Mental Meat Heads
The page formerly known as War Stories: Tales from the Front has undergone a change.
With the recent success of our first Mental Meat Heads Workshop I have seen the opportunity for a new direction or, better put, a sharper focus on what has been up until now a general one.
We stand, my friends, on the edge of change. Many of us have grown dissatisfied with the status quo of our industry. We’ve seen through the surface oriented dialect that prevails as the standard and we wonder if there isn’t something more.
We are no longer satisfied living half a life. In short, we want the brain and the brawn. We recognize the power of the aesthetic, but have found an even greater beauty in ability.
As leaders we see the potential, not just to change bodies but to change lives and once we’ve seen that possibility anything less seems a disservice.
Mental Meat Heads, the new iteration of this series, is committed to promoting this change. Come and meet the true leaders of our industry. Meet Physiological Philosophers, thinkers who move and movers who think, and if our thoughts move you (sorry, couldn’t help it) join the conversation HERE.
Tamara Reynolds
What up everybody! As promised, today I’m bringing you my other weightlifting coach and the founder of Asheville Strength and Conditioning (remember, the conditioning is silent), Tamara Reynolds.
If right now, you’re thinking, “Hey, I thought it was Tamara Cohen.” It was. And now it’s changed. Deal with it. 
Tamara is a powerhouse. On her way back from a knee injury, she’s already squatting weights that question my notions of my own abilities, and I easily outweigh her by 100 pounds. Needless to say, having her as coach is a tremendous inspiration and a swift kick in the pants. Both, by the way, admirable traits in any leader.
Tamara is a devoted mother of two and in addition to running her gym is partnered up with the evangelical Nick Horton to produce a kick ass online coaching service, Weightlifting Academy.
Listen in as we discuss weightlifting, motherhood, coaching, gender in the fitness industry and her own personal journey through strength and fitness. To listen, CLICK HERE! To download, right click and “Save As.” To watch the video, GO HERE! Also, look for us on SoundCloud.
website: https://www.facebook.com/AshevilleStrength?fref=ts
http://www.weightliftingacademy.com/
Nick Horton
Happy Wednesday.
Today’s interview is Nick Horton, formally of Portland, Oregon now residing in Asheville, North Carolina and forming half of the dynamic duo that runs Asheville Strength and Conditioning (the conditioning is silent).
FULL CONFESSION: I didn’t know who Nick was. Chip Conrad suggested I contact him for an interview. You guys know how highly I regard Chip, so if he thought Nick was good people that was enough for me. Turns out Nick runs a prolific blog The Iron Samurai and is a successful Internet entrepreneur.
Needless to say, I was highly impressed. So much so that within a few hours of our interview I had signed up for the Mastermind group inside Nick’s Weightlifting Academy, which he runs with his partner in crime, Tamara Cohen (Look for her interview next week!).
To be clear here, we’re talking weightlifting (AKA Olympic Weightlifting) — you know the snatch and the clean and press? You don’t know? That’s a shame, for at one time the United States was producing the top weightlifters in the world, now we’re just okay and that’s probably why most of us don’t know so much about it.
This is a great interview. Nick is a wealth of information. His passion for weightlifting is palpable and his desire to make it more available to the general public is commendable. He runs a highly successful web business and is very generous with his knowledge. You don’t want to miss this one.
To listen to our conversation, CLICK HERE! To download, right click and “Save As.” To watch the video, GO HERE! We’re also now on SoundCloud. Check us out HERE!
Website: http://www.theironsamurai.com/
http://www.weightliftingacademy.com/
http://www.snatchdomination.com
Allyson Goble
I love Wednesdays.
Today, I’m bringing you another trainer from from our fair cousins at Bodytribe up in Sacramento, California. Meet Allyson Goble.
Allyson is an artist.
No, really. She’s even got art school cred and a number of shows under her belt. In addition to being a REAL artist her skills in the gym qualify her for this adjective as well. Allyson is a movement specialist, she’s a technician and her visual skills offer her the unique ability to see movement clearly and to understand movement and especially the issues her clients might be struggling with.
