The BASE 3 podcast

In this episode, Craig and I debrief our 12-hour walk.

Interestingly, apart from a few similarities, we both had a completely different experience of the same task. It was awesome on so many levels, but the debrief and download we did here has only been the beginning.

It seems the 12-hour walk is not just about your time during the walk, but also the time after. In the days following, we've continued to process what we learnt, observed and thought about, and clarified things on a deeper level, making the walk even more valuable.

We are going to run the 12-hour walk at BASE 3, with a prep and debrief phase attached to it. The walk is scheduled for the 28th of Jan, with a prep meeting this weekend, the 14th. If you'd like to get involved, or if you want more info, contact emily@base3.ae

Great chat with BASE 3 coaches and all-out good dudes, Rowan and Tyler.
In this episode of the B3POD, we discussed the pros and cons of group vs individual training.

We got deep into the benefits and reasons why PT or individual programming is a good option, then compared them to the benefits of group training. We then chatted about what we preferred to coach and what we'd rather do as athletes.

A lot of what was discussed is very goal and individual dependant, but there is hopefully loads of info in there you can lean on to help you decide which tool is the most useful for your training goals. 

Let us know if you want to chat about anything discussed in the episode, always happy to chat.

A new format show that we're playing with.
Five Minute Fitness (name subject to change, we'll see) is a quick format podcast, where coaches will drop snippets of wisdom you can hopefully obsorb and implement immediately. These are short practical dicsiussions, that are supposed to be educational, informative and relevant.

This inaugural episode of FMF covers the subject of pre warm ups, and the reason we use them in programming.
An easy couple of minutes on the bike or working through so easy movement pieces, to pre-prepare the body, and give you an opportunity to take you real world hat off and put your training hat on.

Let us know what you thought of the new format as well as the subject of the episode.  

This week I sat down with big bad Rowan Bray to discuss important sporting events that took place recently, most importantly, the BASE 3 INFERNO week.

Rowan and I discussed the latest edition of the week-long slog, as well as our attempts to beat each other and Tyler in the coachferno. We discussed some impressive performances as well as broke down the workouts.

Other less eventful events, that you may or may not have heard of, The CrossFit Games and The Olympics also took place / are taking palace. Rowan and discussed the 2021 CrossFit games, share our thoughts on the performances of the best athletes in the world. Our thoughts on the events and the performances of the athletes.

We spent some time discussing the difference between competing and training, and why, no matter the goal, you'll probably benefit more from focus over intensity, and shared our thoughts on our experiences in the gym in recent weeks.

I hope you enjoyed Rowan and I rambling on for almost an hour, please go and enjoy episode 117 of the BASE 3 podcast.

Joined again this week by my guy Jordan Asghar.
We covered a wide range of random topics, from basketball to hating people.
In episode 112 of the #B3POD Jordan and I discussed the benefits of using your gym fitness outdoors and how it's important for your own development to foster strong relationships. We spent a lot of time talking about personal development and discussed in life and in training the difference between showing up and turning up. Jordan and I then shared our thoughts on hate and being less judgmental in an effort to not waste your limited energy. 

I really enjoyed this episode, and the development that came through this conversation.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy episode 112 of the BASE 3 podcast. 

The newest member of the crew, Tyler shares his fitness journey with us, from working at McDonalds and cleaning toilets to working alongside some of the best athletes and coaches in the world.

Tyler may be young, but already has a BUNCH of industry experience, and is proving to be a great addition to the team. 

We then went on to discuss training mindset and why being disciplined is more important than being motivated, and the benefits of a strong training environment. 

Have an awesome weekend gangsters, Enjoy! 

This week we sat down and answered your questions. 

We asked you guys to send in the questions you want answers to and had the whole coaching crew take turns answering and sharing their thoughts.

Questions ranged from, how to get started, to how much protein do you need post-workout, est core exercises, the importance of warming up, BASE 3 abbreviations, how to get started, how to choose a coach, and a buuuunch more. 

This was a really fun format, and I feel like we were able to share a lot of valuable knowledge.

Have a great weekend gangsters, enjoy!

What. A. Massive. Episode!
Fascinating conversation with an extremely interesting and intelligent human being.

