

Chasing Excellence
Ben Bergeron & Patrick Cummings
Looking to build more than just physical fitness? Join Ben Bergeron and Patrick Cummings as they explore how daily practices create the foundation for lasting peace of mind. Through practical frameworks and honest conversations, discover how deep health unlocks the freedom to chase what truly matters. Learn the five essential factors - training, eating, thinking, sleeping, and connecting - that transform fleeting moments of clarity into a life of sustained fulfillment. If you're ready to move beyond quick fixes and build peace of mind, this is your guide.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 17, 2023 • 45min
Mental Toughness for Kids, Taking it Easy in the Gym, Asking for What You Want, & More
This week, we’re answering listener questions about snacking healthier, starting a career in fitness, and teaching mental toughness to kids. We wrap the episode up with a new Cool Down, where we give you permission to (perhaps) do the thing you know you should be doing, but aren’t. The questions we’re answering this week: 1️⃣ From Aidan: Do you have any suggestions for healthy and clean snacks? 2️⃣ from Kevin: I think I want to pursue a career in fitness, but I'm struggling with how to start while still supporting my family. How long should I try to see if the new position is something I'll enjoy? 3️⃣ from Victor: How can a parent teach their child a lesson on mental toughness? 4️⃣ from Orsi: How can I determine if an activity or experience, like a multi-day solo bike ride and camping with my 1-year-old, is a wise decision that will benefit her long-term development, considering potential disruptions to her daily routine and possible sleepless nights? THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Cozy Earth: cozyearth.com [use code: EXCELLENCE] Lifeforce: mylifeforce.com/excellence [use code: EXCELLENCE40] Policygenius: policygenius.com FIND US ON SOCIAL: Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benbergeron/ Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/pscummings
[[]---[]] Chasing Excellence is an audience-supported project. To go deeper & to help us do even more, consider:· Subscribing to our newsletter to get our free posts and upgrading to our Chase Club to receive exclusive content.· Grabbing one of our books: Chasing Excellence, Unlocking Potential, or The ABCs of Being Happy & Healthy.· Supporting one of our fantastic show sponsors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 10, 2023 • 1h 2min
Wanting Your Spouse to Win, Yoga for CrossFitters, Keeping Teens Active, & More
This week, we’re talking yoga for CrossFitters, getting teenagers to move more and look at screens less, balancing life with your spouse, and more. Specific questions we’re answering: 1️⃣ How can I attract more CrossFit athletes to try my beginner-friendly yoga class and benefit from the mobility training it offers? 2️⃣ Should I have a conversation with our daycare provider about not giving highly processed foods to my kids, or should I just continue to feed them top-notch foods outside of daycare? 3️⃣ How can we motivate my 16-year-old son to be more active and involved in physical activities without pressuring him to exercise or go outside, given his decreasing interest in sports and growing preference for video games and online videos? 4️⃣ How do you and your spouses balance family and household roles, schedules, responsibilities, etc., to maintain a healthy work-life balance? We’re also talking about a documentary you should watch. Learn more about that here: https://smalltownstrongdoc.com/ THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Momentous: livemomentous.com [use code EXCELLENCE40] BetterHelp: BetterHelp.com/excellence FIND US ON SOCIAL: Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benbergeron/ Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/pscummings
[[]---[]] Chasing Excellence is an audience-supported project. To go deeper & to help us do even more, consider:· Subscribing to our newsletter to get our free posts and upgrading to our Chase Club to receive exclusive content.· Grabbing one of our books: Chasing Excellence, Unlocking Potential, or The ABCs of Being Happy & Healthy.· Supporting one of our fantastic show sponsors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 snips
Oct 3, 2023 • 1h 10min
Evolving the Fulfillment Framework, the 5 Factors for Kids, Blue Zones, & More
The podcast covers topics such as improving training for busy individuals, evolving the fulfillment framework, balancing family and athletic commitments, developing a health curriculum for elementary school students, and the secrets of living a long life in Blue Zones.