If that isn’t cool enough, she’s also a teacher. No really, she used to teach. You know — school. Art classes specifically, but that gives her and eye for the art of teaching and understanding that if you can’t convey your knowledge to others then it’s only half as good as it could be. Allyson is my kind of coach and I’m very happy to include her in the ever growing pantheon of Mental Meat Head coaches and trainers.
To listen to our interview, CLICK HERE! To download, right click and “Save As.” To watch the video, GO HERE!
website: http://www.bodytribe.com/2007/07/25/allyson-goble/.
Jedd Johnson
Meet Jedd Johnson. Jedd is a FIVE time world record holder in grip sport, specifically in the pinch. He currently holds the number two position in the Two Handed Pinch Dead Lift, set in 2011 with 121.65 kg (that’s 267.33 pounds!) He’s been published in My Mad Methods, Men’s Fitness, and Experience Life.
He’s also one of the founders of the Diesel Crew (along with Jim “Smitty” Smith) and a highly successful Internet entrepreneur. He runs a top notch membership site that offers cutting edge information and techniques to enhance every training program and has several strength oriented products available through the Diesel Crew’s website.
Jedd also happens to be an awesome dude. We spoke for over an hour discussing his own strength journey, grip sport, online business, training and his ill fated foray into professional wrestling.
To listen in CLICK HERE! To download, right click and “Save As.” To watch the video GO HERE!
As always, thanks for listening.
If there’s a strength or fitness expert you want to hear from, let me know! Leave a comment and we’ll do our best to get them on the show.
website: http://www.dieselcrew.com/
Callie Durbrow
Happy Wednesday! Today’s interview is Level II Underground Strength Coach and the owner of Durbrow Performance Training in Boston, Massachusetts, Callie Durbrow.
This is truly a trainer’s interview so, if you’re in the business pay close attention. First off, if you’re a coach, Callie has a new product launching this week Complex Conditioning – Barbells. This is a great guide for implementing barbell complexes into your client’s and small group’s routines.
Complexes are a great way to get a lot of work in in a short time. Callie builds them beautifully and there are over thirty different complexes to choose from. To learn more go HERE.
Secondly Callie is a skilled business woman with a highly successful gym, a well organized staff and a covet-able lifestyle. There’s much you can learn from her experience.
To listen in on our conversation GO HERE. To download, right clcik and “Save As.” To watch the video CLICK HERE.
website: http://www.durbrowperformance.com/
Andrea Walker
Meet Andrea Walker, local Birminghamian, marketing executive, Crossfit enthusiast, yoga instructor and the brains and passion behind a new fitness software package targeting people’s motivation through a more thorough assessment of where they are based on who they are, aptly named Fit-ability.
Listen in as we discuss fitness, motivation, inspiration and Little House on the Prairie.
To listen to the interview, CLICK HERE! To download, right click and ‘Save As.’ To watch the video GO HERE!
Kevin Sheerin
Say hello to my good friend and fellow Strengthology Coach Kevin Sheerin. Kevin lives in Dublin, Ireland and for a young man of 24 years has seen quite a bit of life.
Before getting himself into fitness Kevin was a career poker player who played for BIG stakes. The downside of this is that in order to be successful he had to spend all day most days sitting in front of his computer, playing cards. That meant a very sedentary lifestyle and diet consistent of almost exclusively fast food, most often delivery. After reaching a crisis point with his weight he decided enough was enough. He walked away from poker and focused on fitness, transforming both his body and his life.
Listen in as we discuss training in Ireland, Strengthology, his new product Squat Domination! and what it’s like to be the new trainer on the block. To listen CLICK HERE! To download, right click and ‘Save As.’ To watch the video GO HERE!
Website: http://squatdomination.com/
Khaled Elmasri
Meet Khaled. Khlaled is is a trainer and the fitness manager of a 24 Hour Fitness just outside of San Francisco, California. In addition to managing a gi-normous facility (60,000 sq feet) and a full stable of trainers (20+) Khaled is putting together a workshop, the NorCal Fitness Summit, on October 26 and 27th.
