Brio in the Box Podcast

In this episode of the Brio in the Box podcast...The 2025 Open is now complete! Jocelyn recently had a rad opportunity to head to New York to appear on the broadcast team for the live announcement of 25.3 and gives the "behind the scenes" on her experience. Doing Constantly Varied, Functional Movements, at your relatively high intensity is necessary if your goal is maintain your health, functionality, and independence through all the years you get on this earth. CrossFit found a way to make working on your fitness FUN... but then sometimes life throws you a curve ball and now it's no longer fun. But does that make it any less necessary? NO!David and Jocelyn discuss the importance of persevering every ounce of fitness you've built, even through all of life's challenges - injuries, pregnancy, grief, menopause, you name it. The future of your health and fitness hinges on what you do when things are going bad. Take care of yourself as if you are someone that matters to you. Make good choices now for a better future.01:17 Live Broadcast Experience04:18 Supporting the CrossFit Community11:29 Dealing with Injuries and Setbacks26:22 Adapting Workouts for Hormonal Changes27:48 Aging and Fitness: The Reality Check30:41 Balancing Strengths and Weaknesses in Training31:18 The Necessity of Doing Unpleasant Exercises32:25 Modern Comforts and the Need for Challenges46:07 The Role of Technique in Long-Term Fitness47:19 Long-Term Fitness Planning and Consistency

First, we're re-capping our Step Into January 10,000 steps a day challenge and stressing the importance of daily movement beyond just gym workouts. Maybe you've heard the recent fitness buzzword "Zone 2 cardio"... We're here to tell you that shouldn't be a piece of your training in the gym, it should be you outside, on your feet, living life, and having fun. There's benefit to signing up for an event and participating in a competition even if you don't care at all about being competitive. Run a 10k, do a weightlifting meet, enter a 2k row competition.... AND sign up now for the CrossFit Open!

Happy New Year! Join us on the Brio in the Box podcast as we touch on New Year's resolutions and this annual time of reflection and planning. Is it better to make small incremental changes or big sweeping changes all at once? Questions from the community: do we (Jocelyn and David) have a five year plan?what about creatine for women?can you just take a supplement to get your nutrients?David talks about what's up with that tech billionaire trying to live forever.Jocelyn tells you red flags to look out for in the fit-fluencer part of the internet and gives you a healthy definition of the "healthy user bias" in nutrition. Also, Jocelyn shares the results of her recent bone density scan and GUESS WHAT: CrossFit works. 00:00 Introduction and New Year's Reflections00:51 Commitment to Fitness and Community06:12 Goal Setting vs. Value Driven Approach11:20 Big Changes vs. Small Changes17:13 Exercise Programs and Real Fitness30:50 Understanding The Healthy User Bias31:30 The Role of Supplements in a Healthy Diet31:51 Creatine: Should women take it?34:56 Red Flags in Nutrition Advice and "Experts"38:09 Exercise and Lifestyle Choices for Optimal Health47:26 Jocelyn's Bone density and bodyfat53:58 The Importance of metrics and regular data collection

In this episode, David shares a recent personal win when he fixed our broken induction stove all by himself. Life lessons learned include don't believe the first thing you read on the internet, you can learn anything, and you have to be willing to just TRY. This hands-on learning extends into the value of trying hard things and embracing the suck to grow and improve in life, from cooking meals to building fitness habits. Adulting 101 involves doing a lot of things you don't necessarily like, but are a required part of being a functional adult. Learning to do these things, without too much drama, is just part of life.Next up, we dive into the oft-requested topic of menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and how best to prepare for inevitable changes of life. Trust us, you don't want to miss these tips on how to be a handy and healthy human!00:07 Handyman win!06:08 Overcoming Self-Doubt16:39 The Importance of Discomfort25:25 Health and Hygiene for Kids26:05 Building Resiliency in Children27:48 Menopause: A Stress Test41:45 Functional Medicine and Root Cause Treatments46:57 Effective Exercise Strategies

Both avid snowboarders, David and Jocelyn start out this episode answering a question from the community: Do you do anything special to prepare for ski/snowboard season?Jocelyn recently delivered her Nutrition 101 seminar at BRIO. Here we discuss some updated stats she shared in person at the course on the current state of health. Did you know fully 51% of adults now are diabetic or prediabetic? That 10% of CHILDREN have fatty liver disease? Or that the average person spends the last 14 years of their life in poor health?Next question from the community...We're all gambling with our future in one way or another. Assuming we'd like things to go well, Jocelyn answers the question "what biomarkers or tests should we have done to monitor our health?"00:36 Community Question: Snowboarding Prep07:09 Nutrition Seminar Recap08:37 Shocking Health Statistics19:05 The Gamble of Health Choices28:27 The Harsh Reality of Retirement Health31:25 The Urgency of Health Awareness40:53 The Importance of Nutrition and Consistency48:16 Key Health Markers to Monitor58:46 Taking Control of Your Health Future

