The Strength Connection

In the 24th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest Founder and creator of the Personal Training Development Center, author of 11 books Jonathan Goodman will talk about following the basic principles of adaptation, Scarcity vs Abundance mindset, you don’t need to get half naked to get on Instagram and the purpose of bringing the fitness industry together.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(1:40) Jonathan and his coffee :)(2:20) Introducing our special guest Founder and creator of the Personal Training Development Center, author of 11 books Jonathan Goodman @itscoachgoodman(2:30) Mike is in the fitness industry since 2008(2:40) 2011 and the building of PTDC(3:10) Bringing the fitness industry together(4:00) People don’t take action cause they think that everything they do might be wrong(5:00) There’s only 1 way to get into shape, following the basic principles of adaptation: Specificity, individualization, progressive overload(7:00) Is copying big people's IG pages smart for business?(10:40) You don’t need to get half naked to get on Instagram(14:20) Scarcity vs Abundance mindset(17:30) Start writing now and don’t stop writing for 10 years(18:20) Using and Facebook and Instagram for lead gen(20:10) “In life you get what you want by giving other people what they want” - Jonathan Goodman @itscoachgoodman(22:00) Knowing your ideal audience and what they want, then knowing what Instagram wants(26:00) Jonathan studying residential investing for 6 months(29:30) “Support other people and you will do better as a result” - Jonathan Goodman(31:30) Vision boards and blueprints(32:20) Talking and connecting with more and more people is one of the keys to success(34:20) Asymmetric skills(35:50) Invest in skills that will serve you for life!(37:30) Selling what clients need, or what it’s best for investors?(39:30) If all you want is the profits, you won’t connect emotionally in a deeper level(40:10) Automation analogy(41:10) Trainers become trainers because they’re passionate about training(44:20) Learn how to write, learn how to think(44:50) Asynchronous communication(45:10) The true importance of writing and communication(47:00) We suffer more in imagination than we do in reality(47:20) “If you feel that you need to insert an emoticon in order to be understood properly, you did not write that message well” - Jonathan Goodman(53:40) Where to follow Jonathan Goodman @itscoachgoodman https://www.instagram.com/itscoachgoodman/ 

In the 23rd Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest StrongFirst Director of Education and Functional Movement Systems Advisory Board member, Brett Jones will talk about your #1 fear, the importance of the way you deliver your message, specific breathing sequences for specific exercises and sets and what it means to be a leader to create better instructors.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:00) Introducing our special guest StrongFirst Director of Education and Functional Movement Systems Advisory Board member Brett Jones @brettjonessfg(2:20) Brett Jones is back from France!(4:10) People’s #1 fear is public speaking(4:40) Never split the difference by Chris Voss https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805 (5:00) The importance of how to modulate your voice(7:00) 70% of what we do is body language(9:30) Creating better instructors(10:30) The difference between thoughts and feelings(14:00) Shout out to Jocko Willink(15:10) “If you have to be involved in everything, you’re not really a leader” - Brett Jones(17:30) If you give kids the opportunity to lead, they will embrace it in a great way(19:30) Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057 (24:30) “Retention is not preventing people from leaving but giving people a reason to stay”(26:40) Sometimes the right answer is “It depends”(27:50) “I’ve been through enough to know what not feeling good feels like” - Brett Jones(29:30) Strength aerobic and ballistics(31:00) Single bell training(32:00) The importance of having a partner :)(40:40) Work constraint Vs time constraint(41:40) Work time Vs Recovery time(42:30) Specific breathing sequence for specific exercises and sets(44:50) You should really do the math of the exercise, before you do the exercise(49:50) “The wonderful thing about physicality is we gain so much control” - Brett Jones(55:00) “We are holding ourselves to our expectations” - Brett Jones(55:50) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/1982137274/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=7+habits+of+highly+effective+people&qid=1638534580&s=books&sr=1-1 (1:00:10) Do everybody would do better with COVID if they’d be fit(1:01:20) Connection, Mike and his first coach story(1:02:30) The ability to make eye contact with somebody and connect with somebody(1:04:20) Never lose a chance to be kind(1:05:00) When will Brett's next book be live?(1:05:10) Follow Brett Jones @brettjonessfg here https://www.instagram.com/brettjonessfg/ 

