Transcript for #1618 - Mat Fraser

Yeah. It's insane. Yeah. Yeah, the games. So like the games are like the big competition and it's like It's a wild show because it's sometimes it's five days, sometimes it's three days and we'll have like usually between 12 and 15 events over those days.

Some, like we might find out in an event. Sometimes a week or two ahead. But then like we'll have others where we're literally finding out the event as we go. Like as we're competing. So we don't even know what we're doing on the competition floor. They'll be they'll be like all right start lifting that weight will tell you when to stop when you hit your number of reps you know stuff like that it's uh it's interesting to train for because you don't know if you're training for a one rep max or a hundred uh you don't know if you're training for a 40 meter dash or a marathon you know it's Yeah, keeps it interesting. Like we've had, we've had events that are like 20 seconds long and then a couple of years ago we had to row a marathon on like the stationary concept two rowers. So like 42,000 meters.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, 40, 2,000 something. I think the average time was about three hours. I think a couple of people were like three and a half hours.

I mean, I would prefer to row a marathon than run one because it's easier on the joints. Okay. Like your ass goes numb just from sitting on the seat. Um, but yeah, I mean, it was just easy on the joints. They did it because they're like, we tested it and like after you run a marathon, like you can't walk for a couple days, like your body's just trashed. with rowing a marathon like you're sore, but you're good to go the next day.

Yeah, I think if you're conditioned for it and that's all you're doing. Yeah, you know, and he lifts weights too. Yeah, yeah, I've met Cam. I met him a couple years ago. He's got problems. Does he?

Yeah, you know? Yeah, I watch Cam and yeah, it runs in marathon every day. It's like, why? What are you doing? Well, you like James Terrible.

Yeah, I got a buddy that does all those like 200 mile, couple days long. Yep. And it's like, all right, like, I get that out to your thing. I don't get it, but more power to you.

Yeah.

I mean, I wonder if like if he's ever played with like other challenges, you know, instead of just running. Because I know if I'm practicing the same thing over and over again, you adapt to it, you get better at it, you get more comfortable with it. And it's like when those curve balls get thrown at you, something that you're not used to. And I mean, that's basically, that's crossfit, right? That's what our training is. We're trying to think of different things. that can be the test for us and figure out, like, all right, if this comes up, how do we deal with it?

So I, I have a background in Olympic weightlifting. Did that for 10 years lived at the Olympic training center? Like, my goal was to go to the Olympics for weightlifting. And then that didn't pan out. And like started focusing on school. And then I just kind of, I guess just gained the freshman 15. So I was like, all right, either need to start working out again or change my diet. So I was like, oh, I'll start working out. And you know, trying to find an Olympic weight lifting gym is they're like a needle in a hay stack. but cross fits are everywhere. And so I just like googled CrossFit near me because they use all the same equipment like the barbells and bumpers. And so I just showed up and introduced myself was like, hey, like, I don't want to do your CrossFit thing. I'll be in the back room just doing clean and jerks and squats. And just kept doing that kind of showing up on a irregular basis. And then one of the girls from the gym who was a competitor was just kind of like, Bribing me into workouts every once a while like oh you might be good at this one give this one a try give this one a try and the the owner of the gym actually signed me up for my first competition because he's okay. I think you have potential in this. You should give this a try. And so we made a deal that he signed me up and paid my entry fee. And then if I won any money, he I had to buy a pair of CrossFit shoes. What are CrossFit shoes? I mean, at the time, it was like the Reeboks, like the minimalist shoes. Like I was working out in Air Max 90s. And so he's like, anything's better than that. And what year was this? This would be back in like 2012. And so anyways, I won the competition, got a couple hundred bucks and was like, yo. this is kind of cool like just pocket money for a college kid like other more competitions like this and so they showed me where to find these competitions and I just kind of started driving around the northeast like all of New England and if there's prize money to competition I was signing up as I basically looked at it like a part-time job of like while I'm in school full-time and broke I can make some pocket money and uh... Yeah, just kind of, I was like, all right, if I want to keep winning these competitions, I need to work on my weaknesses, get better, and then just kind of fell in love with it, and it just ratcheted up bit by bit until, like, I'm at the World Championships, and I'm like, oh shit, how do that get here?

Yeah, I've won one the been on the podium seven times and I've won it the last five years. That's bananas. Yeah, I mean for someone who started off as like, like, like, I'm not blind to it. Like, I'll be sitting in my fiance like, you know, just when these cool opportunities get plopped in front of me and like, how how do they end up here? Like, this wasn't supposed to be my life. You know, all the mechanical engineer, you know, like, I thought my sports career was over with Olympic weightlifting. You know, I broke my back. Like it was a hole. What did you do to your back? broke my L5 and two spots. Oh, yeah. How? Just training too heavy too often. And it just fractured the actual bone. Yeah. Yeah, like little wings off the side. Oh. And it was on two separate occasions too. Oh, no. They were like a week or two apart from each other.

Yeah, I didn't really have a choice. So I was living out the Olympic training center and like there's a lot of pressure on the program to like produce and I was on the junior world team. I was leaving for Romani in a couple weeks compete and yeah, I was just I don't know. I wasn't training as smart as I should have been. And so the first one was doing like a clean pole. So just like a deadlift with a big explosion at the top and like loud pop on one side and I dropped the bar and like Have you ever seen those heat packs that have the little clicky thing in them? It was, that's what it felt like when it clicked and then it just like the inflammation just spreading. And so, you know, go to my room, lay down for a couple days and then it was, I knew someone was wrong. Like, I've never had an injury like that. You know, I couldn't move.

No, because it was like, I was leaving for the competition in like two weeks. So it was like two late to call the alternate.

I mean, I told them, like, hey, I, and they're like, suck it up. I'm injured. And I was told, like, hey, there's a difference between pain and injury. And I was like, Okay, I'll get back to lifting and so then a couple days goes by and I'm being super cautious like basically stripped all the way out of my training. I'm just moving and then what was it was heavy back squat and like load up and you're going for like a new one rep max like a week before you get on the airplane and yeah hit the bottom of the hole left side goes oh Jesus it's anyways I got went to the competition did terribly you know like the coaches like hey what's your goal for this competition I was like I just don't want to bomb out I just want to make one lift one lift in each and he's okay we'll make sure that happens I only made one snatch one clean and jerk and then it was when I got back I like put my foot down I was like hey I'm not I'm not lifting shit until again X-ray and they X-ray didn't they're like oh yeah there's break right here right here and

I mean, I feel for him now that I have a little more life experience and like, you know, at the time, hated the guy. But now that I know the situation he was in, he was under pressure for keeping his job to like, hey, you need to produce athletes, like none of the American athletes are doing well on the world, world scene. But it's like, USA is one of very few countries that compete to clean. And so it's like, how do you compete, you know? Yeah. So he had this outside pressure to like produce an athlete, whether it was the right way or wrong way.

I remember at the junior world that I competed that the winning guy in my weight class snatched more than what I clean a jerked. like he this like 18 year old kid and he like power snatch 155 kilos. It was where's it from? I want to say he was like somewhere over in Europe and I'm pretty sure it was like the whole podium got popped. It's kind of like I remember like 2008 Olympics like the 94 kilo class they started testing down and it's like Like currently it's like ninth place guy has the bronze medal because they just kept testing down down down.

I think it's like a few years later because it's like at the time with the drug they don't know how to test for. And so they save the samples and then years later they figure out how to test for this stuff. Did you see Icarus? I watch like the first bit of it. Yeah, I haven't seen the whole thing yet. It's fucking nuts. Yeah, it's nuts. I mean, it's just crazy. Like, if there's a sport with money, people are going to start bringing drugs into it.

Yeah. So made the women too manly. So kind of funny about that. My parents were both figure skaters. Whoa. And so they're both Olympians, 1976. No shit. Yeah, Paris freestyle. and my dad talks about like he would be in the locker room and like different countries they he was like they just had their syringes on the on the bench oh my god he was like you come in after your session on the ice and he's like the german team is just there like like they're not even hiding it because it was legal it like well they didn't test yeah they didn't know right you know but the american team did that too back then supposedly all right

I remember reading the article like they were testing it at York Barbell and like I remember reading these journal entries from the lifters and some they were bolting the bars like to the ground or to squat racks and they would take the drugs and then just push on the bars as hard as they can. because their theory is like the heaviest bar you can lift is the one you cannot. And it was like, huh? And some of these lifters are saying like, you know, these pills or these injections are where everything is coming from. Like, this is where all my gains are coming from. And then others were like, no, no, it's the training methodology. Like, the drugs have nothing to do with it. I'm just hitting all these personal records.

I think I know which one, which one's I'll put out before.

What are you talking about? Yeah. I mean, there's been a couple of people that like in CrossFit that got popped and they're like, oh, the drugs weren't even doing anything. And it's like, oh, silly boy.

You know, they're just to test you for shit. They're really worth it. I mean, like the one guy, the one guy that he was on the podium at the games and then got popped. I competed against him, like six or eight months prior and like The the one stat like he was snatch and like 260 or 265 and then he shows up to the games and snatch was like 290 and he's taken he almost hit 300 and he's like no, the drugs had nothing to do with it. It's like I bet. Yeah, I don't believe that. It's like But you've been in the sport for years. Like if you're just a beginner, you can make progress like that. Like you've been in the sport for years. Yeah. And then in the last six months, you just had this huge spike in your performance. And you're like, oh, no, it's just because I became dedicated. It's like, I'm not buying it on the occasion.

I'm pretty often today show up randomly. Yeah, so we have out of competition drug testing. Um, you know, it's like when I did weightlifting, we were on like the Nan programs and no advance notice. So you need to give if you're in the Olympic sports, you're tested by the Olympic Association. You have to give one hour a day of where you are. And they show up, they don't call nothing. So like everyone put from like five to six a.m. I'll be in my dorm room. And like if you're leaving for the airport at like 450, you'll see someone sitting outside the dorm and just like looking at their watch waiting for five a.m. to hit and give the knock. And like they'll follow you. They come with you to school, work, doesn't matter what you're doing.

Yeah, probably. I'd assume they would but I mean like I remember having to talk to professors of like I have an exam and like I didn't have to pee so I'm like you guys got to come to class with me and having like explained to a professor like hey like these guys are here for drug testing I compete in the sport is it okay if they just sit there in Wow yeah, so the cross the creepy I mean it's weird like I've had it before where they showed up at 5 a.m. I didn't have to pee and I'm like yo, it's 5 a.m. I'm going back to bed and they're They're like, yep, pull. Sit right here. So they sit in the room while you're sleeping. Yeah, they just pull up a chair and they'll just sit there. Just stare at you while you're sleeping.

I just like put on the TV or something for them and like you just go back to bed. I mean after a while you get used to it. Like the first time having to take a drug test and front of someone, it's weird. Like they're inspecting you. They have to look closely. Yeah, make sure something rubber and and then I mean now it's like I don't even break conversation. It's like it happens so often every competition out of competition. You get to know the guy that's like in your region for drug testing.

