I remember asking my Chief, I was like, Hey, I think I want to try to go do this CrossFit Games thing, and Im not going to have to miss a lot of training, are you good with it? And he looked at me, and hes like- and he didnt really know a lot about CrossFit- but he goes- he knew a little bit- and he goes, Well, whats your Fran time? And I was like, Its 2:02 . And he goes, Okay, you can give it a shot. And so, I only had to miss a little bit of work for that. But looking back on 2011, that was the craziest year because we were in the middle of a workup, and a workup is not easy. Were out in the desert doing up-down drills at 130 degrees for 12 hours a day, just non-stop. And so, youd get these little breaks in between your sessions of workouts with the military and everyone goes and takes a nap or eats food and I literally would go in the gym and workout. I look back, and Im like, How the hell did I do that? Josh Bridges

Josh Bridges is a 6-time CrossFit Games competitor who has been doing CrossFit since 2005. In addition to three first place finishes at the highly competitive California Regional, his top finishes at the CrossFit Games include second in 2011 and fourth in 2014.

A former collegiate wrestler and U.S. Navy Seal, Josh has used the lessons hes learned along the way to cultivate his impressive work ethic and mental toughness. He is known and loved for his fiery presence on the competition floor, and for his mantra, “Pay the Man.”

I had the opportunity to sit down with Josh in front of a live audience at the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games. We chatted about the tools hes using to speed his recovery from a recent knee surgery, his background as a Navy SEAL, what it means to Pay the Man, and his plans for returning to competition.

In this episode we discuss:

• The lessons Josh has learned from having to step back from intense training during his 2019 season in order to heal his knee injury


• The recovery methods hes using to speed and assist his return to training


• The origin and meaning of “Pay the Man”


• How Joshs time as a high school and collegiate wrestler shaped who he is today


• The process behind becoming a SEAL, and the qualities that allowed him to be successful


• The mindset Josh uses to get through tough moments


• What led to Joshs decision to train for the CrossFit Games


• The factors that influenced his decision to retire from the military


• Joshs thoughts on the format of the new CrossFit Games season, and how that has shaped his approach to 2020


• His current goals and priorities, and whether we will see him as a Masters competitor in the future


• Three things Josh does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health


• One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health


• What a healthy life looks like to Josh

Josh also answered some great questions from the audience, including:

• Lessons he is trying to teach his sons


• His favorite recovery tools


• His take on Murph and the significance behind it


• Joshs competition goals


• How he got into the coffee business


• How Josh maintains his joy for fitness


• His recommendations for athletes who are looking to take their training to the next level


• Joshs favorite music for working out


• Exercise for older athletes: his thoughts on whether there a time when CrossFit no longer appropriate


• Where he sees the sport of CrossFit progressing in the future


• How to buy Joshs coffee

You can follow Josh on his website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Links:

• Josh Bridges Walk toward the fire Rogue Fitness


• Bro Session with Dan and Josh


• Found My Fitness podcast with Dr. Rhonda Patrick


• Found My Fitness YouTube


• Wim Hof Method


• How to Set Up Your Cold Tub Bridging the Gap Ep 008


• James FitzGerald


• Josh Bridges Does Fran in 2:02


• Good Dudes Coffee


• Brian Tosh Chontosh


• Josh Bridges about parenting

Related Episodes

• Ep 01 – Rich Froning on competition, shifting priorities, and discovering his purpose


• Ep 21 – Pat Sherwood on CrossFit, the Games and quality of life and longevity


• Ep 25 – Christy Adkins on overcoming injury, training for the 2016 CrossFit Games, and the future


• Ep 29 – Dave Castro on applying lessons learned as a SEAL, his daily routine, and directing the CrossFit Games


• Ep 45 – Dan Bailey on Moving West, Training for 2017 and Danny BroFlex

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. Id love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday.

Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional.

The post Ep 119 – Josh Bridges on Recovering from Knee Surgery and Paying the Man appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.