Quick announcement, NEW CYCLES have launched today. Its never too late to join, we will be giving away a FREE barbell and T shirts to new athletes.

GarageGymAthlete.com

This week we have Alex Hutchinson. He describes himself as a science-journalist, and writes about endurance and health and fitness. He also wrote the book Endure.

We talk about working from home, staying disciplined, and finding inspiration. We talk about what defines the limits of endurance and human limits. We also go into how he got into journalism and combining his love for endurance and science. 

This week we have CrossFit games athlete Lindy Barber. Lindy has a great athletic background, she's gone to the games as an individual and team competitor.

Lindy has some really great stories from overcoming her serious back injury, being smart about training, and competing as both an individual and a part of a team in CrossFit.

Really great episode about training and being smart about what you do in the gym.

Coaches episode number 2 coming at you! This week we are talking about things we have learned about with nutrition from research, self experimentation, books, society, the works! This is just a sample size and we could have gone on much longer. There will be an article to follow soon.

We also get into the NEXT CYCLE which is starting up soon. Check that out at Garagegymathlete.com. 

Lastly, whats your spirit animal? why?

Dr. Tommy Wood back! This is the second time we have had him on which means...well, we like him! Definitely, check out his first episode either before or after this one.

In this episode, we discuss a blood test that can provide a wealth of information about yourself and your health and also how to fix your gut, improve athletic performance, and MORE!

Joining us this week is Evan Brand of the Evan Brand show. He is a board certified holistic nutritionist, certified functional medicine practitioner, and nutritional therapist. 

We talk about how the majority of Americans have either a parasite or yeast problem in their gut and how to treat it. We also go in to how nutrition can reverse depression, first steps in to healing your gut, and MORE!

If you have interest in nutrition and functional medicine this is a great one to listen to.

This week we have Setema Gali. He is the World’s Greatest Coach For the Highly Committed, The Reverend Of The Revolution, Husband and Father, Mentor to Entrepreneurs & Executives, Speaker/TrainerBest-Selling Author, Super Bowl Champion, Don't miss this episode!

We talk about why you need to just do your job, what you said you would do and what you're committed to do. How prioritizing your time and focusing on what you set your time for will lead to success. We also talk about why investing in yourself is always worth it and going from amateur to professional. 

Dr. Ben Bikman is BACK on the podcast. If you didn't hear his first episode definitely go back and check it out, it was one of our favorite which is why he is back! We talk about ketosis, low carb, and the plagues of prosperity.

We talk about why insulin resistance needs more attention and respect because of how it effects so much. We also really dive in to time restrictive eating.

This week, on the Betterhumanology podcast, we have Dutch Lowy! 

Dutch has been coaching since 2005 and is currently the head weightlifting coach at BlackBox. He specializes in taking weightlifters of all levels through the course of weightlifting excellence. Dutch has been competing in weightlifting at the national level for over 6 years with several top 3 finishes at national events. He has also coached weightlifters at the world championships and various other national and international competitions. He is a father of three spunky children and a husband to the most amazing wife on the planet.

Dutch has transitioned from competitive athlete to focus on growing and developing other athletes and coaches. Through this process, he has learned a lot on what it takes to build a better human on all fronts. 

Don't miss this episode! 

This week on the podcast we are excited to welcome back Dr. Allison Brager who joined us last year. We catch up with Allison who has since commissioned in the Army.

We talk about how genetics could determine what time of sleep is best for you and your circadian rhythm. Why quality is better than quantity for sleep, how light exposure will increase (or decrease) sleep quality. We also dive into Sleep residency and more!

Hey, this week we have Dr. Mike and Andrew from MoveU. Dr. Mike and Andrew spent 4 years refining Andrew’s rehab process and applying it to patients in their clinic with incredible success.

WE talk a lot about movement and mindset. We go into finding our path and what we are really passionate about.

These guys are super enthusiastic, very authentic and it was a blast having them on.

For those paleo fans our there no introduction is needed. But this week we have Juli Bauer from PaleOMG. She has released many cook books and paleo centered material along with her blog. 

We talk about the journey of pre-paleo diet, supplements and everything that didn't work. We also get into training, how to change your diet in an unsupportive environment and lots of other tips and tricks to help turn your diet around. 

This we have an inventor, Dr. John Janquish. The best overview about him comes directly from his website:

We also talk about another invention of his, the X3 bar, increasing force, strength through different ranges of motion, and more.

This week we have an US Air Force Recruiting and Retention superintendent, Mike Daggett. He was on the brink of being kick out of the Air Force due to being overweight and that is where his transformation story starts. He also hosts the Whys Advice Podcast.

