Strength Matters: Real. Simple. Results.

John Wolf is an unconventional athlete who uses kettlebell, steel club, suspension training and other fun and unconventional training methods. He can deadlift more than 500 pounds. He is the Chief Fitness Officer of Onnit a supplement company and fitness academy that offers recipes, training, certifications, a podcast, and more. He is the founder of John Wolf Fitness.We talk about John’s deadlift, and how martial arts were an essential part of his early training and part of his life. He also talks about working out with Pavel, kettlebell swings, using clubs, and unconventional workout techniques, and how the groundwork and the unconventional methods worked well together. He also talks about creating a defined tool kit for fitness training.Today’s topics include: John and his personal deadlift. He was built to deadlift, and he lifts over 500. Martial arts is a comprehensive practice and influence and part of John’s life. John talks about swinging kettlebells and unconventional training methods. How Onnit sells

Julia Chi Taylor is a runner, world traveler, coach, author, and blogger who runs and trains all over the world. She is a huge proponent of barefoot running and travels and blogs with her husband as she traverses our globe with her bare feet. She has an incredible story including how she overcame an eating disorder and how she leads a totally barefoot lifestyle.Julia has been running all her life from running barefoot in the grass to competing at top levels and running marathons. She is a mentor, coach, and guide for others as she travels the world. She recently shed all of her possessions and lives a nomadic lifestyle. She shares how and why she has done all of this plus the fun and benefits of having a barefoot lifestyle.Today’s topics include: Julia is in a tiny village in Granada Spain right now. Julia starting walking and running when she was 9 months old. When she was six she knew that she was a runner who wanted to win races. As a teen she won some races and joined an all male except for her running cl

On today’s show, I speak with the founder of Strength Matters James Breese. We talk about the journey and changes we have gone through over the last six to eight months, and how the concept of the everyday athlete grew after a lifestyle change for James. We talk about training, the future of Strength Matters, and a lot more.Strength Matters started out as a kettlebell company called Kettlebell Fever, but it is now transitioning into a fitness company for everyday athletes. The concept of the everyday athlete came about because the way James would train changed on a day-to-day basis. He started paddle boarding and trail running. He also followed the Run Strong book by Andrew Read for running training. His workout is now a more diverse program and so is the philosophy of Strength Matters.Today’s topics include: James shares how kettlebells are a tool, but not ideal for building cardio. How James rediscovered his love of running. There is so much more to Strength Matters than meets the eye. James also used to pl

Today, I am speaking with Neal Snyder the presenter of the What’s New Coach podcast. He is a trainer and manager with over 10 years experience in the business. In this episode, he tells us about his 100 press ups or push ups a day challenge. Along with the inspiration behind it and the results he has gained from doing the challenge. We also talk about how to survive in the business as a new personal trainer, and the lessons Neal has learned both as a client and a coach.Neal has helped manage hundreds of trainers at Equinox in New York City. He has worked with some of the top coaches in the Tier X program. He also helped develop the business and educational side of the personal trainer development program. In 2011, he was awarded the Equinox Education Award. He is currently working at Fitness Inc. where he is the senior program director. As podcasters, Neal and I have a lot in common and this is a great interview.Today’s topics include: After high school, Neal started fitness training with a semi-pro football

Today, I am talking with Harold Gibbons a strength coach and program design manager at Mark Fisher Fitness. He has created personal exercise programs and group training classes for over 800 of New York’s most ridiculous humans. At an early age Harold discovered that he loved lifting weights and going to the gym was an escape. He went on to study and teach physical education, and is now a coach who wants to help his clients build the best life possible.On today’s show, we discuss how Harold started training at Mark Fisher Fitness, strength coaching, and how he designs programs that blend progressive exercise strategies with contemporary coaching concepts to create an empowering experience at all fitness levels. Harold finds coaching at Mark Fisher fitness so amazing that he would be willing to come to work for free. He shares all of this and more in today’s show.Today’s topics include: How Harold was voted as the funniest man in college. Harold shares his background and fitness beginnings. He played LaCrosse a

