0:05

Hey everybody, welcome to the Herdfit Podcast with Dr Samri and myself, coach David Silverson.

0:10

His podcast is aimed at helping anyone and everyone looking to enhance their healthy lifestyle through fitness, nutrition and, most importantly, mindset.

0:19

Alright, welcome back to the Herdfit Podcast.

0:23

I'm Coach David Silverson, I'm here with my co-host, dr and Coach Samri, and we have part two of our special guest series with Kevin Urejak and Dan Kota.

0:31

If you didn't listen to last week, go check it out.

0:34

They gave the review of the workouts, the event itself at Masters Fitness Championship.

0:39

But as I was prepping for this, I was just starting to write down some notes about the competition and things I wanted to ask them, and the more I started to write, the more I started to realize I wanted to get as much input from these two guys for you, but also selfishly, for myself, as to why are they still doing this at this age, how are they still doing this at this age, and what can we take from their experience?

1:03

I've known both these guys for in the CrossFit space for over a decade now.

1:09

I had someone recently show me a picture from a CrossFit winter challenge.

1:12

I think the year was 2012. It was the final event of thrusters and rope climbs.

1:18

I didn't know how to climb a rope at the time and I got embarrassed in front of everybody and in that heat.

1:22

There were two guys in that heat that are very well known here.

1:27

Kevin is one of them. He was in that final heat and Tim Carroll was also in that.

1:32

Oh, get out. Yeah, and we were in the final event.

1:34

They all watched me do it. He said I didn't know how to climb a rope. Those ropes in the hobo can be like a joke too.

1:38

They're like 11 feet off the current mound, so you can basically jump your way up there.

1:42

And Kevin was a regional competitor 2011.

1:45

We told the story before Between Dan and I. We started in the same fundamental slash beginner class and it's amazing how things have come full circle.

1:53

I'm really thankful that they're both members of the gym, really thankful I get to train with them when we can.

1:58

Obviously, it's always tough to do lineup schedules, but what I want to get from them now that we're done talking about the Masters Fitness Championship, was what has the process been of the long game for guys that are getting older?

2:11

You're fighting biology, which we all lose at some point.

2:13

You're going to get old enough to the point you can't do things anymore.

2:16

That's going to happen. You both have had kids, multiple kids, since that time.

2:21

You guys both have had multiple career changes.

2:24

You guys both work your butts off in and out of the gym.

2:27

How can someone, why can someone do that and really still compete at a high level of CrossFit?

2:33

Whether you compete or not, whether you want to or not, I think there's lessons to be learned from the two of these guys that can really you can apply to your personal lives, your workout lives, both now and in the future.

2:44

So, sam, you two are in this discussion.

2:48

I've told you before I look up to you a lot, someone that's older than the three of us, but you're still in the game.

2:57

You're coaching CrossFit. You're here five, six mornings a week Just opening thoughts on some of the lifestyle situations and lifestyle decisions that we have all had to make, but you in particular, to keep yourself in this game, in this situation.

3:14

I think I'm more impressed with these two because my kids are older.

3:17

I have one in high schools, finishing once in college.

3:20

When you have young kids and you're in the middle of you're in the prime of your career in terms of your jobs and what you're doing.

3:28

I remember when I was your guys age, I was busier than I couldn't believe.

3:33

My mind was exploding with like how do I handle this and that and all of this at the same time.

3:39

But I see you guys, and you guys are maintaining, and literally, an elite level of fitness.

3:44

You move better than pretty much anyone I've seen, I would say, in real life at our gym.

3:52

And yet you also just found time to go and compete for three days in a different state.

3:59

And prep I mean the competing is one thing, but the preparation, we all know, is really where the time management has to come in and perform at an elite level.

4:11

And it's been, like you said, over 10 years and yet you guys are still doing it.

4:16

I don't. I actually want to get into your heads and see what is it that drives you guys to do this, because I'm kind of tired, I'm a little like I think about what it takes to compete at that level.

4:32

And I'm like that.

4:35

Programming, the training, the nutrition, the sleep, your recovery, management, like all of those things, take such effort and energy and yet you guys manage to do this while juggling five other things at the same time.

4:51

Dan, let's start off with this. What's your why?

4:54

Why do you do this? What is your why?

