Architect of Resilience

Today's guest is the legendary @tmacsinc, a retired SpecOps operator who is now one of the top instructors in tactical training, marksmanship, and performance-based physical training for the tactically-minded through his company @combatstrengthtraining.  Our hosts and Pat discuss general preparedness, fitness, proficiency, and the differences in preparing for dynamic, multi-plane human function as is necessary in a tactical environment. Pat draws from his experiences as a member of 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force) in hostile areas to work with individuals in a variety of skillsets outside of just marksmanship. He talks us through his combat strength training program and the kind of training methodologies and philosophies they draw from. Thanks for joining us on Strength Chat @tmacsinc

You may remember today's guest from episode 68 a year or so back! Ryan Lockard is the founder and head trainer at Specialty Athletic Training, an incredible local organization devoted to helping special needs individuals train to get stronger and healthier.  As one parent put it... "There is a special place in heaven for you and each and every one of your staff."  In his own words - the mission of Specialty Athletic Training is "...to make fitness fun and encourage self-esteem building and healthy lifestyle choices. We are passionate about the positive effects that exercise can have in the lives of our clients and their families!" Our hosts and Ryan discuss the intricacies of training the special needs population and successes he's seen with his athletes. An insightful conversation into an important and rewarding part of the strength & fitness story. 

Is the time you are spending rolling, smashing, stretching, and mobilizing an effective use of your time and resources? Do you know the underlying goal behind the work you are doing? Brad Cox - today’s guest - and our hosts discuss the importance of knowing the why behind the what, where, and when as it pertains to various recovery methodologies. In a fitness industry quickly being saturated by new techniques and tools, stepping back and putting your own needs/goals in context and understanding the nuances surrounding what you are trying to achieve is an important, yet oft forgotten practice. We hope you’ll tune in as Strength Chat hosts Rudy and Chris sit down in-person with Brad, co-founder of Acumobility and long-time friend of Kabuki Strength to discuss all things mobility, recovery, rehab, and movement! 

A fascinating episode on the books today with Dr. Roy Page, a protege of Kabuki Board Member Dr. Craig Liebenson and head associate at world-renowned clinic LA Sport & Spine. Our hosts sit down with Dr. Roy to discuss his education and experience as a practitioner in both western and eastern schools when it comes to rehabilitation modalities. All of our hosts had a chance to experience some unique and novel techniques that Dr. Roy specializes in and utilizes with his patients, particularly electroacupuncture.  Dr. Roy received the a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Logan College along with a Master of Science Degree in Sports Science and Rehabilitation. He has also achieved a Master of Traditional Oriental Medicine from Emperor’s College and is a California licensed acupuncturist. The American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians recognizes him as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has awarded him the status Diplomate of Oriental Medicine.  He began fine-tuning his clinical work in functional rehabilitation under the direct supervision of Dr. Craig Liebenson in 2012, and he regularly assists Dr. Liebenson at various teaching events across the country. Dr. Page has been a past secretary for the International Society of Clinical Rehabilitation Specialists and continues to represent the emerging interdisciplinary rehab community within the private sector. Roy’s detective-like interest in human movement stems from his avid long time study of various martial arts. In particular, he began studying Yang style Taijiquan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan) in 1997 after having spent a year wheelchair bound due to a severe football injury. Tajiquan was a major component of his rehabilitation that taught him how to walk again, empowering him to return to sport. He has studied Taijiquan with many notable teachers across the United States, including his teacher’s Sifu Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming as well as Dr. Yang’s original Taiji teacher, Grandmaster Kao, Tao. Dr. Page began co-teaching Tajiquan, along with Muay Thai, Wing Chun, and Kali at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN from 2001 – 2006 and has taught privately thereafter. He considers himself a movement specialist due to his colorful history with various martial arts, manual medicine, and rehabilitation based performance care.  He also aims to uniquely interweave Eastern medicine with the functional rehabilitation paradigm by recognizing common themes within traditional diagnosis and meridian therapy with modern understandings of anatomy and the body’s adaptive potential to influences from the environment. In this way, Dr. Page is capable of managing the entire spectrum of a patient’s needs from top personal performance to deep recovery. Through Acupuncture, herbal, and nutraceutical therapies, he has additional expertise in the management of post-stroke rehabilitation and stroke prevention, autoimmune disorders, and the management of side-effects from cancer related medical interventions.  Sports Physicians recognizes him as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician, and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has awarded him the status Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. 

In possibly one of the darkest episodes of Strength Chat to date, we're excited to have back our very first host from our first episode ever all the way back in 2016. Whereas our previous conversation focused on entrepreneurship and the fitness industry, today's show features a conversation on a topic rarely touched: male mental health.  Jeff Halevy is a long-time friend of Kabuki, a former Today Show corespondent, host of internationally syndicated Workout from Within, and Inc 5000 winning entrepreneur for his many successful ventures in the fitness industry. But he hasn't always been these things. Known to many as an extremely dynamic, bright, and passionate voice in fitness - Jeff has only recently opened up to share his story of survival from depression, near-suicide, and chaos that almost landed him in prison for 25 years.  In this extremely insightful and honest episode, Jeff and our hosts unpack what it means to "be a man" in the social age, fallacies and traps men fall into, and the desperate need for transparency and acceptable for those seeking help. This is an important episode for all of us to listen to. Thanks for sharing your story Jeff. 

