Training Journal Preview by Lachlan Rowston

AC H IE V E YO UR N O. 1 TR A IN IN G GOA L IN 1 50 DAYS

All rights reserved This publication is copyright to Lachlan Rowston and Raphael Freedman owners of The Mind Muscle Project. It is not to be lent, reproduced, resold, hired out or in any way used apart from the strict usage permitted under the Copyright Act unless written permission is obtained from The Mind Muscle Project. For information or enquiries about reproduction email: themindmuscleproject@gmail.com Published by The Mind Muscle Project. The contents and information within this book have been designed to help the owner with various aspects of their own circumstances. The advice and strategies may not suit every situation and no result can ever be guaranteed. You should seek professional advice in certain situations where appropriate. Neither the authors or publishers are responsible for any profit or loss or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or other damages. ISBN: 978-0-646-97605-1 Designed by Elisa Guth Design Logistics by Elizabeth Finniecome of Opus Group Printed in China FIRST EDITION

the mind muscle project

who are we? Lachlan ‘Lachy’ Rowston and Raphael ‘Raph’ Freedman. Together we are The Mind Muscle Project. Australia’s no.1 health and fitness podcast

The Mind Muscle Project started in late 2014 as a way to bring more in-depth content to our gym members. Where it ended up happened by pure chance. To date the project has more than 200 episodes, more than 100 interviews with the brightest minds in the fitness industry and over 1,000,000 downloads! Yes one million! We like to act as the filter between proven training methods and the industry's bullshit.

principles of world-class coaches and how they breed and nurture exceptional results. And we have studied and documented the habits of ultra-successful fitness entrepreneurs. Now you can learn the habits and routines which make them the best in their field. We couldn’t have done it without the loyal Mind Muscle Project listeners and their support. To you holding this journal. To you who listen every week from the bottom of our well-trained hearts… thank you.

The journey has been nothing short of amazing. We have had the privilege to spend hours face to face with the “fittest athletes on the planet”. We’ve learned the

Now begins your journey of 150 focused days towards your number 1 training goal ...

foreword Training is a journey. Like a traveler you pick a destination, set out with all the tools available to you and try to find your way By Max El-Hag

Just like the adventurer would seek a map, compass, and/or potentially a guide, your training journey should seek out the most effective coaches for you.

either. I believe the true reward of any journey is being able to take what you’ve learned and give back to others. It would be impossible to do this if you don’t remember how you got there in the first place.

You need to be prepared mentally, to have setbacks and dedication to find the best practices on the market. If you intend on being successful… be prepared to figure out how to problem solve as you go.

Chronicling your quest will allow you to refine your process of living and striving. You will almost certainly want a place to go back and reflect. I can’t stress enough the importance of this process. There is list of research out there to support journaling practices, mindfulness, meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy continues to grow. Consequently a growing number of ‘successful’ people out there have emphasised the importance of these practices and what it means to them.

It’s an unfortunate part of life that so many people fail to make their dreams come true. However some people are lucky enough to quest long and hard enough to obtain their goals. In doing so their triumphs become stories of hope for other people who are fighting their own battles. I have found that no matter what type of legacy you’d like to leave you need to be accountable to yourself. A coach, a mentor or a guide can only take you so far.

I’m generally not comfortable endorsing products especially when they aren’t to do with Training Think Tank but I genuinely believe that training journals are valuable.

The importance of this personal responsibility is one of the many reasons I require all my athletes report their results to me and perform journaling exercises. You must take your goals seriously. If you don’t... no one else will invest in them

My feelings about this are reflected in my own business seal which says “Corpus-Animus.” Loosely translated as “body-mind”.

A s y o u c o n t i n u e y o u r j o u r n e y, u s e T h e Mind Muscle Project as one of the many tools to further your education

I think both are equally important in the creation of a whole person. The Mind Muscle Project guys created a journal that is both informative and useful for your training goals. I feel comfortable standing by this tool as a way for you to invest time in the mental side of your quest. If you intend on becoming a better you, you must invest fully in your process of both mind and body. As a tribute to humanity... chronicle your quest as you write the story of your triumph. Seek advice from popular experts, listen to the principles which govern high-level performers and get new perspectives on old timeless methodologies. Remember that all the information in this journal, in their podcasts, in books or from any source is useless without you putting in the action required to make it usable. Now that you have purchased this journal invest in yourself, use it and hold yourself accountable. Enjoy the process of becoming and embrace the challenges.

