The Strength Connection

In the 4th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will talk about his favorite 4 or 5 books for 2021, you will be surprised which ones they are!Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(1:30) Mike’s favorite books in 2021(2:10) Reading and writing for mental strength(4:00) Reading and digesting a book(4:40) The Never Ending Story Movie(5:30) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519(6:40) Reactive language vs Proactive language(8:40) Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday https://www.amazon.com/Ego-Enemy-Ryan-Holiday/dp/1591847818 (12:20) Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Pro-Inner-Power-Create/dp/1936891034 (12:40) Getting out of our own way to get things done(13:30) Relentless by Tim S. Grover https://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Unstoppable-Tim-S-Grover/dp/1476714207 (13:40) Winning by Tim Grover @timgrover https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Tim-S-Grover/dp/1982168862(14:00) Tim Groover is the personal trainer of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan(15:50) “Cleaners never feel external pressure, they only believe what’s inside them. You can criticize, analyze and demonize a cleaner, but he's still only going to feel pressure from within” - Relentless @timgrover 

In the 7th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, Money Mindset and Business Coach, Creator of Empower U Business coaching, and renowned coach and speaker Artemis Scantalides will talk about money, resources, the power of analyzing what works for you, putting skiing in the game and how you can truly own your worth as a coach.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:00) Introducing our special guest Money Mindset and Business Coach, Creator of Empower U Business coaching, and renowned coach and speaker Artemis Scantalides @artemis_scantalides(2:45) Owning your worth(3:10) Afraid to ask for your price?(4:20) Charging a higher price it’s a process of owning your worth(5:00) Money is a resource(5:50) Being paid your worth(6:30) Skin in the game(7:20) When you pay you pay attention(9:50) The Empowering Business Academy(12:00) Analyzing what really works for you(15:20) Getting back to strength coaching(15:40) Mentoring other coaches how to be a great coach and create an amazing program(19:00) We followed all the rules, but it didn’t happen(19:40) “Business development and business strategy as the same thing as creating a successful training program, it’s trial and error” - Artemis Scantalides @artemis_scantalides(23:50) What is your social media plan?(26:00) If you try to plan so far out, all you’re always doing is worrying about whether or not you’re in the right path of the plan(26:20) “I don’t prepare fully a speech cause then I’m always worried whether or not I’m actually saying the speech right”(28:40) What was the process for Artemis to figuring out what she needed to do in front of a business challenge(29:00) Walking time and thinking time(30:00) Giving too much to your clients but not charging enough?(33:40) Resources and show up 100%(35:40) How to charge and a true mindset change(36:50) There’s always gonna be somebody who is willing to pay(38:10) “It’s not a business problem, most of the time it’s your own limiting beliefs” - Artemis Scantalides @artemis_scantalides(41:10) Knowing your worth and charging what you know(42:20) Investing in something outside of your comfort zone(46:00) The power of investing in yourself(49:10) Billionaires focus on 1 thing(54:00) Empower You Elite Program from Artemis Scantalides(56:00) Where to reach out to Artemis Scantalides @artemis_scantalides https://www.instagram.com/artemis_scantalides/ 