Listen in as we discuss training, leadership, personal development, what it’s like to be a big guy in the fitness industry and gain an even deeper understanding about what constitutes country music.
To listen in, CLICK HERE! To download, right click and ‘Save As.’ To watch GO HERE!
website: Nor-Cal Fitness Summit
Christopher Lopez
Christopher Lopez, AKA “The Jersey Beast,” is passionate about his work. One of the many Underground Strength coaches inspired and motivated by Zach Even-Esh, he sees his mission as more than just producing better athletes or helping adults meet fitness goals.
Chris’s mission is to have an impact and show each of the kids who walks through his door just how capable they really are and to arm them with the confidence to make something out of that capability.
Listen in as we wax poetic about strength, training, young athletes, potential and the true hazards of the Smith machine.
To listen to our interview CLICK HERE! To download, right click and ‘Save As.’ To watch the interview follow this link, HERE!
website: http://jerseybeast.tv/
Facebook: Jersey Strength Pit Gym
Eric Hulse
Yes, Eric Hulse IS Elliott Hulse’s younger brother, and now that that’s said, that’s all we’re gonna say about that.
Except that, like his brother, Eric is poised to make a significant impact in the health and fitness world. Eric’s focus on health, strength, fitness and well, wellness centers around it’s foundation, nutrition, but nutrition in a way you might not have considered before.
Consider, your body is affected by everything you put in it. Not so radical, right? We all know we are what we eat. But consider this: We intake more than just food — thoughts, ideas, impressions, interactions, conversations, feelings, these are all things we “take in” and they contribute to how and what we are just as much as our food does.
Eric’s work centers around addressing the totality of our experience and helping us shape and guide all aspects of that experience to optimal health. That’s pretty damn, cool.
So, check us out.
Starting today I’m exploring a whole new way of bringing you these Mental Meat Head conversations. As always you can listen by clicking HERE! To download, just right click and ‘Save As.’ Or if you’re a visual type, you can watch the interview by going HERE!
website: http://erichulse.com/
Facebook page: Eric Hulse
Brian Lederman
By all rights Brian Lederman shouldn’t be here. And by here I mean HERE, as in among the living. Raised in a highly dysfunctional household under a single mother crippled by addiction and her own abusive past, Brian, at the tender age of nine, discovered, after a prolonged and undetected infection and an unplanned stay in the hospital, that he was now a Type I diabetic.
Fast Forward another 6 or so equally dysfunctional years, full of drug and sexual abuse, parental neglect and the not infrequent hospital stay. At 15 Brian found his salvation. It came from the mall, found in the back corner of a Waldenbooks in the form of Franco Columbu’s Complete Book of Bodybuilding. From this humble and larcenous beginning Brian launched himself into bodybuilding and started a career, both long and complicated, that spanned from the fading luster of the Golden Age of bodybuilding to the height of personal training to today.
Listen in as we discuss training, life’s struggles and what it takes to overcome and stay positive. To listen, CLICK HERE! to download, right click and ‘Save As.
Website: Brian Lederman
Teiko Reindorf
Meet Teiko.
Teiko Reindorf is a multi force talent based out of Toronto, Canada. A top-notch illustrator and trainer, he’s the co-author and illustrator of an online training comic Mighty Trainer
If you’re a follower of Elliott Hulse then you may have also seen Teiko as he’s made a big mark in the Non-Jobs group and has just returned from a month long internship at Strengthcamp in St. Petersburg.
Teiko is one of my favorite people. As you can see from his picture he is BIG and unapologetically so. In fact, his latest product Big Man Strong is a celebration of largeness and how to build upon and develop the gifts nature bestows upon the larger athlete. Follow the link for a special 30% off for Mental Meat Head listeners.
Listen is as we carry on about being big, interning in St. Petersburg, and doing business through the Internet. To listen CLICK HERE! To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
Website: http://teikoreindorf.com
http://mightytrainer.com
Mace Clinkenbeard
As a writer I pay attention to names. You might say I’m a bit of a collector. Cool names catch my attention and I hold on to them, sometimes just to trot out and say, “Hey, have you heard this cool name?” Mace Clinkenbeard made the short list. Which I’m very happy about because not only does Mace have one of the coolest names I’ve ever heard, he’s also one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.
