Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Three-time Mr Olympia, Frank Zane, is not only known as the bodybuilding champion to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger, but many believe him to have had the best-looking physique ever. Today, he's passing on his tips for physical perfection and a lot more to benefit others in every way. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/QLMJqQQZTNA Frank started out as a bit of a scrapper by circumstance, finishing fights for his younger brother before his bodybuilding journey began and the sight of his physique, even at an early age, warded off trouble. Having won Mr Olympia in 1977, 1978, and 1979, his focus was not on getting huge as we know bodybuilding today, but to concentrate on symmetry and proportion. It's this meticulous attention to detail and determined focus that has dominated his continuous life of achievement and brought success time after time, both physically and in business. Since his competition accomplishments, he's studied psychology in the '90s and got a master's degree to coincide with a fascination of meditation mantras and the importance of clearing one's mind. In his spare time, Frank enjoys endless opportunities for education and personal growth, studying spiritual approaches as well as continuing to pioneer fitness. If that's not enough, he also enjoys playing up to 20 instruments during each day. From training origins to his passion for teaching, Frank is not only one of the biggest names in bodybuilding, he's an incredible source of knowledge for personal growth and enlightenment, too. Frank puts a lot of his success down to a simple comment given to him by weightlifting legend and entrepreneur, Bob Hoffman, who said: "Young man, if I had a physique like yours, I'd be walking around with my shirt off all the time." It was this that created much of Frank's motivation for life. Frank is one of the greatest sources of knowledge when it comes to the business of bodybuilding because he's lived it for decades. In this episode of Escape Your Limits, he explains how he's learned a lot over the years, including how to apply his methodologies and lessons to the work of others, transferring his passion from self-improvement to bettering the lives of others. Today, Frank spends his time helping others, keeping in both mental and physical shape, and writing – whether that be music or contributing to his new book, a volume of everything he's done. The 400+ pages of the Zane Bodybuilding Manual are a background to Frank's career, spanning from his early days of training at 14 years old right up to now, with all the lessons he's learned. The book is available from frankzane.com Episode Highlights: How to decide what area of business to concentrate on at any one time and how this changes over your career and life. With Frank, this was which body part to concentrate on and what goals to pursue. Learn all about injuries when lifting: how you get them, how to avoid them and how to treat them. How you can overcome damaging comments from others to succeed and avoid the self-fulfilling prophecy of negativity. Ways that you can cope when you get to the point that it's not about you any more to see the bigger picture, whether in business or bodybuilding. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with physique legend, Frank Zane…. Please like and subscribe.

Business partners Brian Blacher and Brian Blacher , co-founders of Brian Blacher , San Diego, have a combined experience that's perfect to instill an ethos of not only a welcome atmosphere, but enabling people to make friends through fitness in their club. Inviting anyone to experience the next step in fitness culture, Workout Bar is disrupting the industry through detail, whether it's lighting, technology, music, or the programming itself. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/-RRL-EiPu0s Brian Blacher has been a fitpro for around 30 years, starting out in nutrition consultation and personal training before moving into management. His passion is based in sports science and nutrition, grounded in functional fitness. Steve Vlchek was intrigued by the world of fitness after retiring from the drilling/exploration industry early and getting into running. Just as many new members do, he found crossing the threshold of walking into a new gym intimidating. It's this that has driven him to create the benefits that Workout Bar brings to all members. Through this combination of incredibly varied approaches when it comes to design, programming, service offering and opinion, Workout Bar is something new. Whether welcoming, stimulating, soothing or relaxing, even Workout Bar's visuals throughout the facility follow their approach where every detail has a purpose. They want to be different and give something new to the social side of working out. Forget negative reinforcement when it comes to fitness, Workout Bar is all about positive experience, with three main focus points showing why it works so well. At first, traditionally you feel like you 'should' go to the gym. Once finally in the habit, you then 'need' to go to the gym. However, the difference comes in the 'want' to go to the gym – Workout Bar has created desire. Through a concierge level service and welcoming atmosphere – both in terms of offering and facility – the Workout Bar team breaks down the barriers and insecurities of first time gym inductees for circuit style training with a sports science backing, while creating a home for longstanding members through social appeal and more. On top of this, it's the location's tech and heart rate monitors that not only display a forward-thinking approach, but also provide relationship-building interactions with members new and loyal, young and old. Episode Highlights: How you can avoid the wasted space of traditional big box gyms by building a 'box within a box'. Making sure that the people aren't just welcomed, but ensuring the comfort of members continues throughout their gym experience by using technology and a pre-emptive approach. How a partner with no experience in the industry can bring new insight and a different understanding of what the customer actually needs, with no assumed knowledge. What gyms need to do to start overcoming the intimidation barriers for first time members. How you can bring the biggest benefits for investors before franchising a business model and enabling growth. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Brian Blacher and Steve Vlchek, co-founders of Workout Bar. Please like and subscribe.

