Health & FitnessEducationSelf-Improvement

Chasing Excellence

Ben Bergeron & Patrick Cummings

Most people aren't stuck because they lack information. They're stuck because they know what to do and can't quite do it consistently. The slow drift keeps winning.

Chasing Excellence is for people who are already trying — working out, eating well, staying positive — but find themselves in the one-good-week, one-bad-week cycle.

Ben Bergeron, Patrick Cummings, and a crew of authors, thinkers, and doers explore the five factors of health — how we eat, move, think, connect, and rest — and what it actually takes to crowd out the drift and build the life you keep almost living.

New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

Beyond the podcast: the Chase Club brings together a crew for daily lessons, monthly challenges, and the real work of crowding out the drift. The ChaseTracker app helps you track the Five Factors daily.

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43 episodes
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Avg 35 min
English

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#542
Today · 15 min
Stop Doing Health, Start Being Healthy
We're revisiting the difference between doing health and being healthy - the gap between the supplements, gadgets, and biohacks we chase and the simple, sustainable fundamentals that actually move the needle. By naming that distraction out loud, we build awareness around what's essential versus what's just noise, intention around sleep, food, training, mindset, and relationships, and action that turns a few degrees of change into a completely different life - one built on health, happiness, and purpose instead of drift, dissatisfaction, and disease. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids’ books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#548
Yesterday · 11 min
Why Essentialism Really Means Embracing Trade-Offs
We're talking about Greg McKeown’s concept of Essentialism, exploring how choosing one clear focus over a dozen scattered priorities creates outsized results. Trade-offs aren't something to escape — they're how we build awareness of what matters most, set intention around where our limited energy goes, and take action that compounds instead of dilutes. This isn't about emptying the calendar or chasing balance for its own sake - it's about filling our days with the few things we're truly unwilling to sacrifice, on the way to a life of health, happiness, and a heart that's on fire. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#540
Wednesday · 17 min
Train Your Brain Like You Train Your Body
We're revisiting a conversation with best-selling author Cal Newport on cognitive health and exploring what happens when we treat our attention like an all-you-can-eat buffet of ultra-processed content. We build awareness around the gap between casual scrolling and true cognitive exercise, intention around cutting out what Cal calls "ultra-processed content," and action toward deep reading and focused thinking that build a life of health, happiness, and purpose - instead of the drift and mental fatigue that comes from consuming whatever the algorithm serves up. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#547
Tuesday · 9 min
Track Phone Pickups, Not Screen Time
We're exploring why counting how many times we pick up our phone each day matters more than tracking total screen time. By paying attention to that one number — and setting a realistic weekly limit instead of chasing zero — we build awareness of where our time, energy, attention, and money actually go, and we take action toward investing our focus in a life of health, happiness, and purpose, rather than letting it drift away one pickup at a time. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#546
Monday · 15 min
The Practice of Noticing in a Busy Life
We're talking with installation artist Christina Watka, to explore the quiet practice of noticing — meeting life as it is, without judgment, right in the middle of the noise and chaos of raising young kids. Noticing sharpens our awareness of what's actually in front of us, builds the intention to slow down instead of letting ego fill the silence, and moves us toward action rooted in presence rather than distraction - away from the drift of rushing past our own lives. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#545
October 16 · 20 min
Two Daily Habits for More Focused Days
We're exploring two practices that turn scattered effort into focused work - planning the day before it starts, and reviewing it before it ends. By building our plan around what actually matters and asking five honest questions at the close of each day, we create awareness around how we're actually spending our time, intention around what deserves our focus, and action toward days that move us toward health, happiness, and purpose. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#544
October 15 · 15 min
Dopamine Culture Is Quietly Hijacking Your Focus
We're exploring Ted Gioia's idea of "dopamine culture" — how so many parts of life have drifted from slow, traditional pursuits through faster, modern versions into addictive, bite-sized hits of instant gratification. By naming where our attention actually goes versus where we want it to go, we build awareness of that pull, intention to protect the slower pursuits that actually fulfill us, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose—instead of drifting into distraction and dissatisfaction. 🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here! Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#538
October 14 · 8 min
You Can't Unsee This Food Insanity
We're exploring why our modern food environment is insane - and why once you see it, you can't unsee it. With our friend EC Synkowski, author of A Good Nutrition Book, we build awareness around how ultra-processed foods are engineered to be everywhere and impossible to escape. From there, we build intention around the choices that are actually within our control, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose - instead of drifting toward dissatisfaction and disease. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#537
October 13 · 9 min
You Don't Have to Quit to Feel Fulfilled
We're exploring how to find real fulfillment inside a job that already gives us balance and security, without needing to blow it all up for something new. By treating our work as a calling instead of just a career, we build awareness around what's already working, intention around where we point our energy, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose - even when the job we have isn't the one we imagined when we picture "meaningful work." Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#536
October 12 · 15 min
How to Know When to Change Course
We're exploring how to tell the difference between a challenge worth pushing through and a misalignment worth walking away from. By anchoring the decision in whether our values are actually aligned, we build awareness around what's really driving our discomfort, intention around when to work on our mindset versus make a real change, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose - even when that change feels abrupt or uncertain. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids’ books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#535
October 9 · 15 min
Why Discomfort Means You're Growing (Not Failing)
We're revisiting a favorite conversation with Trevor Ragan to unpack his simple equation for discomfort: caring plus uncertainty. When we treat that discomfort as proof we're on the wrong path, we shrink from the exact challenges that build us - but when we see it as a signal that the work matters, we turn it into fuel for growth. We're building the awareness to name what we're feeling, the intention to reframe it as a rep instead of a red flag, and the action to keep showing up for a life of health, happiness, and purpose instead of drift. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids’ books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#534
