Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Bret Contreras, "The Glute Guy", has found a niche and developed business after business in a market where it's hard to be heard. His workouts, training, books, studies and experience have led him to become a gym-owning serial entrepreneur that's kicking ass on Instagram. Whether it's finding your one rep max or performing reps to failure, this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson in how to dominate a niche in a crowded market. Watch the full episode on YouTube Bret Contreras' journey on becoming The Glute Guy began as he wanted to develop his own muscles, motivated by insecurity as a youth. He successfully built his body through strength training, but still needed to get his ass in shape. He studied for a PhD in Sports Science from New Zealand to learn the differences between squats and hip thrusts, so that he can find out what works best. As his passion for posteriors grew, he started putting the time in through personal training, community building, blogging and engaging with countless industry professionals and fitness enthusiasts to be the man to go to for all things glutes. Decades later, he's pioneering the benefits of butt-based and lower body workouts through inventions, insight and inspiration on social media. Bret Contreras has been mentioned in 50 published studies, authored multiple books, founded The Glute Lab gym, and continues to be a stand-out voice as the world's foremost expert on glute training. Bret Contreras is responsible for the staple exercise of social media influencers around the world – the hip thrust. He's developed a portfolio of products and has intellectual property behind most of the glute builders on the market. With a social media following of nearly one million, a PhD in Sports Science and as a certified strength and conditioning specialist, The Glute Guy has never stopped pushing to be the best he can be. Founder, author and inventor, Bret knows his niche and has dominated the crowded market to create multiple income streams for a lifetime of success. Episode highlights - Why nobody talked about glutes in bodybuilding circles of yesteryear, and how the tides changed when Bret learned the science. How Instagram raised the profile of glute workouts and why they're important for anyone, regardless of gender. Why women have the voice and men no longer have the same platform on social media when it comes to which exercises work which muscles. Ways that Instagram has rewarded people who interact and engage with their audiences, and why it's important to be accessible instead of putting up barriers of celebrity and charging big money for the smallest of insights. How the perception of personal trainers can be very different compared to their ability and knowledge. Muscle doesn't beat science when it comes to helping others. The vulnerabilities of different business models, as well as why traditional business approaches are very different to the social media How education and consistency is important in anything you do. Always be teaching, always get content out and try to get out of your comfort zone. The difference between your Instagram feed and your Instagram story. It's important to know what to post where. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Bret Contreras…

Six-figure income, some of the most successful guests in the world, education and teaching others lessons he's learned on his own journey… An incredibly successful entrepreneur in his own right, John Lee Dumas can often be found talking to other big names in business such as Tim Ferris, Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk as part of his Entrepreneurs On Fire podcast. This episode is a lesson in inspiration, helping you to find your big idea and get better at it so you can scale through quality and communication. JLD can help you create the life you've always dreamed of. Watch the full episode on YouTube John Lee Dumas left the US army to start a career in real estate. However, it didn't take long before his passion for podcasts took over. This led the author, podcaster and host of Entrepreneurs On Fire to create an award-winning show with an audience of millions that generates six-figure sums with every episode. Passion, enthusiasm and transparency are the name of the game with John Lee Dumas' podcast – Entrepreneurs On Fire. Interviewing thousands of guests such as Tim Ferris, Lewis Howes, Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk, JLD unlocks the secrets of their success and shares it with a huge audience. On top of this, he also helps budding entrepreneurs find their big idea and unlock the lifestyle freedom that everyone seeks. Episode highlights : Learn what someone earning six-figures a month would do differently in order to bring even more success after learning from previous mistakes. Why you need to niche down to find your passion before you create content and discover your audience. How much time should you spend on marketing and promotion, compared with other business duties? Hear how John Lee Dumas creates a month's worth of content in six hours to maximise time for other areas of the business. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with John Lee Dumas…

John Romeo has industry experience through 40 years in fitness. In this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, he talks about the importance of people, customers and employees alike, as well as giving insight on the birth of 24 Hour Fitness and the growth of the Crunch Fitness gym franchise. Watch the full episode on YouTube John Romeo got out of a rat race lifestyle as a Union worker in New York, even though he was having fun. He took up the offer of moving to California with just a week's notice, before heading to Seattle and continuing his journey in the fitness industry. Starting out involved with Captain America's Family Fitness Center, the beginnings of what would evolve into the 24 Hour Fitness empire that we know today, John has seen every level of the industry as it's developed and his experience has increased. Now operating partner for Crunch Fitness and co-owner of Capital Fitness, John Romeo has excelled growth for multiple fitness spaces. He's also worked closely with UFC GYM, driving franchises in San Diego, and he's been active in the rapid expansion of numerous dynamic brands. With 40 years in the industry under his belt, there isn't much this man doesn't know about fitness and scaling a business. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson in how to get more from any venture. With four decades of experience in the fitness industry, John's insight is second to none. If you've liked the sharing of his knowledge in this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast and would like to contact John for consultancy opportunities, email [email protected] Consultancy aside, John's main focus is on Crunch Fitness. Some may call "no judgments" a tagline, but for Crunch, it's a way of life. It's the brand's Monday-thru-every-day mantra. An unfiltered philosophy that drives them to create a community and a gym for all. No judgments means room for everyone, regardless of shape, size, age, race, gender or fitness level. No matter your workout of choice, Crunch wants you to feel good while reaching your goals. Join the fun at crunch.com. Episode highlights - Hear about the evolution of 24 Hour Fitness and how the industry giant started out, born from mergers and acquisitions. What working with Mark Mastrov was like in the early days, and how his vision inspired the team and associated groups to take advantage of opportunities. Why it's important to recruit from within a company, and how training, coaching and supervision inspires a brand, culture and a work ethic that's unsurpassed in an employee achieving their potential. How you can prepare employees for future promotion by encouraging them to develop their own teams and pick potential candidates that could replace them. The importance of healthy competition, both in and out of your business, and why you should be talking to other companies in the same market as you. Why you need to spend time with your team and appreciate everything that everyone does. It's easy to forget some departments or positions, but showing appreciation to your employees is just as important as interacting with customers. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with John Romeo…

Jerzy Gregorek has overcome incredible odds to escape from political troubles and alcoholism before coming to America and dedicating his talent in pursuit of changing lives. Through Olympic weightlifting success and implementing these fitness techniques in his own programme, he's improving the mindset of clients and increasing both their physical ability and their happiness. Today, this approach has earned him the attention of the most successful people in the world from his home in Silicon Valley. He's also appeared on podcasts and in books by entrepreneur Tim Ferriss, and he's still going strong over 60 years old. Watch the full episode on YouTube In 1986, Jerzy Gregorek left Poland, together with his wife, as political refugees. Since then, they have both won numerous World Weightlifting Championships, founded the UCLA weightlifting team and coached and transformed hundreds of people. Developing The Happy Body programme in response to their clients wanting to remain youthful, Jerzy is in great shape at 64 years old. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a history of weightlifting and bodybuilding, personal growth, rolled into improving your mindset regardless of what you're faced with. The Happy Body programme was created by Jerzy and Aniela Gregorek. They explain its purpose below… "The most potentially damaging myth about exercise is that its main purpose is to burn calories. This eliminates any joy associated with the activity, making it obsessive and stressful. In addition to discouraging people from actually exercising, this myth also stifles improvement. "The Happy Body returns joy to the practice of exercise, helping to infuse your body with a sense of dignity. You cannot fall in love with burning calories but you CAN fall in love with exercise, the RIGHT KIND of exercise, properly executed. "Exercise should relieve the stress that is accumulated on a daily basis, rather than add to it. The approach is one of mindfulness, so the mind is focused at any given moment on what the body is doing." Episode highlights - The importance of having a space to get away from your day-to-day stresses. How your mindset is key to weight loss or life changes. You have to enjoy living the life of someone that weighs 120lbs if you want to weigh 120lbs. If you lose weight but still have the mindset of someone that weighs 160lbs, you'll be unhappy and revert back. Why you need to find ways of bringing joy to exercise and stop it being all about calorie burn, whether that's for yourself, clients or members. How business can build from simple working relationships and favours through microprogressions and developments. Why you shouldn't ever hire a trainer that's younger than you, as they won't understand what you're going through. How recovery is made up of transitions built up over years, and why it's never a straightforward story whether it's weight loss, personal growth, alcoholism or anything else. How to master self control and your own reward system, and why your need for instant gratification can affect so many other aspects of your life. Why delayed gratification is the gift of life, and how that's different from purely concentrating on future success. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Jerzy Gregorek…

Humble despite his achievements, the guest on this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast has a passion for performance not only in business, but in sport, community spirit and improving health across the nation. Malcolm McPhail has taken turnover from £3.5 million to a staggering £12 million as group CEO at Life Leisure. Living fitness, he's also competed at an international level in athletics and the award-winning business is changing people's lives for the better time after time. Malcolm McPhail was a PE teacher before immersing himself in the fitness industry on another level. In his own words he's embraced opportunities where, despite not being au fait with how to do a job in the early days, said yes and excelled when faced with any responsibility. His paralleled athletics career saw him become Scottish 400m hurdles champion, and professionally in both the public and private sector he's driven business, playing a key role in the growth of Next Generation Clubs, now merged with David Lloyd Leisure. Winning honors for his physical and professional success, Life Leisure has most recently received the ukactive Uprising Transformational Leadership Award, commending efforts in staff development across the business. Life Leisure runs an extensive mix of sports and leisure facilities, ranging from small community recreation centres to large multi-use state of the art sport and leisure facilities. In addition Life Leisure delivers sporting activities and health programmes of the highest quality to those people who for one reason or another cannot access a local facility. Working to change the lives of the local community through a leisure trust, CEO Malcolm McPhail is increasing activity across the region, making it accessible for anyone to improve their health and fitness. Episode Highlights - Understanding leisure trusts and their relationship with local authorities, and how they're a more financially efficient way of delivering health and fitness in many communities. Why the former days of giving the customers everything whether they wanted it or not can teach us a lot about business approaches today. The difference between motivation and determination, and why one can lead you to disappointment while the other always keeps you on the road to success. Mindset and grit, and how being mentally able to beat the competition no matter what the cost can give you strength in anything from business to athletic performance. How we can work together to get children moving and overcome the obesity epidemic, even through simply using research that has been available since the '80s. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Malcolm McPhail…

Paul Lubicz is a Hollywood trainer that has a passion and purpose to unlock positive personal growth. For the motivation to find faith and trust in yourself, this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast will enable you to flip your mindset to embrace and overcome fear, weakness, and vulnerabilities and learn how to move forward in a powerful and positive way. Paul's client list has included CEOs and celebrities such as Emilia Clarke, Natalie Portman, Rupert Murdoch, as he improves not just anyone's fitness, but their wellbeing and mindset, too. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/xpRztw0vd5U Paul Lubicz grew up in Perth, western Australia. However, around high school he was still uncertain what he wanted to do in life. Adopted by parents that loved and cared for him, he met his biological family, aged 19. Their success influenced him to go into the medical world. Paul started as a manufacturing chemist but was a gym junkie at heart, played Aussie rules football and trained martial arts. It didn't take long before he was studying personal training to embrace his true calling – he graduated top of his class. Paul still worked as a chemist but almost blew himself up in an accident at work, which lead to his a-ha moment to quit and work full time as a personal trainer. After learning his craft, Paul went on a working holiday to London for six months, which turned into 10 years! He got a leg up through training celebrities at Working Title Films before becoming their in-house trainer. He also started writing articles for the Sunday Times, writing books, and making games with Sony PlayStation and Nike – becoming better known in fitness but also getting frustrated, as these jobs weren't teaching people about the things that restrict them in wellbeing. Paul decided to pivot his career into following his passion for promoting how anyone can achieve anything they put their mind to. Today, Paul Lubicz is a Hollywood trainer who has worked on movies such as Marvel's Captain America and The Pirates of the Caribbean series as a consultant for health and wellbeing. For over two decades, his articles, books and insights have been bringing balance to the lives of CEOs and celebrities such as Emilia Clarke, Natalie Portman, Rupert Murdoch, international royalty, and entertainment giants Sony PlayStation. He knows how to get extraordinary results for extraordinary people. All about mindset, spirituality, attitude, Paul wants to find connection with as many people as possible through authenticity and passion, to enable them to go on their own journey and achieve anything. For more information, follow @thewellbeingmanager on Instagram, email [email protected] for private sessions of visit his new website coming soon at www.thewellbeingmanager.com Episode highlights - How to rise to your potential by embracing the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Why your perception, of someone or even yourself, can be very different to the person inside. Ways in which you can be strong enough to also be weak and vulnerable. Why happiness over confidence will bring you more success. How you can split your life into having, doing, and being. Passion and purpose will always lead to better performance. Stop concentrating on what other people are doing and do what you enjoy doing the most. The importance of learning your craft and listening to everyone around you when it comes to gaining new skills and contributing your own knowledge. Why it's a positive action saying yes to everything when you're hungry to learn and grow your experience as an entrepreneur. Why branding can drive consumerism through guilt, or it can inspire and embrace the possibility of people achieving their biggest potential. How a pilgrimage, in any form, will prepare you to change your mindset and find your own revelations by being open to change. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Paul Lubicz…