Today, I speak to Ant Williams a highly experienced keynote speaker and psychologist who has worked with athletes from Olympians to motocross riders. While working with athletes who were involved in dangerous sports, Ant realized that in order to help them he really needed to understand what it was like to compete in a dangerous sport, so he took up freediving.Ant found the importance that the mental state plays in athletic performance fascinating as he studied sports psychology. He started studying in the late 90s and started traveling with a Rugby team that needed some help with team dynamics. Ant was one of the early sports psychologists. He helps athletes with a wide range of issues from fear to performance blocks. In this episode, he shares insights from the psychological aspects of working with top athletes and some of his freediving adventures.Today’s Topics Include: How Ant became involved in sports psychology. The method that Ant uses is really a matter of discovery as he teaches a range of subjects

On today’s bite sized podcast, I have the pleasure of talking with Dr. Debbie Bright and Phil McDougall. We are talking about how Phil used the Everyday Athlete principles that we have talked about to train Dr. Debbie and help her get more fit than ever before. Debbie is a trainer, but she still wanted to train with Phil to up her game. Even though, she looked fit because of her nutrition plan she wasn’t prioritizing movement.Phil has a theory when it comes to the fitness differences between Americans and people from Britain. His broad theory is that Americans walk less because they drive everywhere. Generally, Americans have the strength, but the people from Britain have the cardiovascular strength. Debbie was a good example of this because she was really strong, looked really fit, but would get sick from hard cardio workouts. Listen in as Debbie and Phil share how they trained together.Today’s topics include: Debbie met Phil during a group class and asked him to help train her. Debbie was a sprinter with fa

I think that today’s topic is a really important subject that isn’t talked about enough in today’s society. This topic really resonates with me because of my own family experience with some of these issues. In this show, I am talking with Nick Sutherland a psychotherapist who helps men who have reached rock bottom. Nick is passionate about breaking down the stigma regarding mental health. He also has a goal of helping 373 males between the ages of 35 and 45 get off rock bottom. This is the number of guys who commit suicide in Australia each year.Nick is also the creator of MyndFit a mental strength training program for the mind which helps us become less reactive and in better control. With his psychotherapy, he guides businessmen to lead a more balanced life. He counsels guys who are thinking that there has to be more to life than work. Nick also shares real life examples, techniques, and questions to use when taking control of reactions. Listen in to learn how to take control of your responses and life.Toda

Today’s guest is Dr. Debbie Bright. She is a Chiropractic Physician with a degree in Exercise Science and a Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance. She is also a kettlebell ninja who is SMK Level One qualified. She has also written a couple of great articles for the Strength Matters Magazine. Plus, she is the woman behind the Look Good Naked program which she has developed.We talk about her Look Good Naked program and what exactly is functional medicine. Then we discuss toxins and myths about detoxes along with a discussion of hormones with a bit of stuff for the girls and a bit of stuff for the guys. We also talk about improving gut health, and how Dr. Debbie Bright has helped people from all over the world.Today’s topics include: How Debbie accidentally found her passion for nutrition and functional medicine She creates 21-day challenges for the Look Good Naked program Conventional medicine is symptom suppression Functional medicine looks at the body as a whole How all health starts in the gut. Food and

Today’s guest is the amazing, awesome and wonderful Dan John. He is a prolific writer, blogger, and author. Along with being a strength and conditioning legend, and he is also an awesome guest to have at your wedding. Dan is the author of several books including his latest book Now What?: The Ongoing Pursuit of Improved Performance. He is a prolific writer and blogger, and you will find his articles all over the Internet including on Breaking Muscle and Men’s Fitness. He is also featured in several podcasts like ours and has a collection of informative YouTube videos.Dan talks to me today about trends and fads in fitness, and how everyone is always looking for the latest and greatest thing. Yet, sound fitness fundamentals always win out and don’t really change much. We also talk about how workouts have evolved over time and how 10% of a workout can be pure genius, but the trick is finding that 10%. Dan combines his work along with historical research to find the best of the basic fundamentals. Dan also talks

