Side Quest Podcast

Well, here it is. My first solo episode. While driving down the road the other day, I popped in an old CD from high school and heard a song I haven't heard in years. As I listened to the lyrics and sang along, something stirred inside of me; a message that I felt needed to be shared. What do you see when you look in the mirror? Is what you see your true reflection? Is the man or woman in the mirror who you believe the world sees as well? What story are you telling the world? If someone were to come across your grave in the future and they Googled your name, would they find an amazing, kick-ass story? Or would they get no results? At the beginning, I share with my story of how I got started and what inspired me to make changes. Because in the end, we are all the authors of our stories. What kind of story do you want leave behind?

We all have a playlist that gets us pumped in the gym. Maybe one for relaxing on a Sunday morning. You probably also have an "I'm sad and down in the dumps" mix or, as Barney Stinson called it, your "Get Psyched Mix". Music moves us. It can stir all sorts of emotions and even bring people together in harmony. Growing up, the music that played through my house as classic rock, country, and soft rock. My aunt, who was a teenager and a constant babysitter, exposed me to the alternative rock of the 90s.  Once I got a computer, however, and began to download songs on Napster, the spectrum of music I listened to grew. I began to notice how one band, or sound, influenced bands in later decades. I could see the LEGO blocks building on each other as each genre influenced or birthed the next generations genre. Music is area of life where I'm a huge geek. It's also important to many other people I know and in this episode of Coaches Corner, Tanner Baze, Nick Sorrell, and I dig deep into the music that has influenced our

Most podcasts last barely ten episodes. This is episode 100. I knew for this episode who I wanted to interview. I've been following him for a few years and he's the reason I started my fitness journey and the inspiration behind becoming a coach/trainer. John Romaniello is one of the biggest names in the fitness industry. He's trained celebrities, athletes, and through his products and online coaching program have helped 1,000s more shred fat and get jacked. I first came across John when he was promoting his first book, Man 2.0 Reengineering the Alpha.  Clicking open the app on my iPad on a crowded NYC subway, I had no idea what I was in for. I finished the book in a night---for me that's uncommon.  Once I found out that John was an avid Star Wars fan, comic book nerd, and his favorite band of all time was Brand New, I felt like I wasn't alone in the universe. 99% of the same things that I loved---that defined who I was as a person---John wrote about passionately.  I was in the gym at the time, but I wasn't co

Most meal replacement shakes taste like dog shit. They're clunky, filled with sugar, and never keep you satisfied for longer than 30-45 minutes. Enter Macrofuel. MacroFuel is liquid food - not a Supplement. Packed with 56 grams of carbohydrates, 25 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber, MacroFuel is a meal in a glass/shaker. Yes, bodybuilders and fitness fanatics can use MacroFuel in pursuing their own personal goals; the fact is, MacroFuel was designed for anyone who wants to know what it’s like to live life while fueling their body at maximal nutritional levels. Bodybuilders, fitness fanatics, or busy executives can use MacroFuel to help them crush their personal goals. It's created with real food ingredients that help you meet your macro and micronutrient needs. Designed to replace those protein bars you scarf down in between meetings, or, that muffin you grab at Starbucks on your way into work because you woke up late and didn't have time for breakfast, MacroFuel is meal replacement shake that's nutritio

Ted Ryce is a personal trainer, peak performance coach and podcaster. He has overcome an enormous amount of tragedy in his life, but that has all led for his personal quest to live what he calls a "legendary life." Having worked with Fortune 500 CEOs, busy professionals, and celebrities, such Richard Branson, Ricky Martin and Iron Man himself (Robert Downey Jr.) Ted helps his clients develop the lifelong habits that will help them manage stress, conquer adversity, and ultimately lead to living their ideal life. Chasing and achieving one's biggest goals, for Ted, is a necessity for surviving and thriving in the modern world. Through his work as a trainer, speaker, and coach his goal is to help his clients discover their biggest goals. The Legendary Life podcast was started by Ted because he wanted to address one question he couldn't answer: Why do some people struggle while others succeed beyond what most people think is possible? His podcast aims to answer this question and help listeners master themselves a

For the June episode of Coaches Corner, we decided to take a break from talking about fitness and decided that we would share some of our most ridiculous summer memories. Summertime as an adult isn't as exciting as when we were in school. Unless of course, you're a teacher and then that vacation still applies for you. This time of year was always full of adventure and shenanigans. Travis Pollen, Nick Sorrell, Joe Brigley, and I reach back into our memories to tell stories that usually involved booze, but also involved road trips, family vacations, summer jobs, and more. Life isn't all fitness all the time. Check out how these four coaches were able to rid themselves of their summertime blues. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/summertime/

