Linchpin Conversations

What if you NEVER time your workouts?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Key movements to learn first. Zone 2 training. What if you never time your workouts? Ways to program jumping rope. Times for a ruck march. What is hi...

Overcoming extreme adversity & finding success.

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jenny is a mom & a Linchpin member. She has been through a lot & uses fitness as a healthy way to help keep her life on track. Her father had addictio...

One Warm-up FOREVER!

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Varied Not Random cycles. Helping a new athlete. One warm-up forever Drained from life & CF. Bodyweight loading. L-sit rope climb variations. Is CF's...

One Warm-up FOREVER!

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Varied Not Random cycles. Helping a new athlete. One warm-up forever Drained from life & CF. Bodyweight loading. L-sit rope climb variations. Is CF's...

1st time doing HYROX.

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Geoff has been a Linchpin member for many years. He saw advertisements for HYROX races & became intrigued. When a race came to his area he decided to ...

1st time doing HYROX.

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Geoff has been a Linchpin member for many years. He saw advertisements for HYROX races & became intrigued. When a race came to his area he decided to ...

Murph, pull-ups & more.

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about "Murph". Let's talk about pull-ups. Options when you cannot press overhead. Post workout Protein Drink Managing work & rest during t...

Murph, pull-ups & more.

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about "Murph". Let's talk about pull-ups. Options when you cannot press overhead. Post workout Protein Drink Managing work & rest during t...

Overcoming Autoimmune Disease & Getting Fit.

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alexandra S. is a wife, a mother to 3 young children & a Linchpin member. For most of her life she battled severe illnesses that repeatedly landed her...

Overcoming Autoimmune Disease & Getting Fit.

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alexandra S. is a wife, a mother to 3 young children & a Linchpin member. For most of her life she battled severe illnesses that repeatedly landed her...

Help! I'm too muscular!

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Help! I'm too muscular! Improve your push/split jerk. Improve your pull-ups. Oly heavy day modifications.

Help! I'm too muscular!

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Help! I'm too muscular! Improve your push/split jerk. Improve your pull-ups. Oly heavy day modifications.

425 lb Deadlift at 66-years old!

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Charles D. is a Linchpin member living in a 55+ community in Florida. He is about to turn 67 yeals old. He has been following Linchpin for years & fee...

425 lb Deadlift at 66-years old!

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Charles D. is a Linchpin member living in a 55+ community in Florida. He is about to turn 67 yeals old. He has been following Linchpin for years & fee...

Lifting Heavy & the Central Nervous System.

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is CrossFit dangerous? Goal times. Do I like the Semifinal workouts? Snatching...is it necessary? Warming up & cooling down. The Ski Erg Improve your...

Lifting Heavy & the Central Nervous System.

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is CrossFit dangerous? Goal times. Do I like the Semifinal workouts? Snatching...is it necessary? Warming up & cooling down. The Ski Erg Improve your...

Growing up in an Ice Cream Shop!

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth S. is a wife, as well as a mother of a 4 year old boy. Growing up, her family owned & operated an ice cream shop. This family business not o...

VO2 Max vs Fitness.

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

VO2 Max Morning Crew or Late Night Workouts? Box Jump Overs vs Box Jumps Strict Pull-ups & other goals. Lunges for distances vs specific steps. How n...

2 Open Heart Surgeries & Burpees.

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

John W. is a family man with 3 kids. He has dealt with heart issues since high school. This lead to him have two separate Open Heart Surgeries. Throug...

2 Open Heart Surgeries & Burpees.

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

John W. is a family man with 3 kids. He has dealt with heart issues since high school. This lead to him have two separate Open Heart Surgeries. Throug...

Working out is Not Fun anymore.

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tapering for a Competition Next level gymnastics. More burpees! Efficient warm-ups. The 5-on, 2-off schedule. Deload weeks. Using a Non-Concept2 Rowe...

Working on Oil Rigs & Ruptured Achilles Tendons.

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jim is a family man with 3 kids. They live in Norfolk, Englad. He spent most of his life working on offshore oil rigs as an electrician. He has ruptur...

Why would you modify a workout?

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Improving cardiovascular fitness. Thoughts on leadership. Accessory work. The current state of CrossFit. Banded pull-ups. Improving pull-up capacity....

69-years old & doing Squat Cleans!

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kay is an amazing woman who has been active her whole life. She started training in CrossFit when she was 58 years old. She got her first box jump at ...

Pull-ups on a tree that's 2 miles away.

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ben B. studied International Relations in college. He wanted to get some real world experience in this topic, so joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer...