We talk about how he turned his career, diet and lifestyle around and how helps others do the same. He really opens up on how he was failing and how he turned things around.

This week is a special episode on the podcast. We have all three coaches diving into how to succeed in 2018.

We talk about the new programming cycles which start January 1, how to succeed in the program, and how succeed in life.

We also talk a little about alcohol and training, food tips and tricks, and more. so check it out, it was a great conversation and will definitely help start the new year off right.

This week we have Dr Anthony Gustin, who was trained as a chiropractor, practiced in the health and fitness area, but has recently turned his focus to nutrition and has his own line of supplements. Formerly knows as PureWOD, now Equip Foods and started a company called Perfect Keto.

We talk about prioritizing thats important, getting organized, and pursuing our goals. 

Today we have Dr. Steven Gundry, renowned cardiologist and surgeon for 30 years. He is a New York Times best selling author including most recently "The Plant Paradox"

We talk about a lot of these concepts, how genes apply to your nutrition, and how just because something happened to your parents doesn't mean it will happen to you.

Dr. Gundry has tons of information, experience, research and patients to consider so be sure to tune in this episode!

In this episode, we have Dr. Michael Gervais, a high performance psychologist who has worked with gold medalists, world record setters and the Super Bowl winning Seattle Seahawks. He hosts the Finding Mastery Podcast.

We talk about A LOT of different and really get into the weeds. How he prepares his athlete mentally, and helps them recover. 

What is a Garage Gym Athlete?

Welcome to the Garage Gym Athlete Podcast!! 

What is this podcast?? 

The Garage Gym Athlete Podcast was born from a community of underground athletes you've probably never heard of before.

The idea for this show stemmed from Jerred Moon, the creator of Garage Gym Athlete programming, when he would do weekly coaching calls with Garage Gym Athletes. He found each athlete had such a unique story, an inspirational journey, and had overcome their own set of challenges that could help impact other athletes...but only if the stories could be told to all.

The athletes all have a diverse background; some from Powerlifting, CrossFit, Olympic Lifting, Endurance Training, Military Operators, Collegiate Athletes, Spartan Racers, Obstacle Course Racers, and many other forms of physical training. It takes the experience of these athletes braving the extreme heat, bitter cold, early mornings, and late nights to tackle their training and become athletes.

This podcast is for Garage Gym Athletes and by Garage Gym Athletes. Athletes share their experience (whether a beginner or advanced), share their knowledge, and give us a glimpse into the life of a Garage Gym Athlete!!

We all know the gym SUCKS...And it comes with a long commute, crowds of people, occupied equipment, and much worse...Also, home fitness SUCKS...Because the treadmill becomes a clothing rack...Or you spend an hour with a DVD jumping around in your living room...But we're changing the game...By providing the other guy (who's strapped for time) with intelligent training to help them perform and look like an athlete. Our aim is for this podcast to inspire your own Garage Gym journey and to pick up as much as you can from other Garage Gym Athletes who are crushing it!!

This show's transcript: 

You may have never heard of us, but you can’t deny our momentum. The steam behind this movement is growing rapidly.

Some of us are Spartan Racers. Some of us are Special Operators. Some of us are CPAs, fathers, mothers, your friends, your neighbors… but one thing we all have in common is that we are all athletes.

Before I tell you exactly what a Garage Gym Athlete is, I have to answer a more important question….

How did we get to this point?

When did we start giving the proverbial middle finger to the fitness norm?

What changed?

Or more importantly…what broke?

If you crack open your fitness history books, it is not hard to draw a direct line to how we got here.

The first thing you have know is there are consequences, or aftereffects, to every significant event in the fitness industry.

We call them AFTERMATHs.

If we go back to 1953 you’ll see the significant push in home fitness by a man named Jack LaLanne.

Jack LaLanne was an American fitness, exercise, and nutrition expert who is sometimes referred to as the "Godfather of Fitness”.

He started the “Jack LaLanne Show” on 28 September 1953.

The show was noted for its minimalist set, where LaLanne inspired his viewers to use basic home objects, such as a chair, to perform their exercises along with him.

Home fitness is born.

Wearing his standard jumpsuit, he urged his audience "with the enthusiasm of an evangelist," to get off their couch and copy his basic movements, a manner considered the forerunner of today's fitness videos.

While he made a significant impact in the fitness industry…

There was just one problem: Jack wasn’t hardcore enough.

He didn’t pump you up. An aftermath to his impact was bound to ensue.

Jack’s LaLanne aftermath?

Arnold.

Arnold needs little introduction, as Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding.

