Community Questions - September 2016 Edition

Three years ago, I had no idea how long this podcast would last.

And I sure as hell had no idea what starting this show would actually accomplish.

Over the last three years, I've made friendships and networked with people who have made me a better writer, coach, and human being.

To all those who have been guests on this show, thank you.

To all the friends I've made over the last three years, I'm grateful you are now a part of my life.

But most importantly, to all of you who have listened to every episode, thank you. Thank you for listening to my rambling, for checking out some of the fitness people I've interviewed, and for being a part of this wild ride.

I am sad that this is the end of this podcast. 

But that doesn't mean it can't be resurrected some day; Superman, Captain America, and even Spider-Man have come back from the dead. So who knows?

I am a writer. And that's what I've discovered while doing this podcast and starting Side Quest Fitness. And I must do what I feel I am the strongest at: bleeding on the page and writing.

In the 2nd to last episode ever, Rog Law comes on the show to dive into the deep shit of life.

We talk DBZ, comics, video games, and the importance of showing up.

In one of the final episodes of Side Quest Podcast, I interview Tom Mullen of Washed Up Emo about all things emo.

Tom has written a book about those first few years of emo and packed with tons of interviews from some of the pioneers of emo.

Grab it here.

In January of 2017, Brandon reached out to me about coaching. He had just lost a ton of weight via a weight loss competition at work, but he was weak; he had lost his way around the weight room.

His goal: lose enough body fat, and building enough lean muscle so that he'd have the confidence to rip his shirt off on stage and strip. (As a character he calls "The Cock Knight.")

So Brandon applied for coaching, began his journey, and since January, he's:

• Lost more than 20 pounds of fat;
• Gained over 10 pounds of lean muscle;
• Added more than 2 inches to his shoulders; and,
• Erased 5.5 inches off his waist

But more importantly than all that, Brandon has found a passion for fitness. So much so that he has toyed with the idea of getting certified to be a trainer. And, he even bought The Bible, aka, Arnold's The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.

Over the last year, Brandon has gained massive amounts of strength as well. But he's also discovered that this journey has taught him to be easier on himself; to not be his own worst critic.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What life was like before joining my coaching program
• How lifting has helped his quality of life as he ages
• steps he’s taken to heal injuries and prevent fear from taking over & stopping him from exercising
• Why he stuck with it this time, and recognized his own faults
• Staying dedicated to the cause
• The story of Cock Knight
• Being his own worst critic
• What he would tell his past self
• What he loved most about online training
• Living that life and what it means to him
• How getting in shape has helped his quality of life
• What he would tell anyone about online training

Mike Doehla founded Stronger U with the sole focus of helping people improve. Mike noticed the extremes people went to in order to reach their goals. But he found that most never saw what they wanted, and he knew there had to be a better way.

Stronger U's program was created for those looking for a refreshing approach to nutrition. Mike and his team “reverse engineered” the entire process of dieting. By researching the reasons "most" diets fail, Mike and his team decided to do the opposite—get people results that stick.

Their program is an experience unlike anything that's ever done before. But their methods aren't some new made up form of crap. They're realistic, educational, measurable, and community driven.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why it’s hard to pull away and take time off
• Kmart Huskey section
• Mike’s story of how he got fit
• Did things long enough to see them NOT work, not long enough to see them work
• The importance of putting yourself in other peoples shoes
• Moments of hypocrisy
• His vacation to Hawaii
• Soft core vs hardcore eating like an asshole
• What spurred him to create StrongerU
• Doing what you want to do
• Wasting time working towards things that are really stupid
• Stepping back from the stress of being a business owner
• Being available and present
• Fun questions
• Fidget spinners
• The future of Facebook
• Building a house
• What makes him smile
• Difference between living and existing
• How he’d get away with murder
• What he nerds out about
• Star Wars nerd out

Joel H. Cohen is a Canadian writer who has written for Saturday Night Live, Suddenly Susan and The Simpsons. He penned the famous season three episode of "Flaming Moe's." Joel received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988 from the University of Alberta. He was born in Calgary.

Outside of writing for "The Simpsons", he's also the author of the best-selling book "How to Lose a Marathon"  — a hilarious retelling of Joel's training for and running the NY Marathon.

In this episode, we discuss:

• 2013 NYC Marathon…the documentation
• Getting off the couch (an idiots guide)
• Post-Marathon contemplation…what just happened?
• How to keep going?
• Inspirations
• Self Reflection, what did I learn about this process?
• How to prepare for the marathon.
• What is the next challenge?
• Time travel and sculling and coxswains (pronounced cock son!)
• Favorite Video Games
• “Less velour”
• Running motivations as applied to life
• “The Simpsons” (Yes, admit you sung that) and keeping it fresh

A short episode, all about the one question I've been asking myself for months: where do we go from here?

It's that time of year again. No, it's not the end of summer. Well, it kind of is. But that's not what I'm talking about. 

Nope, this is the time of the year where my good friend Jason Helmes returns to the podcast and catches us up on what he's been up to.

Jason was one of my first guests on the podcast nearly three years ago, and then he came back on in 2015, and again in 2016.

This year, however, Jason and I dive into what his life has been like after he retired from teaching, and how he's adjusted to the life of an entrepreneur. We dive into how his life has improved, what new struggles he's taken on, and what he's done to make life less stressful.

At the end, we also dive into some deeply personal things and discuss marriage, masculinity, and how his mom taught him about sex.

In this episode we discuss:

• Daily Schedules and calendars
• Turning off notification
• What it’s like in New York City
• Quitting teaching and going full-time with online coaching
• Mindset shifts he made as an entrepreneur
• Finding balance with work and family
• What he learned being not being present mentally with his children
• Masculinity, gender roles, and lessons men can learn in their 30s
• Sex lessons from his mom

For more on Jason head here.

John Fawkes used to be shy, scrawny, and scared. Now he's a fitness coach who turns science geeks into ripped, sexy beasts.

When he's not pumping iron or answering emails, he's usually singing karaoke, playing Dungeons & Dragons (as a wizard, obviously), studying martial arts or eating ice cream.  

Last year, John traveled all over the world for 9-months living the nomad lifestyle. He returned home to the US and now lives in San Francisco, CA. 

John has written for sites like The Observer, MyFitnessPal, Roman Fitness Systems, and many more. Click here to join John's free recomp program and download his Habit Change Cheat Sheet.    

In this episode, we discuss:

• Growing up in Southern CA
• Being a science geek
• Technology assisted meditation
• Brain waves
• Going out in San Francisco
• How he got into fitness
• Make Your 30s Better than Your 20s 30-Day Challenge
• If something is easy for you work on it a little. If it’s something that’s hard for you, work on it a lot - Buddhist Proverb
• What he learned traveling the world for 9 months
• Making changes to your fitness regiment when life gets hectic
• Do what you can instead of doing nothing
• Creating knowledge and wisdom
• Fun questions
• What he’s nerding out on
• Patrick Rothfuss
• What got him into the world of nerd
• Journey (the video game)

This is from Wikipedia:

[Anagnorisis] is a moment in a play or other work when a character makes a critical discovery. Anagnorisis originally meant recognition in its Greek context, not only of a person but also of what that person stood for. Anagnorisis was the hero's sudden awareness of a real situation, the realization of things as they stood, and finally, the hero's insight into a relationship with an often antagonistic character in the Aristotelian tragedy.

When it comes to our own lives, we all deal with these discoveries. But what happens next—the choices you make—determine your outcome. And when it comes to finding motivation, reconnecting to your WHY, and looking back at your anagnorisis moment can help you push onward.