Podcast appearances and mentions of megan benzik

Guest - Megan Benzik and Austin O'Neal, Wholistic Coaches, former CrossFit Regional Athletes and coaches stop by to chat with Christian about lifestyle after CrossFit, Van-life and Megan sits down and dives into what her experience with getting tested with a banned substance had taught her and where its led her and her boyfriend in their life together.

Austin O’Neal and Megan Benzik were living the CrossFit athlete’s dream. As full-time athletes, they had one focus: to win. So when Megan tested positive for banned substances at the 2018 Regionals, their world was turned upside down.

Austin O’Neal and Megan Benzik return for a round two on the podcast - although it’s a round three for Megan. They moved into a van last summer, but they wouldn’t consider themselves minimalists. Instead, their decision was based upon a desire for freedom and has given them perspective on the dangers of hyper-intention and outcome-dependence in competitive CrossFit. They have also recently launched their own coaching business, called Live ATOP coaching. Check out more from Austin & Megan here: Website: www.liveatopcoaching.com Instagram: @atoneal_liveatopcoach | @megbenz_liveatopcoach | @live_atop_coaching If you're enjoying the show, the best way to support it is by sharing with your friends. If you don't have any friends, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Show Notes: [01:19] The social dynamics of van life and the descent into hippiedom after 10 months of living in a van [04:40] Moving into a van wasn’t necessarily about minimalism – it was more about finding freedom and creating clear priorities. A lack of options allows for increased efficiency. [09:18] Many people fantasize about minimalism or starting a business, so there’s a lot of fluffy content that appeals to the crowd who hates their job and wishes they were doing something else that isn’t actually applicable to people who are really living that lifestyle. [15:11] Transitioning from normal life to van life was surprisingly smooth – although there were a few surprises. [22:00] Finding a balance with fitness and maintaining a serious training routine while living in a van – and getting out of a counterproductive and outcome-focused relationship with competitive CrossFit [26:30] Most people are pretty supportive of van life – but occasionally a cop kicks you out of where you’re trying to sleep [35:45] Taking a risk and starting your own coaching business – while minimizing that risk and building confidence through exposure to world class coaches [44:30] Getting enough initial clients that starting a business doesn’t feel totally insane and risky – and thinking through the competitive implications for the changing season structure in the competitive CrossFit landscape [58:23] Best national parks and hiking spots Links and Resources Mentioned “How Minimalism Brought Me Freedom and Joy” by James Altucher Marie Kondo OPEX North Scottsdale CrossFit Back-on-the-Bar “Matt Foley: Van Down By The River” from Saturday Night Live Windy City Strength & Conditioning Alo Moves Sedona Lost Coast Trail Moab

Earlier this year, Megan Benzik was selected for a drug test at the South Regional. Weeks later - if not months - CrossFit HQ released a statement that she had tested positive for several banned substances. I immediately started getting texts since I had coached Megan for 2016 and 2017 season (so I can't imagine how many messages she was getting). Megan made an Instagram post explaining that she was taking both Vyvanse (a prescription ADD medication) as well as Anavar (a steroid) - and that the Anavar was likely contaminated with the other banned substances that she tested positive for. Since Megan and I have kept in touch since she moved to Arizona last year, I figured it would be a good conversation to have her on the podcast to discuss the situation. I also feel the need to offer some sort of disclaimer, since I've found that the capacity of humans to misunderstand and take information out of context to be boundless: I certainly don't support the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport - and neither does Megan. While we do spend some time talking about reasons and justifications for drug usage, this is not meant to be an attempt to make excuses. Rather, we are trying to dig into the compartmentalization and other psychological gymnastics that an athlete can get into as they go further down the path of performance-enhancing drug usage. Check out more from Megan here: Instagram: @megbenz210//@thefitvanlife Website: www.thefitvanlife.comIf you're enjoying the show, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Show Notes 01:50 Moving into and living in a van (down by the river)09:01 - Breaking up with CrossFit - and the feeling of being selected for a drug test 17:26 - How did you carry on with the competition knowing that you had likely just failed a drug test 22:18 - The difficulty in expaining to people why you weren't yourself on the competition floor 25:27 - Owning your mistakes rather than creating excuses 31:47 - How do you justify doing something consistently that you know is ethically wrong? 39:30 - Working on mindset" and being able to say the right things - but not actually believing them" 44:39 - What do you think your path would have been if you hadn't been selected for a drug test? 50:45 - How did you get started taking performance enhancing drugs? 55:36 - Feeling like your performances are a fluke and that you don't belong 01:04:31 - What are your goals post-CrossFit? 01:13:24 - Documenting disconnecting and moving into a van...on social media Links and Resources Mentioned CrossFit Games Announcement: Athletes in Breach of Drug Policy Megan's Statement on Instagram Austin O'Neal OPEX James FitzGerald Eckhart Tolle The Untethered Soul Mike Lee Oxandrolone (Anavar) Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) Icarus Reefer Madness Bigger, Stronger, Faster* Underground Steroid Handbook