Sep 26, 2023 • 48min
Over-Scheduling Kids, The Hoax of Date Night, Derailing Good Habits, & More
In this episode, we answer listener questions about working on weaknesses, combating habits derailing progress, and deepening connections with significant others. We also share personal experiences and advice on balancing pushing kids without over-scheduling, reflecting on legacy, and prioritizing meaningful moments. Specific questions we’re answering: 📍 How do you maintain good habits and routines when struggling with depression? 📍 How can you make others understand the importance of reconnecting with your partner when they don't see anything wrong in their busy lives? 📍 To work on weaknesses in the gym, should I focus on 2-3 specific things before each training session or cycles of one specific thing I’d train at least three times per week? 📍 Should parents prioritize their children's busy schedules and extracurricular activities to teach executive functioning, teamwork, and time management skills - or is there a risk of burning them out and over-scheduling them? What are your thoughts on the matter? THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Momentous: livemomentous.com [code: excellence] LMNT: DrinkLMNT.com/excellence Shopify: Shopify.com/excellence FIND US ON SOCIAL: Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benbergeron/ Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/pscummings
[[]---[]] Chasing Excellence is an audience-supported project. To go deeper & to help us do even more, consider:· Subscribing to our newsletter to get our free posts and upgrading to our Chase Club to receive exclusive content.· Grabbing one of our books: Chasing Excellence, Unlocking Potential, or The ABCs of Being Happy & Healthy.· Supporting one of our fantastic show sponsors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 19, 2023 • 60min
Work/Life Balance, Coaching Complex Movements, Celebrating Joy, & More
This podcast episode covers topics such as introducing complex movements in fitness, reaching protein goals while tracking macros, prioritizing values in relationships, sending the right signals for productivity, struggling with work-life balance, fulfilling responsibilities while separating identity from job titles, and heartwarming moments with kids during haircuts and CrossFit camp.

Sep 12, 2023 • 52min
Building Financial Independence, Making Burpees Suck Less, Snap Judgements, & More
The questions we’re answering this week: 📍 How can I increase my stamina for doing burpees during workouts? 📍 How can I avoid making snap judgments towards people? 📍 Should I wait until my baby can sleep longer stretches before getting back to CrossFit? 📍 How can I balance feeling unhappy with my career and wanting to make a change with being a financial provider for my family? THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Ice Barrel: https://icebarrel.com (use code: EXCELLENCE) Momentous: https://livemomentous.com (use code: EXCELLENCE) BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/excellence FIND US ON SOCIAL: Ben: https://www.instagram.com/benbergeron/ Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/pscummings
[[]---[]] Chasing Excellence is an audience-supported project. To go deeper & to help us do even more, consider:· Subscribing to our newsletter to get our free posts and upgrading to our Chase Club to receive exclusive content.· Grabbing one of our books: Chasing Excellence, Unlocking Potential, or The ABCs of Being Happy & Healthy.· Supporting one of our fantastic show sponsors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 snips
Sep 5, 2023 • 1h 3min
Prison CrossFit, How to Create Perspective, The Happy List, & More
Topics discussed include the impact of running in CrossFit training, the importance of staying informed about news and politics, building a relationship with oneself after divorce, the CrossFit program in prison, recommendations for books and podcasts, the book 'Trillion Dollar Coach', the 'Quarterback' Netflix series, and Substack newsletters.

Aug 29, 2023 • 59min
Understanding the Goal of the Goal, 2023 Games Recap, Master’s Training, & More
The podcast covers a range of interesting topics including resources for aging CrossFit athletes, determining appropriate food intake, managing sleep with shift work, promoting positive attitudes towards health, seeking professional help for eating disorders, tips on forming healthy habits, sleep supplements, and a recap of the 2023 CrossFit Games with favorite events and inspiring moments.

6 snips
Aug 22, 2023 • 58min
Avoiding CrossFit Injuries, The Purpose of the Gym, Using AI, & More
The podcast discusses strategic long-term decisions, training plans to prevent injuries, the benefits of functional movements in CrossFit, the challenges of being an affiliate owner and a parent, and the importance of understanding one's why. They also touch on strength bias programming, maintaining composure, improving fitness, and the impact of feedback and shoutouts.

Aug 15, 2023 • 41min
Benchmark: Improving Competitive Performance, Embracing Adversity, Staying Relaxed, & More
In our last Benchmark of the summer, we’re throwing it back to August of 2018 and a conversation about how to be more competitive in the sport of CrossFit. Topics include getting better at muscle-ups, tips for improving your double unders, and Ben’s best advice for athletes who don't have a coach. =========== OUR SPONSORS: =========== 🔗 Lifeforce 🔗 Momentous (code: excellence) 🔗 Betterhelp =========== GET A QUESTION IN THE QUEUE: =========== 🔗 Send Patrick a DM with your Five Factors questions! =========== ABOUT US: =========== 📍 Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author, coach to 7 CrossFit Games champions, and founder of CompTrain. Find him on Instagram. 📍 Patrick Cummings is a long-time CrossFitter and podcaster. Find him on Instagram.
[[]---[]] Chasing Excellence is an audience-supported project. To go deeper & to help us do even more, consider:· Subscribing to our newsletter to get our free posts and upgrading to our Chase Club to receive exclusive content.· Grabbing one of our books: Chasing Excellence, Unlocking Potential, or The ABCs of Being Happy & Healthy.· Supporting one of our fantastic show sponsors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.