I don't know. I don't know enough about the history. I think it's newer. But yeah, with a CrossFit drug testing, it's I remember the first time I got drug testing. When I first got on the sport, I was like, I think these guys are dopeing. Like, I don't believe it. And I didn't know about the drug testing protocols. And then I had to sign up for it because I was doing well enough in the sport. And then I get a phone call of like, hey, this is so and so from the drug testing where your name got pulled. And I was, I was honestly excited because I'm a, oh, sweet. They do regulate this. This is great. So it's yeah, I'm at the address that I listed, come on in, doors unlocked. And he's like, oh, no, no, we'll be there tomorrow. What? I'm like, you're giving me a days notice. I don't like that at all.

I have to assume that if you, if you know what you're doing, you have a plan B, like you have to assume that you're going to get tested at some point, right?

I never knew the reasoning. I remember it was coming up like those IV bars that like they just jam packet full of vitamins, whatever, like these super doses. And it's like started, it's like a hangover cure, right? Right. And I remember that was getting pitched like other people around me were doing them and they're like, you should do this and I'm like, all right, my livelihood depends on not breaking the rules. So I'm like, and I'm contacting people at Crossville. Like, hey, is this allowed? And it's like right there in the rule book of like, no IVs over 50 milliliters or something. Equivalent to like a tablespoon or two tablespoons. So I was like, okay, that's not allowed. Not doing that. But yeah, I mean,

Interesting.

Yeah. So like if you're in trouble and like getting hospitalized or like there's a need for it. I think it's allowed.

Yeah, I think it's, so I've had it once. Yeah. And I found out after the fact of like, okay, that's what that was. It looks like you're pissing Coke. Yeah. And it's just brown and you're like, oh, oh, that ain't good. But it's like, yeah, if you don't train for a long time and then you do a workout super high intensity and it's like one repetitive motion, just over and over. And so I'm not a high-end researcher. I don't know all the science and proper terms behind it, but it's basically like like your muscle poisons itself, something like that. But yeah, it's not good. I know a lot of people that have been hospitalized for it. Do they use IVs to treat you with that? I think so. I think it's just like you need to get so hydrated, just flush everything out. Because it's something like, it's like your CK level spike, I don't even know what that means.

Yeah, I think it's probably more towards like the beginners because like now when I train I don't I don't even get sore like so it's just people that are out of shape that try to do something that like that you would do Yeah, and if it's like not a well-programmed workout where it's just like we're doing a thousand thrusters for time and it's gonna tear your quads and it's like no, no one should be doing that type of workout But and I'm sure it's the same was like if I just jumped in on camhaines running routine when I've done no building up to, I have no business running a marathon every day. Right. So yeah, if I'm just jumping in a workout that I'm not prepared for. Well, yeah, it's going to fuck you up.

Yeah, it's a marathon. Yeah. I mean, it's like any sport of like, if I go in to to roll or something and it's like, Well, no, I need to learn the fundamentals. If I'm just jumping in into a full sparring session. Yeah. It's like, well, yeah, that shit's going to happen. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Is that like, I think that's like the coin terms.

I mean, I do CrossFit. Well, I came in from weightlifting. So we used to watch CrossFit fail videos like from weightlifting like when I started CrossFit I didn't tell any my weightlifting buddies for like until they saw me like on ESPN and like I was getting texts or phone calls and they're like hey so I was watching TV today and you do CrossFit now and I'm like

But yeah, a lot of people call him boxes. But you would call him a gym. Yeah, I just call it the gym.

Yeah, it's like the owner of the gym is allowed to run it however they want they're free to do whatever so like there's no regulations on the equipment programming coaching interesting nothing so like I came from a gym in Vermont Champlain Valley that like I thought that was my first experience with the CrossFit gym, and it was this huge gym, amazing coaches that cared about the fundamentals, had amazing programming, like they put thought into every aspect of it. And then I remember like visiting other gyms that it's like I mean, it's like the size of this room. Half the plates are broken. The coach is just a cheerleader. And I'm maybe like, wait, these are the same. This is the same thing.

I'm not 100% sure how it works because I've never hadn't interest in opening a gym.

Yeah, and I think I think it's kind of comes down to, you know, the gyms that aren't putting in that effort will dwindle out. Because, you know, people start expecting, they're like, I'm paying you a good chunk of money, you know, 100, 200 bucks a month. I want something for that money. You know, I'm not just going to show up to your dusty garage.

I'm really good workout. I'm balanced workout and be safe. Yeah. I mean, I've shown up to gyms where it's brutal. You know, imagine. I'm sure a lot of the business now, but I've also shown up to ones that are great. The people take pride in it, they want to give the customer the best experience they can. I was lucky enough that just by random chance, the first one I showed up to, if they have a class over whatever number of people, they have multiple coaches working. During the workout, the coaches aren't just cheerleading and telling people to go harder or go faster. It's like they're critiquing technique. They're given good foundation. I mean, that's where I hit the ground running coming into the sport was I have this background in Olympic weightlifting. So I know how to move my body correctly. So it's like I came in like leaps and bounds ahead of so many people because I didn't have to work for years and years to build this foundation. So all I had to do was figure out the cardio side of it.

I mean, like, limp your lifters. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, it's, I mean, just, Taking in enough calories and fuel for the day is, is a full-time job. Like when I was training competing, I'm taking in two to 3,000 calories a day just in liquid.

Oh, man, you have to ask my wife that one. She does all the cooking meal for everything.

No, it's like, I'll just text her one on my way home from the gym and like, hey, be home in 10 and then I walk in and like, there's a whole plate. But like, I'm like a child at breakfast. I hate eating breakfast. And it's like she'll have like the three four eggs the bagel cream cheese fruit vegetable like why do you hate eating breakfast? I just I don't like eating first thing in the morning, but you have to because you need the fuel Yeah, so it's like I'm like a child sitting there and she's like know you're not allowed to leave until you clean your plate I'm like shit like so now it's like now that I'm not training as a career, like I won't eat until two or three in the afternoon. And how old do you know? 31 now.

Yeah, I think people peak at different age. I mean, like I had my best performance ever. like my last competition. But it was just time, you know, you were done with it? Yeah. Like when I, when I did weightlifting, it's like I rode that bus until the wheels fell off. And like when I left it, I had resentments. I didn't like it. You know, I cut off ties with a lot of people just because I didn't know how to handle it. And so with Cross Val wanted to make sure that I left it still wanted to be a part of that community. Like I still want to feel good about showing up to competitions, keep my friends like all this stuff. So you know, like, It's been a goal of mine for a long time to get certain records in the in the sport. So I hit that record and there's just been too many other things in my life that I've put on hold. And I'm like, OK, I'm good. Like, I've done everything in the space that I wanted to do. Now I want to pursue some of these other things that I've put on hold. And you know, like my whole life has revolved around this for seven, eight years now of You know, not traveling, not going out to meals, not hanging out with friends. It's like, no, like, from eyes open to eyes closed, revolves around this.

I mean, the typical, like, probably four eggs, four or five strips of bacon, big old cream cheese, bowl of oatmeal, bowl of fruit, big jug of water. I mean, nothing crazy. It was just like the quantities I was having to put down.

Yeah, like just the typical like protein, creatine, pre-workout vitamins. The shit load of beta alanine. Yeah. Yeah, nothing. Nothing crazy. I love that stuff works. Yeah, I can't believe more people don't take it. Like I found where I could buy it just on its own like not mix in a pre-workout and just kept it in my gym bag just like a scoop before every training session.

It makes me feel like I have a third lung and then so that's how I always felt it was like I felt like I had a third lung when I took it.

I mean I would just like dry scoop and then swig it down with a couple of water. It tastes weird. Yeah, I didn't really have much the one I hadn't had much of a taste.

I mean like 10 minutes. Oh, like because I would do like a very gradual warm-up activation all that stuff going in so by the end of the warm-up like you're rubbing your face just like oh shit. It's kicking in. Here we go. But then someone someone told me that it actually blocks. Was it lactic acid production? So I was like, okay, that makes sense for why I feel so good when I take this because like So much across this just like our a who can spike their heart rate and keep it there the longest and then who can like hold off the lactic acid the longest and when you would take beta alanine what dose look what's the I wish I could tell you I didn't do that much research on it People that are like so meticulous about their their supplements they're trying to probably screaming right now Oh, I mean, like, I mean, even at the games every year, it's like everyone has their prepackaged food, like they're weighing out their chicken, their white rice, they're broccoli, and I'm just scarfing down Snickers bars. As soon as I come off the floor and it's like, well, I worked with experts in like each of these divisions of like, you know, this guy who trains triathletes, like he's a scientist that shows these guys how to be optimal. and he's the one telling me to go if you're doing a 60-minute workout like Coca-Cola and a Snickers bar as soon as you're done. Isn't that crazy? I was like, oh, okay. So I like I can never eat a snackers again. I've eaten so many over my career for the last like three, four years.

Yeah.

So it was this guy. I went out. I think it's a university of Colorado and he has like the sports lab like at the university and the typical like put you on a treadmill with a gas mask and heart rate wires all this stuff and he just keeps ticking up the treadmill going faster and faster until you drop and it's like every three minutes he's like prick in your finger and drum blood like he's telling you where all these different levels are I'm like I don't care like you just tell me what I should do to get better I don't want to know where I'm weak just tell me how to get better And he was telling me he's like like don't drink the bottled gatorade Drink like you buy the scoop of the powder and mix it gallon worth into like eight ounces of water whoa and I was like Oh, that much, huh? And so it's like, you do these like 90 minute zone two training sessions where you're just on a spin bike or running for 90 minutes and it's like as soon as you're done, slug that down and it's just like sludge. Yeah, it's like, oh, this sucks, but it gets into the muscles. Yeah, I mean, it's, I don't know the science. It's weird to smarter people that are smarter than me that know what they're doing. And I'm like, okay, cool. So he's like, yeah, eat Snickers bar after a workout, slug down like this condensed gatorade and you're good to go. Okay.

I think it was just the sugar. It was just like the condensed. So, I mean, I had good performance as a last couple of years. So I'm like, what you told me is working, I'm going to keep doing it. But yeah, I mean, I don't have a background and exercise, science or anything like that. So I have to time when these people are telling me these things. I'm just kind of like, all right. This is your world. You're the pro in this.

Huge, huge advantage. I mean, not only am I coming into the sport with lifts that are like already. like messing with the top guys. But now I know how to move my body efficiently. So like a lot of times if you see these guys and like longer workouts where it has like 30 snatches at the end of it or you know, just those high volume Olympic lifting by the end of the workout, they're moving differently. You know, their technique is breaking down the bars swinging out. They're not catching the bars efficiently. So it's crashing on them. For me, it doesn't matter if it's the start of the workout, end of the workout. It's like, I may catch the bar lower, I may have less pull, but the movements identical. You know, so I just have this huge advantage coming in that whether I'm fresh, tired, sore, I only know how to snatch a bar one way.