How is this possible? By harnessing the astonishing power of ‘compounding progress’ we cam reach our maximum physical potential. You can harness its full potential by following the simple instructions of The Training Journal. Doing this will put you in position to achieve your #1 Training goal in 150 days. Take a moment to think how it will feel when you finally accomplish a long term training goal. Something you have always wanted to do.

instructions

Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who u n d e r s t a n d s i t, e a r n s i t . . . h e w h o d o e s n ' t . . . p ay s i t Abraham Lincoln Our goals, our outcomes and our process may vary but we all train for one reason - to be better than before

Why The Training Journal Works: It doesn’t matter how small or how long it takes, you should always be seeking constant and unwavering improvement. Why do some never stop getting better whilst others plateau or regress? Why do most of us take two steps forward and two steps back whilst others continue to march forward?

‘gifted’ people really done... They have just utilised the power of ‘compounding progress’ which comes only from consistent reflection, in-depth review and course correction. The Training Journal is a tool designed to help you achieve consistent and ultimately unstoppable progress.

We all have the same 24 hours. Very few acknowledge this. Instead they look to the ‘successful’ and label them… ‘the lucky ones’, ‘the gifted ones’. But what have these

The way The Training Journal works is simple. If you improve by 1% each day you don’t just get a little better in 150 days you get 445% better.

The Training Journal uses: • Goal setting • Twice a day mindful reflection • Expert training content and knowledge • Weekly evaluation and review • Intention setting • Habit creation All of these methods have been proven through practice and research to reward their users with exceptional results

Will The Journal Guarantee my success? In the words of MMP podcast guest Max El Hag, “no coach can guarantee winning or success”. We agree. The same is true for any training tool. You must fundamentally hold yourself accountable for succeeding. The training journal is your accountability tool. Use it everyday to ensure you have done everything you possibly can to achieve your goal. We guarantee if you commit to the process you will not not regret it. If you commit, right now you are 150 days away from accomplishing your goal.

TA K I N G ST E P S TOWARDS YOUR GOAL

1. goal setting

setting the goal It’s time to set your goal. You may know what it is, or you may not ... that’s ok.

Complete our guide to setting your no.1 training goal on page XX

2. self educate Use The Training Journal to take smart daily action towards your goal

3. move forward

Let’s begin our goal setting guide. To know you have chosen the right goal you must first imagine reaching your goal… It will feel as though time stands still and you will be filled with a deep sense of fulfilment. I will give you a minute...

sure it can be measured objectively by anyone not only by you. It must be quantifiable.

A = At ta i n a b l e It should ride the line of being barely achievable and just out of reach. If you make it too easy it will not excite and motivate you. If you set it too high you will not fully believe you can reach it. Use your previous training experience as a guide. You may have done something similar in the past. This is helpful for setting your expectations up but it shouldn’t be weighted too heavily.

Excellent... Now keep it in your head. Now let’s make sure it meets all the criteria of a S.M.A.R.T goal. Getting this right is extremely important. S.M.A.R.T Goal analysis:

By making small tweaks to your strategy in the weekly reviews

4. PATIENCE

S = Specific

Be patient with yourself as you realise your no.1 training goal

The goal should be one thing not a broad spectrum. The more definitive you get the easier you can create steps towards achieving it.

5. self educate Study advice from The Mind Muscle Project guest content in this journal

goodluck

R = R e l e va n t

Questions you should ask yourself are: What exactly do I want to achieve? Where? How? When? With whom? What are the conditions and limitations?

It is important to picture yourself achieving this goal. What will it feel like? Will it be enough? Does it matter to you? Make sure this is something you want and you only.

M = Measurable

T = Time-bound

Make the goal tangible so you know exactly when you have reached it. Whatever the number or amount is make

The goal should fit into the time frame of 150 days (21 weeks/5 months). Tell yourself in 150 days you will reach this goal.

r e m e m b e r , t o d ay i s t h e b e s t d ay t o s ta r t 10

No w you t ry: Think hard about ‘why’ you want to achieve this goal. We will use the principle of the ‘5 Whys theory’ created by Sakichi Toyoda

Why do you want to achieve this goal?_________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Here’s an example:

______________________________________________________________________

Why do you want to achieve this goal?_________________________________________ Because a triple bodyweight back squat

Why is that important to you?________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________ has been a lifelong goal of mine.

