BarBend Podcast: CrossFit’s Past, Present and Future

Pat Barber Coaching, Podcast Interviews

I recently spoke with David Tao of the BarBend Podcast about:

  • What I look for in great coaching
  • My experience with the L1, L2, L3 and L4
  • How word-of-mouth marketing is even more important now that CF has shut down some of their social media accounts
  • My thoughts on the 2019 Games
  • Why I think some people in the community dislike the competition side of things

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation, for me, happened right at the end when we talk about living “the good life.” I’m still learning, still growing, so don’t hold me to this forever, but something that’s been pretty transformational for me in the past several years is my mindset around the word “happy” and what it takes to live in that state. Here’s where I’m at now: It’s not about adding happiness to your life. It’s about removing things that make you unhappy. It’s a minimalist approach that is about creating more space, not packing life even more full. So, I’m trying not to add more stuff to make myself happy. I’m removing the people, things, processes and systems that make me unhappy (as best I can).

If you’re into giving it a listen, here’s the podcast episode. Oh, and if you’re more of a reader, they include transcripts below the audio player that makes it super easy to read the interview.

Ep. 23, Best Hour of Their Day

Pat Barber Coaching, Podcast Interviews

Had a fun chat with fellow Flowmaster Jason Ackerman, whose a CF-L4 and 3x affiliate owner, over at Best Hour of Their Day.

The name of the podcast sorta says it all — it’s for coaches who are committed to the craft and who want to bring that mindset to every interaction they have at the gym.

We believe that coaches are the backbone of a community and the creators of culture.

And, as coaches, it’s our job to try to make someone’s time with us the best hour of their day.

So, I was stoked to talk with others who care so much.

Here’s a general picture of some topics we hit on:

  • Circumcision 🤔
  • Building confidence as a coach, especially when you’re coaching people who are better athletes than you are.
  • How to develop the skills linked to emotional intelligence and connecting on a personal level. (Yes, these are skills where you can build capacity.)
  • How our vision and values set us apart from some other programs out there
  • Our unique experience as both coach developers and session planners
  • Why it’s so important to get your coaches to buy-in to whatever program you’re using

CrossFit Podcast Episode 17.21

Pat Barber Podcast Interviews

I recently sat down with the crew of the CrossFit Podcast to discuss:

  • My history as an athlete
  • How I got started working for CrossFit
  • Training as a couple (with Taz)
  • Couples Therapy: A new program we’re about to launch that gives couples/friends 4 partner workouts a week
  • Parenting methodologies and our podcast “The Tribe Life” in which we talk with other parents about how to raise good humans

You can watch the interview here.

Julie Foucher’s Podcast, Ep. 68

Pat Barber Coaching Development, Podcast Interviews

We recently met up with Julie Foucher to talk about how we met, how we found CrossFit and where we’re at in life now.

We discussed:

  • Taz’s athletic background, finding CrossFit and starting an affiliate
  • Pat’s athletic background, collegiate sports and finding CrossFit through high school volleyball
  • The Glassmans, CrossFit Santa Cruz and the early days of CrossFit media
  • Working at NorCal CrossFit, and fostering coaching talent
  • Setting up systems so that everyone knows what they’re responsible for
  • Our thoughts on coaching, programming and continuing education
  • How we managed 60+ coaches in the Bay Area
  • Our mistakes with coaching development
  • Learning from our kids
  • Competing in the CrossFit Games individually and on teams
  • Three things we do on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on our health
  • One thing we struggle to implement that could have a big impact on our health
  • What a healthy life looks like to us

We also talk about emotional intelligence and coaching, which is something we feel very strongly about:

“The strongest thing a coach can have is a high level of emotional intelligence. So the ability to connect with people and see what they need and where they’re currently at. Whether it be where they’re currently at in life, or where they’re currently at in their progression through a movement, the ability to feel and sense the subtlety of human emotion is hands down the most important quality a coach can have.”
– Pat Barber

Julie’s podcast is called ‘Pursuing Health’ if you want to listen to other episodes on your phone. Otherwise, just press play on the video above to watch the interview.

Let us know what you think about the conversation!

Active Life Podcast, Ep. 15

Pat Barber Coaching, Coaching Development, Culture, Gym Management, Podcast Interviews

Heyo! Check out Episode 15 of the Active Life Podcast. We talk about:

  • Gym culture
  • Extreme ownership
  • How to earn and keep the trust of your members
  • “Uncoachable” people
  • Some hard lessons I’ve learned when managing teams
  • Staff communication
  • My thoughts on the resentment some affiliates feel towards HQ
  • Programming vs. session plans
  • … and a whole bunch of other stuff

Please give the episode a listen and let me know what you think!

