Becoming Ronin

In today’s episode, we are honored to have Men’s Transformation Coach, Mike DeSanti on the show. Beyond being a major influence in Smitty's life, Mike is the author of the book, New Man Emerging and owner of Authentic Self Healing LLC. As a respected life coach, Mike is committed to inspiring men to live lives of purpose and fulfillment. Mike and Smitty discuss the transformative process of participating in a sweat lodge, the meaning behind them, and who benefits from the experience. Smitty gets emotional when he brings up the accountability Mike has given to Smitty in digging up “Smitty’s story,” that has held him back for years. Mike then dives deep on the self-limiting beliefs that manifest as procrastination and how those beliefs are affected by your relationships with others. Mike explains that to be your authentic self, it’s crucial to explore your “shadow," and dissect it to break down old coping mechanisms that no longer serve you. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Intro | Rapid Fire [2:45] Who would win in a fight between @jayferruggia and @lukahocevar [3:20] What is the best part of the Montana Retreat? [4:40] Who can beat Smitty in an ice cream eating contest? [5:28] Florida vs. New Jersey [5:45] What is the morning routine of a Life Coach? [7:20] How does gratitude drive your day? [9:20] What dish do you make, better than your mom? [11:15] Post sweat lodge feast [12:25] The meaning behind sweat lodges [16:33] Funniest Sweat Lodge Story [21:40] Stop fighting the resistance to begin learning [23:30] Who benefits from a sweat lodge? [27:28] F**K You Mike Desanti [29:24] The Story People Tell Themselves [33:50] What is procrastination?  [42:00] How Your Growth Affects Others [43:47] Never Solicit Feedback From Spectators [44:49] Shadow Work [56:50] Common things people store in their Shadow [1:01:40] Allowing your partner to speak without judgment RESOURCES The Vital Guide Mike's Instagram

In today’s episode, Smitty and OB are honored to have world record holder powerlifter Chad Aichs as a guest. Chad holds one of the highest powerlifting totals in the world with a 1173 lbs. squat, 820 lbs. bench, and a 755 lbs. deadlift. Chad, owner of Courage Barbell, is also a prolific author for his own blog, as well as, a regular author for EliteFTS. In this episode, Chad provides decades of “Under The Bar” wisdom and shares brilliant training hacks, identifies major obstacles that hold people back, and shares the mentality it takes to become a world class powerlifter.  *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Intro [2:38] Favorite Cheat Meal [3:20] Pre-Meet Rituals [4:30] Eating Habits for a 400 lb Powerlifter [5:58] Dream Piece of Gym Equipment [7:10] What is Chad’s Dream Car? [10:10] What is the most common training mistake people make when trying to get strong? [12:10] Spreading Out Your Training To Save Your Gains [15:20] Implementing Recovery Sessions into Your Program [17:20] Not sticking to the “7 Day” Schedule for Lifting [19:50] A Better Training Split [21:00] Best Drug Free Numbers [26:10] Powerlifting Injuries [28:22] What does it feel like to squat 1100 lbs [32:00] Battling Insomnia, Staying Up for 14 Days Straight [39:32] A Brilliant Way To Split Up Your Training Days [46:00] Why Percentage Based Training is Too Obscure [50:05] How Has Chad's Mindset Around Lifting Evolved? [1:04:00] The Importance of Having Goals Outside of Fitness [1:11:20] Life Lessons From Powerlifting RESOURCES Courage Barbell  Chad’s Instagram

In today’s episode, we’re honored to be joined by Firefighter, John Haney. Smitty and OB ask questions about John’s 26 years of experience as a veteran firefighter. John shares some amazing stories; including a tragic line of duty death, getting carbon monoxide poisoning, and the road back to learning how to walk again. John shares heartfelt experiences that teach us all above the bravery and courage of firefighters. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Intro [1:09] Rapid Fire Questions [4:03] The Surprising Truth About Firefighters [10:07] Misconceptions About The Fire Service [15:00] Advice From A Veteran Firefighters [19:55] Funniest Fire Calls [22:37] Most Memorable Calls [27:10] The Worst Night Of John’s Life [53:40] Smitty Makes A Terrible Joke [56:00] How Your Ego Can Hold You Back [1:06:40] The Worst Excuse

