Best Pat Sherwood Podcasts (2025)

1
VNR #204: Why do weights feel heavier at 5am? 29:09

16h ago29:09

29:09

-A VNR listener has been working out since 2012, typically in the afternoon. -For the last 6 months they have had to train at 5am. -They find lifting weights & being explosive at that hour to be very difficult. -They want to know why training in the morning is different from training later in the day. -Pat & Boz dive into this topic.…

1
When to go Rx'd+ 51:42

11h ago51:42

51:42

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 priority workouts. Improve your running. Origins of Linchpin. Heavy Lift + Metcon.

1
Powerlifting, USMC & High Risk Occupations. 49:05

3d ago49:05

49:05

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. After serving in the Marine Corps he then worked in telecommunications as a tower climber for years. Now he remains in that industry as a lineman. In this conversation he shares his fitness journey.…

1
VNR #203: Program Yourself vs Follow Programming. 46:37

7d ago46:37

46:37

-Should you program your own workouts or follow other programming? -There are pros & cons to creating your own workouts. -There are pros & cons to following programming created by someone else. -Pat & Boz dive into this topic.By btwb

1
Too old to learn handstand walking? 44:09

7d ago44:09

44:09

Struggling with late night snacking. Juggling workouts & mixing up the schedule. Learning HSW at 37 years old. Training kids. Front Rack mobility issues. Working out in public. Lifting charts & ratios. Heavy day loadings. Linchpin + Military PT. Breathing techniques. Workout levels. Eating as if calories are meaningless.…

1
Breaking Powerlifting Records & being a Strong Mom. 47:17

10d ago47:17

47:17

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 nutritional habits. She started getting herself in shape after a car accident & walked into a CrossFit gym. This lead to her meeting her future wife, taking her fitness seriously & eventually becoming…

1
VNR #202: Competitions: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly. 36:17

14d ago36:17

36:17

-Competitions, regardless of whether they are local comps or large scale events have potential pros & cons. -They can be fun community events & provide people with a goal to train for. -However, not all comps are created equal. -Pat & Boz have an unfiltered discussion on this topic.By btwb

1
How to get a strict Ring Muscle-up. 49:31

14d ago49:31

49:31

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 Muscle-up. How to increase strict pull-ups. Polyester Fabrics & micro plastics. L-sit benefit Measuring Fitness in your later years.

1
Breast Cancer as a Mom to 3 young kids. 44:45

17d ago44:45

44:45

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. Her doctors have stated that her level of fitness is playing a major role with how well she is tolerating treatment. This journey has redefined why working out is so important for her. It could liter…

1
How to get your 1st Box Jump. 53:45

20d ago53:45

53:45

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 do a podcast with? Understanding rest periods for intervals. Linchpin at 3 days a week. Tender collarbones. Struggling with the Squat Snatch. Murph prep. Burpee modifications.…

1
VNR #201 - Redefining what a “Personal Record” means. 20:06

21d ago20:06

20:06

- Many people define whether or not they “PR” on a given workout using rather simple metrics. - If they do the workout faster, it is a “PR”. If they lift more weight, it is a “PR”. - While these are useful metrics, they are not the only factors athletes should take into consideration. - Pat & Boz discuss this topic.…

1
Addiction, Sobriety, Dirt Bikes & Injuries. 47:25

25d ago47:25

47:25

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 pain killers. After years of struggling, Steve entered a rehab program & has been clean & sober for 12 years. This is his story.

1
VNR #200 - Lessons Learned from 200 episodes. 35:04

28d ago35:04

35:04

- Over the last 4 years Pat & Adrian have recorded 200 episodes of Varied Not Random. - Pat & Boz reflect on lessons learned & key takeaways from all of the guests they have interviews & the topics they have discussed.By btwb

1
An Unhealthy Addiction to Fitness. 1:12:43

29d ago1:12:43

1:12:43

Fitness as a new parent. Assigned load vs % load. "Death By" style workouts. Rest periods for interval training. Chipper style high volume workouts. Air Bike vs Rower Fitness in your late 40's. An unhealthy addiction to fitness

1
A husband & wife, both with PhD's & a love of fitness. 56:08

1M ago56:08

56:08

Steve & Renée are a husband & wife who both follow Linchpin. Steve has a PhD in biochemistry & molecular pharmacology. Renée has her PhD in cell biology. Steve was not particularly involved in sports when he was young. Renée played a wide variety of sports. Even with the demands of hectic jobs & raising kids they found a way to make fitness a prior…

1
VNR #199 - Obesity. - What causes it & how to treat it 1:05:33

1M ago1:05:33

1:05:33

- Dr. Carolynn Francavilla is Board Certified in Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is a nationally recognized obesity expert, lecturing to clinicians on the topic obesity. Dr. Francavilla serves on the Obesity Medicine Association Board of Trustees. - She discusses obesity’s causes, treatments & much mor…

1
Linchpin + Wendler 5-3-1? 44:24

1M ago44:24

44:24

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? When to cut weight. Accessory work. Most recommended Linchpin podcasts?