With a pro fight career of 19 wins including 11 KO/TKO victories, Rob McCullough, senior MMA director at UFC GYM, is no stranger to overcoming a challenge. Hear how he made a career of punching people in the face to win a championship before going for gold in business, too. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/2RkwvZdGeAM The dedication of making weight and facing a different competitive challenge with every fight is something Rob was born for. Youngest of seven children, with his dad in the military, Rob was destined to a life in service to follow in his father's footsteps. However, his parents' divorce and a move to Alaska changed his outcome, resulting in Rob struggling to keep up with classes and not graduating high school. In his early teens, Rob travelled back to Huntingdon Beach and met UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz – a relationship that would eventually lead to a further UFC link through President Dana White. It didn't take long for Rob to discover gym life and try kickboxing at LA Boxing, before progressing to Brazilian jiu jitsu. The passion for the fight game had been born and only bigger things were to come. Working with his BJJ instructor, Rob progressed a career teaching combat classes from basic burpees, jumping jacks and bag work to the robust programming hub he implements in UFC GYMs today. From sparring unknowingly with a kickboxing champion, Rob's second ever pro am fight was at the Four Queens on Freemont Street in Las Vegas. His first found stoppage of his opponent preceded a night of celebration and a desire to fight as a career. Early on, Rob received advice from Bill Goldberg of WWE and WCW wrestling fame. He said: "Just remember… Potential. It means you haven't done shit yet." What followed was Rob's championship win in World Extreme Cagefighting, before returning to his roots. After getting a job at LA Boxing – Rob's first fight gym – as director of instructor training, the chain was acquired by Mark Mastrov and UFC GYMs. Today, UFC GYM is the result of a partnership between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and New Evolution Ventures, in an expanding initiative urging people to TRAIN DIFFERENT. Episode Highlights: Positive thoughts and clear mind through perfect preparation. Laughed at early in his career when he filled out his boxing license, hear how Rob silences the doubters through dedication and hard work. How mindset affects people in business, whether commercial or the fight game. How does family affect your killer-instinct and how you can use personal developments to evolve your motivation and inspiration. Hear why it's important to get a different perspective through research and collaboration with peers, even if you're not a studious person at heart. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Rob McCullough of UFC GYM… Please like and subscribe.

Having acquired business after business, seamlessly integrating staff and suitable skillsets, DW Sports now has over 3000 employees and a dual brand platform that's getting stronger nationwide. Escape Your Limits talks to DW Sports director, Scott Best, about managing growth, momentum and more. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/LMt44nK3EnQ Starting out as a contractor working on an oil refinery, the taste of earning money meant Scott put off university, instead concentrating on revolutionising the company, rising to success before heading up the business 12 years later. Scott's father-in-law and DW CEO, Dave Whelan,built 450 stores under the JJB brand – a fitness giant of retail space. On the back of this sports venture, he expanded into a portfolio of gym and health clubs. Scott joined Dave in buying back the health clubs side of JJB to form DW Sports after Dave left the company. JJB was subsequently bought by Sports Direct and went into administration. Between them, Scott and Dave built this portfolio to 71 health clubs before buying another seven old LA Fitness locations following their acquisition by PureGym. Then followed DW Sports' acquisition of Fitness First. Gaining strength and experience with every acquisition, DW Sports is now in the position of putting the best of every outfit into practice for the ultimate in exercise experience. Most recently, Scott has been paramount in the process of DW Sports acquiring Fitness First UK. In this new evolution, Scott's ability of establishing a sense of community through fitness makes it an acquisition supergroup that can do no wrong. With 55 joint sites with retail and leisure club, 123 clubs, and stand alone retail locations, DW Sports knows the power of dual branding benefits and offering tailored experiences in the right locations. On top of these acquisitions and developments, Scott has also set up a successful boutique offering in Best's Bootcamp – a 50-minute full-body workout with treadmills and functional fitness equipment, and Best Cycle – a 45-minute low impact calorie burn spin cycle session. Episode Highlights: How to balance business with education, what you can learn on the job and through experience, where to follow particular career paths and how to deal with the regrets of missing either option available. Why merging business opportunities together is much more beneficial than multiple production / process silos in leveraging customer experience and opportunities. How to recover after overexpansion and when you need to consolidate your business for the greater good. The ways in which you can benefit from a consolidated middle market through maintaining quality service and investment. Learn the importance of integration when bringing two cultures and management styles together, as opposed to dictating one overriding plan. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Scott Best of DW Sports… Please like and subscribe.

