The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

“You can sit there and wallor about it ‘like I almost died.’ Or, you can be the person who says ‘how can I use this to make myself better?” That’s the question Jay Jackson asked after he was held at gunpoint for nearly 90 minutes.     SpartanUp Combat Series host Ryan Warner talks with Jay about the harrowing experience that changed his life: when Jay was in college, he was held at gunpoint for nearly 90 minutes before turning the tables on his aggressor.  That moment shaped Jay’s life and in this episode you’ll learn...   -How to use the scariest and most painful of moments to find your true North -Why wrestling provided both the mental and physical tools to learn from the experience -What did Jay do in the days following the attack? -Why is he grateful to have had the experience? SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by The Ready State. Get a free trial and savee 10% for life by using the code Spartan10 at TheReadyState.Com. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW US: Spartan Combat: https://www.instagram.com/spartancombat/ Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   Find out more at https://spartancombat.com/ © 2021 Spartan

“I always tell my team, I never leave anyone on the mountain,” says Michael Taylor, founder of Spartan Spades.   SpartanUp Endurance Series host Johnny Waite talks with Michael about how to start a Spartan team and the benefits of doing so. In this episode you’ll learn…   -The origin story of Spartan Spades -How Michael encourages non-Spartan racers to sign-up for their first race -How to start a 150+ person Spartan team -What’s the one thing Michael has learned while launching Spartan Spades -Why it’s Spartan Spades vs Team Michael Taylor -Why “bring the kids” is an important ethos for Spartan Spades   CONNECT WITH MICHAEL Instagram: TeamSpartanSpadesFacebook: Team Spartan Spades   SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by The Ready State. Get a free trial and savee 10% for life by using the code Spartan10 at TheReadyState.Com.   SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer: Ryan Warner Hosts: Johnny Waite Sr Producer: Marion Abrams   © 2021 Spartan

How much sugar should you be eating?  Why is it so hard to stop once you start?  How have we evolved to crave it and what can you do about it? Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena talks to Sarah Wilson. Sarah Wilson is a former journalist and TV presenter, author and activist. She wrote the New York Times bestsellers "I Quit Sugar" and "First, We Make the Beast Beautiful" and she is the author of another 11 cookbooks that sell in 52 countries. Sarah’s latest book "This One Wild and Precious Life" is a soul’s journey through the complexities of climate change, coronvirus, racial inequalities and our disconnection from what matters…back to life. Today's episode of Spartan up is brought to you by The Ready State.  Use the code SPARTAN10 at  thereadystate.com to get a free two week trial of  VMC for free,  and then 10% off your membership for life after your free trial ends. LINKS: https://www.sarahwilson.com/ and check out her podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1548626341   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Joe De Sena Sefra Alexandra, Johnny Waite & Colonel Nye will be back soon, we miss them! © 2021 Spartan

The Freemans have a family mantra. It reads “I’m smart. I’m strong. I’m beautiful. I can do anything.” Parents David and Mechelle crafted the mantra for their kids, one of the many topics we cover in today’s SpartanUp DEKA Series episode where hosts Jarod Cogswell and Yancy Culp talk with the Freeman’s about… -Mechelle’s journey to leaving her job to train full-time for the Olympics -The moment David realized his purpose and how you can find yours too -The difference between a motivator and a maximizer -Mechells’ process for attaching discipline from her athletic career to her role as a parent -The five pillars for success: mindset, sleep, stress management, nutrition and movement About the Freeman’s... David Freeman is a health and fitness professional with 10+ years in the fitness industry. He is the National Program Leader for Alpha Training with Life Time The Healthy Way of Life Company and has been featured on the cover of Experience Life Magazine, and in Men’s Health and Men’s Journal Magazine. Mechelle Freeman is a 2008 Olympic Sprinter and is a speed and mindset coach helping to optimize mind and body performance. She is the Assistant Relays Coach for USA Track and Field National Teams and is the Founder of TrackGirlz, a nonprofit organization empowering girls through track and field. David and Mechelle are parents to Bayne (7) and Harley (5), and live in Frisco, TX.  Connect with the Freemans: Watch on Youtube David’s Instagram: @freezy30 David’s Facebook Mechelle’s Instagram: @mechellelewisfreeman Mechelle’s Twitter @mclewis1   SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Better Help. Save 10% on your first month by going to BetterHelp.Com/Spartan.   SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram: @spartanuppodcast Spartan Up on Twitter: @SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer: Ryan Warner Host: Jarod Cogswell and Yancy Culp Sr Producer: Marion Abrams   © 2021 Spartan  

