CROSSFIT: THE ANTI-AGING ELIXIR
For the first time in CrossFit Games history, the Masters division expanded to include a 70+ age group!
They completed 8 workouts over 4 days and included a max effort clean & jerk and pistols(!!) in a metcon.
Need a little inspiration? Watch replays of the workouts online at games.crossfit.com
“Don’t aim at success – the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you’re going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued, it must ensue, and it does so as the unintended side effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the byproduct of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.”
Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
NATURE-FUELED RESET WITH COACH PAT BARBER – A few months back I came across a post about a “reset retreat” hosted by one of my respected OG CrossFit friends: a 5x CF Games Athlete, L4 CrossFit Coach and the ultimate family man: Pat Barber. I’ve been searching for similar experiences for my Coaching team and decided to give this one a go along with our head Coach, Jamie Lee this weekend.
Pat’s “Stay Virtuous Reset Retreat” is an opportunity for coaches to to focus on themselves by getting away from their daily grind and spend some time in nature with other coaches – including long hikes, meditation, sauna, cold plunges, outdoor workouts, incredibly healthy and delicious meals along with guided group discussions centered on personal growth. And, without any technology – they took our phones.
Pat and his very fit wife, Tamaryn, have 4 beautiful children and own a house with nine acres of beautiful property deep in the Santa Cruz mountains. Every day they tend to their multiple fruit trees, 4 dogs, 2 cats and manage an AirBnB “Dome” house on the property. Pat is also a CrossFit “Flow Master” – leading L1s and L2s around the country (and world) for almost 20 years. He was a longtime affiliate coach and manager at NorCal CrossFit and has consulted for, and run several other fitness companies over the length of his career. He has produced thousands of training content videos over the years, helping coaches and affiliates improve their client experiences and businesses.
Honestly, I’ve been a skeptic of “self-help” clinics or retreats, but this experience was marvelous and fundamentally changed my perceptions – physically and mentally. We slept outdoors in small 1-man tents. Our mornings started very early with coffee by the fire, journaling and discussion. We then headed to the sauna (traditional) for 20 minutes of heat exposure followed by a 2-3min deep outdoor cold plunge. There was something very powerful about the hot/cold exposure with the sun coming up over the fog of the Santa Cruz mountains. Next up was an awesome, home cooked breakfast (by Tamaryn) by the fire, usually delivered by Pat’s young children. After breakfast we geared up for a hike into the forest or into the neighboring vineyard for some great discussions, self-reflection and journaling. Then, it was back to the homestead for lunch followed by a workout at the salt-water pool – so cool. The evenings were spent around the fire sharing gym & coaching experiences. Dinners were also around the fire. The days were very full and sleep came easy.
Incidentally, numerous times during the 1st day, I patted my pocket looking for my phone – unconsciously. It was a bit unsettling to not be able to check my messages or social media. But, on the 2nd day, I completely forgot about it and didn’t miss it at all. Jamie and I laughed that we never knew the time of day for 3 full days – and it was refreshing and made me realize how much my phone and social media occupies my life. That’s gonna change.
Finally, I have many positive take-aways from the Reset Retreat – the conversations with Pat and other coaches, the business and coaching ideas for Diablo, the refocus on life priorities and the mental & physical re-charge. I HIGHLY recommend the Reset Retreat for all coaches & owners. And my last lesson from the weekend was the reinforcement of my belief (that Yvonne shares) which is the essence of the quote from Victor Frankl (from his book which I started reading at the retreat!): “success and happiness are the unintended consequence of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself..” It’s all about the journey.
#itsup2us
MORE NOT ALWAYS BETTER At the weekend Coaching Retreat, Pat Barber (5x Games Athlete), Jamie Lee and I talked about athlete preparation for competition, primarily the 2026 Open and beyond (a return of the Quarterfinals?). Some Diablo members are starting to think about the 2026 Season – increasing training volume or adding new workout programming. So, I asked Coach Pat and Coach Jamie for their recommendations for athletes who wish to take their fitness to the next level in the 2026 Open.
Here’s my take away from our discussion on things to work on BEFORE substantially increasing workout volume or adding a new training program:
- Sleep: are you getting 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night? Multiple clinical studies validate the deleterious effects of sleep deprivation on physical performance and recovery, including an increased risk of injury. Start tracking your sleep with an Apple watch, Whoop, or Garmin. Practice better sleep habits: stop eating 3hrs before bedtime, limit light exposure 1hr prior, no phone 1hr prior, dark room, etc.
- Nutrition: the foundation of fitness – sits at the base of the CrossFit Fitness Pyramid ahead of all other modalities (MetCons, Gymnastics, Weightlifing and Sport). Before adding volume, clean up your diet! Are you hitting your ideal protein, carb & fat intake? Have you removed processed foods and excess sugars? Are you carrying excess weight that limits gymnastic performance? Start tracking your food every day and calculate your macros, especially protein.
- Gymnastic Skills & Barbell Strength: I group these two together in terms of priority ahead of adding a new training program. Completing CrossFit Games Open workouts “RX” often requires moving heavy loads (Snatch and C&J) and efficiently performing complex gymnastics under fatigue (chest-to-bars, muscle ups, hand stand push ups, handstand walks. Meet with a Coach to learn the necessary gymnastic skills & drills. Attend Strong class to improve your barbell movement. Practice &/or lift 2-3x a week.
Finally, meet with a Diablo coach and talk about your performance goals before jumping in on a new training program or adding substantially more volume.
PROGRAMMING ** THIS WEEK **
- Mon: Handstand Work. Metcon: 5RFT – 3WW & 30 DUs
- Tue: Front Squat
- Wed: 3 Rnds Emom – Max reps: HPC, PP, T2B, Bike Cals, Rest #75/115
- Thu: KB Loaded Carry. Metcon: Amrap 7m 3/3, 6/6, 9/9.. Burpee to Target & Goblet Squats
- Fri: “The Shed” – Diablo Benchmark
- Sat: 5RFT – 5 Cleans, 10 Pullups, 20WBs #125/185
- Sun: 4RFT – 5 STOH, 200m Run #95/135
CRAIG’S LIST – Podcast Health: 3 easy-to-listen podcasts on 3 really important topics: Stem Cells vs PRP; Stem Cells & Autism and Pelvic Floor Secrets:
- Is Stem Cell or PRP Right For You? (And when do they work!?) – The Ready State Podcast with Dr. Drew Timmermans. This is such an important topic right now. Really enjoyed learning the pros & cons of both.
- Using Stem Cells to Cure Autism, Epilepsy and Schizophrenia – Dr. Sergiu Pasca, MD, Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. This is a fantastic discussion on the spectrum of autism and neuro-development disorders – explained very thoughtfully and respectfully. Stem cell therapy for treatment for extreme cases of Autism is experimental at this stage, but is showing signs of promise for a possible treatment solution in the near future.
- Pelvic Floor Secrets: What Every Man & Woman Should Know w/ Dr. Sara Reardon – The Ready State Podcast. There is a LOT I don’t know about Pelvic Floor health! This podcast could be the definitive discussion on the topic – and is delivered in a straight-forward no nonsense conversation with mobility experts Kelly Starrett and his wife Juliett along with Dr. Reardon, aka “The Vagina Whisperer”
Craig
