Posted on 1 Comment

Community, CrossFit, and Race

The Kitsap CrossFit community wanted to know…and expected to know sooner…how the owners felt about the explosive comments from the CrossFit CEO. They wanted to know where these leaders in the community stood on issues of race and social justice and how those positions aligned (or didn’t align) with the stance of the larger organization. Dan and Amy Hollingworth sat down and answered lots of questions. They are affiliate owners as well as employees of CrossFit. The interview is raw and uncut. Why did they decide to stay affiliated? How do they feel about Glassman’s comments? What are their hopes for CrossFit moving forward? What changes do they want to see? What changes are they planning on making in their local community?

Cade Strong comments on BLM, racial inequity, and CrossFit: Watch Now

Mike Stadshaug’s video mentioned in the episode was shared privately on the KCF private community page.

Call to Action: 1. Recognize your influence and share your opinions with the people in your community.

Call to Action: 2. Lean into the uncomfortable conversations and work to have patience and grace for others.

Posted on

Are You Nice or Kind? What’s the difference?

Dan and Matt take a deep dive into some of the important distinctions between niceness and kindness.

Want the shirt? Check it out here.

CALL TO ACTION: DO MORE INTENTIONAL ACTIONS OF KINDNESS

Posted on

Jeff Cain: Modern Life Lessons through Classic Literature

Jeff Cain sits down and shares his passion for literature. From Homer to Shakespeare to more modern classics, Jeff helps us see the enduring lessons and stories to be learned from prominent literary pieces. Work-life balance? Got it. Loyalty to friends versus honor and duty? Got it. Sordid family dynamics? Got it. Struggles and victories? Got it.

CALL TO ACTION: PICK UP A BOOK WITH REAL PAGES, IDEALLY ONE THAT CARRIES LEGITIMATE LITERARY VALUE, AND START READING. FIND AN ANTHOLOGY OF LITERATURE OR TRACK DONE SOME OF NORTON’S ANNOTATED CLASSICS.

Posted on

36 Participation Trophies…You Know You Want One

Dan and Matt give their perspective on participation trophies. Good? Bad? Ugly? It’s not as straight forward as you may think.

Posted on

35 Andy Wooster Rises From the Dead

We sit down with submariner Andy Wooster to breakdown his near-death experience after a strenuous day at the gym. His undiagnosed heart issues left him unexpectedly in a life-and-death situation. Andy’s humble retelling of the events shines a light on all the people involved in helping him stay alive and his own determination to respond with resilience

Posted on

34 Jon Gary: Navigating the Science of Well-being.

Dr. Jon Gary joins the hosts to explore how to wade through all the complicated scientific literature in the health and fitness field. Together, the three of them break down the resources and strategies ANYONE can use to get the most out of the legitimate research out there…and how to avoid the nonsense.

CALL TO ACTION: Identify a specific outcome you’re shooting for, track down original review articles on the topic, commit to a change and track outcomes.

Posted on

33 Endurance Sports

Dan and Matt discuss the physical and mental demands of endurance events. They cover long-distance running, Ironman competitions, rowing events and mention several other massive endeavors. From exploring the limits of the human body to understanding and leveraging the appropriate mindset, the hosts share their perspectives on the uncanny feats all of us are capable of achieving. The Central Governor Theory comes and Dan recommends “Endure” by Alex Hutchins

The hosts revisit the last episode’s call to action and share some personal victories and struggles.

Call To Action: Lean into discormfort…at least a little bit and widen the expectations you have for yourself.

Posted on

32: Empathy Vs. Compassion

Dan and Matt discuss the differences between empathy and compassion and the importance of each in terms of leadership, relationships, and any other sort of interaction. Is compassion “better” than empathy? Can we have compassion without empathy? Empathy without compassion?

Posted on

Audience Q & A

When we put out the call for audience questions we weren’t sure what we’d get. Our audience came through with some great questions. How do we manage rest days? Is it possible to minimize the plateau when it comes to personal records? What’s the best way to redirect our fitness efforts away form personal ego? How can we create mental toughness? Dan and Matt break it all down in this episode. Big thanks to Lauren, Ian, Jay, and Jené for contributing these great questions.

Interested in Matt’s workshop on living a values-driven life? You can check it out here.