I don't think it's necessary to do like pure dedicated Olympic weightlifting first. I think it's an necessity to do pure dedicated Olympic weightlifting and doing it properly. Because so many times you'll see people like, oh, what's your workout today? Oh, it's workout to a heavy single. It's like, whoa, what? You're not working off percentages. You're not building up.

Yeah, I mean, a lot of people just like, if you're trying to bench three 15, you just, you don't just go into the gym every single day and take a whack at benching three 15. It's like you start at a lower number and doing a shitload of reps. And then you're tapering, you're cutting down the volume, you're increasing the weight, you're working off percentages to build up to that heavy single. So, I mean, like when I did weightlifting, I mean, you're working most the time between 70, 80% of your max lifts, just dialing in that technique and making sure you know how to move with weight. And I remember coming into CrossFit with my background, I'm like, Well, you guys are just going heavy every day. Like, that's not smart. That's how your body's going to break down. You know, you're not learning how to move this weight properly. And so I mean, it was a huge advantage coming with my background, not and not only knowing how to move the weights in those specific lifts, but then even like with the kipping movements on like for pull up bars or muscle ups, it's like, I know how to move my body by using using my hips. Like I'm getting that pop out of my hips to get up over the bar. And so I just knew how to move a little bit more efficiently. And so it was a huge advantage coming in.

I think there is some truth to that.

I mean, I've, I've continued to hit strength number PRs throughout my career. Rabbi, you already have this base. Yeah, I think.

This motherfucker was running along this thing, so that would be it. I would, if I were a betting man, I would say it's easier to build the cardio side of it versus the weight. Because I think there's more aspects that go into the weight lifting. Because there's the strength, the flexibility, the technique, the coordination. There's a lot of things where it's like, for me to build cardio, it's like, I just just get on, get on an air bike and start hammering away. Right. Well, there's not much technique going on there. Now when is that was airbite your main source of cardio for me it was running like the concept to rower and it was just like I showed up the one of the first competitions I did or like anytime it showed up in like the class workout in the gym I just got my doors blowing off by everyone on the rower and so I was okay like if I wanted to get better I need to figure figure out this machine and And so concept 2 is actually based in Vermont. So a lot of their employees went to the same gym as me. And I'm in the back row in one day. And one of the main employees comes back and he's like, stop. Stop what you doing. You're so bad at this. Let me show you the technique of how to do this.

I mean it was just like I was throwing my shoulders back first movement pushing like so like dominant I'm pulling with my arms early and it's like you want to extend your legs first then your back and then follow through with your arms. So it sounds so simple but like when you're in the movement it's just like you're thinking of a hundred different things at once and and so that sequence is just to be more efficient so you can go longer and further Yeah, I think, you know, it's a very unnatural feeling because, you know, like, for me, it's like my quad to my most dominant muscle. So I want to use that the most for the pull. And it's like, no, like, you want to hinge, just like a clean, like you extend your legs first and then you're back, you know, like you want to stay over the bar and it's the same with the rower. But I think it was probably a good dose of like, I worked on it a little bit. I saw the results and so I got that gratification of like, Oh, I like this now. You know, I worked a little bit on it. I got a little dose that, like, feel good of like, all right, you're getting better, keep working. And so then I just, I, I used the Rower, the most out of any of the tools. The bike, I mean, no one likes the button. That thing sucks. Yeah, it sucks. So brutal. And especially if, like, the bigger you are, the better, just because, like, you can demand handle that machine. But I'm like five, six, like the handles are like up here for me. It's not fun.

Um, usually for a competition, I would walk in like low mid one 90s. So like usually right around 195, give or take. But in training, I would sometimes I'd blow up to like a little bit over 200 and my weightlifting would get awesome. And then sometimes my body weight would drop to like in the 180s, my gymnastics would be awesome. But the nice happy medium for everything was like mid one 90s.

Yeah, it's, I mean, I've put in a ton of time and I've worked with a lot of great people. to get better at running. You know, just get better at any of the cardio stuff.

No, no, I'm good. Like, I mean, it was a big thing with I wanted to end my CrossFit career without a limp or like some injury that dictated like, I wanted to choose my retirement. I didn't want to be told like, oh, yeah, you're retired. You know, your knees are blown out. You're right. Whatever. But no, I've always tried to train smart. doing it properly. And so I've studied like how other people and other sports do these things. I'm not just, I'm not just leaving my front door and going for a marathon ruck. You know, I'm talking to people that are experts in their craft. So you know, like when I want to get better at dead lifting, like I don't know how the fuck the train dead lifting. Like I have a rough idea, but not how to do it perfectly. And so I reached out to a power lifter who had some world records. And he sent me over whole program. You know, when I want to get better at running, I'm like, all right, who's awesome at running? Probably someone that's done some Iron Man's. Let me reach out to it. And the guy, I think he got second place in the Hawaiian Iron Man twice and I've worked with him for years. Did he change the gate the way you run? Oh, so much. Really? I mean, I was terrible. What were you doing wrong? I mean, my breathing was super sporadic. You know, in the beginning, it's like, I'm like, oh, you know, I feel great. I'm not. You know, just moving air as much as I can. It's like I feel good. I'm comfortable, but then like by the end of a mile run, it's like sometimes I'm taking a breath every other step, sometimes every third, whatever it was. So, you know, like, the full position when I land, where my foot striking in relevance to my body, my cadence, you know, I was, I think my cadence was super slow, like, sped it up. You know, actually using the ball of my foot, because weightlifting is just all heel, heel, heel. And then, like, change in my breathing cadence. And then, like, and then finding, all right, where's the bottleneck in my running? You know, and my lungs not strong enough to expand to take in more air is it where's the weakness. all these different. They're just breaking everything down into like these minute little details to find where that bottleneck is and put a plan together.

Oh, no. I always run with like the big old cushy. I'm like, I have no pride. Like these people that have run in like minimal shoes. Like this is the proper way. I'm like, I'm trying to do the fastest way. Like I don't give a shit if it's the way we were intended to run. I think these shoes feel good. I'm going to wear them. Yeah, need a little cushion.

I mean, 200 pounds when you're going out for a 10 mile run, it's like Yeah, that's a lot of weight pound and it's a lot of repetition and when you're rocking you guys had to do what what's the amount of weight they would make you carry I mean it varies Yeah, we like we used have to do a lot of runs with like it was like the five eleven vests for a long time and then And how much is that way? I think the men's is 20 pounds and the women's is 14 or 16. But then like we've had the backpacks that we had to do one race. where it was like four laps and it started with the 20 or 30 pound plate in it. And then every lap you had to pick up another 10 pound sandbag and throw it in. So by like you last mile, I think it was like 50 or 60 pounds. Oh, Jesus. Yeah, like it gets, it adds up.

Yeah, I think you kind of move like you change your technique depending on the weight that you have. So it's like by the time you have 50 pounds on your back, like heavy walking. Yeah, you're you look like almost like at one of the like competitive speed walkers. That's just like heel toe heel toe. So I mean, you're trying to keep a bit more of a clip than that.

they're moving oh yeah like but they look like dorks oh yeah right i've ever seen like the suits were like the aerodynamic suits were like no i i don't know if it was a joke if someone was or if it was a real thing but it was like the kind of like the cyclists how they have like the glass that integrate into the helmet it's like a big cone in the back for the dynamics like alien yeah yeah yeah yeah oh yeah yeah yeah

Okay The way they move their hips. I don't know how they let's watch.

There's referees that are like making sure that you guys running on the ground at all times.

That is running I think I saw the guy in the back is like running a marathon speed walk marathon And it was like the marathon ended on the track and they had to do two laps on the track in front of people and he was like way ahead of everyone and And he got deecued because like he broke stride

Yeah. He lost a shoe. I mean, what a strategy, eh? Like if someone's ahead of you.

I remember like conversations of like weightlifting or Greco Roman wrestling and getting pulled out of the Olympics. And then you hear about the sports that are getting put in. Yeah. Any like a Are you shitting me?

I remember like we shared a window like our gym to the Greco gym and uh, when I was doing weightlifting, and I used to just watch, like my platform was right next to it, and I could watch through, and I'm like, that is the coolest shit. A savagist. Oh my god. Throwing each other around. Roots, they all, like, none of them can use earbud headphones. They can barely get a Q-tip in there, and I'm like, that is the coolest shit.

Right?

No, I don't have any. Oh my god.

See, it's not like a magic flash.

I remember like there was a sports bar in Colorado that like the owner contacted the wrestling team. It was at any time you guys want to watch the UFC fights like you got a table here. Oh, that's cool. And so all the wrestlers get together and I would just, and like you show up and it's all like the tap out gear and a flick. And like everyone, they all got invisible, lat syndrome in the bar. and then I would just ride the coat tails of all of team USA and as they're coming in like team USA wrestling gear and they all of cauliflower ear and it's like the crowd just fucking moved and I was like this is so cool It's like the international sign of like, I'll kick your ass.

Oh, yeah. I get to see that. I get to see that. I get to see that. Yeah, that's unfortunate.

Like, if you're just in the grocery store, how do people know that you're a fighter? It's like, all right, let me just punch myself in the air a couple of times.

Yeah. It just calcified. I remember when you talk to my friends, drain them. Yeah, it's nasty.

You know you drive it in your face. Like I guess it stops hurting after a while, right? I didn't hurt him. No, like when it first happens, it's super painful.

Why do you go from there?

So I've I've like washed you have seen stuff for years and years like I always loved it and so I met chocolate Dell a couple months ago and they queues to fight at 205 right and so I look at them like sometimes I'll walk around at 201 so you know he's a little bit bigger than me add on some some weight for like cutting cutting down I could not believe how huge that man was.

Yeah, I like I remember seeing him and like even when he fought you see me like all right, he's a big dude. But he waited in a 205 can't be that actually. He's 205 for about three minutes. Yeah, and but then like even when he standing next to someone else, it's like what? That guy's in his way class as well, so he's about the same size. Yeah, I met him and I was like, I have a whole new respect for like how enormous. And dude, that man was the scariest man I've ever met. He was just huge. And I'm like, yeah, you look like a killer.

And like, yeah, like his hands were just like, Yeah, there are clubs. I'm like that's not even a functioning hand like that's just a club for beating people.

Yeah. Fucking crazy.

Yeah. I mean, I think it's like any physical sport like that. Like, I mean, you look at these NFL guys or whatever it is. And it's like, you're literally taking a beating for a living. Oh, yeah. You're just trying not to break.

Well, and then like, it's not like, You don't see it coming like you have see it's like there's one dude in front of you right like he may hit you with a kick you don't see coming but it's like you know where it's coming from the NFL it's like some guy in the side yeah full-up there's nothing you can do and the guys are super athlete yeah just ridiculously powerful super fast and he's throwing his entire body into you yeah yeah I started working with a bodywork guy like Tom Brady's bodywork guy like if you ever wondered why Tom Brady's playing at 43 is because of this man Real is a magician. What kind of stuff does he do? The most painful body, like, he just makes your muscle supple. He's like, if your muscle is pliable and supple, you can't hurt it. And so I started working with him like two years ago, and it was unreal, like just the light switch fix that he gave. Anyways, he was saying me, he's like, what you do is so easy. What you do is so easy, and I was like, what's there while I'm like, hey, Like, do you mean simple? And he's like, yeah, yeah. He's like, the bar is not swinging back at you. He's like, when you get hit with a weight, it's all square perfect on. Like, you're not getting blindsided by some like 200 pound D-Lineman 300 pound D-Lineman, just like, and you didn't see it coming and bending your knee the wrong way. He's like, you're in control of the bar. It's not swinging back. And I was like, ah, good point. Yeah. Like how how how those NFL guys last like, decades. I know it's going to hit like that. Like oh my god.