In this week's episode, Smitty and OB are Eager to announce, "The Ronin Handbook." The handbook will allow listeners and supporters of the show to follow along with free, science-backed ways to drastically improve the quality of their life. In this episode, we lay out the first five Ronin principles or habits from eariler podcast episodes. Additionally, Smitty and OB introduce a new, VIDEO COACHING segment for the show, where they take video submissions from listeners and provide feedback and coaching tips. Lastly, Smitty and OB discuss the three causes of injuries and how to avoid them. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] How To Get Out of Speeding Tickets [2:00] The Ronin Handbook [2:40] Criteria for the Handbook [2:55] How to Make Immediate Change [3:30] Free Ways to Get Better [4:45] Improving the Quality of Your Life [5:40] Consistently Challenging Yourself Outside of Fitness [11:00] Taking Control of Your Life [18:26] Leaving Every Place Better Than How You Found It [20:53] Sunday Brain Dumps [23:40] Writing Down Three “To-Dos” the Night Before [25:20] Not Touching Your Phone Within Two Hours of Waking [33:24] Where to Start With Cold Plunging [39:00] Review Guidelines for Challenges [42:00] Live Coaching: OB and Smitty Coach a Listener’s Deadlift [49:50] A Warning For Deadlifters [53:16] What Is A "Back Ass?" [54:47] The 3 Causes of Injury [56:57] Avoiding Low Back Injury [58:30] Injury Proof Your Training [59:00] Is There Such A Thing As “Perfect Form” RESOURCES: Ronin YT Channel - Deadlift Analysis Sebastian Junger - Tribe Wim Hoff Breathing

In today’s episode, Smitty shares how he creates an environment and mindset that allows him to be extremely productive. He outlines best tips for preparation, accountability, brain dumps, and list making to ensure you stay on the right path to getting things done. OB gives away his gyms process for recruiting the highest level of coaches. In it, he explains some of the surprising things they look for in their coaches and what makes a great trainer stand out from good trainers. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Intro [5:09] Mindset for Productivity [9:23] Productivity Starts the Night Before [10:51] Planning Small Wins [11:29] Morning Mindset [12:57] “Limbic Friction” [14:37] Light Exposure [16:55] How to Use Brain Dumps to Increase Productivity [20:10] Do, Delegate, or Dump [23:55] The 20/20 Split For Productive Work [26:20] Taking Action to Avoid Building Negative Habits [29:40] Being a Person of Value [31:27] Your Training is as Good as Your Training Partners [34:28] Mentors Are the Training Partners of Life [37:40] Smitty’s Efficiency Hack [42:20] What OB’s Gyms Look For In a Good Coach [45:42] Warm Up Flow [47:29] Coaching Body Language [48:48] The Tow Cue Coaching Rule [52:00] How to Give Feedback to Clients [53:17] 3D Coaching [58:17] Picking an iTunes Review Winner RESOURCES CPPS Certification

In Episode 9, we are honored to bring you Joe DeFranco as Becoming Ronin’s very first guest.  Joe starts by talking about his early career and the major influences who shaped him as a trainer and how he approached training athletes. He also covers the big shifts in his training mentality and how it has evolved over the years. He also discusses becoming a father and how he has introduced fitness for his own daughters. Smitty asks Joe, what sparked him to create what is now regarded as one of the most popular programs in the fitness industry, Westside for Skinny Bastards (WS4SB). Joe explains that how being an “Observational Trainer,” leads to recognizing the results from your training styles and using this experience to make an impact in the industry. Joe gives his thoughts on three forefathers of performance training and his inspirations from each pioneer. Smitty, Joe, and OB discuss the evolution of the CPPS and the its direction for the future. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS  [0:00] Intro [2:15] Rapid Fire Questions for Joe [11:44] Joe’s Biggest Influence and Why [14:00] Early Training Memories with George DeFranco [18:45] Joe’s Approach with Training His Daughters [25:08] The Foundation of Joe’s Early Success in Training [31:17] What Sparked one of The Most Popular Training Programs in The Industry [39:30] How experimentation leads to good coaching [41:22] Best Way to Be Observational With Your Training [46:30] Beta Testing Your Program [49:00] A Vetted Program vs. Online Programs [52:32] The Forefathers of Performance Training (Franics, Poliquin, Hatfield) [1:11:25] The Best Letters to Have After Your Name in The Fitness Industry [1:18:19] Application of Training Knowledge RESOURCES Defrancostraining.com Joe's Instagram Industrial Strength Show CPPS Certification

In today's episode, OB is back from seeing Jordan Peterson in Texas and gives a recap on some amazing takeaways with the main topic being "Maintaining the Romance in your Relationship."  The guys also reflect on advice from Peterson on raising kids and a very common and accepted mistake most parents make. Smitty and OB discuss the problems with sticking with "basic" exercises and not inlcuding variety in training. OB shares ways his team of trainers is gamifying programming to make training fun again, including HR training and team challenges. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Into [0:26] Ronin Game Shoutout - Brad Laska [3:30] Seeing Jordan Peterson Live [7:30 ] Patterns That Prevent Growth [10:20] Voluntarily Suffering Is Transformative [12:17] Being Vulnerable [15:48] How To Easily Make Your Relationships Awesome [18:08] Attention is Currency [24:45] How to Make Your Programming Exciting [27:50] The Super Simple Way To Injury Proof Your Training [32:50] Why Fitness Dogma Can Hurt You [37:20] How to Gameify Your Heart Rate Training [44:52] Effective Way to  Incorporate Challenges into Your Training [47:05] Developing Systems in Your Training

