In my 20+ years of coaching, I’ve worked with some of the most elite individuals across sport and life—CrossFit Games athletes, military special operations, professional athletes, and high-level business performers. I’ve also worked with everyday people who operate at an extremely high standard, and you start to notice something after a while:

High performers move differently—not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally.

It’s not about talent. Not genetics. Not even just work ethic. It’s about character. The traits that are ingrained deep in their DNA—traits that show up when it’s hard, when no one is watching, and when the stakes are high.

Here are the 10 character traits I see time and time again in high performers.

There’s a big difference between working out and training. I say this often, and I’ll say it again: a workout without purpose is just sweat. But a training session—when executed with clear intention and thoughtful design—is a step forward toward your goals.

At Conquer Athlete, we believe the magic of progress doesn’t lie in fancy programming or random intensity. It lives at the intersection of athlete understanding and coach precision.

When your numbers refuse to budge, it isn’t willpower you’re missing—it’s a new stimulus. Strength plateaus happen because your nervous system has milked every drop of adaptation from the straight-set routine you keep repeating. Below are three evidence-backed ways to jolt progress back to life.Walk into any box on a Saturday morning and you’ll see it: a row of athletes who have mortgages, kids’ soccer games, and maybe a little gray at the temples—but they’re still hunting PRs like it’s 2009. I love coaching this crowd because they bring two priceless assets to the floor: life experience and a deep respect for smart preparation. Neither sport—whether it’s the chaos of CrossFit or the predictability of HYROX—makes concessions for age, so our programming can’t rely on shortcuts or nostalgia. We need training that honors physiology and ambition.

As a mindset coach, I've seen firsthand how the mental state of an individual can dramatically influence their performance. On the day of competition, it's not just about the physical preparation you've done leading up to this moment—it's about cultivating a strong, focused, and resilient mindset that will carry you through every challenge you face. Here are some strategies to help you get into that optimal mental zone and compete at your very best.

For Masters athletes in CrossFit, understanding fatigue is crucial for navigating the fine line between progress and potential setbacks. In strength and conditioning, fatigue isn't simply the feeling of being tired after a workout—it's a complex biological response that directly influences your performance, recovery, and overall adaptation. With age, understanding and managing fatigue becomes even more essential for optimizing results and ensuring longevity in the sport.

When it comes to preparing Masters athletes for peak performance in CrossFit, tapering is an essential yet often misunderstood component of the training process. As a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with athletes across various age groups, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of a well-executed taper. In this essay, I will outline the most important aspects of tapering for masters athletes, explain how to effectively implement a taper, and delve into why tapering is crucial for optimizing performance and recovery.

In the dynamic and demanding world of CrossFit, the pursuit of excellence is not just for the young. Masters athletes, those bravely competing in age categories ranging from 35 and above, face unique challenges and opportunities. Embracing an elite mindset is crucial not only for performance but also for longevity in the sport. Here’s how you can cultivate this mindset, backed by strength and conditioning principles and inspiring stories of athletes who have mastered the art.

In the realm of sports, setbacks are not only inevitable but also integral to the journey of growth and success. I understand the disappointment that comes with an unsatisfactory end to a season. However, it's crucial to recognize that adversity presents an opportunity for evolution and transformation. In this blog, I'll delve into how athletes can strategically approach their off-season training following a less-than-ideal season conclusion.

Maybe, you already possess the skills AND conditioning you need to be successful. However, you may have too many energy leaks that contribute toward your overall fatigue and expenditure – which prohibits you from expressing your true abilities.

When you’re in your 20’s (or even younger), some things may not be as important for you to focus on, but as age, volume, and priorities change, it’s vital to take a look at the whole picture if you hope to continue down the path of progress.

The following elements all have a huge impact on your training, your improvement, and your longevity.

To maximize your athletic potential, long-term thinking has to be part of your mindset.

A big portion of that includes training smart, training consistently, and avoiding injuries.

For better or worse, the typical CrossFit athlete is focused on performance. How do I get a faster time or more reps? And in some instances, that can be a hindrance toward progression.

CrossFit is an intense and effective training regimen. Many individuals who have dedicated themselves to CrossFit wonder what to do next once they feel they've achieved their goals or are ready for a change. In this blog post, we'll explore the various options for transitioning your training once you're done with CrossFit.

As you age, especially in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you learn quite a few things. First, despite your age, you can still train extremely hard. Second, if you opt to do that with high frequency, you’re also looking at time away from the mat due to injury. So how do you find the balance?

All of it simply comes down to training smarter, not harder. With that in mind, here’s my take on training jiu-jitsu for the masters athlete.

This is single handedly the most prevalent question within the Sport of Fitness. Everyday I have this conversation, whether by phone, Zoom, or in person with aspiring athletes who are looking to progress up the proverbial CrossFit ladder. So, here I am going to build a framework around what I project (as of this day) are and will be the driving principles that will give you the tools to do well within CrossFit. This is not a manual that you can open and find a one, two, three step process. This is more of an outline around three guiding principles that will set you up for success to be a better CrossFit Masters Athlete.

Dealing with a setback after a CrossFit competition can be challenging, especially if you have been training for months or even years for the event. However, setbacks are a part of life, and how you handle them can have a significant impact on your ability to bounce back and move forward. In this blog post, we'll discuss some strategies for handling setbacks from the CrossFit Age Group Online Qualifiers (AGOQ) and/or Quarterfinals.

This weekend marks the second/third stage for the age group quarterfinals. I say the second/third stage because I look at stage two as the teams and stage three as the age group, of which both are competing this weekend. With the release of the floorplans, I am very excited to see these workouts. Here are my thoughts on the floorplans and potential difference makers, as well as a few tips to mentally prepare for the Quarterfinal weekend.

Everyone has, at some point in their training, experienced a plateau regardless of how fit they are. It can be very frustrating and leave you feeling disinterested and unmotivated with your training. This feed-forward cycle can wreak havoc on long-term success which is why I want to discuss some ways coaches and athletes can break through plateaus before they become problematic.

Master CrossFit Athlete Coach Jason Leydon lists a 10-step approach to programming for a CrossFit Masters Athlete. Read more.

If you're a Masters athlete and your goal is succeeding at the SPORT of CrossFit, then listen up. It’s time to stop focusing on just “being good” at CrossFit. Yes, to be successful, obviously, you have to be good at the skills you’re going to see in the tests, but it’s time to start focusing on becoming athletic in a broader sense. Read more.