Vigor Life Podcast

In this engaging discussion, fitness coach Jen Widerstrom—former head coach of The Biggest Loser and lead coach at Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pump Club—unpacks the secrets of effective coaching. She emphasizes the importance of building trust and consistency for long-term client success. Jen shares insights into balancing client autonomy with necessary guidance and the value of real-world coaching experience. She also reflects on her unique journey in fitness, career pivots, and the importance of resilience training, especially for those over 40.

Dr. Mike Israetel, cofounder of RP Strength with a PhD in Sport Physiology, shares insights on lifelong athleticism and effective training strategies. He discusses the importance of strength training and dietary control to enhance performance while preventing injuries. Delving into the evolving landscape of weight loss drugs, Dr. Mike highlights how these could revolutionize health and coaching. Their conversation weaves together scientific principles with personal anecdotes, offering practical tips like gradual reconditioning for returning athletes.

I wanted to do this as the 200th episode but didn’t want to mess up the flow as I was shooting some great episodes, so it got 201st place. With that being said I wanted to share the insights of what I learned since starting the podcast almost 7 years ago. I’ve had some incredible guests over the years, there’s 250 hours of eduction on the show, and I’m thinking about how to do the next 200 episodes while creating as much value as possible through being curious myself, and giving my best value to everyone that is listening. Thank you to everyone that listens to the show, I love and appreciate you! IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> Start with why, corny as it is, Simon Sinek was right. => When to pick endurance and when to pick trends. One is going to win out the majority of the time. => The #1 trait I recognize in people that will continue to succeed long term even if they have setbacks in life and business. => What lesson Frank Kern taught me over lunch 10+ years ago that helped me build an audience of over 1 million combined over different platforms=> Why your destination is not that important but THIS is!=> The mistake I regret and what I would have done differently (and what tagline I’d put on the shirt to never forget). => The biggest currency in life that is not talked about enough and that has helped me grow the podcast. => How being hated on is a gift and here’s how to turn into something powerful. => The 4-step process I use to improve day in and day out. => The principle that will help you build your body, your business, your media, your relationship and everything in between (it’s also my screensaver reminder).=> Which unknown 50 cent book should everyone read and how the title is my recommendation of what the younger generation should do.=> The Vigor Ground core value that is my guiding compass in business and the podcast. => Why first impressions matter and 3 stories of how I created a great one with the right people. => Why the leader MUST keep the highest standard. => The power of scorecards, accountability and the right people around you. => Everyone loses their way at some point, that’s why you have to have this! => What does “taste the dish” mean and how most business owners don’t do it and it’s hurting them. => Starting is not the hardest part, the “messy middle” is where people quit; here’s what to do to avoid it. => Whatever you want to get great at, get to 100 (reps) as fast as possible.Shout out to our sponsors! Live Momentous supplements. This is my favorite brand of supplements that I have been taking for over 6 years and to be able to partner with them has been exciting as I get to recommend the highest quality supplements on the market, that have exactly what they say in them and they are all the highest quality ingredients (along with a no questions asked 30-day money back guarantee if you don’t like them). You can get 15% off by going here!RP Hypertrophy app. If you’re looking to build muscle in a proven way, science backed and individualized way, then look no further than the programs created by Dr. Mike Israetel and the RP Strength team. You will know exactly which exercise to do, how to do it, what sets and reps, tempos, and also weight adjustments you need to make to have the gains you’ve been looking for. You can also get $50 off for the year or monthly discount!TrainHeroic training app. This is the app I use for my Athlete for Life online programs, and it’s also the app we use for our semi private personal training at Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance. This is by far the most user friendly AND client friendly app on the market, which is why I choose for my online and in person/gym business. If you’re a coach you can try it out for free here: trainheroic.co/vigorlifepodcastLINKS & RESOURCES:Built To Last Gym MastermindSuper Coach Mentorship Luka's YouTube Channel 