Schwarzenegger's was so prominent in the health and fitness scene he was even appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, on which he served from 1990 to 1993.

Even with Arnold’s admitted steroid use, he exploded the industry.

Everyone was looking to pump iron and look like Arnold.

While an exciting time; this is where a new rift begins.

A new aftermath begins to build.

And it’s important that you NOTE this one — as it changed fitness culture forever.

As highlighted in the documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” people started learning that all of their heroes from Arnold to Rocky were pumped full of performance enhancing drugs.

This truth put a splinter in the fitness industry.

And while that splinter was festering, the explosion of vanity-based fitness, tanning beds, harmful supplements, and men shaving their legs reigned supreme.

What we call globo gyms came onto the scene heavily in the 90’s; gyms where you can get a haircut, go for a swim, lift weights, and pay your taxes all while eating a krispy cream donut and having access to 357 channels on one of 200 treadmills.

And, unfortunately, that is all still king today.

But not everyone was OK with this status quo.

Like I said, there are consequences, or aftereffects, to every significant event in the fitness industry.

The next aftermath began in 2002.

In 2002, a man named Greg Glassman introduced the world to CrossFit and started writing about Garage Gyms and fitness training that built athletes.

And whether you love or hate CrossFit, is irrelevant.

As CrossFit has made an arnold-sized impact in the world of fitness.

The mentality of CrossFit was on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Greg Glassman just gave it a name.

CrossFit was simply the counterculture to pumping iron, bicep curls, and chest day.

It gave people a home who hated the fitness industry in its current state. It created a lot of Garage Gym Athletes.

But it doesn’t stop there.

In 2005, Tony Horton introduces the world to P90X.

Perhaps one of the most popular fitness programs in the world. Steeped heavily in the counterculture to mainstream, P90X gave home-fitness a new life.

Picking up where Jack LaLanne left off…only this time, it was different.

Both P90X and CrossFit were pushing intensity for greater results and with minimal equipment.

Then, CrossFit goes mainstream, functional fitness explodes, and fitness comes to the home-front with over 30 different spin-offs to P90x and other similar programs.

And if you fast-forward just over a decade to today we are now at the beginning of something new.

Like I said, there are consequences to every significant event in the fitness industry.

And we are just beginning a new aftermath.

Garage Gym Athletes are learning that intensity is important, but only when coupled with intelligent programming.

We’re getting smarter. We’re evolving.

We cutting contracts, memberships, and leaving the status quo behind.

We don’t want to jump around in our living room to a DVD and we don’t need a $200/mo. gym membership.

We only want results.

And we’re getting the result…

…but we also started a movement.

This grassroots movement that is garage gyms is exploding for a number of reasons, and I am truly excited that you’re now a part of it.

If you are sick of all that is involved with getting in shape—with becoming stronger and fitter… you’re in the right place.

Training and getting in shape can be a chore at times, but is it really the training you don’t enjoy?

With a little observation, or self-analysis, you may find the chore is often not the training itself. Yes, training can suck, but is it really that bad?

The worst part about fitness is all that comes with it: a long commute to the gym, crowds of people, occupied equipment, hygiene concerns, monthly fees, and much more.

You have a job, family, and all of life’s chores and tasks to worry about. Who wants to start or end their day with what feels like another chore?

A trip to the gym involves changing into appropriate clothes, driving, waiting, more driving . . . and the routine simply takes you from one climate-controlled box (work) to another (the gym) with your only chance for fresh air coming from walking across the parking lot. Not to mention that every day you “just don’t feel like it” and decide to skip the gym, it costs you money!

Commercial gyms are designed for the masses—TVs, isolation machines, and a bunch of stuff you don’t really need. It may make you feel better to have “gone to the gym today” but wouldn’t’t you rather train effectively and efficiently? Your head should be nodding at this point.

Perhaps when you think of a garage gym, you think of Rocky Balboa chasing chickens and lifting logs. Or maybe you think of a version of your commercial gym stuffed in your garage.

The reality is somewhere in between. A garage gym can be an effective and efficient world-class training facility. It is built to suit your performance. Some of the fittest people in the world train in garage gyms regularly because they know the secret: less equipment, fewer isolation exercises, and less junk; but more efficient training.

The thought that will eventually cross your mind is, “I don’t have the money or time to make my own garage my gym.” While certainly not dirt cheap, you can do it for as little as $500, which is the equivalent of about a year and a half of the cheapest gym pass. If you use your garage gym for just two years, you will have made money on the investment. In addition, it only takes about two weeks to complete. And that’s if you take your time. And now is the time to become a Garage Gym Athlete.