Over 900 episodes and one million downloads per month are impressive figures by anyone's standards. If that wasn't enough, with over 20 million views on YouTube, Mind Pump is a broadcast that's changing the fitness industry and bridging the gap between education and entertainment. Meet Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, Doug Egge of Mind Pump Media. Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews and Doug Egge have decades of combined fitness experience as personal trainers, club managers, IFBB competitors and fitness thought leaders. They started as PTs in 24 Hour Fitness under Mark Mastrov, instilling successful business ideals and the mindset needed to make it as an entrepreneur. Their podcast is a seamless blend of education and entertainment, with combined experience of the trio of hosts. Mind Pump started in the days where podcasts weren't known by the masses. Today, the market has become more competitive and they're standing out above the rest with a first class studio and an authenticity that's rarely matched in fitness. With over 900 episodes and one million downloads per month, the Mind Pump team is leading the way with one of the fitness industry's most provocative podcasts. Mind Pump is an online radio show/podcast that has been described as Howard Stern meets fitness. It is sometimes raw, sometimes shocking and is always entertaining and informative. The hosts, Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer and Justin Andrews have over 40 years of combined fitness experience as personal trainers, club managers, IFBB competitors and fitness thought leaders. Episode highlights - How education combined with entertainment will continue to stand out above many other marketing efforts and business models, so long as it's backed by authenticity. The importance of communication – why there are so many people who can communicate well but have terrible information, or those that know great insights but can't share the knowledge effectively. Investment and how collaboration will do much better than the results of anyone going it alone in most cases. How your business venture needs a very definitive "why" in order to be successful. Which fitness industry business strategies are 'right' or 'wrong' and what marketing is best for whether it's aimed at members, personal training clients, or fitpros. When is the right time to sell once you've built up trust and support for any venture before it becomes a true business. Why flash-in-the-pan marketing isn't working for the fitness industry and why gyms are essentially just trading members instead of bringing new people in. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with the Mind Pump podcast team…

Harley Pasternak has an expansive education in wellbeing and nutrition, with a hunger to know more than anyone else about the science of fitness, movement and more. His dedication and understanding has seen him work with more celebrities in Hollywood than anyone else, with a client list including Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and more. Watch the full episode on YouTube Harley grew up in Canada as an avid hockey player; that's where his life in fitness began. He started reading muscle magazines and looking up to bodybuilders as having the ideal physique, especially in Hollywood with Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Van Damme all regularly featuring in starring roles. It didn't take him long before he began bodybuilding himself and studying the science behind it through degrees in kinesiology, exercise physiology, nutrition, a Master's in exercise physiology and started working on a PhD. Following his education, Harley got recruited by the military and worked under one of the most respected in his field, Dr Ira Jacobs, on how different drugs can benefit special forces teams and their work. It was then he got a call to work for free on a film shoot training Halle Berry, Robert Downey Jr and Penélope Cruz. Harley left his booming business in Toronto for the opportunity he couldn't afford to miss. Harley Pasternak is a fitness and nutrition specialist, boasting the largest roster of celebrity clients in the industry. He's worked with the likes of Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and more! A best-selling author, Harley has also starred on Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian and is a regular contributor on Good Morning America. Episode highlights - The five factors of fitness that will change your life for the better – you may already be doing some of them. What's the point in having so much knowledge if you can't share it in a way that people understand? Why you can't be good at everything, so it's important to know what you're not good at. If you don't enjoy something then it's not for you. How you can find motivation for what you do from those that you're working for. Inspiration can come from any direction. Opportunities that will benefit you long term may not make sense to start with, but building on that potential will bring bigger benefits down the line. How you can be thankful for your failures, as they're the best way to learn in the long term. Why catering to the masses will bring you more money, but you've got to get good at the one thing you want to specialise in. How people will pay four times as much for something packaged to suit their needs and perceptions. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Harley Pasternak…

Dave Hancock is a high performance coach with an impressive track record. Through an exhaustive knowledge of the human body and movement, he's worked with some of the most successful athletes, celebrities and businesspeople, such as U2, Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Odell Beckham Jr, England national football team, the New York Knicks, Washington Nationals, Chelsea FC, and more. This episode is a lesson in high performance living. Watch the full episode on YouTube – YouTube Hard work has been instilled in Dave Hancock from his parents. Through paper rounds, washing cars and working behind bars, effort brought Dave respect for the money that he'd earned. Dave has always into fitness and sport. He was injured playing rugby to a high standard. From this, he saw a physio at a club and began taking an interest in helping others. For work experience after school, Dave attended an RAF rehabilitation centre and saw how they rehabilitated soldiers coming back from serious injuries – he was hooked. He studied hard for his qualifications, earned his stripes working in hospitals and perused a career working in sport. After building on his skills, he went for a successful four-day interview with Wolverhampton Wanderers football / soccer club, and started his professional career. Further success followed as he ventured Leeds United, and Chelsea, where his success story really took off before he travelled to America to be the performance director for New York Knicks basketball team. In everything he's done, the focus has been on health, fitness, nutrition, performance and development, even when designing the training facilities themselves. As a high performance coach, Dave Hancock specialises in rehabilitation, manual therapy, sports analysis of both training sessions and matches, injury prevention and more. Whether managing director of a physio/rehab centre chain or consultant for the top sports teams, Dave knows when to advise and when to recommend someone in another area of expertise. Most recently, Dave has taken up the role of CEO of Apollo, a complete sports data management system that's fully adaptable by the user. Schedules, rehab, workouts, game video, drawings and more can be sent directly to athletes via an interactive platform for both Apple and Android. Apollo is changing the way that people look at data and how it can support a team's performance. Episode highlights - Why you need to think laterally and learn from sources that may not be traditionally accepted in your industry or profession. Why you have to change the landscape of where you are to stay at the top of what you do. What the work ethic is like for top-level celebrities that want to stay the biggest names in their respective fields. Tips on mindset and how to overcome any challenge when it comes to your competition. The difference between perceptions of being gifted compared to the hard work and the foundations that people put in to being as good as they can be. How talent and hard work from individuals contributes towards successful and effective teamwork, and what leaders can do to bring the best out of their people. Why mindset is so important and influential in everything you do when it comes to interaction, respect and results. The psychology of sport and how the same approach can be implemented in business. Why love, praise and support is so important to get the best out of people, especially when they fail. How Lady Gaga is the perfect model for diversifying talent, using it in different ways and maintaining success. Why you have to keep a lighthearted approach with everything you do, especially when dealing with the dynamics of a team in business. There has to be a release valve to the pressure of a hard working environment. What's the difference between a survivor and an innovator in business, and which one is more valuable to long-term progress? Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dave Hancock…

Positivity is paramount when it comes to defeating self-doubt and fear. Our guest knows how to bring out the best in anyone. In this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, founder CEO of Mi365 and motivational speaker, Pete Cohen, delivers truth after truth to not only change the fitness industry, but change the world and create a revolution that will better the lives of us all. Watch the full episode on YouTube Pete Cohen started out in the fitness industry as a fitness instructor, aerobics instructor and personal trainer. He then became manager of the largest gym in Europe at the time. Pete loved fitness but became disillusioned with the industry because people sign up to gyms despite not enjoying exercise. To find a way of understanding members, Pete ventured into studying psychology in order to better influence behavioural change, confidence, believe and will power, but found that the industry wasn't as open to evolution. Instead he concentrated on making change where he could. Sadly, his wife got diagnosed with a very aggressive brain tumour. Although she was given 18 months to live, Pete used their collective persistence and connections to find a solution – a treatment in America that cost $200,000 and nutritional support that followed – that worked. Today he speaks of how we can all achieve greatness when faced with adversity. Now, his goal is to help people take the lead with their lives, their relationships and their work, removing blame culture and create a revolution of wellness. Pete Cohen is one of the world's leading keynote speakers. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have been motivated and inspired by Pete's presentations. He's also authored books around the world, made countless television appearances and motivated sports teams such as Arsenal football club to reach peak performance. Coaching business leaders, executives, corporate teams and sporting stars to achieve their best, Pete also excels at keynote presentations and inspires his audiences to think outside the box, believe in themselves and get motivated to take positive actions. He has worked with companies such as IBM, Boots, Pfizer, Robert Half International, BAA, Royal Bank of Scotland, Boehringer Ingelheim and Thomas Cook. Pete's interactive style is fun, thought provoking and leaves a lasting impression. Episode highlights: Who is the fitness industry benefitting? Is it only interested in people that like to exercise, and how can it facilitate the needs of people who don't exercise? Why we need to treat people in fitness like the health industry treats people that need medicine. Ways in which the fitness experience is more about feeling that someone cares, rather than just about the lights, the music and the equipment. How humans share a similar DNA structure to mushrooms and why you'll be hearing a lot more about adaptogens in the near future. Why facing the worst news only brings out the best in you and helps you to realise how much you can achieve. Why vision boards don't work, and how you can be motivated to act instead of just looking. How you can plan based on a WOOP – wish, outcome, obstacles, plan. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Pete Cohen…

Larry Nolan is the CEO Hardcore Fitness Gyms, founded in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where there are more gyms per square mile than any other city in the United States. Larry is also creator of Hardcore Nutrition supplements and host of the Go Hard podcast; he's all about being real to his clients and adding value wherever he can. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson in risk for reward, overcoming adversity and always staying true to your customers. Watch the full episode on YouTube At 16, Larry Nolan got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud's phenomenon, a circulatory condition. Doctors told him that he couldn't work out. Through a passion for fitness and the rebellious nature of being young, he got back to exercising anyway. He soon found that, for him, working out and understanding the importance of rest periods could combat the symptoms of his conditions. Through his own experiences, Larry found passion in personal training to help others appreciate what their own bodies can do. He started a career training as a profession with 24 Hour Fitness and worked through all the areas of gyms in corporate America, whether it was training, sales, and more – the fundamentals of setting up a gym, management and the benefits of being around great talent, but the but the business side of training killed his passion for fitness. Starting his own group fitness initiative training clients in a local park, eventually Larry sacrificed everything to invest in an indoor space, even giving up his first holiday with his wife after years together. Fuelled every day with hard work to create his vision, from physical creation of the space to personal growth with education and earning his place as worthy of the customers he wanted to attract. Larry and Nadia Nolan founded Hardcore Fitness in 2007 in Santa Clarita. Known as the "transformation gym," it's all about motivating and supporting a community, whether a member is an athlete or has never stepped foot in a fitness space. As the crossover between PT and group exercise, Larry and his team focus on the needs of each member, offering energetic classes and facilities or resources for weight training, cardio, core, nutrition, motivation and accountability. With 18 locations now open, Hardcore Fitness is also recruiting for franchise opportunities to further its network. Larry is also creator of Hardcore Nutrition supplements and host of the Go Hard podcast. Episode highlights: How you can overcome mental obstacles such as the fear of competing against other PTs in a huge fitness space. Ways in which, even at a young age, medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Raynaud's can be combatted by working out and planned rest periods. Why internships and networking are vital for experience and understanding, but may scare you as they reveal the side of business that you don't see. It's not all glamour. How adding value for the customer is important to any business, even if it's not necessary. How you can overcome anything, even a bad track record and two felonies, to build a successful business and follow your passion. The importance of every single client, and how they're precious. Understanding the fundamentals of a trainer and what business models you can implement to make the most of their strengths and passions. How to keep going, even when everything is going wrong. Why jealously and hate are such negative results from looking at someone else's success on social media, and how you can translate your reaction into something much more positive. How the finance works out in a successful venture, transitioning from outdoor group training to an indoor fitness space while still adding client value and scaling your business. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Larry Nolan…