4:56

Oh man, that is a good question, Something I think about a lot actually, and that's definitely changed over the years.

5:03

You know, when I first started crossfitting, I was just always trying to find a different thing, to keep some sort of fitness, and most of the time most believe back then it was aesthetically I was trying to just look better.

5:15

My very first competition was a Booker Winter Challenge one year and I was like whoa, it's something lit.

5:25

There was like a fire lit up inside me and I was like man, I was not a college athlete.

5:29

I played pretty much any sport I could through high school with my friends.

5:34

We were always out just like playing street football and stuff like that.

5:37

Even for years after we had like a turkey bowl every year with my friends that we would like I would be run that and make sure that I can get as many guys as I could and we would get that going.

5:46

Now we don't do that because we are worried about our every joint Achilles.

5:54

But it was like that competitiveness that I was like, oh man, this is something that is deep down inside me and that I forgot about, and that was I was trying to find holes to fill that.

6:05

I did all kinds of stuff to try to fill that and when I found that like, oh, I can compete again, like that was a big, it's just, it was something that's just inside me that I don't, I can't control, that I need to express some way and like it's a big part of who you are.

6:19

Yeah, yeah, and I definitely you know that's been in my career life as well and has helped push me there and through the gym, has helped push me.

6:29

I had to learn to over the years on how to not let that take over, though, because there was a good part of my life where I started getting good at CrossFit.

6:42

Like I definitely was not good at CrossFit when I started, I confirmed, yeah, I actually you know I've only become good friends with Kevin in the last couple of years as a bison member, but before that I definitely knew who he was because I would see him at these competitions and like, who is this Greek guy and why did he so amazing at CrossFit?

7:02

Why does he never look like it's hard?

7:07

So and but now, even not having kids, it's definitely shifted in a place where I wanted to be an example for them.

7:14

I want to show them that you know there's nothing that is that can stop you.

7:18

If you want something bad enough, if you can, if you work hard enough at it, you're going to get close to what you want, at least.

7:25

Yeah.

7:26

So that's kind of where my mind's at now yeah, okay, yeah, so it does.

7:28

Your why does shift over the years? Because, if you are, you are, you were an incredibly high level athlete, cross-regional competitor.

7:36

You know now you're still at a very high level after all these changes in your life.

7:41

What has changed about your why back then and where it was a little bit easier to plan and map out things, contrast where it is now.

7:48

Yeah, I mean obviously going. You know, going back from when I started, and I think I started in like January 2010,.

7:54

Give a shout out to Red Shed Crosses, where I started, and I had been been working with Pat and Jeanine over there for like a long time and it was.

8:03

It was very different than it was. It was it was it was competitiveness, it was it was getting into it.

8:07

It was like, you know, and it was like the sky was the limit at that point, like when we I went there with one of my friends and we both competed regionals that year and it was like all right, like we're gonna do it again next year, we're gonna keep going, and it was like you know what and that just that just didn't happen.

8:21

You know, like the sport caught up to these, these unbelievable athletes that you're now competing against all the time, and how much everything has evolved during during that point.

8:30

But it was always all right. I'm chasing this goal, I'm chasing this, and it was.

8:34

You know I went from that and then, and then owning a gym and, you know, spending my time there putting it into that, trying to help, you know, really change people's lives, you know, get the word of CrossFit out to everybody.

8:44

But that competitiveness has always been there and you know, as like, when we started competing against each other, whatever it was, that you know 2012, whatever it was it was like there was stuff all the time.

8:54

It was like every weekend, like what are you doing? We'll see you in two weeks, we'll compete against you here, and it probably wasn't healthy you were just like, hey, what Alex is doing right now?

9:02

Yeah, just like every every month or something, and back then there was a lot more demand for a local.

9:06

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, yeah, yeah, but it does, you know it, you know it does.

9:10

It really just evolves over time. It's something that, like, I can't shake.

9:13

I still enjoy it so much. The timing of actually competing now is a lot harder, as you mentioned, you know, the Masters Fitness Championship.

9:22

It was awesome, but it's like that's not something I can do on a regular basis.

9:25

I can't be like, hey, I'm, you know, see a family, I'm flying out and I'm back in a couple of days, and you know, it's just, it's just not something that is is reality anymore.