Jessi Kneeland was one of the first guests I had on my podcast, she returns on Episode 96 to catch us up on life, travel, and a TED talk she gave. She's a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM) and online coach who specializes in empowering women through strength training. Jessi created her online brand, Remodel Fitness, where she blogs and coaches clients to break through barriers and discover their strength, health, and most importantly, self-love.  She's written for Women's Health Magazine, Self Magazine, Shape Magazine, Health Magazine, Greatist, and Buzzfeed. In October of 2015, Jessi packed her bags and left NYC with the intention to travel the world and run her coaching business. She left for Costa Rica and stayed there for the winter before returning to the states for the holiday and headed off to Thailand. After her decision to leave, Jessi was presented with the opportunity to speak at a TEDx talk at Onondaga Community College. For more show notes, head to www.sidequestfitness.com/jessi-kneeland-returns/

Interview with Andrew Fiebert of Listen Money Matters In episode 95, I interview my good friend Andrew Fiebert of Listen Money Matters. Andrew started Listen Money Matters as a blog at first, but ventured out into the world of podcasting where their show at one time was on the top of the charts in Finance on the iTunes store. They're more than a podcast too. They also feature articles from their community, including two by myself (here and here) Most Americans today graduate from high school with next to no education on how to manage their money. They then head off to college, where they rack up mounds of debt, and then struggle to repay these debts years later. We're all going to be making money one day and Andrew believes it's more than a minor oversight that we aren't taught personal finance. That is where he comes in with Listen, Money Matters. They aren't the finance guys your grandfather would listen to. Instead of filling your years full of bullshit, they cut through it. Discussing their failures and s

Episode 94: Interview with Ransom Pugh of Muscle and Magicka Ransom Pugh is the brainchild behind the hit YouTube Channel Muscle and Magicka. The creed of his channel is: "ours is the unrelenting quest for truth and exp. points. Leveling up through both dungeon & dead lift alike. Spreading the light of fitness/nutritional science." Is there anyone more perfect for me to talk about fitness and video games with? No. Ransom is the bomb diggity. Beyond starting the YouTube channel, Ransom has an amazing story himself. Ransom battled and defeated cancer at a young age. During his battle, he found that his only solace was the time he spent in the gym. When he wasn't recovering from treatment with gaming marathons. He was in the gym working to keep his body battling at tip top shape. Like myself, Ransom has a background in theater. His YouTube videos are high quality. Delivering his message with the perfect mix of sarcasm, intellect, and the nerdiest of references. Digging into the lore of Dragonball Z, Elder Sc

In episode 93 of the podcast, the first guest I ever had on the show returns to catch us up with what he's been up to for the last year and a half. Check out Chuck's first episode here. Chuck is a dad, husband, a coach, a programmer, and a former fat kid that has lost and kept off 200lbs. He went back to school, while working full time, and gained his bachelor's degree at age 34. At the same time he also became a certified personal trainer. A lover of craft beers, movies, traveling, and reading fiction (Heinlein and Vonnegut are his favorites), somehow Chuck still finds time to enjoy his favorite obsession, Magic The Gathering.  He claims to be a recovering MMO and video game addict, but you can still find him playing WoW as Usiel on US Arthas. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/return-of-chuck-gross/  

Episode 92 Coaches Corner: The Importance of Play Lifting weights is a lot of fun. But there are other ways to get exercise that don't involve lifting heavy stuff from the floor, off your chest, or above your head. Growing up we all played games. Games that required a lot of energy and burned a ton of calories. Why do we forget these things when we move into adulthood? What can you do outside of a gym to lose weight and stay active? Tanner Baze, Nick Sorrell, Derek Stanley, and I set out to answer that question in this episode of Coaches Corner. Rest days don't have to mean we sit on the couch and consume a whole season of Game of Thrones. Exercise also doesn't mean we have to go to a gym and lift weights or run on a treadmill. All four coaches talk about the summer activities they enjoy to do when of course they're not lifting heavy shit. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/coaches-corner-may-2016/

In episode 91 of the podcast, I interview one of my clients to discuss his success over the last year. Justin Dionne, is the artistic director at Lee Street Theater in Salisbury, NC. He is also one of my closest friends and one of my original online clients. One year ago, Justin told me--above all--his goal was to workout for one year. Weight loss was a goal but for Justin, he knew he needed the accountability my coaching provided and the pushing from me to achieve his overall goal. Not only did Justin achieve this goal, but he lost 9 inches off his waist, 20 pounds of fat and added over 10 pounds of muscle. Making the gym and being active is now a priority for him. Listening to this episode, you'll discover what Justin learned over his journey as my client. What strength goals he achieved, where he faltered, the lessons he learned about how alcohol can affect your goals, and where he wants to go from here. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/justin-dionne/