Posted on

30: Jason Ackerman Eats to Thrive

Jason Ackerman of Own Your Eating and the Best Hour of Their Day Podcast spends an hour exploring nutrition, adversity, health, and coaching with the Victory and Struggle cohosts. Learn some of Jason key strategies for taking control of your diet and eating from a place of health rather than restriction.

Jason also discusses some backlash he received (and how he dealt with it) about a video that was poorly received largely due to public ignorance and misinformation. You can watch the video here.

CALL TO ACTION: Initiate the habit of tracking your food – regardless of your “success” in terms of eating healthy, just write it down, track it on an app, or record in any other way.

Posted on

29: Common Misconceptions in Physical Therapy and Psychology

The hosts share some of the most common misconceptions they face in their respective professional fields, challenging the assumptions and presumptions they’ve had to deal with.

Call to Action: Before you vocalize an opinion, reflect on how much it is based on fact versus presumption, assumption, or myth.

Posted on 1 Comment

28: Lee Stadshaug Finds Her Strength

Lee Stadshaug was vocal about how The Victory and The Struggle podcast has helped her move through some significant challenges, so we decided to invite her into the ‘studio’ to hear a little more about it. We were blown away by her transformation. She shared the story of how she when from a lifestyle completely lacking physical activity to a routine of weightlifting, body-weight exercises, running, and everything else involved in CrossFit. Most of her physical strength comes from consistently showing up at Kitsap CrossFit, but she didn’t start out hitting the gym, and she’s extended herself well beyond it. Her mental and emotional strength may be even more impressive. Her story is inspirational to anyone that’s ever doubted themselves, told themselves that they’re too old or too weak. She earns her fitness and she’s earning the confidence that comes along with it.

Call to Action: Give yourself grace. Allow yourself moments to acknowledge your struggles and move forward to the best of your ability.

Posted on

27: The Adventure of a Man, His Wife, an RV, and the Open Road – Ian Landstine

We sat down with Ian Landstine and dug into his process for making the life-changing decision to quit his job, sell all his Earthly possessions (including his house), purchase a massive RV, and travel the country with his wife. Dan and Matt discover some of the biggest struggles – they’re probably not what you think – and some of the biggest opportunities Ian and Megan had to grow as individuals and as a couple. Ian lays out his reasoning and motivation for leaving a more traditional, comfortable lifestyle to pursue a challenge that pushed him well out of his comfort zone on a semi-regular basis. You can check out some of the couple’s perspective on their blog at
https://memorymillionaires.com/

In this episode, we just scratched the surface of what life on the road was like, and we didn’t even touch on Ian and Megan’s transition out of the RV back to normal jobs and a stationary domicile. Part two of this conversation is definitely going to happen. Stay tuned.

Call to Action: Explore peace in every moment of your day.

Posted on 1 Comment

26: Laura Finster on Resilience Through Injury

Seeing Laura Finster crutch into the gym and and workout with a fully immobilized leg was an inspiration for Dan, Matt, and countless others. She shares her victories and struggles through the process of dealing with pain, physical limitations, and the emotional and mental challenges associate with a severe leg injury. Before her leg was back in action, she suffered a rib injury in a car accident…and all of her challenges were amplified.

Call to Action: Do something that scares you, and give yourself credit for the challenges you’re taking on.

Here’s Laura rocking a workout with a full leg brace.

Posted on

Health Wage: Healthy or Not?

The Victory an The Struggle host share their quick take on a program aimed at motivating people t lose weight. Healthy Wage is an online gambling site that allows individuals and teams to place wagers based on their weight loss goals. Dan and Matt discuss the potential dangers (and potential benefits) of the program. While Healthy Wage does provide some safeguards against unhealthy weight-loss, and they offer some guidance toward success, the focus on weight over health and the risk of significant financial loss, make it impossible to fully endorse the program.

Posted on

24: Todd Widman on Leadership

Todd Widman joins the podcast to unpack some of his challenges and successes as a leader. He provides some great distinctions between various forms of leadership, noting that peer-to-peer leadership is very different than leading up or down an organizational hierarchy. Todd also shares his perspective on leading kids, adolescents, and adults – spoiler alert – each age requires a very different style and skill-set. He shares a couple of recommendation from his reading list – Legacy by James Kerr and Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

Call to Action: When questioning what to do next, do the next good thing

Posted on

23: Cultivating Growth Culture

Dan and Matt share some of there favorite resources for cultivating an environment designed for growth. They discuss podcasts, books, and even a few videos. There are innumerable sources of destructive/negative messages and sometimes we need to be a bit more intentional about where we focus our attention.