1
Mom & Daughter co-own a gym. 34:17

1M ago34:17

34:17

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 owner was looking to sell the gym, so Natalie & Lauren decided to buy it. They discuss their community, lessons learned & why the choose to use Linchpin programming.…

1
VNR #198 - Nick Lima - Major League Soccer 51:49

1M ago51:49

51:49

- Nick Lima is a professional soccer player. - Nick has played for various MLS team & was a member of the US Men’s National Team. - He discusses life, training & more with Pat & Adrian.By btwb

1
Pros & Cons of Butterfly Pull-ups 1:15:12

1M ago1:15:12

1:15:12

Linchpin Individual vs Gym Programming. Bench Press. Gyms that follow Linchpin. Handstand Walk modifications. Assigned load vs % New movements in workouts. Pros & Cons of Butterfly Pull-ups RPE vs mathematical intensity. Double-under modifications. How to update your membership option for Linchpin. Overhead pressing strength. Breathing techniques. …

1
Hollywood, Acting & Linchpin. 49:26

2M ago49:26

49:26

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 set him on the path of eventually moving to L.A. to pursue an acting career. Since then he has successfully booked roles in ongoing tv series, been involved in movies & does voice acting as well. This…

1
VNR #197 - Pat & Boz’s CrossFit origin story 48:55

2M ago48:55

48:55

- A VNR listener wants to know how Pat & Adrian found out about CrossFit many years ago. - What was their introduction to CrossFit like & what was it like back in the early days? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & more.By btwb

1
How to Workout at 5am. 46:31

2M ago46:31

46:31

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

1
Breaking the cycle of an overweight family. 36:52

2M ago36:52

36:52

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. He wss born, raised & lives in Canada where French is his primary language. He grew up part of an overweight & sedentary family. His father suffered from a heart attack & Nicholas saw himself heading…

1
VNR #196 - Press to Handstand, Forward Roll on Rings & other gymnastics skills. 25:55

2M ago25:55

25:55

- A VNR listener wants to know how to incorporate learning gymnastics skills into a program. - Weightlifting gets its own dedicated day…should gymnastics? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic & more.By btwb

1
2025 New Year's Fitness Goals 38:08

2M ago38:08

38:08

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. Box Jump alternatives. Swimming. Eliminating early arm pull in lifts. 5 days on, 2 days off schedule. Building false grip strength.

1
Cancer, chemotherapy & radiation at 3 years old. 30:56

2M ago30:56

30:56

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. He has dealt with the ups & downs of a challenging life & found a way to make health & fitness a priority. This is his story.

1
VNR #195 - 880 lb. Deadlift, drug free - John Clark 41:25

2M ago41:25

41:25

- John Clark has been Britain’s Natural Strongest Man 2X, Midlands Strongest Man 2x, England's Strongest Man competitor 3x, deadlifted 880 lbs drug free & also squatted 836 lbs. - Pat & John discuss his view on training, nutrition & more.By btwb

1
Fitness in your 60's, 70's & 80's. 31:40

2M ago31:40

31:40

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 movement patterns. Resting during dumbbell work. What if you miss a workout?

1
Type 1 Diabetes, Addison's Disease, 2 kids & real life. 48:15

2M ago48:15

48:15

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 another autoimmune disease as well. Fitness & nutrition are absolutely critical to his quality of life & management of this diabetes. This is his story.…

1
VNR #194 - 11x Kettlebell World Champion - Denis Vasilev 58:03

2M ago58:03

58:03

- Denis Vasilev is an 11 time World Champion in kettlebells. - Pat, Adiran & Denis discussed his journey into this sport, how he trains, technique, how & why people can benefit from kettlebells & much more.By btwb

1
Needing Help vs Being Helpless. 32:20

2M ago32:20

32:20

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 family eat? Damper Settings & Drag Factors for the rower. Functional Threshold Power. Favorite holiday traditions. Candlesticks. Gifting a Linchpin membership to someone else. Dropping from the top of dead…

1
Greece to Sweden to being a new Dad. 36:22

2M ago36:22

36:22

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 background in Physiotherapy & massage therapy. He has worked with athletes & regular people helping them rehab from injuries, relieve aches & pains & more. He is a new dad to a 4 month old little girl. Fa…

1
VNR #193 - Ozempic. - The good, the bad & the ugly 41:36

3M ago41:36

41:36

- Ozempic is one of the most popular pharmaceutical productions currently on the market being used for weight loss. - Millions of Americans have either tired this product and/or are currently taking it. - Who should use this product? - Is it necessary? - What are the pros & cons? - Special guest EC Synowski from OptimizeMe Nutrition provides her pe…

1
HELP...I'm still sore! 27:27

3M ago27:27

27:27

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 warm-ups & workouts into btwb. The kipping pull-up. Help...I'm still sore!