Sue Anstiss has a lot of strings to her bow. In addition to her MBE for services to grassroots and women's sport, she's CEO of Promote PR, trustee for the Women's Sport Trust charity, a Women in Fitness Association UK council member and host of The Game Changers podcast. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a vital lesson in equality, dedication and a lifetime of getting a nation engaged in sport and wellbeing. Watch the full episode on YouTube – YouTube Sue Anstiss studied at Loughborough, graduating in Sports Science and English. After working in sales for Cadbury's, she's since honed her sports sponsorship background, having worked for Gatorade before facing redundancy. Sue set up on her own aged 26, bringing Bupa into the fitness industry along with other contacts she'd developed relationships with through her previous experience. It was the start of a journey of hard work and putting the hours in, striving for perfection in everything she's done. Promote PR, now celebrating 25 years in business, and has proved to be the perfect vehicle for Sue's passion in grassroots sport. Promote PR has been changing behaviour with powerful PR, content and social media for over two decades. Through Sue's initial set-up, the company first concentrated on sport and then the fitness sector before coming back to sport as the mainstay of business. With a strong team, Sue has since evolved the business and its approach for a more effective delivery of everything it does. Promote PR also does work in elite sport but uses those relationships to drive participation. In addition to her work directly with Promote, Sue is also a trustee for the Women's Sport Trust charity, getting more media coverage and funding to women's sport. Giving a lot of voluntary time to projects and campaigns is something that Sue is passionate about. If that wasn't enough, Sue's also host of The Game Changers podcast, dedicated to trailblazing women in sport telling their stories. If you'd like to guest on the podcast with Sue Anstiss, email her on [email protected] Episode highlights - When is the best time to start your entrepreneurial journey? When you're young and have little responsibility, or when you're older and more experienced? Ways in which you can get help to recruit women in a male dominated world, and why you found yourself in that position as a top level male business owner or employee. Why you should call out prejudice and discrimination in order to stop it happening again, and why working for someone else can prevent employees from taking action. Why you need to constantly have a thirst to learn more, and why it's really important for whatever you want to achieve. Why the boutique sector may be giving people the wrong impression of the fitness industry, and how it can negatively affect mental health when it comes to perception. Why the fitness industry is focused on unrealistic behaviour and makes members feel guilty for not using what they pay for, as opposed to inspiring them to engage. The difference between sport and fitness, and how sport can boost confidence whereas fitness in some ways increases self-consciousness. Why you need to think of the things that could come along tomorrow that would negate any benefit that you offer in business. Broaden your offering or know what benefit you'd offer if a disrupter entered the market. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Sue Anstiss MBE…

Dennis Yu is more than just a digital marketer. As CEO of BlitzMetrics, he's built a company contributing to tomorrow's future, partnering with schools to teach young adults. With his experience, they're learning the processes that saw him making $80,000 a day on Facebook ad serving a decade ago and more. Watch the episode on YouTube. Dennis Yu has lived a life of learning. As a child, his father encouraged him to the point where he was doing calculus by the time he was eight years old. Dennis' passion for numbers continued to develop through struggling with English, growing up in a Chinese family. Dennis could communicate better through figures and equations than he could with words. That is, until he studied the Oxford English Dictionary for three hours every day and went on to represent California in the national spelling bee. This drive and determination fuelled his natural entrepreneurial ability, from selling candy and sweets at school to selling traffic and attention online. Through his parents, Dennis got access to some of the first computers. His endless thirst for education meant that he was head and shoulders above others that needed his knowledge. Today, Dennis specialises in digital marketing, Facebook advertising and revenue optimisation while still finding time to host inspirational keynotes and contribute to a multitude of publications. Hear how he embraces his data geek nature to continue an astounding level of personal growth. BlitzMetrics is a digital marketing agency that partners with schools to train young adults on how to drive sales through social media and digital opportunities. Everything that Blitz does is governed by process, meaning that new students can come on board knowing nothing, and learn how to generate leads and revenue for multinational companies. BlitzMetrics is trusted by and has worked with Rosetta Stone, Wall Street Journal, Golden State Warriors, Social Media Examiner, Escape Fitness and more. For more information: https://blitzmetrics.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyu Episode highlights - How struggle can create a competitive nature to overcome any challenge and excel at something beyond the expectation of others. Facing the complexity of computing that seems very difficult, but can be straight forward if you just trust yourself to dive in and educate yourself. How many entrepreneurial journeys start at school, selling sweets or candy and making a profit through natural business mindset at an early age. How to embrace what you do know and appreciate your own abilities, even if you suffer from imposter syndrome in your job. How social networking started and grew, even 10 years before Facebook had been created. Secrets behind targeted ads, smartphone listening and GPS tracking, even if your phone is in airplane mode, and how AI is getting smarter. Why we hear so much about personal brands and why they're vital to building trust when it comes to business and sales. What is "rational ignorance," how does it help you and why resulting decisions are almost always made based on relationships. What budget you should be allocating to your social advertising budget, and why it isn't going to be as expensive as you think to test ideas that work. What we'll see in the future for digital opportunities and technological developments. How your service or offering has to be driven through morality and ethics, and why anything else isn't sustainable online. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dennis Yu…

Jason Worthy, president of Life Fitness, has lived the life of both an entrepreneur and executive. Now, his 20 years of fitness experience have led him to the top of the biggest fitness company in the world. This episode of Escape Your Limits is a lesson in staying relevant and keeping your finger on the pulse of fitness market trends. Watch the full episode on YouTube Jason Worthy grew up in the UK with hardworking parents, the youngest of five children. He discovered an entrepreneurial spirit from an early age, retrieving golf balls and selling them back to golfers. Since then he's always had a desire to work hard and create something from his efforts. Following his education, Jason moved to London to become a fitness instructor and personal trainer with LA Fitness before going it alone. Entrepreneurially, Jason has faced business opportunities that haven't worked out, discovering new strengths as a result. He has learned how to deal with failure, rejection and how to be resilient. Climbing the ladder of success at the biggest fitness company in the world before moving to the US, Jason Worthy couldn't be more proud with the position he's in as president of Life Fitness today. Life Fitness' purpose is to inspire healthier lives. The Life Fitness family of brands encourages a full spectrum of active lifestyles, ranging from the traditional fitness options provided by Life Fitness, Hammer Strength, Cybex and ICG, activity for older adults and those in rehabilitation offered by SCIFIT, and the casual active pursuits inspired by Brunswick Billiards. Headquartered outside Chicago, in Rosemont, Illinois, Life Fitness is a division of Brunswick Corporation. Episode highlights - Reasons why staying calm is a leadership quality that's often overlooked, and why it's one of the most important skills to remember. Why it's important to learn from your mistakes and how they help teach you about yourself to grow in the future. The importance of a morning routine to help you collect your thoughts and own the day. How long it takes to own a job after coming into a new role or starting a new venture. Why you should force yourself to make the difficult positions, including acknowledging your weaknesses in business and how you can get the skills to overcome them. Understanding how unwavering belief and positive mindset can get you much further than intelligence or conventional education alone. How surrounding yourself with progressive and even aggressive people when it comes to business will progress you and the company further, so long as you're all pushing in the right direction. Set a clear vision and take your message forward. How to hire people that "get it." Find out if potential employees can get behind the "why" of the company, and then everything cascades down from there. Ways in which you can deal with internal politics and positioning in a positive way. Overcome negativity and work with those that question what you're doing and think they can do it better. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Jason Worthy…

An A-list master trainer, author and lifestyle consultant, Ashley Borden has faced both personal and professional challenges in her life to overcome them all and forge an incredible entrepreneurial career for the benefit of others. From a teenager with eating disorders, she's recovered to push her clients with understanding and empathy. It's a list that's included Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Reese Witherspoon, Rumer Willis, and she's also appeared on TV show Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian. In this episode, we learn how it's never too late to create the best version of you. Watch the full episode on YouTube Ashley Borden grew up in fitness. Her mother owned health food stores, while her father owned sporting stores. Both parents were into fitness so Ashley grew up around movement and an understanding of wellbeing, but she was a dancer at heart. She suffered with eating disorders in her teenage years – compulsive exercise, compulsive eating, anorexia, bulimia – and overcame them through treatment and a change of perspective. Ashley wanted to learn how to move properly and be more athletic. After discovering how to do this, she felt the need to help others achieve the same understanding of how to have a good relationship with their own bodies. It didn't take long for her to create her career through doing what worked for her and clients she was instructing. Ashley Borden is a fitness and lifestyle consultant for some of Hollywood's most famous faces, publications and television shows. She's incredibly driven and goal focused. Ashley created her own space within the fitness industry, having overcome personal struggles and passed on this experience and these insights on to her clients. With over 40,000 hours of personal training experience, Ashley is also a published author and has appeared on television programmes such as Revenge Body with Khloé Kardashian. She has trained the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Reese Witherspoon and more. For more information visit ashleyborden.com Episode highlights - Learning how conventional career paths don't have to be the only route to success. Ashley forged her own education through hiring and learning from others. The importance of removing any negative speak when referring to yourself or thinking about your body. How to ensure you keep your self respect when it comes to picking which clients to keep or which to stop working with, and how to avoid negativity. Why it's important to remove personal relationships with your clients to avoid any negative association through a lack of boundaries. When to know if something's too much to do on your own, and why you might have to hold off on potential plans instead of struggling to cope. Why following a fitness programme is so important and how strength training is so important to anyone wishing to achieve their goals. How to monetize opportunity by looking at the bigger picture as a platform, for things like television appearances or segments in other media outlets. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Ashley Borden…

As an aspiring bodybuilder in Birmingham, Dorian "the Shadow" Yates never thought he'd compete at the level of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, Frank Zane and other Mr Olympia winners. That attitude soon changed with success, winning Mr Olympia six consecutive times. His is a story of confidence, determination and belief that we can all learn from for anything that we do. Watch the full episode on YouTube Dorian Yates had his sights on becoming British Champion in bodybuilding. Little did he know he'd be placed among the greats such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Haney, Frank Zane and other Mr Olympia muscle icons. Dorian lived in the countryside, losing his father when he was quite young. He moved and grew up in Birmingham before his mum decided to leave and he wanted to stay, aged 16. He got into a bit of trouble as a teenager and was sent to a detention centre, but it was here where he cemented his love for hard physical exercise. Always wanted to gain new experiences and travel around the world. Since winning the Mr Olympia bodybuilding competitions six times, he's done that and so much more. Today he speaks at promotions, motivational appearances and seminars, explaining what his rise to success has taught him and how his approach has changed since retiring from bodybuilding. Dorian Yates revolutionised bodybuilding by setting new standards in body mass and conditioning. He was the first Mr. Olympia at 250 lbs (265 lbs at his best), presenting an absolutely shredded physique with extremely low body fat and outstandingly high muscle density. DY Nutrition is Dorian's company, including the Shadow Line bodybuilding supplements thatprovide exceptional training performance, with Dorian leading by example through years of Mr. Olympia experience. Dorian also hosts and runs high intensity training certification sessions for Master Trainers, to pass on his work ethic and methodology to personal trainers around the world. For more information visit http://dy-hit.com/ Episode highlights How your basic personality is influenced by genetics as well as your environment, and how this leads to your level of drive and determination in anything you do. The importance of staying humble, as Dorian Yates still lived in a council flat, sleeping on just a mattress, in Birmingham when he was British Champion in bodybuilding. The difference between a body for competing and a body for functional day-to-day activities or enjoyment, and why the two are very different. The benefit of tunnel vision when it comes to being the best in your field. Why we need to get kids from every nation into sports and fitness to turn any potential negative energy into a positive result. Breaking down your "Everest" goal into achievable sections so that you can take each one as it comes without anything seeming impossible. Before long you'll be close to your long term target. How to overcome uncertainty and remain confident, staying honest with yourself about what you can achieve and what you have to do to succeed. Why you should do things that benefit your health, both physical and mental, instead of solely projecting what you want people to think of you – unless they're one and the same. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dorian Yates…