I mean just yeah I think you have the combination of like the genetic freaks and then if you have a paycheck, paycheck big enough at the finish line for anyone. Yeah like I mean a lot of those guys like I mean, year and I'm 25, 30 million a year. There's not much I won't do for 25 million a year. And it's like you years, 16 weeks of getting hit. It's like, all right. That's pretty cool.

Yeah, and he's like self-prescribing drugs to get that quick fix. Yeah, you're CT and it's just a spiral.

Yeah. Yeah, crazy. Yeah, I watched that documentary and it's like, this is real life. Like this happened in this world. Yeah. Holy hell.

Like the Florida, the 2008 Florida Gators team, like the rap sheet. There was like 120 people on the roster and like 40 of them have been arrested. Yeah. It's like two of those numbers are staggering. Great. The hell is going on?

Antonio Brown like I I know very little on topic, but it was like People saying that like he took the one hard hard hit for the Steelers and then his personality just he was a different person like his personality changes temperament everything and it's like man that happens. It's real. It happens. Yeah, I'm glad I was in a sport that like I'm not getting knocked out on a regular basis.

No. Crazy. I saw the one guy. You've got de-cute. Yeah. Yeah. That's brutal. Just a straight knee to the face while you're on the ground.

I'm sure if he's hunched over, it's like, wait, is his foot? Is his knee down?

It sucks for both of them.

Like, with that guy, like, is he coming over from a different fighting league?

Set up a clear definitive rule right?

I mean years ago a buddy brought me into the gym and like he does like it's up and Vermont so it's you know it's not that crazy serious but he brought me in and he asked me to call you know you watch any sports that's guy I love love MMA and and he's like oh I do that like Sundays are open mats like if you want to come in and roll I was like yes I'm there really do you have any experience at all not none and I was it was the most fun I've had and it was just like the most gv elementary version of him it was my first day like he's showing me like all right if someone has you like this you know clamp your arm here throw your hips here and it was so much fun and then the whole CrossFit thing kind of took off and I was a guy

Yeah, it's warming up. No, I mean, it's, I remember watching it and it's like, how do you not see that kit coming? Like, we all saw it and then it's like, when you're in there, it's like, oh my god, there's so much that goes into just throwing a punch and it's like, there's whole crazy. different type of cardio and this grit. Oh, it was so cool.

Yeah, you went up.

I remember seeing them like face to face and being like, What the fuck are these two guys doing fighting each other? Like, this guy looks like, you have a hole in his eyes. He's a big fella that he just like weighing like one pound over.

So why would he want to take that fight. It's a challenge. It's a challenge.

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, when you have someone that big, that much bigger than you.

I mean I I'm a very surface level fan of like I see the fights and I'm not following these guy. I don't know their backgrounds or anything and it's like I just saw the two of them like knows the nose and I'm like

Like, I mean, it's the same like, any sport of like, there's just dudes to have this like, Grunt force like like I've had it with somebody's like will train it's like squatting Benching Olympic lifting like our numbers are pretty pretty similar But then it's like we'll just like kind of wrestle And it's like they just manhandled me and I'm like well, it's a lot of that's technique though Oh, no, like we're both like neither of us know what the fuck. Oh, okay. But it's like they can just they just have that brute, um-hmm brute strength like that farm boy strength. That's what that farm boy strength's real. Yeah.

Yeah, just awkward awkward objects. Immediately all day long.

You probably know like what's going on with John Jones now. John's moving up to heavyweight.

No.

Oh, I know this guy. Yeah.

Yeah, I feel like after you do that, like, light and easy. It's like, yeah, this thing, this whole thing ain't shit. Like, you know what I just went through? Like, exactly. They dropped me in the middle of desert seven times.

But you hear stories like that guy and you're just like, oh, okay. My day's not that bad. Yeah. Like I'm complaining about like a hanging nail or something.

I mean, it's so easy to hear that someone weighs 265. Because like, we all know a fat person that weighs 265. And like, oh, okay, it's not like that when it's like that.

I follow John and I've actually chatted with him a bit. I think it's like he hit me up and was like, hey, any, any pointers on this one thing. And I sent him a video.

I have, like, especially coming back. What's the benefit of doing these? I think it's just a lot. It's just putting the bar further in front, so it's like just a lot more on your posterior chain. So it's like the further the bar is, the further the weight is away from your center, the more you have to pull back and compensate for it. But I would do stuff like that. I think it was like when I was coming back from my back surgery, I was doing them. What did they have to do to fix your back? Uh, they basically went in and re-broken. So like dribble, tremble tool, the bone, because it healed, but it didn't heal back together. So it's like each bone just kind of calaced over itself. So they went in and tremble tool, put in some protein that generated bone growth, and then put in two plates and six bolts. So they, they So they said they're like, yeah, we can go back in in a couple of years. If the hardware is giving you a hard time, we can go back in and take it out because the bone is going to be healed. But if it's not giving you, if it's not bothering you, we'll just leave it alone. So it's just never bugged me enough to go through that surgery.

No, not. No, I don't know if it's like different type of metal that doesn't set it off or it's just not big enough quantity. But I mean, it's just like little tiny plates that we're just like put into tacit. It doesn't fuck with you at all. I mean, I'll have like if I sleep wrong, I don't know if that's just like that I'm 30 now and like sleeping can fuck me up. But no, I mean, I haven't. I haven't had any like big moments where I was like, Oh shit like I something happened I mean I came after the surgery I went back to weightlifting I hit personal records like I've lifted for another year after I came back from the surgery and then I just, like, I trained out of resentment coming back, because so many people wrote me off of, like, I, you know, he broke his back, he's done. And so I basically just trained with the, like, the fuck you mentality for, I mean, it was a year before I came back. So like, in a full back brace, just rehabbing it and then a year of competing. And so, By the time I was done with weight that I wrote that until the wheels fell off. Like resentment is a hot burning fuel. It's good motivator, but it burns hot. So you can't use it for too long.

From Crossfit? Not really. I think it was like I came into Crossfit with enough of a knowledge base of how to train properly and not just like go hard start flopping my body around you know and I changed how I trained over the years because early on I was still young and I could get away with that with doing a warm-up or a cool-down or you know kind of cutting those corners and then it started catching up with me so I was like okay I and if I want to make this a career I need to take it more seriously and I mean I tore my I tore my LCL Warming up for an event, but I was just doing like the pigeon stretch like where you put your foot up on a table and you're like kind of pulling you fell in a pop. Yeah, like I was pulling on my foot and I And it just like let go and that was actually like add a competition.

Get my mouth shut? Well, I just like threw on a couple knee sleeves like I remember So my mom's a doctor and she's at the competition and it's like I was like I didn't want to tell anyone I didn't want to go to the medical team because they might like medical medically pull me like I'm a danger to myself and so like I remember like getting my mom be like hey I think I tore something in my knee like can you check it she's like impossible you can not tear your own ligament You can't do it and then she like she's like okay maybe you strained it. And then it was after the conversation, oh yeah, you definitely tore that shit. You need to go to the hospital and get a brace. But I made that was just easy.

I think she was saying like you can't self implement a torn leg event. Like she was like it would hurt too much before it let go to you can't pull it to that point without the pain being too much.

I don't think so. I mean, I was in 80. I was like cranking on it because like more is better. Of course. Nothing in like nothing in moderation. Right. Of course. And yeah, so I mean, it was a loud pop and then like, I mean, it's just creepy.

I want it. Yeah. I just didn't tell anybody my competitor. It was the world championships. Oh, that's hilarious.

Son of a bitch like have you ever seen that like when someone tears the LCO like yeah, they just like hold their leg up to the science like droops in it looks like the pencil when you do that little like did you have to get surgery? No, so the LCO's like one of the few that will like regrow or heal itself right where like a full full leg brace for like three or four months. Oh, wow. And I just three or four months. Yeah. Yeah. It was a while. It was enough to like suck.

So they told me the surgery was like a full year recovery. It was equivalent to like an ACL or MCL reconstruction. But they're like, so you want to try this brace first. So I just wore pants and it worked.

You just said a lot of fucking words that you don't know. Really? I've heard the word peptides, but like I just got introduced to like what Psalms are not that long ago. And it was because someone got popped for them. Yeah, and I was just found out about that recently. Oh, he got caught using steroids and people like wasn't steroids. It's at Psalms.

I remember like I did like the quick Google search to like try to figure out what I could from a Google search, but that was the extent of what I went. And based on this summation, I got was like, it's basically like a steroid that only attaches that only affects muscle fiber and not like all your organs. Here we go.

So that was this guy's reason was he was like, oh, I just bought it off the internet. How can it be illegal if I just bought it off the internet?

That's your opinion.

Okay. Yeah, I don't mess around with that shit. Well, even if I go in and like, to the doctors, I'm sick and he'll give me a script and I'm like, like, you need to write me three scripts and then I call the drug testing. Right. Our liaison for drug ties on my cake. Is this allowed? Nope. Okay. Throw that one out. But now you don't have to do that. So I'm still on the drug testing list for. Come. I think it's to prevent people from just like announcing retirement. going and dopeing for six months and I guess what bitch is I'm back. Yeah. Right. So I think I'd stay in it for like six months or a year for something.

I mean, I take none of it. Yeah. Like, you know, people get your address and stuff just start showing up or even like sponsors that are like, you know, if I'm talking to a new supplement company, they're like, I want to, they want to just send you their products to try and it's like, How do I know you're not sabotaging me? How do I know you're not on that dude's team over there? That's not a gear.

Have you ever heard of that happening? I've heard of people maybe using as an excuse of like, you know, the tainted supplements. You're like, oh, this protein was mixed in a vat that was used for this other thing. And it's like, I want to believe you. but I'm calm bullshit.

That like as soon as he hears about someone popping, he approaches them and is like, I will get your sentence reduced. Pick out of these seven excuses. Oh, boy. And like he, it's the deal. You're done. It's the same packet and he just changes your name in it. He sends it off. But it's like some of the excuses have been like, uh, all my boyfriend was dopeing. And he shot his doughist uploads inside of me. So one girl said like I went down on my boyfriend and One was I was making out with my boyfriend and he was taking something that like you hold under your tongue.

the one, like there's been one of like, oh, I was eating, I ate tainted meat in Iceland.

Yeah, I remember when that excuse came out and it's like, did some research and it's like tainted meat in Iceland was a thing apparently. Oh, really? Back in the 80s. Oh. And it's like, oh, that, that's, that has been an excuse in a while, like bullshit.