Welcome to episode 12 of the Everyday Athlete. I am your host, Josh Kennedy. Today, I am talking to Scott Olsen from Beyond The Muscle. Scott is a regular presenter on our whiteboard Wednesdays along with Phil Mcdougal. Today we talk about the fascia and its importance in the body. We also talk about Chinese therapy, injury recovery, performance, rehab, correctives, and more. He even helps me with my dodgy Achilles.Scott specializes in injury recovery. He became involved in body work through his martial arts training. He also learned massage and neuromuscular therapy. He worked with triathletes who do incredibly high volume training. This can result in issues with tendons, soft joints, and fascia. For Josh, a pattern of overload or tissue compression could be the issue with his Achilles injury, but his alignment could also be off. Scott uses his knowledge and experience to dive into this and more.Today’s topics include: The great speakers that our featured at the Strength Matters Summit Trying to pinpoint the

Today, I am talking with Dr. Greg Lehman who is a physiotherapist, chiropractor, and coach who specializes in treating musculoskeletal disorders. He teaches a course called Reconciling Biomechanics with Pain Science. He has worked alongside back specialist Dr. Stuart McGill, and he sometimes disagrees with him. I’ll let you decide how controversial that is. Dr. Greg Lehman is a clinician, but prior to that, he was a strength and conditioning coach.He loves research, but he also wanted to work with patients. He was fortunate during school because he was able to work on quite few different research projects. They investigated simple concepts that answered fitness questions. He specializes in biomechanics and the importance of movement and pain science. The course that Dr. Greg Lehman teaches meshes performance and biomechanics and how that applies to pain. He is also is a runner and teaches a running course. It’s his goal to simplify body mechanics and look at the psychological aspects as well.Today’s topics in

Kate Solovieva is a blogger, nutritionist, motivational speaker, endurance race runner, lifestyle coach, and an all around amazing athlete. Today, I am lucky enough to have a conversation with her about training, online business, nutrition, racing, her epic bucket list and more. Kate was born in Siberia and immigrated to Canada when she was a teenager. She has an undergraduate and graduate degree in psychology. She has been a student, a professor, a yoga instructor, a Bootcamp instructor and she is our guest today. Kate goes by “Solo” or Kate and it is great to have her on the show.She grew up in the capital of Siberia and it was a fairly typical Russian childhood. She lived in the Netherlands for a while and lived in three different countries. She prides herself on being able to swim and not sink. She thinks that this life experience has helped her with obstacle course racing and extreme endurance racing. It’s hard for Kate to choose her toughest race because all of the races are tough. She talks about how i

Welcome to Everyday Athlete the podcast for the everyday athlete who wants to train smarter and live to be 100 years old. I am your host, Josh Kennedy. Today, I am talking to Dr. Stuart Mcgill, a world renowned back specialist and Professor of Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo. He has a laboratory and clinic that explores lower back mechanics, injury mechanisms, rehabilitation protocols, and performance enhancement.He is the author of numerous journals and papers, and his work has received numerous International awards. As a consultant, he has provided expertise on lower back injury to government agencies, corporations, and professional sports teams. He is the author of several books including Lower Back Disorders, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, and Back Mechanic. Dr. McGill shares insight into reasons behind back pain and how to treat back conditions.Today’s Topics Include: McGill has recently left the University and now he is a consultant. There are a lot of athletes and patients who

Welcome to Everyday Athlete the podcast for the everyday athlete who wants to train smarter and live to be 100 years old. I am your host, Josh Kennedy. Today, I am talking to Franz Snideman, co-owner of Revolution Fitness in La Jolla, California. Franz is a Senior Strong First Instructor, Primal Move National Instructor, a former collegiate sprinter, a trainer, coach, speaker, and author. Franz is known as the sprinting ninja, and he has dreams of being a superhero.Franz has been in the fitness industry for 21 years, and he has been a personal trainer since 1996. When he was young, he stumbled onto track and field by accident. He ended up getting a college scholarship for track and field, and he is currently known as a sprinting geek. He and his brother developed Primal Speed which is a synthesis of all of his fitness knowledge put into a system that teaches power training and sprinting. This system is unique because it is geared towards health first and performance second.Today’s topics include: How a little

