Linchpin Conversations

Linchpin Conversations is a podcast covering health, fitness, personal development and random musings regarding life.

Back Squats, Zone 2, & Weight Vests. 09/14/2026

Back Squats, Zone 2, & Weight Vests. Honest growth vs click bait. The VNR cycles Strong clean but weak jerk. Zone 2 with a bad knee. Training with a weight vest. CrossFit for longevity. More back squats please. The biggest change in CrossFit I’ve seen. Lifts from the hang. Training after the military. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42899350

Doctors told him that he would never work out again. 09/11/2026

Doctors told him that he would never work out again. Bruce has been doing CrossFit for a very long time. He first started doing it in 2008 when he was 41 years old. Now he is 59 with lots of lessons & experience under his belt. In 2022 he sustained a major injury & the doctors told him he would never train again. Bruce chose his own path. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42873255

Big Glutes & Pump Sessions 09/07/2026

Big Glutes & Pump Sessions Intro Warm-ups & Stretching. Linchpin Test 13. Fixing an early arm pull. Barbell complexes. A good pump session. Deviating from the programming. Working out Monday thru Friday. Linchpin meet-ups. Big Glutes & Handstand Walking. Measuring Fitness across your lifetime. Why do L-sits hate me? Is flexibility programmed? How did I do on the 45 minute bike ride? /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42810760

New Dad finds a way to stay Fit. 09/04/2026

New Dad finds a way to stay Fit. Brandon is a husband & a father of an 11 month old baby boy. Over the last year he has dealt with the major life changes that happen when you become a parent. Free time disappears & priorities shift. Through all of this he has found a way not to lose himself or his fitness. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42785080

Do I follow Linchpin with everyone else? 08/31/2026

Do I follow Linchpin with everyone else? Repeat workouts vs new workouts. How to improve your pull-ups the right way. Double-under vs Single-unders. Do Hobbies exist? Squatober, Deadcember, Benchuary Burpees & Linchpin Test 13 Workout Variations & Equipment. Do I follow the program with everyone else? Pelvic floor concerns. Zone 2 training. Box Step-up Heights. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42622365

GLP-1's & Program Hopping. 08/28/2026

GLP-1's & Program Hopping. This is my second interview with Phil & a lot has happened since the last time we spoke a couple of years ago. During that time he spent about 18 months on a GLP-1 & also did a bit of program hopping. In this conversation he speaks candidly about his personal experience on the weight loss drug as well as what lead him back to Linchpin. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42591850

Does Linchpin have a Training Bias? 08/24/2026

Does Linchpin have a Training Bias? Do I consult my wife about programming? Do I use AI when programming? Should people improve at a specific rate? Getting Comfortable being Uncomfortable. Tips for Consistency. Does Linchpin have a training bias? Do I program the VNR track? Which movement was toughest for me to learn? Training for Form vs Function. Suffering during Rest Periods. Why do I program in 4-week blocks? Strict vs Kipping Pull-ups /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42539755

He Left & Re-joined Linchpin 3 times! 08/21/2026

He Left & Re-joined Linchpin 3 times! Gustav is a busy husband & father living on a island off the coast of Sweden. His fitness journey has included Youtube workout videos, globo gyms, CrossFit affiliates & Linchpin. He has stopped & started Linchpin several times over the last few years until he finally realized that Linchpin delivers all the fitness he will ever need while still allowing him to have time for family, friends & life. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42515690

Let's Discuss Strength Blocks 08/17/2026

Let's Discuss Strength Blocks Warming up properly Home Gym Gear List Strength Blocks Men’s vs Women’s barbells Back on the Wagon Defining Interval Training Two Strategies for Intensity Touch-n-Go Reps vs Dropping from the Top Wall Timer vs Wrist Watch Pure Strength vs Barbell Cycling Interval Day Strategy Data Driven Programming Attacking Individual Deficiencies Sustainable Nutrition /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42464845