They're like it's not it's not even a performance enhance I'm like it makes you like I didn't know what it was I looked it up and it makes like makes you burn fat I'm like how is that not a performance enhancer like yeah, you're lighter yeah, like you're maintaining all your muscle mass, but like stripping away All this I did wait.

Why so many athletes at that level? Like for him, he's earning more money than he can shake a stick at. I understand the appeal to cheating in that. Like, the whole thing with CrossFit, I don't get it. Like, these sports that aren't, there's not the multi-multi-million dollar contract. I don't get it.

Yeah. Like, if just his head movement. Incredible.

11 fights. Holy shit.

Look at you. You're here. Coming from the works. Yeah, coming from wait. They have to get in a crossfit. I count my blessings every day of like, is there a lot of loot in Crossfit? for most no I mean like the money in the victory is it in the prize money or is it in sponsorship sponsorships i mean and ever contracts different how you set it up uh so i mean you can set them up well if you got a good manager manager agent i mean the biggest competition we have every year is 300 thousand and there's only one winner What does everybody else get? Nothing. I think it goes like 300,000. I think this last year it went to second place with 105,000. So like 300 grand's nothing to scoff at as an annual salary, but when you're rolling the dice, training all year out of maybe, I can get, yeah, I can get rough especially if like you twist your ankle on 31 and you have to pull out. Yeah. But I may come from weightlifting where there is zero row. Right. Coming to CrossFit. Like, I remember my first couple contracts. They're like a grand a year or two grand a year type thing. I'm laughing all the way to the bank. Because I'm like, holy shit, you're gonna give me $1,000 and free protein. I'm in. Well, that's what was funny for you to just enter into these competitions just to pick up a couple hundred bucks here Yeah, yeah first competition was like 500 bucks and the next one was like a grand and then it's like two grand four grand 10 grand and it's like next you know like I didn't have a bank account I would have to sign the check over to my mom chewed a cache And I mean like shit like that's wild like I'm driving around I'm driving around New England and like This 1988 old's will be like this car I bought for 300 bucks. Like is a hoop D and I'm just like I'm loving life. Like I was a full-time college student just like I looked at this as like a side hustle.

Yeah. It's a most romantic time. Just eating ramen noodles like you know like after a workout it's like man, I'm real hungry. Like I remember going Like if I had like a group project or something I had to work on after training I would stop at this gas station the way back I would get a pepperoni stick and a gallon of whole chocolate milk and just like go to library, meet up with whoever I need to meet up with and it's like pepperoni stick to make me feel like I was chewing on something like the gallon of milk at like 1600 calories and just scarf that down and like all right cool three bucks three dollar dinner wow you know looking back at moments like that it's like all right those are the those are the times I want to remember like when you're struggling like I live into my parents basement just I think it'll fuck.

Yeah, I mean, like I have those fun memories with weight lifting too. And like I was never successful. Like I, I won like junior nationals and shit like that, but like I never made a world team or like the senior world team or how do any records or anything. But I mean, like, yeah, you know, working out in the dingy basement, you know, you make in this weight set just work because it's what you have. You know, it's not, there's no other option. So it's like, there's no like, I wish I could have this better, this better. It's like, no, that's what you've got. Either you work with it or you don't. Yeah. I mean, those times are, they're fucking awesome.

Yeah. I'm excited for, like, finding that again. Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm excited. You know, like, there's a couple of projects in the works of, like, as soon as I announced my retirement, a lot of it was, because I was like, all right, I've put so much of my life on hold to just, strike while it was hot. All right. I'm ready to do other shit other than just these killer rowing intervals and going to bed at a bedtime awake up to all the shit. What do you think you're going to do? You know, so the first thing I did was like started release my programming. You know, I've played my cards so close to my chest for so long because I was like, I'm doing shit that I know other people aren't doing in my training. So I don't want to tell people about it and it's like every other CrossFit athlete every time they hit a PR they do something new. They post about on Instagram to get some likes. Well I haven't said shit and so like the day I retire I'm like do it. I'll tell everyone. I don't care. I don't need a day more here you go. So that was like a project that I partnered with some people down on Miami that they're using their platform to do that.

Yeah, yeah, subscription. So it gets released April 1st. But it was just like, they already did it for powerlifting, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, like Uber successful in that side. They built this amazing platform. And then I'm like, I don't want to mess around with the website. I don't want to mess around with inputting all this data like I'm good at programming and I know how to do that well. So here you go and then you do your thing. Yeah, so doing that with hybrid down in Miami. Um, part of that was some buddies that are like, been in the CrossFit space for a long time for a sports nutrition company. Um, so you know, some people from the sports nutrition world, some people that are been in the CrossFit space for a long time. It just seemed like a fun project to do and we're like, hey, let's see what we can build this thing into, you know, uh, so that's getting launched in a couple months. Yeah, just kind of like, I had all these opportunities, and I don't know how to manage my time, because I've only done this one thing for so long. And so as soon as I announced my retirement, all these opportunities flooded, and I was like, I'm going to pick my two favorite, take these, put everything else on the back burner, I was like, let me figure out these two things. And once the ball's rolling on them, I'll pick up the next two things.

Oh, I tried to retire a year ago. I tried to retire after my fourth win. Like I was sitting on the dock like a week after I was up in my camp. And the guy who was coaching me at the time called me is gay man, how are you doing? Like we're having a nice little chit chat and he's like, what's your plan, what's your travel schedule when you want to start training? And I was like, oh, no, no, no, I'm done. He's like, what? I was like, oh, no, I retired. I'm good. Like I won four in a row. I'm happy. I'm done. And he's like, oh, okay, okay. And then it hangs up. And then like five minutes later, I get a call from for my buddy, like my manager in agent. And he's like, hey, buddy, how are you doing? I'm like, Shane just called you, didn't he? He's like, y'all, you're doing okay. And he was like, yo, he's like, you'll hate yourself when you're 40. If you don't go for one more. Why? Because the the previous record was four. Oh, okay. And so he was like You can't you can't just tie that.

I think a lot of them like well right now. It's like Nobody else has been competitive and retired. They're all still trying to hang on, they're taking some at bats, or they go team, or whatever it is. They either have this big injury that they're still trying to come back from, or they go team, so they're not competing as an individual anymore, now they have teammates, and they're in that division. Or they haven't really been any that have made a career out of it, and then been like, I'm out.

Yeah, I think it's kind of like the natural day of like, you know, you're putting yourself into these susceptible positions and then if you don't have the technical foundation to back it up, like, yeah, you're something probably going to like go, something's going to fall into a bad angle and just now you're putting like such a heavy load on it, something's going to Pop or break anything.

I've been doing Olympic weight lifting since I was 12. So I mean, I'm going on like 19 years now.

Yeah, I mean I would imagine I'm sure it's like I'm sure there's part of it of like my body is adapted to it Yeah, but like doing like full squat snatches clean and jerks squats Everything like I'm doing this for 19 years my knees are fucking great like knock on wood That's crazy. We'll see But like thankfully when I started Olympic weight lifting my coach was just like hammered technique technique technique you know and when you're 12 13 you're full of piss and vinegar you want to load up that barbell and it's like Like, oh, I want to go hard. I want to like, I want to impress the girls in the gym. Like, we put on some big plates and he's like, nope, keep lifting that broomstick buddy.

Oh, I have many times over.

Oh, yeah. I mean, it can't be fun for him of just like constantly going to take the weight off that bar. Like, your technique wasn't perfect. Do it again.

I think the natural progression is to do something in the CrossFit space. So you know like the sports nutrition company, like we're starting out with like the basic basic supplements and like nutrition guides, stuff like that. But you know like I'm passionate about coffee. I would love to get something in the coffee world. Has nothing to do with CrossFit. It's just I've been passionate about espresso and like all these different being what you start learning about it. It's a whole different world that you had no idea existed. Like you got a nice little machine back there.

Well, you're not like, you're not cleaning in there. What?

Yeah, I mean, that machine most people will give their left arm to have that in their house. Really? Oh, yeah, that's a nice one. Okay. Yeah, a little linear mini black rifle just gave it to us.

I mean, that is like, In terms of whole machines, that's like cream with the crap right. Oh, okay.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, I, I'm good buddies with Evan. Oh, okay. Yeah. When we were down here, I was down in Austin for like, uh, all of last December. And like, tried lining up a trip with him. I mean, a whole crazy story. Like, anytime I come to Texas, like, I'll hit up Matt. So last last year I was in Texas, I stayed with Matt. And then this year, I was like, I don't want to be a nuisance to Matt, every time I'm in Texas, stay with him. So I hit up Evan, I'm like, yo, going to be in town. Can I crash with these? Absolutely, come on, bye. And then like talking to another buddy and he's like, what do you mean you stay with Evan? He lives in Utah. I was like he said I could stay at his house and like ended up staying out at this ranch that there's got a ranch out here. Yeah, all that place is the creepiest fucking place I've ever been. It doesn't do it. It's like 27 bedrooms. It it was built in the 60s. I think they said and nothing has changed same furniture. You know that's where all the NASA astronauts used to go to. Oh, yeah, like we're walking around this It looks like a motel out on like a couple thousand acres and I was like Where the fuck are we right now? So I got out there So we thought we were going to Evans house because he never told he's like you can stay at my house. Here's the address.

Yeah, and he's out here sometimes and so then he he's like, oh, I'm not there. I'm like Well, dude, I didn't come out here to stay at like a cool retreat. I came out here to see you. I don't give a fuck about this place. And so we get there. We pulled in at like 10 or 11 pm. There's no lights. You can't see anything. And it's like, I mean, what is it? Like 14,000 square feet this place? And the dude is like giving us a tour. And he's just like, there's wings of the house. I'm getting lost in this place. And then he just leaves and it's just Sammy and I in this house. And I'm like, this is the creepiest fucking place I've ever been because there's like all the mounted heads on the wall from all the animals and like this place is a time warp into 1960s.

Yeah, everywhere. Yeah. So like, you're like, am I in him? You see him right now? Like, what is this? And then We were the only ones there. No one else in black rifle was there. So we're just hanging out in Sam. I was like, Hey, you good and she's like, putting on a brave face. Like, yeah, I'm good. I'm like, my yo, this place creeps me the fuck out. I called up Matt the next month. I was like, yo, we're coming over.

like I've kind of cracked up like living in Tennessee for the last couple years coming from Vermont. Tennessee if they if they were expecting frost the next morning they would cancel school and coming from Vermont like we talking about like I'm ever being at the bus stop with like snow drifts taller than me and like you shiver in your miserable and then it's like once you realize like oh they don't have plows they don't have roads none of the houses are equipped for this nothing and then you even go further south Like, I remember you're seeing Team Kennedy, like, all his pipes froze. Like, in Vermont, it's like, no, the houses are built to withstand winter down there. Down here, it's like, no, winter doesn't exist.

Yeah, I remember being down in somewhere in Texas a couple years ago. They got like one inch skiff of snow and it was like the towns were shut down for like three days. And I'm sitting there like as a Vermont or like Because for monitors laugh at the snow that they get in Boston, I'm like, throw some chains on your tires and get out there, you know?