9:34

So I still, you know, compete every day, whether it's myself in the gym or whether it's in my garage.

9:40

I still have goals. I still have times that I want to hit on workouts.

9:43

I'll know, I know where I should be, and if I'm not there, it doesn't matter whether you know in a Coliseum doing it or whether I'm just doing it in my garage by myself.

9:51

But that competitiveness is always there and, you know, as mentioned, it changes over time to changes from the age division you're in to the people you're competing against.

9:58

But as of now, it's something that's still there and I still, I still, you know, kind of fulfills me as a person.

10:04

So all this positive talk about competing and getting after it, you know everything's all daisies and you feel great, right, but what would you say to the person?

10:13

Or what would you say to yourself? And you just said last week, you know, you asked yourself.

10:17

I've said this myself too. I've sent text messages to Ashley at the comp saying I'm done, I don't want to do this anymore.

10:24

It's usually after a really hard workout with Thruzzers, isn't it?

10:26

But you know what do you say to someone when they hit that wall, whether it's injury, whether it's motivation, whether they were let down by a result that they were pursuing for a long time.

10:37

You know the reason.

10:39

I wanted to ask you guys what your why was, because to me, your why some of us don't know.

10:44

A lot of people don't know their why, and I think if you really have a strong grip on what your why is, it answers all these questions and it's the solution to every time you go down this path of should I be doing this?

10:56

Why am I doing this? What are some of the things that you really recall on and think about and do and actually physically, logistically do when you hit those low points that are, hey, come from injury, but also being at that, having a career, going through the ups and downs of life, knowing that other people have to make significant sacrifices for you to go to compete.

11:17

You know what can you say to yourself and other people that are going to go down that path?

11:22

Yeah, let me start with the other people making sacrifices.

11:26

That is 100% true. I would not be able to do this if my wife, michelle, did not fully support me and what my goals are, that's true, amazing.

11:35

She steps up to the plate anytime.

11:37

I am like can I go? You know she's never pushed me down that way, because she knows I love it and that we have come to an understanding after having kids that we needed to first I think I heard you say this a couple weeks ago fill up our cup before we can start filling up everybody else's cup.

11:58

We learned with our marriage that we need to focus on our marriage before we focus on our kids.

12:03

There's an order that we figured out for ourselves to want to do this, whatever we want to do to accomplish.

12:14

Now I've lost my train of thought.

12:22

That's a great answer how vital this has to support either a friend, family, spouse, based on what situation you're in that you really can't pursue this kind of stuff without that kind of support.

12:33

Yeah, 100%. And then when you get to those points, when you start questioning yourself, you kind of just kind of let those feelings come out and just kind of deal with it for like a day or two and be like you know, not let a fleeting moment or disappointment you know I've had lots of disappointments in where I'm like man why am I not good, as good as those other people?

12:54

Why are those people beating me? And I used to get really down on myself about it until Michelle one day was like you look at what you're doing, like you need to shift your mind because you're doing this for fun, but it's making it not fun for you, not fun for me, and you're just a drag to be around for a while.

13:10

So I had to I definitely She'll give it to you straight oh, 100%, 100%.

13:15

So there's definitely just a realizing that you know this is a life.

13:21

If you love this, make it a lifelong journey and start to shift your mindset away from the result versus, like man, I love coming into the gym every day processing the result.

13:31

Yeah.

13:32

I had to, I used to. I went to a point where I was only working out by myself because I was trying to do specific programming.

13:38

Well, I had to program for myself. I can't, or you know, get coaches to program only for me, not the class environment.

13:44

But I lost why I loved CrossFit, which is I love being around everybody, I love shared suffering, I love coming to class every day and and hanging out and, you know, bsing with everybody, but then working at hard next to everybody and my, my overall workouts got better and better.

14:01

I became better and better because I stayed on track with why I love it here, here.

14:07

Kev the, the idea, like what we're trending towards right now and I'm glad just thought what, building off what Dan says.

14:13

But I want your input on this. You know, feeling your cup up before you serve others, right?

14:17

I think a big reason why we do this to ourselves is that we know we're better people because of it, like we feel more complete when we're pursuing something that might be out of our reach, but it kind of keeps us in check.