Welcome to Everyday Athlete the podcast for the everyday athlete who wants to train smarter and live to be 100 years old. I am your host, Josh Kennedy. Today, I am talking to Andrew Read. We talk about Ironman, his 1000 kilometer charity ride, his book Run Strong, his time on SealFit, and all about running, running technique, and how to get started running.  Today’s guest is in the 1% of trainers with over 15 years in the fitness industry. You would be hard pressed to know if he is happy or sad. He hates everyone. He has spent a lifetime in competitive martial arts and some time in special forces. He is a certified functional movement specialist, national director of Primal Move, an author, speaker, and so much more. His specialty is elite performance, and he has trained three world champions. Enjoy my interview with Andrew Read.Today’s topics include: Andrew is 45 years old. When he turned 40 he decided not to be scared of anything like a 1000 kilometer bike ride. He cycled heavily before his Ironman and he

Today, I am talking to Joel Proskewitz the Founder of PerformanceRx in London. Joel is a fantastic coach who has been in the business for about 24 years. He has been hiding in the background slowly building his reputation. This is the first podcast he has ever done, but I doubt it will be his last.Joel has been a trainer and strength coach for the last 24 years. He was one of the strength and conditioning coaches for the South African Olympic Heavyweight Rowing Team who happened to take the Bronze medal in Athens in 2004. He has also been a strength coach for the South African National Karate Team. He works directly with Professor Stuart McGill as part of his teaching team as well as taking care of all of his UK back pain referrals. He is the owner of PerformanceRx Personal Training & Injury Rehabilitation. He is super knowledgeable, and it was great having him on the podcast.Today’s topics include: Joel’s training background and how he moved to London and eventually started his gym PerformanceRx Performa

Welcome to Everyday Athlete the podcast for the everyday athlete who wants to train smarter and live to be 100 years old. I am your host, Josh Kennedy. Today, I am talking to Phil Beene, from Nudge Coach. This is a fantastic new app that can be used by trainers, clients, and everyday athletes.Phil Beene has a degree in Economics from Wofford College. He is the Co-founder and President of Nudge, an online coaching platform. The company has been featured in Techcrunch, Digital Trends, and several other industry magazines. Phil and fellow soccer player Mac Gambill became interested in fitness wearables and corporate wellness. They started working on a way for different devices to talk to each other and eventually Nudge Coach was created.Today’s topics include: The founding of Nudge originated with Phil and Mac Gambill playing soccer together and getting involved in the start-up ecosystem. It was their goal to empower people to take care of their own health through fitness. The Nudge App is client facing and can

Welcome to the Everyday Athlete Podcast, I’m your host Josh Kennedy.Today, I’m talking with my friend Dr. Perry Nickelston. This is part 2 of my epic interview with Perry. If you missed part 1 of the interview please go back and listen to episode 2 of the podcast.Perry has been working with Strength Matters for the last several years, and he is a huge proponent of functional movement. He is the author of Stop Chasing the Pain and runs the website of the same name. He is a chiropractic physician who focuses on movement and performance enhancement. Listen in as Perry shares his wealth of knowledge with us.Today’s topics include: The RAIL System Release Activate Integrate Locomotion This is a system that discovers why the body does what it does. Restriction, lack of movement, or pain are real or perceived threats to the body. If it is about protection, make the body feel safe and that protective restriction goes away. Release areas where tightness is felt. Activate different parts of the body that have not been

Welcome to the Everyday Athlete podcast. In today’s episode, I speak with former Olympic rower Cameron Nichol, from Rowing WOD. We talk about the wonderful health and fitness benefits of rowing, how it might just be the missing link from people’s training regimens. How beginners and experienced athletes can benefit from rowing and integrate it into their training. Cameron believes that every human is an athlete and that every athlete should row.Cameron Nichol started rowing in medical school. He is now a medical doctor, a two-time world silver medalist, former Olympic rower, and the founder of RowingWOD. Which is dedicated to empowering and inspiring athletes to master rowing. Cameron is now a doctor practicing in London, and he has also coached many elite CrossFit athletes. Cameron’s enthusiasm for the sport of rowing is contagious. Enjoy.Today’s topics include: When Cameron is interested in things, he gets excited about them and likes to pursue them. That is how he became interested in medical school. Then