First up, Jocelyn and David talk about their latest family challenge of keeping phones out of the bedroom. This means we're reading actual paper books!Jocelyn - Cells, Gels, and the Engines of Life by Gerald PollackDavid - Dopamine Nation by Anne LembkeWe take a question from the community: What do you know about gout?Back on the topic of dopamine, we talk about the balance of pleasure and pain and how to leverage this effect for good and not evil. High Intensity workouts definitely feel like pain... followed by feel-good rewards and health benefits, but how much intensity is too much? When we say CrossFit is "high intensity" is that the same thing as max intensity?Finally we link this into the importance of tracking your workout results. If you are doing a fitness program, you should be getting fitness and the only way to know if this is happening is to gather data.00:21 No Phones in the Bedroom experiment02:57 Diving into Dopamine Nation09:41 question from the community: what do you know about gout?13:20 Intensity in CrossFit Training25:42 Knowing When to Pump the Brakes: Avoiding Overtraining26:15 The Importance of Mechanics and Consistency27:08 The Athlete's Responsibility29:11 Burnout vs. Injury: The Real Risk29:56 Adjusting Intensity for Sustainable Progress34:56 Tracking Your Progress: Why It Matters37:26 Facing Reality: Logging Your Fitness Journey38:23 The Value of Data in Fitness47:27 Adapting to Life's Phases49:36 Celebrating Small Wins and Overall Fitness51:32 Final Thoughts: Fitness for Life

New office who dis? In this episode, David and Jocelyn discuss the benefits of projects and learning new things. David opens up about his mental health journey and how a new hobby (playing the ukulele) helps him manage his anxious tendencies.David, head programmer at CrossFit BRIO, takes us through the bigger picture of designing safe, effective, and fun CrossFit workouts and what's coming up in the next few months. What does it take to be super fit now AND age well in the future?Jocelyn answers a question from the community by taking you through a "bad science" analysis of a recently published study on low carb diet and diabetes, explaining the design flaws and misinterpretations that plague such research. We get into the influence of marketing in nutrition and health - none of us are immune! - and finish with our best tips to stay sane and stay positive on social media.00:12 Building the BRIO Office02:05 The Benefits of Beef Liver04:16 David's Ukulele Journey22:39 CrossFit Programming and Seasonal Variation28:30 Importance of Technique in Heavy Lifting30:23 Effective Programming and Intensity32:21 More isn't more, Longevity and finding the Minimum Effective Dose39:17 Bad Science in action: Misleading Nutritional Studies52:41 The Influence of Advertising and marketing on Nutrition and Health54:36 Staying Sane and Staying Positive on Social Media

In a tragic blow to the treatment of mental health, and despite overwhelmingly positive data on its efficacy and safety, therapeutic use of MDMA for the treatment of PTSD has been denied by the FDA. Yet other pharmaceuticals that cause far greater harm and do not effectively cure disease continue to be available. For a deep dive on this, watch our Mental Health Series from May 2023:Part 1: https://youtu.be/CTDpg-5nPrI?si=Ko8cllh9c-FfG1_YPart 2: https://youtu.be/Fy1q76yWQAA?si=r5InpZwN2WgBaexaPart 3: https://youtu.be/dF5Ec8dNomM?si=FGw-NgAw_nxv65QgHealthcare is in crisis, no doubt, but the launch of the CrossFit Medical Society this week provides a bright light of hope on the horizon. Aiming to bridge the gap between fitness and healthcare, the CFMS will connect clinical practitioners with CrossFit coaches and community members with the goal of making the CF Affiliate a "health home". Anyone can join the CFMS for free at www.crossfitmedicalsociety.com and follow @crossfitmedicalsociety on InstagramOn a similar theme, BRIO + Nutrition is getting a professional office within CrossFit BRIO! Wrapping up her Masters of Science in Human Nutrition, Jocelyn will be connecting clinical nutrition with fitness and training within the CF Affiliate. 00:19 Disappointment with FDA's MDMA Decision06:42 CrossFit Medical Society Launch10:09 Building a home for BRIO + Nutrition12:50 CrossFit and Healthcare Integration15:00 Defining Fitness and CrossFit's Impact19:06 The Physical 100 winner is a CrossFitter19:49 CrossFit's Open Source Fitness24:23 The CrossFit Formula for Health32:54 Longevity in CrossFit35:26 The Affiliate as a Health Home

Question from the community: Should I buy Weightlifting Shoes?Animal vs Plant Proteins:Meals only May continues, we're aiming for minimum 30g of protein from animal sources at each meal (no snacks or nonsense grazing). Why don't we could the protein in plant foods?

