024 17:00 - 28 minutes - 20.2 MB- What are tips & tricks to create workouts while traveling? - A VNR listener is planning a 10 day trip to Mexico & wants to make sure his fitness does not suffer. - Pat & Adrian have spent extensive time traveling the world, living in hotels & creating workouts with limited equipment. - They explore this topic & share their lessons learned.
VNR #147 - Cold Plunge & other recovery protocols
January 30, 2024 17:00 - 29 minutes - 21.5 MB- Will a Cold Plunge improve your performance and/or recovery? - Are certain things popular for a while & then fade away, like compression gear & physio tape? - Before you experiment with these things it is important to be doing the fundamentals well, like sleep, nutrition & workouts. - Pat & Adrian tackle this topic.
VNR #146 - What if you never PR again?
January 23, 2024 17:00 - 27 minutes - 19.4 MB- What if you’re so fast on a workout that you may never set a new PR on it ever again? - What should you do the next time it gets programmed? - Should you do it? Should you skip it? Should you modify it? - Does it still have any training value? - Pat & Adrian tackle this topic.
VNR #145 - How should “Rx’d” be determined?
January 16, 2024 17:00 - 21 minutes - 15.4 MB- A VNR listener has been a member of several CrossFit gyms. - At their old gym, the majority of the members could do the daily workout “Rx’d”. - At their new gym, only the same 3-4 people can do the workout “Rx’d” every day, & one of them is the gym owner who writes the programming. - This listener wants to know what should be taken into consideration when determining what will be considered “Rx’d” at a gym. - Is one of these gyms right & the other wrong? - Pat & Adrian tackle this topic.
VNR #144 - What if Coaches destroy Members in workouts?
January 09, 2024 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MB- A VNR listener, who is a member of a CrossFit gym, wrote into the VNR team with two questions. - First, if the coaches always utterly destroy the members on workouts, is that motivating or demotivating? - Second, does the whiteboard still have a place in CrossFit? - Pat, Adrian tackle this topic.
VNR #143 - Pat wrote a free eBook on Programming
January 02, 2024 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25.6 MB- Pat created a definitive step-by-step guide for programming intentional, effective Strength & Conditioning workouts. - This free e-book is 52 pages of highly useful information. - It covers the creation of a 4-week block of training from start to finish. - It is jam packed with charts & tools to help people eliminate biases & identify priorities. - Pat & Adrian discuss the book.
VNR #142 - How to screw up a Heavy Day
December 26, 2023 17:00 - 26 minutes - 18.7 MB- A VNR listener, who is also a coach, is struggling with their athletes on Heavy Days. - Their athletes do not seem to understand the importance & value of dedicated rest periods. - This coach is hoping to get some insight, guidance & suggestions for improving this situation. - Pat, Adrian tackle this topic.
VNR #141 - An Orthopedic Surgeon’s opinion on Squats & Deadlifts
December 19, 2023 17:00 - 50 minutes - 36.4 MB- Dr. Sean Rockett has been an Orthopedic Surgeon for 20+ years. - He is also an active member of the CrossFit community. - Dr. Rockett discusses tendonitis, rips, tears, arthritis & more. - He gives his opinion on when to simply rest vs seek out medical attention. - Pat, Adrian & Dr. Rockett tackle these topics & more.
VNR #140 - How to get fit with dumbbells
December 12, 2023 17:00 - 39 minutes - 27.6 MB- 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.
VNR #139 - Pat needs a total hip replacement!
December 05, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 21.3 MB- 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.
VNR #138 - Multi-vitamins, BCAA’s, Fish Oil, Creatine, Protein Powder & more
November 28, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 46.2 MB- 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.
VNR #137 - Fun twists on classic benchmark workouts
November 21, 2023 17:00 - 41 minutes - 29.4 MB- 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.
VNR #136 - Using Fitness to change lives in the Criminal Justice System.
November 14, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 45 MB- 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 discusses these topics & programs with Pat & Adrian.
VNR #135 - Want to get Stronger? Do Gymnastics. Dave Durante interview.
November 07, 2023 17:00 - 52 minutes - 36.8 MB- 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 Camp. - Dave discusses his athletic background as well as what led him to CrossFit. - Pat, Adria...
VNR #134 - This gym does NOT assign "Rx’d" loads in workouts, should you?
October 31, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MB- 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. - He shares these ideas along with other aspects that make CF South Brooklyn unique & special. -...
VNR #133 - Is it ever time to “give up” on a certain movement or exercise?
October 24, 2023 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.9 MB- 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.
VNR #132 - Can endurance athletes benefit from CrossFit?
October 17, 2023 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14.7 MB- 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.
VNR #131 - Pull-ups vs Chin-ups. Which is better?
October 10, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes - 22.3 MB- 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?
VNR #130 - Cheetahs don’t warm up, why should I?
October 03, 2023 16:00 - 19 minutes - 14.2 MB- 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.
VNR #129 - How to evaluate good vs bad programming
September 26, 2023 16:00 - 38 minutes - 27.2 MB- 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.
VNR #128 - How to bounce back from a bad workout
September 19, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutes - 25.7 MB- 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.
VNR #127 - Old School Knowledge Bombs
September 12, 2023 16:00 - 40 minutes - 28.4 MB- 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.
VNR #126 - Chris Hinshaw: Why running will improve your fitness
September 05, 2023 16:00 - 59 minutes - 41.8 MB- 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 & discuss what makes it so special & how to use it.
VNR #125 - Will working out correct poor posture?
August 29, 2023 16:00 - 29 minutes - 21 MB- 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.
VNR #124 - 2023 CrossFit Games Events dissected & discussed
August 22, 2023 16:00 - 59 minutes - 41.7 MB- 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.
VNR #123 - Gymnastics grips & wrist wraps... should you use them?
August 15, 2023 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.5 MB- 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.
VNR #122 - Managing a group class is not the same as coaching
August 08, 2023 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.4 MB- 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.
VNR #121 - Should coaches do the same workouts as members?
August 01, 2023 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.4 MB- A VNR listener asked if coaches should do the same workouts as members? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & offer their own perspective.
VNR #120 - How many times a week should you work out?
July 25, 2023 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18.9 MB- 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.
VNR #119 - An explanation of strict vs kipping movements for the average Joe
July 18, 2023 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.9 MB- 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.
VNR #118 - What makes someone a “CrossFitter”?
July 11, 2023 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.8 MB- 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.
VNR #117 - "Deload Weeks", necessary or not?
July 04, 2023 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MB- 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.
VNR #116 - Is CrossFit too expensive?
June 27, 2023 16:00 - 42 minutes - 30 MB- 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.
VNR #115 - “For Time” vs “For Quality” workouts
June 20, 2023 16:00 - 33 minutes - 23.5 MB- 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.
VNR #114 - How to design a fitness test for 1st Responders
June 13, 2023 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MB- 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.
VNR #114: How to design a fitness test for 1st Responders
June 13, 2023 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MB- 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.
VNR #113 - Should workout standards be based on gender or the individual?
June 06, 2023 16:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MB- 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.
VNR #112 - Working Out or Nutrition... which is more important?
May 30, 2023 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.5 MB- Working out & nutrition go hand in hand, but is one more important than the other? - Pat & Adrian give their thoughts on this topic.
VNR #111 - Burned out on CrossFit & injured - What should you do?
May 23, 2023 16:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB- 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 thoughts on this topic.
VNR #110 - Can members improve a skill by only attending class?
May 16, 2023 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.3 MB- 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.