The Ready State Podcast

Matt Vincent is a traveling strength athlete, two-time Highland Games World Champion, and founder of HVIII Brand Goods. Through his travels, Matt was lucky enough to spend time with exceptional people who were chasing strength, fulfillment, and personal growth in every imaginable way. In Matt's first book, Training Lab, he spelled out the philosophy of “The HVIII,” and tried to capture the spirit of self-improvement through self-loathing. This idea would serve as the spark that led to HVIII Brand Goods and a ton of adventures afterwards. Matt chronicles his travels and conversations with people in the strength game and beyond on his podcast UMSO.   We talk to Matt about his evolution from World Champion Athlete to founding a highly successful company by way of a number of other ventures and a total knee replacement. • This episode of The Ready State Podcast is sponsored by Paleovalley Essential C Complex. Created to be the most powerful, completely natural and organic source of vitamin C on the planet, Essential C Complex is one of the only supplements we take every single day. Because nothing's funny about scurvy. For more info and 15% off, visit thereadystate.com/essentialC! • This episode of The Ready State Podcast is sponsored by Kabuki Strength. Kabuki designs, engineers, and manufactures novel strength equipment, provides research-based education, world-class coaching services, and gives back by serving others in the community. The Kadillac Bar has been so crucial to Kelly's training that he keeps one at work and at his home gym. To check out all of their innovative products visit thereaydstate.com/kabuki!

Stan Efferding is the founder of the Vertical Diet and is an IFBB Professional bodybuilder and World Record Holding Powerlifter. He is one of only 10 men in the world to ever total over 2,300 pounds raw in competition. Stan holds the title as the Worlds Strongest Bodybuilder.   Stan studied Exercise Science at the University of Oregon and has been training high school, Collegiate, and Professional athletes for over 25 years. Stan conducts seminars all over the country for various sports and nutrition and training techniques. He has appeared in many magazines and writes for Muscular Development, Flex Magazine and Power Magazine. Stan is also a successful entrepreneur having built three different start-up businesses into multi-million dollar companies.

Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and the 2X New York Times/WSJ Best Selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired To Eat. Robb has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast, books and seminars.   Robb has functioned as a review editor for the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism (Biomed Central) and as a consultant for the Naval Special Warfare Resiliency program. He serves on the board of Directors/Advisors for: Specialty Health Inc, The Chickasaw Nation’s “Unconquered Life” initiative and a number of innovative start ups with a focus on health and sustainability.   Robb holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, is a former California State Powerlifting Champion, and a 6-0 amateur kickboxer. He has provided seminars in nutrition and strength & conditioning to a number of entities including NASA, Naval Special Warfare, the Canadian Light Infantry and the United States Marine Corps.   Robb joins us to talk about the Paleo Diet and the science behind his nutrition choices and recommendations.

Jen Widerstrom is a world-renowned fitness trainer, published author, and Fitness Director of SHAPE Magazine. She is well known for her work as a trainer on the American television series The Biggest Loser. Before that, she appeared on American Gladiators, as the female gladiator Phoenix. Jen most recently founded GetUP, a CBD supplement company, continues to coach athletes of all stripes including leading monthly carb cycling challenges through her site Widerstrong.com. Juliet has personally found great success zipping up her diet with carb cycling. Jen joins us to talk nutrition, movement, and the important role both play health, wellness, and self image.

