Gaining 80+ Pounds, Fist Fights, and the Legend of Renegade Gym

Back in the mid 90’s in a small town in Dirty Jersey, I opened Renegade Gym. It was one of the original hardcore, underground, warehouse style training facilities. The atmosphere was legendary, the results unmatched. Long before it was mainstream to push sleds and flip tires we did it. Way before you ever saw gymnastics rings in a gym we had them. Twenty years before it was cool to “train like an athlete,” we were doing it. Group workouts? Competitions? Record boards on the wall? Yup, we were doing that in ’96, son. As you approached the front door you… continue reading.

Training with Back Pain, 3-Day Workout Splits, & How to Stay Motivated

Not being able to do what you love sucks. Whether it’s lifting weights, picking up your kids or playing rec league sports with your buddies. You can’t do it when you have back pain. At some point in your life, you’ve probably experienced the misery.  Most people have.  Sometimes back pain can be avoided with smart training. Other times it’s just a freak accident and nothing could have prevented it. Either way, I’ve got you covered in this new podcast episode. I’m gonna tell you exactly what you need to avoid while rehabbing a bad back. Some of it will… continue reading.

The Shorter Workouts Experiment and How to Build Bigger Arms

I’ve been in the Iron Game for over 30 years. But I still like to experiment. Strength training is my #1 obsession and there’s always more to learn. I recently ran a little 90-day test protocol. In this episode, I’ll tell you what I learned, what I liked, what I hated, and what my conclusions are. After that, I’ll give you some of my best arm building secrets that will help you pack on some size for the summer. The weather’s getting warmer so you know what that means…suns out, guns out. Finally, I’ll give you some of the best… continue reading.

Training & Eating on The Road, and Overcoming Adversity

Last weekend, I was down in San Diego at the eleventh annual Fitness Business Summit, and I had an amazing time with some of my closest friends. While there, it occurred to me how much I used to struggle with maintaining my training and nutrition on the road. For some reason my workouts always sucked and my diet fell apart. But I’ve made a conscious effort to get a lot better at that. Today, I’m going to share some tips and sample workouts that should help you out. After I cover that, my good friends, Jay Jablonski and Craig Ballantyne… continue reading.

Getting Jacked, Strong, and Built Like a Badass — Joe DeFranco

Wanna know the best methods for getting big, strong, and athletic? Today’s episode is just for you. My guest is Joe DeFranco. Joe is one of the most successful coaches in the entire strength and conditioning world and has worked with countless pro athletes, including none other than the 14 time WWE world heavyweight champion Triple H. I’ve known Joe since 1996 and our training styles evolved in a very similar fashion, due to a lot of the same influences, which is one of the reasons I enjoy talking training with Joe more than just about anyone else on the… continue reading.

Bruce Lee: Strength Training and Martial Arts

As a kid, I was obsessed with Bruce Lee because of his martial arts skills. Later, it was because he’s arguably one of the most important figures in the world of physical culture. As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate Bruce Lee, the philosopher, even more. I even read quotes from him nearly every day. My guest on today’s podcast is Charles Russo, who wrote an outstanding new book about Bruce called Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and The Dawn of Martial Arts in America. Charles is full of incredible, little-known stories about Bruce that he shares with us today. Topics include:… continue reading.

Is Sugar F*cking Up Your Body?

  Most of us know sugar is bad. But just how bad is it, really? What are the negative effects we should be worried about? The unfortunate reality is that sugar contributes to chronic health problems like Alzheimer’s, fatty liver disease, and cancer. It can wreak havoc on gut health and your immune system. For more on this, I enlisted the help of sugar expert and the man who wrote the book on it, Dan DeFigio. In this episode we discuss: Sugar’s overall impact on your health The 4 types of sugar addicts Sugar and depression How to avoid gut… continue reading.

Faster Recovery, Anti-Aging, & How to Prevent Cancer – Eric Merola

Eric Merola is a documentary filmmaker. On today’s podcast we focus mainly on his films about curing cancer and the amazing life changing benefits of fetal stem cell therapy. I think you’ll find the discussion fascinating and frustrating at the same time, if not slightly angering.  That’s because a lot of it is about the lies being perpetrated by big pharma and the greed fueled corruption that keeps people sick. Topics include: The doctor who discovered a cure for cancer How the government tried to silence him Why donating to cancer research is a huge waste Why you should never… continue reading.