It's time that we spark up some debate between fitness industry leaders! As IHRSA is when the world of fitness comes together, what better time to discover fitness trends, the future of what boutique will become over the coming years, and how other sectors of the industry will react? Our guests this week have a combined 80 years in business and entrepreneurship. The biggest question we want answered? Has the boutique fitness industry peaked? Let's find out. Video Version - YouTube David Collignon, senior VP Blink Fitness Consistency in marketing, branding, and reaching out to people who may not have felt comfortable approaching big box gyms in the past. Josh Leve, founder and CEO of Association of Fitness Studios Ways in which the industry can make fitness a lifestyle, instead of just an activity of coming in to a location and working out. Dave Wright, creator and CEO of Myzone Reasons why boutiques as a buzzword is not sustainable, but gym experience anywhere is about group training, functional training and a frictionless experience with the advancement of technology. Emma Barry, former director of group programming and group exercise at Equinox Why the fitness industry hasn't been engaging enough over the years, even to the point of taking things for granted, and how boutiques as we know them today have brought a high emotional element to their service. Steve Vlchek, co-founder of Workout Bar How important experience is in fitness boutiques – that's about activity in and out of the gym, along with how to create community within everything that an operator does. Blink Fitness With 80+ locations, with franchise opportunities and plans for plenty more, Blink's USP is to bring a feel good experience with luxury at a value price. David Collignon joined Blink in 2016 and currently serves as SVP of operations. AFS The Association of Fitness Studios aims to support industry operators in changing lives, providing resources, expertise and education for any fitness business. Coming from fitness industry royalty (including his dad, the founder of IHRSA), Josh Leve has been behind AFS from the ground up. Myzone Wearable technology company Myzone shouts about the use of tech to help people feel good about exercise. Creator and CEO, Dave Wright, launched the company in 2011 and has been pioneering gym member engagement ever since. Equinox Fitness training, PT and studios that inspire you to perform, Equinox offers unlimited group fitness, luxury amenities and exceptional services. Formerly the director of group fitness programming, Emma Barry has a wealth of insight on what makes a successful fitness experience. Workout Bar Leading the way in what they call social fitness, Workout Bar in San Diego combines a high energy fitness program, utilising the latest in wearable technology along with lighting and immersive sound. On top of that, there's more to the social scene outside the gym walls, too. Steve Vlcheck is innovating in the space as one of Workout Bar's passionate directors. Episode highlights - What effect boutique fitness has had on the industry, how these changes have been seen in other industries and which sectors lead the charge. Why experience is key and how boutique studios can tailor their service to specific niches and needs of clients who pay Why buying into high emotional elements and hyperpersonalisation is only going to get more of an appealing offering for consumers. How being able to have control and pivot is a key factor to the success of boutique fitness spaces compared to big box gyms. What created the rise of the health club and why the boutique system is / isn't sustainable over the traditional big box gym. How boutiques have been around for years, and what's different now that's causing their popularity. Why financial decisions between pay per visit and EFT can make a huge difference in the longevity of a boutique business. How, while yield per square foot is vital, it's equally important to consider the experience outside of the gym space as well as in it. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with the IHRSA boutique fitness expert panel…

George Foreman III may be the son of the two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, but it's the business lessons he's carried forward from family more than anything. Today, George feels passion for both boxing and business, with foresight and fortune of an entrepreneur. In this episode, we get a lesson in discipline and putting your ego aside. Watch the full episode on YouTube George "Monk" Foreman III says that it was always weird watching his dad on TV, but the fight game didn't get in the way of family life, as his dad gave his kids all the attention they needed and more. George's own boxing career saw him go 16-0 as a heavyweight, with 15 knockouts. Managed by his father, he spent training time learning how to grind and never give up, dragging vehicles and performing functional fitness movements such as digging and chopping wood. This not only gave George Foreman III his endurance and strength for the ring, but taught him determination and perseverance for his entrepreneurial journey, too. George Foreman III has always been driven by a passion for boxing in business, ever since his father's instruction to run the combat element of his own training space. In 2014, George opened EverybodyFights. He'd done his research. Boston was number one city in the nation for percentage of the population with a gym membership. It was also number three in terms of average price paid per membership. Looking into break even points, George's findings meant that his vision and business plan for a boxing gym made total sense. EverybodyFights has opened five new locations since 2014. New York, Boston, Kentucky, Chicago, and Philadelphia in 2019. Visit everybodyfights.com and unleash your inner fighter. Episode Highlights Learn ways to ensure that nothing or nobody can push you as hard as you're willing to push yourself. How to avoid imitation over authenticity in any entrepreneurial venture. Make your decisions based on the belief that your vision is going to work out. Give your brain the opportunity to be creative enough so you can execute your vision, regardless of your situation. Why doing your research on the competition is important before any business venture, even to the point of where George Foreman III physically ran to and toured every location in Boston to see what he was up against. The importance of real estate insight before you even think about what you'd like to do in the building itself. Hear the reasons why you're supposed to quit. Why nobody else does what's needed with an innovative venture, and what you need to get through it. The best way to market and why it's about authenticity and not just advertising to any particular cultural division, nationality, gender or age group. Make it real. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with George Foreman III…

Do you know your HIIT from your SMIT training? Fitness studios offer every niche of wellbeing. At ukactive's Sweat event, we talk to operators at the top of their game for a great understanding of what a boutique offering truly is, and what's to come. The Escape Your Limits boutique fitness expert panel: Jason Tubbs, MD of Another Space Olivia Brafman, head of business at Ministry of Sound Fitness Michelle Dand, group health and fitness manager at David Lloyd Steve Scales, director of client services at ukactive Watch the full episode on YouTube – Jason Tubbs, MD of Another Space Joined a panel at Sweat discussing whether the boutique sector has reached saturation, and what the future holds. Olivia Brafman, head of business at Ministry of Sound Fitness How to understand the journey you're being taken on in other experience-led industries, and why this works in the boutique fitness market. Michelle Dand, group health and fitness manager at David Lloyd How gyms and chains can learn from the boutique market to avoid complacency. Steve Scales, director of client services at ukactive How ukactive use Sweat and other events in driving the value of physical activity by supporting boutiques and informing decisions. Sweat is a thought leadership event connecting forward-thinking brands, startups, influencers and investors in boutique fitness. With the boutique sector rapidly growing in prominence, Sweat delivers cutting edge data insights, implementable business knowledge and will motivate and inspire. Guests, panel members, speakers and host include representatives and operators from leading fitness companies and bodies such as ukactive, Another Space, Ministry of Sound Fitness, David Lloyd, Escape Fitness and more. Episode highlights How complementary branding or processes can help a boutique space (or vice versa with a traditional gym) and why it's still important to have stand-alone brand perceptions externally. What the membership trends in boutiques are evolving to, and why the pay as you go/unlimited monthly offerings are switching between business models. Hear about the challenges of acquiring the best employees, and why boutiques are more about the performance than the personal training. How to pivot from a completely different industry into fitness and why transitions from the music industry, for example, have been so successful in boutiques. How to centre a fitness experience about the sound, and why nightclub culture is leading the way in boutique studio success. Growth strategies for the coming years and how transatlantic business can influence each other through embracing trends. How to positively introduce evolution and development to a member base that may fear change. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with boutique fitness experts from the ukactive Sweat event…

Descendant of fitness industry royalty, Josh Leve is the founder and CEO of the Association of Fitness Studios. An expert in strategic development, he helps thousands of individuals and businesses all over the world. Watch the full episode on YouTube Josh is the third generation of family members starting a fitness association, following in the footsteps of his grandfather who started the National Court Clubs Association and his father who started IHRSA. He had a background in the management side of fitness studios, scaling and improving health clubs through consulting, advertising, marketing and more. When it came to AFS, Josh embraced his entrepreneurial drive and acted on a big opportunity. The Association of Fitness Studios is made up of a team of people all over the USA. Through combined experience and input from all its members, AFS as a body has become an expert in maximising space and experience for clients. Josh Leve views everything he does with AFS from the pathway of a trainer just starting out their entrepreneurial journey, ensuring that it always has member needs at heart. AFS is the direct link between studio owners, suppliers, fitness professionals, certifying organisations, and consumers – connecting all segments of this vibrant industry. Its benchmarking reports are renowned for an accurate view of what's happening in fitness, and SUCCEED! is the association's major event dedicated to current and aspiring studio and gym operators of all disciplines. Episode highlights: How boutiques and fitness studios have evolved, with trainers, artists and performers progressing into entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Learn the pitfalls of starting your own business, what effect clients can have on the decision and what alternatives there are if entrepreneurship doesn't work out for you. How to define a boutique, and what differentiates them from any other gym set up. The importance of a high-touch, results-driven culture within the world of fitness studios. Why success is no longer about differentiation, and why it's more to do with customer service in the studio sector. The key elements of a successful experience and what locations can do to avoid doing things wrong. The differences between membership models, how to keep members coming back and how high performing studios provide the wow factor. How and why you can avoid dead spaces and lost revenue in your fitness space. Hear about the technology advances that will be driving the industry in years to come. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Josh Leve…

Brendan Cosso's temptation to smuggle drugs landed him in the most dangerous prison in South America. He rebuilt his life and dedicated it to education, events and helping people take a positive path. In this breathtakingly graphic and candid interview, we learn the value of decision-making from the CEO of the World Calisthenics Organisation. Watch the full episode on YouTube Growing up in a middle class family in California, and living a life of luxury working the VIP clubs of Hollywood, Brendan made one bad decision that saw his life come crashing down. Tempted by a lot of money and the lure of the Brazilian party scene, Brendan strapped himself up with cocaine and headed back to the US. Caught at the border, his decision landed him in the most dangerous prison in South America. Brendan rejected the idea that he would remain 'a criminal' and spent his term learning and educating himself. Improvising with whatever was available, he made a pulley system to work out on, improving his strength and movement – the system he later developed into the CrossCore, now sold worldwide. He has rebuilt his life and as CEO of the World Calisthenics Organisation, he dedicates it to education, events and creating opportunities in fitness for people who don't have careers. After being introduced to Calisthenics through a friend, Brendan saw the entertainment potential and created a competition in the park – making up the rules and pulling together make-shift equipment. Instantly popular with onlookers and contestants, Brendan sought sponsorship and quickly grew the contest to become Battle of the Bars – the global competition known on the streets today. Along with Kenneth Gallarzo, Brendan Cosso founded the World Calisthenics Organization (WCO) with the overarching intention of bringing the calisthenics and street workout movement to the forefront of the mainstream fitness industry. The WCO was the first organisation to hold a calisthenics competition on such a large and professional scale, reaching nearly 37,000 onlookers at the LA Fit Expo January 2013. Combing elements of street workout, parkour, gymnastics, free running and tricking, Battle of the Bars has become an intricate part of the growing community. Through WCO, Brendan is creating opportunities in fitness for people who don't have careers and is championing the recognition of calisthenics as a sport. See www.worldcalisthenics.org for more details. Episode highlights : How even in the darkest of places, you can find the strength to turn your life around – with self-reflection, acceptance, hard work and good decisions. Understanding that it isn't until you forgive yourself for what you've done that it allows you to move forward to forgive others for what they did to you. The importance of mental strength and dealing with difficult experiences in enabling you to be good and make a difference from today on. How by accepting whatever help your connections offer, you can help yourself to change your life. The importance of not worrying what others think, focusing on your goal and never giving up on what you think is achievable. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Brendan Cosso…