October 8 · 10 min
Am I Building Grit Or Burning Out?
We're exploring how to know whether we're building grit or slipping toward burnout when life leaves almost no room for training. By understanding allostatic load and finding our minimum effective dose, we build awareness of what our body and season of life can actually handle, intention around protecting the training we truly enjoy, and action that turns limited time into real progress - without letting drift and exhaustion win. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 💬Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids’ books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#533
October 7 · 11 min
Life Is a Frisbee Balanced on a Pencil
We're exploring why we can't maximize every goal at once, and how picturing life as a Frisbee balanced on a pencil - instead of a seesaw - changes the way we chase what matters. By identifying the 20% of effort that drives 80% of the results across our health, work, and relationships, we build awareness of where we're overextending, intention around the handful of things worth our full focus, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose - instead of the exhausting pursuit of having it all that leaves us drifting and dissatisfied. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids’ books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#532
October 6 · 9 min
Person First, Process Second, Goal Third
We're exploring how to pursue ambitious goals without making our identity dependent on the outcome. By placing the person and the process ahead of the goal, we build awareness around what we can control, intention around the habits and character traits we want to practice, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose - even when reality doesn't match our expectations. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids’ books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#543
October 5 · 11 min
Why Chasing Excellence Is Going Daily
We're kicking off an October Experiment, a shift from one longer weekly episode to short, daily episodes every weekday. Today, we explore why this change matters: showing up with something short to think about each day keeps us focused on today's choices, instead of waiting for one big leap forward. By building this habit of daily attention, we hope to help you build awareness around the small decisions that add up, intention around showing up consistently, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose—instead of drifting through another week waiting for change to happen all at once. Keep Going 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club Reach Out ✋🏼 What questions do you have for us? 📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email. About the Hosts Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram. Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram. About the Show Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#531
September 28 · 55 min
Why Smart People Keep Outsourcing Their Diet to Strangers (w/ EC Synkowski)
What if the problem with your diet isn't discipline — it's that you've never learned to think for yourself about food? In this episode, our friend EC Synkowski (author of A Good Nutrition Book) joins us to explain why calories, macros, and micros — not keto, paleo, or intermittent fasting — are the real levers that decide your results. We break down her Three Pillars Method — the 800-gram fruit-and-vegetable challenge, a simple protein target, then a calorie baseline built from your real life instead of a calculator — and why it builds freedom instead of restriction. You'll also learn where cravings actually come from, and how to know when you've done enough and it's time to go learn guitar. 👉🏼 Get the full Listener's Guide here 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club 👋 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#530
September 21 · 49 min
Forever Fit | Why Your Fitness Feels Stalled (And Why That's Normal)
Plateaus, leaderboards, and the real reason most people stop making progress in the gym — we answer the questions you've been too afraid to ask. In part two of our training Q&A, Jamison and Ben explore why fitness follows the stock market (not a straight line), how to use the leaderboard as a tool instead of a verdict, and why the law of diminishing returns is actually proof you're advancing — not stalling. 👉🏼 Get the full Listener's Guide here ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club 👋 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#529
September 14 · 54 min
Forever Fit | The 2 Signs You're Too Sore to Train
Ever wonder whether that soreness means rest—or push through? If one bad night of sleep wrecks your training? Or whether all those YouTube influencers are right that rep ranges don't really matter? In this episode, Jamison fires community questions at Ben, and the answers are exactly what coaches and athletes need to hear — clear, direct, and rooted in how the body actually works. We dig into the frameworks behind recovery, pacing, and strength training that separate athletes who keep getting better from those who keep spinning their wheels. Health, performance, and the Awareness → Intention → Action cycle are all in play. 👉🏼 Get the full Listener's Guide here 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club 👋 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#528
September 7 · 1 hr 1 min
Why We Keep Choosing Work Over the People We Love (w/ Robert Waldinger)
What if the single greatest predictor of your health at 80 isn't your cholesterol or blood pressure — but how satisfied you are in your relationships? In this conversation, we sit down with Dr. Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development — the longest-running study of adult life ever conducted — to unpack what 85 years of research reveals about what actually makes a good life. Good relationships don't just feel good — they're stress regulators that protect your body from chronic inflammation and cortisol overload, directly affecting your Health and Happiness. We explore the concept of social fitness, the powerful difference between hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing, and how to take small, intentional steps to strengthen the connections that matter most. 👉🏼 Get the full Listener's Guide here 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club 👋 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#527
August 31 · 59 min
Annie Thorisdottir Talks Training Character, Consistency, & Collaboration (w/ Christine Bald)
What if the most important training you'll ever do happens nowhere near a barbell? Annie Thorisdottir and her co-writer Christine Bald join Patrick to discuss their new book, Iceland Annie: The Evolution of a CrossFit Games Legend — five years in the making and built on a prologue Christine wrote before Annie ever agreed to write it. You'll hear why Annie believes character is trained the same way fitness is: in private, repeatedly, often without immediate reward. And you'll hear Christine on the discipline required to prepare for moments you can't anticipate. Together, they make the case that what most people see on the podium is the smallest part of what it took to get there. 👉🏼 Get the full Listener's Guide here 🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker ❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club 👋 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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