Linchpin Conversations

Let's talk about "Murph". Let's talk about pull-ups. Options when you cannot press overhead. Post workout Protein Drink Managing work & rest during training. Improve your running.

Alexandra S. is a wife, a mother to 3 young children & a Linchpin member. For most of her life she battled severe illnesses that repeatedly landed her in the hospital & required multiple surgeries. It was not until many years of pain she discovered the proper way to fuel & move her body. This sparked a massive change that has significantly improved every aspect of her life. This is her story.

Help! I'm too muscular! Improve your push/split jerk. Improve your pull-ups. Oly heavy day modifications.

Charles D. is a Linchpin member living in a 55+ community in Florida. He is about to turn 67 yeals old. He has been following Linchpin for years & feels he is in the best shape of his life. He still hits PR's & does "Murph" every year. His body feels great & he has no aches & pains. This is his story.

Is CrossFit dangerous? Goal times. Do I like the Semifinal workouts? Snatching...is it necessary? Warming up & cooling down. The Ski Erg Improve your running technique. Accessory work. Central Nervous System & rest. Linchpin & "Murph".

Elizabeth S. is a wife, as well as a mother of a 4 year old boy. Growing up, her family owned & operated an ice cream shop. This family business not only tempted her with delicious treats, but it also taught her a solid work ethic. She has never considered herself an athlete & often places demanding expectations on herself regarding workouts. After the birth of her son she is exclusively working out at home & has found a way to include fitness in a busy life.

VO2 Max Morning Crew or Late Night Workouts? Box Jump Overs vs Box Jumps Strict Pull-ups & other goals. Lunges for distances vs specific steps. How not to tear your hands on pull-ups. 3 weeks of squatting. Strict vs Kipping Toes-to-bar.

John W. is a family man with 3 kids. He has dealt with heart issues since high school. This lead to him have two separate Open Heart Surgeries. Through all of this he has maintained a positive attitude & is committed to long term health & fitness. He is also one of those rare people who actually LOVES burpees! This is his story.

Tapering for a Competition Next level gymnastics. More burpees! Efficient warm-ups. The 5-on, 2-off schedule. Deload weeks. Using a Non-Concept2 Rower. Rearranging Rest Days. What to do when working out is not fun anymore. Scaling workouts. Is Linchpin ok for a beginner? Strict gymnastics.

Jim is a family man with 3 kids. They live in Norfolk, Englad. He spent most of his life working on offshore oil rigs as an electrician. He has ruptured his achilles tendon multiple times over his life while playing sports & still deals with it to this day. He is also a self proclaimed "program hopper" that has decided to call Linchpin his home. This is his story.

Improving cardiovascular fitness. Thoughts on leadership. Accessory work. The current state of CrossFit. Banded pull-ups. Improving pull-up capacity. Why should you modify a workout?

Kay is an amazing woman who has been active her whole life. She started training in CrossFit when she was 58 years old. She got her first box jump at 59 years old. She was searching for a supportive online community to call home & chose Linchpin. This is her story.

Ben B. studied International Relations in college. He wanted to get some real world experience in this topic, so joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer. He spent all of his time in a small town in Ethiopia helping out the local community. When he was there he was doing Linchpin workouts & he would have to run 2 miles in order to do pull-ups from a tree. This is his story.

How are the goal times determined? Would I change about the Open? When is Linchpin Test 13? Help! I can't squat! Do you need to know your 1RM? Scaling & modifications. What if you never kip? What type of bike do I recommend? Is an Air Bike necessary?

Mark is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. During his time in the U.S. Army he deployed to Iraq. The vehicle he was in got ambushed & blown up. This resulted in several injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. This caused him to be medically retired from the military & he started a new life. Mark shares his story in this episode. 

Does "Crash & Burn" have value? Bodybuilding movements. Resetting PR's. Pacing on the bike & rower. Does the order of workouts matter? Significance of the 21-15-9 in CrossFit. My biggest challenge with Linchpin. Is CrossFit better than Powerlifting? What's the point of Wall Walks? Keys to maintaining motivation.

David is a husband, a father of 3 kids, a law enforcement officer & a Linchpin member. He first dabbled in CrossFit back in 2010. Since then he has been a member of several different gyms. Now he works out at home & tries to do between 3 to 5 workouts a week. This is his story.

CrossFit is For Sale. What happens when you don't PR? Training for a specific sport or event. How much do I actually sleep? How to get your chest ready for the beach. Ideal height for box step-ups. How high should your pull-up bar be? How to sub Jump Rope for Running. History of the Linchpin Tests.