In this episode:01:18 Taping your mouth shut at night for deeper sleep, less anxiety, better dental health, improved cardiovascular function, and a smarter brain. Whoa.20:38 Solar Powered HumansMelanin, found in many cells of the body not just the skin, may actually store some energy from the sun and provide an additional energy source for cells alongside ATP. Are humans solar powered? Whoa. (read the paper here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10570809/#:~:text=Melanin%3A%20The%20unifying%20theory%20of,of%20neurodegenerative%20and%20other%20diseases.)

Part 2 picks up where we left off, discussing the reality of lab designed hyperpalatable foods27:56 Rucking Challenge: Building Good Habits29:56 The Importance of Zone One and Two Cardio35:29 Murph May: Preparing for the Challenge40:53 Brio Plus Nutrition: Master's Degree and Future Plans

In this episode of the Brio in the Box podcast, Jocelyn and David discuss this month's habit challenge: Aqua April. Water intake goals, the importance of actually tracking rather than guess, early morning hydration, and maybe even reducing caffeineDavid talks about getting back to his morning cold plunge routine and the broader life lesson of embracing the suck. We also preview the upcoming "Meals Only May", where we'll work to eliminate nonsense snacking and feed ourselves whole meals instead, each containing at least 30g of protein from an animal source. Our summer Ruck-a-week fitness challenge will be back for 2024! You may have heard trendy terms like zone 1 or zone 2 cardio, but here we talk about the broader significance of what role these activities should have in your life. Plus, we touch on exciting future plans for Brio + Nutrition including an upcoming office renovation project in the gym.00:10 Year of the Habits: Aqua April 06:15 Cold Plunging: Building Mental Toughness13:26 Meals Only May: Focusing on Protein25:12 The Hidden Dangers of Hyper-Palatable FoodsFind the rest in Part 2 of ep 070

peptides, Vitamin D & the sun, osteoporosis, and things we would never eat

Jocelyn and David discuss the wins and misses of the 2024 CrossFit Open and how to use these tests to further your training in the year ahead.

In this episode Jocelyn (CF-L4) and David (CF-L4) tackle two big questions submitted by members of the CrossFit BRIO community:1) "I have a friend who is interested in doing CrossFit but they're just so paranoid they're going to get hurt. What do I tell them?"2) "I'm at the age where I'm aware that strength/fitness naturally declines (60-70+), but what are some things I can do to slow the decline as much as possible?"

1) What do you buy at Costco2) What do you think of those baby puff snacks?3) Why don't we scale handstand push ups to an abmat at BRIO?4) We asked you: what do you want to get better at this year?5) Sign up for The Open!

In our second AMA, we're answering Questions from the Community:1) How far ahead do you do the programming?2) If you could go back, knowing what you know now, would you do anything different to prepare for pregnancy?3) I'm going on holidays for a few weeks and I don't want to lose my progress, do you have any idea for vacation workouts? crossfitbrio.com/outsidethebox4) What's the "Burpee Deal" and how do the discounts work? crossfitbrio.com/xmasburpees5) What are you thoughts on the emergency shelter going into the old fire hall on Central Ave?6) Do you have any super easy recipes I can make in a hurry? crossfitbrio.com/nutrition

Welcome to Season 3 of the BRIO in the Box podcast! This year we're all about YOU. We get asked so many interesting questions in the gym. Lots result in thoughtful conversations we'd like more people to be a part of and some require a better answer than time allows for in the go-go-go of a class. So we'll be using our podcast to answer YOUR burning questions. Here's what's on the list this week...1) What do you know about peptides?2) For someone trying to eat enough and looking to increase muscle mass and strength, is it more important to hit a protein target in the day or just hit a total calorie target?3) How often do we workout and what do we do?4) I want to lose a little bit of weight, should I just run more on my days off?5) My watch says I burned 500 calories in that workout, should I increase my food by 500 calories today?6) My wife and I watched You Are What You Eat on Netflix and now we're feeling like we should eat less meat, or at least less red meat7) What should I do on days off?