______________________________________________________________________

Because it is a true test of strength which not Why is that important to you?_________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________ many people have ever achieved.

______________________________________________________________________

Because I want to show people like me Why is that significant to you?________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________ anything is possible. I want to be an inspiration to others who want to

______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________ achieve goals other people say they never will.

Why is that significant to you?_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Now we have addressed the goal in detail let’s put into the universe ...________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Accountabilit y: The ne x t 150 days are going t o pa ss whether or not you commit to the process. Are you ready to take your training to the next level?

Daily journaling is a simple but difficult practice. Here are steps we can take to ensure we stay accountable:

1 . B u d dy- u p Find a friend to do it with you. Make a commitment to do it together. Check in with each other every couple of days. Share your success, failures and journey together. Research says your chances of succeeding will go up dramatically. Do you feel hesitation or even a little fear in telling someone your goal? Good, that means your goal is big enough. The fear you feel is even more reason to find an accountability partner on your journey.

2. Go Public Tell everyone you can who will support you or hold you accountable. Give yourself no option but to succeed. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re exceptionally brave put it out on social media. Or you can join hundreds of others using the Training Journal in our private Facebook group, themindmuscleproject. com/facebook

A c c o u n ta b i l i t y breeds responsibility

3. Place your bets Choose an amount of money which would sting to give away to someone you dislike. Find a someone who fits this role and let them know if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach your goal by this date you promise to give them X dollars. It sounds silly but it works.

Stephen Covey

E x a m p l e D ay E n t r y

Example night Entry

My no. 1 training goal is (restate your goal here every single day)____________________ I will achieve a

Did I work hard today?

3 /3 Effort Level:____

______________________________________________________________________ 480kg CrossFit total at 80kg body weight in 150 days.

Did I work on my weaknesses?

0 /3 Effort Level:____

______________________________________________________________________

Did I move as well as I could have?

2 /3 Effort Level:____

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

Indicate your training mood / motivation Level: (1 is low, 10 is high)

My amazing training partners. I am My training is made better because of _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ grateful for the group of friends who motivate me everyday. They make ______________________________________________________________________ training fun even on the boring days and push me beyond my limits.

What's my win for today?___________________________________________________ Hit all my back squats. Felt easy and like I had a

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ few more reps in the tank on each set. Easier than last week.

______________________________________________________________________

Two tasks I will complete today which support my goal:

______________________________________________________________________

I will pack my meals before I leave today so I am not hungry during the 1 _____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ day and buy something that will negatively affect my training.

______________________________________________________________________

I will do 20 minutes of deep breathing and yoga poses when i get home 2 _____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ tonight to help my wind down, sleep and recover.

I need new ways to improve my ankle flexibility. Still Closing thoughts_________________________________________________________

Two struggles I encountered in my training yesterday:

______________________________________________________________________ feeling tight on my first few sets of squats. I think long term this will make

My left elbow was sore in my sets of barbell press 1 _____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ it easier for me to hit proper depth. It will

I ran out of time to finish my extra posterior chain work. 2_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ stop me relying on weightlifting shoes.

Two solutions to these problems:

______________________________________________________________________ Have been thinking about adding in a s ta n d a d v e r s i t y, b u t

I will spend 10 minutes rolling out my left elbow before training. I will 1 _____________________________________________________________________

if you want to test a ______________________________________________________________________ creatine supplement to my daily nutrition.

______________________________________________________________________ also book in an appointment with my chiropractor.

______________________________________________________________________ Will need to research products tomorrow.

I won't use my phone when I get to the gym today. The 20 minutes i 2_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ Abraham Lincoln

______________________________________________________________________ spend on emails can be used to fit in the extras i missed.

______________________________________________________________________

Ne a r ly a l l m e n c a n

man's character give him power.

1 . W h a t h a p p e n s i f I m i s s a d ay ? Don’t stress! Get back on the horse and don’t break your momentum. Your goal is still waiting for you.

2 . H o w d o I f i l l o u t t h e j o u r n a l o n a r e s t d ay ?

fa q

Rest days can make or break a training program. Your daily journaling is an important time to set your intention and to make sure you achieve everything you need to do. Meal prep, sauna, meditation or what-ever you need to get done can be the content that you fill out in the morning. The next day when you fill out out ‘yesterdays struggles’ you can focus on how you performed in your rest day focus. How was your mindset? Did you make the most of your rest day? Are you as recovered as you can be?