I’ve known about Mike for 20+ years since I watched Defranco’s YouTube of him doing crazy feats in the gym. Since then he’s becoming an incredible coach and gym owner and has trained some of the most elite athletes and champions. His knowledge,  experience and wisdom are extremely valuable and we dive into all aspects of athletic development, coaching and communication. Mike is currently a Coach, Writer & Owner at Freak Strength and has been coaching for over 10+ years. He has coached levels of athletes from NFL, MLB, NBA, MLL, MLS, WWE, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Olympic Gold medalists to pre-pubescent athletes.  He has also consulted for high caliber athletes and coaches worldwide. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> From being a training gym freak at Defranco’s Gym to becoming the director of performance, and then opening up Freak Strength - how has Mike’s philosophy around athletic training changed => Wearing different communication hats when coaching youth, college or pro athletes (this is where coaches get it wrong).=> Why training pro athletes can get buy in with high school athletes but what NOT to do.=> Two powerful experiences that shaped how Mike coached; and how Mike’s brother’s journey changed his “tough love” approach to coaching.=> The “hot chick” coaching strategy that helped Mike an “un-coachable athlete” buy into the program. => You’ll learn more from a 1,000 coaching sessions than you will from a 1,000 coaching books - why you need to get reps in. => The mistake coaches make when coaching youth athletes and how to build incredible athletes in high school.=> Being boring and “vanilla” IS the best strategy for high school athletes. => How Mike’s influences went from Ed Coan, to physical therapy, to Joe Defranco, Buddy Morris, James “The Thinker” Smith, Dan Pfaff, Cal Dietz, and how this shaped his philosophy to today. => Why “slow cooking” athlete development is the way to go when it comes to long term success. => How Mike trouble shoots what the athlete needs and why bigger, faster, stronger many times is NOT the answer. => Meeting athletes where they are and why what you believe they need and what they think they need are many times two different things (and how to make it work).=> How Mike took a different approach with NBA star Kevin Love and improved his performance and extended his career. => Why getting bigger and stronger may be the way to go with offensive linemen, but with baseball that may make them worse (how to assess specificity of the sport). => Why we don’t do online coaching for athletes and how it doesn’t match our standards for coaching (and we can’t truly assess where they are). => What it takes to become world class at coaching athletes and what won’t get you there guaranteed. => Why Mike wants to make Freak Strength free and the reason you should want to make great income in coaching. => The #1 prerequisite for becoming a successful coach (both in terms of results with clients as well as income). => The BIG differences in training elite pro athletes and high school or college athletes (why your goal for pro athletes is to make them feel and look more like themselves). => Continuing to build your toolbox to help athletes and why Mike dove into bodywork to unlock better results. => How to build your network to have more resources to help your people win (dropping the ego is key). => You MUST be curious and want to learn and have a desire to be better (as a way of being rather than a period of life). => Mike’s advice for upcoming coaches to build a successful career (which on average is shorter than an NFL career). => You’re not the start of the show and once you understand that you’ll be a better coach. => Why you may have to get better at business so that you can continue coaching forever. LINKS & RESOURCES:Mike Guadango WebsiteMike Guadango IGMike & Booker Show Luka Hocevar YouTube 

Dan Go, a health coach who specializes in helping entrepreneurs achieve lean bodies and longevity, shares invaluable insights from his journey. He discusses simplifying complexities in fitness for busy professionals, emphasizing the 'performance trifecta' for tracking results. Dan highlights the importance of tailored strategies, including the innovative 'sprint' method, for personal and business growth. He also reveals the significance of health in decision-making and shares content marketing tips to foster authentic online branding—all aimed at maximizing success.

