Jim Crowell and Sean McGovern discuss how Sean helps his clients build the right environmental support systems, psychology, and consistency in order to optimize their human performance in and out of the gym. We delve into what lead Sean to being fascinated by the other 14 hours outside of sleeping and training and why he focuses so much on that time along with training with his clients.

What breeds success in competitive fitness? While that can be a broad question, let’s pull it apart. First, we need to define success. We have to remember whenever we think of success we filter tha...

We need to understand the goal and the athlete before we start to think about what fueling will be necessary. Once that is known, we can then look at what goes into that sport. With the CrossFit Athlete in mind, we know the sport demands a broad range of metabolic tasks that will require adequate resources to fuel and recover from. We know from research that ATP synthesized from glucose is roughly a 2 to 5-fold increase in ATP per minute compared to fat oxidation. Additionally, becoming fat-adapted results in being carb-impaired, which is a poor physiological trade-off when considering the demands of the sport. Knowing the daily caloric demands for these athletes will be higher to promote recovery and growth, carbohydrate intake will make up close to half, if not more, of their daily caloric intake. However, before we blindly add more carbohydrates, an athlete's lifestyle must be in optimal working order. This will give direct feedback on how the body is responding to the stress imposed on it and how well it is recovering. This will ultimately dictate the direction of fueling for the individual athlete.

Proteins are one of three macronutrients we consume in our food. Arguably the most important as they are the building blocks for the body. One aspect regarding protein consumption that often gets n...

What does breakfast mean? Breaking our fast, of course. Coming out of an 8-9 hour period where food intake is halted, our body begins to upregulate various hormones and enzymes for nourishment. The...

The main takeaways: 1) The recovery process starts once your session has finished 2) Easy blood flow and mindful stretching post training are great tools to start the recovery process 3) Diaphragmatic breathing is a great tool to help transition the body from a sympathetically driven state to a parasympathetic state 4) Ensure your body has cooled down before consuming food or shakes post workout 5) Prioritize food hygiene (great chewing, sitting down, relaxing) when consuming food post workout 6) Post Workout macronutrient prescriptions and the food choices within it are highly individualized

Athletes know that in order to reach peak fitness you have to put gas in the tank. What happens though, if you have a leak in your gas tank, or if your engine can’t take in gas, or if you flood you...

What is your fuel of choice when it comes to supporting or recovering from your training? Peanut butter and chocolate milk? A particular protein powder? Gatorade? Perfect Food Bars? Ice cream? Ask ...