More than Fitness

"And that mental break is really important, too. … You have to sprinkle in some fun. You have to sprinkle in some things that make you feel good, otherwise you’re going to hate your life. You’re going to hate exercise and that’s going to fuel the dislike of health and fitness which is not the goal of CrossFit at all. It’s the opposite goal.” Three-time CrossFit Games athlete Shelby Neal [https://www.instagram.com/shelby__neal/?hl=en] joins the “More Than Fitness” podcast with Adrian Conway [https://www.instagram.com/adrianconway_/?hl=en] to recount her experience at her individual Games debut and share her perspective on avoiding burnout in CrossFit. A former gymnast, Neal started CrossFit when she was 14 and was hooked. She qualified for the CrossFit Games in the Girls 16-17 [https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/530860] division twice (2016-2017) and made her individual Games appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2023, after placing ninth at the North America East Semifinal. In today’s episode, Neal describes her mindset and training ahead of last year’s Semifinals, and explains how refining movement technique and preventing game-day anxiety through practice helped her achieve her goal of qualifying for the Games. She reflects on her experience at the finals, where she finished as the 19th fittest woman in the world [https://games.crossfit.com/leaderboard/games/2023?division=2&sort=0] as an individual rookie, and details how she’s been able to avoid burnout in CrossFit, despite starting at a young age. Tune in to learn how Neal balances her full-time career as an orthopedic engineer and CrossFit athlete, why taking breaks and managing expectations is essential for growth, and how she came to work with Games perennial Brent Fikowski [https://www.instagram.com/fikowski/?hl=en]. Stay until the end to hear Neal’s most memorable Open workout and why fitness should be fun.

“I’ve always wanted to change the world. … Sitting at the end of those 48 hours (at the Level 1), I was like, ‘This is how you change the world.’” CrossFit Wonderland [https://www.crossfitwonderland.com/] affiliate owner and Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L4) [https://www.crossfit.com/certifications/] Caroline Lambray [https://www.instagram.com/lambrayliving/?hl=en] joins host Adrian Conway [https://www.instagram.com/adrianconway_/?hl=en] on the “More Than Fitness” podcast to share her story about becoming a CrossFit gym owner, changing lives, and coaching CrossFit Games champion Jeff Adler. [https://www.instagram.com/adlerjeff/?hl=en] In 2023, Lambray became the first female coach [https://youtube.com/shorts/4erF-xu0uRc?feature=share] to lead an athlete to the title of Fittest on Earth, coaching Adler — a five-time Games athlete — to his first championship [https://youtube.com/shorts/M3NxynZIL-Y?feature=share]. But when she first started CrossFit and took her Level 1, she thought her career would go in a different direction. In today’s episode, Lambray dives into her passion for changing lives through CrossFit and its methodology. She details her experience coaching in other gyms, discusses her dream to be on the Seminar Staff, and expands on her desire to help people own their health journeys to be independent later in life. Lambray opens up about meeting Adler, seeing his potential as an athlete, and becoming his coach. She explains how communication and asking questions strengthen their coach-athlete relationship, and shares the highs and lows of their CrossFit journey, leading up to his 2023 title. Tune in to hear more on Lambray’s role as a coach to everyday athletes and to the Fittest Man on Earth, being an affiliate owner and wanting to change the world, and how and why CrossFit works for everyone.

“You can go all in on all this from Day 1 in CrossFit and it’s just going to be so, so good for you. But the reality is … behavior change and habit change can take some time. And it doesn’t all occur all at once. I didn’t do an about-face. I did a big U-turn — a big one years in the making — but CrossFit was the catalyst. Stepping into the gym the first time was the catalyst for that giant U-turn.” Five-time CrossFit Games masters athlete Jason Grubb joins host Adrian Conway on the show for a candid, in-depth conversation about starting CrossFit, qualifying for the Games, making changes to his health and fitness over time, and the magic of being a masters athlete. Although Grubb participated in gymnastics, soccer, and other sports growing up, he wasn’t very active for a large part of his adult life. In 2013 at 38 years old, he tried CrossFit at the recommendation of his sister-in-law and was all in. Grubb qualified for his first CrossFit Games in the Men’s 40-44 division in 2018 and placed third overall after an athlete tested positive for PEDs. Since then, he’s earned the title of Fittest Man on Earth in his division four times (2019, 2021-2023). In addition to his accolades as a CrossFit Games masters athlete, Grubb is also well-known for his incredible transformation and has served as inspiration for many starting their health and fitness journey later in life. Tune in to hear from Grubb about standing on the Games podium for the first time, how he broke unhealthy habits to optimize his life in and outside of the gym, and the importance of being consistent with training and recovery for elite and everyday CrossFit athletes.

“All these negative thoughts creep in of, ‘Man, you missed it by 1 point. Everyone's let down by you, James. Like this, this sucks.’ And I snapped out of that. … I got in the ring again.” Three-time CrossFit Games athlete James Sprague [https://www.instagram.com/spraguerrrr/?hl=en] joins the show to share his competitive CrossFit beginning, training with Matt Torres [https://www.instagram.com/heycoachmatt/?hl=en] and Brute Strength [https://www.brutestrengthtraining.com/], and transitioning from a teen athlete to individual. Sprague [https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/900251] started attending CrossFit classes as a teenager with his father, three-time CrossFit Games athlete Patrick Sprague [https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/22402]. At the time, James was overweight but was inspired by his dad and the teens at the 2016 CrossFit Games to continue his CrossFit journey.Competitive by nature, James qualified for his first CrossFit Games in the teenage division in 2017 (Boys 14-15) and returned for his final year in 2019 (Boys 16-17). He qualified for Semifinals twice — missing the 2022 CrossFit Games by 1 point — and made his individual Games debut this year, placing 25th overall in the competition as a 21-year-old. In today’s episode, James details his experience pursuing his own CrossFit Games career and the highs, lows, and growth he’s experienced on the competition floor. He opens up about his relationship with coach Matt Torres, reflects on his Semifinals experiences — feeling no regrets — and celebrates the work he’s done to achieve his success in and outside of CrossFit. Tune in to learn more about James, including how he balances life as an athlete during the holidays and how he’s preparing for the 2024 season.

“This year, I had to commit to a different way of thinking and training with a lot of uncertainty before seeing the fruits of my labor. It was very, very scary the way I had to train this year because I went into the season not even knowing if I was going to compete at all.” Six-time CrossFit Games [https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/592472] athlete Bethany Shadburne Flores [https://www.instagram.com/bethanycf/?hl=en] joins the show to share her story of growth, finding self-confidence, working through injuries, and advocating for herself in and outside of the CrossFit gym. Flores grew up as a gymnast and has competed in bodybuilding competitions, triathlons, half-marathons, and obstacle courses. She started CrossFit in 2015 and qualified for her first CrossFit Games in 2017. Most recently, Flores competed at the 2023 CrossFit Games after missing out on the 2022 season due to a back injury. Over the years, Flores has experienced limitations both physically and mentally that forced her to make changes, adjust her training, and grow as a person and an athlete. In today’s episode, Flores describes different injuries and setbacks she’s experienced throughout her athletic career, both physically and mentally. She opens up about the work she’s done to trust herself and the process, finding her identity outside of being an athlete, and adapting her training to fit her daily needs. Flores dives into listening to your body and the importance of scaling workouts as needed to create longevity in CrossFit as a sport and a lifestyle. Throughout the episode, Flores also talks about balancing her career as an athlete and her husband Randy’s career as a strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, dealing with insecurities, and competing at the Rogue Invitational. Tune in to hear more of Flores’ story.