In the past, it was near impossible to have a garage gym. Not too long ago you wouldn’t be able to find a store that sold a kettlebell, and to order one online would have cost you a fortune in shipping fees. Not to mention any larger and heavier equipment you may need.

Currently, it is very affordable. Luckily, the popularity of CrossFit® and the sport of weight lifting have exploded in recent years. This popularity has made getting high-quality barbells, plates, and other equipment much more economical. There are plenty of stores and websites that offer free shipping and easy availability.

In the future, it will become even more affordable. And just a prediction here; when the supply of CrossFit® gyms exceeds the demand in coming years, you’ll potentially see CrossFit® gyms going out of business left and right. Now, while I wish nothing bad upon any gym owner, or their livelihood, it will make for an opportunity for you to snag great equipment at huge discounts.

In spite of affordability, you have to be a little crazy to want to pursue fitness outside of the conventional gym, right?

Well, I don’t think the Garage Gym Athlete is crazy, I consider the Garage Gym Athlete “other.” A term I like to use a lot is the “other guy (and gal)” to describe those who are interested in becoming a Garage Gym Athlete. Never be average, always be other.

The other guy is not average; he is a doer. If it can make him better, he’ll try it. If it’s too heavy, he’ll learn how to lift it. If it’s too far, he’ll still run to it. He will take on many challenges, is comfortable with the fact that things will never be perfect, and will go out knowing he was never average.

Life Happens.

Maybe you got stuck in a desk. Maybe your schedule got filled to the brim. Maybe you feel like an average life, for you, is like fitting a square peg into a round hole.

Well, if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you would like to make some changes. You’d like to see how strong you can actually become, how fast you can truly run, and how much better you can actually be.

And to embrace being “other” is to be a Garage Gym Athlete.

Welcome to a new aftermath.

Welcome to the Garage Gym Athlete podcast!

In this episode, we have veteran strength coach Dan John. He is an author who writes 2-3 books per year on strength training and a senior lecturer at Saint Marys university, among others. National Collegiate discus thrower, highland games competitor and high level athlete overall.

We talk about so much interesting things. Dan is full of knowledge and great advice on life, training, education, and anything to help you become a better human being. 

In this episode, we have Dr. Shawn Baker, who is an ALL meat athlete.

From his Twitter: "Multi sport world record setting athlete, Carnivorous Anti-Hero, Antidote for a broken health-care system, Citizen science enabler"

Keep an open mind and listen to this pioneer in the nutrition world. 

Today, I go over IN FULL my morning routine, how it works, and why I do what I do. 

I am going over this to challenge you! Will you take the challenge?? 

-- 

Transcript: 

4:25 a.m.

My watch is vibrating me awake.

And side note: I use a vibrating alarm where I don’t wake anyone else in my family who does not enjoy waking up at 4:25 a.m.

My eyes open and I know I have two choices.

I can get ahead of this day like a sniper mounting a rooftop awaiting the enemy.

Or...

I can let the day get ahead of me and just be another grunt in the infantry, praying I end up somewhere promising.

Think about that for a second…

When you start the day are you reacting? Or are you acting on a plan?

My feet hit the floor.

Then I grab the two main instruments I need for my routine and that is a pair of headphones and my phone.

And a note on the phone: I sleep with my phone on Airplane mode and it remains on airplane mode till after my morning routine is complete.

No instagram. No email. No facebook. No internet. No notifications. No distractions.

My first step is to calm my brain which generally starts racing as soon as I am awake.

I do this by some sort of breathing practice. It has varied over the years, but it will either be wim hof breathing, box breathing, or something of that nature. This is also a form of unguided mediation for me.

I enjoy wim hof and box breathing because it can have a purely psychological benefit in the form of meditation, but also a physiological benefit through the breathing practice itself.

If you’d like more info on the benefits, search back in this podcast feed as I’ve done an episode on both wim hof and box breathing.

From here it's visualization.

I don’t spend a lot of time here, but typically 5 minutes of the most concentrated effort of visualizing what I want to achieve in every area and aspect of my life. I mean earnest visualization in the most realistic form my mind is capable of producing.

It’s important to note that things like affirmations or going through the motions of visualization are next to useless if you are just doing them. I truly believe that you have to have the deepest faith that you will achieve your goals and most importantly you have to feel something.

If you go through a visualization exercise and you don’t feel things like happiness, gratitude and I mean actually feel it in your entire body…you’re doing it wrong. So learn to do it right, or do something else.

This took me a long time. And has changed me in a dramatic way.

After that…

I switch to multi-tasking.