14:30

It also keeps us humble, because this stuff is so humbling and I really do think being humble is a huge part of CrossFit and we're going to do an episode on that soon of humility and how it relates to the sport and how you know we've all been there before and we're going to be there again.

14:44

That's another thing that we need to know. We're going to be humbled again in CrossFit.

14:46

You know, do you feel pursuing something like this actually makes you a better father, a better husband, a better employee?

14:54

You know, because of all the ups and downs and the fact that you have to figure out solutions to problems and work your way there.

15:02

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, for me it's just, it's every day you have to do something to take the step to get a little bit better.

15:08

And I think you know so many people get sidetracked in it If you know they have let downs and you talk about things like that, where it's like you're not going to, you're not going to get there today, you're not going to get there tomorrow.

15:18

It's just making little steps every day in order to get to your ultimate goal.

15:22

And you know, for me I can tell if I don't, if I don't move, if I don't do the things that you know for me, whether even it's just mentally being like, all right, I need to, I need to get outside and need to do something quickly.

15:32

If it's, you know there's kids, you know schedules and everything.

15:36

Sleeping doesn't work out well, it's you need, I need that time.

15:39

And it's not only when now. For me it's not, it's not by myself, when I go out, and if I, if I come here, if you know, if rain is here, if one of us is working out in the garage, something where you know we're mix matching schedules back and forth our kids are, our kids are with us.

15:53

So you know, when I open that garage door and my two kids are running out there, it's like all right, it's time to go work out.

15:57

And they're there, they're mimicking us. Sometimes they're just, you know, playing, eat nice pops, but other times like they're watching us and and it does, it makes you a better person.

16:05

I'm happier afterwards, I have more patience with them.

16:09

It's like you know, it really is unbelievable the effect that it has on you, just as a person in general.

16:14

So to build off that, the slash, working out in different environments, at a gym, in your garage, by yourself, with Raina, with your kids you guys have been through it all.

16:22

Yeah, just, you know.

16:25

To describe, you know some.

16:28

Again, we're talking to people that are want to play the long game and what can they learn from you guys.

16:33

Describe what your reactions and how you prepare for the fact that you know what.

16:38

Sometimes you're not going to be with your friends when you work out.

16:41

Sometimes you're not going to have the playlist you want.

16:43

Sometimes you're not going to get the pull up bar or the box that you need.

16:47

Every single time you do a workout, you know how does one, how can you use that for a fuel to play this long game and try to stay away from all that short term gratification which, at the end of the day, does not do as much for you guys as playing the long game and staying focused on the one step at a time.

17:03

You know. Describe some of the differences good and bad, dan, training by yourself in a class environment.

17:09

Yeah, I mean definitely. The good thing is that you can.

17:12

When you're alone and when you're following something that is specifically catered to you, you know you're working on your weaknesses, you know you're trying to get better and you can.

17:21

You know, for me, having like a coach look at that stuff it helps me push myself in when I am alone, when I don't have the person next to me to go for it.

17:33

But you know, the other side of that is that sometimes, dan what's water yeah, I got the motivation can get tough.

17:46

It's like you have to really get yourself in the mood to go out there.

17:50

My warmups are usually two to three times as long in my gym because I've just taken my time.

17:56

Yep, yep, yeah, I'll get to it, absolutely Yep.

17:59

And so you need to have a really, really strong why and also, I think, a specific goal that you're trying to hit when you're working out alone, because if you don't, you're just kind of aimless.

18:15

You don't really know why you're doing it, and if you don't know why you're doing it, you're not going to put all your effort into it.

18:22

Yeah. So, kev, how does one respond to hey, I need to have this.

18:27

Like you don't get to come to the gym that much, you know.

18:30

Like I know you try to fit it. Sometimes you have to cancel. We've canceled each other on each other a few times.

18:34

Hey, let's try to go to this class. Oh, I can't. Sometimes it came up, you know.

18:37

Do you think there's value in someone purposely going to do something that they'll wanna do by themselves or with a class they don't like, or in a class where no one is around that they even know they're not friends with?

18:48

Do you think that there's value in that to actually get something more out of the experience than they are in that environment?

18:53

Yeah, with their friends and favorite playlists, all that kind of stuff, right?

