The Better Man Podcast

This episode with Alex Holmes discusses how us men can be healthier both mentally and emotionally by understanding the patterns that we engage in as men trying to live up to a certain image of how men are supposed to be in our society. Men aren’t encouraged to talk about their emotions and vulnerabilities. They’re encouraged to bury them deep inside and “man up.” That mindset could lead to isolation, loneliness, emotional disconnection from loved ones, and all sorts of other problems down the road. Today’s guest, Alex Holmes, offers a different, more empowering solution for men around the world. Alex is an award-winning podcaster, mental health coach, and author of the book Time To Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection. He’s on a mission to tackle the mental health and loneliness epidemic men are going through. That involves opening the door to difficult conversations that many people are afraid to have. In this episode, we go over why it’s essential to face your emotions to understand them, lingering myths about masculinity, the mental health challenges men experience today, and so much more. Key Takeaways with Alex Holmes To process difficult emotions, you have to express them, not hide them. Don’t be afraid to share your deepest insecurities with your male friends. Bottling them up can only harm your relationships and your self-esteem. Opening up when you’ve been closed off your whole life isn’t easy. It’s a habit; do it long enough, and it will become second nature. Challenge yourself. Have that uncomfortable conversation; step outside of your (emotional) comfort zone. It’s OK to push forward as a high-achiever. But you also need to learn when to slow down and reconnect with family and nature. Men constantly change masks according to society’s and other people’s expectations. Do this instead! Look around you. Do you have people in your life who you can trust and call in bad times?   The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

Today’s guest, Chase Chewning, is an army veteran, fitness entrepreneur, and podcaster who overcame that fear that so many of us men have: to open up and share their vulnerabilities. Chase has endured severe emotional and physical traumas. He lost his father when he was 19 and soon after suffered horrendous injuries to his entire body that required a complete reconstruction of his femur. On top of that, he suffered from PTSD after ending his deployment. Those experiences took a severe toll on his entire well-being. But ultimately, they were the catalyst for him to dive deep into his biggest insecurities, share them with the people he loves, and accept what life brings him, good or bad. He’s now helping people all around the world transform their bodies and minds through conscious content, coaching, and consulting services. Today, we cover his journey from army veteran to fitness coach, the importance of listening to your body, why bottling up your emotions is a surefire way to anxiety and trauma, and so much more. Key Takeaways with Chase Chewning The key lessons Chase learned about health from his years of podcasting. Your body is your greatest coach. Stop and listen to what it’s saying before you do yourself harm. What’s one thing you can commit to that you know will make you happiest in the long run? Find out how Chase bounced back from PTSD and depression after losing his father and suffering gruesome injuries. Surround yourself with people that love you, and love them back. The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life. What’s your love language? Learn Chase’s practice for identifying his deep-seated emotional issues. Don’t bottle up your emotions. Do this instead. Stop trying to control external events. Let them unfold and see what happens. Sometimes a walk in nature can be more beneficial for your health than a gym session.   The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

Today's guest, BJ Gaddour, has mastered both areas. BJ went from being a pudgy kid to being named one of the 100 Fittest Men of All Time. He's also the former fitness director of Men's Health Magazine and the author of the book Your Body is Your Barbell. BJ started training with the same goals many of us had: To get stronger and look good in the mirror. There's nothing wrong with that approach. But fitness is so, so much more than that. BJ learned that the hard way. He could lift 500 pounds but couldn't do a lunge or a single pullup. His body disobeyed him, even though he was strong as a bull. He's since molded himself into a primer on increasing muscle mass, getting stronger, and being more agile than ever. More importantly, he found that being mentally fit is as important as being shredded. In today's episode, he shares his advice on how to train as you're getting older, the importance of leaving ego aside in every aspect of your life, how he took agency over his mental state, and much more. Key Takeaways with BJ Gaddour Negativity can fuel you to achieve your goals. But there's a better way. How BJ recovered after two years filled with traumatic events. It's OK to push yourself, in work or fitness, but give yourself a breather from time to time. Avoiding uncomfortable emotions is the worst thing you can do. Do this instead. Don't jump out of bed checking on social media. Find out how BJ primes himself in the morning to have a kickass day. To succeed, revel in the success of other people. You don't need a gym for a killer workout. Learn how to squeeze in one wherever you are. Want to test your mobility? Try out BJ's Turkish Getup test. Why constantly breathing through your mouth when training is hard on your body... Use these nasal breathing techniques to improve your fitness, increase overall capacity, and recover faster! The Man Flow Yoga Members' Area - 7-Day FREE Trial\ Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results -- feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