Brendan Cosso's temptation to smuggle drugs landed him in the most dangerous prison in South America. He rebuilt his life and dedicated it to education, events and helping people take a positive path. In this breathtakingly graphic and candid interview, we learn the value of decision-making from the CEO of the World Calisthenics Organisation. Watch the full episode on YouTube Growing up in a middle class family in California, and living a life of luxury working the VIP clubs of Hollywood, Brendan made one bad decision that saw his life come crashing down. Tempted by a lot of money and the lure of the Brazilian party scene, Brendan strapped himself up with cocaine and headed back to the US. Caught at the border, his decision landed him in the most dangerous prison in South America. Brendan rejected the idea that he would remain 'a criminal' and spent his term learning and educating himself. Improvising with whatever was available, he made a pulley system to work out on, improving his strength and movement – the system he later developed into the CrossCore, now sold worldwide. He has rebuilt his life and as CEO of the World Calisthenics Organisation, he dedicates it to education, events and creating opportunities in fitness for people who don't have careers. After being introduced to Calisthenics through a friend, Brendan saw the entertainment potential and created a competition in the park – making up the rules and pulling together make-shift equipment. Instantly popular with onlookers and contestants, Brendan sought sponsorship and quickly grew the contest to become Battle of the Bars – the global competition known on the streets today. Along with Kenneth Gallarzo, Brendan Cosso founded the World Calisthenics Organization (WCO) with the overarching intention of bringing the calisthenics and street workout movement to the forefront of the mainstream fitness industry. The WCO was the first organisation to hold a calisthenics competition on such a large and professional scale, reaching nearly 37,000 onlookers at the LA Fit Expo January 2013. Combing elements of street workout, parkour, gymnastics, free running and tricking, Battle of the Bars has become an intricate part of the growing community. Through WCO, Brendan is creating opportunities in fitness for people who don't have careers and is championing the recognition of calisthenics as a sport. Seewww.worldcalisthenics.orgfor more details. Episode highlights : How devastating and life-changing results can occur when you're influenced by the wrong crowd and attracted by an easy route to the lifestyle you want. The importance of taking responsibility for what you've done and making the right decision to protect your future and those you love. The reality of what it means to break the law and just how dangerous that can be. How sometimes the most terrifying thing isn't the horror of what you have to deal with in front of you but the possibilities of what you might have to do to protect yourself in the future. The realization that if you make a bad decision you can give other people the power to decide your fate. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Brendan Cosso…

Sam Bakhtiar escaped the bombs of Saddam Hussein to become a serial entrepreneur in the USA, providing for his children and helping thousands of people achieve their fitness goals. In this honest and emotional interview, we can all learn a lot from the founder of The Camp Transformation Center and One Percent Nutrition. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/MvEnYLsA82Y Born in Iran, Sam lived there until he was 11 years old. He grew up in conflict, hearing bombs and sirens throughout attacks by the Saddam Hussein regime. To avoid Sam being recruited for the military, his family left for the USA via France as refugees of war, with bag of luggage and $500 to their name. It was a culture shock. In America, Sam's passion for fitness developed from a little room full of bodybuilders, with an atmosphere of chalk, rusty weights and sweat. Working out improved his confidence and gave him a sense of belonging. It didn't take long for Sam to start finding new ways of improving other people's lives, as he had his own. Sam Bakhtiar started his first business through a passion for body transformation. Camp Transformation Center is a franchise business dedicated to changing thousands of people's lives, empowering communities through health and fitness. It's also home of the free six-week weight loss challenge, and has 100+ locations with group training to inspire no-gimmick transformations. One Percent Nutrition offers supplements for people who accept no compromise. With science-based ingredients and high standards, Sam Bakhtiar surrounds the business with the values of faith, family, fitness and finance to bring out the best in everything he does. Episode Highlights - How the evolution of a business can flourish into an entirely new entrepreneurial journey bringing more success than you can ever imagine. The importance of mentorship and how other people's experience can benefit whatever you do. Never work in an insular environment. This is the ultimate story of overcoming adversity, both in a war torn upbringing and dealing with credit mistakes and financial struggles. Why negative self-thought will do nothing for progress, and how to overcome stress. How to scale and 10x a fitness business from a small PT set up to further success. The importance of understanding when you're not equipped to provide a particular service, and how you can better suit a customer by referring them to another partner or offering. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Sam Bakhtiar…

David Stalker pioneered change in the country's not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector, bringing a fresh face to its thousands of members. Today, he's joined the Myzone team as CEO of EMEA, passionate about saving communities with fitness technology, experience and understanding. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/kMG-_n7f6D0 Born and brought up in Kenya, David Stalker has been in the UK since 1988, after falling in love. He joined the fitness industry on a YMCA fitness instructor course and started out as a PT before transitioning to eventually become an award-winning fitness manager. David's continued success saw him rise through the ranks of the UK fitness industry in successful chains on both sides of the corporate and local authority fences. As CEO of ukactive, he led the fight against the nation's obesity epidemic, while pioneering change from the Fitness Industry Association through its rebrand. Even after his time at ukactive, David's enthusiasm to get more people, more active, more often is at his the heart of everything he does. He's passionate about sharing his core values about wellbeing with the Myzone team and beyond. Myzone is an innovative wearable heart rate based system that uses wireless and cloud technology to accurately and conveniently monitor physical activity. It is successful due to its accuracy at 99.4%. This is the tool for anyone who wants an accurate, gamified and motivating wearable. Myzone monitors heart rate, calories and time exercising that convert into Myzone Effort Points (MEPs), with a focus on rewarding effort rather than fitness. Episode Highlights: Differences between fitness business in the corporate world and local authorities, and how the challenges of each can change. How the fitness industry overall has changed and what all the advances have left behind. The ways in which a new generation shifts how the industry needs to react, what benefits it provides and how customer education affects business. Why boutiques may be perfect for bigger cities and continue to grow, but how their growth into smaller cities may not be as successful. How we can learn from past mistakes in order to benefit the health of the nation. The effect of the pharmaceutical companies and other companies on why fitness isn't more available to nations when it comes to accessibility. How businesses based around junk food and sugar have changed their models to parallel healthier options with their own products. How best of breed insights have been implemented in fitness equipment, and how the standards of training and facilities has improved dramatically through industry communication. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with David Stalker…

As founder director at The Gym Group, John Treharne is on the brink of one million members since starting it in 2007. He knows how to build innovative and inclusive initiatives that work for the people, and this episode will help you improve and develop any business. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/1s-Bfsuo0Rk John is no stranger to the demands of fitness and working out, as he used to play squash for England. In business, his ability to meet and exceed the needs of members and his team has seen him win awards and continue a career of triumph after triumph. He's floated a company on the stock market twice and explains how learning to run a business properly and managing private equity investors is key to success, sometimes even over a passion for the market itself. John knows the customer well, and has implemented his knowledge in both improving the experience of gym goers and staff alike over decades. To start with, John borrowed money against his house to open his first concept. His growth success level reached 22 clubs at around one a year, whereas now that figure has risen to 20 per year. Today, The Gym is the largest low-cost gym operator in London, and has recently opened a new location in Monument with other locations all over the UK. It's owned predominantly by large city institutions that have a long-term view on investment. Put simply, John is all about the people. The Gym is the only business in the sector with a Gold Investors in People award, and continues its understanding and inclusive approach to fitness around the UK. Episode highlights : Learn how the equipment found in gyms and the behavior of gym-goers have both changed over the past decades, and how The Gym has evolved with these changes. How staying open all of the time expands your customer base into a whole new market such as shift workers. The difference between investment set-ups and how funding decisions ultimately affect the longevity of your business. How to break down barriers to fitness, such as the fear that you need to be fit before you even go through the doors to become a member. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with John Treharne …

From workouts and training advice to supplements and meal plans, Jim Stoppani's goal is to provide the most complete system of fitness information – all backed by science – that delivers life-changing results. Passionate and professional, with an exhaustive level of knowledge, his self-imposed responsibility to educate, drives Jim to continue growing what he's created and sharing it with as many people as possible. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/8hSboI6xZew Jim Stoppani grew up in the shadow of a very fit family – his dad was a professional boxer and his cousin was a US Olympic weightlifter. He'd always aspired to have strength. As well as being into bodybuilding, Jim was active playing baseball, racing motorcross and involved in other sports. He decided to study sports medicine and soon saw the transition between an industry concentration on cardio to the rise of weights and resistance training through new research and studies. From here, Jim took more of an interest in exercise physiology, gaining a PhD and undertaking research of his own for the betterment of the fitness industry. He'd always loved to write and had a passion for fitness magazines. It only took one phone call before one publication offered Jim a job, so he left academia. Following his graduation and time at Yale University School of Medicine, Jim served as senior science editor for Muscle & Fitness, FLEX and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines for over a decade. Even before his work became a business proposition, Jim was an early adopter of the internet, leading the way before fitness magazines in hosting workout information and video content online. He wanted to share his knowledge with as many people as possible. His JYM supplement line launched in 2013, providing the trusted nutrition he needed for his own performance and offering transparency about ingredients and propriety blends for his customers. Jim has authored and co-authored multiple books, as well as working as personal nutrition and health consultant for celebrities such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson,LL Cool J, Dr. Dre and Mario Lopez. Today, Jim not only continues to educate and inform, but he also films his own workouts and gives them away for free on his website as "Train with Jim" sessions. Episode Highlights - Revolutionary, science-led insight into exercise. This episode will make you question everything you know about fitness. Why a lot of medical professionals can't speak professionally about supplements, and why many fear them. Why the understanding of weight training and muscle growth is such a new field from a scientific perspective. How strength training is critical as you get older and lose muscle tissue, and how this form of exercise can benefit older adults. The difference in benefit between education through published studies or anecdotal evidence, and why official papers don't always provide real results. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Jim Stoppani…

Always growing and inspiring others on their paths to success, Frank Napolitano is passionate about personal development, new experiences and sharing knowledge with his peers for the betterment of everyone. In this episode, he gives us insight into how to survive and thrive as the president of the world's largest fitness chain. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/uQ2JRZvLm7Q Frank Napolitano isn't your typical fitpro. He started his career in public accounting before becoming a lawyer and then pivoting into real estate. It wasn't until 1984 that he ended up owning a single gym almost by accident. From here, he began acquiring and adapting larger facilities previously used for tennis that had become unprofitable. Growing this network with his business partner, Frank also developed a chain of hotels. However, it was the fitness industry he fell in love with. Frank has developed an understanding to know what both employees and customers need. He also appreciates the differences between what people want at different times in their lives. He's seen the fitness industry evolve and has implemented so much in the way of trend setting and decisions that have influenced business around the world. Today, with experience around the world in and out of the industry, he's perfectly placed to observe patterns of business, create culture underneath him in 24 Hour Fitness and continue to push the boundaries for both his own career and the success of others. Almost four decades of 24 Hour Fitness has seen the business nurture the career of countless fitpros. Many have gone on to build empires of their own around the world. This alumni is testament to the insight of founder Mark Mastrov and the ways of working that he created. Following the company's sale, Frank has been in 24 Hour Fitness for four and a half years, continuing the original journey of improving lives through fitness. With over 400 clubs in 13 states 24 Hour Fitness is showing no signs of slowing down, and Frank Napolitano explains why in this episode. Highlights include - Corporate lifecycles and how your position on a curve will affect your success if you don't act now. How to grow the industry on the back of fitness professionals. What clients need in order to keep motivation when personal circumstances change. Building the bones of a business, implementing the structure and identifying where you need to focus to lead your team to success. Why a good leader should lose the ego and be able to encourage and empower employees, making it possible for people under them to succeed. The importance of collaboration. Expand your circle of influence, surrounding yourself with good people and sharing ideas to continue to improve your business and that of others. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Frank Napolitano…

In this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we're invited to experience a party on a bike with president of CycleBar franchising, Ryan Junk. Ambitious, intelligent and experienced, Ryan takes us all on a ride to further our personal growth and understanding of what makes a great entrepreneur. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/hRY8AxHXHig Bob Marley fan Ryan Junk grew up in a small town in Hawaii. While he didn't graduate from college, his success has come following an original goal of becoming a district manager – Ryan has far surpassed that. He's passionate about educating employees to sell in the right way, embracing historical approaches and adapting them to the modern fitness space and needs of clients. Through understanding and intuition, Ryan has implemented his logic and quick reaction times to go from success to success in 24 Hour Fitness, UFC GYM and more before joining another one of the most successful companies around today. He explains the challenges and benefits of franchisee models, along with a revolutionary look at the evolution of customer experience, exploring how its link with sales is no bad thing. CycleBar is the world's first premium indoor cycling franchise, operating in over 400 territories around the world. Since being bought by fitness empire Xponential Fitness in 2017, the brand has seen mounting success, selling 365 studios in its first year under new ownership. Xponential is made up of eight different brands, and each one is run independently. Every CycleBar member knows it's more than just a spin class. The excitement and entertainment in the studio is backed by supportive stats delivered straight to their inbox afterwards. Episode highlights : The importance of implementing as many touch points as possible to service members or clients and enhance their experience. How to educate first-time members and provide a premium service at the same time. What members are going to the gym and to classes for, and why it's not information that they're after anymore. The difference between an entrepreneur and a franchisee, and how this can affect anyone's suitability at holding a franchise. How to hire and keep the right trainers that can provide the best instruction experiences and learn the ways of the business approach. Hear why business in the fitness space can easily descend into a downward spiral before closure, and how any boutique can avoid it. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Ryan Junk…