Mace started his strength journey as a female athlete. He started with basketball and moved on to shot put and hammer in high school and college. What’s that? Confused? Good, you’re paying attention.
Mace is a transgender athlete. He’s also a trainer over a Bodytribe Fitness in Sacramento. Listen in as we discuss, strength, what it’s like to go from a record setting female athlete to an “adequate” male athlete, testosterone, acceptance, and the wild and woolly world of training athletes for Roller Derby.
To listen, CLICK HERE! And to download, right click and ‘Save As.’
Website: https://www.facebook.com/MaceClinkenbeard
email: radicalthrower@yahoo.com
Jennifer Conlin
Meet Mental Meat Head Jennifer Conlin. Jennifer is the Head Coach at CrossFit Legitimus in Canton, Connecticut. Self described as “Sporty” Jennifer has a history of athletic involvement in nearly every shade of the spectrum from endurance sports, like cycling, to her current passion, Olympic Lifting.
Listen in as we discuss the fitness industry, training and the ups and downs of running a gym in the “new” economy. To listen click HERE. To download, Right Click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://crossfitlegitimus.com/
email: Jen@crossfitlegitimus.com
Chris Dwelle
Today it is my extreme pleasure to introduce my good friend, Chris Dwelle. Chris and I met at Elliott Hulse’s first in-house seminar in St. Petersburg, Florida in the fall of 2011. We quickly found common ground and before the weekend was over had become fast friends.
Chris lives in Augusta, Maine and runs his own facility, Impact Strength and Fitness. His passion for strength and it’s ability to change lives is evident in everything he does. Check out hisYouTube channel where he chronicles not only his own journey, but shares the growth of his gym and clients as well. His passion and enthusiasm are contagious.
Also, be sure to listen to our interview where we discuss the transformational power of strength and Chris’ latest projects, Outlaw Strongman and Steel and Stone Ministries.
Listen to our conversation HERE. To download, Right Click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://www.impactstrengthandfitness.com/
http://www.outlawstrongman.com/
Krista Scott-Dixon
Krista Scott-Dixon has a mission. She’s in the business of changing lives. Through fitness and nutrition, providing both example and support, her mission is to help people, both the lay public and professional members of the industry, take control of their own personal power to make positive change in their lives.
Practically, Krista does this through her work with Precision Nutrition and her website, Stumptuous.com. So, sit back grab a tasty beverage and listen in on our conversation. You’ll be better for it, I’m sure.
To listen go HERE. To download, Right Click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://PrecisionNutrition.com
Andrea Smith
Andrea is the co-owner of Trident CrossFit and Misha’s Coffeehouse in Alexandria, Virginia. A super savvy businesswoman she exemplifies that rare, but essential quality of any truly successful effort — she truly cares. Her commitment to her craft and her clientele is palpable in everything she says.
Check out our conversation HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://TridentCrossFitVa.com
https://www.facebook.com/TridentCrossFit?fref=ts
Chip Conrad
If the fitness industry was William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chip Conrad would undoubtedly be the mischievous Puck.
Chip is a bundle of walking paradoxes, only one of which is that he’s both a vegetarian and a competitive weightlifter, and he likes it that way. An apostle of physical culture, his passion for true fitness is so strong even he can’t take it seriously.
I am proud to consider Chip my mentor and friend and honored that a man who, in this day and age of modern technology, still can’t be reached by telephone managed an hour long conversation with me via that “infernal device.”
Listen to our conversation by clicking HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
Website: http://Bodytribe.com/.
Diana Salinas
It’s Wednesday, my friends, and I, for one, am happy to be back into the swing of things after the holidays. This week’s interview is Diana Salinas, the mastermind of Bootcamp Divas, which is run out of CrossFit Seguin in Seguin, Texas.