Is "Kipping" necessary for fitness?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How are the goal times determined? Would I change about the Open? When is Linchpin Test 13? Help! I can't squat! Do you need to know your 1RM? Scalin...

Iraq, Explosions & Traumatic Brain Injury.

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mark is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. During his time in the U.S. Army he deployed to Iraq. The vehicle he was in got ambushed & blown up. ...

CrossFit vs Powerlifting.

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does "Crash & Burn" have value? Bodybuilding movements. Resetting PR's. Pacing on the bike & rower. Does the order of workouts matter? Significance o...

Being a Cop & a Father of 3 kids.

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

David is a husband, a father of 3 kids, a law enforcement officer & a Linchpin member. He first dabbled in CrossFit back in 2010. Since then he has be...

CrossFit is For Sale...my thoughts.

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

CrossFit is For Sale. What happens when you don't PR? Training for a specific sport or event. How much do I actually sleep? How to get your chest rea...

Raising 4 kids & working out at 4am.

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Blake is a husband & a father to 4 kids. For as long as he can remember he has struggled with his weight. At 5'9" tall he has been as heavy as 270 lbs...

Suitcase Carry vs Farmer's Carry.

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What to do on "Rest Days"? Purpose of the "Suitcase Carry"? Ring MU's vs Bar MU's. When to do Accessory work? Split Snatch vs Squat Snatch. Choosing ...

Alcohol Addiction & a Love/Hate relationship with CrossFit.

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Spencer is a husband, a father to 5 children, a military veteran & has dealt with addiction to alcohol. He first learned about CF over 15 years ago. S...

CrossFit vs HYROX

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pull-ups "any style". The longest run I've ever done. Working out vs being active. If I had 3 CrossFit wishes. CrossFit vs HYROX. Ring Rows vs Jumpin...

L-sit pull-ups at 76-years old!

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ben G. is a husband, a father of two, & a Linchpin member. He & his family live near the mountains in France. Ben is incredibly fit, humble & kind. He...

When to go Rx'd+

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When to go Rx+ Best way to recover from life stress. How to link muscle-ups together. Uneven lifting surfaces. Cool down & recovery. Task vs Time pri...

Powerlifting, USMC & High Risk Occupations.

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Justin is a husband, a father to 3 children & a Linchpin member. For most of his life he has earned a living doing hard labor outside in the elements....

Too old to learn handstand walking?

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling with late night snacking. Juggling workouts & mixing up the schedule. Learning HSW at 37 years old. Training kids. Front Rack mobility iss...

Breaking Powerlifting Records & being a Strong Mom.

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Natalie is a wife, a mother of two & a Linchpin member. She did not have positive role models for health during her childhood. This lead to unhealthy ...

How to get a strict Ring Muscle-up.

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meal planning & recipes. Thrusters & wall ball shots are hard. How to find your 1RM. Working out in austere conditions. How to get a strict Ring Musc...

Breast Cancer as a Mom to 3 young kids.

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine is a wife, a mother to 3 children under 4 years old, & a Linchpin member. She is also currently battling breast cancer & doing chemotherapy....

How to get your 1st Box Jump.

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How to get you 1st box jump. What do I dislike about my job? What is the path for a newbie? How to approach Accessory Work? Who would I most like to ...

Addiction, Sobriety, Dirt Bikes & Injuries.

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Steve is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He grew up racing dirt bikes. That sport lead to a severe injury & eventually getting addicted to pa...

An Unhealthy Addiction to Fitness.

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fitness as a new parent. Assigned load vs % load. "Death By" style workouts. Rest periods for interval training. Chipper style high volume workouts. ...

A husband & wife, both with PhD's & a love of fitness.

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Steve & Renée are a husband & wife who both follow Linchpin. Steve has a PhD in biochemistry & molecular pharmacology. Renée has her PhD in cell bio...

Linchpin + Wendler 5-3-1?

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ratio of thrusters to wall ball shots. Cardio without running, biking or rowing? Wendler 5-3-1 + Linchpin? How do I determine the block of training? ...

Mom & Daughter co-own a gym.

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Natalie & Lauren are mother/daughter team that co-own CrossFit Dwell. The gym is located in Georgia & they have had it for 2.5 years. The previous own...

Pros & Cons of Butterfly Pull-ups

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Linchpin Individual vs Gym Programming. Bench Press. Gyms that follow Linchpin. Handstand Walk modifications. Assigned load vs % New movements in wor...

Hollywood, Acting & Linchpin.

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Keston is a husband, a father, an actor & a Linchpin member. As a young man he loved sports, but found himself in the drama club in high school. This ...

How to Workout at 5am.