Mike Lee is the Director of Coaching at OPEX - and he's worked with some pretty big names in the competitive CrossFit community like Tennil Reed, Marcus Filly and Amanda Goodman. I met Mike at one of the OPEX CCP Level 2 courses a few years back, and - since then - he's gone on to take over the coaching of most of the competitive athletes in OPEX's system. This year, OPEX has also brought several sponsored athletes onsite to train at their HQ in Scottsdale, Arizona (which we discussed in this previous podcast with Megan Benzik and Austin O'Neal). Mike and I get into the nitty gritty of: How to manage egos, emotions and social dominance in groups of highly competitive athletes (Hint: it's not all the hugs and high fives that you see on Instagram) The difference between real coaching (allowing athletes to take responsibility for their own results) and play-acting as a coach (lots of emotion and screaming and overly detailed instructions) The process and best practices for training the elite of the elite If you're enjoying the show, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show.   You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Check out more from Mike and OPEXInstagram: @mikeleeopex//@opexfitness//@opexathleteWebsite: http://opexfit.com Show Notes [01:55] The emergence of dominance heirarchies in groups of competitive athletes [07:55] How do you prevent competitive athletes from going too hard in training when they're training together? [14:22] Qualification in CrossFit is a zero-sum game - how do you communicate with your athletes surrounding that? [21:57] People who are good in the sport of CrossFit are probably going to be good no matter what they do. [24:49] How do you balance minimum effective dose with maximum tolerable dose in training for CrossFit Games competitors? [21:57] How do you prevent being beaten regularly in training from becoming psychologically damaging for individuals? [36:33] How coaches are actually supportive - and weird fake coaching" behavior" [43:33] Being forcefully reprimanded by Charles Poliquin [48:50] How do you continue to learn and evolve your prescriptions in a sport like CrossFit that is relatively young? [54:33] How much sport specific training is necessary for success in the sport of CrossFit? [01:02:47] What is the role of innate genetic potential in the development of a CrossFit athlete? [01:12:55] How to find out more about OPEX. Links and Resources Mentioned Tennil Reed-Beuerlein Amanda Goodman Megan Benzik Austin O'Neal OPEX CCP Charles Poliquin Marcus Filly Rachel Campbell Colleen Fotsch James FitzGerald Renaissance Periodization Nick Saban - How Good Do You Want to Be? Bill Walsh - The Score Takes Care of Itself Bobby Knight throws a chair Michael FitzGerald Michael Bann Functional Bodybuilding Fitbot

Austin and Megan have both spent significant amounts of time at South Loop Strength & Conditioning as both athletes and coaches, and - last year after competing at the Central Regional - they've moved out to Scottsdale, Arizona to be part of OPEX's sponsored athlete program. The goal of this program is to allow athletes to train full-time - and not have to worry about coaching classes, working a day job, or running from gym to gym throughout the day. Getting better in training is all about maximizing your ability to respond and adapt to stressors - which means minimizing the stress in your life outside of the gym. Check this episode out to learn how Megan and Austin have learned to trust the coaching process (and avoid self-doubt and constant questioning of what they're doing), what they do to prioritize their recovery outside of the gym, and how they approach the mental grind of training on a daily basis. Check out more from Austin and Megan Megan's Instagram: @megbenz210 Austin's Instagram: @atoneal32 Austin's Training Blog: Austin on OPT Resources and Individuals Mentioned Alan Webb On Coaching OPEX Athlete Mike Lee James FitzGerald CrossFit Back on the Bar Amanda Goodman Jake Berman Rachel Campbell Colleen Fotsch Tennil Reed Back squat neuromuscular efficiency test Barbell Shrugged Blue-blocking glasses Tony Robbins Tim Ferriss David Goggins Show Notes [3:12] What is the OPEX Athlete program? What does it look like to professionalize the process of training for the sport of CrossFit? [7:45] Transitioning from a remote coaching relationship to working with a coach on the floor - and how to accept constant feedback and what could be perceived as criticism [14:06] The dynamics of being around so many high level athletes. How do you stop yourself from just constantly doing more training? [24:30] Balancing external stressors and finding your own personal "why" - and what do Austin and Megan actually think about during tough sessions? [30:50] A slight SD card error - and how to be consistent over tie. What personality traits correlate with maximizing time spent outside of the gym, and how do you make decisions on what to prioritize as far as recovery and stress management? [38:53] What is the biggest learning you've had from having a coach watching you on the gym floor? [42:30] Competing for Instagram followers [45:51] What does prepping for the Open look like? How do you maintain a culture with a healthy competitiveness amongst so many elite athletes without them starting to bicker and cut each other down? [56:00] How do you handle the pressure to succeed during the Open - and how do you prepare emotionally for the stress that will come during the Open?

Megan Benzik is CrossFit Games Regional Athlete and CrossFit trainer. Meg's story is of the true power of perseverance. After being diagnosed with lupus at the age of 12, she has continued to fight the autoimmune disease to achieve her athletic goals. Living her fitness passion, Meg is using her diagnosis as a way to inspire her clients to reach for more. Meg is inspiring, driven and is a testimony to the importance of self love and support.

Megan Benzik is CrossFit Games Regional Athlete and CrossFit trainer. Meg's story is of the true power of perseverance. After being diagnosed with lupus at the age of 12, she has continued to fight the autoimmune disease to achieve her athletic goals. Living her fitness passion, Meg is using her diagnosis as a way to inspire her clients to reach for more. Meg is inspiring, driven and is a testimony to the importance of self love and support.