18:56

right, absolutely. I mean you obviously know from owning the gym being in that situation is it doesn't always work out that you get to.

19:04

Everybody thinks you're the gym owner. You get all these great perks and whatever, but guess what?

19:07

Like you don't get to work out with the class.

19:09

You're mostly coaching the class, especially early on, and things like that.

19:12

So you have to get used to it. You have to realize that the reason you're working out is not just to be there and to socialize and to do stuff, when that is your long-term goal of having longevity in.

19:25

If you're talking about the sport across but are just doing it, but ultimately, at the end of the day, it is the best way to go.

19:30

If you can be in the gym working out with your friends, you're getting more out of it than you are in the garage, unless you're that one person that, like that small percentage that needs that personalized stuff and in all reality that's really not any of us right?

19:45

We're not CrossFit Games competitors. The best thing you can do is get to the gym.

19:49

It's just, it's plain and simple.

19:51

But that doesn't always happen Like that.

19:53

You know, with the majority of the members that you have here.

19:55

I mean, how many of them have spouse that comes have kids at home.

19:59

It just doesn't work out that well. So if you can say, hey, you know, for me sometimes it's you know, and hopefully nobody's listening.

20:04

But it's like, hey, a meeting just canceled, right, like I can't get in during this time, nobody's gonna know that I'm here, right, the little red dot is gonna be on my screen and I could be working out and I'll have my phone up against the wall and it's like making sure that nobody knows that I'm doing it.

20:16

But it's like, if that's the time that I can get in here, you can walk at the sad door.

20:19

Yeah, exactly, exactly. But yeah, I mean, and it's just, you know, and it might not be, it might not be with some of the people that I know, it might be in the middle of the day, but it's there and the people around you are there to motivate you and you know the coaches and everybody, and it's just, it's good.

20:35

You know you're not always gonna get the pull bar you want. It might feel a little different, there might be the barbell that doesn't spin as much as you want, but like you know, that's life, like you know, this is just to move to get you, you know, better prepared for when things do happen and you do feel like you can control your environment a little bit more.

20:50

You're gonna be better for it.

20:52

I love seeing the OGs workout in class.

20:55

I just saw Saturday and I just saw two of your spouses.

20:58

I saw Raina Saturday and I saw Ash and you guys just came back on from vacation I hadn't seen Raina in a while and they I partnered them up.

21:06

I know they chase after it and I partnered them up and they chased after it and they were like they crushed it.

21:15

It was a tough workout. The Saturday workout.

21:18

Yeah, it was painful.

21:20

And it was long, it was like 30 minutes and so I could see them.

21:23

They would rest, they kind of recover and then they get after the next couple of it.

21:28

And when I see people have done this for like 10 plus years and they're doing that and you could see it's almost like they're fixed, like they came in, they got what they needed out of it, they were with people that pushed them and then they were like I feel so much better.

21:43

I mean I feel beat up, I feel so much better. I'll see you guys.

21:46

And it was like I could tell that both Ash and Raina were like ready to like take on the rest of the day whatever that Saturday had for them, and I'm sure they had a lot of crap they had to do, like they were good, and so I feel like I mean you guys are on the very high level of the sport competitive side of things.

22:06

But for everyone else who's also been doing this for a really long time, I agree it's I can.

22:12

I have a full garage that I could do anything.

22:14

I want you guys both work out in your garages all the time, but I can see when and you could work out whenever you want.

22:22

I've seen you in the past like you would just come in off hours and do your thing, but you dropped in on.

22:27

You did the class on Saturday as well, and so I know you know a lot of why we'd still do CrossFit after 10 years or 15 years or whatever it is is because of the people, because of the classes, because of what we're doing in the classes, and I think that's really one of the big reasons why I'm still doing it as well, I mean, I think you can learn so much from any veteran CrossFitter, you know.

22:55

I mean, if you want to be put a number on that, I'd say if you've been doing it for more than six years.

22:59

If you're someone new, or someone new to CrossFit, watch someone how they act, how they move, what they do for five, you know in and around their workouts.

23:08

You can learn so much from them.

23:10

They might be a little grumpy before, but they'll probably be a lot better after.

23:15

So, you know, let's wrap this up with some recovery talk, because I want to know what you guys have done, what has worked and what has not worked for you guys over the years, and because this answer can change as well.