Call to Action: Share. Share. Share all the resources that you’ve found inspiring, thought provoking, life-changing, or otherwise contributed to your growth.

Track down some of the favorites from this episode with the links below.

Books
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
One Day Contract
Talent Code
The Happiness Trap
The Anatomy of Peace
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe
Mindset

Podcasts
Chasing Excellence
Building a Story Brand
Practical Stoic
Spartan Up
Art of Manliness
Skeptics Guide to the Universe
Doug Loves Movies (just for fun)
Making Sense with Sam Harris

Posted on

22: Goals Setting…and Resetting

Dan and Matt reflect on the inevitable failure of New Years Resolution (they have data to back up their claim) and the changes we can make to set better goals or reset the goals we’ve failed at. They discuss the effectiveness of SMART goals, the importance of flexibility, and the whole point of setting goals – to feel a sense of achievement and growth. If your goals are working for you, it’s time to rework your goals.

Call to action: Practice setting more effective goals, including asking for help with accountability.

Additional Resources: B.J. Fogg’s TED Talk on Tiny Habits

Learn more about Dan Hollingsworth at www.kitsapcrossfit.com

Learn more about Dr. Matt Poinsett at www.infinitenorth.com

Posted on

21: Matt Swift on the Pitfalls of Agreeableness

Matt Swift, owner of CrossFit Brisbane, and 2015 CrossFit Games age-group Champion joins Dan and Matt to explore some of the interpersonal challenges of using “NO” effectively. Matt Swift shares his insights on the recent Row for Reveille event, talks about the commitment required to achieve success at world-class levels and offers his perspective on what it takes to be a healthy, well-adjusted person.

Call to Action: Recognize that your time is valuable – be prepared to say “no” when people ask for a commitment that may not be a priority for you. Give them time to convince you, but curb your initial agreeableness.

Posted on

Alyssa Royse and the Necessity of Acceptance

Dan and Matt sit down with co-owner of Rocket CrossFit and active advocate for equality and acceptance within the fitness world, Alyssa Royce. She put words to some big ideas that can be difficult to talk about and even harder to implement. She and her team at Rocket CrossFit work to create an emotionally safe atmosphere for ANYONE looking to get active and healthy. From banning weight-based goals and commentary about appearance to eliminating gender terms from their daily vocabulary (no men’s bars and women’s bars), they’re taking active steps to be inclusive and accepting.

Her call to action? She challenged us to stop commenting on appearance in any way with any one. She also asked us to practice self-acceptance (sometimes it’s easier said than done).

You can check out some of the work she’s currently doing with The Out Foundation, including the Out WOD events across the country.

For more of her perspective, check out some of her written work.

Posted on

Row For Reveille

Dan and Matt discuss their victories and struggles from the recent Row For Reveille event. The 24-hour rowing challenge that Dan, Amy, and their crew hosted as a fundraiser for The Reveille Project was a physical, mental, and emotional journey that provided many opportunities for testing limits, managing internal dialogue, and coming together as a community to accomplish amazing things. Will you be joining us next year???

Check out the Row for Reveille Facebook Page for photos from the event

Find out more about the Reveille Project

Posted on

Sustainable Coastlines with Nick and Hans

Nick and Hans Schippers sit down with Dan and Matt to discuss their ongoing efforts to minimize the environmental impact of plastic on our oceans. These two brothers are teaching K-12 students in coastal communities strategies to reduce plastic waste. By giving practical examples of how kids can use AIR (Avoiding, Intercepting, and Redesigning) to combat the overwhelming problem of pollution, they’re well on their way to achieving the goal of changing the world. Find out more about the Schipper brothers and their mission at www.schroadtrip.com where you can find out how to support their cause and follow their progress.

Posted on

Overcoming Complacency

Dan and Matt break down a variety of ways we have to combat complacency on the path to success. They discuss strategies for addressing the complacency of others – ways to influence or directly motivate the actions of people they’d like to help. Then the cohosts explore some of the ways their own personal complacency has (and does) get in the way of continued growth.

Posted on

Nick Pappas

Episode 17: Special guest Nick Pappas discusses his role in making CrossFit more accessible to students in Portland public schools…and how CrossFit is working to support teachers as they encourage wellness in their students.  Additionally, Nick shares some of his experiences as a coach for a program at CrossFit X-Factor that has made WODs available for anyone fighting a battle with addiction.  He provides some great insights into how CrossFit is making fitness the new normal.