I listen to 10-20 minutes of an audiobook, at 2x speed, while performing long stretches and mobilization exercises.

People often ask how I read so many books. It’s not time. I never read or listen to a book during work hours. That’s for focused work and activity. But 10-20 minutes of a book at 2x speed in the morning coupled with doing the dishes and tidying the house at night for 30-40 minutes with another book at 2x speed puts me at listening to up to 2 hours of an audiobook every single day.

That’s how I read 9 books last month and that’s how I’ll do the same this month.

But back to my morning routine…

B/c maybe at this point you are thinking things like…

“Must be nice to do that every morning, but it’s not possible with my schedule…”

Or maybe you have some excuse for why you can’t do this.

But let’s get real for a second…

I wake up at 4:25 a.m.

And if you’ve been doing the math.

Breathing = 10-15 minutes.
Visualization = 5 minutes.
Book + Mobility = 10 minutes.

On a long day, it’s now only 4:55 a.m.

And that’s my minimum effective dose of the morning routine. So if I wake up late. A kid wakes up too early. I’m traveling. Whatever happens, I should always be able to find 25 minutes to get in the minimum.

And that’s my challenge to you. Set something up that will make you better, move you in the direction you want, and doesn’t require a huge time commitment.

Now, that’s not all I do.

Recently, I have started something new on weekdays.

You’ve probably heard the quote:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” by Jim Rohn

Well, I think some people take that quote too literally. Because if I took that quote literally, 2 out of the 5 people I spend the most time with would be a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old. And while they are awesome, they aren’t exactly mentors.

No, I think it is more you are the average of the five people you are influenced by most.

And today with podcasts, youtube, books, etc you can pick your five very easily.

And that’s what I’ve done.

So after I finish my M.E.D. routine I move to what I call MENTOR MORNINGS.

Over 7 years ago, I had the privilege of having an amazing mentor who was an incredible real estate entrepreneur who challenged me and who set me on the business path I am currently on.

So I get the power of a good mentor.

So what I have done now, is selected 5 people I look up to in this world who also regularly publish new information in the form of a podcast or other mediums.

I picked one mentor for each area of my life that I want to improve: Business, My Faith, Family, Mindset, Health, etc.

The reason I am telling you this is because I really feel that this simple addition to my routine has paid huge dividends in my mindset.

Because my benchmarks are not my neighbors or old high school friends My benchmarks are people who are doing amazing things in this world. Impacting millions.

This small addition only takes about 10-20 minutes. So now it’s only 5:15 a.m.

What now…

Now it gets simple.

Typically, coffee and time with my wife and kids until I workout (still early). You know typical dad stuff of wrestling with my kids, making them breakfast, and all that good stuff. The small moments that I truly live for.

Also note: my kids wake up freakin’ early…

So then I train shower and am working by 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

So there it is. My morning most days.

Now, I didn’t go through my routine here for you to copy it, or to make you think I have it all figured out…

I just wanted to share it for one reason:

To challenge you to start a better human morning. Do something. At least one thing. Commit to it for 90 days and see where you end up. Even if it’s just 10 minutes early.

Whether placebo is the real reason it all works or it all is moving you in the right direction. It doesn’t matter.

It’s making you better.

Now, go get after it!

In this episode, we have Max Shank!!

Max wants to build muscular ninjas, I want to build better humans, and there is A LOT of overlap there!! I had a great time chatting with Max and hearing his ideas on mindset, training, and recovery.

A lot of cool things going on in this episode, and it is one of the longest episodes we’ve ever have had, for good reason.

Today we have a world and american ultra marathon record holder, who is an ultra low carb athlete. So we talk about his diet, training methods and dive into entrance training.

2016    Javelina Jundred    100 Mile    13:30:28 (Course Record)    1st

2015    Desert Solstice Track Meet    100 Mile    11:40:55 (American Record)  

2014    IAU 100k World Championships, Doha, Qatar    100 Km    6:48:53    6th    (Team Gold)

2014    South Carolina 24 Hour Track Meet    200 Km    16:23:33 (200 Km American Track Record) 

2013    Desert Solstice Track Meet 2013    12 Hour    101.7 Miles (World Record)  

Today, it’s time for a little tough love. We live in a world where everyone gets a trophy, right? A lot of us are coddled and shielded from the truth…Well, today, you get an Eo3-sized portion of the truth.

Orginal article: http://www.endofthreefitness.com/thats-not-good-enough-sorry/ 

Today we have Ashleigh VanHouten from Paleo Magazine. We talk about nutrition, macro counting and of course ways to becoming a better human.

This was a fun conversation and we talk about a lot of different things outside of nutrition.