In the 6th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, NYT Bestselling Author, Musician, rated 1 of the 100 most influential people in health and fitness by “Greatest Magazine”, host of the Fat-Burning Man Show, Abel James @fatburningman will talk about the danger of carbon monoxide, learning from adversity, the joy of being a beginner and how creating rather than consuming will change your life for good.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:15) Introducing our special guest NYT Bestselling Author, Musician, rated 1 of the 100 most influential people in health and fitness by “Greatest Magazine”, host of the Fat-Burning Man Show, Abel James @fatburningman(2:40) What does Abel actually do?(3:10) Record 1 day for the week(4:10) The dangers of Carbon Monoxide and Abel’s wife story(10:00) Get your carbon monoxide detector(14:20) Watch the quality of indoor air and make sure there’s flow of air in your house(15:00) Different forms of pollution(15:20) You can’t trust the air you’re breathing in some places(16:00) 50,000 breaths a day(20:00) Timing can get weird in life(21:00) Movie with Tom Cruise(23:20) Re-watching movies and re-reading books(24:30) “You learn more from adversity” - Mike Kurkowski(26:20) What does Abel do with music?(28:00) “People don’t appreciate how much the day to day practice applies to art and to your skills” - Abel James(29:10) “If you wanna specialize you gotta do it every day for a while” - Abel James(31:10) Practice the fundamentals(31:40) Michael Jordan @michaeljordan was obsessed with getting better(32:10) The creative side of who we are(33:40) How did Abel get started in music(34:30) “Music is making your spirit feel alive” - Abel James(35:10) Before starting his podcast, Abel had over 300 shows(35:50) Abel started health as a hobby(36:00) Shout out to Bob Harper @bobharper(37:50) Find yourThe creative power(38:40) “When you reach the point of mastery, there’s no fun anymore”(39:20) The joy of being a beginner(42:50) “Practicing your voice is a very athletic activity” - Abel James(46:00) “If you really want to get better you need to challenge your habits” - Abel James(47:20) Get your ego out of the way and work in incremental growth(48:40) The creativity of writing(49:30) People used to be more talented(50:40) Put the time in and you will get better(51:30) The danger of consuming so much and creating so little(52:40) The process of creating is addictive(54:10) Practice your fundamentals first(55:10) the importance of having a coach(56:10) Abel James releasing BRAN NEW blue light blocker glasses(57:10) Where to reach out to James and consume his content? https://fatburningman.com/ 

In the 5th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, Grip Master, Team Texas Armlifting, Arm Wrestling, Boldly Doing Dumb Things, co-host of Sucker Punch Radio, Adam T Glass will talk about how to make a good steak, the no macrowaving challenge, empirical vs anecdotal, and why the right position doens’t need to be aestheticJoin us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:00) Introducing our special guest Adam T Glass @adamtglass_(3:30) How to make the most delicious steak(9:00) The benefits of doing grocery shopping every 3-4 days(10:30) About spinach(13:00) The skill of cooking(13:30) No microwaving for 2 months challenge(17:30) Developing health and pain problems due to high vibration construction jobs(22:00) Explaining exactly the right position(24:30) The problem is the motion is missing(26:00) The pain is giving you a message of adjust this and tweak this(26:40) The importance of the position when doing a workout(27:00) “What if aesthetically pleasing is not the primary characteristic for good form” - Adam T Glass @adamtglass_(28:40) “The less self conscious you are, the more enjoyable it becomes” - Adam T Glass @adamtglass_(29:10) What is truly the definition of good form? Shout out to Dave Whitley @irontamer(29:50) Incredible feats of strength, shout out to Dave Whitley(31:00) Why we look for in fitness(32:00) Empirical vs Anecdotal(32:20) The Biofeedback, listening to your body(36:40) Variety vs Variability(38:40) Intuition: you know when it’s time to not do it(39:30) Willpower and pushing through(40:10) “Most of your workouts should be boring” - Adam T Glass @adamtglass_(42:00) The goal for every program is to keep going on the program(45:10) Slow preparation for a huge result(47:40) Little progress every single day(55:00) When your work is your strength training(1:00:30) Making painful faces always reduce performances(1:02:00) “A good performer needs to be able to stick the task under any conditions so he can then create the conditions” - Adam T Glass @adamtglass_(1:05:30) Never show them your limit, one of the most important rules for a good performance(1:10:30) Shout out to Karen Smith @_coach_karen_(1:11:10) Where to reach out to Adam T Glass @adamtglass_ https://www.instagram.com/adamtglass_/ 