Building the biggest organisations on a mission to save the world, CEO of dotFIT Neal Spruce has few people that can match his passion. From a tough background, his journey has led him to success through huge names such as 24 Hour Fitness, Gold's Gym, NASM and more, all in a bid to bring fitness to every household. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/gsNjTYfIskY Sports and fitness saved Neal Spruce from an outlaw life of motorcycle gangs. Once on the right path, he turned his life around by winning bodybuilding competitions, where he expanded on his nutrition knowledge and developed the correlation of how nutrition is 100% responsible for what you can do for your body. To fund his bodybuilding passion, Neal worked as a mechanic before he was spotted during a Mr Western America competition and offered a job at Gold's Gym under a sponsorship deal. Here, Neal would hand write a diet plan for new members before they even joined – pioneering the importance of nutrition and selling it at point of sale. All of this was based on the fact that members wouldn't stay members without a diet plan because, in practice, they wouldn't see the results they wanted. It was a groundbreaking approach. By the time Neal left his position, the programme had been progressed through 535 gyms. Already on a profitable path but not feeling fulfilled, Neal's success story took an even bigger upturn upon him meeting lifelong business partner Mark Mastrov, who bought many successful Gold's Gym locations, leading to the famous franchising of Gold's. Between them, they launched 24 Hour Fitness, one of the first big box gyms that dominated the industry. With Mark, Neal built the business to bring in $400m a year in personal training and $100m a year in nutrition. When 24 Hour Fitness was sold in 2005, it went for $1.68 billion, with the nutrition component valued at $700m. Nutrition had never been more valuable. It was a unique model, with both partners putting together the perfect package that had nutrition at its heart. This has been the case with every venture they've been a part of since. Whether talking about Gold's Gym (Neal's initiative named Nutritionalysis), Apex Fitness, NASM personal trainer certification, 24 Hour Fitness or more – there's a lot more – nutrition has been at the heart of every opportunity and output. Today, dotFIT is Neal's research development company specialising in fitness and nutrition programmes and products for health, weight control, sports and fitness professionals. Neal argues that nobody is qualified to buy a dietary supplement on their own unless they've gone through particular schooling that's a requirement for dotFIT employees. On top of that, all the raw ingredients in dotFIT products are required to pass rigorous third-party screening to validate purity and potency. Unlike many suppliers, all of Neal's ventures integrate products with exercise and programming. He's also passionate about battling competitors that are cheating the system with protein spiking, and teaching the difference between mass market supplements and practitioner products. Everything he does is nutrition-centric from years of experience and education that he's always building on further. Episode Highlights: With two professional sportsman sons, Neal has found the secret to passing on his knowledge and incredible work ethic to his family as well as living the life of hard work and fitness himself. Discover how Neal found just how important nutrition is when it comes to performance and endurance, and how he pioneered nutrition at point of sale when it comes to gym memberships. If you're going to do something, aim to be the best at it. It's advice that's served Neal well throughout his life, and also the reason why he doesn't ski… Learning the history of how some of the biggest fitness chains such as Gold's Gym and 24 Hour Fitness came about and what caused the developments and success of each brand. Find out an innovative approach that works for the trainer, works for the business and works for the client, and how you can implement a strategy that lasts. How does someone so successful define success? And how arrogance can lead to regret, regardless of finance. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Neal Spruce, nutrition guru and CEO of dotFIT…. Please like and subscribe.