EPISODE 22Brian Grasso: Transactional VS Transformational ProspectsIn the 22nd Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest speaker and author of Mindset Matters Most and Audacity Of Success, Brian Grasso will talk about people buy how you make them feel, the importance of emotional intelligence for athletes, as you go your business goes, Brian’s business strategy, and the difference between Transactional VS Transformational prospectsJoin us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:00) Introducing our special guest speaker and author of Mindset Matters Most and Audacity Of Success, Brian Grasso(4:30) “It’s ok to look in the mirror, and realizing that maybe we’re not as good job as we’re capable to” - Brian Grasso(8:10) It’s not about information(8:55) People buy how you make them feel(9:30) “Retention is not preventing people from leaving, it’s constantly giving them a reason to stay” - Michael Kurkowski(14:00) The importance of emotional intelligence and mindset for athletes(19:30) Be consistent, be happy, be accomplished(23:40) What was the feedback of the athletes when they just started with this?(25:00) People love being feel, seen and heard(28:00) The legacy of Kobe Bryant and his alter ego(32:00) How easily you can lose connection with your spouse and kids if you don’t scheduled a time with them(36:20) When you take care of yourself everything goes better(36:40) “As you go your business goes” - Brian Grasso(36:45) Transactional VS Transformational prospects(39:50) Audacity Of Success book by Brian Grasso(40:00) “We are not pushed into action by thought, we are pulled by feel” - Brian Grasso(40:30) You can’t separate mind and heart(46:00) The power of culture in business(47:00) where do you want your business to be in 1 year from now(47:40) Where you need to be in 90 days(48:10) “Entrepreneurs think too much, they don’t act enough” - Brian Grasso(54:40) Instant gratification and noise all over the place(58:20) Get sunshine(58:50) Control how you wake up and how you go to bed(1:00:00) Change is inevitable, but we try not to change(1:02:00) Where to reach out to Brian Grasso? https://web.facebook.com/brian.grasso (1:02:30) Mindset Matters Most and Audacity Of Success, Brian Grasso https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Matters-Most-LIMITATIONS-SELF-DOUBT-ebook/dp/B01E2NUS0W 

In the 20th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will talk about gratitude. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(1:00) Gratitude is a super power(1:40) It’s great to be grateful on thanksgiving but make sure to be grateful everyday of the year(2:30) Reflection times(2:50) Shout out to Brian Grasso and Brett Jones @brettjonessfg(4:00) Is gratitude a motion?(4:30) “Gratitude is a container of emotions”(5:20) Being able to find gratitude in every emotion that we have is a very worthy goal (6:00) Mike’s thanksgiving 4 years ago(7:40) Mike met Chris and Lindsay(8:30) Why did Mike start with meditation, breathwork and writing(9:15) If you’re gonna blame people for the hardships and the trouble in your life, you better thank them as well cause no matter what there was some strength and power that came out of that(10:30) Is there something I can be grateful for from this?(13:00) It’s ok to feel your emotions(14:50) Faith and prayer(16:00) Gratitude is a super power(17:20) When you feel grateful you feel alive(18:40) Thanksgiving allows us to reflect(19:10) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

In the 19th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest NCSF Certified Personal Trainer, StrongFirst SFG II, USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach and owner of Semper Stronger, Rebecca Rouse will talk about learning discipline through gymnastics, aesthetics VS performance, expanding your comfort zone, keeping your skills sharp and the incredible power that comes when saying YES.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:00) Introducing our special guest NCSF Certified Personal Trainer, StrongFirst SFG II, USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach and owner of Semper Stronger, Rebecca Rouse @rebecca.rouse(2:50) Rebecca origin story(3:00) Learning discipline through gymnastics since a young age(4:00) Personal Training certification in college(6:20) “If you have a gymnastics background you can pretty much do any sport” - Rebecca Rouse(7:40) How did Rebecca start training with kettlebells?(8:20) Meeting Strongfirst @strongfirst(10:00) About Iron Maiden and Beast Tamer(11:10) Shout out to Fabio Zonin @x_fab_69, crazy story(12:20) Rebecca’s mindset change on what truly “healthy” means(15:20) Aesthetics VS Performance(15:40) The community support in weight lifting(16:10) From personal training to management(16:40) Management position at 24(17:15) “What’s the next challenge I can tackle”(18:40) Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057 (19:20) Legacy by James Kerr https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Sports-James-Kerr/dp/153181218X (19:40) Both managing and training(20:30) Keeping your skills sharp(27:00) From management to owning a business(28:20) The comfort of only following a program(31:20) Semper Stronger http://semperstronger.com/links/ (32:40) Shout out to Greg Everett @catalystathletics(33:00) The beauty of training with kettlebells at home(34:00) Transition from training in person to online(36:00) “The biggest thing of being a leader, is knowing when to step back when and to let the person to make their own mistakes” - Jocko Willink (36.20) “Sometimes all you have to do as a coach is to give a thumbs up and move from there” - Brett Jones @brettjonessfg(44:00) The power of saying YES(48:00) “Before you start doubting yourself, just say yes” - Rebecca Rouse(50:10) Being a beginner, shout out to Abel James @fatburningman(50:40) Being ok with being a beginner (52:00) What is Rebecca working on currently?(55:30) “Just show up and enjoy the process” - Derek Toshner @tnt_adventure_fit(55:40) Focus over discipline https://www.buzzsprout.com/1860981/9542207-16-michael-kurkowski-focus-over-discipline (59:40) Where to follow Rebecca Rouse @rebecca.rouse https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.rouse/ 