Diana is an Underground Strength Coach, a powerful advocate for women’s strength and fitness and the personal development these help ensure. Diana is a role model not only for her physical prowess, but for her business acumen as well. At present, Bootcamp Divas has a very low turn over rate, if you’re in the area and interested in joining — get in line. There’s a waiting list, a sure sign that Diana is worth paying attention to.
You can listen or download her interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bootcamp-Divas/107939095972850?fref=ts
http://CrossFitSeguin.com
Luis Carrillo
Happy New Year!
To kick off 2013 here’s an interview Strengthology student, Luis Carrillo. Luis lives and trains in San Diego, California.
Luis traveled to St. Petersburg in June of 2012 for a Strengthology I workshop with Elliott Hulse. There he discovered several imbalances, or what Elliott calls “muscle viruses.” Empowered with a new knowledge for correcting those imbalances and a rekindled passion for change, Luis set to work.
In three short months he gained five pounds of muscle and made great strides in his mobility and athleticism — all with just bodyweight training.
To learn more, check out the interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
Charles Abouzied
Happy Holidays, ya’ll.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Today I’m bringing you an interview with Charles Abouzied. Charles runs Crossfit House of Pain up in New Jersey. I met him last summer at the Underground Conference 2012.
In a room full of fitness pros Charles certainly stands out. As you can see from his picture, Charles is a big man and at first glance not what you would expect in a fitness professional. But don’t be too quick to judge, because Charles will quickly show you his abilities far out strip what his appearance might imply.
So, take a minute, sit back, maybe with a warm cup of protein laden hot cocoa, or even an eggnog, and give a listen as Charles and I delve into what it’s like to be a big man in a skinny industry and how not to let other people’s opinions determine who or what we’ll be.
To listen to Charles’ interview, go HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crossfit-House-Of-Pain/154559827975597?fref=ts
http://crossfithouseofpain.com/
Elliott Hulse
If you’re not familiar with Elliott by now, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. Not only does he frequently get a nod of acknowledgement here, he is one of the most prolific authorities on YouTube.
Husband, father, pro-Strongman, gym owner, Mental Meat Head, Non-Jobs guru and purveyor of knowledge both profane and profound, Elliott has been a huge influence in both my business and my life.
In today’s interview we wander off the beaten path, digging deep into the philosophical side of fitness and how to become the strongest version of yourself.
Elliott will be here at Agoge Fitness Systems, in historic Birmingham, Alabama, January 26th and 27th, along with Chip Conrad, Jason C. Brown and Matt Wichlinski for the Mental Meat Heads workshop and symposium. There are only a few tickets left, be sure and get yours now by going HERE.
To listen to Elliott’s interview go HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: https://www.facebook.com/elliotthulse
http://www.youtube.com/user/elliottsaidwhat
Alex Villegas
Alex Villegas is the second half of Synergy Transformation Center in Miami, Florida. A fellow Strengthology coach and student of Elliott Hulse, Alex is the powerful yin to Zach Marcy’s yang. The DIME PEACE project, mentioned in Zach’s interview, is Alex’s brainchild and passion as he dedicates his professional life to giving back to all the powerful women who’ve helped him along in life by doing his part to help create more powerful and dynamic women in the world.
You can listen to his interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://dimepeaceproject.com/
Jason C. Brown
Jason C. Brown, the man who started it all, at least for me anyway. Six years ago, I ran across his kettlebell tutorial videos on YouTube. It was his work and his associations that started me on the path I follow this day. To say I owe him a debt of gratitude is an understatement.
Jason has the soul of a poet. Former Marine, vegetarian since 1989 and former straight edge hardcore musician, Jason has seen much of the world and maintained his own unique individuality along the way. His love is fitness, but not fitness for it’s own sake, fitness for a purpose, that purpose — life. His philosophy is that strength and ability are essential to life’s enjoyment, the better we move the better we live.
Look for his two new projects Sundried Kimonos and the Strength Garden, coming soon.
Jason will be in Birmingham at Agoge Fitness Systems for the Mental Meat Heads Workshop, January 26th and 27th. At present there are only a few spaces left, don’t let this opportunity pass you by!