In the 4th Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, certified personal trainer and collegiate athlete turned figure competitor turned national-level powerlifter, Brittany Kohnke will talk about authenticity, crazy diets, crossfit, education and community.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:00) Introducing our special guest certified personal trainer and collegiate athlete turned figure competitor turned national-level powerlifter, Brittany Kohnke @brittany_kohnke (2:30) Authenticity is one of my core values(3:30) The things that have real value don’t go viral right away(4:40) 16 joined the gym for the 1st time(5:20) Obsessed with fitness and sport magazines(6:10) Doing a crazy diet(6:50) A hard rebound in weight(7:00) Depression(8:00) Entering to Crossfit for the 1st time(8:50) You’re being judged based on what you can do, and what you can do is only being measured by yourself(10:00) Using the barbell(10:10) Doing powerlifting for the 1st time(11:10) You either make the lift or you don’t(12:20) “Through strength we build confidence” - Brittany Kohnke(13:00) Competition and the external feedback(14:30) Just because 5 people told you you are 5th place, that doesn’t diminish your effort - Mike Kurkowski(15:40) If you’re going to do a show, as yourself these 5 questions(18:50) About the Crossfit environment(20:50) The community feel in sports and training(22:40) Shout out to Greg Everett @catalystathletics(23:10) Learning how to properly do the movements can have a huge impact very fast(29:20) Education in different states(30:00) Training and nutrition classes in high school(33:30) Leaving teaching and pursuing personal training full time(35:10) Specific goals vs Habits(37:10) Even if you have a coach, you have to do your own analysis(38:18) As a coach, make yourself obsolete(40:00) Biofeedback(41:10) It’s ok to just train, even if you don’t have a goal(41:40) Make health your new joy(47:30) Extreme vs pushing your boundaries(51:00) Being comfortable with being uncomfortable(51:40) I hate smart goals(52:00) “Goals are supposed to turn you into something greater than you are right now” - Mike Kurkowski(54:00) What is Brittany currently working on(56:00) Where to reach out to Brittany Kohnke @brittany_kohnke https://www.brittanykohnketraining.com/ 

In the 3rd Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, and the fourth woman to claim the Iron Maiden title, Karen Smith will talk about testing your benchmarks, training safe, the importance of prep work, the bodyweight program and baselines of strength.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:20) Introducing our special guest, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, and the fourth woman to claim the Iron Maiden title, Karen Smith @_coach_karen_(2:50) A podcast in the middle of the storm?(3:40) Facebook and Instagram are down?(6:30) Having a baseline of strength(7:40) Karen Smith baselines of strength(9:20) What a 32 get up should feel like(10:10) Testing your benchmarks without a warm up(11:10) Set baselines to assess your students(13:50) “Teach them safe” - Karen Smith(18:10) Kettlebells are so efficient you can do a great workout in 30 min(20:00) An online job can definitely change your baselines(23:30) Being careful with accidents when doing gymnastics(24:40) About hands stands, a skill that we teach but not a skill that we test(27:40) The importance of the prep work(27:50) A handstand hold against the wall is kind of like a double overhead carry(28:20) How does Karen program a new client?(29:40) 1 arm push up(30:00) “Everybody is asymmetrical, the question is how can we decrease that difference” - Karen Smith(30:50) Mike’s bodyweight training experience(32:00) The StrongFirst Bodyweight training way @strongfirst(35:20) Be creative with what you have around(37:20) Single deadlifting and pistol squat(38:20) What are Karen's workout goals currently?(38:20) My year of yes(47:00) Iron Maiden, Beast Tamer and Sinister programs(50:00) The power of patience(52:35) Karen’s goal setting strategy: 1) What are your goals? (Make sure they don’t contradict each other) 2) Ideally how long can you train each day and how often? (Lower it, you will get life in the middle)(53:40) “It’s not so much over-training, it’s under-recovery” - Karen Smith(55:10) Karen’s programs coming soon(56:30) Where to reach out to Karen Smith @_coach_karen_ https://coachkarensmith.com/ 