“My neighborhood ranks lowest (in terms of health markers) across the state, and the nation. We have some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the country,” says Michael Taylor.    SpartanUp Endurance Series host Johnny Waite talks with Michael about his quest to improve the health of his neighborhood through Spartan Races. In this episode, you’ll learn…   -How Michael found Spartan Races and why they ‘grabbed’ him -About the health crisis in the Bronx -How to generate community-wide engagement for a cause -How to train for an ultra-distance, obstacle course race in the Bronx -The importance of consistency and ‘showing up’ when your team depends on you   CONNECT WITH MICHAEL Instagram: TeamSpartanSpades   SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Better Help. Save 10% on your first month by going to BetterHelp.Com/Spartan.   SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer: Ryan Warner Hosts: Johnny Waite Sr Producer: Marion Abrams   © 2021 Spartan

Starting a craft brewery for non-alcoholic beers was was an idea that came to Bill Shufelt when he saw the huge improvements in his own life when he removed alcohol. He talks with Spartan Founder Joe De Sena and Spartan Up Co-Host Johnnie Waite about the cultural shifts he's seeing in the US and Canada around alcohol consumption. "Sober," he says, "is an outdated word." Many people are reducing their alcohol intake for a variety of health, fitness, performance, and readiness reasons. Today's episode of Spartan up is brought to you by BetterHelp.  Spartan Up listeners can save 10% on their first month by going to www.BetterHelp.com/Spartan LINKS: https://athleticbrewing.com/   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Joe De Sena Sefra Alexandra, Johnny Waite & Colonel Nye will be back soon, we miss them! © 2021 Spartan

“Wrestling will change your life,” says head wrestling coach Mike Palazzo, who has created a wrestling dynasty at Lake Highland Prep (Florida).     SpartanUp Combat Series host Ryan Warner and Joe De Sena interview Mike to learn how - within 10 years - he took a program on the brink of oblivion and turned Lake Highland Prep High School into a national powerhouse.  In this episode you’ll learn...   -How wrestling is a vetting process for life -To set goals - big goals - and develop a process to get there -Understand that there are levels of greatness and know what it truly means to be the best in the country -Run to the fire (Lake Highland Prep’s schedule is one of the toughest in the country) -The correlation between wrestlers and OCR racers   Connect with Coach Palazzo: -Central Florida Wrestling Academy   SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Better Help. Save 10% on your first month by going to BetterHelp.Com/Spartan.   SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay   FOLLOW US: Spartan Combat: https://www.instagram.com/spartancombat/ Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   Find out more at https://spartancombat.com/ © 2020 Spartan

