Today we’re talking to Justin Cotler, a longtime CrossFit coach and affiliate owner who works with top athletes like Fittest American Woman and CrossFit Games podium finisher Kari Pearce. Justin joins me to talk about building a new destination for functional fitness athletes in Las Vegas, the ins and outs of coaching CrossFit Games athletes, how COVID impacted gym ownership in America, and much more. Even if you don’t follow competitive CrossFit closely, Justin gives some great insight into the coach’s mindset and how to get the most out of your training, so stick around.
Before we get into that, I want to give a quick shoutout to today’s episode sponsor, Athletic Greens. I first tried Athletic Greens back in 2012. It was already a massively popular daily supplement, and since then, they’ve undergone dozens of formulation tweaks, each an improvement on the last. It’s the rare all-in-one greens supplement that’s NSF-certified — a must for competitive athletes — and also tastes delicious (I’m probably a bit biased because I love the subtle notes of pineapple and vanilla). Interested in trying it? Visit Athletic Greens to get a free gift with your purchase.
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On this episode of The BarBend Podcast, host David Thomas Tao talks to Justin Cotler about:
- Moving his family and life across the country due to the pandemic — and owning a New York City-based gym remotely (02:30)
- Asking Kari Pearce to move her base of training — and why Las Vegas is so good for elite athletes (07:00)
- “When you come to Vegas, it’s really absolutely incredible for training” (11:00)
- Why Justin wants to build more than just a new gym (14:29)
- The training cycle for elite CrossFit athletes in a given season (21:15)
- The mental fortitude needed to train with your competitors (24:30)
- How could Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr actually lose this year’s CrossFit Games? (28:00)
- Could Emma Cary be CrossFit’s next big thing? (29:00)
Relevant links and further reading:
