24 AUG 2022 · In this episode I (Joe) ask Michael questions pertaining to the training of running in the context of competitive CrossFit. Michael is a veteran of the sport of fitness and I hope you are able to learn from and enjoy this episode as much as I did. _ About Michael: Michael attended Saint Francis Xavier University. Graduating in 2008 with a First Class Honours Degree in Human Kinetics, with a minor in Psychology. Immediately following graduation he moved to Calgary, Alberta to work at Optimum Performance Training Inc, specifically to work for his brother James FitzGerald. In 2012, Michael became the sole owner of Optimum Performance Training Inc. Since beginning full-time work as a Fitness Coach in 2008 he has worked with individuals of all ages and abilities. Having worked with hundreds of individuals has blessed him with plenty of valuable experience and knowledge. His time as a competitor in Functional Fitness/CrossFit was also critical to his development as a coach. Michael competed at the 2009 and 2010 CrossFit Games, finishing 11th and 37th respectively. He went on the compete at the Canada West CrossFit Regionals in 2011 (8th), 2012 (7th), 2013 (5th), and 2014 (20th). Michael’s current clientele is quite broad and from all across the globe. His clients range from those seeking to reach the pinnacle of their sport (Fitness, Hockey, Wrestling, Running, Rowing, etc.), to those wanting to enjoy lifelong health and fitness. Developing a good relationship with each individual is of primary importance to him. He believes creating trust in the coach-client relationship is paramount for long term and meaningful success. Michael has coached individuals to 6 CrossFit Games appearances, over 75 individual CrossFit Regional appearances, over 30 CrossFit Games Masters appearances, and 3 CrossFit Games Master Champions (35-39, 40-44, 50-54). Michael is also an educator. Since 2012, he has been offering Fitness Coach Mentoring, a one-on-one mentoring service helping other coaches in the areas of physical assessment and fitness program design. With the help of the coaches at Optimum Performance Training, past, and present, he developed a 2-day “Fitness Camp”. An educational event with the intent of helping other Coaches and Athletes better understand Functional Fitness/competitive CrossFit. Since its inception in 2015, he and his team have successfully run over 25 Fitness Camps, all across Canada. ~ via: https://www.optimumperformancecalgary.com/ _ Connect with Michael: https://www.instagram.com/optimum_performance_training/?hl=en https://www.optimumperformancecalgary.com/ Connect with me: https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

23 JUL 2022 · Jesse is a member of the OnlyTraining team. He has been coaching CrossFit full time since 2011 and providing individualized program design for athletes in the sport of fitness since 2012. He has been the owner and head coach of West London CrossFit, in London, Ontario, Canada since 2013 and is also the head of programming at Community Athletics in Kelowna, B.C. He is also involved in: skill based program development for WODprep and Train Your Weakness, program design and editing for The Professor Project, coaching multiple athletes to Regionals and Sanctional Events since 2014, being a member of the Canadian Functional Fitness Athlete Committee and board member at Ontario Functional Fitness Sports Association/British Columbia Functional Fitness Sports Association. Jesse has competed at the IF3 World Championships and Granite Games. He is also an OPEX CCP on journey. Join us for this conversation where we discuss long-term athlete development for CrossFit. We discuss important ideas within this topic, which needs more collective conversation and recognition. _ Follow Jesse: https://www.instagram.com/sherriff.onlytraining/?hl=en OnlyTraining: https://www.instagram.com/training.only/?hl=en , https://only-training.com/ Connect with me (Joe): https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

5 AUG 2021 · Henry is the owner of OPEX San Juan, an OPEX CCP L1 Associate Coach and head coach with Big Dawgs. After seemingly doing it all in sports, Henry found functional fitness. After college football, training and program design became his new passion. He qualified for the Latin American CrossFit Regionals in 2014 and 2015. Henry coaches individuals who are serious about fitness, love the process, and want to get after it everyday. Henry designs programs with predictable results and relentlessly helps his clients improve their weaknesses. At the time of this podcast recording, he was gearing up to head to Madison to coach and support his masters 65+ athlete. Henry is a very talented and experienced coach and truly someone to look to for guidance and leadership. This was a fantastic conversation and I know you will enjoy it. Some of the topics covered: - Henry's background and current roles - One workout / theme that describes Henry's current relationship with fitness - Going hard at the intent - Thoughts on the current structure of the CrossFit Games' season - What is a true athlete in the sport of fitness? - What is something Henry has changed his mind on? - If Henry had to change the sport in one way / see something done differently, what would that be? _ Connect with Henry: https://www.instagram.com/coachtorano/?hl=en Connect with me (Joe): https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