3 . W h a t i f I c h a n g e m y g o a l d u r i n g t h e 1 5 0 d ay s ? Let’s look at why you changed. Did you lose interest? Was it too hard or too easy? Did you already achieve it? Either way if you’re setting a new goal that’s ok. Just keep going no matter where you are in the journal. You have built the habit and discipline of journaling. Changing goals is the easy part.

4. I’m unsure if my goal is a good one… If you’ve taken the time to work through the goal setting guide it’s likely it is. If you’re still unsure take a day to sit on it before you start. Revisit the goal tomorrow and see how you feel about it.

5 . W h at i f I s t r u g g l e w i t h m o t i v at i o n & a c c o u n ta b i l i t y ? Most people do. It is normal! That’s why we created The Training Journal Facebook group. Join hundreds of other motivated athletes achieving their number 1 training goal and do it together. Go to: themindmuscleproject.com/facebook

d ay 1 : m o r n i n g

D at e : _____________

d ay 1 : n i g h t

My no. 1 training goal is____________________________________________________

Did I work hard today?

Effort Level:____ / 3

______________________________________________________________________

Did I work on my weaknesses?

Effort Level:____ / 3

______________________________________________________________________

Did I move as well as I could have?

Effort Level:____ / 3

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

What's my win for today?___________________________________________________

My training is made better because of _________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Two tasks I will complete today which support my goal:

Do I feel closer to my number 1 goal? Why or why not?____________________________

1 _____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2 _____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Two struggles I encountered in my training yesterday:

______________________________________________________________________

1 _____________________________________________________________________

Closing thoughts_________________________________________________________

2_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Two solutions to these problems:

______________________________________________________________________ s ta n d a d v e r s i t y, b u t

1 _____________________________________________________________________

if you want to test a ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2_____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________ Abraham Lincoln

______________________________________________________________________

Ne a r ly a l l m e n c a n

man's character give him power.

W e e k ly T a l ly : a d d e a c h d ay u p t o g e t a s c o r e o u t o f 2 1

w e e k ly c h e c k- i n

Did I work hard this week?

Effort Level:____ / 21

Did I work on my weaknesses?

Effort Level:____ / 21

Did I move as well as I could have?

Effort Level:____ / 21

My biggest struggle this week:_______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ A possible solution to this problem:___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

week 1

w e e k ly i n t e n t i o n : W e e k 2 My weekly intention:_______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ One nugget of wisdom I will turn into a habit over the next 7 days:___________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ I will do this when:________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

D e a n e x p l a i n s t h e S c i e n c e o f C a r b o h y d r at e s : 1 With human physiology, carbohydrates just turn into glucose. How you choose them depends on how certain carbs make you feel. Some people choose to backload their carbs or keep them around training just to feel better. It has no impact on how you look. 2 Hi GI or Low GI? Front loading or back loading? Simple or complex? This stuff matters more for people in caloric surplus because they’re on the limit of storing fat and putting on muscle. 3 I don’t look at timing carbohydrate intake unless a person needs it from a performance standpoint. 4 Are fats the best fuel source for something highly glycolytic like CrossFit? No. True, your body becomes more efficient at using fat once carbs are removed, but it’s just making up for a bad environment. 5 The brain needs 80g of glucose a day- that’s like 1.5-2 cups of cooked rice. I know athletes who don’t eat that. 6 Drinking something sweet with a small calorie content during training yields small performance benefits as it tells the body to keep releasing glucose.

Dean’s Thoughts on Supplements for Performance: 1 In my world, ‘Whey’ [protein] exists because it’s food. It’s low fat, low carb and is convenient. I look at Whey as a food source. Not a recovery source. 2 There are very few studies which take normally fed subjects and test the effectiveness of supplements. The studies [participants] are almost always fasted so they can get a better result. This is not a reality. 3 Whey, creatine and beta alanine: Efficacy wise, they are the three most proven in research to work. 4 Beta-alanine is shown to improve lactate clearing and your lactate threshold. 5 BCAAs help to reduce perceived pain and delay muscle wasting. Treat them like a security blanket. 6 Once a cell is saturated with creatine, that’s it. 3-5 grams, seven days per week works fine. 7 Supplements work best at the higher ends of performance, when athletes see less progress or have plateaued. Allow 2 weeks before you look for a change.