How can disaster and setbacks help us change for the better? Today I’m speaking with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi, a weight loss expert, and doctor in naturopathic medicine. Dr. Anthony is the founder of The Fit Father and The Fit Mother project, and has helped over 40,000 people lose weight and get healthy without following fad diets or spending countless hours in the gym. Anthony is a former national champion bodybuilder who has used his unique blend of knowledge and experience to help men and women all over the world, in over 100 countries, to lose weight, keep it off, and perform at peak capacities. In our conversation, we dig into the lessons he learned from trauma at a young age, his actionable advice for boosting immunity and staving off disease, the importance of reconnecting with nature, and so much more. Key Takeaways with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi How a skiing accident that shattered Anthony’s body turned out to be the most transformative experience in his life. You decide whether pain destroys you, or helps you grow. Don’t run away from uncomfortable emotions and sensations in the body. Sit with them, observe them, and see what happens. Learn the “behavioral hooks” through which Dr. Anthony helps clients lose weight and keep it off. Don’t rely on willpower. Create sustainable systems, and you won’t even need willpower after a while. Exercise doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Find out how some of Dr. Anthony’s clients lost over 100 pounds by simply walking. We’re neglecting nature’s profound effect on our physiology. Breathe some fresh air, get some sun on your body. Learn the easiest and most overlooked nutrition routines that will improve your health. The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

In this episode, I’m talking to Blake Bowman, a postural alignment and corrective exercise coach who’s been in this industry for over a decade. During that period, he learned that health and performance is a chess board consisting of many critical moving pieces. Blake has been a guinea pig almost his entire life. After suffering a grueling injury, he couldn’t find help to get his body repaired. He could lift 500 pounds on a deadlift at one point but couldn’t go on a hike. So, he took matters into his own hands and learned how to fix himself. Today, he’s stronger, has better posture, and is healthier than ever. Through GuerillaZen Fitness, he now uses that experience to help people perform and train better without any muscle imbalances and injuries and be at 100% capacity at all times. Today, we discuss how to stop your body from declining, balancing training with self-reflection and reconnecting with nature, the crisis of masculinity, and much more. Key Takeaways with Blake Bowman How his injuries led Blake to become a corrective exercise specialist. Surgery is not always the best option to treat an injury. Try out some of Blake’s advice before going under the knife. Find out why foam-rollers can be a game-changer for your mobility and posture. Blake’s homemade pre-workout cocktail that enables him to crush workouts. It’s good to power through discomfort, but it’s not good to power through pain. Learn the difference. Find out how Blake overcame depression and anxiety after losing his father and suffering a gruesome injury. Ego shouldn’t guide your goals. To help yourself, help others. So much data shows how going out into nature improves our well-being. Find out the key benefits of “forest bathing.” Motivation follows action. Don’t wait around to get motivated; start taking action and see what happens. Have clarity on your purpose and goals, and you won’t suffer from burnout. We’re witnessing a nationwide decline in testosterone levels. What can we do as men? Learn his morning sauna protocol for decreasing stress and promoting recovery. The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

How do you run a multi-million dollar business while raising a loving family and taking care of your well-being? It’s a question that so many high achievers have failed to answer for themselves. Today, I’m speaking with Matt Allison, a man that has. Matt went through all the trials and tribulations of founding and then selling a wildly successful business. He was the Founder and CEO of the digital analytics & PR company, TrendKite, that in 2019 was acquired for $225 million. Matt has worked with most of the Fortune 100 companies. As the Founder and CEO of Handraise, he’s on a mission to help every company he works with deliver on their promises and always provide value for their customers. Besides being a successful entrepreneur, Matt is a loving husband and father. But before he learned how to juggle his different roles in life, Matt struggled with stress, anxiety, financial difficulties, and the burden of running a multi-million dollar business in his 20s. Yet, he took invaluable lessons from that experience that made him a stronger person. And he’s here to share them. In this episode, we’re discussing why being financially broke doesn’t mean that you also have to be mentally broke, the importance of unplugging and finding what provides meaning to your life, why discipline equals freedom, and much more. After talking with Matt, one can’t leave without being inspired to take on the world. Listen in and learn for yourself why that’s the case. Key Takeaways with Matt Allison Life can suck, but you choose how to interpret stressful times and what meaning you give them. How he started doing regular self-reflection by listening to Tony Robbins. Learn the morning priming exercise that he does each day. The mindset helped him go from living in a basement with no heating to founding and running multiple multi-million dollar businesses. How team sports changed his mentality and made him appreciate hard work and perseverance. Being an underdog led him to push himself more in sports and business. Learn to appreciate the struggle instead of wishing for life to deal you better cards. Discipline = Freedom. Learn why being disciplined does not confine, but liberates you. Being a Founder and CEO can be stressful, especially at a young age. Learn how Matt overcame the crippling anxiety while running his first business. What lessons did he take away and apply later? Even in his most prosperous days, Matt made it a point to surround himself with people smarter than himself. Find out why. The importance of scheduling play in your life. The habits he followed to lose over 30 pounds.   The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

