It’s not everyday you meet a guy obsessed with Walter Payton and hill sprints the way I am. So, when I heard Matt Mayberry may share the same passions as the other members of the Renegade Nation, I got excited to sit down with him.   Matt Mayberry is a highly acclaimed keynote speaker and performance strategist. A former Indiana University and Chicago Bears linebacker, Matt is one of the most widely-read columnists forEntrepreneur.com, where he writes on peak performance, overcoming adversity, leadership, and motivation. Matt’s work has been featured on ESPN, Forbes, Huffington Post, ABC, NBC, Fox Business,… continue reading.

I’m a firm believer in taking lessons from sports and applying them to life success. Some of the most profound life lessons come from athletes like Walter Payton, Mike Tyson, and Bruce Lee. You often hear coaches tell their players to work on their weaknesses. I’ve told plenty of my athletes to work on their’s. Does the same principle apply to the rest of your life? No. Working on your weaknesses can be an enormous waste of time, especially in business. Of course, if you’re a mean, miserable person, that’s a weakness that you need to work on. But if you suck… continue reading.

The title of this one says it all. Jack and I go through everything from training and performance, to medical marijuana, problems with social media, pop culture, and the use of steroids in professional athletics. This episode is guaranteed to give you some good laughs and practical takeaways for improving your life. So, pour yourself a cup of coffee, crank up some old school hip hop, sit back, and enjoy this episode of Renegade Radio.  If you only have a couple minutes, you definitely don’t want to miss… continue reading.

“We live in a society that’s the same as waking up on Las Vegas Blvd.” – Mike DeSanti This is the age of opportunity. It has never been easier to connect with people and live life on your own terms. But with that freedom comes distraction, endless stimuli, and an onslaught of  requests that try to pull you in thousands of directions at once. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, text messages, emails, huge billboards, loud advertising, hacks, tips, tricks. All of them clamoring for your attention. All of them ready to steal you focus and throw you off track. How… continue reading.

What’s up, Renegade?! It’s Monday motherfucking morning and I am amped way up. I’m ready to slay, kill, and crush this week. You too? Let’s dominate together. I LOOOOOVE me some Monday mornings. Ya know why? Cuz everyone else hates them. They whine and bitch and dread the day and week ahead. But Renegades don’t live or think like everybody else. Nor do we give a shit what anyone else says or does. We’re always holding ourselves to a higher standard and separating from the pack. The first way we do that is with our morning routine. Meditation (even if… continue reading.

Renegade trainee, Marko Zivkovic sent me a note echoing the experiences of thousands. You’ll probably be nodding your head as you read. If you haven’t experienced this yet, pay close attention. You’ll save yourself years of pain and frustration. “For a long time I’d been doing the classic 5×5 squat, bench and deadlift. It was good at first but eventually I stalled out. I came across your programs and have been doing them for years. My body feels better and I’ve been getting great muscle and strength gains.”… continue reading.

Simplicity is the foundation of the Renegade Principles on training, nutrition, and life. We can all resonate with the clarity and relief that comes when you peel away the inessential to expose simplicity. Yet, we still gravitate towards complexity because of the false sense of satisfaction it provides. You feel like you’re doing something because you’re thinking so much. “If I can just figure out the best way to get shredded as fast as possible, then I can start taking action.” Your mental effort makes you feel like you’re making progress when, in reality, you’re paralyzed. continue reading.

I always found it odd that training would make you worse. At least the way most people do it. You’d think it would make you faster, more athletic and able to do more real world stuff. But it usually ends up being the opposite. People use methods and exercises that continually make them less functional. They just turn into Frankenstein and are often riddled with pain and injury. That was always me for many years. Until I discovered a better way. When I share those methods… continue reading.

Just out of coincidence I’ve been around a few ex-military badasses lately. SEALS, green berets, marines. Guys who are always physically prepared and ready to do whatever, whenever. That’s a quality all men should strive for. You never know when some sh*t’s gonna go down. Even though most of us live soft, coddled lives I still like to think of our primitive roots. I like to think of men as warriors. There was a time when we had to fight to survive and hunt to eat. continue reading.

A lot of strength training purists argue that isolation exercises are useless. If we’re talking about a raw beginner I’d agree. Compound exercises that incorporate the most muscle will always be best. You don’t need anything else at the newbie stage. Later on things change. Isolation exercises can help create balance and prevent injury. They also help build muscle. I tried the “all-big-lifts” programs for years and all I ever got was hurt. And fat. I barely even looked like I lifted. It’s great… continue reading.

I was watching some UFC stuff last night and saw quite a few dudes with badass physiques. Pretty much the exact build that the majority of guys would wanna have. Jacked, ripped and athletic. Most of them weigh around 160-180 pounds. Let that sink in for a second and then forget about the obsession with gaining weight. Your first priority should be getting lean. I’ve never seen a fat superhero or action star. If you weigh 190 right now I guarantee you that you’d look a thousand… continue reading.

Like a lot of us Chris was struggling to gain muscle when he contacted me. He trained for years but barely looked like he’d ever touched a weight. He’d gotten stronger but was still skinny-fat. And was achy all the time. Shoulders were clicky, knees were creaky and his lower back was always tight. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that. I wasn’t surprised to hear he was doing one of those “hardgainer” programs with 5 reps or less on everything across the board. continue reading.

Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals made me smile this morning. I saw on Instagram that he came out against the participation trophy. He told little leaguers that there should only be first place trophies. I smiled, pumped my fist and said, “F*CK YES!” There needs to be more of this. We need to fight the pussifcation and softening of future generations. The participation trophy is making kids soft and weak. It gives them a sense of entitlement. And does nothing to prepare them for the real world. continue reading.

To optimize your performance, you gotta be willing to do whatever it takes. If there’s any question about whether or not something is going to hold you back, cut it out. This especially applies to your nutrition. I don’t care what any study says about food quality or the fact that a calorie is a calorie. Mentally masturbating over that stuff does nothing but keep you from accepting the fact that taking your health and performance to the next level requires real work, real sacrifice, and real discipline. Think about the lack of control you… continue reading.

I believe you should surround yourself with people who back up words with actions, and always look to improve, grow, and make a positive impact. People like today’s podcast guest, Danny Kavadlo. Danny is a renowned expert in the field of bodyweight training and calisthenics, and one of the most entertaining, engaging, and all around cool dudes I know. He balances a New York attitude and a rebellious vibe with an evolved, introspective approach to the way he trains and lives. Every time Danny and I get a chance to chat, I walk away with a new perspective… continue reading.