Blake is a husband & a father to 4 kids. For as long as he can remember he has struggled with his weight. At 5'9" tall he has been as heavy as 270 lbs & as light as 185 lbs. He has tried all different nutritional strategies as well as plenty of different workout programs. He has found a place to call home in the Linchpin community. This is his story.

What to do on "Rest Days"? Purpose of the "Suitcase Carry"? Ring MU's vs Bar MU's. When to do Accessory work? Split Snatch vs Squat Snatch. Choosing 3 workouts a week. Kickstand squats. How to improve pull-ups. Fitness goals as you get older.

Spencer is a husband, a father to 5 children, a military veteran & has dealt with addiction to alcohol. He first learned about CF over 15 years ago. Since then he had a fitness journey that includes ups & downs, just like many of us have experienced. He was able to overcome an addiction to alcohol & he shares his story in this interview.

Pull-ups "any style". The longest run I've ever done. Working out vs being active. If I had 3 CrossFit wishes. CrossFit vs HYROX. Ring Rows vs Jumping Pull-ups Training 5 days in a row. Working out on vacation?

Ben G. is a husband, a father of two, & a Linchpin member. He & his family live near the mountains in France. Ben is incredibly fit, humble & kind. He smashes workouts & brings out the best in other people. His parents & grandparents were very strong. His grandfather could do L-sit pull-ups at 76-years old! Ben & his wife are raising their two children to follow in his footsteps. This is his story. 

When to go Rx+ Best way to recover from life stress. How to link muscle-ups together. Uneven lifting surfaces. Cool down & recovery. Task vs Time priority workouts. Improve your running. Origins of Linchpin. Heavy Lift + Metcon.

Justin is a husband, a father to 3 children & a Linchpin member. For most of his life he has earned a living doing hard labor outside in the elements. After serving in the Marine Corps he then worked in telecommunications as a tower climber for years. Now he remains in that industry as a lineman. In this conversation he shares his fitness journey. 

Struggling with late night snacking. Juggling workouts & mixing up the schedule. Learning HSW at 37 years old. Training kids. Front Rack mobility issues. Working out in public. Lifting charts & ratios. Heavy day loadings. Linchpin + Military PT. Breathing techniques. Workout levels. Eating as if calories are meaningless.

Natalie is a wife, a mother of two & a Linchpin member. She did not have positive role models for health during her childhood. This lead to unhealthy nutritional habits. She started getting herself in shape after a car accident & walked into a CrossFit gym. This lead to her meeting her future wife, taking her fitness seriously & eventually becoming a very talented powerlifter. She has dealt with back surgery, a difficult pregnancy & more, but she has found a way to make her health & fitness a sustainable priority in her life. This is her story.

Meal planning & recipes. Thrusters & wall ball shots are hard. How to find your 1RM. Working out in austere conditions. How to get a strict Ring Muscle-up. How to increase strict pull-ups. Polyester Fabrics & micro plastics. L-sit benefit Measuring Fitness in your later years.

Katherine is a wife, a mother to 3 children under 4 years old, & a Linchpin member. She is also currently battling breast cancer & doing chemotherapy. Her doctors have stated that her level of fitness is playing a major role with how well she is tolerating treatment. This journey has redefined why working out is so important for her. It could literally help save your life. This is her story.

How to get you 1st box jump. What do I dislike about my job? What is the path for a newbie? How to approach Accessory Work? Who would I most like to do a podcast with? Understanding rest periods for intervals. Linchpin at 3 days a week. Tender collarbones. Struggling with the Squat Snatch. Murph prep. Burpee modifications.

Steve is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He grew up racing dirt bikes. That sport lead to a severe injury & eventually getting addicted to pain killers. After years of struggling, Steve entered a rehab program & has been clean & sober for 12 years. This is his story.

Fitness as a new parent. Assigned load vs % load. "Death By" style workouts. Rest periods for interval training. Chipper style high volume workouts. Air Bike vs Rower Fitness in your late 40's. An unhealthy addiction to fitness

Steve & Renée are a husband & wife who both follow Linchpin. Steve has a PhD in biochemistry & molecular pharmacology. Renée has her PhD in cell biology. Steve was not particularly involved in sports when he was young. Renée played a wide variety of sports. Even with the demands of hectic jobs & raising kids they found a way to make fitness a priority.

Ratio of thrusters to wall ball shots. Cardio without running, biking or rowing? Wendler 5-3-1 + Linchpin? How do I determine the block of training? When to cut weight. Accessory work. Most recommended Linchpin podcasts?