11 JUN 2021 · Coach Corey is a former Division 1 track and field record holder in the triple jump and a 2 time Crossfit Games athlete. He is currently preparing for his first Ironman race, while studying for a double Board Certification in Functional Nutrition. His dedication to optimal health and performance are the foundation of the work he does with clients, whether they need to perform on the field or in the boardroom. He is The Gut-Brain Performance Optimization Specialist and his mission is to Optimize external performance by enhancing internal performance through the study and application of human behavior & psychology, functional nutrition and physical training. Everything he does is By Design, leaving nothing to chance. Thanks again for a great chat Corey. _ Books mentioned: Conscious coaching - Brett Bartholomew Winning - Tim Grover Relentless - Tim Grover _ Connect with Corey: https://www.instagram.com/coachcorey.berger/?hl=en Connect with me (Joe): https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

10 JUN 2021 · Welcome to episode 7 of TAF. In this limited edition solo episode, I (Joe Gzik) talk about the importance of intentions as they pertain to fitness & exercise and touch on 3 key areas in which people tend to get their intentions mixed up, creating mis-alignment. Please consider supporting the show by leaving me a review and sharing with those you know.

17 MAY 2021 · Bryan is the founder of Evolved Training Systems, co-founder of Paragon Training Methods, and co-host of the EatTrainProsper podcast. With 23+ years of training and 11 years coaching, Bryan is truly and OG to the game. He has competed twice at the CrossFit Games regionals, coached some incredible athletes, and has even trained with WWE superstar John Cena. Bryan also coaches physique and bodybuilding clients along with those who just want to look good naked. Bryan's programming philosophy has adapted to accommodate the constantly-changing needs for each trainee. This was a great conversation with Bryan and I hope you enjoy. _ Topics discussed: - Bryan's background - Training with John Cena - Bryan's training philosophy for hypertrophy - Bryan's thoughts on the concept of "a rep is a rep towards hypertrophy if load is ~>75% 1RM" - Dealing with outliers that don't fit conventional volume landmarks for hypertrophy training - Bryan's big training markers to pay attention to week to week - Where does Bryan sit on the debate surrounding adding volume across a mesocycle for hypertrophy training? - Approaching hypertrophy for CrossFit athletes Thanks again for coming on, Bryan. Connect with Bryan: https://www.instagram.com/bryanboorstein/?hl=en Connect with me (Joe): https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

26 APR 2021 · Evan is an integrative physiologist with Emergent Performance Lab and a translational sports scientist, educator, and performance coach at Training Think Tank HQ. He works with CrossFit Games athletes, competitive strength athletes, weekend warriors, military and law enforcement personnel, recreational bodybuilders, and endurance athletes. He also consults with professional sports teams, special operations performance groups, and tech companies interested in enhancing human performance. He has authored 2 publications in the Anatomy and Physiology Open Access Journal and has done numerous presentations and interviews. Evan really understands his craft, is a respected mind in the field of exercise performance, and continues to challenge mainstream thinking about energy systems and maximal performance. Sit down and buckle up because you're about to get schooled by the professor. In this episode we discuss: - Evan's background and current pursuits - Types of limitations and limited athletes - Addressing limitations in training - Periodization, planning, and program design for competitive CrossFit - Sport specific testing - The real deal on energy systems - One statement to describe what's required of a current day Games athlete - What would Evan like to see in the sport that is not there currently? - Recommended research to check out Thanks again for the great chat Evan. _ Evan's social: IG: https://www.instagram.com/evan_peikon/?hl=en Website: https://evanpeikon.medium.com/ Connect with me: IG: https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

