Linchpin Conversations

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

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

Female Rugby Player & Program Hopping. 06/05/2026

Female Rugby Player & Program Hopping. Emily lives in the U.K. & trains in an old barn that is hundreds of years old. She has been into sports her entire life & her true passion is Rugby. She has experimented with classic strength training, long distance running & CrossFit. She is a self-proclaimed program hopper that keeps making her way back into the Linchpin community. This is her story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41551385

Who needs extra strength work? 06/01/2026

Who needs extra strength work? The mental game of fitness. Muscle-up substitutions. Raising Chickens. Returning to training after illness. Caloric demands of training. Considerations for Rowing. Who needs extra strength work? Uncommon equipment that I enjoy. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41497605

Wine, Fitness & more Wine. 05/29/2026

Wine, Fitness & more Wine. Rob is a husband & a father of 3 girls. He entered the Army after college & traveled the world a bit. After the military he got a membership to 24 Hour Fitness & would do whatever workout routine caught his eye. Once he learned about CrossFit he got hooked & never looked back. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41467545

Strict before Kipping, is it just for Pull-ups? 05/25/2026

Strict before Kipping, is it just for Pull-ups? Strict before Kipping, is it just for Pull-ups? Proper pacing for interval training. Frequently seen movements. Update on my total hip replacement. Why does Linchpin work so well? What to do when you miss a training day? Heavy Lift + Metcon. Training only 3x per week. 4 Euros & a Yank. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41416300

10 Strict Chin-ups at 70 years old! 05/22/2026

10 Strict Chin-ups at 70 years old! Jim did 10 Strict Unbroken Chin-ups on his 70th birthday. He is setting an example of long term health & fitness that should be a goal for all of us. He has been active his entire life, enjoying a wide variety of physical activities from body building to long distance running. At 60 years old he began powerlifting & competed at the national level. His fitness journey lead him to Linchpin, & he explains why. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41396670

Workouts that haunt me. 05/18/2026

Workouts that haunt me. CFL1 vs CFL2 vs CFL3 vs CFL4 Mental block with Box Jumps Linchpin in one sentence. Understanding the “No-Equipment Option” Bar Path with a Big Belly Workouts that haunt me. Favorite CrossFit Fads Deload Week vs Modulating Intensity Coming back after a 6 year break. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41336525

Physiotherapist shares his expertise. 05/15/2026

Physiotherapist shares his expertise. Ricardo is a physiotherapist living & working just south of Santiago, Chile. When people get injured in sports or daily life, he helps them recover & get back to 100%. He uses classic techniques in his therapy practice as well as incorporating functional movements. This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41309520

Will Zone 2 training improve High Intensity efforts? 05/11/2026

Will Zone 2 training improve High Intensity efforts? Athletes who make smart decisions. Improving Oly lifts. Will Zone 2 improve high intensity efforts? How many Pull-ups & Dips = 1 Muscle-up? No-equipment workout. Active vs Full Rest Days. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41253615

Someone set his gym on FIRE! 05/08/2026

Someone set his gym on FIRE! Tomasz was born & raised in Poland before moving to the U.K. in hopes of a better life. Working a stressful job with long hours did not leave him with a lot of time to workout. He was unhappy with how he looked & ready for a change. He has bounced around various programs from power lifting to body building to fitness. He now calls Linchpin his home & worked out at a local gym in his town until an arsonist set it on fire! This is his story. /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41219675

Why do people Quit CrossFit? 05/04/2026

Why do people Quit CrossFit? Why do people Quit CrossFit? How to increase your pull-ups. How to approach a 1RM. What’s the point of a cool down? How to use a “landmine attachment”. How do we program Thursdays & Sundays for gyms? A realistic take on mobility. Is accessory work really optional? Are Running, biking & rowing interchangeable? What is my Rest Day routine? /episode/index/show/linchpinconversations/id/41145615

Linchpin Conversations

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