Talking strength, business, and personal evolution with Stefi Cohen and Hayden Bowe

Joining us on the show today are Stefi Cohen and Hayden Bowe, the creators of Hybrid Performance Method, a virtual gym that provides accessible, affordable, and effective online workout programs to athletes of all skill and experience levels worldwide. Stefi is also a world champion powerlifter and today we speak to her and Hayden about self-development as it pertains to training, diet, and mental wellbeing. We take a deep dive into the evolution of Hybrid as well, talking about their systems, services, and core principles! Stefi gets into her journey as an athlete, covering the many sports she experimented with before finding powerlifting. We touch on the difference between quitting and knowing when to let go, the pressure society puts on women to look good and how training can remedy this, and mindset shifts Stefi went through as she grew mentally and physically. We explore ideas about good health being the foundation of fitness, the problem with myopic training programs that go from zero to 100, and how to know whether you have a natural aptitude for something. Stefi gets into some of the challenges she has had to overcome around performance anxiety and owning her femininity as well. We switch gears from there and hear more about Hybrid, and Hayden weighs in about their approach to diet and their philosophy of providing a huge amount of value for the lowest price point, getting into the many programs with dedicated coaches they offer for different learning paths.

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Timestamps

• Introducing Stefi Cohen, Hayden Bower, and today’s sponsor, BiOptimizers. [0:18]
• Stefi’s journey and mindset shifts going from being calorie obsessed to a powerlifter. [3:32]
• Society’s obsession with image, how this affects women, and how training can help. [6:51]
• Getting in touch with your ‘why’ and not just getting lean or jacked to copy others. [11:47]
• Stefi’s process going from running to lifting; quitting versus letting go. [12:48]
• Knowing if you have natural aptitude: The skills, talents, and passion checklist. [15:30]
• Stefi’s natural aptitude for powerlifting and how it feeds into her attitude toward it. [15:30]
• Habits that fed into Stefi’s progress: tracking macros, and shifts in training and diet. [21:33]
• The need to base any training schedule on a foundation of good health. [27:00]
• Making progress in steps; how training programs aren’t holistic and start too heavy. [28:12]
• How Hybrid Performance Method helps their students understand how to eat right. [32:47]
• Struggles Stefi has had with performance anxiety as she got more well known. [37:50]
• The role of Stefi’s accomplishments in allowing her to step into her femininity recently. [40:42]
• How celebrities can help people accept themselves more by showing vulnerability. [44:07]
• Core tenets at Hybrid and their variety of affordable fitness and nutrition programs. [46:14]
• Optimizing communication and systems: aspirations for Hayden and Hybrid. [51:30]
• The process of going virtual and adding different programs to the roster at Hybrid. [53:09]
• Stefi’s non-negotiable habits around learning, being uncomfortable, and self-reflection. [56:44]
• The value of being innovative; the innovation lab system Stefi is working on. [1:03:12]
• How to find Stefi and Hayden online and learn more about Hybrid. [1:06:10]