Adee Cazayoux is the Founder and CEO of Working Against Gravity (WAG), an online nutrition coaching program with a mission to transform lives. Having made a name for herself in nutrition, Cazayoux has worked with elite athletes such as Katrin Davidsdottir, Jessica Lucero and Tia Clair-Toomey, just to spotlight a few. Adee is lifelong learner with a Bachelors in Honors Psychology and a Masters in Teaching and is working toward a Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance. Beyond being an entrepreneur and student of the nutritional sciences, Adee is also an accomplished athlete, having competed in the National Pro Grid League, CrossFit Open and won the Bronze Medal in the 2016 Canadian National Weightlifting Championships.   Michael Cazayoux, president of WAG, specializes in helping his team and clients “get out of their own way” by identifying self-limiting beliefs and ineffective behaviors. In fact, the back-to-back CrossFit World Cup Champion is no stranger to this unique process of self-examination. At the impressionable age of 17, Cazayoux confronted his own limiting beliefs and ineffective behaviors head on, attending drug rehabilitation to overcome his addiction to opiates. It’s this experience that inspired a love of health and fitness on a personal level, which later translated into a passion for coaching and mentoring inside and out of the gym. Prior to joining WAG, Michael cofounded Brute Strength, an online fitness training company, where he continues to contribute to operations and remains as the podcast host.   Adee and Michael live in Austin with their dog, Otis and welcomed their first child this year.

Dr. Mike T. Nelson (known as Dr. Mike) joins us to talk about the Flex Diet. He is a research fanatic who specializes in metabolic flexibility and heart rate variability. He is also an online trainer, adjunct professor, faculty member at the Carrick Institute, presenter, creator of the Flex Diet Cert, kiteboarder, and (somewhat incongruously) heavy-metal enthusiast. The techniques he's developed, and the results Mike gets for his clients have been featured in international magazines, in scientific publications, and on websites across the globe.

EC Synkowski joins us to talk about the 800g Challenge, lazy macros, and the easy ways we can make a big impact on our health with a simple nutrition approach. EC is the founder OptimizeMe Nutrition, a company dedicated to making nutrition easy through digital education products and corporate wellness programs. The mission of OptimizeMe Nutrition is to provide solutions for anyone to improve their weight, health, and overall wellbeing through sustainable diet methods. Thousands have used her #800gChallenge®, a diet free of restrictive rules, to eat healthily and have reported weight loss, increased energy, improved performance and more! EC has an extensive scientific background, 2 masters degrees, and a CF-L4 certification which enables her to translate evidence-based scientific data into practical solutions for everyday success. She also recently did a Tedx Talk called An Elegant Diet, which is one of our favorite Ted Talks ever.

Darin Olien is a widely recognized plant-based exotic superfoods hunter, author of the book, “SuperLife: The Five Fixes That Will Keep You Healthy, Fit And Eternally Awesome,” and a TV host on the Netflix docu-series "Down to Earth with Zac Efron". He has travelled the planet discovering new and underutilized exotic foods and medicinal plants. In April 2020 Darin launched 121 Tribe, a health app created to help people live an optimal and sustainable life. Darin is the formulator of the whole-food supplement, “Shakeology”, as well as the plant based, “Ultimate Reset" 21-day detoxification program. Darin is one of the founders of Barukas™, a new super nut from the Savannah “Cerrado” of Brazil. Through sustainable business practices the company is committed to supporting this important biome by planting 20 million Baruzeita trees. In addition, Darin is partner and advisor to several global environmental and health companies. Darin joins us to talk superfoods and how he maintains a healthy plant-based lifestyle.

Diana Rodgers is an advocate for regenerative farming. She is a registered dietician and “real food” nutritionist as well as a writer living on a working organic farm. She runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and speaks internationally about human nutrition, sustainability, animal welfare and social justice. She’s written two books and helped to produce the short film, Soft Slaughter, which won a real food media award. Her work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Edible Boston and To Market.   Later this year she is releasing a new book and film project, Sacred Cow, exploring the important role of animals in our food system.

Mark is the meathead millionaire who has leveraged a successful powerlifting career into a multi-million dollar business empire. He owns and operates the Super Training Gym, dubbed “The Strongest Gym In The West” and largest free gym in the world. Mark also publishes a national fitness magazine, has an impressive YouTube following, and is the host of a Top 50 health and fitness podcast. Much of Mark’s business success has come from his patented invention called the Sling Shot, a widely popular weight lifting device, billed as the greatest invention since the weight lifting belt. It is used by athletes and coaches and can be found in gyms throughout the country. His motto in life is simple: "If you’re not getting better, then you’re getting worse, so never be caught standing still."