The Excellence Cartel

Episode 137: A Chat With The Boston Mass Today we have a special guest - the one and only Jose Raymond, aka "The Boston Mass", aka the guy in charge of Jeffrey Su's hamstring development. Jose spoke about his career in the IFBB and opened up about PED use, training, and decisions he made coming up the ranks since winning the overall at the New Englands as a teen. Reflecting on his 20+ year career as a competitive bodybuilder he only has one regret, but the rest he has made peace with and is glad to have moved on to other projects which serve his purpose now and those around him. --

Episode 136: Should You Diet on Vacation? This is a common question and an undeniable, nagging thought that pops up in the minds of serious competitors and general population clients alike, and depending on your tenure in fitness, coping mechanisms, and perceptions of freedom, you may be tempted to handle your nutrition on vacation with biases. Who should be strict? Who should not? What does "strictness" or "freedom" mean? How should we as coaches guide our clients this summer season? Tune in to find out!

Episode 135: Adrenal Insufficiency with Kristen Gurtowsky Episode 135: Adrenal Insufficiency with Kristen Gurtowsky   Jeff Black's client Kristen Gurtowsky joined us today to discuss adrenal insufficiency from her personal journey and professional perspective as a PA with formal medical training.  800 calorie diets paired with 2 hours of cardio per day are still happening all too often to clients at the hands of coaches who simply haven't been educated yet.  Kristen talks about how she slowly bridged her medical background with the non-Western coaching techniques that her and Jeff employed to turn her adrenals around. www.theexcellencecartel.com

Episode 134: Stress Biofeedback with Nick Langer   Today Nick Langer of BR Physiques joined us to talk about tracking stress in biofeedback, how to interpret markers and when coaches should or should not ask clients to track.  We discuss HRV, RHR, FBG, BBT, and BG among others and how they relate and paint an actionable and coachable picture of the client.  We also discuss genetic predisposition to stress, lifestyle factors, and what changes should be made to ensure longevity in physique enhancement. www.theeexcellencecartel.com

Episode 133: Building a Community with Tristan Winters Today we were joined by Tristan Winters from the Daily Pursuit to talk about how he built his community of clients and coaches and his strong beliefs in service-based leadership. Head health, heart health, and daily checklists he says is what keeps his clients and his team going. We asked him questions about marketing, client communication and management and if he has ever fired a client. www.theexcellencecartel.com

You sent Episode 132: Personal Training Perks with Jace Lopez   With the online coaching market heating up more and more each year it leaves us wondering how coaches can leverage the once "red ocean" space of personal training.  We invited Jace Lopez, owner of Apex Training in Lafayette, LA to talk about being a personal trainer and what operations and revenue look like for his gym and his team.  The industry is constantly shifting but what will never change is the desire for a personal connection between client and coach. Perhaps it is time we revisited in-person training. www.theexcellencecartel.com

Today we welcomed Peter Bond onto our show to discuss his book "The Book On Steroids."  We asked Peter about what the research says on steroid use in terms of side effects, doses, and other topics. Peter covered a few different steroids such as Primobolan and Trenbolone along with of course testosterone, discussing the studies involving doses and duration. There was also a discussion on diuretic use and a few other good ones that made the time go by quickly. Peter's book is available at bookonsteroids.com www. theexcellencecartel.com

Episode 130: Leading from the Front "The coaching space is saturated, but it's not competitive". Today we were joined by Aaron Straker of Straker Nutrition to talk about business ownership, leadership, and setting standards and boundaries for success. Where do coaches go wrong, allowing their clients to breach boundaries? How do you draw good attention to yourself in a saturated marketplace? How do you communicate goals with clients so it resonates and translates into action? This was a great discussion today with plenty of stories, experience, and actionable tips to make your coaching more successful than yesterday. www.theexcellencecartel.com

Today we were joined by Ross Cowan, owner of Strong AF Fitness who discusses his five tips on increasing business performance in terms of client headcount and revenue earned. How to build trust on social media? Should you use TikTok? When should you implement a customer resource management system? www.theexcellencecartel.com

Hey everyone make sure you come check out PEC 6 (yes, we are on our 6th rodeo!) in Nashville this June 3rd to 6th! We are shaking things up with private, small group Q&A's with us three J's on Friday before the open event on Saturday featuring: List of speakers for Saturday ticket: 8 am Erin Crawford - Optimizing Fertility Through Nutrition & Natural Tactics 9 am Justin Mihaly - Physiological Manipulation Tools & Tactics To "Crack" The Body's Homeostatic Environment 10 am - Chanel Collette - Training Periodization During Hormonal Dysfunction & For Optimal Ovulation 11 am - John Jewett - Male PED Coaching: Achieving Superhuman & Risk Mitigation 12-1 Lunch 1 pm Jamie Pinder - Female PED Coaching: Maintaining Individual Femininity & Health 2 pm Scott Stevenson - Quest For The Perfect Rep 3 pm Michael Cliffords - Turning Case Studies & Testimonials Into Context 4 pm OPEN Q&A If you've joined us at any PEC in the past we'd love to have you back and we think you'll like the changes we've made, and will continue to make! Let's get better, together.