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How to go overhead if your ceiling is too low. Tips for early morning workout success. Linchpin Athletics. How often are push-ups programmed? Modulat...

Breaking the cycle of an overweight family.

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nicholas M. is a husband, a father, a medical technologist & a Linchpin member. He is known for his smile & positive attitude in almost any situation....

2025 New Year's Fitness Goals

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New Year's Goals for 2025. Kipping in a small space. Bar speed. Depth drop vs box jumps. Building out your home gym. Using a road bike vs an air bike...

Cancer, chemotherapy & radiation at 3 years old.

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jack R. is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. When he was 3 years old he had kidney cancer. At 9 years old he needed to have some ribs removed. ...

Fitness in your 60's, 70's & 80's.

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Touch-n-Go vs quick Singles. Christmas Day Nutrition. Swimming. VNR cycles. Odd objects. Fitness in your 60's, 70's & 80's. Accessory work & gross mo...

Type 1 Diabetes, Addison's Disease, 2 kids & real life.

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe is a husband, a father & a coach. He coaches at a CrossFit gym & for the US Army. He is a former Marine infrantryman who is Type 1 Diabetic & has ...

Needing Help vs Being Helpless.

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Needing Help vs Being Helpless. What would I eat if calories did not matter? What would I do if Linchpin did not exist? What does the rest of my fami...

Greece to Sweden to being a new Dad.

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nasos has been a member of Linchpin since October of 2018. He is originally from Greece, but moved to Sweden for work about 8 years ago. He has a back...

HELP...I'm still sore!

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dumbbell version of the Burgener warm-up. How to pursue undeveloped skills. Is it ok to mix grips on pull-ups? 12 Days of Christmas workout. Entering...

Father & Son make fitness a family tradition.

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John F is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. His wife & son are also part of the Linchpin community. John has been active his entire life, but h...

How many Strict Pull-ups should you have?

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Smashing two workouts together. How many strict pull-ups should you have? Linchpin Endurance Squad Something dumb I've done while training. My mindse...

Doing all the little things right.

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Corey is a husband, a father & a Linchpin members. He works all day in an aluminum factory & then heads home to his wife & two young kids. Corey worko...

Accessory Work, Weight Belts & HYROX

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you can't do another rep. Do you need to do the week's workouts in order? Is accessory work necessary? Lifting belts. Too comfortable doing NFT ...

12 Orthopedic Surgeries & 2 New Hips.

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Julie is a wife, a mother, a former attorney & a Linchpin member. Over the course of her life she has had 12 orthopedic surgeries, including 2 total h...

Fitness as a 1st Responder.

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John is a husband, a father & a Law Enforcement Officer. He has 3 young sons & a very busy life. Fitness is mission critical to his occupation. His fa...

Debrief from 2024 Rogue Invitational

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Thoughts on Rogue Invitational. Scaling workouts for kids. Cheat meals. Linchpin monthly fitness tests. Running. Defining "interference". Do "active"...

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 6.

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Todd is a husband, a father, a firefighter, a jiu jitsu brown belt & a Linchpin member. He started lifting weights in 6th grade & has been active ever...

The Marine Corps, the FBI & Linchpin.

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grant is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He a former Marine who also had a full career as an FBI agent. We talk about his life experiences as...

How often do I REALLY workout?

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to warm-up for heavy squats. How long should you wait after warming up to start the workout? The Burgener warm-up. How often do I really work out...

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 5.

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Aaron is currently on active duty the Irish military. He has tried various programs all aimed at the needs of "tatical occupations". After trying all ...

Ice Cream, Injury, Menopause & Dumbbells.

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's the next homemade ice cream flavor? Linchpin sub-group for nutrition. Women specific issues. Why no ads for Linchpin? Static overhead holds. D...

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 4.

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Erica is a mother of two kids, a wife & a 3rd grade school teacher. She has experimented with a large number of online programs. She has also gained &...

Unpopular Truth & Nutrition.

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It seems unpopular these days to tell people the truth about the health risks associated with being overweight. Lying to people and/or avoiding uncomf...

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 3.

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Travis first joined Linchpin in 2019 after being a part of several different gyms. In 2023 he left Linchpin & tried a different program for 5 months. ...

When to just "Suck It Up".

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Buy-in's & cash-out's. C2 rower vs Assault Rower. Programming considerations. When is doing "extra" warranted? Monitoring data. Pre-workout stretchin...

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 2.

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chris is a husband, a father, a physical therapist, & a former program hopper. He has been active his entire life & played multiple sport. He tried Cr...

Assigning load vs letting YOU choose.