23:26

You know, a resources, which in our case is time B finances, can come in to recovery habits.

23:33

What has worked for you guys to help keep you in this game in this kind of shape and condition at an age where end life situations where almost everyone, not everyone starts to really go south a little bit?

23:46

And I'm sure you guys have dealt with a lot of injuries too, so that comes into play as well.

23:51

What have been the key recovery components for you, Dan?

23:53

Yeah, I mean definitely.

23:56

I mean the most important, I think, is sleep and nutrition.

23:58

I think that you know people want to think that that's just like an easy overlook and like you know what supplements can I take yeah right, and what you know, what ice bath can I get into.

24:07

But I think if you're not eating right and you're not sleeping enough and nothing else really matters, and that I mean obviously that right, there is money and time 100%.

24:18

I think that you know, with young kids it was way harder.

24:23

I definitely didn't get the sleep I got.

24:25

Now that my kids are eight and 10 now, which is a much easier age, they want to sleep longer than I do, so it's that part's easy, can't?

24:31

wait for that.

24:32

Yeah, yeah yeah, and I mean, you know I'm a morning guy, I need to.

24:37

I'm working from home now, so it's like I have a little bit like I don't have to come at five or six am like some people do.

24:43

I used to be, you know, a six am guy and I used to just get up, but then I would make myself go to sleep at like nine o'clock, you know, or you know 8.30, whatever it was.

24:51

I'd be in bed getting my time and I made it a real focus.

24:56

Eight hours, is that your number? Yeah, yeah, I try to be in bed.

24:59

I'm actually trying to be in bed around nine hours because I know I'm not sleeping all the time Got it okay.

25:05

So that's like there's. Sometimes I can't do that, but for I would say, 90% of the time, I'm in my bed for nine hours and I made a very conscious choice to make that happen.

25:14

And just you know, I like to track macros and do my nutrition that way.

25:20

However you like to do your nutrition, I think that making sure that you're getting enough of all your nutrients that you need to keep your body strong, keep your body recovering you know it's gonna go a long way.

25:33

Have you found a certain treatment like hands-on treatment?

25:37

Oh yes, have you liked one more than the other?

25:41

Yeah, so over the years I've definitely gone through injury.

25:45

I've had patella tendonitis.

25:47

I had a two millimeter tear in my patella at one point.

25:51

I did lots of PT.

25:54

I went through a company of Maven which is grain parameters.

25:57

And then over the last several years I've been with Dr John Harman, who I go to him at least once a month.

26:05

He just kind of keeps me mobile, keeps me, you know, any little tweaks he'll work out.

26:11

If I have a specific tweak, I'm in there like once or twice a week to deal with it.

26:22

We worked with BFR Blood Fluorostriction to heal my knee, which was amazing.

26:28

It was very, very painful, yeah, but it was an amazing treatment, so much so that I bought my own cuffs so I could keep that going.

26:36

And then Marissa, at all points acupuncture does.

26:41

I go to her once a week and I didn't know what I was trying to get out of that.

26:47

First I didn't understand acupuncture.

26:49

I just was like, oh, maybe my quad hurts, maybe you can open it up.

26:53

And she does some crazy stuff sometimes where it's like the muscles are expanding like crazy.

26:58

But what I've actually felt overall is like my mood is generally pretty, it helps my mood, it helps my nervous system just kind of keep like even.

27:10

That's huge. Yeah, so, Kev, you're someone that I feel like it's just never banged up, Like there's probably things that you don't always tell or disclose, but that's one thing I've always respected you as an athlete, you know is there's a lot to respect about you as an athlete, as a person, but one of them is I feel very rarely are you coming in and like really banged up, what have you?

27:28

What's? If you had to pick one or two things that have really helped you stay off the I call it the IAL, the injury list, what?

27:34

would they be? I mean, I think, first off, it's really just trying to be consistent in everything I do on a daily basis.

27:42

I mean, for me, I just feel like there's so much out there now, whether it's, you know, try this thing, try that thing, and people are switching around.

27:49

For when we first started, it was, you know, all these, whether it was a competitor program, whether it was this like you know, it was just everything, especially with social media.