Dave, and his family, have been through some stuff, but he has managed to use that adversity as a motivation to understand optimal living and drive him to help others benefit from his knowledge and experience.

In this episode, Dave shares his story of battling cancer, and how he turned his life around. We discuss nutrition must-dos and a few do nots, and how crucial gut health is for digestion, and why you need to start with digestion before you look at anything else. We then got stuck into ways to optimise sleep quality, and why that is so important. 

This was a thoroughly enjoyable episode, packed with useful knowledge bombs that you can start implementing right away. 

I really enjoyed recording this one, and I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to it, have a great weekend!

Joined once again by the ever enjoyable Jordan of Asgard.

In this episode, we break down the 2021 CrossFit open.

Including our views on our own performances, the rest of BASE 3, and the global leader board.

Between breaking down the 3 weeks of the open we wandered off on a couple of tangents, including the basis of CrossFit programming, not being able to get abs in 30 days, and a bunch more.

Enjoy this episode and have a great weekend.

Massive chat with the legend that is Jeremy Cope, turns out I was wrong, this was episode 106.

Jeremy and I go WAY back, and this was a great chat covering a bunch of subjects.

J had a funny incident with an attempted covid vaccine, which I found fascinating given the fact that the apparent lead cause of deaths from covid and due to co-morbid health issues.

We shared some thoughts on the 2021 CrossFit Open and training methodologies in the sport. We discussed the crossover from CrossFit to rugby and then went on to discuss at length body dysmorphia and training goals.

This episode was a very chilled catch-up with a buddy, that took a very deep turn and ended up being a fairly intense discussion.

Enjoy the episode, and have a great weekend!

The 2021 CrossFit season kicks off tomorrow, so I got a my good buddy James Wright down to discuss the new season format and speculate what we may see in the next 3 weeks.
The games season has had a make over this year, and frankly the changes are exciting. James and I discuss the logistics of the new season, tips for first timers, some regional and global predictions and hazarded some guesses on what we might see in next couple of months. Of course handstand push ups came up, as well as the inevitable in country rivalry, and my quest to beat Cookie. 

James is no stranger to competitive fitness, with this being his 10th Open and having competed in many team and individual comps over the years.

Anybody who isn't sure about signing up for the Open should definitely give this a listen, especially if you have never done this before. 

Really enjoyable chat, geeking out of CrossFit and all things the Open, thank you for your time James, have a great weekend, enjoy!

Absolutely fascinating chat with the absolute legend that is Jonny Clayton.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Jonny for years, Jonny put me through my paces when I was fighting and is one of the OG fitness coaches in Dubai.

For the past 8 years Jonny has worked closely with movement guru Ido Portal and has become a student of and teacher of his process.
Jonny goes in deep on what his practice look likes and outlines how movement training is much more than just physical practice, explaining the emotional and mental elements of the training method.

Movement practice can be described in many ways, Jonny describes it as playing, dancing, fighting, parkour, and strength training. These training sessions sound as mentally grueling as they do physically, and place a big emphasis on learning, both about the art and about yourself.

Jonny goes on to tell us about his rigorous training program, often 6-7hrs a day, and how his training is him learning so he can educate his own pupils.

Jonny is as genuine as they come, and has a really honest approach to training and coaching, I got so much out of this conversation, it's great to learn about other coaches crafts.

I'm sure you'll enjoy this one too, have a great week!

This week BASE 3 coach Rowan Bray joins us on the B3POD to discuss Zone Training, and more specifically, Zone 2 training.
Zone 2 training is a training principle commonly used to develop an athletes aerobic endurance, but there are A BUNCH of other benefits, that we jump into in this episode. Rowan also breaks down the zones and starts to explain some of the science behind Zone 2 training.

We also covered the fast approaching CrossFit Open, some coaching pet peeves, the difference between good coaching and programming and great programming and coaching, and what is more effective, then discussed who we think is going to crush the BASE 3 Topgolf putting over the weekend.

Have an amazing week, enjoy!

After a few weeks off, we're back! 

Good friend and member of the BASE 3 community joined us on B3 POD EP 101, and although there wasn't much of an agenda going into this one, ended up filling over an hour with actually pretty useful stuff!