In today's episode, OB and Smitty discuss a recent study on why willpower isn't a great strategy for success and the two science backed characteristics that truly help you succeed. Next, how the importance of including regular mental stress in your life and then they compare their experiences with their recent cold plunge endeavors. Smitty talks about Dr. Andrew Huberman's recent post on garlic's affect on LDL. Smitty and OB give their advice on how to build your brand on social media. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Intro [1:18] The Best Mindset for Stress [5:55] Is Everything You Know About Willpower Wrong? [8:15] Is Gratitude the Key to Achieving New Goals? [9:23] How Compassion Plays a Role in Evolving. [10:30] Connecting to your Future Self [13:25] Taking a Compliment [15:25] Take Care of Yourself to Give the Best Version of Yourself to the World [22:15] Including Mental Stress in Your Life [25:27] Smitty’s Initial Failure with a Cold Plunge [30:00] OB’s Breakthrough to the Stress Response [32:54] Is Anticipation Holding You Back? [35:30] Becoming Ronin Cold Water Challenge [38:00] A Simple Fix for High LDL LISTENER Q&A [45:44] How to Build Your Brand With Social Media @fierce_phoenix_fitness_ [46:40] Keeping Social Media Social [50:33] How Frequently Should You Post to Social Media? [52:09] Documenting Your Brand @breakthroughsc [53:58] Pick Your Social Media Platform and Run With It! [54:50] Social Media Advice from Strong NY @kennysantucci [55:30] Pick Your Social Media Voice @jayferruggia

In today's episode, Smitty and OB discuss Robert Glover's "Toxic Nice Guy Syndrome." They continue on to discuss ways to become an integrated man, that relies on his own moral compass to guide his life to success. Smitty gives tribute to his mentor Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Monk who recently passed away, but through his amazing teachings, lives on.  Smitty and OB then answer some listener questions, share some of their funniest client stories, and talk about how OB almost didn't make it out of his first Strongman Saturday workout with Smitty. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] Intro [0:16] Personal Thank You [2:16] What is “Nice Guy Syndrome” [5:50] How to Avoid Toxic Nice Symptoms [6:54] Liking Yourself First [7:44] Taking Action to be “Worthy” [8:23] Empathy through Suffering [9:46] What is an “Integrated” Man? [10:10] Wimp Push Over vs. Arrogant Jerks [14:33] Consistent messaging to kids [17:50] Why people try to break you down [18:29] Tribute to Thich Nhat Hanh [20:11] What led to Smitty’s Awakening [22:55] The message that changed Smitty’s life [26:35] The lesson in meaning [29:21] Mindfulness practice [30:10] Listener Q&A [30:20] Dream Cars - from Chris Caputo [34:07] Group Training vs Individual - Camaco [36:20] What is a “pre-warmup?” [38:00] What do you use as a moral compass? [40:17] Funny Client Stories [46:20] The time OB almost died during a strongman workout RESOURCES CPPS Certification The Ageless Athlete Series

In this episode, Smitty and OB tackle some listener questions. One question sparked the telling of the most memorable CPPS certification (CPPS), which Smitty calls, "The Infamous Torchi Experiment." Smitty's brush with death in the Austin Texas Airport and his harrowing journey home are written in the scrolls so all future generations will never forget. Then the guys give their thoughts on the how to make gym friends and why that might be the most important component in your fitness journey. Smitty and OB weigh in on if leg extensions are a "good" exercise, if there's a time and place for them, and things to consider if you do use them. They finish the episode by talking about how passion evolves over your career and how your relationship with fitness changes for the better. *For a full list of show notes, timestamps & important links from this episode visit: Becoming Ronin Podcast TIMESTAMPS [0:00] INTRO [0:40] The Most Hilarious CPPS Story Ever [0:41] No spoiler alerts on this one Q&A [25:18] How To Approach New People in a Gym [30:17] The Basic But Brutal Program [35:31] Do Smitty and OB Disagree on if Leg Extensions Are a Good Exercise? [37:10] The Types of People Who Can Benefit from Leg Extensions [42:53] Better Way of Thinking About Programming Exercises [45:40] How Passion for the Fitness Industry Evolves Over Your Career RESOURCES CPPS Certification The Ageless Athlete Series