Eric Cressey has been a friend and someone that has set the highest standard in coaching and being a pro at the highest level; and someone I have learned from and continue to learn from. I connected with him and started learning from him when I was still playing pro basketball 20+ years and flew out to Birmingham, England to attend a live event.Eric Cressey is president and co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, with facilities located in Hudson, MA and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.A highly sought-after coach for healthy and injured athletes alike, Eric has helped athletes at all levels – from youth sports to the professional and Olympic ranks – achieve their highest levels of performance in a variety of sports.Behind Eric’s expertise, Cressey Sports Performance has rapidly established itself as a go-to high performance facility for those that come from across the country and abroad to experience CSP’s cutting-edge methods. Eric is perhaps best known for his extensive work with baseball players, with more than 100 professional players traveling to train with him each off-season.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> When it comes to developing high school athletes, there’s the physical side and the ____ side (the 2nd one has changed dramatically and is affecting everything). => The rise of phones and social media and how it affects the athlete; and HOW to get the athletes to buy-in within the digital world.=> How to block out the noise to improve training, nutrition, sleep, and improve athlete development. => The top 2 abilities in developing the high school athlete to the college athlete, that do NOT transfer to the pro’s. => The shocking length of the window of adaptation for body composition changes in college athletes (and how that affects their programs). => How Eric’s job and what he loves to do it solving puzzles and figuring out how to improve athlete’s performance and keep them healthier, longer. => The biggest bottlenecks for high school, college, and pro athletes; they are very different and you have to approach it from this frame. => Why you should take a “compressed” athlete and change their training to regain elasticity, explosiveness, and power, as well as better ranges of motion of movement. => Why understanding “transmutation” and how long it takes the body to adapt is very important when creating training programs structured to get athletes ready for the season. =>  Not being married to specific exercises but rather to specific adaptations and how to match the exercises to the athletes (hint: are back squats, deadlifts and bench press necessary with advanced athletes). => Eric’s and Luka’s thoughts on their own training being “athletes for life” and how they have changed their workouts and training philosophy. => What Eric’s injury taught him and how it changed his training, lifestyle and realizations on what matter. => The BIG changes in professional sports that are affecting injuries, the approach to training, and how to deliver the best for your athletes (the margin for error for elite athletes is smaller than ever). => Why the younger generations are more broken than ever and a mind boggling statistic on injuries before 2021 and after 2021. => How NIL and the trade portal in college is affecting team and athlete development, injuries, and creating a team chemistry.=> Why the private sector may now have a huge advantage for training athletes in the off season.=> The 3 things that Eric looks for when it comes to interns developing into great coaches (and who they will hire). => If you don’t have this one ability it will be very difficult for you to develop as a great coach and great career in the industry. => Which types of people do well as a coach; and what do they DO that make them stand out. LINKS & RESOURCES:Eric’s website  Elite Baseball Development Podcast Eric Cressey IGLuka's YouTube

Paul Mort, a two-time UK Master Coach of The Year, shares his remarkable journey from despair to empowerment. He discusses the challenges of writing his candid book, emphasizing mental resilience and facing fears. Listeners will learn about the importance of trust, personal achievements, and simplicity in achieving their goals. Paul highlights how stepping out of comfort zones fosters growth and the critical role of a positive mindset in both personal and professional realms. His insights are infused with humor, making personal transformation relatable and achievable.

Craig Ballantyne, a renowned business coach and author, shares his journey from a struggling personal trainer to a successful entrepreneur. They delve into the paradox of discipline, discussing how it can sometimes steer you away from true life goals. Craig emphasizes the importance of prioritizing meaningful tasks and cutting out distractions. He also reflects on his family's unique experience giving birth in Mexico and the value of trust in personal and professional growth. Listeners will gain insights into fostering creativity and accountability in their pursuit of productivity.

Zack is someone I knew of and followed through our network and the great work he does. We were formally introduced to by our mutual friend, Megan. From there we connected in Austin, TX then I went on the Coach Em Up Podcast which he co-hosts, and hit it off. He’s an incredibly smart, experienced, and successful performance coach that has been with the University of Texas women’s basketball for 7 years and had a wealth of knowledge to share. Zack Zillner enters his seventh season as women's basketball sports performance coach at the University of Texas. Zillner develops, implements and supervises the training regimen for the Texas women’s basketball team in the areas of speed, strength, agility, conditioning and flexibility. Zillner also works collaboratively with the areas of sports medicine and performance nutrition. We dive into off-season, in-season strength and conditioning, how to build buy in with athletes, developing as a strength coach and much much more.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> Why what you do doesn’t matter until you get your clients/athletes to buy into the program. => A unique approach Zack used to get his basketball athletes to buy into the strength and performance program.=> What is more important, performance training, skills, both, and how much of each for a player; we answer the questions. => Why the first phase of the off season is “chasing health” and what that looks like in programming.=> The collaboration of coaching staff, skill staff, and performance staff to develop the players to their best ability.=> The best sales people on the team that will get everyone on board (and why you have to focus on them). => What is “guided autonomy” and “theme” based training and how it plays out in a training week at University of Texas women’s basketball. => The break down of every day of strength and performance training for a basketball team. => Why Zack chooses total body as the best type of training for athletes. => What is the “bodyshop training day” and why athletes love it. => How does conditioning play into the off-season and how hard should players go in pick up basketball (you’ll be surprised by the answer). => What does collaboration with a player in the weight room look like. => The exact break down of a 30-minute strength and performance in-season training session. => The overlooked and biggest obstacle for players coming from high school into college when it comes to adapting. => The effect of lifestyle factors (sleep, food, stress) on basketball players performance and how it will grow or stunt success.=> Coaching and communication insights to get players to take on behaviors that will make them a better athlete (that they are avoiding). => The key principles of becoming a successful strength coach. => Why work ethic and dependability is a critical factor in getting ahead of everyone else when it comes to the strength coach. => The power of taking pride in the work that you do no matter how small the task.=> Why being a sponge and submerging yourself into learning from the greats around you should be a focus for every coach. => Setting standards for yourself on a daily basis as a coach and why mimicking works. => What is Zack learning and excited about in the field of sports performance for basketball.LINKS & RESOURCES:Zack's IG Coach Em Up Podcast  Micro Dosing Performance Course Luka’s Courses and Workshops  Luka's YouTube 