Listen to his interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://www.pathfindermethod.com/
Eli Poulos
Eli lives in Asheville, North Carolina and is a student at the University of North Carolina there. Despite having been diagnosed with Type I Diabetes several years earlier, Eli has forged himself into an athlete and a warrior in every sense of the word. Not one to let anything hold him back Eli has mastered his body, becoming proficient in many gymnastic movements including the gymnastic rings. He is a testament to the power of will and the rewards of dedication and hard work.
Listen to his interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
email: erpoulos@UNCA.edu
Zach Marcy
Zach Marcy, AKA El Tiburon, is the owner of Synergize Transformation Center, in Miami, Florida. Zach is an Underground Strength Coach and a Level 1 Strengthology Coach. He is highly motivated and highly motivating, his infectious presence cannot help but bring you to a higher level. make sure you check out his FREE Holiday Thrival Guide to help you not only survive but THRIVE this holiday season. Get your copy HERE.
Listen to his interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://synergizefatloss.com
Isaac Wilkins
Isaac Wilkins is the owner of Relentless Strength Training. Isaac is a fellow Underground Strength Coach and the author of a top notch training manual, The Athlete Reborn. Isaac is no stranger to adversity, growing up a loner and an outsider he found a refuge in the gym that helped bring him out of his shell, only to face further frustration and adversity in both a failed relationship and business. Not one to be knocked down for long he once again turned to his training, intensified his efforts and rebuilt himself.
Listen to his interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://relentlessstrengthtraining.com
email: isaac@wilkinspower.com
Matt Wichlinski
A true Mental Meathead and one of the top coaches in the industry, Matt and I spent a full hour talking about fitness, the industry and the importance of a philosophy to your training. I am so excited not only to share this interview but to have Matt coming here, to Birmingham, to serve as one of the four cutting edge coaches presenting at Mental Meatheads: A Symposium on Philosophical Physiology and the Thinking Man’s Fitness check out his interview and then sign up up for the workshop. Spaces are filling up fast.
Listen to his interview HERE. To download, right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://tssathletics.com
email: Matt@tssathletics.com
Dan Gibson
Happy Halloween! We thought we’d take advantage of Dan’s appearance at the Hall of Heroes as Sabretooth to promote his interview. Dan runs Strength Haven in Elkhart, Indiana and is an all around awesome dude. Having taken more than his fair share of knocks from life Dan just keeps going. His quiet strength and determined attitude are qualities we all can study and emulate.
Listen to his interview HERE. To download right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://strengthhaven.com
Zach Even-Esh
Zach Even-Esh is a cutting edge leader in the world of fitness and strength. Starting with a small garage gym in his parent’s house Zach has gained worldwide notoriety and national acclaim. Beyond the Internet he is featured as a leading expert with published articles in Fitness and Iron Man magazines. Most recently he’s been a contributor to Schwarzenegger.com.
Listen to his interview HERE. To download right click and ‘Save As.’
website: http://undergroundstrength.tv
Check out Zach’s incredible tribute to Physical Culture and one of history’s greatest lifters George Hackenschmidt in his Russian Lion Power Course.
Frank DiMeo
Frank DiMeo runs CrossFit Gulf Coast in Sarasota, Florida. At 62, Frank has no intentions of backing down from life. He’s dedicated himself to the development of himself and others through fitness and exemplifies all the noble qualities of a seasoned warrior.
To listen to his interview, go HERE. To download right click and ‘Save As.’
Website: http://crossfitgulfcoast.com
Steven Ashton
Steven lives and works in St. Petersburg, Florida. He runs two businesses, an Anytime Fitness franchise and 5,000 square foot Crossfit facility called Crossfit9. He is the married father of two young boys. At 51 years old Steven’s passion is to share with all people that age is not defining and that you can have the body and the life you want regardless of how old you are or where you’re starting from.
To listen to the interview go HERE. To download right click and ‘Save As.’
Email: Steven@mastersfitnesscoach.com
Website: http://mastersfitnesscoach.com