In the 18th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest World- renowned author and breathing practitioner, author of The Oxygen Advantage and The Breathing Cure, Patrick McKeown will talk about hyperventilation, the 3 dimensions of breathing, the importance of your everyday beating pattern and mouth vs nose sleep breathing.(2:00) Introducing our special guest Patrick McKeown @buteykoclinic(3:20) The Oxygen Advantage https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RLU286G/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i(3:30) The concept and the importance of functional breathing(4:20) Hyperventilation(4:30) The basic fundamental of your breathing(5:00) The importance of your everyday beating pattern(5:30) Breathing has 3 dimensions(6:00) Yoga and breathing(8:00) Breathing through the mouth(9:30) Breathing through your nose VS breathing through your mouth(10:30) Shout out to Professor George Dallam from Colorado State University(11:30) Every breath that we take is an energy cost for the body(12:40) By improving breathing everyday patterns we can help with these diseases(13:20) Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price https://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-Physical-Degeneration-Weston-Price/dp/0916764206 (13:40) Modern face is changing(14:50) More susceptible to sleep problems(16:00) Breath Book by James Nestor @mrjamesnestor https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0735213615(16:20) The concept of mouth breathing(17:10) The importance of nose breathing(18:20) “People want their children to reach their full potential but yet there’s no information put out there about sleep” - Patrick McKeown @buteykoclinic(18:45) Atomic Focus by Patrick McKeown https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Focus-Resilience-Breathing-Exercises-ebook/dp/B09D9ZL9HL (20:30) The problem with breathing is that you can’t really make a lot of money out of it(21:30) Mouth breathing is activating the upper chest, so you breath hard and fast(22:10) Asthma, anxiety and dysfunctional breathing(25:10) Mouth breathing and nose breathing while sleeping(26:40) Dysfunctional breathing(29:20) Sleep issues is linked to all these diseases(30:00) How do you breath during sleep(30:20) Vacuum cleaner reverse(32:00) The concept of the bold score(33:50) Shout out to Péter Lakatos(35:00) Swimming is the only sport that has a really significant impact in your breathing patterns(35:50) It’s all about changing states(36:40) Shout out to Gray Cook @functionalmvmt and Brett Jones @brettjonessfg(39:50) Is it more efficient to breathe through the mouth?(40:40) Increase of carbon dioxide in the body(43:30) Breathing faster and harder?(44:40) Developing tics as a result of 1 breathing session involving hyperventilation that lasted for 1 hour(51:30) Experiments of increased carbon dioxide in rats(57:20) If you breathe fast, your body understands...(57:50) “Concentration is our ability to hold our attention on 1 thing” - Patrick McKeown(58:20) “I become one with the car” Netflix show about a racer(1:02:40) The power of focus(1:03:00) Flow is natural, we are in the middle, shout out to Sifu Harinder Singh @sifusingh(1:06:10) Where to find Patrick McKeown books and content  https://oxygenadvantage.com/ 