1
Father & Son make fitness a family tradition. 48:00

3M ago48:00

48:00

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 he has not always been healthy. He speaks openly about the highs & lows of trying to live a healthy lifestyle & the lessons he has learned along the way.…

1
VNR #192 - How to Deadlift 1000 lbs. - Jerry Pritchett 53:46

3M ago53:46

53:46

- Jerry Pritchett is regarded as one of the best deadlifters in the world. - He competed multiple times at the World’s Strongest Man. - He earned the title of “America’s Strongest Man” in 2017. - His best deadlift was 465 kg (1,025 lbs) & his best “raw” deadlift was 415 kg (915 lbs) - He is also a father & a professional metal fabricator. - Pat, Ad…

1
How many Strict Pull-ups should you have? 37:12

3M ago37:12

37:12

Smashing two workouts together. How many strict pull-ups should you have? Linchpin Endurance Squad Something dumb I've done while training. My mindset & approach to programming workouts. Working through an injury. Non-fiction book recommendations. How much weight is needed for a home gym? Hernia Surgery. Training while sick.…

1
Doing all the little things right. 35:42

3M ago35:42

35:42

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 workouts in his garage & at his work. He also dedicates time on the weekends to meal prep for the upcoming week. Habits like that set him up for success. He shares his story with us.…

1
VNR #191 - Should you lift before or after a CrossFit class? 20:15

3M ago20:15

20:15

- A VNR listener wants to know if he should lift before or after his CrossFit class. - Currently, he takes a CrossFit class & then immediately after attends a weightlifting class. - He wants to know if this order is ok or if he should change his schedule to lift first. - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.…

1
Accessory Work, Weight Belts & HYROX 26:20

3M ago26:20

26:20

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 & KFT? If I could only have 5 pieces of gear. Training for HYROX

1
12 Orthopedic Surgeries & 2 New Hips. 42:52

3M ago42:52

42:52

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 hip replacements. This all started with an accident she had when she was only 10 year old. At 12 years old she was in a full body cast for 7 weeks! She has remained fit & healthy to the best of her abi…

1
VNR #190 - Tell the truth to your members, whether they like it or not. 45:41

3M ago45:41

45:41

- As a trainer/coach it is your responsibility to tell the truth to your clients. - It is impossible to truly improve someone’s health & fitness if certain subjects are not allowed to be addressed. - Telling the truth may make for some uncomfortable conversations, but they are necessary. - Telling the truth can be done with empathy & compassion wit…

1
Fitness as a 1st Responder. 32:50

3M ago32:50

32:50

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 father is also in Linchpin as well. In this episode, John shares his story with us.

1
VNR #189 - Can you learn intensity training alone? 23:55

4M ago23:55

23:55

- Jonathan, a VNR listener, wants to know if it is necessary to be a member of a CrossFit gym in order to learn about intensity? - Can someone training alone truly workout at a level of relative intensity that is high enough to produce results? - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.By btwb

1
Debrief from 2024 Rogue Invitational 1:02:54

4M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

Thoughts on Rogue Invitational. Scaling workouts for kids. Cheat meals. Linchpin monthly fitness tests. Running. Defining "interference". Do "active" people still need to workout? Is warming-up necessary? When/how to establish a 1RM. Pacing on "Not For Time" workouts. How to build up training volume. When to use a sled.…

1
Confessions of a Program Hopper. Part 6. 36:21

4M ago36:21

36:21

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 since. He has been a member of various gyms & tried different online programming, but he decided to return to Linchpin. This is his story.

1
VNR #188 - Training for multiple competitions at once…good or bad? 25:11

4M ago25:11

25:11

- Katie, a VNR listener, wants to know if training for multiple competitions at once is ok. - She wants to train & compete in a Strongman event & then compete in a CrossFit competition a week later. - Pat & Adrian discuss this topic.By btwb

1
The Marine Corps, the FBI & Linchpin. 43:28

4M ago43:28

43:28

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 well as what lead him to Linchpin.