Host of the Escape Your Limits podcast, Matthew Januszek, looks back on the year and gives valuable insight on how to start a podcast, how to overcome challenges, and how to always keep improving in anything you do. It's been an incredible first year for the Escape Your Limits podcast. Across 60 episodes, guests range from Mr Olympia bodybuilding legends and UFC fighters to exciting new fitness entrepreneurs and veterans of the industry. Thanks to you, we've clocked up well over one million minutes of viewing time on YouTube alone. This final episode of 2018 aims to give a reflection on a successful year and more. Host Matthew Januszek will talk through how we got started, how we overcame challenges, what we've learned and how you can use the most important lessons to better your own life. Thanks for your support over the past year and thank you for listening. Watch the video – https://youtu.be/5L2pI4mUjXc Episode highlights Lessons we've learned about patterns within the fitness industry from key entrepreneurs worldwide. The most common advice that we've heard from CEOs, PTs, celebrities and other fitness icons; how this has benefitted their businesses and how it can help yours. Behind the scenes explanations of the challenges faced and overcome at the start of creating a podcast, and how to use these lessons to improve. Why anything you do needs to add value to the audience, customer or client, and how it can't just be about what you want or your business needs. The importance of goal setting and the real reason why so many successful entrepreneurs do it. How to overcome nerves in front of a camera for the first time, whether on a vidcast or on social media. Discover the importance and appreciation of feedback, and how it's vital for the continuation of improvement with anything. Join Matthew Januszek to look back on the Escape Your Limits podcast and what lessons we've all learned…

A world leader in both physical and digital fitness, Rasmus Ingerslev has founded innovative club chains, built business brands and successfully sold ventures to move onto the next entrepreneurial opportunity time and time again. Watch the full episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/UgaOg8bxm3g Driven by looking after loved ones, Rasmus Ingerslev grew up with a single mother of three. He's always had a desire to create a safe environment around his family. His mother passed away from cancer when he was 16. One source of inspiration to succeed was a promise Rasmus made to himself that he will never be in the position where he can't afford to pay for any treatment relating to the health of his family. Aside from entrepreneurial ventures, he's also been a martial arts athlete – a heavyweight in the national karate team, winning a national team title as payback for all the hard work he put in. Alongside every great man is a great woman; in the case of Rasmus Ingerslev he stands beside his medical doctor and neuroscientist wife, Mouna Esmaeilzadeh. This performance power couple has gone on to rise above and beyond competition in either of their respective fields. Once a fighter, always a fighter – Rasmus Ingerslev's martial arts success has only been matched by a fighting spirit on his entrepreneurial journey. He holds many senior positions as chairman of Barry's Bootcamp Nordic, urban fitness chain REPEAT, investment group Stockholm Leisure Partners, and he's also Executive Vice Chairman of Wexer Virtual. Rasmus is a global leading businessman, forging the new path in digital fitness and sharing as many of his experiences with others along the way. Episode highlights - Understand determination and how a fighting mentality will set you up for success and help you overcome when times are tough. Knowing when to rest, both mentally and physically, so that you don't burn yourself out in business or in fitness. The same goes for the business itself – realising the timing of when to invest and add resources, or when to let productivity rest to find better timing in any market. The importance of written goals and how they'll fuel you to achieve your long term plans as well as celebrating the quicker wins, too. How Rasmus believes that martial arts is the best education in the world, thanks to the discipline and patience needed to succeed and progress. Why leadership, your location and your people are the three most important things to surviving any market trends and changes in the industry. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Rasmus Ingerslev…

Overcoming her own challenges and pushing herself at every possibility, Pauline Nordin knows the importance of physical wellbeing and mental health. As a competitive bodybuilder, top fitness model and television personality, she used her experiences to create Fighter Diet and prove that fitness is more about your mindset than the shape of your body. Defining both mental and physical strength, Pauline now runs her multi-million dollar fitness company, inspiring women to be the best versions of themselves. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/plSTV53PzAc Pauline Nordin travelled to the USA from Sweden in Europe after saving up to start a new life. To begin with while learning a whole new culture, she lived off a 99c store as that's all she could afford. However, that wasn't the start of her struggles. Pauline had been starving herself through anorexia between 12 and 17 in order to change her physical appearance based around a want for the contemporary skinny chic body. She would only eat one serving of beans a day. It was Arnold Schwarzenegger on the cover of a magazine that inspired her to learn more about diet, discipline and bodybuilding. That started a journey to success that has seen Pauline inspiring millions of others herself. Pauline launched Fighter Diet in 2015, to help people ignite the fight within, finding strength to push past the comfort zone. Fitness is an uphill battle that's worth fighting for! With a range of workouts, supplements, books and more, the Fighter Diet resource pool is full of inspirational information and education to change the lives of millions. Pauline hosts challenges every three months to drive progress and performance for her clients to reach their goals. Her social media engagement is second to none, and followers are keen to share their incredible results. Over a range of platforms, Pauline is driving people to make a real difference, whether they want to lose fat, improve nutrition, build muscle learn more or all of the above. For more information visit fighterdiet.com Episode highlights - Hear how some of the current trends in what is perceived by many to be attractive, such as the "thigh gap," directly contradict what fitness is all about. Find out how you can decipher the differences between diets, and how impatience is the driver of falling off the nutritional wagon. Why you need to think about fitness as a lifestyle rather than a project for an outcome, and how the industry can sell the benefits of fitness with much more longevity. How people are addicted to the extreme, thinking that a tougher workout will counteract bad behaviour when it comes to nutrition. How to overcome health issues, low metabolism, hyperthyroidism, and many other issues of wellbeing to improve your mind, body and life overall. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Pauline Nordin…

CEO of LiveFit, Randall Pich has been in the tshirt game since he was 14 years old. Today, he's implementing his years of knowledge, experience and lessons learned to build and expand on a brand that's heading for great things. LiveFit's lean machine of employees having been in business for six years. Through this efficient set-up, Randall and his team can turn brand assets around incredibly quickly, but it's not just about clothing. In this video, we discover the corporate side, including a first-look into LiveFit's new supplements line. Within LiveFit's premises, Randall also heads up a side project of his – Skylab Prints – for luxury printing services that's been scaled and made into a business of its own. Customers even include celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone. CEO and founder of LiveFit apparel, Randall Pich is a serial entrepreneur with a history of multi-million dollar success. Following a clear vision and strong brand values, he's riding the wave of social media popularity through endless apparel innovation in fashion and fitness. Join Randall and host Matthew Januszek on this tour of LiveFit and more. Watch the full podcast episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/cp1zMUQ_Nek

CEO and founder of LiveFit apparel, Randall Pich is a serial entrepreneur with a history of multi-million dollar success. Following a clear vision and strong brand values, he's riding the wave of social media popularity through endless apparel innovation in fashion and fitness. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/cp1zMUQ_Nek Randall was born and raised in the mix of poverty and gang activity in Long Beach, California. His parents had survived the genocide in Cambodia and came to the USA, making him a first generation citizen. Randall started his entrepreneurial journey making t-shirts for his band at school. Along with taking an interest in bodybuilding, he graduated high school and got into college – discovering its kinesiology department before getting certified as a personal trainer. Following a PT career, he grew his business while still at college. It didn't take long for orders to come in, business to increase, and the decision to leave a six-figure business and education for the life of a successful entrepreneur. The mission of LiveFit is to help people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives through active lifestyles. The brand represents a movement of empowering individuals to better themselves physically and mentally. Randall saw how the skate industry always created a team around products and talent, and spun that off into the fitness industry, leveraging on social media. For a long time he felt uncomfortable in front of camera until he knew it was key to scaling and growing his brand. He has since grown the social media following of LiveFit to over 500k followers, while also building his personal brand to 300k+ followers, both on Instagram alone. Episode Highlights - How vital it is to have a support network, whether it's growing up or in business, for personal or professional help. Ways to inspire trust from clients and find the need for your business. How a small business goes from popular products and restocking based on supply and demand before suddenly developing a clothing line out of almost nowhere. How deprived areas can provide a sense of hope and a seemingly endless source of success in multiple industries. How easy it is to waste time creating content that doesn't work, and how important it is to try, test, and react accordingly. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Randall Pich…

International speaker and founder of Retention Guru, Paul Bedford, knows the importance of behaviour, because he knows what we all do. Through continuous research, he's evaluated the effect of four million fitness space and gym member records across 40 countries. He's led data studies that change the way we think in the fitness industry, such as research from 357,000 customers over a four-year period from 100 different operators in a single retention report. This is how to get to know your customer. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/wudEgTwffaM Paul Bedford started in the fitness industry working in a YMCA as a gym instructor. He couldn't understand why members would come into the gym full of enthusiasm but then either stop doing the programme or stop coming in altogether. Paul realised the need for a better understanding of psychology over kinesiology when it came to keeping people in the gym. He undertook a Master's degree in exercise and health behaviour before following that up with a second one in research behaviour and finishing with a PhD. Paul Bedford and Retention Guru specialise in big scale studies over long periods of time, looking at member behaviour. In addition to industry benefit, he does a lot of work for individual companies such as Anytime Fitness, Mariott Hotels, The Gym Group, Lifestyle Fitness and more. It's all about traditional, statistical analysis to increase the lifetime of each customer in regards to retention. He uses this data to develop strategies, predict trends, and split members into groups based on behaviour. For example, he splits gym users into three groups – savvy, yo-yos or new – and understands how their needs greatly differ in what will keep them interested. For more info visit retentionguru.com or follow Paul Bedford's activity on the company's social platforms. On LinkedIn and Twitter, you'll find "lunchtime lessons" – a short point of information to help you better understand your members. You can also attend the Retention Convention in Birmingham, UK. Episode highlights : The difference between retention and attrition, and why many gym owners have probably been measuring statistics incorrectly until now. How to measure the activity of members to determine its effect on the business, and how you can interpret this information to decide how you need to react. Why physiological changes don't keep every member on board all the time, and how a psychological approach is needed to grow the industry and benefit more people. Learn the difference between member types, how much support they need and how they use fitness spaces. How to mitigate risk through multiple products, but also why you should brand them separately. How behaviour influences thought processes and not the other way around as many had previously assumed. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dr Paul Bedford…

Joseph McClendon III is an ultimate performance specialist that has impacted millions of people to change their lives for the better. In this open and moving episode he explains how to overcome fear, attract positivity, and dare to make your life magnificent. Watch the full episode on YouTube –https://youtu.be/RYOq6AAOCZc Joseph McClendon III used to be homeless, living in a cardboard box after being the victim of a racial attack by three men. It made Joseph feel worthless and he blamed himself. During that time, he was given a book called Think and Grow Rich that changed his life. He turned everything around thanks to a new look and approach before adapting these ideas for himself and sharing them with others. Joseph went back to thank the person that gave him the book in the first place to say thank you, and was inspired to help as many people as possible in the same way. His path to success was borne from his lowest point. Today, with a doctorate in neuropsychology Joseph McClendon III has changed the lives of over three million people in 40 countries. His belief system helps individuals and audiences overcome fear and inhibitions to really get results. In this episode he explains how the beliefs about ourselves, other people, and the world around us are what make up our psychology. We learn about how every living thing puts out electromagnetic energy, captured by Kirlian photography, and how another goal of Joseph's was to become a successful musician, which he has also achieved through his passion for music. Episode Highlights - The importance of literally moving your ass to change your attitude – asstitude. Why you need to drink more water in order to hydrate yourself as often as possible; the effect of this on your motivation, and other simple hacks for positive impact in your life. How to overcome adversity, fear or anxiety to rebuild your life for the better. If your outcome in life is to go out and offer as much value to as many people as possible, then it will come back to benefit you in ways you can't imagine. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Joseph McClendon III…