Additional Resources
How to test-drive friends and irritate people
The ‘uncoachable’ athlete (an Instagram post by Active Life)

End of Three Fitness Podcast, Ep. 47

Pat Barber Coaching, Podcast Interviews

Jerred Moon, of End of Three Fitness, is a strength and conditioning coach who runs a business and podcast focused on developing better humans. He coaches and writes programming, but his goals go beyond getting people healthier. He wants people to move more, be more productive, be more positive, and think critically. We both want people to be stronger, faster, smarter, kinder and happier. And we both believe we can help people be better humans by coaching fitness because we both understand that coaches coach people through a lot more than just deadlifts. We are counselors, mentors and friends to those who trust us.

So I was excited to go on his podcast and talk about building better humans. In the interview, I discuss:
– My thoughts on the L2 and L3 seminars.
– Why I believe awareness, or paying attention to how people respond to you, is the key to jumping ahead as a coach.
– Emotional intelligence (EQ) and coaching.
– My favorite Games memories.
– Why I believe in always assuming positive intent.
– My one tip for becoming a better coach (and human).

You can listen to the podcast episode here.

And please let me know what you think about the interview!

The Chief Life Podcast, Ep. 64

Pat Barber Coaching, Coaching Development, Competitions, Culture, Gym Management, Podcast Interviews

I recently talked with Stacey and Matty of The Chief Life Podcast about the beginnings of CrossFit in Santa Cruz, New Zealand and Australia (which is where they live). Then we dove into a bunch of other stuff:

  • How I interview coaches, plus my hiring process.
  • How the coaching development program at NCFit evolved to lead 60 coaches in the Bay Area. We briefly discuss a few things we incorporated into the program, such as weekly meetings with coaches, knowledge packages with articles and learning material, a coaching summit, and so on.
  • How you might cater the material of your coaching development program to the two different types of coaches at your gym: lifers and part-timers.
  • Why I think session plans are such a great tool for coaches.
  • My opinion on the importance of competitions and competitors in CrossFit, and how they can impact a community for better or worse.
  • The parallels between effective coaching and effective parenting. And how we all need to do a better job of owning our part in the situation when something goes wrong.

Please give the podcast a listen and then let me know what you think!

Beyond the Barbell, Episode 97

Pat Barber Coaching, Coaching Development, Gym Management, Podcast Interviews

While in Miami for my first Wodapalooza experience, which was awesome, I met up with Ben Alderman & Blair Morrison of the Beyond the Barbell podcast to talk about developing coaches.

Here’s what we discussed:
– the current definition of “coach” and how I want to change it
– emotional intelligence (and how it applies to coaching CrossFit)
– what to look for in a potential coach (how to choose a coach)
– the road trip test (for hiring coaches)
– what to do when a coach just isn’t getting it
– my evaluation process for reviewing coaches
– my system for managing 60 coaches in the Bay Area
– why I believe my wife’s session plans are what made me a better coach
– how session plans force coaches to develop their knowledge

Please give the episode a listen and then let me know what you think: Beyond the Barbell, Episode 97 — Coaching a Coach

Brute Strength Podcast, Episode 79

Pat Barber Coaching, Coaching Development, Culture, Gym Management, Podcast Interviews

I recently had a wonderful chat with Mike Cazayoux about being the best coach, developer of coaches, husband and dad I can be.

We talked about A LOT:
– what the best gyms are doing,
– how to get out of a coaching rut,
– how to build community, and
– how to create a good team culture (between owners, managers and coaches).

Then we dove into more personal subjects, like how I talk with my two boys and what I think about masculinity.

Give the episode a listen: Brute Strength Podcast Episode #79 — Building Better Affiliates

The Coach K Show, Episode 23

Pat Barber Coaching, Coaching Development, Podcast Interviews

Pat Barber on Coach K Show Podcast

I recently talked with Ben Kissam, creator of the ‘Coach K Show’ podcast, about coaching development and why it’s the best thing you can do for your gym.

We also discussed:
– characteristics of top coaches,
– ego,
– simplifying the process, and
– the importance of emotional intelligence.

Give it a listen! It’s a good, to-the-point podcast with several takeaways that you can put into action asap.
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Link to the podcast episode: Coach K Show with Pat Barber, Episode 23

Hope you find it useful.

Cheers,
Pat