Chasing Excellence

We get philosophical this week, discussing a way to think about the purpose of suffering and the very nature of existence. We also answer your questions about blending CrossFit with yoga and dealing with negativity at work. EXPECT TO LEARN: 📍 The ideal body fat percentage for long-term health 📍 Why the fear of death is actually an amazing gift 📍 How lucky we are to experience emotion 📍 Why this might be heaven 📍 All about our latest 30-day challenge Learn more about LMNT here. 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.

Dr. Robert Waldinger is the head of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and the author of The Good Life. We discuss the importance of connection, being proactive in our relationships, judgment, curiosity, and more. EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 How impactful social isolation and loneliness are on our health 📍 Why good relationships are stress regulators 📍 What “secure attachment” is and why it matters 📍 The difference between hedonic and eudemonic happiness   📍 The two things Dr Waldinger thinks we need to live the good life   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.

We’re talking about how to communicate your values better so you can build them up alongside the people in your life. We’ve also got listener questions about prehab, healthy eating based on your age, massage guns, and more. EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 Ben’s go-to protocol for healthy shoulders and hips 📍 Why you’re never too young to benefit from healthy nutrition 📍 The benefits of massage guns 📍 Hanging out with the members of your gym 📍 How the 30 days of kindness challenge went for us   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.  of📍 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.

We’re talking about how to know what a “healthy” body looks like in a world of Instagram, PEDs, and photoshop. We’ve also got listener questions about protein intake, getting more sleep, and coaching CrossFit kids, and more! EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 Ben’s thoughts on “self-help” 📍 How to get enough protein in during the day 📍 A few ways to get more sleep, even when super busy 📍 Why we want to start with the end in mind with training 📍 Why performance is correlated to capacity   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.

We’re talking about when things don’t turn out as we hope, but do turn out for the better. We’re also answering your questions about CrossFit programming, protein intake, hard conversations with in-laws, and citing our sources. EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 Whether doing “double strength” before a metcon is a good idea 📍 Best practices for staying healthy while traveling a ton 📍 How to get enough protein in to gain weight 📍 What to do if you keep waking up in the middle of the night 📍 How to set better boundaries with family members   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.

To start the year off right, we’re revisiting the most popular episode we released in 2022. We’re talking about the levels of focus, how to wrestle with internal distractions, what anxiety feels like, and more. 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.

This week, we’ve got a conversation Ben had recently with Danny Miranda. They chat about why focus is a more important resource than time, how to distinguish between inner and outer purpose, and hearing the voice in our heads. EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 When Ben decided he needed to live a life of impact 📍 How to avoid believing our own B.S. 📍 Why we need to listen, then learn, the help 📍 The spark that got Ben adding breath work to his routine 📍 Why we need to learn how to relax in moments of adversity   Get more of the Danny Miranda podcast here: Apple | Spotify | YouTube  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.

We’re talking about the value and purpose of work, why it’s so important to spend our time doing something we enjoy, and balancing risk and safety. We’re also giving some new podcast, documentary, and book recommendations. EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 How to avoid injury when starting CrossFit  📍 Why you have to practice for when stakes get high 📍 What our kids eat for lunch at school 📍 Why it’s hard to pinpoint the specific benefit of a single habit change 📍 Ben’s advice for young folks starting their working lives   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.

We’re talking about what it would look like for more people to have a C+ level of health & fitness, and why that would be a win. Also: your questions about learning from folks we disagree with & starting a strength program. EXPECT TO LEARN:📍 The simple difference between beginner & advanced athletes 📍 What we mean when we say “Chasing Excellence 2.0” 📍 What the Sick-Well-Fit continuum looks like 📍 The importance of nutrient density vs calorie density 📍 The biggest thing standing in the way of a healthy society Learn more about Emily Maki: 📍 Watch video 📍 Donate to her GoFundMe 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.

We’re talking about how to use our time at night better when it’s easy to kill a few hours mindlessly. What should we do if we’re too tired for much else? Tune in to find out, and stick around for our first 30-day challenge. EXPECT TO LEARN:   📍 Why consistency comes before intensity in our training 📍 How to help a teenage athlete tackle nutrition 📍 The value of using Whoop as a training tool 📍 What it means to “flip the script” on a bad situation 📍 How to deal with disagreeable neighbors   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.