Yeah. Like the towns don't own a salt truck. No, that's foreign. No, no way.

Yeah, winter doesn't exist.

Yeah, I mean, thanks for Mark. It gets those weather swings of life. Mm-hmm.

If you talk, I've heard terrible things. I remember walking around college campus and it was like, it's like just sub zero for so long. That's like the first like 40 degree day. And it's like everyone's walking around in shorts and t-shirts. It's just like, this is great.

Oh, you don't waste a nice day. Yes. Yes. Yes. If it's sunny out. Yeah, especially early spring, like mud season. It's like you're out hiking. You're out taking advantage.

Yeah. Talk this. I mean, I remember growing up and I always have like all moves south. Like I have no connection to Vermont. I don't care any of this. And then it was like we left we moved downtown to see and we were gone maybe a year and we went up to visit and I remember just driving being like Shit, I missed this like I missed the trees I missed it like the whole state looks like a park Yeah, it's incredible and it's beautiful and That's home.

Yeah. I mean, it's not, it's not cheap. It's a million?

So gorgeous. And it's like every growing up there. Like you don't realize how health conscious everyone is. Like doing sports and activities is normal. And then like you go down to where it's like people live off Mountain Dew. Right.

Yeah, particularly right. Yeah, bunch of colleges there.

I think you're probably just a lot of the natural landscape, too. That, too. I know like when I was training, it was like, most gyms it's like on the weekend they're packed Vermont empty really it's everyone's during the summer they're out mountain biking because all the ski hills open up for mountain bikes and then during the winter everyone's out skiing it's just that's what people do for entertainment they're being physically active and then moving down

It was a book, who told us that it seems like an outrageous rumor that it's just like, no, it's real traction.

Yes, they're if over half population is doing that.

I mean, you think about any movie that's like making fun of like a deep South Islanders like that description.

Yes. That's scary. Like we're over here worried about. This one and I'm sure like someone else over there is just like you're scared of what? Yeah, you're scared of what a little cough. Yeah, I didn't even get a cough. I just like lost my taste and smell. That's it. I've worked out every day like I was perfectly fine. Just couldn't taste anything.

Yeah, it was something for a little bit either too. It was super mild like I took the precautions of like I'm gonna quarantine keep to myself But it worked out every day perfectly fine energy was fine

Yeah.

Yeah, and I have to assume if there's a virus in the air, it's like the amount of volume. that is moving from their lungs when you're breathing heavy like that and it's like people try to compare of like oh yeah I go to the gym and I'll do cardio it's like no no no you don't you don't you don't do that you know it's like where you're gasping you're out there speed walking bro it's active right man crushing question six minute miles

They're such close proximity.

Yeah. Yeah. That's fucking crazy.

I remember seeing it was like, whatever the acronym is for whatever the company that's putting out all these stats and I was like, Oh, only 6% of the deaths that were reported. It was a CDC. Yeah. Yeah, there it is. Only 6% just had COVID. Yeah. That's crazy. Crazy. Yeah. It's like you just scared the shit out of so many people.

You're gonna, I mean for me, I'm like, I don't, I don't buy the first generation of a phone, a car, nothing. I'm like, no, you, you go work out the kinks. You figure out what's wrong with that shit. Now it's like the vaccine comes out. I'm like, no, I'm not sticking that in me. See, I'm like, you go work out the kinks.

No shit.

There was in the airport not long ago and saw somewhere wearing two masks. I was like, what the fuck you?

Enough of like, he just implemented the rule. Like you cannot eat at a restaurant. And then he immediately is at a restaurant. It's like that. No mask on. That is inferior.

Damn. Yeah, like I know nothing about any of the medical backside of this shit. All I knew was like when it first happened for the for the world championships across it like we couldn't compete at the games unless we had a negative COVID test. So I just like I just stayed home for months like I trained at home. I have a son on ice bath in the backyard massage table living room like I just stayed home.

I like just trying to limit exposure like the masseuse I was using has a couple kids that are in school and it's like all right, well I'm just gonna try to cut that out for now Yeah, but Sammy would do a lot of my body work on me.

Oh, when when I did get it last December. I mean, I was at a hunt camp with like 17 people and none of us cared like it was like the group chat comes out like three days later.

Yeah, so you got it really early. Yeah, like over Yeah, it's like this last Christmas. Oh, this is like a couple months ago.

I was super cautious leading into that competition. And then as soon as I got the negative test, I was like, okay, cool. Like, I'm still being cautious when I meet someone that, you know, they're not as healthy. as they could be, but for me, I don't get the fuck. I'm like, all right, cool, got it. Lost my taste, lost my smell.

It was enough time that I got concerned that if it was ever coming back. I think it was probably like three weeks, zero taste. Like, could not tell the difference between coffee and water. Wow, it was... How weird is that?

No, I think it was just like, at my coffee in the morning. Like, I was still drinking coffee just because like... Like, I knew I wanted the caffeine. Right. But I think I was like, I think I took a sip and I looked at Sam like, oh shit. I think I can taste the nowhere. I think I can taste it a little bit. So I was like, okay, it's coming back. It's a weird side effect, you know? Real prevalent. I can't, I can't even describe it. You know, like, you can't smell anything. So like, Sammy would look at me by head, like you should shower. The fuck you mean, she's like, you're starting to smell a little bit. Like, oh. Hmm. Whoopsies. That's hilarious.

I mean, go through the motions. When you're so in tune with it. Yeah. And then it's like there's just like a grain of sand in the gear and you're like something's not right. Exactly.

Like I understand like if you want to quarantine, if you want to wear two, three masks. Yeah. Go for it. Do it. Whatever floats your boat.

My parents.

Yeah.

Damn. He's 80. Yeah. I don't understand like. I'm like, if I don't care, and I'm not hurting anyone else.

I mean like what's your definition of okay like Right. What's not on you? How you want to be or how I want to be? I do like I am my offseason. I take a month of like I'm not training. I'm not watching my diet. Nothing.

like incredibly. Do you love it? It's I love it for like a week. But you only love it because you work so hard. I only love it because I know what's around the corner. I know I'm getting back into it. So it's like even during my training week, I have one day off, one complete day. I don't get off the couch. I wake up, have a coffee, and I lay on the couch, and I'm like, I'm not doing. Just watch TV and chill. Just watch Netflix all day. When when I know I'm training the very next day, I know what I'm doing in 24 hours. I'm going to be killing myself in the gym. So I want to do as little as possible right here. If I know I have a week off after competition, there's no fucking way I'm sitting on a couch for that long. I'm like, no, I feel like I'm wasting. I'm wasting my potential. I'm wasting my damn wasting my life. I'm not progressing in any way. So it's the same as like after competition, after the big one, I take a month off minimum. And it's like, I eat. a junk food and like for the first couple days it's like all this is a treat this is nice dude after like a six days seven days when you start getting a bit of a jiggle and you just feel slow you're tired and you're like to fuck this like do you exercise at all during that time off none nothing not not even going walks no Fuck no, like Like when I say like I take time I don't stretch I don't roll out I don't do anything Wow, what is it like the first day back after the rough and every year the first like the first week back The first week back, I'll get on the rubber, because I'm so familiar with that, like, I know how to suffer on that rubber, or like, on a bike or something. And every year, I'll get back on, I'll back up, pull some 500s with, like, built in, rest, whatever. And it, like, I went too far this year. I went too far to the dark side, and I lost all my fitness, because I'm doing these workouts that are like a warm up for me a month ago. And then it's like, I stop halfway through the workout. Like, if it's hurting and it's like, I'm like, I, there's no way I can come back from this. I'm fucked. And then it's like, you just keep coming back day after day and just chipping away at that block and getting your fitness back bit by bit.

every year. Every year I'm like next time when I take my month off it's like every other day I'll go for like a 10 minute jog or like do some squats with like 135 something super easy but like just to not let myself back pedal this much so I have to dig myself out of this hole but on the other side it's like I enjoy doing that because if you're just operating up here all the time By the end of my career, I'm going for like one pound PRs. I'm going for one second PRs. Well, it's not very gratifying when you kill yourself for a year and then you put on two and a half pounds. So it's like, no, I'll let myself slide all the way back until I'm like this lump on the couch that I just hate. And it's like, I want to look forward to eating healthy. I want to look forward to having a bedtime. Like staying up until 2 a.m. watching Netflix. I can do that all day long.

a couple weeks two weeks yeah yeah like usually like so the competition season starts with the open like the online competition and it's one workout per week I'll use these start doing cardio like hammer and cardio stuff like a week or two ahead but I won't do a CrossFit workout until like usually the first workout that's announced And then over that five weeks, like the first week is usually my lowest score. The second week is my second lowest score. And then usually by week four or five, I can grab a worldwide win. But it's like, it comes back quickly. It sucks. It's painful. It hurts a lot. But it's like, just keep coming back to have day hammer and hammering an air bike or a roller. And then like doing the recovery work, too. It doesn't matter what movement I do. I'm going to be so crippling sore the next day. Like like sit my backs while like in season. I'm squatting just shy of 500 pounds. I can do sets of 10 with 135 and I'll be walking peg like it for like two days. Wow. Yeah, so I may get doing sauna sessions, ice bath sessions, all that stuff.

I usually do like 15 minutes in the sauna. Like, hover, it'll vary depending on what the temperature is outside. But like, usually like, 1.90, 200 degrees. I'll try to squeak out 15 minutes.

Yeah. Do you like that? I love that thing. It's like one of the best purchases. Sauna's are awesome aren't they? I'll never go back to not having a sauna.

I mean, it's a super thin door. Yeah. I think it's listed as like a four person, but it's like, come on. If you're in there with one other person, you better be comfortable with that person because like you're close. But I mean, it gets

So mine's identical to that, but it's even shorter. So it's like six feet. That looks like an eight foot one.

Yeah, I have one inside the house and then and then right next to it, I have just a deep freeze in like one of those like plastic garden sheds. Yeah, it's a deep freeze. I just ran a cocking around all the seams filled it up with water. Put a thermostat in there so it like an auto.

No, no, I found when I was putting it down that low like it would ice over and it was just like work in the engine a lot. So what's working the compressor? So I think I keep it like 38. So I think I think it cuts off at 37 and it'll kick on at like 41 or something. It's fucking cold. And how long you doing that? Depending on what my training looks like, but usually between three and five minutes and I'll go back and forth between the sauna and ice bath like three times.

I had a friend over training. And like we were going back and forth. And like she comes in and like her lips are blue. And I was like, how, were you in the ice bath this whole time? She's again, like, like, like, 10 minutes. I'm like, oh, my God. No. She died. No. I like your lips are blue. And she was going all the way in. Oh, no. Yeah, so like if I'm in the middle of a training week I'll do I'll always end on hot like so I'll do the ice bath and finish on the hot if I'm going into a rest day I just like full flesh like right up for the neck and on cold I feel amazing, but I'm always afraid that like my muscles are tense so I'll end on cold if I'm going into a rest day

I mean, just like, if the next day I'm going into training. Right. Like, if things are still tight, like, I want to have some time to like, loosen back up before I get into.