In this special episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we hear from nine industry experts on what they think of the future of fitness and how you can make a difference. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/UEsOvz5BtI4 Our expert panel for this entrepreneur leadership quotes compilation covers every aspect of fitness, with secrets to success for now and the future. The panel includes… Donovan Green, personal trainer to Dr Oz, founder of My Green Living and author. David Weck, inventor of the BOSU ball and founder of WeckMethod (hear more from David Weck at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-20-david-weck-of-weckmethod/id1321349827?i=1000408473637&mt=2). Tamer El-Guindy, senior vice president of global franchising and head of UFC GYM University. Richard Earney, national program director at Midtown Athletic Clubs (hear more from Richard Earney at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-3-richard-earney-national-programme-director-for/id1321349827?i=1000397637246&mt=2). Brad Houx, general manager at Midtown Athletic Clubs. Michol Dalcourt, founder and director of the Institute of Motion, and creator of the ViPR (hear more from Michol Dalcourt at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-5-michol-dalcourt-of-the-institute-of-motion/id1321349827?i=1000398831155&mt=2). Brian Blacher, co-founder of Workout Bar, San Diego. Irina Kutina, CEO and founder of ENCOREfitness, Russia. Derek Gallup, executive vice president of fitness for New Evolution Ventures and chairman of IHRSA. With business located around the world from personal training, innovation and invention to the fight game, social fitness, and investment, this episode brings a wealth of insight in the form of answers to three questions… What brings you to IHRSA? What gaps have yet to be filled in the industry? What emerging trends do you see in the industry right now? Episode highlights - What approaches should you be implementing to grow your mind and pass that knowledge onto your clients? How these questions related to the reversal of the global physical inactivity epidemic, and what can be done to forward progress on this important issue. Discover the future of fitness and how trade shows can take your business to another level. How can you appeal to other groups in society such as the younger generation and the elderly; not just focussing on fitness for adults? How to encourage people to live their lives with integrated fitness for improved health and betterment on a personal level, too. How technology and the virtual world is set to expand and will data take over in importance? Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with the thought leading experts of fitness at IHRSA….

In this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we meet David Weck, creator of the BOSU ball and his eponymous training methodology, WeckMethod, to learn everything there is to know about the importance of movement and money. Founder of WeckMethod, inventor of BOSU Balance Trainer, patent expert, trainer and entrepreneur, for 25 years David Weck been helping people reach their potential at the peak of their fitness while also rehabilitating those that have mobility impairment or disability. From his San Diego laboratory, David tests and vets the next fitness and movement innovations before releasing them to gyms and programmes around the world. From a young age, he's trained with the intensity of a world class athlete throughout college, pouring through assets, researching training techniques and the latest science in sport. He became a PT to make money after getting into acting. Through a passion for roller blading around Manhattan (he didn't travel on foot for six years) he understood the importance of flow. It was an injury to his back led to him discovering the stability ball, and the rest is history. David's used the BOSU ball to train world class athletes from the US Olympic Ski Team, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Baltimore Ravens, the New Jersey Devils and more. His revolutionary product, backed by his movement methodology is relied upon in gyms around the world. David's Chinese medicine background has led him to innovate and revolutionise the approach of many within the fitness industry. WeckMethod is all about discovering the importance of training ambidexterity through fluidity in movement and strength. It was the danger of standing on a stability ball that led to the creation of BOSU; David came up with the idea while post-rehabbing after injuring his back in a motorcycle accident. Not only is BOSU a manufactured product worldwide, but it's accompanied by a methodology that can be applied to every movement in any workout. The BOSU ball helps with stability and core functionality by allowing athletes to transmit force through the body and train to leverage the power of your heel and your core, for example. David explains his reasoning for each business venture in his own words: "Just knowing that I'm going to do whatever it takes and I'll die trying to make this thing go. I will not fail. That's the thing that keeps you going. Then you get thrilled by the successes." Episode Highlights: Why answering the existential question of "what I'm going to do with my life" doesn't have to be the final direction for your entrepreneurial decisions. Discover the joy of being able to move with speed and have no effort, and how David found his passion through roller blading. How risk versus reward can lead to practical problem solving, and why the BOSU is the best example of instability with the perfect stability. Realise your relationship with force, and how you can use time-served techniques to overcome any resistance, whether physical or metaphorical. Why your intellectual property rights are extremely important and how protecting them can immediately give you a better start in business. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/1oE4tH8ybus Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with David Weck, creator of the BOSU ball…. Please like and subscribe.

