Last week, I sat down with Jason Khalipa for a Midlife Male Inner Circle interview.
Back in my CrossFit days, Khalipa was a beast, a legend. Now he’s about to turn 40, and I’m closing in on 53. When I hit 40, I was fired up to be in the “Masters” division, the youngest in the 40–44 bracket. I’d do the CrossFit Open and check my rankings in my age group, my region, the country, even the world. I held my own.
By 44, I was the oldest in the division. I was beat up, broken down, not recovering well, still chasing PRs every day, and realizing my body and priorities were out of alignment. I’ve since become a believer in basics over biohacking, focusing on longevity and sustainability. That’s one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed following Jason’s evolution.
He’s grown as a husband, father, entrepreneur, and athlete. What he’s building with Train Hard is a blueprint for men moving from their 30s into their 40s and beyond. From his morning men’s club workouts to the simplicity of the burpee, not as a fad but as a fundamental skill, he’s living and leading by example.
We talked a lot about what it means to be a man and how providing doesn’t just mean bringing home a paycheck. You can pay every bill and send your kids to the best schools and still be absent in the ways that actually matter.
“Not showing up as a husband drains the home. Not showing up as a father buries it.”
The real job of being a dad and husband is showing up every day.
It’s putting your phone away at dinner.
It’s walking through the door after work and staying present.
Jason has learned this through trial and error, the same way most of us have, that at certain times, between work and life goals, he left nothing in the tank for his family. I’ve been there, too.
Jason knows what it’s like to build a global brand and then step back to focus on what truly matters. His daughter’s battle with leukemia saw him training in the hospital parking lot so he could be present for her and still take care of himself. He’s a jiu-jitsu practitioner, a consistent worker, and a man who values loyalty, accountability, and substance over style.
In a world that rewards talk over action, Jason is a refreshing example of discipline, consistency, and simply putting in the work.
Enjoy my conversation with CrossFit champion, author, husband, father, and founder of Train Hard, Jason Khalipa.
You can check out the full raw video for FREE here
14 Quotes with Jason Khalipa:
On Training:
“I believe that training is a tool that levels us up in all other areas. If someone is not regularly exercising, they’re missing out on the greatest gift they could give themselves and the greatest gift they can give their family, you know, so that they could be an asset and not a liability.”
On Purpose:
“I train so I can protect and provide. I want to help men train so they can protect and provide. I want them to be able to run, jump, climb, lift, defend.”
On Community:
“Every weekend, I host a free men’s workout in a parking lot, and the vision is to get guys shoulder to shoulder to sweat, to do something hard, and then go grab coffee and talk about life after.”
On Consistency:
“I think that complexity, like snatches, muscle ups, they’re cool if you’re trying to chase something, but I think at the end of the day, you should get into the gym, have a solid program, move on with your day, and just show up for your family.”
On Simplicity:
“If every guy listening to this stopped drinking for 45 days, did 45 burpees a day, and started off their morning with 45 grams of protein. If that’s all they did, just those three things, you’d be shocked at how much better shape people would be in.”
On Mornings:
“I think you should train hard and train early. I think it’s really important because it removes the distractions from the day.”
On Family:
“I want to be able to generate revenue through Train Hard so that we can go give to things we are really passionate about, including pediatric cancer.”
On Aging:
“I feel like I’m about to hit my golden age actually. I feel like I’ve trained really hard. I’ve done a lot of different things in business. And I feel like at this age right now, with my life circumstances, with what I’ve experienced through adversity and other stuff, I feel like right now it’s perfect.”
On Perspective:
“When you’re young, you don’t get it. And then all of a sudden, as you get older, your perspective starts to open, your mind starts to shift.”
On Fitness Philosophy:
“I need to be able to show up. Like, if my son comes home right now and he’s like, dude, let’s go play. I want to be able to say, yes. I don’t want to be so wrecked from training, so sore or so hurt that I can’t go do those things.”
On Nutrition:
“I think for myself, every meal should have at least 40 to 50 grams of protein so I could feel satiated and full without instantly gravitating towards garbage.”
On Intensity:
“CrossFit was a blessing because it taught people intensity, and they got great results. It was a curse because, basically, it was taught that you have to redline every day or you suck.”
On Parenting:
“As the seasons change, I know that I have to be very intentional with the things that I do with them, because it’s going to change over time.”
On Personal Growth:
“I’ve been through experiences, and I know what that feels like. And people could talk to you about it all they want, but as soon as you’re going through it, I think that’s where it’s at.”
On Mindset:
“Positive self talk can be developed. Understand what’s in your control.”
On Connection:
“Guys don’t ask guys to go grab coffee. Very rarely does a guy say, hey, you want to grab lunch together. But I find if you could do things like, Hey, you want to go for a ruck or a hike or go for a bike ride or go work out, that’s more common.”
On Faith:
“As I’ve gotten older I’ve kind of been seeking out faith and purpose and whatnot. It just seemed to be calling me.”
On Legacy:
“I want to be looked at as a guy who treated people the way he wanted to be treated, trying to make an impact on as many people as possible in a really positive way.”
On Potential:
“I’m trying to reach my potential now and be really present and focused, especially my family, because time goes by fast, and that’s the most important thing for me.”
In health,
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Greg Scheinman
Founder, Midlife Male
52. Husband. Father. Entrepreneur. Coach.
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