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 15 08/14/2026

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 15 Scotty is a busy husband & father of two girls. For years he pursued high volume competition training that included "heavy lift + metcon" style workouts. After two years in Linchpin he had his best placement in the CrossFit Open. He later decided to leave Linchpin & try a "masters athlete" specific program. Scotty eventually decided to stop that program & come back to Linchpin. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42440565

Butt Rash, Wildfires & The CrossFit Games. 08/10/2026

Butt Rash, Wildfires & The CrossFit Games. Fitness & wildfire smoke. Questions about the CrossFit Games. What’s the point of box jumps? Preventing butt rash during sit-ups Trap bar deadlifts vs conventional Did I ever train with Greg Glassman? The best shoes for training. Getting your first Ring Muscle-up Training when you weigh over 300 lbs. How to enjoy “Side Quests” without overtraining. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42380710

Farm Work, Caregiving & Clinical Depression. 08/07/2026

Farm Work, Caregiving & Clinical Depression. Keba is a hard working woman. She grew up on a farm, getting up early, doing chores & tending to animals. Needless to say, she developed a serious work ethic. She has done a variety of things in her life from teaching Spanish, to owning several side businesses. She spent over a decade as the primary caregiver to her ailing mother. This eventually wore down Keba to the point she suffered from clinical depression. Medication & fitness helped turn her life around. This is her story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42358800

Should we only share perfect form on social media? 08/03/2026

Should we only share perfect form on social media? Intro Should we only share perfect form on social media? How would I scale a roll to support? What if someone never snatches again? Kickstand Squats How does Linchpin programming work? Pros & Cons of only doing Strict Pull-ups. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42302170

Losing 40kg & being a Firefighter. 07/31/2026

Losing 40kg & being a Firefighter. Lukas is a professional Firefighter in Germany. He is also a husband with two children. He recently completed a very demanding diver training program for his fire department. He was one of the oldest participants but easily kept up with the younger guys. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42279315

Who Sticks with CrossFit & Who Quits? 07/27/2026

Who Sticks with CrossFit & Who Quits? Intro. Scaling for a separated shoulder. Fitness for Life vs Chasing the Leaderboard Who Sticks with CrossFit & Who Quits? Fond memories from the CrossFit Games. Landmine Options for Bad Shoulders. What if Eggs did NOT exist? Forwards & Backwards Rolls to Support Is there a Right & Wrong way to log results? Max Reps on Heavy Lifts Help! I have Old, Broken Shoulders! /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42232590

Build your Back Squat with Dumbbells. 07/24/2026

Build your Back Squat with Dumbbells. Y is a husband & a father of a 5 year old boy. He & his wife have a set of twins on the way. Y works as a materials engineer for an aerospace parts company. Life is busy. Free time is minimal. Everyday, he wakes up to train at 4am in the gym in his apartment building. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42206865

The Work Schedule From HELL! 07/20/2026

The Work Schedule From HELL! Get Better at Burpees. Healthy or Fit? Choose One. Undulating Topography. Torture vs Training. Garage Flooring. Training 3x Per Week. Choosing the Right Load. Does my Ego Still Get in The Way? Work Schedule From Hell! Single Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts Getting Bigger /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42154480

7 years with Linchpin! 07/17/2026

7 years with Linchpin! Mike has been a member of Linchpin for 7 years. He is an L3 trainer who believes that CF is not just a training methodology, but rather a way of life. He has been instrumental in bringing CrossFit into the Italian military. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42130310

Discomfort vs Pain or Injury 07/13/2026

Discomfort vs Pain or Injury Checkpoint Golf modifications Books I’m reading Should Warm-ups be scaled too? Kettlebells vs Dumbbells Discomfort vs Pain/Injury Do I workout with my wife? Nutritional Resources What if the workout takes me longer than the goal time? /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42060400