Eitan Kramer is a world record holding vert ramp inline skater. He has travelled the world with Matt Hoffman, Tony Hawk and other action sports stars to lead a movement before putting his experience into effect with a whole new way of skating – the Morfboard. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/kWqToAira8E Eitan grew up in a time where action sports were growing with every street meet, every event and every competition. At 12 years old, he noticed that rollerblading was getting more popular. He wanted to be a part of it. Throughout his youth, skating went from being a hobby, to a passion, to a profession. Alongside other skaters, Eitan began innovating in an industry that had evolved from other sports to become its own market and movement. He set a Guinness World Record for the highest air in a half pipe at an MTV festival in 1999, while continuously travelling the world, skating with communities and sharing the mutual love for movement, regardless of any language barriers. Action sports have continued to evolve, led by approaches that Eitan and his friends put in place. Today, it's been taken to a new level with the 30ft air ramps that we see at events. Since skating, Eitan tried a stint in entertainment and acting before realising that show business wasn't for him and moving on to another pathway to success – the Morfboard. As a multisport introduction to numerous platforms, the Morfboard is a cost effective way to keep fitness and fun going no matter what you enjoy at any age. It's a modular system, with accessories that can attach and detach for skateboarding, scooting, balancing, commuting and more. Not only is Eitan and his team addressing movement in an exciting way to combine fitness and fun, but the Morfboard is forever adapting, with new boards, new colours and new accessories. Check out morfboard.com for more info. Episode highlights - How brands can be influenced by the consumer's influence vertically, as with the rollerblading community making improvements to their skates. The origins of influencers. The importance of providing for a consumer's needs, rather than promoting a product or message that you want to get out for any other reason. How creativity and talent in sports breaks down all other barriers of age, demographics and other interest. Discovering how much of a baseline of education is required in order to inspire comfort with a product and remove the fear of looking stupid. How you could be ruining your own control group when you present ideas through market research. Instead of a product's reality, you could be pushing your own enthusiasm across feedback instead of it being organic and reliable. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Eitan Kramer…

As if being a super heavyweight world champion powerlifter wasn't enough, Big Boy of Strength Cartel heads up an apparel and nutrition line that's leading the way with genuine passion, little ego and plenty of respect. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/8wi8hQrecvg Middle child of his siblings, Big Boy grew up in Pasadena, LA. He always liked sports and always loved working out. He took part in baseball, basketball, soccer, fighting, boxing, and more, but it was football that he was truly passionate about. Big Boy played on defence and had dreams of playing in the NFL. That's how he originally got into lifting. By 17 years old, he'd dropped out of school, lived on his own and got in trouble. However, his explosive power and agility from a sports background and fast-twitch fitness meant that he had something to fall back on and develop into the business we see today. Big Boy's come from a place where he didn't like to put himself out there. He wasn't a fan of social media and didn't want his details in the public eye. He's grown and escaped his own limits, starting out scared in front of a camera to become one of the biggest names on many platforms with over 100k followers. Whether it's through clothing, supplements or online training, Strength Cartel is home to decades of combined powerlifting experience, passion for the lifestyle and the knowledge of how to build a community. Big Boy has created something original and against the grain, taking advantage of being in his own category when it came to starting a business. With Strength Cartel, he brings everything back to his roots, and engages with his audience to show them respect and appreciation at every opportunity. Expos are huge for SC, with people queueing for hours to meet Big Boy. Today, he's looking to grow the brand with goals to go overseas. Strength Cartel is all about promoting workouts as ways of generating positivity and changing lives. Big Boy continues to influence and grow, standing strong at the helm and leading by example. Episode Highlights: Learn about the mental process behind success; how confidence can give you super strength or a weak mind can destroy your performance. How you can let your body run on muscle memory to take over and ignore the mental aspect at the most vital time of taking on your physical goals. The difference between testing your strength and building your strength, and how lifting your max weight will lead to injury rather than growth long term. Why social media is so important for building many modern businesses, regardless of who you're looking to include in your audience. Find out the inspiration behind the Strength Cartel brand, and how everything relates to Big Boy's life. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Big Boy of Strength Cartel…

An icon of MMA and keystone to the success of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Tito Ortiz overcame a tough upbringing to not only hold a UFC belt, but build business after business through hard work and dedication. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/Ixs6ovUUmxg Born to drug addicted parents, Tito Ortiz began life living in motels, cars, and other people's garages. He started hanging out with gangs before his conscience kicked in. He ditched the life of crime to earn money fishing. It didn't take long at school for physicality to get his attention. A successful school wrestling record saw him starting out as a wrestling partner for UFC fighter Tank Abbott. At the time because of his education, if Tito got paid to fight, he'd lose his scholarship. So he fought for free, twice in one night at UFC 13, beating one Wes Albritton in under a minute, before getting caught in a submission by Guy Mezger in the finals. Tito Ortiz's career saw him win a world title after one year of competition, before he held on to it for over four years, fighting to defend it five times. Tito's mixed martial arts record is a list of UFC royalty and more. With wins over Wanderlei Silva, Ken Shamrock, Vitor Belford, Forrest Griffin, Ryan Bader and more, he knows what it takes to succeed through dedication and commitment. Now set to take on Chuck Liddell, who came out of retirement to challenge Tito, he'll have one last chance at redemption. Away from the Octagon, Tito started Punishment Athletics clothing company in 1999. He's also heading up Primetime 360, a fighter management company that's doing right by athletes, with a roster including 20-1 women's featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg. Away from the sport, TO Auto Group – a wholesale car business, is another passion of the UFC legend's. His goal is to change the stereotype of a used car salesman. As if that wasn't enough, Tito is also enthusiastic about pursuing a career in acting. It's dedication that's seen him do right by himself and others, diversifying what he sets his mind to but keeping the commitment level high at all times, whether in or out of the cage. Episode Highlights : How instinct kicks in for anyone to survive, whether that's in a fight or making money in business. With Tito, his start was selling fish on the pier, aged nine years old. The importance of picking the right road when you're faced with options. For Tito, the choices were prison, death, or where he is today. While passion is priority, it's important to have an exit plan. How priorities and aims change, particularly when you become a parent. Find your metaphor for motivation, whether it's something that happened in your past or an experience of someone else you can draw from. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with UFC light heavyweight and entrepreneur, Tito Ortiz…

Heading up a seven-figure advertising agency for the fitness industry, Mike Arce knows why any advertisement or marketing effort needs to be more than just a short-term offer. Mike is responsible for the success of thousands of fitness spaces around the world. Having been in the industry for well over a decade, he's learnt the importance of sticking to what you know and doing it well. He's been in fitness long before his advertising interests took hold. Before moving into marketing, his time at LA Fitness, Pure Fitness, and his own PT company taught him valuable insight into audience, behaviour and how to focus 100% on a customer or client's needs. Discovering a passion for sales, Mike felt that he could do promotion and marketing for any industry. This, however, soon became too overwhelming and a specialist approach was needed. Niched back down into fitness, and now Mike's company is responsible for the success of fitness and wellness companies worldwide. He's also the host of video podcasts, The GOAT Show and The GSD Show, featuring some of the most influential people in the fitness business, sales, social media, SEO, funnel hacking, scaling and more. Loud Rumor is a seven-figure advertising agency that's responsible for 1000 fitness studios, independent gyms and boutiques around the world. The company helps dramatically increase membership using a tailored programme, or helps smaller businesses with marketing and sales strategies through consultation. As well as financial and business success for both company and client, Loud Rumor has a target to help 100,000 people jumpstart a healthy lifestyle through fitness, too. Episode Highlights : Why the right time for you to launch a business could be seen as a terrible time for anyone else. It all depends on circumstance. The importance of finding your niche and how to make your business easier to scale. How to use internet advertising and brand awareness in the long game rather than just for quick wins. Ways that you can get lower click costs an better ratios for web leads and ad spend online. How to use feelings and perceptions to your advantage and avoid losing customers to competitors. Think about your customers like you think about your family. Suddenly, it's not about the money and your efforts will be a lot more focused on how to benefit any client. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Mike Arce…

Chris Luera has spent a lot of time behind bars, but now he swings from them. From gang life and drug abuse to competing for glory in fitness, he's not only turned his life around to influence others with his positive change, but he's also risen to the top of his fitness game as a world champion in calisthenics. It all starts with hope. Born into a family of drug addicted parents, Chris Luera was surrounded by social services and abuse from day one. His birth mother died when he was 18 months old, and he went into foster care aged two and a half. His biological father couldn't cope. Chris' great aunt, aged 56, adopted Chris and took him in. His aunt and uncle became his mother and father. Despite this new loving environment, he'd began to experimented with drugs and was arrested by the age 11. He was smoking crack cocaine by 13, and descended into a life of gangs, crime and meth addiction between multiple prison sentences. What followed was an incredible turn around of positivity and giving back to the world through fitness. After many failed attempts, Chris got clean when he returned from prison and dedicated his time to positivity. He found a job and started to do his parents proud. Tragically, his mother passed away, and in a desperate attempt to get some sleep at this time, Chris used the gym as a way to exhaust his body. It was here he discovered a new passion of calisthenics. From humble beginnings in the gym and working out at Venice Beach, Chris is now 3x Middleweight World Champion and WCO Master Trainer. His Tatted Strength brand is followed by thousands, while his book and motivational speaking is showing the world how anyone can turn their life around. Episode Highlights : The importance of a strong support network, full of people that will stand by you no matter what and guide you in making the right decisions. Why you need to look at the people you're around if you're in a bad mindset. How a positive outlook is all about perspective, and why it's so important to always be working towards something so that you counteract any negative thoughts with activity. How to keep yourself busy and avoid apathy in times of great stress, depression or distraction. Why you should share your knowledge through as many outlets as possible, and how you can make a start in publishing to further your influence. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Chris Luera…

Investment is more than just about the stock market. Money makes the world go round, but it's education, fitness and wellness where private equity investor Gregg Wilson is placing his bets for the future. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/qbbP-2UUEKE In his own words, Gregg Wilson has always valued the dollar. He grew up in a family-held business and got to grips with the highs and lows before wanting to get involved more with the finance side. From there, he took a further interest in banking, starting as a generalist before finding his passion for entrepreneurialism in wellness and education. Gregg has had continued success throughout his career, having founded two private equity firms, worked with CIVIC Partners, which managed over $1 billion of capital for Bank of America, invested in LA Fitness at a time when profitability had soared to $40m due to revenue growth, and more. Gregg is no stranger to this world, as he has 40 years of investing under his belt. His company, Maxim Partners, supplies capital and industry-specific resources to management partners in two focused sectors – wellness and education. In 2016, Gregg oversaw the acquisition of Cybex by Life Fitness – a $195 million move that saw an already-impressive portfolio of Hammer Strength, SCIFIT and more, bolstered with additional quality fitness equipment under the umbrella of the Brunswick Corporation. Episode Highlights : The importance of passion when it comes to entrepreneurialism and why that passion needs to be shared by investors also. How to find advice and experience when making a big business move such as expanding abroad. The importance of knowing your customer, knowing their fitness needs and evolving with these aspects in mind. How investment groups in fitness changed the landscape for funding and buyout options for entrepreneurs. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Gregg Wilson…

Change is hard. Storyteller, speaker and coach, Bobby Cappuccio, educates us on how to roll with resistance and be objective in order to bring out the best, whether personally or professionally. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/6P4iuKGrdPA Overcoming a number of hardships in an abusive Brooklyn upbringing, Bobby took to fitness as a way of not getting noticed. It was something he could do by himself. With Tourette's and physical disfiguration as a child, the limelight was the last thing he wanted at the time. He's passionate about both performance and movement, but also communication, empathy and training people to make the world a better place. Bobby has a rich history within the fitness industry. As co-founder of PT Academy Global and through his work as a presenter and author, he's leading change from the front and educating the industry with every seminar or publication. Prior to that, he's worked in influential positions at 24 Hour Fitness, FitPro and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He's spent the last two decades pushing for both an industry-wide and individual shift in perspective, for a new holistic approach to behavioural change. Today, he's coaching a lot of health and wellness professionals, other coaches and managers – some of the top leaders in the industry. Bobby helps audiences understand the accountability of a client and how trainers must relate to every need, belief and behaviour of who they train, rather than using a hierarchical system of what's worked in their own lives. He's making the fitness space a better place for everyone. Highlights - While most people use fitness as a way of getting more attention, hear how Bobby started out trying to escape the eyes of others by concentrating on getting healthy. Interpretation of events is important to understanding that everyone is right in any situation. Bobby explains why internal responses and self fulfilling prophecies lead to people seeing opportunity, instruction or insult, all from the same occurrence. What's a trainer's journey, what's their focus, and how does a client's perception affect who they choose to workout with? How group exercise and tribal fitness brings a payoff in the process that reflects who you have become on your personal fitness journey. How a conversation with which you may disagree, can lead to finding a bridge of commonality, using empathy and understanding to benefit both parties. How to be effective in communicating and transferring skillsets. Using inquiry over advocacy to help you move through challenges and towards the outcome that you want most. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Bobby Cappuccio…