Natalie & Lauren are mother/daughter team that co-own CrossFit Dwell. The gym is located in Georgia & they have had it for 2.5 years. The previous owner was looking to sell the gym, so Natalie & Lauren decided to buy it. They discuss their community, lessons learned & why the choose to use Linchpin programming.  

Linchpin Individual vs Gym Programming. Bench Press. Gyms that follow Linchpin. Handstand Walk modifications. Assigned load vs % New movements in workouts. Pros & Cons of Butterfly Pull-ups RPE vs mathematical intensity. Double-under modifications. How to update your membership option for Linchpin. Overhead pressing strength. Breathing techniques. How many pull-ups  = a rope climb

Keston is a husband, a father, an actor & a Linchpin member. As a young man he loved sports, but found himself in the drama club in high school. This set him on the path of eventually moving to L.A. to pursue an acting career. Since then he has successfully booked roles in ongoing tv series, been involved in movies & does voice acting as well. This is his story.

How to go overhead if your ceiling is too low. Tips for early morning workout success. Linchpin Athletics. How often are push-ups programmed? Modulating Intensity. 

Nicholas M. is a husband, a father, a medical technologist & a Linchpin member. He is known for his smile & positive attitude in almost any situation. He wss born, raised & lives in Canada where French is his primary language. He grew up part of an overweight & sedentary family. His father suffered from a heart attack & Nicholas saw himself heading down that same path. This motivated him to take control & change the direction his life was heading. This is his story. 

New Year's Goals for 2025. Kipping in a small space. Bar speed. Depth drop vs box jumps. Building out your home gym. Using a road bike vs an air bike. Box Jump alternatives. Swimming. Eliminating early arm pull in lifts. 5 days on, 2 days off schedule. Building false grip strength.

Jack R. is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. When he was 3 years old he had kidney cancer. At 9 years old he needed to have some ribs removed. He has dealt with the ups & downs of a challenging life & found a way to make health & fitness a priority. This is his story.

Touch-n-Go vs quick Singles. Christmas Day Nutrition. Swimming. VNR cycles. Odd objects. Fitness in your 60's, 70's & 80's. Accessory work & gross movement patterns. Resting during dumbbell work. What if you miss a workout?

Joe is a husband, a father & a coach. He coaches at a CrossFit gym & for the US Army. He is a former Marine infrantryman who is Type 1 Diabetic & has another autoimmune disease as well. Fitness & nutrition are absolutely critical to his quality of life & management of this diabetes. This is his story.

Needing Help vs Being Helpless. What would I eat if calories did not matter? What would I do if Linchpin did not exist? What does the rest of my family eat? Damper Settings & Drag Factors for the rower. Functional Threshold Power. Favorite holiday traditions. Candlesticks. Gifting a Linchpin membership to someone else. Dropping from the top of deadlifts.

Nasos has been a member of Linchpin since October of 2018. He is originally from Greece, but moved to Sweden for work about 8 years ago. He has a background in Physiotherapy & massage therapy. He has worked with athletes & regular people helping them rehab from injuries, relieve aches & pains & more. He is a new dad to a 4 month old little girl. Fatherhood has forced him to adjust his training schedule, but he is making it happen. This is his story. 

Dumbbell version of the Burgener warm-up. How to pursue undeveloped skills. Is it ok to mix grips on pull-ups? 12 Days of Christmas workout. Entering warm-ups & workouts into btwb. The kipping pull-up. Help...I'm still sore!

John F is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. His wife & son are also part of the Linchpin community. John has been active his entire life, but he has not always been healthy. He speaks openly about the highs & lows of trying to live a healthy lifestyle & the lessons he has learned along the way.

Smashing two workouts together. How many strict pull-ups should you have? Linchpin Endurance Squad Something dumb I've done while training. My mindset & approach to programming workouts. Working through an injury. Non-fiction book recommendations. How much weight is needed for a home gym? Hernia Surgery. Training while sick.

Corey is a husband, a father & a Linchpin members. He works all day in an aluminum factory & then heads home to his wife & two young kids. Corey workouts in his garage & at his work. He also dedicates time on the weekends to meal prep for the upcoming week. Habits like that set him up for success. He shares his story with us.

When you can't do another rep. Do you need to do the week's workouts in order? Is accessory work necessary? Lifting belts. Too comfortable doing NFT & KFT? If I could only have 5 pieces of gear. Training for HYROX

Julie is a wife, a mother, a former attorney & a Linchpin member. Over the course of her life she has had 12 orthopedic surgeries, including 2 total hip replacements. This all started with an accident she had when she was only 10 year old. At 12 years old she was in a full body cast for 7 weeks! She has remained fit & healthy to the best of her ability even in the face of difficulty & pain. This is her story.