Brute Strength Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Angelo DiCicco: From a Career Ending Injury to the Competition Floor Jul 23, 2021

Show notes

We’re joined by CrossFit Games athlete Angelo DiCicco. DiCicco is a Cookeville, TN native that started his career under the guidance of Rich Froning. He proceeded to dominate the teenage division at the Crossfit Games taking 2 first place finishes and a third. Unfortunately, as he aged out, his reign came to a swift and painful end when he suffered a back injury that left him defeated. This ultimately led to DiCicco walking away from competitive CrossFit until Froning asked him to be an alternate for the CrossFit Mayhem team for the 2021 season. Little did he know this would be the catalyst to an unforgettable season as he unexpectedly and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2021 CrossFit Games.

Why the Next Mat Fraser Will Be More Dominant Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

Today Micah is joined by elite CrossFit Coach, Coach El and Games Athlete Joey Tortora. If you have aspirations to make it to the Semi Finals and beyond (Toy Story anyone?!) the guys break down what is needed to actually get there including strength and gymnastics metrics. No pie in the sky talk, actual numbers! Then, the conversation takes a controversial turn when one of the guys makes a bold statement: "The next 'Mat Fraser' in the sport will be more dominant." You'll have to listen to find out why.

LCQ, Drugs, And Near Death CrossFit Games’ Experiences Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode, Micah is joined by CrossFit Games athletes Dex Hopkins and Joey Totora. They discuss the Last Chance Qualifier, drugs in sport including Sha’Carri Richardson’s Olympic disqualification, and Olympic Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard. The cherry on top of this ice cream sundae was the guy’s stories about their (almost) near death swim experiences at the Games.

1:10 Last Chance Qualifier

6:52 The Season Structure

17:02 A 595 Deadlift Triple and Back Flips

22:31 Should Sha'Carri Richardson go to the Olympics?

33:19 Should CrossFit be an Olympic Sport **

3800 The Controversy Around Olympic Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard

56:47 The Most Overused CrossFit Games Event

James Sprague Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

Today we’re joined by Mr. Personality himself - James Sprague. James is a 2x CrossFit Games athlete. Did we mention he’s only 19? Not only is James a professional athlete, but he also owns his own business, Next Gen Programming, and runs a local gym.

We discuss how he has navigated a changing sport, including how he dealt with depression in his adolescent years and how finding CrossFit changed him for the better. This episode is packed with some great stories and even some judging drama from the 2021 West Coast Classic.

9:40 How depression helped James find himself and CrossFit

15:45 What should have been a career-ending injury

19:37 “Going into the season I wasn’t going to compete”

37:50 The Newest Training Camp

43:23 “The weirdest normalized thing” we do as humans

50:00 The controversial “no rep”

Links: Connect with James

James’ Online Programming

Resources: Start your journey as an elite-level CrossFit athlete today. Our 1-to-1 coaching staff would love to hop on a free consultation with you to find out how we can help. Click here to get started.

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How to Build a Champion Mindset with Matt Torres Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

In today’s episode, we're joined by Matt Torres. We pick his brain on what it takes to become a champion in the sport of CrossFit (he’s built quite a few of those), and which key “process” most athletes overlook in their early developmental years.

Matt Torres, has taken 8+ athletes to the CrossFit Games over the last few years including Jason Carroll (12th in the 2019 CF Open), Dallin Pepper (2018 Fittest Teen 16-17), Tudor Magda (2018 Fittest Teen 14-15), and Emma Cary (2nd in the 2020 CF Open). It’s no secret that this guy knows something about building champions that other coaches don’t.

5:05 The Skill we don’t learn as kids

6:28 The 1 key reason most teens reach out to Matt

23:45 What Matt has learned from his athletes

32:00 The “F” Word

40:20 How to buy-in with an athlete

50:23 What the competitive CrossFit community is missing

53:23 The Eisenhower Matrix

Links: Connect with Matt

Reviews:

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The Sport Is Changing: Discussing The West Coast Classic Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

The boys are back in town! On this episode Micah is joined by CrossFit Games athletes Joey Tortora and Dex Hopkins to discuss all things West Coast Classic. Of course, the fun doesn’t stop there as they look ahead to the most competitive event of the year - the Last Chance Qualifier - and ultimately the 2021 CrossFit Games.

How Zach Watts Qualified for the Crossfit Games on 2 Hours of Training Per Day Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, we’re joined by athlete Zach Watts. Zach is no stranger to the CrossFit space as he’s competed at regionals a handful of times but was always left wanting more. This season, he punched his ticket to the CrossFit Games at the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Crossfit Challenge Semi-Final. Although an impressive feat, we were astonished when he revealed that he had made it to the Games with just 2 hours of training per day. Tune in as Zach unpacks what’s going to be a wild rookie season.

3:28 How Zach Managed expectations of the big stage

9:30 What was Zach’s biggest takeaway from the Semi-Finals

11:30 How he handled the pressure of having to produce 2 top 5 finishes on the final day

13:44 What was the moment like when you realized you were headed to the CrossFit Games

19:08 Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

30:50 Zach reveals his secrets

40:00 The end goal of Crossfit

The Ohio Brutes Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, we’re joined by our elite, up and coming team, The Ohio Brutes. After watching their dreams of qualifying for the CrossFit Games disappear last year due to COVID-19, these guys are hungrier than ever before. Before watching them punch their ticket at this year’s West Coast Classic, we wanted to dive into who these guys are, and how a tragic end to their 2020 season helped shape them into a stronger, tighter unit. Tune in to today’s episode for all the juicy details.

6:05 How the Ohio Brutes came together

7:40 Their experience working with Brute Strength

8:58 The tragic end to their 2020 Season

12:09 How team training differs from individual training

16:15 How they used the “Mullet Test” to assign their team captain

27:10 What it’s like to perform the Quarter Finals Qualifiers at 10 PM

30:17 The Redemption Shot

Links: Consider Contributing to the Ohio Brutes

Resources: Start your journey as an elite level CrossFit athlete today. Our 1-to-1 coaching staff would love to hop on a free consultation with you to find out how we can help. Click here to get started.

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Teen Phenoms Mal O’Brien and Emma Cary Face Off at the Granite Games Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

On today’s bonus episode, we’re joined by 2x Crossfit Games Athlete, Joey Tortora. Micah and Joey break down the wild finish at the 2021 Granite Games Crossfit Semi-Final, including the much anticipated head to head matchup between two teen phenoms: Mal O’Brien and Emma Cary.

The Making of a CrossFit Games Champion with Dallin Pepper Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, we’re joined by 3x Crossfit Games Teen Champion, Dallin Pepper. At just 19 years old, Dallin has seen more success in our sport than your average CrossFit Games Competitor. With a 300 lb. Snatch and a 360 lb. Clean & Jerk, Dallin is well equipped to compete alongside the big dawgs - but are these incredible feats of strength enough to become one of the best?

Tune into today’s conversation to find out how Dallin has been preparing his mind & body for a dominating performance at this year’s West Coast Classic. We also get into finding balance between training and his new marriage, and what it takes to become a CrossFit Games Champion. You’re in for one hell of a show with one of the rising stars in our sport.

2:39 Why Dallin chose Brute Strength

6:52 How Dallin’s parents supported him as an athlete

12:30 Does age matter in CrossFit now?

16:35 How Dallin developed laser-like focus

24:25 What traits define a champion

26:30 How to deal with the anxiety of competition

30:49 Balancing training & a new marriage

39:15 Dallin’s Legacy

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