In this episode, Jocelyn and David take a deep dive into the concept of 'intensity' when it comes to exercise and CrossFit. Training at intensity is the thing that gets you results and it's what separates CrossFit from most other programs out there, but what exactly does that mean? and how do you do it intelligently? and safely?

In this episode David and Jocelyn are exploring all the factors that contribute to injury... bad form, of course, but also ignoring the basics, too much intensity, excess volume, lack of rest days, poor sleep habits, alcohol, and processed food.

www.crossfitbrio.com/nutritionThe day after Halloween, and throughout the month of November, seems like a good time to dial in your Nutrition and learn more about what goes into the food you eat. The research is clear that Ultra Processed Foods (a particular class of industrial food-like substances) are uniquely harmful to our health, independent of their macronutrient or caloric content.We'd like to see everyone join in on our No Sh*t November nutrition challenge and book club. Take this time to see how good you could feel eating only real, unprocessed food for a month. Can you make it 30/30 days with No (Ultra Processed) Sh*t? Along with this, we'll be reading the book Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken. Just 10 pages per day and you'll be done this book by the end of the month and have a noggin full of knowledge to make better choices about what to eat. visit crossfitbrio.com/nutrition for more informationAnyone who makes it 30/30 with No Sh*t and reads the book will be entered to win a prize at the end of the month!

check out yxefrff.ca and follow @yxefrff on Instagram

Can you wrap your head around eating just meat? In this episode, David and Jocelyn talk all about the Carnivore diet - what is it, different versions of it, who should do it, what happens, why does it work so well, and what are common pitfalls to avoid. Questions? let us know!Things we referenced:Jocelyn's Carnivore Diet Data Part 1:    • Episode 007: Data from a month of the...  Jocelyn's Carnivore Diet Data Part 2:    • Episode 008: Carnivore Diet Bloodwork...  Miki Ben Dor's Apex Predator paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f... Fiber and Constipation Paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Roadtripping, judging, spectating, and all the behind the scenes stories from the 2023 CrossFit Games in Madison, WI!

13 year old Atlas wanted to visit the BRIO in the Box podcast to share his thoughts on what it's like to grow up in a health and fitness oriented household. Healthy food, no soda, crying in workouts, hitting the terrain park on a snowboard with Dad, and how other people, even adults, call you weird.

- The Ruck a Week Challenge- Outside the Box Fitness workouts and dumbbells available to borrow- BBQ Season- Delicious summer side dishes- Enjoying alcohol without destroying the entire next dayWe keep seeing lists and videos about surviving summer, but we though no no no. Up here in the frozen north we survive winter, now it's time to maximize summer! Get out there and use your fitness and your lifestyle to get the most out of our short summer season.

In this episode David and Jocelyn explore the exciting future of psychiatric care: The psychedelics Psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA (better known as magic mushrooms, acid, and ecstasy), along with Ketamine, DMT, mescaline, and ayahuasca. The research is booming and these treatments are showing incredible safety and efficacy for relief from PTSD, addiction, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and more. But the future is actually the past! We also take you back through the use of psychedelics thousands of years ago in ancient Greece, how the salem witch trials may have actually been about ergot, up to the discovery of LSD in the 1940s, and how all research and effective treatments ground to a halt during the 5 decade 'dark ages' of the War on Drugs. This is just a brief overview of the burgeoning field of psychedelic-therapy. We also include dozens of resources to learn more from books, scientific papers, documentaries, and podcasts.

In 5 broad categories of social relationships, stress management, sleep, nutrition, and exercise, Jocelyn and David bring you 33 lifestyle factors YOU CAN CONTROL that have been scientifically validated to improve the health of both your brain and body. Mental health is not separate from physical health!

May is Mental Health Awareness month and this is the first in a 3 part series we're doing on Mental Health. In this episode, Jocelyn and David dig into the stats on mental health in Canada, recently published research that is rocking the field of psychiatry, and what depression is and isn't. Then we open up about our own personal experience with mental illnesses. We're getting real and be warned, it gets emotional. Ante- and Post-partum depression, anxiety, adverse childhood experiences, traumatic loss, and the raw reality of suicide. #breakthestigma

In this episode we have special guest Coach Rana who shares with us the story of her battle with breast cancer over the last year and a half. Her strength, fitness, and UNICORN POWER helped her win the fight and now she wants to give back. Join us June 11 for our UNITE TO FIGHT Cancer fundraiser event. 3 workouts, BBQ, raffle, and good old BRIO community fun times. All proceeds will be donated to the Saskatoon Cancer Center to help them support others in our local community facing the same battle. Register now at crossfitbrio.com/unitetofight

Recently David Rylee (CF-L4) retook the CrossFit Level 1 course for the first time in 15 years. In this episode David shares his experience, discusses how the course has changed from 2008 to now, and reflects on the value of going back to the basics, this time paying closer attention.

