The Work Podcast Episode 41- Level The F Up!

Jan 16, 2026

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What is up, team!

We just wrapped up another solid episode, and I’m feeling dialed in. Greg and I got into the weeds on everything from post-deload training stats to the "victim mentality" creeping into today's content. Here is the breakdown of what we covered:

Training & Nutrition Update We are fresh off a deload week, and the strength is rebounding hard. I solidified my base and now the numbers are climbing—I hit 505 lbs on Hatfield squats for reps, which was brutal but good. I’m sitting right around 15% body fat, which is exactly where I want to hold. To support that, I’m eating a lot—averaging 3,500 to 3,800 calories a day.

My macros are dialed: ~200g of protein and a heavy 250g to 300g of fat. And no, I’m not worried about the saturated fat; I’m getting a healthy mix of stearic and lauric acid from sources like tallow, butter, and cacao butter.

The Competitor's Mindset We took a trip down to Little Rock for a posing seminar (and hit up Wright's Barbecue—if you know, you know). On the drive, we talked about the trap first-time competitors fall into. You might bring your absolute best package to the stage, but if you run into a guy who has been competing for ten years, you might not win because you can't control who shows up.

If you tie your self-worth to a trophy, you’re setting yourself up to be let down. The goal is always to beat the previous version of yourself. If you transformed your life and body to get on that stage, you’ve already won, regardless of the hardware.

Extreme Ownership vs. "Feel Good" Fluff We listened to some Mel Robbins on the drive. Look, she’s popular, but a lot of that content feels like sugarcoating—telling people it’s okay to stay on the couch and relax. I think there is a void in the space for people who need to be told to level the f up*.

We need less coddling and more Jocko-style Extreme Ownership. Even if your situation isn’t your fault, act like it is, own it, and find a way to overcome it. The victim mentality is a cancer.

Upcoming Events & Updates

Austin Retreat: The "Mud Run Meetup" in Austin is almost full. We are capping it at around 12 people to keep that camaraderie tight. We’re doing a Tough Mudder, so I’ve been training my agility on the trails to get ready.
Family: Crystal just got a gym membership at a new spot about 20 minutes away. I’m stoked for her to have that dedicated space to train and zone out now that the baby is a bit older.
Keto Brick: Good news—Chocolate Malt is back in stock this week. We are also working on some new test formulations... let’s just say there might be a "tallow teaser" coming soon.

Time to go eat some beef and eggs. Keto on!

Greg Mahler is also a lifetime natural bodybuilder, and can be followed on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/ketogreg80/

Get Keto Brick: https://www.ketobrick.com/

Subscribe to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/42cjJssghqD01bdWBxRYEg?si=1XYKmPXmR4eKw2O9gGCEuQ