Linchpin Conversations

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

Don't Quit. Don't Get Hurt. 10/19/2026

Don't Quit. Don't Get Hurt. Intro Best Workout Songs Burpee Broad Jumps Don’t Quit & Don’t Get Hurt. 3 Biggest Things I’ve Learned. Wind Guard on Air Bike Run, Bike, & Row Conversions. When To Move From Scaled to Rx’d. Extra Training. Realistic Expectations & Phases of Life. “Leaky Ankles” Amraps, EMOMS & More What Does a “Healthy Body” Look Like? Using Sleds & Odd Objects My Fitness Goals. Subs For Running & Other Machine Work. Convert Barbell Workouts to Dumbbells. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43356599

Bad Knees, High Humidity, No Excuses. 10/16/2026

Bad Knees, High Humidity, No Excuses. Mike is a father to 3 grown children, all of whom are currently serving in the military. He spent some time in the Navy as well before working 15 years in the oil industry. He has been a member of various gyms, but has decided to call the Linchpin community his home. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43324459

Which Online Program is the Best? 10/12/2026

Which Online Program is the Best? Intro Fitness Freedom Do Seasons affect your mood? The best time of the day to train. Subs for HSPU. Training in the winter. “SLIPS” explained. When to use a lifting belt. Why do I think Linchpin is the best? Butterfly Pull-ups at 40+ years old. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43259498

Royal Marine Commando, Police Officer & Father. 10/09/2026

Royal Marine Commando, Police Officer & Father. Cieran was born & raised in New Zealand. He moved to the U.K. & joined the Royal Marines Commandos. After serving 12 years with that group & moved to Scotland. Now he is a Police Officer, a husband & a father of a 2-year old girl. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43235718

Please Help Me Lose Weight! 10/05/2026

Please Help Me Lose Weight! Intro Too Fit to Quit. V-ups vs T2B. Competitor Programming. Is Logging Workouts Important? PostPartum Running & Jumping. Are Saturday’s Workouts Extra Tough? Training on Tired Legs. Daily Egg Consumption. Changing Rest Days. Help Me Lose Weight. Increasing Rep Range on a Heavy Day. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43177403

How to lose 110 pounds! 10/02/2026

How to lose 110 pounds! Kristof is a husband & a father who has struggled off & on with his weight for many years. At 5 ft 8 inches tall he has weighed as much as 300 pounds. After lots of trial & error he's found what works for him & a nutritional lifestyle that is sustainable. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43145978

Strength vs Fitness. 09/29/2026

Strength vs Fitness. Intro Regaining Strength after Not Working Out. Landmine Twist. Double-unders & Frustration. Body Building Movements I Miss. Pull-ups Guidance. Developing the L-sit. You Gotta Breath. Tempus. Playing with Rep Schemes. Hip Extensions with No GHD. Meal Prep. VNR Cycles. Tabata & Logging in btwb. Lessons Learned in Programming. Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity. Strength vs Fitness. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43074218

Following Linchpin since 2012! 09/25/2026

Following Linchpin since 2012! Jeff is a 45 year old husband with 3 kids. He has a busy, but sedentary job as an electrical engineer in California. He started following Linchpin in 2012 with a set of weights he bought at Costco. He is surrounded by people who desperately need to improve their health & fitness, yet he has been unable to convince people that CrossFit can be scaled for literally any ability level. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/43023408

New Linchpin Test & Challenge! 09/21/2026

New Linchpin Test & Challenge! Linchpin Test 15 is brand new. It is discussed & explained. Also, we are beginning some "just for fun" monthly challenges. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42980153

Dad life, Hockey & Building Apps. 09/18/2026

Dad life, Hockey & Building Apps. Dan is a 45 year old father of 3. He is a high school math & computer science teacher. He has played hockey his entire life & still gets on the ice twice a week. He first started doing CrossFit 13 years ago when his sister introducd him to it. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/42953548

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

Linchpin Conversations

TOPICS