The topics, mostly health and fitness related, ranging from breathing, caffeine, training timing, nutrition, competing against other people in the gym, not taking yourself so seriously and a bunch of other tangents in between.

We're excited to be back, have a great week, enjoy!

A massive thank you to all of the guests, listeners, supporters, and everyone that has helped us get to this milestone. 

Special thank you to Simon Jones for helping get this far. 

For the 100th B3pod, Head HOncho reviews the top 5 played episodes as well as his favorite 5 (ended up being 7).
Honcho went on to review a couple of episodes and pull some of the key takeaways from the first 100 episodes. 

Again, thank you, everybody, for your support, from here the only direction is up!

Enjoy, have an awesome 2021!

Twas the night before Christmas...

Triple threat episode 99! Head honcho breaks down recovering from DOMS (there is no such thing really, you've just gotta accept that if you are sore from training, it's because you've earned it) and a couple of ways to help speed up recovery. 

This week we saw some announced changes to the 2021 CrossFit open season, Honcho discusses what this means for you in the gym and the Games as a whole.

Then some programming insight from working with Phil Gillard, who has made some amazing progress. 

Have a very Merry Christmas!

The festive season is upon us, and although it is a time to enjoy yourself and spending time with loved ones, you don't need to completely throw all of your hard work out of the window.

Head Honcho shares a few ideas on you can make the most of the festive season and not completely fall off track. 

A quick and easy listen, have a great weekend!

Had to get John Britton down to wrap up November with a Movember episode.

John joined us on episode 96 to talk us through why he became a Movember ambassador and share with us what he hopes to achieve by being part of the organization. John and Craig discuss their motives for joining Movemeber and some of the challenges they've taken part in, in an attempt to raise awareness for men's physical and mental health. 

Enjoy and have an awesome week.

Choosing a gym to train at isn't an easy decision, and it can be overwhelming if you're not sure what you're looking for.

This week Craig & Emily go through a couple of things you should consider when looking at gyms....

• Does the gym offer the type of training you like doing?
• Does the gym offer the type of training that is inline with what you want to achieve? 
• Is it convenient to get to, and do the timings work for you?
• Is it in your budget?
• Do the people that train there look and train the way you would like to look and train?

All this and a couple more, have listen, and have a great weekend.

WHAT. AN. EPISODE!

Long time friend and fellow bearded coach Rob Pankhurst, joins on the show, and boy was it a good one!
Rob is an ex Paratrooper, and has been in the industry for YEARS, and knows a thing or two about training.

This episode was full of gems, really valuable insights into training, nutrition, and mental toughness. Rob has taken on some impressive challenges lately, and shares with us how he preps, and what motivates him to train for such tasks!

Rob has dabbled in the two extremes of training goals. From stage-ready aesthetics to insane endurance feats, and understands what it takes to get into incredible shape, visually and physically. Rob talks through both approaches from a nutrition and training perspective and offers some great advice on both. 

This was a great conversation, full of useful and applicable knowledge bombs, thank you for your time, Rob.

Have a great weekend gangsters. 

Don't be too dogmatic with your training!

Stay humble.
No one is average.
Do the best you can with what you have.

Head Honcho breaks down why you shouldn't be too dogmatic with your training, and why you need a certain element of intuition in your training.
This episode will probably hit home more with coaches than gym members, but everyone will benefit from it!

Honcho then talks #PPPP, his progress with his 5 & 5 goal!

Have a listen, and have a great weekend!

How many times a week do you workout? How many times a week do you think you SHOULD workout? How often do you take rest days, or feel like you need to take a rest day? 

This week Asia and Craig discuss training frequency and knowing when to take a rest day. This conversation went way deeper than "You need to take one rest day a week", and was centered around understanding your body, your motives and how to autoregulate yourself and your training. 

The guys discussed how you can potentially getting more out of your training, by doing less training, and touched on recovery practices that will help ensure you're getting the most out of your training. 

Enjoy and have an awesome long weekend guys!

BASE 3 coach and Irish legend Rowan Bray jumped on the B3POD this week.

Rowan shares a bit of his athletic and his coaching background, and his new venture into the world of endurance racing. 

Rowan & Craig then discuss a couple of training strategies that you can utilize to help you with your training, including but not limited to, pacing workouts, movement efficiency, tapering before events, and much more.