Today I’m excited to bring my favorite person on the planet onto my podcast - my wife, Marisa Pohlman - to talk about the changes we went through becoming parents, how we stay fit, and the challenges we face in family life. If you’re wondering, Marisa is a PT (Physical Therapist) with a doctorate in physical therapy. She’s also an Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS), putting her in the top 5 - 10% of PTs in the country who are also an OCS. One surprising fact about her is that she doesn’t love yoga and rarely practices it. Shocker, I know! Yet, she’s as much an athlete as I am. Marisa’s a former college soccer player and has been physically active her entire life. Her depth of knowledge about everything related to the human body informed many of the videos I made about yoga poses for different body types. Since having Declan, our lives went through a tectonic shift. It made us reevaluate our priorities, daily activities, and eating and work habits.That inherently brought new challenges we had to tackle in our relationship to build a healthy role model for Declan to look up to. And so far, I’d say we’re crushing it! In this episode, we’re discussing the importance of honesty, empathy and trust in the relationship, the importance of equal parenting, why men need to take care of their mental health, and so much more. Key Takeaways with Dean & Marisa Pohlman You have a picture of what having a child looks like, but how does that compare to reality? Find out how having Declan changed our life, our values, the way I work, & my daily activities. Our top lessons from two and a half years of marriage. How Marisa’s eating habits improved after we met. And on the flip side, how my cooking evolved after I met her. Weight gain is insidious. Find out how Marisa realized that she gained weight and tweaked her approach to shed those additional pounds. The best relationships are built on trust and empathy. Learn what we did to be more present with each other. Your child should see you function as a family unit. Learn the importance of equal parenting and open communication. Different upbringing leads to different styles of parenting. Find out how that influences how we’re navigating parenthood. Staying fit and healthy while raising a child is challenging. Learn the importance of planning family meals. Learn Marisa’s three-step routine during pregnancy that made her more capable of taking on the day’s challenges. Find out how my habits changed after becoming a dad. Learn my method on how to stick to yours. The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

There’s more to peak performance than just training your body, and we get into that in detail today with my guest, Brandon Epstein, founder of Jump Rope Dudes and CEO of The Owned Industries. Brandon Epstein is a mental health and performance coach and the co-founder of Jump Rope Dudes, an online fitness community with over 120 million views on YouTube and a following of over one million people worldwide. He’s also the CEO of The Owned Industries, where he helps people with their mental performance and beyond. Brandon went from a series of toxic relationships, massive debt, and being 60+ pounds overweight, to building a 7-figure business, finding his soulmate, and getting into the best shape of his life. Brandon started his business committed to achieving peak physical shape. However, during his physical transformation, he learned that fitness is much more than being physically fit. Today, not only is Brandon helping people attain the best physical shape of their life but he’s helping them become mentally and spiritually healthier too. In this episode, we’re talking about the power of beliefs in changing our bodies and minds, how you can achieve a flow state more often in your life, Brandon’s four pillars of fitness, and much more. If you feel you could perform better in any aspect of your life, tune in. Key Takeaways with Brandon Epstein Forget about fad diets. Learn Brandon’s simple formula for getting fit. How Brandon’s trip to Colombia at age 24 transformed his life. Finding the perfect partner often means finding someone who matches your energy. Find out how Brandon and his wife Sarah decided they were perfect for each other. How he got out of debt and bounced back after several failed businesses. Awareness is a superpower. Learn the four stages of awareness that Brandon swears by. You can’t change your life without adopting empowering beliefs. Learn Brandon’s process to replace your limiting beliefs with ones that will propel you forward. Find out how you can quickly enter a meditative state by doing challenging activities. You’ll get frustrated during your journey to reach a state of complete awareness. What to do when those feelings arrive? Don’t just introduce new habits without knowing why you’re doing them. What are you actually trying to achieve? The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