D e a n o n M e ta b o l i s m a n d P h y s i o l o g y:

dean mckillop / episode 42 In the world of physique athletes, Dean has done it all. From placing second as an IFBB professional, to coaching other amateur athletes, Dean boasts an impressive portfolio of experience. With eight years in the industry and a Bachelor of Exercise Science, Dean’s knowledge extends far beyond the pages in this book. What we captured is only a slice of Dean’s knowledge. Dean applies this knowledge through his online nutrition coaching platform, Flex Success. He and his team achieve undeniable results for physique and performance athletes using ‘Flexible Dieting’. Dean truly believes Flexible Dieting is the most liberating, healthy and sustainable nutritional protocol which exists.

1 Metabolic maladaptation. In the context of low calories, high exercise, we consistently see low testosterone, thyroid issues and leptin (appetite signalling) problems. This context results in a negative body composition. 2 For diets where you have to eat certain foods versus hit numbers, athletes will put a lot of stress on their gut from whole foods. The fibre content to reach 600g of carbs would be astronomical. 3 Fibre improves gut motility and houses good bacteria. When you hit 70g (in a day) of fibre, you start to leach nutrients and shift food too quickly. Or worse, you get really blocked up 4 If you’re on a restrictive diet eating only five foods, you’re going to get a deficiency and have gut issues- it’s just common sense. 5 I don’t want to remove gluten and enforce an intolerance on myself. Instead, I just cut back on the amount I was eating as it was having a negative accumulative effect.

D e a n E d u c at i n g u s o n F l e x i b l e D i e t i n g : 1 The worse thing is making people scared of food, which is why I like flexible dieting. It takes away the guilt of food types 2 At the end of the day, it’s just maths. Unless you have metabolic issues 3 According to one study, 95% of diets fail after 3 years. This is not a diet - it is a template for any lifestyle.

Max’s lessons on Programming: 1 Most people just want to jump into the most aggressive thing possible and see if they survive, which to me is horrible training. 2 Cyclical disciplines [Rowing, biking, running] are again going to be more effective for increasing cardiovascular development because you can sustain a certain heart rate. 3 If you start conservative and progress conservatively, you can start to work out where a person's maximum threshold for training volume is. 4 What is the value of the ‘basic non-flashy’ offseason work for the everyday person with a normal job? Oh my god huge! It should comprise 80% of the total volume they do. 5 Why people don’t like the ‘basics’: When you do maximal intensity work your awareness goes completely away from your thoughts and into your body. You finally don't have to listen to the bullshit worries in your head. But when you're doing basic less intense work you're still in your head and aware of all the discomfort. The solution to this problem is people need to be in control of their monkey mind and realise “if I want to be good, I need to do this stuff".

M a x ’ s L e s s o n s o n h av i n g a n At h l e t e M i n d s e t: 1 I believe that almost everything you do in this world can be changed by giving an appropriate stimulus to the body. 2 You need to develop a strong ‘why’, so that when you get to that level of pain, your mind has some sort of a way to think 'it's worth it for me to break through this’. 3 [Having an Open Mind]: The Process of not having a dogma I operate from lubricates the speed of which I can learn and adapt. 4 When you start out towards a goal, you can see the top of the mountain. You put your head down and start walking towards it, but one day you'll look up and realise the mountain is not there anymore. 5 If he is a person who came top 10 in the world, he's probably NOT a person you want to model. Genetics can allow high level athletes to not play by the rules for a very long period of time. Or maybe they are so unique, it is the rules for them.

Max’s 3 lessons for all Coaches:

M a x E l- H a g / e p i s o d e 7 0 & 1 3 8

1 My cardiovascular fitness, movement quality and some of the other things I’ve developed as a high-level athlete started to deteriorate. I noticed I started to lose the respect of the athletes I coached. When you say something hard like "dude, you need to go harder. That was completely unacceptable”, the athlete will immediately evaluate all the things you do in your own training, and if you're a hypocrite he or she will lose respect. As soon as I realised this, I started to work on all the things I hated. 2 It's one thing when someone is alone by themselves in the gym trying to do 100% effort work, and another thing when someone is standing over them watching. 3 I found a way to reclassify training in a way that I do it every day. I don't need to work hard every day, but I am going to work on my body every single day. This could even just be stretching and movement work.