How many times you do it? Uh, usually two or three. Like, if I'm doing like three sauna sets, I'll do like, I mean, Once you're coming out of the out of the ice bath, it's amazing. Because you have that sauna up to 200 plus and you don't feel shit. You're just getting the nice tinglies from all the blood starting to flow again. But yeah, I'll usually do minimum 30 minutes of intervals in the sauna.

I mean, I just, I remember reading the stats of like you sleep better after a song if you do it at night. And then it like boosts your natural HGH. And I was like, I'm so old.

All right, I don't know where a sauna is and there happened to be a sauna store in that town. Oh, wow. And it was I remember like going in and like people like poked her head out from the back like from offices like can we help you? So again, I'm looking for a sauna. They're like holy shit. Like we got one. They're like we haven't had a customer in here in years. So like we do all of our sales. Just sell drugs. And so there's They were like, yeah, we're actually closing the store because nobody in this town wants sonas and we do all of our business online. That's crazy. So they're like, you want one of our demo models?

Like a fucking Viking. It's awesome. Once you get used to it, like, people their first time getting a cold bath. They're freaking out. They're tense, like, you see him like dip a toe in. They run away. Do now holy shit. I can just like you just tell yourself like no, everything's gonna be okay.

I mean, that's just the whole level.

Yeah. It's weird. They're just a different version of a human.

I mean, it's so funny, like so many of the CrossFit competitors are from Iceland. Oh, of course. And like, how are lifters from Iceland too? Yeah. And I know like the one that I'm really close with, Catherine, like, every time I see her give her a big hug. And like, she goes both hands over. She's just like, she's just like, got these broad shoulders on her. And it's like, how are we the same thing? You know what I mean? You're just this different breed of a human.

And he's so big dude. I met him and it was like I felt like my brain like short circuiting because like he was so tall and so big like you can't comprehend it. He's six foot 10 when I met him. He was six foot 10, 440 pounds. And like six 10, 440. Yeah. And that's so great. And like through his shirt you could see his abs. and like we're we're in like this big circle out of dinner and like they're going around introducing like hey Thor this is so and so and so and like he's shaking everyone's hand and like just shaking this like bear claw of a myth yeah it was like how yeah and then he everywhere he goes he has his father and his grandfather with them He's the shortest of the three. Jesus. Yeah. Like his father's like an inch taller than his grandfather's another inch taller. It's crazy. I remember meeting him and Brian Shaw and it's like you guys are 400 pounds plus. Thor's 440. What the fuck?

Yeah, last time I was with Thor, it was like at a competition. And he was about to go by he was competing. And so I'm talking to my buddy, Rob, he just finished the event. And so I'm like, all right, Thor is about to go out. I won't say hi. Like, he's getting ready. And like, we're in this little circle of people and Thor is sitting right on the outside. And then it's just like this like tree branch. This tree trunk just reached through and just like gaming knuckles. And I was like, Sir, Thor fucking huge human. Did he ever see what he used to look like?

What? Like a same with Brian Shaw. Like you see Brian Shaw's high school basketball photo and it's like oh, you're six foot eight like and not Yeah, just like this. Why like a basketball player.

Yeah, those guys diets are

I mean, you see him now. Like, he's lost. I would love to know how much weight he's lost now. Oh, is he lost weight? Oh, he's way down. Oh, really? Because he's doing a boxing match. Oh, I think he retired retired from strong men, I think.

He fought a tiny guy.

Eddie Hall. Yeah, Eddie Hall's enormous, right? Do Eddie Hall.

The both like, I won't even. 30s? Yeah, I take their both probably both mid-30s.

I think I think they might have a beef from one to any competed in strong man. And then Eddie had the was the first man to ever deadlift 500 kilos and then Thor did 501. And I think they just talked shit. So they decided to fight. And then I think someone with a big enough prize first came in was like, yo boys, how about like, yeah, it's going to be. It's going to be scary if I Eddie is freakishly athletic. Well, that might be a problem watching that man move.

Last time I saw it was like he was like 360 pounds and he had a he had a six pack.

What if he's fighting someone else that's has very similar skill level.

I feel like I've seen videos on all this back in December. Okay. This isn't too long ago.

I mean, it's just the body transformation he's gone through. Like have you seen like when he deadlifted 500 kilos?

you're not designed it's like you know what it's like it's like trying to go around the nerve wring in a drag car right yeah so what it's like I mean like you saw that like if you look up like the body transformation you went through when he deadlift at 500 kilos it looks like someone like filled them up with an air hose but like it's it doesn't look like a real human especially when you know what he looked like before But what I think is scary about Eddie is like he's done these other things in the past where he was like, I am like, look at that.

I just look at it like so now he's 360.

100%.

I mean, he's such a huge, yeah.

Everybody knows who does this fucking guy.

I'm just excited. I'm just excited and important to watch what he does. When he got into World Strongest Man, he like said his claim, he was like, no, it's not an opinion. I'm going to win the World Strongest Man. And then he won it in 2017. Is this Thor here? And then he... See, this is so much better.

That's really what you want to do. Any other video I've seen a story didn't look he didn't look that good. That's impressive. He's moving like that. He's taking it serious. I mean it'll be a fun. I'm excited to see like how much is he gonna make? I think I think they each got a million.

I mean, I just want to know, like, are these going to be like 30 second rounds? Like, three minutes rest in between. Like, what's going to happen?

Yeah.

I mean, I think I'm a I'm a Tyson fan Durant like I love that who doesn't love Tyson training mentality like You know, Vanne beat him twice. I remember seeing the video where he's talking about like how scared he is when he's training. Yeah, we played that the other day. Yeah. Dude, I saw that and I just related so much to it because like I trained scared. Like everyone else is training to win and to win, they got to beat me or like everyone else. So it's like you're just training scared all the time and like I thought there was something wrong with me when I was nervous going out from the warm-up area onto the competition floor like I was like, man, I'm not a confident person. I have these insecurities that are coming out. And then hearing him type of like, when I'm in the warmer bed or like when I'm in my locker room, like, I want to cry. I'm so scared. I'm about to go into a ring with this man who's trying to take my head off. And I was like, oh shit. Okay, it's not just me. Like this is the most ruthless human ever. And he's having these feelings too. Okay. And then like when he talks about like going out on the floor, I said, by the time I'm in the ring, I am God. Yeah. And I was like, oh shit. Like that was, I just related that a lot. And I just lash on to that.

Yeah, I mean each year was different. But yeah, I remember the first time. You know, I remember the feeling the first, it was just a big relief, you know, because I competed twice and I took second place two times in a row. And then I was starting to realize, oh man, I might finish this cross-fitting without ever winning. Like that's a real possibility. And so I remember winning the first time I was like, okay, that weights lifted off. You know, there's not this like, I'm going to leave this career with nothing. But then, I mean, it's, it's just here and other people, like other people talking shit of like, oh, last year was a fluke, you can't do it again or like, how could it be say, it's a fluke to win the CrossFit Games.

Dude, I had the director of the CrossFit Games. After I had won four times, three of these wins I broke the record for margin of victory like the best win of games history I've set and broken that record three times and after my fourth win going into my fifth like he put out an article saying like Matt Fraser slipping his performance is slipping and I'm like The director. Oh, yeah, the dude that runs the whole thing. Who's who's what's his name?

Beyond me. I don't know. Let's just talk to him about it. No. No, no, I just like I saw this come out and I was like how am I slipping like how could he I haven't lost an in person competition since like 2015? Like if it's an in person competition, I've won it for the last five years like and he put out this article and I was like, wow, that's a huge conflict of interest because he's the one programming the games. Right. He's programming the competition and then he also released something that said like it just finished programming the 2020 games and it's not good for Matt. Oh wow.

I don't know. I mean, there were a couple things that came up that they were a couple things that came up that made me question of like I think you're trying to dizzy out of a relationship with someone else that's in the No, I think he just doesn't like me. Why? There's seem like a real nice guy. Everyone just jumps when he says jump. And I wasn't that guy. He likes power. Yeah. Yeah, that's a general consensus.

But then I feel like the boxing trainers that they look like they don't work out, but then like you see them hit a bag and they're like, oh shit, probably look better. Yeah. Yeah, I remember seeing them for the first time. Like, that's the guy. Like, that's the guy who started this whole thing.

I haven't heard enough. I don't know enough of the history.

At least like, start some form of healthy athlete. Yeah.

Yeah. So I've met him twice. Like, and it was a, hey, how you doing? That was it. Like one time he was at an event and I think he needed something from the person I was talking to. And so he was like, hey, I'm great. Nice to meet you. I was like, nice to meet you too. And then the second time bumped into him randomly at a Starbucks. Oh, like we're in Hawaii. And then like he came into the Starbucks, I was like, oh, hey Greg, he's like, hey.

He came out. He came out recently talking about how he hates.

He came out recently like in the last couple years of like how he doesn't like the games. What? Yeah, he was like, I don't

How is he not like the games because he was saying like it's not what cross it's about cross it's about the everyday person going to the fillet and it's like Yeah, that's true. But this is a pretty good promoter for the other part. And like during one interview, he was saying, yeah, what's the say, like, you know, if the one person's running away with the competition, I don't do something to like change in the last minute so they don't win. And I'm, what? I'm sitting there, like, I'm trying to make my livelihood off this guy. It's like, it'd be cool if you didn't intentionally try to ruin this for me.

I mean, you kind of put it. It's one of those things that like mentally like you pin it on the wall. So like if it came a thing that he said he goes Matt Matt's performance is slipping and I was just like, I'm gonna show you slipping motherfucker. And he just like, OK, I don't want to give him the gratification knowing that I'm thinking about it. Right. What do we know? Yeah. I mean, what's OK? I think I've already told them some other stuff. Oh, the DJ. I mean, it's just a weird relationship because it's like, yeah, he says stuff like that, like publicly. And it's like, yeah. If I'm friends with someone, yeah, I'll talk to you all day long to your face. I would never go to a publication and say it without like giving you a heads up.

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean. I mean, it's been pretty obvious and no one that he doesn't like me. And he hasn't liked me for a long time.

This is easy. I don't know if it's different people that win every year. I think it's good for the sport. I think it's good on either extreme. Like it's fun to watch someone that just like repeats and keeps getting better and better. And I also think it's awesome for a nail bite or coming down to the last workout to see who's going to pull it off, you know? Yeah. But I think with him. Like I got treated a certain way. Like I wasn't jumping when he said jump. Like I got treated a certain way when I first came into the sport. And it was basically like, ah, whatever. Like, you know, buddy. And so I was like, okay, like, I have your card. I know that's how you act now. And then like, he became try to be nice to me once I had some success in the space. I was like, no, I'm good. And it was like one competition. It was like all the top rank people from each country get on a team and it's called the invitational. And I was the second ranked American after my rookie year in the competition. And I was all excited like to be on this team and go to this competition and then they skipped right over me. They took the number number one and number three guy. And I'm like, what the fuck? Like no one ever called me explaining this nothing. And so then like every year after that, when they're okay, you're invited to be on the invitation. I was like, now I'm good. Like thanks. I'm still waiting on that invite from 2014.