Running a Marathon, drunk at 1:00am in 3 hr 48 min. 07/10/2026

Running a Marathon, drunk at 1:00am in 3 hr 48 min. Brian is a UCLA grad who joined the Marine Corps. He flew F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. Currently, he is a Captain flying for United Airlines. He has been active his entire life & has tried all different style of programming & training. He has been with Linchpin for years & shares his lessons learned & much more. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42040140

Can anything replace SLEEP? 07/06/2026

Can anything replace SLEEP? Can anything replace sleep? Tips & Tricks for working out in the heat. Programming doubts. Mobility for Barbells. Tales from the military. Pull-up Rep Schemes for Strict vs Kipping. Movements I don’t program. Shuttle Sprints in limited space. How is Linchpin priced so low? Weight Belts, Knee Sleeves, Lifting Shoes, Wraps, etc /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41981600

8 years with Linchpin! 07/03/2026

8 years with Linchpin! Nick is one of the Linchpin O.G.'s. He has been a member of the community for just over 8 years. During that time he has learned a lot about himself, what works & what doesn't. He is also a new grandfather at 53 years old. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41955935

Should you buy a Bike or Rower? 06/29/2026

Should you buy a Bike or Rower? Intro - check out VNR 275 Should you buy a Bike or Rower? “The Seven” & a bachelor party. Mastering Gymnastics. A workout I would like. Landmine Twists. Calories vs Meters for Men & Women. Accessory work & dumbbells. The Medball Side Toss. Accessing the free VNR cycles. Actually using your fitness outside the gym. Creating a CrossFit Games event. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41887260

Shift Work, Jiu-jitsu & Linchpin. 06/26/2026

Shift Work, Jiu-jitsu & Linchpin. Mike is a husband, as well as a father of two children. He is a full time fire fighter that has learned how to manage fitness while having a demanding job that requires him to work 24 hours on & 48 hours off. He also enjoyed doing Jiu-jitsu twice a week. We discussed all of these topics & much more. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41828810

Linchpin Monthly Fitness Tests - Part 2 06/22/2026

Linchpin Monthly Fitness Tests - Part 2 Checkpoint Golf Checkpoint Hotel Checkpoint India Checkpoint Juliet Checkpoint Kilo Checkpoint Lima /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41728130

How to overcome obstacles. 06/19/2026

How to overcome obstacles. Jesse is a husband, as well as being a father of 4 kids. During his life he has dealt with difficult times, for example, he attended Grad School while working full time & have a 2 month old baby at home. He has weighed as little as 135 pounds to as much as 220 pounds & everything in between. No matter that sort of chaos life has dealt him, he has put his family first & still found a way to take care of himself. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41703880

Bulgarian Split Squats & Supplements. 06/15/2026

Bulgarian Split Squats & Supplements. Skipping the warm-up. New Linchpin Monthly Tests Why do Bulgarian Split Squats wreck me? What do people ask me to add or remove from programming? Humidity, sweat & nastiness. The VNR Back Squat Capacity program. Sandbags are fun. What Supplements do I take? /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41653760

Bulgarian Split Squats & Supplements. 06/15/2026

Busy Mom & Austrian Police Officer. 06/12/2026

Busy Mom & Austrian Police Officer. Amy has been serving in the Austrian police force for 15 years. She is married & has a 10-month old baby boy. She did the "heavy lift + metcon" style of CrossFit for several years before leaving that behind & choosing Linchpin. This is her story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41626230

Power Snatching your Bodyweight 18 times. 06/08/2026

Power Snatching your Bodyweight 18 times. Is “Fasting” hype or real? Becoming a better runner. Power Snatching your Bodyweight 18 times. Linchpin & Jiu Jitsu Workouts I like. Shift work makes fitness tough. Why is the Air Runner so tough? Clean & Jerk vs Shoulder-to-Overhead Building out your garage gym. Using Accessory work as a 2nd session. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41575130

Linchpin Conversations

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