M a x ’ s l e s s o n s o n R e c o v e r y: Max, who wrote the foreword for The Training Journal, needs little introduction. He founded The Training Think Tank (TTT) after many years of tutelage under various other master coaches and coaching platforms. Today, TTT stands as one of the most, if not the most, sought after individualised coaching organisations. A waiting list of nearly 100 athletes, TTT has shown it can produce some of the best athletes in The Sport of CrossFit. As a mentor, leader and coach, despite giving so much to his athletes, he still manages to boast impressive athletic abilities such as the splits, 50 cal Airbike in 30 seconds and a 300lb snatch.

1 People know how to push themselves but they don't know how to take care of themselves. So many athletes don’t even know how to eat. People have been counting calories for so long, they don't even know when they are hungry anymore. Your body is designed to tell you when it's hungry. There should be less intense training cycles where your phone doesn't tell you to shove food down your face. Just eat and be a human. 2 Low level respiratory sickness [common colds] can be a great indicator of pushing too far in training. If you keep getting sick while in training, you need to start figuring out why.

T r a v i s M ay e r / e p i s o d e 1 4 5 Travis Mayer is a gym owner, father and four-time CrossFit Games competitor. Unlike many other competitors, Travis’s athletic background was in racing motocross. Since putting down the wrench and picking up a barbell, Travis has risen quickly to the top of his sport. Although a legitimate threat to win the Games, Travis is never in the spotlight. This underdog label makes Travis one of the fiercest competitors as he sets out to prove the doubters wrong. Travis is best known for eating north of 600 grams of carbohydrates while training five plus sessions per day.

T r av i s o n t h e h i g h s a n d l ows o f e l i t e c o m p e t i t i o n : 1 Since Day 1, I’ve always been a competitor. My focus has always been the Games. My gym staff take care of all the business side and admin. This removes off a lot of financial pressure. 2 In 2014 lead up: I got beat up and run down and stopped enjoying the process. I was dreading every day. I got 29th that year. I questioned if this was what I really wanted to do. 3 Qualifying for the 2017 CrossFit Games: I knew my training time could beat the event record. I knew once I got to the 150lb sand bag no one could touch me. I do a lot with the 250lb and 300lb sandbag. This is what helped give me the belief. 4 The moment he qualified: When they said my name, I was just fired up. I was 27 points out. Most people thought I wasn’t going to make it. I knew that as long as you don’t give up you’re never out of the fight. People always doubt me and it pisses me off. This is what pushes me. In hindsight now looking back it has made me a better person.

T r av i s o n i m p r o v i n g h i s m o b i l i t y a n d r e c o v e r y: 1 Mobility: Be patient. Spend a lot of time doing it. I used to spend hours on it. Figuring out ways to open myself up. Lying on giant stones with the band pulling me open over the stone was a great one. This was on top of all the training. People try to force it to much, let it happen. 2 Throughout the day, I don’t eat much. Nothing solid. When we started ramping it up [carbs], the difference from 475g to 525g and then to 625g, I felt like my energy was through the roof. The next morning, I would come to the gym and feel like I could break the barbell. 3 Meditation. I do it every day. For me it helps calm my mind. Having the few minutes to calm down and focus on my goals helps immensely. The closer we get to competitions, the longer the sessions become. 4 I do 3 minutes of calm breathing every night. The goal is to do 3 breaths total in the 3 minutes.

Kyle Ruth & Brannen Dorman / Episodes 83, 108, 146 Kyle Ruth If not for some unexpected turn of events, Kyle Ruth’s athletic career may have looked very different to what it is today. An 8-time national (USA) qualifier for Swimming and now Masters CrossFit athlete, Kyle has spent many years at the top. After missing CrossFit games qualification by one spot, Kyle has since slowly transitioned to the master head coach under founder Max at Training Think Tank. Kyle’s understanding of energy system development and sports supplementation is second to none. Kyle has coached multiple regionals and Games level athletes for many years and continues to develop TTT’s online education courses.

Brannen Dorman Brannen is a Sports Performance Coach at Training Think Tank (TTT) in Atlanta, Georgia. Before joining TTT, Brannen co-owned and coached at Apex Sports & Fitness in Boca Raton, Florida. There, he helped hundreds of different athletes through speed and agility training to excel in their sport. Brannen is highly sought-after coach for healthy and injured athletes. From high-level CrossFitters, to the ex-professional. Much of Brannen's work is now preparing athletes for competition and rehab protocols for injured athletes. Brannen is exceptionally passionate about getting people out of pain and creating longevity in people's training programs.

