The Downfall Of CrossFit & The Future Of Fitness - Will Ahmed - #943
Modern Wisdom
05/19/25
•114m
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Will Ahmed is an entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of WHOOP.
Wearable fitness tech has taken over in 2025, from sleep scores to stress tracking and everything in between. So how did WHOOP grow into a $3.6 billion giant? And how do you use the data to improve your life without letting it control you?
Expect to learn why CrossFit is so unpopular now and what happened to its falloff, what the broad trends of fitness are across the globe, how to get past your self-doubt and stop being so hard on yourself, how to deal with rejection better, what it is like hanging with the world’s best athletes, how to avoid being a prisoner of your wearable fitness data, and much more...
Timestamps:
(00:00) The Downfall of CrossFit (04:34) Recent Global Trends in the Fitness Industry (13:11) How Being an Only Child Influences You (17:31) Overcoming Self-Doubt (25:01) Balancing Ambition & Gratitude (34:44) Running a Company While Experiencing Grief (39:18) Finding Out What You Truly Want (43:18) The Journey of Pursuing What You Want (56:27) The Romanticisation of Failure (01:10:41) Learning From the World’s Best Athletes (01:19:31) Getting Trapped in Over-Optimisation (01:32:14) The Real Costs of the Outcomes You Desire (01:37:57) Will’s Perfect Morning Routine (01:43:54) Biggest Hacks for Overseas Travel (01:51:22) What’s Next for Will
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Extra Stuff:
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Previous Episode
Gen. Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star U.S. Army general, former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and and an author.
From the battlefield to daily life, it’s the small consistent choices that win both. So how can traits like discipline, integrity, and character shape everyday success and even prepare you to lead at the highest level?
Expect to learn how the General thinks about discipline and what makes discipline such a powerful predictor of personal and professional success, how to balance high standards for yourself with gratitude for what you’ve achieved, why character is so important and how Stanley defines it, how leaders balance personal ambition with the greater good, and much more...
Timestamps:
(00:00) Nearly Getting Expelled From West Point (04:19) Learning From Any Experience (12:55) Why Is Discipline So Highly Valued? (23:51) Having Both Gratitude & High Standards (34:47) Balancing Service With Personal Ambition (47:16) The Role of Conviction (51:38) The Price You Pay For Success (57:14) Where to Find Stanley
Sponsors:
See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals
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Get 10% discount on all Gymshark’s products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10)
Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom
Extra Stuff:
Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books
Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
-
Get In Touch:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast
Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact
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Next Episode
A Masterclass In Storytelling - Will Storr - #944
May 22, 2025
•97m
Will Storr is an author, journalist, and former photographer.
Stories mould who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions, and shape our politics and beliefs. Some of the world’s greatest contributors are those who have learned to master storytelling. Is storytelling something we can learn? Is there a science to storytelling?
Expect to learn how we use stories to gain status, why stories are key to how we process reality, what most people get wrong about great storytelling, the fundamental questions great storytellers answer, what the best stories in recent history, and much more...
Timestamps:
(00:00) Why Are Stories So Persuasive? (03:45) The Problem of Knowingness (08:29) Stories Are the Language of the Brain (13:55) The Link Between Stories & Social Identity (25:22) How Stories Engineer Tribal Preferences (39:05) How We Use Stories to Gain Status (44:31) Rivalry in Storytelling (57:36) Storytelling in Cancel Culture (01:05:32) What People Get Wrong About Good Storytelling (01:10:19) The Importance of Heroes in Stories (01:20:07) How to Make Stories Stick More (01:26:09) The Story Around Smoking Cigarettes (01:33:41) Where to Find Will
Sponsors:
See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals
Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom
Get a 20% discount on Nomatic’s amazing luggage at https://nomatic.com/modernwisdom
Get up to $350 off the Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom
Extra Stuff:
Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books
Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
Episodes You Might Enjoy:
This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
-
Get In Touch:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast
Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact
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