22 MAR 2021 · Kevin is the owner of Precision Powerlifting Systems where he coaches raw and single ply lifters to local, regional, national, and international meets. He also competes himself in the 105kg class in the USAPL as both a raw and equipped lifter. Kevin has a very impressive track record. He holds a MSc in kinesiology, is a former student of the legendary Boris Sheiko, and has had an Arnold qualifier every year since he started Precision, a top 5 national total, 2 top 10 national totals, and many top 20 national totals. Kevin exudes a lot of passion for what he does and has developed his own unique training system through practical experience which few can say they have done to this level of success. I know you will all will get a ton of practical knowledge from this conversation. _ Major topics discussed: - Internal frustration = external obsession - The importance of frustration in training - The importance of fear in training - Applying frustration and fear in programming - Kevin's training system and practical applications (planning, volume, intensity, etc.) - The importance of giving athletes autonomy - The importance of technique guidelines and standards in coaching - The importance of accessory work and GPP _ Connect with Kevin IG: https://www.instagram.com/kwcann/?hl=en Precision powerlifting systems:https://precisionpowerlifting.com/ Connect with me IG:https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

11 MAR 2021 · On episode 3 of TAF, I speak with Georgia Smith. Georgia is an education advisor and content marketing manager with OPEX fitness. She is committed to restoring honour to the fitness industry between her roles coaching and connecting with new CCP candidates - all while spreading the OPEX mission. Georgia's 10M air bike score is 110 calories, she likes to ride her bike, and if you want to grab her a coffee she'll take a Piccolo latte. _ I know you will enjoy today's episode. We talk about what "fitness for health" means and why it's different from "fitness for performance". We also discuss the importance of knowing your why in fitness, some common mis-alignments between intentions and actions, why questioning fitness intentions is a "touchy" subject, and more. _ -Timeline- 1:25: Who is Georgia? 11:25: What does "fitness for health" mean? 20:10: Differences between fitness for health and fitness for sport/performance 23:50: What does it mean to express things in fitness? 28:20: The importance of defining your "why" for doing fitness 35:00: Is there value in doing fitness that we don't know the intent of and do not express that intent? 40:40: How to help someone learn their "why" 43:15: Common misalignments between intentions and actions in fitness 53:00: Why is questioning fitness intentions a touchy subject? 59:30: How do we get more people saying "fitness is for me; it's a primary and important part of my life"? _ Georgia's social: https://www.instagram.com/coachgeorgiasmith/?hl=en OPEX Fitness: https://www.instagram.com/opexfitness/?hl=en My social: https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en

20 FEB 2021 · On episode 2 of TAF I speak with coach Sam Smith. We talk about athlete buy-in and what that means, compare "classic" block periodization to a more "fluid/dynamic" approach for the sport of fitness, and Sam gives me a masterclass lesson on training and progressing the lactic system. _ Who is Sam? Sam is taking athletes to their potential in the sport of fitness as the head coach with BigDawgs. Known as "chef Sam", he is always #cookingupgains. Sam is an OPEX CCP L1 associate coach and OPEX education instructor. He is also a former NCAA 36-hole scoring record holder and all-American golfer. When Sam isn't designing fire programs or consulting with clients, you can find him golfing, playing tennis, hiking, reading, BBQing, finding the perfect ice cream shop, or building memories with friends. _ Time-line: 5:00 - Athlete buy-in and building a coach-client relationship 21:30 - "Classic" block periodization vs a "fluid/dynamic" systems approach to organizing training for the sport of fitness 57:47 - The who, what, when, where, and why for training, progressing, and peaking the lactic system 83:00 - What is Sam currently reading? _ Periodization paradigms in the 21st cenutry: evidence-led or tradition-driven by John Kiely (paper mentioned by Sam): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230756715_Periodization_Paradigms_in_the_21st_Century_Evidence-Led_or_Tradition-Driven Sam's recommended books: Mastery (George Leonard): https://www.amazon.ca/Mastery-Keys-Success-Long-Term-Fulfillment/dp/0452267560 Expert (Roger Kneebone): https://www.amazon.ca/Expert-Understanding-Path-Mastery/dp/B08B1PRN16 _ Connect with Sam: IG: https://www.instagram.com/coachsamsmith/?hl=en Email: samsmith@thebigdawgs.com Webiste: https://www.thebigdawgs.com/coaches/sam-smith Connect with me (Joe): https://www.instagram.com/coachjoegzik/?hl=en