Smarter Training, Accelerated Learning, & Better Living with Luka Hocevar

My buddy, Luka Hocevar is one of the smartest and most impressive dudes I know. In this episode, he drops a ton of amazing knowledge bombs that could have a huge impact on your life, your business, and your fitness. You’ll definitely want to have a notebook out for this one and will probably want to listen twice. Topics discussed include: The 3 keys to accelerated learning (and retaining what you learn) The importance of “ready, fire, aim” Why making decisions faster is the key to success When surrendering is the right move The best way to run a personal… continue reading.

Cheat Meals, Ending Toxic Relationships, & Battling Anxiety

On this episode, I’m joined by my brother from another mother of another color, Kenny Johnson, and my homie, Jay Jablonski. We talked about all kinds of stuff from meeting Dr. Dre to ordering pizza from your shoes to my Sam Kinison-like intensity. Tune in to listen to us chat (and sometimes yell) about topics including: The essential email you have to send The “feel good” rep scheme Reintroducing wheat To what lengths would I go for a superpower? Music recommendations Tim Tebow, GSP, Kendrick Lamar The problem with Major League Baseball Death row meals Rap battles Minimalism tips What… continue reading.

The Mad Scientist of Strength, Muscle, and Disease Prevention — Tom Incledon

Tom Incledon may have the answers to all of your health related questions. He’s spent his entire career testing thousands of people and has seen it (and helped correct) it all. Tom has more degrees and certifications than Eminem has rhymes. These include a B.S. in Exercise Science, B.S. in Nutrition, M.S. in Kinesiology, and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology. He’s a member in over 30 different scientific organizations and serves as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. But he’s no 130-pound lab geek in a white coat. Tom has been ranked nationally in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and strongman. His best… continue reading.

The Renegade of Self-Improvement — Philip McKernan

Philip McKernan is a speaker, coach, writer and filmmaker. He works with entrepreneurs and business leaders all over the world. When people are seeking clarity about their future or want to move through roadblocks, seen and unseen, they call Philip. As a speaker he has inspired and challenged the Canadian Olympic Team and The Pentagon, to name a few. What separates Philip from a lot of coaches, speakers and gurus is originality. He brings new conversations to the table and spends an obscene amount of time thinking and challenging the status quo, instead of simply repackaging business & life… continue reading.

Bodyweight Workouts, Embracing Minimalism, and World Travel with Mike Fitch

Some people have it all wrong. They go the gym 3-4 times a week and lift the heaviest weights possible and ignore bodyweight workouts and movements. More pounds on the bar, more weight on the scale. But, above all else, you’ve gotta be able to move your body. Freely and without pain or restriction. If you can’t do that, you have no business putting another plate on the bar. If you can’t do a perfect bodyweight squat, it makes zero sense to load the exercise. I’ve spent about eleventeen million hours in gyms throughout my life. I can probably count… continue reading.

Getting Shredded and Uncovering the “Best” Diets

It’s been a while since we’ve heard my brother, Kenny Johnson on the podcast. In that time he lost 43 pounds of body-fat, got shredded and competed in a physique contest. Like me, Kenny got his first visible 6-pack after his 40th birthday. That means there’s plenty of hope for everyone who thinks their best days are behind them. Not evenly remotely true. Today, Kenny and I are freestyling back and forth about: His exact diet plan and how it progressed. His training and cardio schedule. The diets we’ve felt best on. The difference between eating for health vs. continue reading.

Shorter Workouts for Better Results, Maintaining Motivation, and Life Lessons From a New Dad

Does a workout really have to last an hour to deliver great results? Can you really only train hard three times per week? Are deload weeks necessary? Is overtraining overhyped? I sit down with my good friends, Adam Bornstein, Luka Hocevar and Jay Jablonski to answer these questions and more in today’s podcast. Adam also shares some great life lessons from his recent health scare and what he’s learned so far as a dad. Other topics discussed include: The common weakness Adam and I share [4:02]. The importance of structure [10:09]. The dangers of always trying to do more [13:46]. Does… continue reading.