K y l e a n d B r a n n e n b r e a k d o w n t h e s c i e n c e o f at h l e t i c p e r f o r m a n c e : 1 Paying attention to pain is very important. The best athletes use pain as a pacing tool. Become more in tune with it. 2 Doing cyclical aerobic capacity development has very limited transfer-to-performance in mixed-modal workouts. 3 I [Kyle] adapt more positively to sympathetic training sessions when I add in parasympathetic practices post-workout, such as 'box breathing'. 4 I [Kyle] now believe almost all of the training adaptations are Central Nervous System (CNS) mediated, meaning you may not have changed your physiology (muscle fibre quality and capacity) but instead you have increased your ability to control what you already have. 5 Some people often think after a certain 6-month progression, they will never have to address the fundamentals again. This is not true. Continuing to refresh the basics will lead to long term improvement of dynamic more advanced movements. 6 Cooling your body temperature post workout seems to reduce neural inflammation. This could improve cognitive acuity throughout the rest of the day. 7 From the literature, viral load has far less of a correlation when compared to stress on infections, colds and flus. 8 From the literature, the only thing lost in the first 2-3 weeks of detraining is a little bit of neural drive and blood volume.

K y l e & B r a n n e n o n p e r f o r m a n c e n u t r i t i o n f o r at h l e t e s : 1 For any significant dietary change, allow two weeks. Even though you may feel tired and sluggish, it is likely you will see your performance improve. 2 Carbohydrates are king when it comes to mixed anaerobic sports. 3 The goal is to get athletes to consume as many calories and carbs as possible without changing their body weight. They need to sustain the highest output possible. The more energy in, the more out. 4 Examine.com can give the best up to date scientific research on any supplements you may be taking. 5 Astragalus Root Extract has shown some good evidence for preventing upper respiratory infections in athletes.

Kyle and Brannen’s thoughts on Programming and Coaching: 1 Environment and execution of the program is more important than the content of the program for advanced athletes. 2 Coaches should be going through similar things that their athletes are going through. It develops an understanding of the experience to better coach people through it. 3 Often, new athletes don’t know what it’s going to take to get to where they want to be. Their perception of what they want to do is very different to what they need to do. 4 Optimal training structure always goes from ‘highest skill and least fatiguing’ to ‘lowest skill and most fatiguing’.

K y l e a n d B r a n n e n e x p l a i n M o t i v at i o n : 1 Motivation comes back to the stories we tell ourselves. Understand why you are doing what you are doing. This will strengthen your results. 2 I [Brannen] think everyone needs times in their training where they are just treading water. 3 I [Brannen] believe athletes need to compete in the offseason. It gives you short term goals and motivation. 4 I [Kyle] think winning is a skill. Leading an event is challenging, and requires a different subset of skills versus chasing someone.

Khan Porter / episode 4 & 39 As a three-year individual CrossFit Games veteran, Khan Porter has remained one of Australia’s leading CrossFit athletes. Khan finished 10th in his first regionals appearance after just one year of CrossFit. A former state rugby player and national surf lifesaver, Khan has been a lifetime athlete. Those who follow Khan will know of his playful demeanour and love of beer. He went viral after posting himself dancing to Beyoncé in a tribute to men’s mental health. Khan continues to attract an audience with his CrossFit whilst promoting a message of not taking life too seriously and maintaining balance.

K h a n ’ s a d v i c e t o a s p i r i n g at h l e t e s : 1 If I'm doing a session and I'm not doing well I'm going to stop. This is because I might be able to do something productive the next day. 2 I have too much stuff going on in my life to come home and worry about how many grams of sweet potato I need to eat. What if I don’t feel like sweet potato? I don’t stress about food because I don’t need another stressor in my life. 3 I like to use EMOM work to structure my conditioning every session. I’ve found it to be the best way to making incremental progress on my conditioning. 4 People look at my Instagram and might think I don’t train as hard as other athletes. I do, but I like to post about other stuff I’m doing which represent the whole Khan. I love beer and I love a good doughnut. 5 What I’ve learnt overtime with all this training and competing is that there needs to be a real off season. A time to physically heal up and mentally refresh to see if you’re still hungry. Sometimes you just get sucked into a sport and one day you wake up and you’re burnt out.