27:57

Now there's everything. You find something new every day to do and I think you have to kind of fall into what works for you, fall into, you know, like proper programming, getting consistent in the gym, focusing on your movement, rather than just being like you know, hey, I'm just gonna I'm not the best with like warming up, but just, you know, from that being said, like I'm gonna just focus on moving properly, moving the right way.

28:18

And then, as far as stuff like outside of the gym, I've always, just for me, it's been, it's been simple with like nutrition and what I decided to do, what I decided to eat when I eat.

28:29

I do think that that just goes a long way with cutting down on inflammation and you can go down to a huge rabbit hole with all that.

28:34

But I think, finding something that works for you and sticking with it and really just kind of staying the course and thinking of it in terms of the long game, you know, I think oftentimes people get pushed to do too much too fast, too soon and it's something where just kind of staying on your path, looking at it from you know every day, just building on it, you know one step at a time, and you know again, just doing the same thing every day, finding that routine, finding what works for you, has really just helped me.

29:00

I mean, you know the stuff of like that sleep comes and goes, different things, but really just trying to, you know, do your best to stay healthy and not do too much.

29:09

Is there anything specific to you that is inviolable?

29:12

Like you're like this, I have to. I know I have to do this in order for me to stay healthy.

29:17

Like maybe the sleep isn't always there, you said, but what is always there for you?

29:21

For me it's always been food Since I started doing.

29:24

I have a journal from I think it was 2010, and I was tracking to the almond of how many things I was eating.

29:30

Like it was like.

29:31

I still have this book and I'm like I can't believe I did this. It was like 64 almonds, it was this with everything in this meal and you know, of course, like some parts of it changed just to like you know if you're eating more this way or that way, but I've just always been super consistent with that.

29:44

Are you a macro guy? Not not.

29:46

Well, when I have put it in and tracked it, it has stayed pretty close to the macros.

29:51

A lot of it has been off of feel. I don't have like a nutritional background, but you know, from my time as a bowling in the gym, we would do nutritional challenges and do that and I would always say, like what I do might not work, you know, for everybody, but it has worked for me and it's something that it's just always kind of kept me.

30:06

I feel like I'm in control when I do that and I know that I'm getting the proper fuel for my body and for me.

30:12

There's always, I'm always trying something.

30:15

So whether it's you know something from you know the ice baths to this side or the other thing, I'm always trying to do.

30:19

The one thing you guys talk all the time about how Adam's doing.

30:22

Adam's like my go-to for the weird guy stuff. I'm like all right if I do something like.

30:25

I'm like all right, I'm grounding, now I gotta be on the earth for 20 minutes.

30:29

I gotta get out in the sun, I gotta do something. I'm always trying to do something.

30:32

I've always felt like, and for me, I've always had to work harder than everybody else to get you know, to get where I'm at, whether it's a mindset or what it is.

30:39

It's from the time I was, you know, younger and high school playing to you know, to now.

30:43

I look at everybody around me. I'm like all these people have more natural athleticism than I do and I need to find a way to keep up.

30:48

So it's just been trying to do things, you know, every day, to try one new thing.

30:52

That's something, something you know, something that I can do consistently.

30:56

But I absolutely drop my wife nuts because it's like oh, what are we doing today?

30:59

We're spending hours on, you know, figuring out how to keep this ice bath cold.

31:02

We're trying to like put on toe spacers.

31:04

We're doing this. You know can't stand it, but it's something for me where I'm always trying to move the needle that 1%.

31:09

Yeah, I mean, it's practice when you preach, right, if you're gonna say that you're actually gonna try to just take a step forward every day and not obsess over like what the end result is that you want.

31:17

You know just what's my one step towards getting in that direction.

31:21

It might be toe spacers, it might be an ice bath, it might be counting your almonds, but I think Kevin and Dan, both are just, they're consistent.

31:28

And I know it's such an overused word, but consistent to me is it's seven days, it's not five.

31:34

How about you, dave? What's your one thing?

31:36

What In terms of recovery or just trying to stay-. Consistency, or your secret, or whatever your secret sauce is I mean my I would say the number one thing that I really try to focus on within a workout is just having a plan and having a goal from each single workout.

31:48

It's not always best possible score. I would even say one out of five workouts is get the best score I can.