Interview with Craig Ballantyne Craig Ballantyne is a fitness and personal development guru from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the author of The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day and Control Your Life. He has been a contributor to Men's Health magazine since 2000, and his articles have also appeared in Women’s Health, Oxygen, GQ, Maxim, National Geographic, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness Hers. In 2001, he created the popular home workout program, Turbulence Training, and in 2013 he created the 6 Minutes to Skinny bodyweight exercise weight loss system and the Metabolic Kickstarter follow-along exercise videos. He’s also the founder of the Certified Turbulence Training Program, certifying trainers from all corners of the globe and he hosts an annual Turbulence Training Summit every year for fitness experts to become better trainers and get more clients into their boot camps so they make more money and live the Perfect Life. Craig’s online success has led him to create books and a coaching program t

In this episode of the podcast, I interview Peter Baker. Peter is a personal trainer, metal head, and online coach out of Tampa, Florida. Over the last few years, Peter has helped hundreds of people recover from injuries, shred body fat, and start competing in powerlifting meets. He is an avid player of table top RPGs and has extensive knowledge of comic book and nerd culture. Needless to say, we made quick friends when we met.  Peter is brash and unapologetic about his opinions and we dive into a lot about his story, what we liked and didn't like about Batman vs Superman, why Prince is the fucking best guitarist ever, and on whether humanities degrees are worth it. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/peter-baker/

In this episode of Coaches Corner, I'm joined by Nick Sorrell and Mason Woodruff to discuss strategies you can implement to lose body fat for the summer. There are a lot of misnomers out there about fat loss. Myths continue to spread every single day online and in the media. We set out in this episode to cut through the bullshit and deliver to you the straight forward facts you need to shred away pounds of fat.   For more show notes visit www.sidequestfitness.com/podcast/

Power Primer 2.0 My good friend and bromosapien Eric Bach returns to the podcast to chat about his brand new program Power Primer 2.0. In the previous episode, Eric and I discussed his time as a college athlete and  the time he spent as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach. We also delved into writing and much more. This time Eric hops back on the mic to talk about why training for power is essetential. Why it can help you lift more weight, burn more fat, and build the physique and movement quality of an athlete. Everyone wants to move better, feel better and look better. We want the total package. The greatest superheros in history needed to be explosive and have the athleticism and confidence to conquer anything that stood in their path. Eric Bach has put together the program that delivers just that--power, explosiveness, and the lean physique we all desire. Using a blend of science and theory with practical experience, The Power Primer 2.0 is designed to give you the ultimate results in the gym: A

Interview with Tommy Baker of Resist Average Academy In this episode of the podcast, I interview Tommy Baker the host of the Resist Average Academy Podcast. I met Tommy in LA earlier this year and have gotten to know him while I'm in the mastermind that I am a member of. While we were in LA, someone asked me about starting a podcast and my response was simple, "All you have to do is pull out your iPhone and hit record. That's what I did." A couple of weeks later Tommy tagged me in a Facebook post and said I had been one of the final voice to signify he needed to get his podcast idea off the ground. In December of 2015, Tommy began recording the Resist Average Academy and put his first episode out January of 2016. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/tommy-baker/

In this episode of the podcast, I interview my good friend Susan Ogilvie of So Fit Wellness. Susan is a Certified Personal Trainer out of Michigan. As a coach, she believes her mission is to empower clients with the knowledge and ability to reach their goals through fitness, nutrition, and healthier lifestyle choices. She is a firm believer that creating and maintaining habits is the most sure fire way to achieve any fitness or health goal.  In her past, she had been fairly overweight but after having a couple children realized she needed to take control of her life so she could enjoy being a parent. By using the power of community, online and in-person, Susan helps her clients overcome their mental barriers and break down the physical ones they've erected over the years. By helping her clients discover how to build a sustainable lifestyle, make exercise fun and enjoyable, but challenging enough to produce the desired results, Susan is helping women of all ages achieve their physical goals. When she isn't hel

The Importance of Mental Health When it comes to health, most of the articles on the internet or the ones covered on news stations, focus solely on dieting and exercise. Sadly, one of the biggest health issues we don't talk about in the United States is mental health. According to this Newsweek piece from 2014, nearly 1 in 5 American's suffer from a mental illness each year. The CDC has stated that mental illness, such as depression, is often associated with medical diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. If this is an underlying issue---a precursor to diseases that kill millions every year---why are we not talking more about it? This month's episode of Coaches Corner focuses on mental health by exploring the stories of two fitness coaches, each who suffered from a mental health issue---depression and bulimia. Adam Fisher and Nick Sorrell share their stories in this very personal and in-depth episode. Along for the ride, Ryan Bergren, provides a medical perspective and how he has helped c

In this episode of the podcast, I interview Patrick Umphrey, an online fitness coach out of Minnesota. He also happens to be a part-time magician and a fellow ginger. Patrick's career in coaching began outside of the gym. He started helping people achieve their goals in the MyFitnessPal forums and later got certified as a personal trainer so he could provide better service to his clients. For over 14 years he performed close-up magic and in 2007, resigned from his corporate job to pursue magic as a career. Now he coaches clients online as a fitness coach and performs magic for corporate events as well as at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. For more show notes head to www.sidequestfitness.com/podcast