Chasing Excellence

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patrick@functionalprojects.com

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20 Questions That Map Your Mental Fitness (w/ Chris Irwin)

August 10, 2026

What if you could assess your mental fitness the same way you track your lifts, your miles, and your macros — with honest data, asked on a regular schedule?In this episode, Patrick hosts Chris Irwin to build a practical self-assessment tool rooted in the Five Mind Killers: a set of diagnostic questions mapped across each mind killer that, asked honestly every three to six months, reveal whether your mental fitness is trending in the right direction.You'll learn why the sickness-wellness-fitne...

Individual vs. Class Programming: What Actually Matters

August 06, 2026

What if the most important question in programming has nothing to do with the workout itself?In this episode, Ben breaks down how to design training that works — whether you're coaching a packed class or programming for a single athlete — and why the answer starts with one question most coaches never ask.Learn why compliance is the real metric, how logistical constraints shape every programming decision, and why the goal isn't a perfect workout — it's getting people excited to come back tomor...

5x5 | Accepting Adversity & Eating Clean When Going Out

August 03, 2026

Hard things don't get easier when we pretend they aren't hard — they get easier when we stop wishing they were different.In this solo 5x5, Ben answers one listener question from each of the five factors: dealing with a chaotic home situation with a napping toddler, chasing a federal special agent fitness standard, eating clean on the road, deciding whether to have more kids in your 40s, and navigating a child's fear of the dark.Acceptance is not approval. When we stop spending energy wishing ...