In the 17th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guests world renowned strength coach and founder of The Amazing 12 Program (the #1 body transformation program in the world, 15 years running, 10,000 body transformations, over 180 certified coaches), Paul McIlroy and 11 times Kettlebell Sport World Champion, Multiple world record holder, 101 reps in the long cycle clean and jerk with 32’s, OKC/IKO Master Coach and author of Kettlebell Sport a Training Methodology Tutorial, Denis Vasilev will talk about the Long Cycle, the Clean and the Rack, 40 with 40 at 40, never satisfied with yourself and how this badass battle will help cancer research.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:10) Introducing our special guests Paul McIlroy @paulmcilroyamazing12 and Denis Vasilev @denisvasilevkbsport(2:40) The Kettlebell Battle(3:00)  10 Min Long Cycle Clean Press(3:10) Special event promoting research for cancer(4:00) Paul’s deep message about cancer(7:00) Denis shares why this event that promotes cancer research is so important(10:20) Denis Vasilev 11 time world champion(10:40) 1 in 3 people will be affected by cancer(12:20) More than a 10 minute challenge(13:40) 40 with 40 at 40(21:50) Never satisfied with yourself(24:50) About the long cycle(27:00) Kettlebell Battle: even though you are rivals, you are happy for the strength feats of your opponent(31:00) “It’s not about comfort, it’s about getting things done” - Denis Vasilev @denisvasilevkbsport(34:30) What does training look like for Paul McIlroy?(35:00) About training the clean(38:40) Why is training the rack huge for Paul McIlroy?(39:10) About the overhead position(45:40) Denis Vasilev about the long cycle(47:00) Long cycle is the way to go(47:30) Paul's analogy with Martial Arts(48:50) About the clean and the rack(50:40) You can’t put the bells down?(51:10) Denis’ recovery when doing Strength Press vs doing Long Cycle(51:40) Denis’ upper body and lower body exercises(54:00) Denis’ exercises details(55:00) High reps and challenging exercise(1:06:20) Where to donate to this amazing cancer research cause? https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-kettlebell-battle?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer 

In the 16th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will talk about the best takeaways from Mickey Jogoleff and Lance Coffel interviews, doing the basics and the foundation, Mike’s power to always follow the plan and the whole concept of focus over discipline.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(1:00) Shout out to Mickey Jogoleff @fitfoodiesonwheels https://www.buzzsprout.com/1860981/9518247-14-mickey-jogoleff-fit-foodies-on-wheels (1:30) Mickey and his wife eating delicious food and still being shredded(4:50) A legend in kettlebells and strength, shout out to Lance Coffel https://www.buzzsprout.com/1860981/9537770-15-lance-coffel-strength-is-the-story-of-my-life (5:40) Application of Yoga and Kettlebells together(7:30) Live everyday as possible(9:00) Focus over discipline(9:40) Doing the basics and the foundation(12:20) Mike’s power is to follow the plan(15:00) The sense of power when you truly focus(16:30) Putting yourself in the right environment to focus(18:20) Creating the right warm up for yourself(19:40) How are you preparing your environment to be focused?(19:50) Improving your breath and sleep(20:10) Brian Grasso and the imagination theater(21:20) Once you’ve built the foundation, then you gotta build the house(22:20) Living everyday and focus on everything you are doing

In the 15th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest Senior instructor at StrongFirst, StrongFirst SFB Bodyweight Instructor,StrongFirst SFL Barbell Instructor, Z-Health Practitioner Lance Coffel will talk about Lance’s strength story, Iyengar Yoga, the first kettlebell in history and the first strength coach in the NBA.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(1:20) Lance’s background in Yoga(2:00) Introducing our special guest Senior instructor at StrongFirst, StrongFirst SFB Bodyweight Instructor,StrongFirst SFL Barbell Instructor, Z-Health Practitioner Lance Coffel https://www.facebook.com/lance.coffel (2:15) Over 40 years in the world of strength(2:30) Kettlebells, Strongfirst @strongfirst, FMS, boxing, swimming, Iyengar Yoga(3:10) Lance origin story(3:20) Grow up in an exercise family(3:25) Lance’s dad was a professional voxer(4:20) Lance’s first gym in 1977(7:00) Living in his office for 2 years(8:10) First strength coach in the MBA(10:50) There’s now strength coaches in any sport(12:30) Mike training a High School team(13:00) “The first one through the door sometimes gets a little messy but it opens up the doors for everybody else” - Michael Kurkowski(13:30) Lance’s dad in boxing and Lance’s mom in swimming (15:50) How did Lance started training with kettlebells, shout out to Pavel Tsatsouline @strongfirst (20:20) The first kettlebell was 2,500 BC(23:10) FMS and shout out to Brett Jones @brettjonessfg(24:50) “The kettlebell can definitely humble you” - Lance Coffel(25:20) Lance bicycle racing experience(26:20) Lance started training Iyengar Yoga, fixing problems with the spine(28:50) Shout out to Menachem Brodie  @hvtraining(32:00) B.K.S. Iyengar(32:50) Warrior pose in Iyengar yoga(34:20) Ayurveda yoga, shout out to Tim Almond(35:30) Teaching and demonstrating(37:00) Incremental learning in every discipline(39:30) Mike’s CKFMS story(43:00) When Lance met Pavel(49:30) “Everything starts from your feet”(50:00) Dr. squat(53:00) Check Paxson Yoga Center – Gudmestad Yoga Tradition to learn more about Iyengar Yoga https://www.paxsonyogacenter.com/