We have a lot of incredible guests on this podcast, but today's conversation with Rachel Balkovec is truly a testimony of passion by an incredible woman with deep, raw introspection into her own life experiences and a hunger to live out her vision. Rachel is a powerhouse in the strength & conditioning world; and now in professional baseball as she just signed with the Yankees to become the first full-time female hitting coach hired by a major league organization! Rachel has previously worked for the Astros and Cardinals as a S&C Coordinator and is currently wrapping up her work at Driveline Baseball, a data-driven performance training facility in Washington state. She has two graduate degrees in the science of human movement and is a life-long student, intentionally seeking out mentorship and drawing out knowledge from her experiences. After Rachel shares an absolutely hilarious story (seriously, one of the best funny stories we've had), her and our hosts dive into a wide range of topics ranging from life and identity, to belief systems, the challenge of being a woman in a very male-dominated industry, the flow state, visualization, and of course her experiences on and off the field working as an elite-level coach.  Rachel breaks down her value system and what drives her deep down to continue pushing and breaking new ground as an educator, coach, and human being. She discusses her background growing up in Omaha, Nebraska and the nomadic lifestyle (she's lived in 13 countries in the past 10 years) that takes her all over the world and allows her to be minimalist, nimble, and focused on her passion of learning and growing as a human and professional - wherever that may be. You don't want to miss this one! 

Mike Robertson is one of the strength & conditioning industry's most respected coaches, working with athletes from all walks of life all the way up to the collegiate and professional levels. He is the founder and owner of i-FAST, named as one of the America's Top 10 Gyms by Men's Health magazine. He is the host of the Physical Preparation Podcast and writes numerous books and articles through his company, Robertson Training Systems. Our hosts spend time discussing the differences in training gen pop, athletic populations, and strength-specific athletes. Mike shares his experiences growing and scaling his coaching business/gym and the challenges that came with burnout, lack of time, and prioritization.  This is a fantastic listen for coaches/trainers just getting into the industry who want wisdom and advice from an experienced coach.

Today's episode is a fascinating discussion with sleep expert Nick Lambe - The Online Sleep Coach. Sleep is a topic that is equally important to all humans, particularly performance and strength athletes. We all have different relationships with sleep, some positive and some negative.  Listen in as Nick discusses the physiological and psychological processes behind healthy sleep, how supplementation (stimulants, sleep aids, THC/CBD, etc) work and affect sleep, and the difference between quality and quantity of sleep. He discusses the importance of habit and environment to sleep quality, sleep hygiene, as well as recent research on sleep. A great listen for all sleepers!  You can follow Nick on Instagram @theonlinesleepcoach or online at onlinesleepcoach.com where you can learn more about his sleep coaching services. 

Today's guest is none other than Dave Freakin' Lipson! For those who don't know, Dave is a CrossFit HQ Staff Member, coach, athlete, writer, and co-owner of Thundrbro, an up-and-coming training, lifestyle, and supplement company focused on the intersection between hypertrophy training and functional/skill training.  Dave's background is as a strength & conditioning coach for professional MLB and NFL players, celebrities, elite CrossFit athletes (including his wife and 2014 Games Champion Camille Leblanc-Bazinet) and he is considered one of the top CrossFit coaches in the industry! On this episode our hosts and Dave discuss candidly topics ranging from CrossFit, it's effect on the growth of other strength sports, specialization, and of course comparisons between CF athletes and powerlifters! Dave also walks us through his training philosophy and approach working with his athletes through Thundrbro. A fantastic episode with an awesome dude! To end, we'll leave you with this golden nugget from the show:  Dave: "When I was growing up, powerlifters looked like potatoes!" 

Today's guest on Strength Chat is Ben Esgro, founder of DeNovo Nutrition and an expert in all things supplementation, nutrition, and the science behind it all. He is a Registered Dietitian and did his graduate studies in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Sports Nutrition.  In today's show we discuss Ben's philosophy behind supplementation and his approach to starting a different type of supplement company in an industry often seen as tainted (literally) by fallacious claims, misunderstood science, and unethical business practices.  Ben and the hosts talk about the current state of the industry and the problems/consequences seen as a result of its rapid growth and loose (often non-existent) regulations. He makes recommendations for athletes on how to approach supplementation, what to look for in a brand, and how to research ingredients, effective dosages, and the pharmacology behind the chemicals we put into our bodies. This is an excellent episode for those interested in supplements and understanding more about what goes on behind the scenes in the industry, so as to have the knowledge and be able to make informed decisions about a topic that directly affects health and performance.