The results of CrossFit are universal, predictable, and repeatable. Decide now what you'd like to order up for your fitness by this time next year. It's fair to say all of us found ourselves humbled by some aspect of the 2023 CrossFit Games Open! This year's programming was excellent in that it provided a challenge we could all participate in, including both mega wins and frustrating losses. Whether its strength, skills, or conditioning, if you find yourself facing a weakness that you would like to fix by this time next year lets get working on it now. In this episode we're diving into the mental aspect of intensity required to get the adaptations you want out of exercise.

In this video we discuss strategies to keep your nutrition on track when you are away from home and out of your normal routine. In 2022, Jocelyn was away from home for 105 nights (30% of the year!) and has mastered the art of making good food choices in hotels, airports, gas stations, and more.

In this episode David and Jocelyn break down their top 5 best, worst, and most overrated food you can eat. If you're looking to make a few changes or tweaks to your diet for 2023 this is the episode for you!

David and Jocelyn reflect on what they learned through the experience of the CrossFit BRIO 75 days habits challenge called The Grit Grind. All real food, no cheats, no alcohol, sunlight every morning, water first, reading non fiction, and physical activity twice a day.

In this episode David and Jocelyn explore ways to define the concept of being "healthy". Certainly we're all prioritizing our fitness to pursue health, but what exactly does that mean? Is it simply being free of disease? How do we course correct if we're not healthy? Is health short term or long term? Does it include mental health?

In this episode David and Jocelyn discuss the utility and potential pitfalls of using heart rate monitors, activity trackers, sleep trackers, and continuous glucose monitors.

The follow up to Ep 035 "Accumulated Wisdom on Marriage", in this episode David and Jocelyn discuss helpful words of advice, philosophical approaches, and parenting strategies collected throughout the years from friends, books, discussion forums, and even one from Dr. Phil. Books mentioned:Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen DoucleffMindset by Carol Dweck12 Rules for Life by Jordan PetersonMistakes Were Made but Not By Me by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

In this episode we get to know all about coach Iain! With BRIO since 2011, Iain reminisces about his journey with CrossFit, including his competitive success as a CrossFit Games athlete.

Coach Farrah was with us for 10 years as a coach, an athlete, the director of our Kids program, and a pillar of the BRIO Community! Now she's off on a new and challenging adventure in Medical School in the Caribbean. In this episode, we catch up on how things are going in this new and exciting chapter of her life.

In this episode, Jocelyn and David talk all about the new Grit Grind Challenge. Part nutrition, part fitness, part mental toughness and habits. The Grit Grind is an opportunity to uncover a better version of YOU.

In this episode David and Jocelyn discuss what it's like to work with your spouse, how we got to such a good point after 15 years together, and some of our favorite wisdom and quotes on marriageThe book mentioned at 15:30 is "Mistake Were Made But Not By Me" by Carol Tavris

In this episode David and Jocelyn discuss common causes of back pain along with lifestyle and training things you can do to avoid the struggle. We also touch on a few lesser-known dietary and pharmaceutical causes of joint and muscle pain that you might not have considered.

In this episode, David and Jocelyn discuss techniques and habits for keeping your fitness and nutrition somewhat on track while still relaxing and enjoying your holiday time

In this episode Jocelyn learns about David's "Shower Cereal" for the first time! ...oh, and we also talk about other helpful routine habits you can start right now.

In this episode Jocelyn and David take a journey back in time to the start of the exercise as a hobby, fitness as an industry, and the state of things in the late 1990s before CrossFit. We discuss the many obvious, but underappreciated ways that CrossFit permanently changed how people exercise and what it means to be fit.

Marketing trickery and grocery store red flags for the savvy consumer to watch out for: Organic junk food, deceptive serving sizes, low quality produce, artificial sweeteners, fake meat, and more! Learn the ins and outs of food marketing scams so that you cannot be fooled!

In this episode, Jocelyn and David reflect on lessons learned from 14 years of running a CrossFit affiliate gym. Is bigger better? Is advertising worthwhile? What equipment is best? What's the right number of members? Should we hold on to tradition or embrace change?

No not those ones... In this episode we're talking about known "performance enhancers" like caffeine, creatine, carbs, weightlifting belts, wearables, and more! When and how to use them to maximize their benefit.

Programming for CrossFit

Abs!