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Assigning loads vs letting athletes choose. Frequency of bike vs row workouts. How to approach accessory work. Wallballs vs Thrusters.

Becoming best friends through Linchpin.

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artur lives in Portugal. Nikos lives in Greece. Both are married with kids & have busy jobs. Through Linchpin, they started commenting on each other's...

Rebounding Box Jumps, yes or no?

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Box Jumps vs Step-ups Linchpin for Adaptive Athletes & kids. Choosing only 3 workouts a week. Improving Pull-ups. Improving Oly lifts. Do you need an...

Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 1.

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Josh R. is a husband, a father & a self-admitted program hopper. During a 2 year period he was a part of 12-16 different online programs. Josh walks u...

How to break through plateaus.

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do I ever get bored programming? What would I change about Linchpin? Body says YES, head says NO to working out. How to break through plateaus. Podca...

Mom of 6 kids finds time to workout!

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chelsae is a wife, a mother to 6 children & a Linchpin member. She is also currently pregnant with another baby. This will be her 4th postpartum jounr...

Redefining CrossFit?

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did Adrian Bozman quit?  | How to get more strict pull-ups.  | Echo bike & upper body fatigue. | Craziest thing I've seen in a gym. | Proper height ...

A new country, a new language & a new dad.

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ruan is a husband, a new father to a little baby girl & a Linchpin member. He was born & raised in South Africa, but recently moved to Germany for a n...

How DEEP should you SQUAT?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Choosing the right dumbbell loading. | How to use a sandbag. | What skill challenged me the most? | When to do the Monster Mash? | Selecting rest peri...

15 years in Search & Rescue.

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scott F. is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. For 15 years he worked as a National Park Ranger in Yosemite & the Grand Canyon. He did law enfor...

Why is Strength + Metcon so popular?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Does 1RM relate to as "Rx'd" loading? | 10k run program. | Programming mistakes. | Relative Intensity explained. | Is sitting all day bad? | How do yo...

From 100 mile races to 1 workout a day.

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nick B. is a husband, a father, military officer & member of the Linchpin community. He spent many years as a dedicated runner doing everything from 5...

1st, 2nd, 3rd Wave Adaption

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Minimum fitness equipment. | Deload weeks. | Programming themes. | Fitness Test at the Olympics. | Taking time off from working out. | Strict before k...

Steroids, Power Lifting & Manual Labor.

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Patrick S. is one of the many amazing people we have in the Linchpin community. He has a profoundly physically demanding job. Every day he moves heavy...

2024 CF Games, Paleo, Scaling & more.

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

My favorite movement/workout. | How to be ok scaling workouts. | Lazar & the 2024 CF Games. | Upcoming challenges - Linchpin Test 13 | Turkish Get-ups...

Mexican Culture, Soccer, Dancing & Fitness.

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Adrian is a gym owner & member of the Linchpin community. He grew up playing soccer & loves to dance. He first tried CrossFit while in college & has b...

VO2 Max vs Lactate Threshold.

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

VO2 Max vs Lactate Threshold. | Using btwb data to improve Linchpin. | Are some weeks of Linchpin harder than others? | Pull-ups vs Chin-ups. | Olympi...

How to lose 70 pounds.

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scott M started doing CrossFit in 2010. He was the heaviest he had ever been in his life at 250 pounds. He found a gym & got his diet under control. O...

The hardest workout I ever programmed.

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

My favorite "on the go" snack & drink. | What did CF teach me that the SEALs did not? | Plank holds. | Does Rest = Strength? | The hardest workout I e...

The Army Combat Fitness Test & much more.

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anthony is a husband, a father, a civil enginner & a member of Linchpin. He was a 3 sport athlete in highschool who went on to attend West Point. He w...

Are butterfly pull-ups worth the risk?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Common run distances. | The love of Oly lifting. | Improving mobility & warming up. | Do workouts surprises me? | Are butterfly pull-ups worth the ris...

Clinical Laboratory Science & Foster Kids.

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Scott is a husband, a father, a clinical laboratory scientist & a Linchpin member. Originally a runner, he first tried CrossFit back in 2013 & got hoo...

A full time Farmer's view on working out.

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Evan W. is a husband, a father, a fulltime farmer & a Linchpin member. He has an extremely physically demanding job which often forces his to work lon...

Do we need to do Handstand Push-ups?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to know if a workout is original. | Meters vs Calories on the Air Bike. | Why are Thursdays & Sundays "rest days"? | Mental toughness. | Putting "...

10 years of fitness has its ups & downs.

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Levi is a husband, a father & a Linchpin member. He has been doing CrossFit since 2014 & joined Linchpin in 2020. Over the last 10 years life has pres...