That means he's he's his own guy. Like he's the stories you hear. It's like holy shit. That's real, huh? You know, but the stories you hear. I mean, just like how like as soon as the whole thing came out after the show after George Floyd, you know he's under fire because people are like oh wow you're a shitty person and then it's like kind of like when allegations come out against one person and someone goes public with it and then everyone else steps forward like oh that happened to me too here's my story and those stories coming out people like had conversations with them when they were where they recorded it and it's like the shit he was doing was disgusting of just like racist and like woman eyes at like all the stuff started coming out and it's like holy fuck How did it go this long without ever, without this stuff ever coming out? So anyways, he sold the company. It's in someone else's hands now and we'll see what happens.

I think you basically pay an annual fee to use the word CrossFit.

Yeah.

I think I think you need to have your like CrossFit L1. Like you need to take that course. You take a course. You learn the things. And we can we can of course. Oh, is it? Yeah. Yeah. So you don't really take an expert. I took it way back in the day. I was trying to impress a girl that was doing it. So I was like, I'll do it. Yeah, I love this. And yeah, so that was an interesting experience.

I mean, it's yeah, it's a two-day course or three-day course, maybe.

No, no. No, there's no requirements on. Any of that stuff. You just pay your annual fee and keep her going.

Yeah. I mean, COVID, like all the lockdowns. Yeah, crushed crossfit businesses. Crushed you, Jitsu. Yeah. Yeah. Anything where you're like comedy clubs?

Yeah, so I think the intent is good of like, this is your business, run it however you want, right? And it's like the cream rise at the top, you know, the good ones flourish and they keep expanding the open up more locations, all this stuff. And then it's like, if you're not putting the effort in to program well and you're in your members aren't seeing results, well, they're only going to stick around for so long and you're only going to stay in business for so long. So I think the intent of it is great of like, no, like, it's your business, do whatever you want. But there's definitely some places that kind of abuse it and it just gives it a bad name. Like, if there's no one in their regulating some Joe Shmo jumping up and doing ring muscle ups, what's like, yeah, but yeah, you're going to get a slap tear under shoulder or do something. Like, I've met multiple surgeons that They're like, oh, you do crossfit? Oh, yeah, you crossfit paid for my yacht. Like, just like, from doing shoulder surgery with a dick.

And just like, so straight up, I'm like, yeah, I'm not surprised. Like, if you don't have someone actually coaching you. Yeah, of course it's going to be a bad news. Like, if I just walked into a gym and just started sparring. Right. Like, no, it's going to go terribly. Yeah. I'm going to get hurt.

Yeah, I mean, I definitely see that side for me personally. I'm like, okay, like if these weren't good, like I shouldn't be walking.

I'll watch people competing. and say it's like 95 pound snatches by the end of like stop like just put the bar down like what are you doing like your backs not tight you're not saying hips like the bar swing like right you doing everything wrong yeah you were doing it right why did you change you know you got fatigued and you started yeah spazzing yeah so I think it doesn't matter what the sport is what the mood is I just get so scared and correctly

Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, I mean, I've dropped bars on my head when I was doing Olympic weightlifting. Oh, you know, I dropped a bar on your head. Yeah, like going for like a snatch and it was like, I don't know, my head was in the right place and like just like elbows buckle and it came down to the back of my neck. Oh, there's actually one video. I have a buddy. He dislocated both wrists. He was doing cleans. It's on YouTube if you want to watch that, but yeah, he was doing hangs hang cleans with straps on and like 365 pounds and he's doing a triple and Yep Boy, I'm scared So this is that critch the the whole recovery from this Here it comes so he strapped on so we can't dump the bar and his elbow is hit the platform But just popped off both wrists.

Yeah, I mean, it's not graphic but it's just like he went to dump the bar so like if you're tipping backwards on the clean You keep it on like you keep it on your shoulders, but he went to dump it a last minute and his elbows hit the ground. Oh, just ripped off both his hands. He made a full Rick it was like a multiple year recovery So like that video I was the kid on the platform next to him. That was me at the training center and I remember watching it happen and like he he screamed like he was like flailing round and pain. I remember like watching it and they're like, what are you screaming for? Like the bar didn't hit your chest. And then you just see his hands like, oh, oh, your hands aren't attached anymore.

It was like a year or two.

Yeah, yeah, so, um, or yeah, he was out in California. So I remember him talking about that. I want to say like, it was while the bar was overhead, like it wasn't from the bar hitting him that paralyzed him. Like, I think the bar hit the ground and his legs were already limp and then it bounced and hit him. I've only met him once, I think, or Kevin Ogar. Kevin Ogar, that's who it is. Super unfortunate mistake. I'm not 100% sure what happened there, but yeah, that was during a competition.

Yeah, he's in the chair. Still works out like a madman every day. Yeah, he's crushing it. But yeah, I mean, you look at any sport of like if I if some someone walked into a powerlifting gym, it was like, I want to back to what 600 and just loaded up 600 went for a rap. It's like, oh, yeah, of course you're going to get

Yeah, that's uh. Oh, it gives you the tinglies.

It's like, yeah, you're taking on, you're taking on the risk. Yeah.

Huh. I mean, like the typical answer I always give, like, you know, I love where my career ended up. I love where I'm at now and it's like, yeah, I made mistakes. I made very obvious mistakes. But they made me, they put me to where I am today. So it's like, no, I would leave the mistakes where they are. Going back, I definitely looking back. I'm like, oh, yeah, I fucked up a couple of times. They were a couple, like the whole 2015 season. You know, in 2014, I got second place and then the guy in first place retired. And I was like, I'm a shoe-in. Here we go. And then I just like, slacked off the whole year. It like shit didn't have a good training schedule and nothing. And then I got second place again. I got the results I had.

Can't say I looked at it's like I get lost. I'm just like and so that was rough But then the following year like That's what made me get my ass in gear and be like, no, fuck that. If I'm doing this, I'm doing it right, I'm doing everything. And so I went from losing by like a handful of points to breaking the record for the most points and then breaking it again, breaking it again. Like, so in some ways it's like, I hate that season, like the disappointment that came with it. But then I'm like, well, I wouldn't have had these next five seasons without that disappointment. That's the one that kicked me when I was down. and just changed everything about what I do. So it's like, do I want to change that mistake? Like, no, it was a failure, but I learned from it. So it's like, thank God that happened because if I had won in that 15 season, if I had won,

The whole 2015 season, like I'm a barbell, I was a barbell specialist. I came from a Olympic weightlifting background, so I was like, I never need to touch a barbell. So I never did weightlifting. You know, I just kept getting better at the cardio, cardio, cardio, to the point that I didn't realize that my weightlifting was now turning into a weakness. You know, staying up super, super late. Like, I'm newly took a semester part-time at college and so you know just stand up till three four in the morning sleep until noon and then like I would finish up my training at like 10 p.m. and I was like oh it doesn't matter what time of day as I'm getting my training done but it was super sporadic my diet was shit is eating off food trucks and just like pizza Chinese food like and I thought it was funny proving showing people like I cannot train at bad diet you know they're the ones telling me like they're trying to help me of like You gotta clean this up. You gotta, you know, he's these foods. I'm like, fuck that. I'm still beating you in the workouts. You can't tell me what to do. And so it's like, yeah, I got my ass kicked in front of a lot of people at that competition. Yeah, I think, I don't know if I would change a single fucking thing.

change from it, and you get on the other side of it. Because I remember doing interviews of like, and I had my two medals hanging, and I was like, I fucking hate that medal. Like I hate it. Now that's my favorite one. I'm like, yo, if it weren't for that one, I wouldn't have these five gold ones. Like there's zero chance. I may have one other gold one, but I would have kept up those shitty habits. I wanted to made that big life altering switch to dedicate everything to it. Yeah, I mean, I look it for the last like five years. It's like everything you do during the day. It's like there's it's going to bring you closer to your goal. It's going to move you away from your goal. And so I remember that first year. That's one year of your life. That ain't shit. Like to dedicate that towards your goal. And then it doesn't pan out. You lost one year. What do you do? And I'll say I'm every decision I make is going to be only towards my goal, towards my goal, towards my goal. And then I did that and it was like, there were some parts that sucked, you know, like my buddies getting married and I can't go to the bachelor party. My girlfriend lives in Rhode Island. I live in Vermont and getting close to a competition. I can't drive down to see her. You know, shit like that. So it's like Yeah, that was a bummer, but I told myself I'm taking one year to dedicate towards, and then I did it, and I was like, oh shit, I won, I won by a lot. This is cool. All right, let me keep doubling down on this. What else can I improve on? To, all right, I don't need to drive to the health and fitness club to get in the sun. I bought a sauna brought to my house, you know? Shit like that, optimizing my sleep schedule, like bringing in all these tools to help me get better sleep, you know?

So like the one that I've used for a long time is it's called a dawn simulator. So like it just looks like a giant light bulb next to your bed and it wakes you up with light instead of sound and it does like a simulated sunset as well. So it's like you get in the bed and like the lights on it slowly dims down. and so it's like your body reacts to that and it's just starts pumping melatonin because it's like your sun setting's time for bed you're sitting there like reading a book and before you know it you're just nodding off so that's been a huge help I got to you've ever seen those cooling pads it's like radiant cooling for your mattress I got one of those holy shit I'll never go back really especially like working out so much by core temperatures just always through the roof. I'm always sweating through sheets. Got one of those and it's like when you bring your body temperature down, you're able to get into a deeper sleep, hit that like whatever REM cycles and all that jazz. It was an absolute game changer, because I was waking up middle of every night, 2 a.m. Always wake up, have to kick off the blankets, like whatever. Had that, it was like, that was the first time I ever slept through through the night. It was just one of those cooling pads, like completely blackened out the windows, having a white noise machine, you know, all that type of stuff, but I don't think people realize how beneficial sleep is. It's like, if sleep and hydration came in pill form and cost a hundred bucks, you couldn't keep that shit on the shelves. It's like, that right there is just the, it's like a cheat code. So I'm, when I'm training and can pee, I'm sleeping minimum 10 hours. I'm just always guzzling down water. You know, simple shit like that, but it's, it's so elementary that people just kind of like toss it off to the side. It's like, listen to your mom be like, make sure you get your eight hours of sleep and you're like, I would ever mom if I could. But yeah, I mean, yeah, I try to think like what else what else I got at my house that's kind of like a good tool.

I'm just excited. I'm just excited. Like, I did that, you know.

Yeah, I'm excited for it, you know, like just getting in contact with the right people of, all right, like I want it, I love working towards something. It's like, all right, I just need to find that new thing that I'm going to dedicate all my time and energy to. Yeah, so I'm excited. And it's kind of the same as like when my weightlifting career ended. I dedicate everything to school that my school career and I dedicate everything to CrossFit. I'm like, this is just the next next thing. How I do anything is there's no moderation. I dive fully in and commit myself. I want to learn everything about everything.