“Excellence is an infinite game.”
– Brad Stulberg

Deep Squats (Thoughts)

The quotes today are about excellence. The book suggestion is all about it. And the photos are from members that have dropped in this past week and sent me photos from their path to excellence. (Send me yours!)

Thomas, Sophie and Emma visited a gym while looking at cows in Switzerland. Kristen and Natalie dropped in while in Philadelphia. Mert went the furthest to do CrossFit in Turkey while exclaiming, “I’m dead.” I visited CrossFit Riverfront in Wilmington, Delware.

The deep thoughts today are about this pursuit of excellence. Brad Stulberg calls the pursuit an infinite game because you never really ARRIVE. At the same time, by pursuing you are closer than if you just settled for wherever you are in whatever. We at CFPA know all too well that there is no CrossFit Whatever. And so, we strive for better knowing that better is better.

The striving is the journey, the action, the change agent. We celebrate when you show up for class because it’s encouraging to be around other positive people working hard at improving themselves. Like fans lining a running race. We may not be there for the finish, but we’ll cheer for as long as you’re in sight. We’ll also celebrate when you search google maps for “CrossFit gym near me” or go to map.crossfit.com to find a gym, investigate how they handle drop-ins and seal the deal with a workout on vacation, work trip, etc.

Take a pic with the owner, coach, sign, members, etc. Your action will encourage the next person to try something new. That makes you an influencer. 😉
Back to excellence. Every time you “try harder” to get lower on your squats, pull the bar lower on pullups or lock the elbows all the way out on any pressing is you pursuing excellence. Think about that and take pride in your work. All these little things, they add up. A favorite paraphrased line I repeat is from Joe Rogan, “We’re building a mountain with layers of paint.” It takes a lot of reps and a lot of time to paint-dry-paint-dry until a difference is seen. But no matter how small, that layer/rep/visit made a difference in your life and the lives of others.

We want the best for every one of you and are also on the path to being better at helping you get better. If you have feedback, need something, have a suggestion or want to give a shout out, please send me an email.

2026 CrossFit Games Class Changes
Friday, July 24 – No Classes after 1pm
Saturday, July 25 – No Classes

See you in class.
Tim

What’s Going On?

CrossFit Teens Returns

Tuesdays and Thursdays
4-5pm
July 7th – August 13th
w/Coach Ron

Email: [email protected]

2026 CrossFit Games
July 24-26
SAP Center, San Jose

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Overheard in Class:
“Be the best at getting better.”

Timfluencing

The Way of Excellence by: Brad Stulberg

Whether you are practicing guitar, pushing your limits at the gym, leading a team, honing a craft, studying medicine, or giving yourself the time and space to finally write that book, the pursuit of excellence is a big part of what makes life worth living.

Unlike “pseudo-excellence,” which is about hustle culture and hacks, genuine excellence is about challenging yourself in worthwhile endeavors, focusing on what matters most, and expressing the unique qualities that make you who you are. Too often, we get caught up in convenience and distraction to the detriment of our true potential. The good news is that we can set ourselves on a better path, one that includes more aliveness and resonance, more connection to self and others.

Here, Stulberg finds convergence between modern science, age-old philosophy, and daily practice to explain that we are wired to strive for excellence—it is what we are here to do, core to our humanity. At its core, excellence is a deeply-fulfilling process of becoming—the best performer, and person, you can be.

Tim’s Takeaway: I’m a sucker for encouraging books. This isn’t just empty validation, however. There are some good lessons to learn about oneself. Maybe some strategies speak to you and reframe how you look at growth/improvement. For me, it’s the idea that it’s okay for the pursuit to never end and the competition can be how to get better at getting better.

I also enjoy his Instagram Posts.

Thank you for your support.

I look forward to what we will do together.