I’ve been excited about having a conversation with Allan as I’ve been following him for a while and love his approach to coaching and education when it comes to nutrition and fitness. I specifically wanted to dive deeper into his thoughts on nutrition coaching, weight loss plateaus, as well as insights on GLP-1’s. This episode is packed full of value and insights for any person looking to improve their nutrition, or coaches dedicated to their clients health and fitness.Dr. Allan holds a Doctorate in Dental Surgery from the University of Maryland. He is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, a certified physique & bodybuilding coach, a certified nutritionist (x2), a certified coach for USA Powerlifting, and has formulated professionally for industry-leading dietary supplement companies since 2009.You can find his published fitness articles in outlets such as Muscle & Fitness, Sci-Fit, the Alan Aragon Research Review, and The Personal Trainer Development Center and more.His practice focuses on helping driven adults master their physique, performance, and health for lifelong results. In his free time, Dr. Allan enjoys outdoor activities, EDC, sports, hanging out with his wife and dog, bodybuilding, gaming, and reading.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> How do you take the X’s and O’s of nutrition and actually get people doing it consistently so they can sustain it.=> Mastering the basics is always the answer, and here’s what the real basics are.=> Why novelty, “secrets & tricks” are so easy to fall for when trying to change your diet; and how social media amplifies it.=> How uninformed optimism leads us to start a diet with excitement, and informed pessimism leads us to keep switching it. => All the factors that can make you misinterpret your weight loss and why need things seem like they “work like crazy.”=> A powerful coaching question that will filter where the nutrition approach will work for the client. => Any diet approach without agency will be unsuccessful; here’s the framework to helping clients choose a successful diet plan.=> Plateaus happen for 1 or 2 reasons; here’s how to address each one of them in detail. => Why the RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) of daily caloric expenditure is not what you think it is (what the science says and how it’s affecting your weight loss results).=> The truth about “starvation mode” and “metabolic damage” and why it’s still confusing people.=> What approach to nutrition has you moving less and getting hungrier.=> One of 4 things that can help you overcome a weight loss stall.=> How many calories does the average American underestimate daily and why eating out is part of what’s stopping your progress.=> Why NEAT and step count can be a very effective strategic approach to program into your weight loss journey.=> The hidden factors that could be culprits in your weight loss stalling. => Effective ways to track food without counting calories (and why you should still count calories…at least for a while).=> How to communicate with clients when coaching to get adherence with habits and routines for lifelong success.=> Why twins with identical DNA can have very different responses based on different environments, behaviors and experiences.=> The power of a food diary that helps on how you respond to stress; awareness precedes change.=> A strategic short term detox of foods and how it can help you with your weight loss journey. => Why GLP-1 can be great drugs but many times they’re not (because they are abused). => The right reason to use GLP-1’s and when NOT to use them. => Why GLP-1’s are the “training wheel” and not the bike, and what that means for you and your clients. => The dangers of GLP-1’s for menopausal women and what you MUST do in this phase. LINKS & RESOURCES:Dr. Allan Bacon's WebsiteDr. Allan Bacon's Instagram Luka’s Courses and Workshops Luka's YouTube