In the 2nd Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, Olympic weightlifting coach, author of many books including “Tough”, co-host of The Weightlifting Life Podcast, writer, producer and director of the documentary “American Weightlifting”, Greg Everett will talk about journaling, distractions and entertainment, and what does it mean to be Tough and how you can develop a world class toughness.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:30) Introducing our special guest Olympic weightlifting coach, author of many books including “Tough”, co-host of The Weightlifting Life Podcast, writer, producer and director of the documentary “American Weightlifting”, Greg Everett @catalystathletics(2:50) Greg Everett weightlifting world championships in 2021(3:40) Greg makes it very simple(4:10) Tough, Book by Greg Everett https://becomingtough.com/ (4:40) What made Greg decide to write a book about toughness?(6:30) Tough book started oriented to physical toughness(7:50) “Trying to communicate something to someone else is how I learned what i think about it” - Greg Everett(8:30) Productive mornings(10:00) How does Mike read? The underlying technique(12:00) “Getting into the process will help you define what you’re doing” - Greg Everett(12:30) “You can't have a perfect plan before you even begin” - Greg Everett(15:00) “If you want to do something every single day that is really important to you, it can’t feel like homework, because you won’t commit to it, you won’t be enthusiastic about it” - Greg Everett(15:30) The power of journaling(16:30) Stillness Is The Key, book by Ryan Holiday @ryanholiday https://www.amazon.com/Stillness-Key-Ryan-Holiday/dp/0525538585(16:40) “Writing is for the writer, not for the reader” - Stillness is the key(20:30) Alone TV show(21:00) “The limiter is not the physical aspect, it’s the psychological and emotional side” - Greg Everett(22:00) “Incrementally increase the exposure to what you find difficult” - Greg Everett(25:30) The need for distraction and entertainment(30:00) Prepare yourself for the hard times that will come(30:50) “You need people less afraid of things, you need to make them braver” - Jordan Peterson(32:40) “Better to be a warrior  in the garden than a gardener in the war”(33:40) Charatec, capability, capacity, commitment(34:30) Making daily decisions easier: What is meaningful to me? Why am I doing what I am doing? Does this align with who I am and who I want to be?(35:40) About capability and capacity(38:40) Security and identity(52:21) Where to reach out to Greg Everett @catalystathletics https://www.instagram.com/catalystathletics/ (53:00) Where to purchase the “Tough” book?  @becomingtough https://becomingtough.com/ 

In the 1st Episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, StrongFirst Master Instructor Fabio Zonin will talk about a minimalist bodybuilding approach, controlling your full body asymmetrically, Mike’s love-hate relationship with pressing and The Victorious ProgramJoin us in this insightful and captivating talk!In this chapter you will discover:(2:30) Introducing our special guest StrongFirst Master Instructor Fabio Zonin @x_fab_69(3:00) The Victorious Program(3:50) 95 - 83 Kg increasing muscle size(4:50) A minimalist bodybuilding approach(5:00) Working on 3-6 movement patterns BTS 3x3(9:20) Going to exhaustion with minisets(10:10) Technical rep max(11:20) How to apply Fabio’s new method step by step(12:40) Changing the muscle distribution(14:00) Hard to find a pattern(14:40) Mike talks strength endurance(15:40) Fabio’s technique for focused learning(16:00) How Mike met Fabio in the CKFMS(17:10) “Try to make it more digestible” - Fabio Zonin(17:50) “Not only improve the quality and quantity of the information you teach, but also the way you communicate it” - Fabio Zonin(18:50) “You know you are a great coach, if you can easily communicate” - Mike Kurkowski(19:20) “It’s not the content, it’s the way you deliver the content” - Fabio Zonin(21:20) Using ourselves for 1st test of a new program 1) caring about people safety 2) you know the feedback is accurate (23:00) “When you respect the weight you don’t lose focus” - Fabio Zonin(26:40) Injuries are not a result of a heavy weight, but lost focus(29:20) “Pain is a good teacher” - Fabio Zonin(37:00) Mike’s love-hate relationship with pressing(37:30) The bodypress program, shout out to Pavel Tsatsouline @strongfirst(39:10) Controlling your full body asymmetrically(39:40) “If I would be a musician, I would pick the drummer” - Fabio Zonin(40:00) The creation process for the Bodypress Program(44:50) Your emotions are created with your facial expressions and in your body language(46:40) “Every time you get into the press program you feel really good with it, it lights you up for the rest of the day” - Jon Engum engums_extremetraining(47:00) Funny story of Fabio and John(50:20) Shout out to Pavel Macek @@pavelmacekcom(51:20) Keep it legal, keep it safe(59:30) Learning universal strength principles and apply them in everything(59:40) Teaching people how to control their body, and the right tension and breath(1:00:40) Changing the way you generate tension(1:04:30) Powerful analogy story(1:07:30) Intuitive training(1:12:30) “Physiology drives psychology” - Mike Kurkowski(1:13:10) “Self improvement is addictive” - Mike Kurkowski(1:14:30) Go check The Victorious Program(1:15:40) How to reach out to Fabio Zonin contact@fabiozonin.com