Call to Action: Do Less Better

Relevant Links

CrossFit Foundation Kids:  https://www.crossfit.com/foundation/cfchf

CrossFit Educators Class:  https://training.crossfit.com/educators

Recovery CrossFit:  http://www.portlandalano.org/event/recovery-crossfit/2018-12-10/

CrossFit X-Factor: https://crossfitxfactor.com/

Portland Alano Club
Instagram
@nicktpappas
@shiloemelanieallison
@joshuajkoplin
@carleenmathews
Posted on

Gil Bahnsen and the R2AK

Gil Bahnsen shared his journey in preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically for the massive challenge of competing in the Race to Alaska (R2AK).  He’s building his own boat and plans to sail it from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska – that’s 750 miles of frigid ocean water.  Gil discussed his inspirations, his struggles, and his hopes for a successful journey.  He is also using this challenge as a way to advocate for male victims of childhood sexual abuse (see the links below for more information).  You can also follow his team, Kingsfold,  via their website or facebook page.

Call to Action:  Dust off an old project or goal and make it happen.

Race to Alaska: https://r2ak.com/

Team website: http://kingsfold-r2ak.com/
Team Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KingsfoldR2AK/
Boat construction blog: http://kingsfoldtravelogues.com/

Male Sexual Abuse and Assault Resources: https://1in6.org/ and malesurvivor.org

Posted on

Avoiding Self-Sabotage

In episode 15, Dan and Matt discuss a couple forms of self-sabotage that they frequently see in the clientele they work with (and in themselves).   Dan focuses in on the bad habit of responding to compliments with negativity, judgment, and/or resistance.  Matt describes the challenges of trying to be supportive when working with a help-rejecting-complainer.  It’s a bit of shorter episode, and these are topics worthy of revisiting.

Call to action: When someone compliments you, pause, resist the urge to deflect or be self-critical, then just express gratitude for the positive feedback.

Posted on

Derek Daley

Dan and Matt interview Derek Daley from Legacy Outdoor Adventure and the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center.  He shared his passion for using wilderness and adventure therapeutically in the treatment of mental health issues including addiction.  His mission goes beyond treating those with diagnosable problems, Derek advocates for EVERYONE to get off the couch and get outside.  We explore some of the common misperceptions surrounding wilderness therapy and discuss some of the most recent research findings related to safety and effectiveness.

Call to action: Get outside and go for an adventure #rxoffthecouch

Posted on

Alanna Imbach

Dan and Matt interview Alanna Imbach, exploring a wide range of topics from her passion for international travel to building a coworking community in her hometown of Poulsbo.  She shares her experiences with humanitarian efforts across the planet – working to help immigrants resettle in Europe and tackling the lack of sanitary water in developing countries.

We also made time to discuss Alanna’s newly established Vibe Coworking space where a diverse collection of people have come together to create, “real innovation [where] seemingly unlikely people, businesses, nonprofits, and partners find themselves working side by side. We don’t care how you dress or what your title is—we only care that you’re passionate about what you do are eager to be part of a powerhouse creative and professional community.”

Through the whole interview, Alanna describes how she’s focused on creating the life she wanted regardless of how audacious it may have seemed.

She invited everyone to the Grand Opening event in Poulsbo, Washington at 5pm on October 26th, 2018.

Call to Action: Pursue something audacious!  And come to the Grand opening of Vibe Coworks

Learn more about WaterAid, and you can even check out the workout designed to build awareness about access to clean water here.

Check out Vibe Coworks or email Alanna directly at alanna@vibecoworks.com

Posted on

Zach Forrest

Dan and Matt interview Zach Forrest about his evolution as a person, a manager, and a leader.  Zach provides some interesting perspective about how his military career and time as a Navy SEAL provided some skills that were invaluable and others that made leading civilians more difficult.  We also learn about how Zach built the Max Effort family of Crossfit boxes in Las Vegas.

Call to Action: Consistently check in with yourself and make sure that you can answer this questions: What have I done today to inspire people?

