The Downfall Of CrossFit & The Future Of Fitness - Will Ahmed

Ahmed shares this as one of his two key travel hacks, developed from extensive international travel. He believes that avoiding food entirely on the plane, even on 14-hour flights, significantly reduces jet lag symptoms. He pairs this with drinking a lot of hydrogen water. He also advises against napping upon arrival, as it can trap you in a negative cycle. He acknowledges that jet lag has a psychological component, and going in with a positive, determined mindset helps.

Ahmed pairs this with fasting on planes. He uses an Echo Go bottle to generate hydrogen water. He became a believer after trying a hydrogen bath at Gary Brecka's place and feeling incredible the next day. He notes that hydrogen water is gaining traction in health circles, but accessibility and water quality are barriers. He recommends ensuring your water source is filtered before hydrogenating.

Ahmed views the day as starting the night before. He wears blue light blockers and has gotten his wife to wear them too. He uses red light in the bedroom, takes warm showers, and occasionally uses magnesium or melatonin if tense. He reads a book. However, he still looks at his phone up until bed due to global work demands, acknowledging this is a trade-off he hasn't conquered.

Ahmed mentions meditation as a key practice that helps him manage everything that comes at him. He also ties it to the ability to sit with oneself and listen to fleeting thoughts, which is crucial for discovering what you want. He got into meditation early on and it's now a huge part of his life.

Ahmed argues that the first step is inward: ask yourself what you want, not others. He suggests paying attention to what you think about in the shower or when bored—those fleeting thoughts matter. He warns that smartphones rob us of boredom and inner dialogue. Once you know, state it to the world, then commit with hard work and consistency. He emphasizes that rejection is inevitable, but fear of rejection is worse than rejection itself. He shares his own experience of being rejected by investors and respected people early on, but his conviction in the idea kept him going. He also notes that commitment is key—don't hedge.

Ahmed explains that CrossFit began as an email list and grew into a massive phenomenon, but behind the scenes the company was a 'dumpster fire.' He notes that even with a resilient community and brand, the dysfunction was so severe that it's unbelievable how far it has fallen. He sees the current popularity of Hyrox and hybrid training as directly filling the hole left by CrossFit's exit, though he also acknowledges that CrossFit's high injury rate and intimidating nature already limited its appeal. The broader trend is people seeking new fitness micro-communities, from F45 to run clubs, as weightlifting can be lonely and intimidating.

Ahmed explains that Whoop's research found that consistency—going to bed and waking up at the same time—is one of the biggest indicators of quality sleep. He notes that social jet lag, where people shift their schedule by 3+ hours on weekends, is detrimental. The new health span score incorporates this, linking consistency to all-cause mortality. He references Dr. Matthew Walker's point that for circadian-sensitive individuals, regularity can be more important than duration. The app now calculates consistency over the last four nights, factoring in time zone changes.

Ahmed reflects that if Whoop had failed when it nearly went bankrupt six years in, the lesson he would have taken would have been to be less ambitious, go mass market faster, and not focus on athletes—exactly the opposite of what ultimately made it successful. He says that avoiding pitfalls is useful, but it doesn't teach you what you're actually looking for. He compares it to relationships: knowing red flags doesn't tell you what green flags you want. He also notes that the line between success and failure is often razor-thin, and post-hoc rationalizations may not be universal lessons. However, he acknowledges that the 'failure porn' culture may help people overcome fear of failure, which is valuable.

Ahmed describes a 'certain intensity that burns inside them that is hard to fake,' and says Ronaldo is the most exaggerated example he's felt—you can feel the drive as an energy. He notes that for these athletes, there's a cost: being first to practice, hours of recovery, time away from family. He and Chris discuss how Michael Jordan, even in his 50s, doesn't look happy, tormented by perfectionism. Ahmed suggests that many athletes become introspective through visualization, which leads to meditation and self-discovery, but some cultivate a kind of 'cultivated stupidity' to avoid overthinking. The key is that the obsession that makes them great is not a bug but a feature, and you can't separate the outcome from the whole person.

Ahmed states that Whoop views itself as a tool, not a master. He rejects the idea that more knowledge is inherently bad, comparing it to fears about the printing press. The lack of a screen was a conscious decision to let the device disappear into the background; it doesn't beep or vibrate unless you want it to. For elite athletes, they even created a toggle to hide recovery and sleep scores, because Olympians wanted data collected but didn't want to see it before competition. This feature is available to all users. He suggests that if someone wants to avoid daily noise, they can simply not open the app for a week, as the device stores 30 days of data.

Ahmed describes how his best friend's suicide a year ago was the most pain he'd ever felt. Initially, he tried to white-knuckle through it, but realized he had to feel the emotion. Delivering the eulogy in front of 800 people was one of the hardest things he's done, but it brought enormous relief and allowed him to celebrate his friend's life. He reflects that his emotional range was previously narrow (6 to 10), and this experience expanded it downward, which ultimately opened him up in a healthy way. He also discusses how, as a young founder, he tied his identity to the company's performance, and that separating 'building the company' from 'building himself as a CEO' was key to growth. He now frames his mission as being of service, which shifts focus from accumulation to impact.