Have a listen, and have a great weekend!

Fresh off of last weeks Miles For Mental Health event, Craig & Em reflect on their experience and talk about what they got out of the event. Turns out running a mile (well 31 of them) on the hour every hour for 24hours is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting, but totally worth!

Craig & Em then break down a new goal-setting initiative launching at BASE 3, and the importance of defining your success.

Have a listen, and have a great weekend!

Base 3 First Lady Emily Estall jumped on the pod this week to share how she stays motivated to train.

Really cool chat with Em on why she trains and what keeps her motivated, how she deals with training focus and what she's currently training for.
Em has YEAR of training experienced and has come a long way on her own training journey, in this conversation Em discusses how her training has changed over the years, and where she is currently, physically and mentally. 

Em talked through having tangible versus emotional goals and how having a really good understanding of what you want to get out of your training is important for success. 

Have an amazing weekend!

The 2020 CrossFit games are well underway, with the first stage down and the final 5 athletes moving on to the Ranch in Aromas in a couple of weeks. 

Simon Jones joined us on the show this week to break down stage one, and discuss expectations of the week-long final of the 2020 CF games.
Simon went to Abu Dhabi to judge games athlete Jamie Simmonds on her quest to punch her 5th games ticket, Simon talks us through the process and the new format, comparing in-person games judging to this new system. 

This one is for all the CrossFit geeks, have a listen, and have a great weekend!

Big episode this week with Dr Paul.

Paul is a good friend of BASE 3, and one of the most talented Physios in town. Paul has an extensive strength and conditioning background and possesses a bunch of useful knowledge on getting strong and staying injury-free.

Paul talks as through some best practices for preventing injury, assessing pain vs injury, and how to manage and maintain pain and injury in training.

A jam-packed episode with knowledge bomb after knowledge bomb from Dr Paul.

Have an awesome weekend gangsters! 

We're constantly presented with oppotunities to challenge ourselves, in work, in our relationships, in life.
Head Honcho uses training as an example to outline what it means to choose the hard option. 

It's easy to choose the comfortable option, the option that allows us an easy pass. By choosing this option, we passing up on a chance to challenge ourselves, and in turn an opportunity to grow. 

Choose the option that scares you, seek discomfort, choose the options that challenges you.

Enjoy!

All aboard, next stop PR City! Or is it?

How many times have you been pumped to hit a PR on a lift, or a run, or a workout, and then not come close to that number for months?
Then been like, what the hell, I got stronger / fitter didn't I? 

That's the problem with hitting a PR, it isn't necessarily indicative of progress in your training, you could have just been having a good day.
There is a difference between striving to progress in the gym, trying to get stronger or fitter, and chasing a PR.
Don't obsess over the number, it doesn't define you, it simply tells you if you're having a good day or not. 

Progress is feeling better, moving better, understanding movement, being happy with your training. Chase progress, not PRs.

This week on the B3POD the ladies hijacked the show and shared their insights into body image, building a hedge, attitude in the gym, and mastering the basics.

Asia and Em took the reigns for EP 82, and tackled some subjects that aren’t always spoken about particularly amongst the female population.

The girls discuss what body image actually is and where it stems from, and address how having a better grasp of how you feel and if you’re happy being much more accurate indicator of your health versus how you look or what you weigh, and that you need to remember to appreciate your body for what it can do.

They discussed the concept of building a hedge of good health, stacking the odds in your favor by looking after your health.

We all have stories we tell our self, we can’t do this, we’re not good at that, and a lot of the time that is in your head, the girls break down ways around getting out of your head and how you are not always what you think you are.

And wrapped up the show with a reminder that you’re never too good to work the basics.

Have a listen, let us know what you think, thank you for sharing ladies.

Solo episode with BASE 3 Head Honcho.

Short episode this week, where Craig talks through a lesson he learned recently when his father was diagnosed with cancer.
The whole world has been hit hard with the whole covid lockdown situation, people have lost loved ones, lost work, been separated from families, it has been brutal. 

Two things Honcho has taken from this whole situation...

1. It could always be worse.

2. Be deeply grateful, and appreciate what matters most to you.