Chasing Excellence - podcast cover

Chasing Excellence

Ben Bergeron & Patrick Cummingswww.chasingexcellence.email
Looking to build more than just physical fitness? Join Ben Bergeron and Patrick Cummings as they explore how daily practices create the foundation for lasting peace of mind. Through practical frameworks and honest conversations, discover how deep health unlocks the freedom to chase what truly matters. Learn the five essential factors - training, eating, thinking, sleeping, and connecting - that transform fleeting moments of clarity into a life of sustained fulfillment. If you're ready to move beyond quick fixes and build context-independent peace of mind, this is your guide.
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Episodes

#086: The Class Experience Scorecard

We’re taking a look at a theoretical scorecard I put together to judge how effectively a class is being organized and run. We cover subjects like how you set-up the room, why you coach more and talk less, & how to use music to create an exciting environment.

Aug 19, 201933 minEp. 84

#085: The 10 Components of Fitness

We’re going over the ten general physical skills that we’re trying to maximize in the gym, the sports that test them best, and whether I think practicing is more difficult than training.

Aug 12, 201925 minEp. 83

#084: Two Minute Drill #8, w EC Syncowski

EC is back to tackle some listener questions! We talk about supplementation for average CrossFitters, what a healthy diet looks like for kids, and whether gut microbiome tests are worth doing.

Aug 05, 201930 minEp. 82

#083: The Origins of NOBULL

We’ve got the co-founder of NOBULL, Marcus Wilson, on to talk about how to spot the right people to work with, why NOBULL had to build a brand before they had products to sell, and how it was that they had the confidence to go up against the big guns in the footwear and apparel business.

Jul 29, 201949 minEp. 81

#082: How to Start CrossFit By Yourself

We’re discussing how I would advise different kinds of people who want to start CrossFit but who are unable or unwilling to go to an affiliate.

Jul 22, 201935 minEp. 80

#081: Leaderboarding in Real Life

We’re talking about the dangers of comparing ourselves to others, the role education has in setting us up to chase the wrong things, and how we can learn from our peers without letting their lives dictate our own pursuits.

Jul 15, 201938 minEp. 79

#080: Building a Stronger Brand

We’re diving deep into marketing, branding, and advertising. We cover topics like the marketing hourglass, why advertising doesn’t work for CrossFit affiliates, creating talk triggers, and understanding your three uniques.

Jul 08, 20191 hr 7 minEp. 78

#079: Two Minute Drill, #7

We’re answering more of your questions, covering topics from how to deal with doubt midway through a workout to what advice I’d give leaders who are tasked with motivating reluctant people.

Jul 01, 201940 minEp. 77

#078: 25 Questions for E.C. Synkowski

E.C. Syncowski of OptimizeME Nutrition is back for a round of rapid-fire questions. We get her thoughts on everything from probiotics, dairy, and bacon, to bread, powdered greens, and alcohol.

Jun 24, 201924 minEp. 76

#077: Comparing Solo & Group Training

We’re talking about what type of athletes thrive in a one-on-one environment, the differences between progressions and periodization in your programming, and whether I think coaches should specialize in either group or individual training.

Jun 17, 201947 minEp. 75

#076: 14 Ways to Recover Better

We're talking about a bunch of ways to recover from our workouts better, from simple foam rolling to electric stimulation and float tanks.

Jun 10, 201951 minEp. 74

#075: Scaling Culture at CrossFit TILT

We’ve got Max Isaak in to talk about what we’re doing at CrossFit TILT, how I think about scaling culture across multiple gyms, and the distinction between being a leader and a business owner.

Jun 03, 201938 minEp. 73

#074: Win or Learn

We’re talking about failing, the difference between pain and suffering, and why I think the ability to learn from our failures is a skill everybody should learn to cultivate.

May 31, 201933 minEp. 72

#073: Two Minute Drill #6

We're tackling some more of your questions this week, including the food I'd recommend you eat before a workout, what I'd do differently if I was starting CFNE today, and my tips on overcoming performance anxiety.

May 20, 201922 minEp. 71

#072: Optimize Your Nutrition, w/ EC Synkowski

We’ve got EC Syncowski of OptimizeMe Nutrition in to talk about the fundamentals of a good diet, the 800g Challenge, and whether it’s more important to focus on the quality or the quantity of our food.

May 13, 201955 minEp. 70

#071: The Theoretical Development of a Business

We’re walking through the framework I’ve developed for building CrossFit New England, which has five areas of focus: Culture, Product, Marketing, Management, and Systems.

May 06, 20191 hr 7 minEp. 69

#070: Top Trends Inside the CrossFit Community

We’re exploring some of the common trends we’ve seen come and (sometimes) go within CrossFit over the years, including the Zone Diet, post-workout chocolate milk, and subscriptions to mobility programming.

Apr 29, 201959 minEp. 68

#069: Embrace the Chase

We’re tackling the concept of chasing excellence head on, talking about putting first things first & why pursuing success isn’t as meaningful as the pursuit itself.

Apr 22, 201937 minEp. 67

#068: The Changing Landscape of CrossFit

We’re diving into all the changes at CrossFit, why the Sanctionals are better tests than Regionals, and how re-learning what it takes to get to the Games now.

Apr 15, 201950 minEp. 66

#067: Danger Foods

We’re covering some of the foods you want to consider avoiding in your pursuit of better health, as well as a breakdown of how some simple changes can have a huge impact on the overall quality of what you’re eating.

Apr 08, 201939 minEp. 65

#066: Two Minute Drill, #5

We’re tackling more of your questions, talking about training seniors, active recovery, and whether I’ve ever considered a vegan diet.

Apr 01, 201929 minEp. 64

#064: Responding to Training Setbacks

We’re diving into some ways to avoid overuse injuries in the gym, how to think about coming back from whatever setbacks may have derailed your training, & what we do as an affiliate to try to minimize injuries from happening at all.

Mar 18, 201934 minEp. 62

#063: 10 Principles of Connection

We’re covering the ten ways we can all do a better job of connecting with each other - things like seeking first to understand, asking interesting questions, and complimenting without hesitation.

Mar 11, 201922 minEp. 61

#062: Two Minute Drill, #4

We're tackling some of your questions, covering topics from mobility, to what I think about people who train to the point of sickness, to whether bodybuilding has a role inside of CrossFit training.

Mar 04, 201943 minEp. 60

#061: How I Think About Coaching

We’re talking about how to climb the ladder of leadership with your athletes, why you should never ask a client why something isn’t working, and how to get the most out of your coaches.

Feb 25, 20191 hr 3 minEp. 59

#059: Running Your Gym Like a Private School

We're talking about how CrossFit New England on-boards new members, the three things we believe can guarantee our members' success, & why gyms should be paying attention to their churn rate.

Feb 11, 201932 minEp. 57

#057: Two Minute Drill, #3

I'm answering your questions on subjects like ideal body fat for health, whether fear is a good motivator for change, & what I would do if I had to start my coaching career over from scratch.

Jan 28, 201935 minEp. 55
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