For most of my adult life, I’ve been doing yoga. However, at one point, I decided to up my fitness game. Sure, I was pretty lean. But I wanted to be stronger, pack more muscle, and build a more capable body. That’s where today’s guest, Jesse O’Brien, came in. Jesse has always pushed his limits as an athlete and taught me how to push mine. Jesse is a self-proclaimed guinea pig that uses his body as a proving ground. Case in point, he completed a 262-mile endurance race with no sleep for four days straight. Jesse completely obliterated my misconceptions about fitness, muscle building, and diet. He made me look deeper into what I ate, how I trained, and what my goals were. Using that knowledge, he helped me remove the self-imposed roadblocks impeding my progress. The funny thing is, I’m now even more comfortable and capable of performing complex yoga poses. I’m stronger than ever (like pulling 385 pounds on a deadlift strong), healthier than ever, and I love what I see in the mirror. Today, Jesse’s doing for other people what he did for me. His revolutionary company, Central Athlete, supports clients to lose weight, have more energy, and get stronger. More importantly, they support them in building a fitness lifestyle aligned with their deepest values, empowering them to lead a more fulfilling life. In this episode, you’ll learn how Jesse transformed my approach to dieting and weightlifting, why being leaner is not necessarily healthier for you, why he believes suffering leads to clarity, and so much more. Key Takeaways with Jesse O’Brien Before training with Jesse, I had a 4.6% body fat percentage. Learn why it’s not always healthy to have such low body fat levels. Why doing yoga for years set me up for success in my weightlifting journey. How much muscle can you build during your first year of lifting weights, and how much if you’ve been strength training for years? How Jesse pushed me to train harder and smarter and how that helped me gain clarity of what my body and mind are capable of. Why Jesse believes that resistance training is the ultimate anti-aging medicine. How I packed on two pounds of muscle in three months following Jesse’s training protocol. Finding your why is one of the most important discoveries you can have. Even when you’re trying to get stronger and fitter. Learn Jesse’s habits through which he pursues his path towards physical and mental mastery. Learn the seven primal movements everyone should do daily to be stronger and lead an active and healthy lifestyle. The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram

Matt Vincent is a two time Highland Games World Champion and the founder of the successful brand HVIII Brand Goods that helps people eliminate the bullsh*t in their lives through movement, mindset, and motivation. After going through various adversities (he had nine knee surgeries as well as a total knee replacement) and enduring excruciating pain, he found beauty in the simplicities that his new life offered. After his father died, Matt realized that the time we have left on Earth is finite, and precious. He now lives every day as if it was his last. He’s no longer identifying as just an athlete. Competing with others is now in the rearview mirror, he’s in competition only with himself. To be better, bolder, and wiser. In this episode, we’re discussing how stress can benefit us, the importance of being honest with ourselves and other people, and how taking ownership of our lives is a pathway to boundless personal growth. Key Takeaways with Matt Vincent Why Matt experimented with different diets and to what result. How pain and trauma changed his outlook on life. How he balances every aspect of his life (business, relationships, health). How experimenting with psychedelics led him to breakthrough realizations. Matt’s transition from an athlete to entrepreneur. Practicing jiu-jitsu with a bad knee: How to do it? Surround yourself with people that are positive and bring value to your life. Matt’s morning routine that gets him absolutely fired up for the day. Why discomfort and suffering are invaluable in the pursuit of excellence. Find out how his injuries made him even tougher mentally than before. The Man Flow Yoga Members’ Area - 7-Day FREE Trial Want on-demand yoga programs, workouts, tutorials & more? Visit ManFlowYoga.com/join and start your 7-day free trial today.  FREE 7-Day Beginner's Yoga for Men Challenge 15-Minute On-Demand Videos No flexibility, no yoga experience required. Noticeable results – feel better, stronger, and move better. BONUS ACCESS! Exclusive Members-Only workout: Head & Neck Essentials Routine Visit ManFlowYoga.com/7dc to start the challenge today! Connect with Dean Pohlman Facebook YouTube Instagram