Heading to Las Vegas or just want to learn more about Zach’s business, check out Max Effort

Posted on

Build the Body You Want

Dan and Matt explore general strategies for building the body you want, differentiating between cultivating strength, tone, and bulk.  We cover common misconceptions as well as universal components to meeting your goals related to fitness and physique.  It’s a great episode for people that have been frustrated by failing their fitness goals.

Call to action: Try resistance training if you haven’t already started.  Clarify your goals pertaining to fitness and physique then seek out the proper education and support to reach those specific goals.

Posted on

Fitness Over 50

Dan and Matt dismantle the horribly limiting MSN article that shared some bizarre ideas about what a fifty-year-old is and isn’t capable of doing.  The co-hosts address each exercise from the article that has been deemed too dangerous for the older population.  Throughout the discussion, Dan and Matt refocus on the importance of training safely, understanding your own body, and NEVER being held back or limited by your age.  The original article has been modified after a significant public outcry from incredible athletes over fifty and their younger friends.   You can read the modified (and greatly improved version) here.

Call to action this episode: Join us in dispelling the myth that age is a limitation by sharing stories and photos (perhaps your own) about athletes that are fit and over 50.  #fitnessover50

Matt mentions Little Fish Photography while reviewing last episodes call to action.

Posted on

Effective Feedback

Dan and Matt break down some of the keys to providing and receiving effective feedback in any situation.  They tackle the common pitfalls and challenges related to seeking out and hearing constructive feedback.  They agree that the best feedback comes when there is a mutually understood (and clearly communicated) goal as well as a trusting relationship between the giver and receiver.  Suggesting actionable and positive behaviors to increase rather than focusing on ‘what not to do’ also stood out as imperative to effective feedback.

Click the link to reference the Keys to Effective Feedback information.

Posted on

Reverse Golden Rule

Dan and Matt discuss the importance of treating ourselves the way we treat others (The Reverse Golden Rule).  They unpack the challenges associated with reducing self-criticism and other forms of negative self-talk.  This week’s call to action: catch your negative self-talk and use it as an opportunity to learn, improve, and grow.

Posted on

You Are Awesome

Dan and Matt discuss the value of shifting attention away from judgement and criticism and towards the awesomeness in the world.  Matt describes his experiences in building and practicing a campaign aimed at finding the awesome.

Find the Awesome website

Find the Awesome Facebook page

Dr. Matt Poinsett’s blog, “Why I tell everyone ‘You Are Awesome.'”:

Posted on

Phedra Elliot

Dan and Matt interview Phedra Elliot, exploring the importance of committing to health and exercise (even when you don’t like it).  She provides a great, honest perspective on how she’s found a way to prioritize fitness despite the fact that she not a fan of working out.

Posted on

Guide to Confidence

Humility is great…until it starts to become undermining.  Dan and Matt discuss how to build a healthy sense of confidence and avoid self-sabotage.

Download an introduction to “The Confidence Gap” by Russ Harris here

 

Posted on

Kid’s Fitness

Dan and Matt discuss the importance of physical exercise for kids, highlighting some of the programs and interventions aimed at promoting fitness.

National Foundation for Governor’s Fitness Councils: http://natgovfit.org/

This episode’s call to action: Engage in some physical activity with the kids in your life.

Posted on

Ross McCurdy

Episode 002

Ross McCurdy, owner of the Oak Table Cafe in Silverdale, Washington and owner of multiple world records joins Dan and Matt to discuss how he’s built a successful business and fulfilling life.  Ross also shared a bit about his efforts to raise awareness and funding for research on uveitis and juvenile arthritis.

For more information on the causes Ross supports, follow the links below.

Uveitis Foundation – http://www.uveitis.org/

Juvenile arthritis – http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/

For a brilliant meal while you’re visiting Silverdale, head over to the Oak Table Cafe – https://www.facebook.com/oaktablecafe/

Check out Ross’s Youtube page here:  https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRossmccurdy/videos and find him on Instagram at @thepancakeking

Posted on 3 Comments

Mindset

Episode 001

Dan and Matt discuss the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol S. Dweck

For more about Dan Hollingsworth: www.kitsapcrossfit.com

For more about Dr. Matt Poinsett: www.infinitenorth.com

For more about why you’re awesome: www.findtheawesome.com

Posted on

We’re Here

Our first podcast has been recorded and is currently in ‘post production.’  That means we’re gathering some feedback and figuring out how exactly we’re going to share it with everyone.  Creating this website was high on the list, so we’re off to a good start.