570 lb Back Squat at the CrossFit Games?! Colton Mertens, Tia’s GOAT Status, and the Future of the Sport

570 lb Back Squat at the CrossFit Games?! Colton Mertens, Tia’s GOAT Status, and the Future of the Sport

Author: TRAIN HARD Media August 5, 2025 Duration: 1:07:23

This week, MDV and Gabe go deep on the current state of CrossFit—what’s working, what’s changing, and what’s getting heavy. From 570 lb. back squats at the Games to the debate over whether Tia is the GOAT (of all CrossFit, not just the women’s side), this episode covers it all. They also break down the stress of training for the leaderboard, the role of unpredictability in CrossFit, and how the TRAIN HARD App is taking a different approach—one that prioritizes long-term consistency, minimal stress, and training you actually enjoy.

Episode Breakdown:
0:00 Jason shows up at your job and makes you do burpees
2:48 Why men and women are equally valued in the CrossFit Games universe
5:00 Lowering the hoop in the WNBA?
6:59 Is Tia the GOAT of CrossFit?
12:05 “She’s not the nicest”—but were any GOATs there to make friends?
15:25 Is CrossFit making a comeback?
17:22 MDV’s apology and Instagram’s limited view of reality
21:00 Colton Mertens back squats 570 lbs. at the CrossFit Games
24:05 This is really “forging elite fitness”
27:20 Is “the unknown and unknowable” helping or hurting?
29:37 A test of fitness or a war of attrition?
32:00 Should we remove some unpredictability from the sport?
34:00 Ben Bergeron turns off the comments—are we all just doing CrossFit?
37:01 The positive legacy of CrossFit
38:11 Ben Bergeron’s “new way forward” and CompTrain rebrand
41:00 CrossFit’s impact—both good and obsessive
45:05 MDV’s NEW PROGRAM on the TRAIN HARD App
47:40 The scoreboard and the clock created pressure
50:00 How often should you train at 100% intensity? (maybe twice a month)
56:07 TRAIN HARD = low pressure, high consistency
1:01:45 If you don’t enjoy your training, it won’t work

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. #JKP


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You’ll find a refreshingly direct tone in the Jason Khalipa Podcast, produced by TRAIN HARD Media. It’s a series grounded in the belief that strength isn’t just physical-it’s built through discipline, clear leadership, and showing up intentionally in all areas of life. Each episode feels like a candid talk between friends, where Jason delves into the mechanics of fitness alongside the broader challenges of fatherhood and cultivating a resilient mindset. The conversations avoid theory and abstraction, focusing instead on the tangible work required to build a capable and purposeful existence. Listeners hear real stories and practical takeaways, often punctuated with laughter, that challenge them to reflect and then move. This isn’t about hype or empty motivation; it’s about the incremental, sometimes messy, work of getting better. Tuning into this podcast means joining a community focused on applied wisdom, where every topic, from gym routines to family dynamics, is discussed with an honesty that’s both relatable and actionable. If you’re looking for a genuine resource in the health and fitness space that connects physical training to the core of how you live, this series provides exactly that.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

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