Meet my buddy Hunter McIntyre, pro endurance athlete, Broken Skull winner, BoundlessTV co-host, obstacle course racing champion and self-described macho man.

Men’s Journal describes him as “the man behind the Spartan race empire”.

Competitor Magazine calls him the “rising star of obstacle racing”.

Men’s Fitness acknowledges him as “the future of the sport”.

Yes, his list of accolades is indeed mighty impressive. Bad boy turned elite Spartan athlete, in 2011 he moved from New York to Malibu to give a shot at being a celebrity personal trainer and model. After running his first Spartan race on a dare, he placed near the top of the field and was quickly propelled into Elite Spartan status, rarely missing a podium.

He eventually partnered with me on the ObstacleDominator podcast and also appeared on my show in the episode Inside The Masochistic Mind Of The Top Obstacle Racer On The Face Of The Planet.

But Hunter's been up to much more lately...

Hunter McIntyre, AKA "Hunt The Sheriff", six-time Obstacle Course Racing World Champion, four-time Obstacle Course Racing National Champion, three-year Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch Champion, and two-time Tough Mudder X Champion, was granted a wildcard invitation to the CrossFit Games for chance to measure his accomplishments against a deep field of proven athletes.

In this episode, we get into that journey from Spartan to Crossfit and much, much more.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -Crossfitter vs. Spartan event results [5:50]

3 cross fit athletes did an endurance/stamina based Spartan race
Carrying 190+ lb of gear up mountains with a 30 minute head start
"I wouldn't do a cross fit race with a month's notice, but these guys made it happen."
Cross fit is designed for a specific body type: bulky, short, small limbs, etc.
Ram Roller

-Hunter's transition from troubled teen to champion Spartan racer [11:30]

On all types of medication: ADD, ADHD, Adderall, etc.
Got into lots of trouble as a teen
Loved the intensity of competition, not the training (wrestling and running)
In rehab and probation for 3 years (in Montana)
Sought an activity from his probation officer that would exhaust his physical energy: led to a job as a logger in Montana
Became a model: art with the body as the canvas
Moved to California, got into marathons, eventually Spartan races

-What it was like moving from endurance to crossfit training [21:45]

The body grows stagnant, the mind becomes bored, after doing anything for too long
TMX - the world's toughest mile
Hunter was able to compete and win in crossfit because of his endurance background; still didn't get street cred in the crossfit community
It's an incredible test of strength, but not technical strength; if you don't have technique you can't play the game
Wouldn't feel satisfied unless he could go toe to toe with crossfit pros
Was invited to the Crossfit Games as a wild card (first ever invitee)
Trained on his own, no coach
In hindsight, Hunter believes he tried to close the gap between a moderate crossfit athlete to a seasoned pro too quickly
Age causes one to lose the luster of training for crossfit and endurance

-How both Ben and Hunter's interests have changed regarding training as they age [40:40]

Japanese and Sardinian centenarians don't do cross fit or endurance training
Difference between getting fit and getting and staying healthy
Interests change as you rearrange priorities (i.e. what attracts the babes)

-How Hunter recovers from intense training sessions as quickly as possible [44:10]

Hanging (gravity) boots
Tension, followed by extreme relaxing
Ready State, Kelly Starrett
ROMWOD app
Consume more calories, drink more water
My Fitness Pal app
Suunto watch
Add minerals to your water
- Quicksilver Quinton
- The Right Stuff electrolyte drink
- Water and Wellness (Robert Slovak's company; listen to the BGF podcast with Robert here)

-Hunter's tips for optimizing sleep [52:40]

"I've never been a person that sleeps very much"
Need more sleep during crossfit training than endurance
Keep cold while sleeping
Have enough calories in the body
Fan that provides some noise
Pulse oximeter
CBD (Pure Spectrum)
Eco Challenge

-Books and podcasts Hunter and Ben recommend [1:02:50]

Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday
Hitler's Last Days by Bill O'Reilly
Peak by Marc Bubbs
Focused more on personal connections than digital media

-How Crazy Bobby changed Hunter's life for the good [1:08:15] -And much more... Resources from this episode:

-Ram Roller

-TMX - the world's toughest mile

-Ready State, Kelly Starrett

-BGF podcast w/ Robert Slovak

-Pure Spectrum CBD

-Eco Challenge

-Books recommended by Hunter and Ben:

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Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Hunter or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Pritlove

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