Meet the Hollywood trio that has found the groundbreaking formula to help bring the chaga mushroom's powerful benefits to the masses. They're all about making the best product possible, through education and understanding and doing it because they care. Friends for over a decade, the Shroomsmen – Tulsy Ball, his brother Prema and their business partner Doug Kraft, never thought they'd be in business together. Collectively, their background of personal training, spirituality, acting and directing has come together to contribute entrepreneurial insight that is at the heart of Chagit. Doug had been a personal trainer for 20 years. Tulsy and Prema, however, had an altogether different background, growing up in a Hindu commune in northern California where their mother cooked for George Harrison. The trio met in Hollywood working in the film industry, where their love for storytelling aligned their passion behind and in front of the camera. Having heard about the chaga mushroom through a television opportunity, brothers Prema and Tulsy researched the process after they were told how intense it could be for harvesters fighting bears and dealing with the wilderness, all for chaga's direct medicinal and indirect financial benefits. The Chagit Heath Shot uses the most powerful antioxidant ever known – the chaga medicinal mushroom. According to research, this mushroom has 215 different components, with 14 found nowhere else in nature and one that's effective in more ways than we can name when it comes to your health! For athletic performance, the chaga mushroom also increases blood flow around the body, which in turn benefits energy, endurance and battles inflammation. It also boosts your immune system in ways beyond many other ingestible options. All three Shroomsmen have a personal stake in the company, with family health and personal wellbeing at the forefront of the venture. Hear how they're making the world a better place for every client and customer. Episode Highlights: How multiple skillsets within a business can complement each other and be put to great use in any new industry, and how to prioritise business direction. Overcoming personal health issues and how your own wellbeing can affect business decisions for the better. Why not being in business together can grow significant roots that can lead to the best business partnership you'll find. The challenge of making a profitable sales venture from something that you know has value but isn't widely known in the world, and how to overcome it. Why it's vital to research legislation, and what to do when growth leads to legal issues forcing you to give away your product for free. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Tulsy, Prema and Doug of the Chagit Health Shot. Please like and subscribe.

Best selling author, CEO of futurethink and keynote speaker of IHRSA, Lisa Bodell has transformed thousands of organisations to make more of their time, and inspired even more people to innovate in strategy, ideas, process and climate. IHRSA's keynote speaker for 2018, Lisa is CEO of futurethink, internationally recognised innovation, research and training gurus. Her background of working in corporate America means she's used to dealing with speaking to huge crowds that are passionate for change, which made her the perfect pick for the San Diego stage. On top of her forward-thinking and public speaking, Lisa is also the author of Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters, among other titles, meaning that we can all learn a lot from this respected thought leader, in an industry that's always hungry for innovation and new ways of leveraging time and resource. Lisa founded futurethink 20 years ago on the premise that everyone can innovate, they just need to know how. futurethink focuses on helping people all around the world eliminate complexity and be able to unlock innovation within their teams through practical tips and advice from experience. From futurethink's award-winning library of innovation resources to dynamic trainers, Lisa and her team inspire and enable entire organizations to think differently, drive change, and achieve innovation success. Episode Highlights: Why most of the complexity we deal with in our work is not put on us, but chosen by us, and how to distinguish between valuable work and what's not worth your time. How "We create the beast that we become the slave to," and why it's important to rely more on your gut feeling. Is culture important in a company? What does it mean and how can you use this to encourage simplification in processes. What is meaningful work? Can you articulate what you want? Do you feel that you should be doing something more? Learn how to shift your time to more valuable things, whether that's quantifiable or perceived. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Lisa Bodell of futurethink… Please like and subscribe.

From NFL Hall of Famers to Hollywood superstars, Todd Durkin has improved and inspired them all to be the best that they can be physically, mentally and spiritually. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is more than just workout motivation or business advice, it will change your life for the better. Todd started out from humble beginnings with no money, no clients and no business plan, simply wanting to share his passion. Through his insatiable thirst for learning and unshakeable faith, he's gone from putting everything on the line to inspiring people around the world through innovative culture implementation and a positive mindset. His approach to training goes way beyond simple sets and reps, with an outlook of: "conditioning drives success." If you're training hard and eating right, you'll be inspired. With everything he does, Todd nurtures the head, the heart and the hunger for accomplishment in countless walks of life through mastermind coaching, mentorship, motivation, keynote speeches and development programmes. Guided by his mentor, Wayne Cotton, Todd Durkin founded San Diego's Fitness Quest 10 in January 2000. It's grown from 2000 sq feet with carpet on the floor and refurbished equipment to 8000 sq ft of inspirational fitness space where work is more than just how much you can lift. Here, mindfulness and a whole-body approach is taken to improving your personal and professional world. In Todd's own words: "We change lives and we're the best part of your day, every day." Episode Highlights: You're part of a team in any business; in this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast you'll hear how to use the NFL as a comparison for success. Why it's important to delegate enough so that you're able to grow the business, and why your entrepreneurial venture needs a director of first impressions. How hard-hitting advice from a business partner can really make you take a step back and fully understand what changes you need to make. Discover Todd's ultimate morning routine that will leave you ready to conquer the day spiritually, physically and mentally. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with a fitness legend and motivational guru, Todd Durkin… Please like and subscribe.