
Chasing Excellence
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.
Latest episodes

7 snips
May 9, 2023 • 1h 15min
Where to Learn More About the 5 Factors of Health
We talk about the five factors of health all the time, but what are the books, movies, and people we turn to to learn more about them? We’re giving you our list this week. ========== EXPECT TO LEARN: ========== 📍 The question to ask yourself before (or while) you’re watching the news 📍 How to combine CrossFit with seasonal outdoor pursuits 📍 Some strategies for eating clean when you’re days are packed 📍 How to recover, train, and eat while breastfeeding 📍 A surprising revelation Ben had recently while in Sweden ========== 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, podcaster, and creator of Functional Branding. 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.

May 5, 2023 • 10min
Quick Set: The 101st Blow
Way back in October of 2020, the writer James Clear (author of the wildly successful “Atomic Habits”) joined us on the show. In this clip from that episode, we talk about the patience required to build the kinds of habits that have real impact. Watch the full episode here. =========== Subscribe: =========== Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
[[]---[]]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.

9 snips
May 2, 2023 • 1h 3min
Handle Hard Better & Return to Center Faster
Life, business, and sport continually give us setbacks. How do we know when those setbacks mean we should quit or that we should put our head down and keep working? That’s the listener question we’re talking about this week. =========== EXPECT TO LEARN: =========== 📍 How often Ben uses chalk in the gym 📍 Fueling strategies for a 24-hour burpee challenge 📍 Tips for getting over performance anxiety 📍 Why the ultimate success might be peace of mind 📍 A strategy to fall asleep faster =========== OUR SPONSORS: =========== 🔗 LMNT 🔗 Ice Barrel =========== 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.

Apr 28, 2023 • 24min
Quick Set: The Difference Between Busy and Overwhelmed
Why is it so easy to get so busy? In this clip from a longer conversation Patrick had with the Digital Barbell podcast, he talks about some of the strategies he’s implemented to stay busy without getting overwhelmed. You can listen to the full conversation here. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
[[]---[]]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.

Apr 25, 2023 • 55min
Essential Behaviors to Build Durability, w/ the Starretts
Kelly and Juliet Starrett are world-class trainers and longtime leaders in the CrossFit space. They join us this week to talk about their newest book, Built to Move, which is a masterclass for all of us who want to continue to kick ass into our 90s. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 Why Kelly and Juliet wanted to write Built to Move 📍 What the 10 out of 10 Club is (and why we should want to get in it) 📍 How the book can be used as a roadmap for both coaches and athletes 📍 What “rewilding” the body means and why it’s important 📍 Why the aim of our health should be greater durability Thanks to our sponsors this week: LMNT | Ice Barrel 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.

Apr 21, 2023 • 10min
Quick Set: Take Ultimate Responsibility
In this clip from a longer episode from 2019, Ben and Patrick talk about responsibility, focus, and the need for all of us to better pay attention to the few things inside our control. Watch the full episode here. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
[[]---[]]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.

Apr 18, 2023 • 1h 9min
Improve Your Adaptability
How can we increase the skill of adaptability? That’s the listener question we’re talking through this week, hitting on the reality of change, the role our ego and attitude plays, and what we can learn from Sesame Street. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 How to incorporate training for a half-marathon into CrossFit 📍 If there should be an upper limit on daily protein powder intake 📍 The shift in routine Ben has made to prioritize more sleep 📍 What to say to someone who complains too much 📍 The new 30-day challenge we’re kicking off Thank you to our sponsors this week: Timeline Nutrition | LandKind 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.

Apr 14, 2023 • 20min
Quick Set: Stimulus → Thought → Emotion → Feeling
Here’s a clip from a conversation Ben had recently with Bryan from the Young & Alive Company. They talk about focus, distraction, the voice in our heads, and what we can learn from the Navy SEALs. Watch the full conversation here. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
[[]---[]]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.

4 snips
Apr 11, 2023 • 1h 14min
The Three Key Priorities, w/ Jon Gilson
How do you set priorities when so many things feel important? That’s our question; we’ve got our friend Jon Gilson here to help answer it. Also, your questions about Zone 2 training, doing work we don’t hate, and outgrowing friends. Learn more about Optimal Agency here. Thanks to our sponsors this week: LMNT | Caldera+Lab | UCAN EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 What Zone 2 training is and whether CrossFitters need to prioritize it 📍 What to think about when balancing financial security and interesting work 📍 Why it’s important to consider your friend group over the course of a decade 📍 The problem with the Rocks analogy we so often hear 📍 Why Ben thinks we should all be using kitchen scissors more often 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.

Apr 7, 2023 • 10min
Quick Set: Here Comes the Health Revolution
Here’s a clip from a conversation Ben had recently with James Geering of the Behind the Shield podcast. They chat about how to get the conversation moving in the right direction as it relates to health, manufactured stress, and how to be influential. Click here for the full episode. 📍 Subscribe: Apple Pods: tinyurl.com/3nu78tsh Spotify: tinyurl.com/ekhp3cce YouTube: tinyurl.com/9uktjdfs
[[]---[]]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.