“You’re a product of your experience.” You always hear that phrase as it applies to personal development. But it also applies to every other aspect of your life, especially your career. When I was coming up in the strength & conditioning world, I cut my teeth next to guys who spent thousands of hours on the gym floor. They coached athletes for 12+ hours. Every day. For years. I did the same and it made me into the coach I am today. One who cares about nothing but what works in the real world. Not what some study says or what some… continue reading.

As you age, some of the most important factors in long term health are hormone optimization and regular blood work. While I always encourage my clients to rely on how they look, feel, and perform, at some point those signals can only tell you so much. You may feel great while some underlying health issue smolders under the surface. One day, you find out you have a chronic health issue because you didn’t know enough to take action early on. It doesn’t matter if it’s life threatening or just a burden to your quality of life. You gotta give yourself the opportunity to… continue reading.

What are the best rep ranges to build muscle? All of them. Low, medium, and high rep sets all have their place in an effective strength training program. Low rep sets build maximal strength, but there’s always a risk when you hit max effort singles, doubles, or triples. Unless you have to hit a one rep max for some sort of competition or test, it’s best to make your low rep sets no fewer than six reps. A set of six is still heavy enough to achieve maximal muscle fiber activation while eliminating some of the injury risk If… continue reading.

The last thing you think about when you start lifting weights is being able to train injury free. You want to make gains now, push your limits and build muscle as fast as humanly possible. No matter how many times you read that it takes time build strength, that you have to be patient, it doesn’t sink in. You tell yourself you’re different, that the rules don’t apply. So, you  throw more weight on the bar, grind out reps, let your form go to shit, and believe you’re making big gains. Where does it get you? Eight weeks of solid training followed… continue reading.

Renegade nation, we made it. 100 episodes of Renegade Radio. Thank you all so much for tuning in and supporting the show. You make the podcast possible with your great questions and consistent downloads. I appreciate you. For this episode, we decided to do a rapid fire Q & A where I go through 60 questions in 60 minutes. From my biggest life lessons and my best mentors, to how I lost my hair and my favorite concerts of all time, it’s all covered. It wouldn’t be an episode of Renegade Radio without some laughs, and in this one, I throw it… continue reading.

If a few days of weight training is good, 6 days must be better, right? And let’s add some high intensity cardio at every workout to burn fat. Running faster and jumping higher is cool, too, so go ahead and throw in some spring training. And why not learn to do a backflip? And deadlift 500lbs. Next week. This insanity represents everyone who decides to make a big, physical transformation. They try to do everything under the sun and become a Marvel comic character. But, it doesn’t take long to realize realize you’ve gotten weaker, feel like you got hit by a bus, and look exactly the… continue reading.

Personal development starts up top. Getting your mind right has to be your first step in becoming your strongest self. But it’s the last thing people wanna focus on. Everyone wants the plan before becoming someone who will actually take action on it. I can give any one of you a proven path to build muscle, get ripped, and live the life of your dreams. But most people will never do anything with it because they never got their mind right. Only the few people who transform their mindset will see results. First, you gotta prioritize your mental and physical health. 30 minutes of daily exercise… continue reading.

“Aren’t you supposed to be a fitness guy?” That’s the question I got asked when I used to limp around after every leg day. Or when I couldn’t grab something from a high shelf because I had the shoulder mobility of the tin man. Or couldn’t play beach volleyball because my elbow felt like it was going to explode after making another one of the typical gym mistakes. Or when I…you get the point. Look, proper training is supposed to make you great. But it’s also supposed to… continue reading.

Go to college to get the degree to land the job to make the money to buy the house to retire early to live a life of comfort and security. That’s the “American Dream” flavored kool-aid we’ve been drinking for the last 70 years. In ’69, this was a sure fire way to live the good life. But what happens when you blindly follow that path today? Most of the time, you end up stuck. Stuck in a boring town that’s not as cool as it used to be. Rooted down by a house that’s too big of a pain to sell. Working a job you’re… continue reading.

Somehow, the purpose of lifting weights has gotten lost in today’s training culture. For one reason or another, complexity has replaced simplicity. And it’s not helping any of you get in the best shape of your life. Before information overload confused us all, people did it right. Guys went to the gym to lift weights and get strong. Then, they played some sports or did some conditioning the other days to stay lean. They didn’t blend conditioning into their lifting, or run sprints between sets. They understood the single most important factor for getting jacked: Building strength.  Whether… continue reading.

Carbohydrates are the double edged sword of performance nutrition. On the one hand, they give you great workouts and make any muscle building diet more effective.  On the other hand, too much of them will slap saggy belly fat on you. Especially if you haven’t gotten lean enough to handle a higher carb diet. Now, throughout my years of obsessing over how to gain muscle as fast as humanly possible, I’ve tried every diet under the sun. Ketogenic diets, cyclic ketogenic diets, vegetarian, paleo, and high protein diets. And to this day, I’m always tweaking things to get better performance, more muscle, and fast… continue reading.

If there’s one thing that curses genetically average, skinny-fat guys, it’s the constant cycle of yo-yoing up and down between fat loss and size gain. The vicious cycle that transforms you from a doughy ball of pudding into an emaciated bean pole with a pot belly. Over and over again. I see it all the time. A guy realizes he needs to get lean because his stomach ripples and shakes like a bowl of jello with every step. But, he has tube steaks arms and zero muscle. So when he gets lean, he freaks out at the sight of his hideous physique. This… continue reading.

Why do you train? Is it to look a certain way, or does your motivation go past the superficial rewards? It better. As a man, you have an obligation to build the physical and mental strength to protect yourself and those you love. It’s easy to think that as long as you’re big, strong, and jacked, you’re prepared to defend yourself in most situations. Toss some martial arts training and you’re going above and beyond what’s necessary. I used to think that way, too. But after speaking with today’s guest, Tim Larkin, I realize it’s not enough. Tim is the world’s… continue reading.

We all have dreams of finding the perfect job. Of creating a life where we set our own schedule, do only the things we love, and say, “No” to anything else. Oh right, we gotta make a living too. If so many people want to move towards an unconventional career, why don’t most do it? For one, it’s hard. Creating your dream job can mean opening yourself up to criticism from those scared to rock the boat and defy the status quo. It’s also flat out confusing. There are so many ways to transform an unfulfilling life into one of financial freedom and complete satisfaction. Should… continue reading.

Guest Post by Eric Bach, CSCS Being yoked and strong is great. But, to be the total package you need power — the ability to generate strength fast. The result is improved athleticism. Problem is, once most guys hit 25 they stop playing sports. Their athleticism and power evaporate quicker than a raindrop in Death Valley. Most guys take one of two roads. Half ditch the gym altogether, they occasionally waste away on the treadmill, before rushing to yet another “urgent” work meeting. They come to accept a mediocre body as the cost of doing business. The other… continue reading.