31:56

It's try to practice a pace, try a different way of moving, try to really slow it down early, speed it up at the end.

32:04

I always have some sort of intent behind every single time I train and you do that for long enough.

32:09

I just got done talking with Ella, kathleen and Amy.

32:12

We all just did a couple workouts this morning in prep for legends.

32:15

The workout started off with 50 cals bike for me, 40 for Amy and 30 for Cat and Ella.

32:21

Then you have to do wall balls, dumbbell, snatch and then high level gymnastics.

32:24

That was don't get on the bike and just go and wait and get you know bike until you're done.

32:30

Take note in what your RPMs are on the bike.

32:33

What did you? And be a little aggressive today and just see where did you fall apart?

32:38

Where did you bottom out? How many wall balls could you do?

32:40

Because the next time something like that comes up two years down the road, if you have a good enough memory for that, you already know I knew exactly what my RPMs was going to be on that bike.

32:49

You're on that bike for two, three minutes. It's a little bit of a painful, but I've done that before.

32:54

I think that's one of my secret things that I've I don't want to say mastered, because I'm always still working on it.

32:59

But I go into every single workout with an intent.

33:01

It could be something silly, like tomorrow we're just doing weighted pull-ups and rowing and one arm rows and dead lifts.

33:06

I already have an intent for it that I'm very specifically going after and I think that helps out a lot and actually kind of keeps the mind spinning, which avoids the hate.

33:15

This, this sucks. This is stupid. This is boring.

33:17

I don't like this workout. This hurts.

33:19

You know, like what you're going through right now with your shoulder. We've all been there before where things really get banged up and it really it's hard to not get frustrated and pissed.

33:30

Sometimes Like it like, and when something hurts, like I get mad.

33:33

Now I'm just like come on again like this, and that my Achilles was bothering me after, you know, running on the sand and brass, and it's like totally fine today, but yesterday I'm like limping around, I'm like how are you kidding me?

33:43

Like I get pissed off. But you find a way around it.

33:45

And I went to yesterday's workout that you coach on a Saturday with very different intent and you were mindful, you switched out for two machines for the box, jump or stepovers.

33:54

and then also I did bike and set a box, jump over skier, get a jump rope, and I was tracking my splits from all three sections of the workout.

34:02

So you weren't just doing it, you were actually keeping track of your I was within two seconds of everything and like that's again.

34:07

That is where I feel like gains can be made.

34:10

It's not just try hard until you get tired.

34:12

I think that's a huge part of it is there's definitely days where something is hurting.

34:17

You know I tweak my shoulder, my Achilles, my or what do you know my knees not feeling good that I think that you got to think that every day in the gym is it can be a step forward, but it doesn't need to be the same, doesn't have to be a score.

34:28

Doesn't have to be a score. Right, that, yeah, exactly.

34:31

If something's hurting, you got to really check the ego, which was took me a long time to learn but just pull back or switch, switch the movement and get, get whatever your best workout for that day is Cause not every day can be the very best version of you.

34:46

And value will come out of that workout. Yeah, I think that's what needs to be known Like if you have to change something, take a step back.

34:51

There's still value that comes out of that session.

34:53

You just might not be the result that you want.

34:56

Nice job grinding Natalia down yesterday.

34:58

She never gets ground down. She was kind of tired.

35:01

Yeah, that's right.

35:02

Natalia, I got you All right guys Well.

35:05

Thanks so much again to Dan and Kev. Two Weeks in a Row, really blessed to have these guys as part of our gym.

35:09

If you guys come to Bison or you ever interact with them, just know that if you're in a class with them or you have a conversation with them, you're lucky.

35:17

There's a lot of value that you can get at just being around people.

35:19

I'm a huge proponent of you know, get around people that you want to be like or that you want to emulate someday, and it's.

35:25

You know. These are two guys that just trust me from across the perspective, especially and from a family perspective and how you intertwine everything.

35:32

These are two guys that you want to be around and you know they'll be more than happy to help share more experiences with you.

35:38

If you ever come up and ask them some questions down the road, they have some great advice for you guys.

35:41

Or just watch them move. They're two of the best movers in our gym, yep.

35:45

All right, thanks guys. We'll see you guys. Thank you. Thank you everybody for taking the time out of your day to listen to the Herdfit podcast.