“I just can’t see investing in a business where the product is a stick with a cord,” an investor told Pete Holman.  Today, that stick with a cord is sold across the globe and is known as the TRX Rip Trainer.     SpartanUp DEKA series host Jarod Cogswell talks with Pete about some of his biggest failures - both athletically and professionally. In this episode, you’ll learn…   -What athletic failure did Pete learn the most from? -How Pete rebounded after the aforementioned investor told Pete that his idea wasn’t worth investing in -How injuries led to Pete’s career as a physical therapist -The three most influential people in Pete’s life   About Pete Holman: Pete’s accreditation as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, has enabled him to work with professional athletes and strength coaches from the MLB, NFL, NBA, UFC, X-Games and SunEnergy1 race car team: most notably Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Jerome “The Bus” Bettis and 8 time X-Games and Olympic gold medalist, Mike Schultz. Pete presents for IDEA FIT (the largest continuing education provider for personal trainers in the world,) writes for IDEA Fitness Journal, PTontheNet, STACK magazine and IronMan Magazine and has appeared on national tv shows such as the Dr’s and the Steve Harvey show.   Pete’s dedication to advancing the fitness industry and his entrepreneurial spirit has inspired him to create multiple products that impact fitness enthusiasts and athletes worldwide. His first product, The Functional Training Rack, was licensed to Perform Better in 2008 and inspired “hoop” platforms for current stability ball rack designs. His second product, the RIPCORE-FX, was acquired by TRX and is now referred to as the TRX Rip Trainer. The Rip Trainer has grossed over $20 million in worldwide sales and continues to be a leading rotational training modality used by athletes such as Steph Curry, Phil Mickelson and Drew Brees. His latest product, a plate loaded Hip Thrust machine called the Glute Drive, was licensed to Nautilus and is currently their number one selling commercial strength product, selling over 2000 units in its first year.   Pete recently authored his first book, a fictional piece called CRUZ, published by Scriptor publishing. The book is an homage to athletic development, coaching, mentorship and the underdog in us all. Connect with Pete: -Website: PH1Performance.Com -Twitter: @PeteHolman1 -Instagram: @PeteHolman1 SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Better Help. Save 10% on your first month by going to BetterHelp.Com/Spartan. SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/   Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer: Ryan Warner Host: Jarod Cogswell and Yancy Culp Sr Producer: Marion Abrams   © 2021 Spartan

Imagine: You're not in the shape you should be. You've of lost your direction. You've hit a low. That was Lindsay Dare Shoop. Eight years later, she was taking home gold at the Olympics on the US Rowing Team.  Today she tells Joe De Sena, founder & Ceo of Spartan,  how she made that transformation and all the things she learned in the process that make up her book, "Better Great Than Never." “I didn't think I was good enough to play a sport after high school. So I quit sports and spent about two and a half years, kind of wandering aimlessly without them.  Gaining weight, grades dropping, kind of socially withdrawing, and then through a random kind of chance moment bumped into the head rowing coach when I was in college,  and in that day on that moment, the timing was right. And it was like this. The opportunity arose right when I needed it.” Today's episode of Spartan up is brought to you by BetterHelp.  Spartan Up listeners can save 10% on their first month by going to www.BetterHelp.com/Spartan LINKS: About Lindsay Shoop https://www.lindsaydareshoop.com/ “Better Great Than Never” https://bettergreatthanneverbook.com/   FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Joe De Sena Sefra Alexandra, Johnny Waite & Colonel Nye will be back soon, we miss them! © 2021 Spartan

“It’s okay if they see you as the underdog, but don’t believe that you are the underdog,” says former NFL pro JJ Birden. Birden played in 9 NFL seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons from 1988 to 1996. Spartan Up DEKA series hosts Jarod Cogswell and Yancy Culp interview JJ Birden to help the listener learn:    -How to sustain success after the ‘highlight’ after your life -Why it’s okay if other people see you as an underdog -How to focus your efforts on making small, incremental improvements -The #1 trait of good leaders: leading from the front and how to implement this methodology in your life -How to make decisions under pressure: Process, Decide and Commit -Why team sports for America’s youth?   About JJ:  JJ is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, husband and father. He has been married to his college sweetheart, Raina, for 30 years and has 8 children (3 biological and 5 adopted nieces and nephews). He and his family reside in the Phoenix area. JJ Birden is an engaging communicator, passionate presenter, and a leading authority on helping individuals seize their opportunities in life.    Connect with JJ Birden: Website: JJBirden.Com Twitter: @jjbirden Instagram: @jjbirden   SPONSOR This episode of Spartan Up! is brought to you by Honey Stinger. Save 30% with the code “HSSpartan2020”.    SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/   Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod   CREDITS: Producer: Ryan Warner Host: Jarod Cogswell and Yancy Culp Sr Producer: Marion Abrams   © 2020 Spartan