Lee Haney has had an incredible career of repeat Mr Olympia success along with the greats – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Dorian Yates – the difference is that he's won the bodybuilding competition eight times! It's a record that's only matched by fellow physical hero, Ronnie Coleman. Today, a mentor, author, motivational speaker and devout Christian, Lee uses his experience and understanding to better the lives of others in every way possible, whether that's helping people stay fit at any age, keep injury free, or get a foot up in life after an unfortunate start. Lee Haney first entered a bodybuilding competition aged 16 years old – Mr South Carolina. He didn't know what posing trunks were at the time, so he bought a pair of standard underpants from Kmart. While Lee didn't win the competition, it was a humble beginning that gave him the bug for competing. Years of inspiration followed, pushed harder by the incredible physiques of muscle icons such as Robbie Robertson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Dorian Yates and more. Whether he was appreciating their symmetry, or studying their nutrition, Lee Haney has admired others putting the hard work in both before and after him. It's not just about the physical for Lee, either, as he references the effect of Muhammad Ali and the power of words, backing up what your dreams are and putting your potential into action. Lee Haney's bodybuilding dominance in Mr Olympia spanned between 1984 and 1991. Although, his success is not just about bodybuilding… As a boxing trainer, he managed to get Evander Holyfield from cruiserweight to heavyweight through workout and nutrition advice – 192 to 214lbs in five weeks! Since competing, Lee has started International Association of Fitness Science – a certification programme that teaches correct training, how to match workouts to body parts, nutrition and blending it all together. Then there's Lee's selflessness that's spanned his life, helping others to be their best. Haney's Harvest House started as a retreat centre. It has developed over time and even been forced to move location due to expansion of a nearby airport, but today the charity organization is all about giving vulnerable kids directions and life skills. As well as raising money through the Lee Haney Games event each year, you can also donate at haneyharvesthouse.com For more information visit leehaney.com Episode Highlights - Hear about how one of the greatest bodybuilders in history started out – his inspiration, encouragement, advice and who he looked up to. Realising your aha moment when it hits and you discover that you've got something special to offer the world. How to take the people around you to great places by imparting wisdom and sharing your journey or experience with them for mutual benefit. Learn the importance of positivity and how important it is to encourage your children from an early age. How understanding the science of fitness can lead to ways of stimulating muscle growth that doesn't require lifting heavy and damaging your joints. Why Lee Haney believes negative reps will damage your body, despite the popularity rise of slow movement on the negative. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Lee Haney…

As CEO of BRICK, Jarett Perelmutter is king of innovating on and adapting original ideas. He believes not only in the family of fitness, but also that a rising tide lifts all boats. Developing communities, his selfless sharing of knowledge has brought benefits to members' bodies, minds and even other businesses, all for the greater good. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/rrq2COjAtY8 Spiritual and passionate, Jarett came from a martial arts background. As a child, martial arts taught him discipline and he quickly discovered the difference between having fun and stepping out of line. He's a lifelong student of the fight game, whether he's actively fighting, training relentlessly for fitness and enjoyment, or setting up business. Seeing trends emerging, JP got into the fitness industry at the right time to use his foresight for the benefit of bringing something new to the masses. JP wanted his company to be different. Since learning about the "what's your why" questions, he realised he was putting a lot of those approaches in place even before knowing what they were. In this episode, JP tells us the background of BRICK and how it overcame people's ignorance to prove it's so much more than just 'a fancy CrossFit gym'. Established in LA and now with locations all around the world, BRICK is a driving force for performance and support in the world of health and wellness. Today, on top of training, scaling his business and continuing his quest for excellence, JP is building and engaging in respectful relationships with industry counterparts for mutual business benefit. Complementing his own originality and experience, he has created a community in BRICK that goes beyond just business and fitness – it's family. Episode Highlights - Why you should keep the core of what you're passionate about at the heart of your business, no matter how it changes over the years. How to get into a market, take what you've been doing, and do it better each time around. Why the "legal dictatorship" approach of a martial arts environment can be beneficial to a hierarchy within any fitness space. Learn how JP compares the fight game to CrossFit, where you're no longer fighting a person, but fighting the barbell, the clock, or yourself. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Jarett Perelmutter …

Lee Haney has had an incredible career of repeat Mr Olympia success along with the greats – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Dorian Yates – the difference is that he's won the bodybuilding competition eight times! It's a record that's only matched by fellow physical hero, Ronnie Coleman. Today, a mentor, author, motivational speaker and devout Christian, Lee uses his experience and understanding to better the lives of others in every way possible, whether that's helping people stay fit at any age, keep injury free, or get a foot up in life after an unfortunate start. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/p3wPtgxjs7A Lee Haney first entered a bodybuilding competition aged 16 years old – Mr South Carolina. He didn't know what posing trunks were at the time, so he bought a pair of standard underpants from Kmart. While Lee didn't win the competition, it was a humble beginning that gave him the bug for competing. Years of inspiration followed, pushed harder by the incredible physiques of muscle icons such as Robbie Robertson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Dorian Yates and more. Whether he was appreciating their symmetry, or studying their nutrition, Lee Haney has admired others putting the hard work in both before and after him. It's not just about the physical for Lee, either, as he references the effect of Muhammad Ali and the power of words, backing up what your dreams are and putting your potential into action. Lee Haney's bodybuilding dominance in Mr Olympia spanned between 1984 and 1991. Although, his success is not just about bodybuilding… As a boxing trainer, he managed to get Evander Holyfield from cruiserweight to heavyweight through workout and nutrition advice – 192 to 214lbs in five weeks! Since competing, Lee has started International Association of Fitness Science – a certification programme that teaches correct training, how to match workouts to body parts, nutrition and blending it all together. Then there's Lee's selflessness that's spanned his life, helping others to be their best. Haney's Harvest House started as a retreat centre. It has developed over time and even been forced to move location due to expansion of a nearby airport, but today the charity organization is all about giving vulnerable kids directions and life skills. As well as raising money through the Lee Haney Games event each year, you can also donate at haneyharvesthouse.com For more information visit leehaney.com Episode Highlights - Hear about how one of the greatest bodybuilders in history started out – his inspiration, encouragement, advice and who he looked up to. Realising your aha moment when it hits and you discover that you've got something special to offer the world. How to take the people around you to great places by imparting wisdom and sharing your journey or experience with them for mutual benefit. Learn the importance of positivity and how important it is to encourage your children from an early age. How understanding the science of fitness can lead to ways of stimulating muscle growth that doesn't require lifting heavy and damaging your joints. Why Lee Haney believes negative reps will damage your body, despite the popularity rise of slow movement on the negative. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Lee Haney…

Steven Ward is a man who knows the route to the top, from intern to CEO, through dedication and continued personal growth. Today, with ukactive, he's tackling real issues that will save a population's future by getting more people, more active, more often. Like many children, Steve had dreams of being a professional footballer. While this didn't work out, his huge passion for sport has stuck with him. Combined with a university degree in international policy and strategy, he's created a specialism for sport and policy that will improve communities through communication and knowledge shares. With over a decade of industry experience, his time at every hierarchal stage within ukactive means he knows the company inside out like no other. He was the second employee in the public affairs and policy team, which has now grown to support members in understanding the stakeholder and policy landscape, and maximise the opportunities presented by the national debate around physical activity to get more people moving. In Steve's own words: "ukactive provides services and facilitates partnerships for a broad range of organisations, all of which support our vision and have a role to play in achieving that goal." Set up in 1991 by some of the founders that went on to set up Fitness First, Esporta, LA Fitness and more, these entrepreneurs had a vision for changing the industry. ukactive evolved, with a mission of more people, more active, more often. Today, as a campaigning movement it serves its 4000 members through not only creative new initiatives and innovations, but with a research team that's bringing data to life for the benefit of everyone. ukactive is all about building bigger partnerships, becoming a bigger influence on government, and having a bigger impact on the nation. Episode Highlights - Ways of creating a vibrant, energetic sector that's full of opportunity in order to give members the chance to grow. How ukative has grown as a movement to receive backing from a breadth of organisations that share the vision to get more people, more active, more often. How to decide where to start in business and where you can have the biggest impact, whether through opportunity, identity or integrity. Why the private sector can step up and invest in fitness across the nation, when the public sector can't. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Steve Ward…

Steven Ward is a man who knows the route to the top, from intern to CEO, through dedication and continued personal growth. Today, with ukactive, he's tackling real issues that will save a population's future by getting more people, more active, more often. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/4ZK3BWQcDJA Like many children, Steve had dreams of being a professional footballer. While this didn't work out, his huge passion for sport has stuck with him. Combined with a university degree in international policy and strategy, he's created a specialism for sport and policy that will improve communities through communication and knowledge shares. With over a decade of industry experience, his time at every hierarchal stage within ukactive means he knows the company inside out like no other. He was the second employee in the public affairs and policy team, which has now grown to support members in understanding the stakeholder and policy landscape, and maximise the opportunities presented by the national debate around physical activity to get more people moving. In Steve's own words: "ukactive provides services and facilitates partnerships for a broad range of organisations, all of which support our vision and have a role to play in achieving that goal." Set up in 1991 by some of the founders that went on to set up Fitness First, Esporta, LA Fitness and more, these entrepreneurs had a vision for changing the industry. ukactive evolved, with a mission of more people, more active, more often. Today, as a campaigning movement it serves its 4000 members through not only creative new initiatives and innovations, but with a research team that's bringing data to life for the benefit of everyone. ukactive is all about building bigger partnerships, becoming a bigger influence on government, and having a bigger impact on the nation. Episode Highlights - Ways of creating a vibrant, energetic sector that's full of opportunity in order to give members the chance to grow. How ukative has grown as a movement to receive backing from a breadth of organisations that share the vision to get more people, more active, more often. How to decide where to start in business and where you can have the biggest impact, whether through opportunity, identity or integrity. Why the private sector can step up and invest in fitness across the nation, when the public sector can't. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Steve Ward…

Chris Long doesn't work in his own gym – it belongs to his members. He may own the business, but this episode is all about what his work does for his clients. Chris' business focuses on the importance of impacting people and benefitting others. While his training takes an incredibly practical approach, he's also able to pivot in order to roll with the punches and deal with any challenges that may arise. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/lDPv0mgYUVc From a young age, Chris was always active, even having held a baseball bat from the age of two and a half years old. He'd played basketball and took to the track throughout school, but it was football that he fell in love with for its high energy and impact. Success followed his passion, although an injury called an end to his sporting career in arena football and Chris became a PT, working for a few companies before going it alone. One of these roles was a job with industry giant 24 Hour Fitness, where he was fast-tracked into management and grew his skills from there. Chris is a perfectionist with a competitive streak. He's confident and driven, but he's humble enough to know it's all about the members. Through mentoring, he developed an appreciation of periodisation, strength and conditioning, all of which contributed to his work preventing overtraining and benefiting everyone he trains through his own life lessons. Chris has a career and a business built on helping people. Creative in his training, Chris ensures that every client is motivated by meeting their needs, whether simple or complex. Introductory or advanced, Chris keeps his movements simple in approach: push, pull, squat, hinge, rotate. At the same time as these fundamental movement patterns, his methodologies are based around an acronym of core principles: SPACE (speed, power, agility, strength and endurance). This is all about avoiding injuries through workouts based in scientific research. His training is about getting clients to believe in themselves more when they leave the session than when they arrive. Episode Highlights - The importance of being creative with programming and why you always have to be at the top of your game when training any client. How to achieve a mindset that enables you to overcome anything through fitness. Why any trainer needs to inspire confidence and self-belief in a client, and how they can use science to promote the right kind of movement with any workout. Learn what mentorship can do for your future, bouncing ideas off someone instead of concentrating on the past. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Chris Long…

Eric Leija is the Primal Swoledier, Onnit's senior kettlebell coach. From a background passion for MMA and UFC fighting, his workouts now bring fitness through flows, complexes and flair, mastering a tool that's often overlooked for full body programmes. Inspired by former UFC commentator and podcast pro, Joe Rogan, Eric tells his story of mastering movement, mind-altering substances, and how Dragon Ball Z led him to taking up martial arts. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/1e59PokgnJQ At school, Eric Leija ate junk food and enjoyed being fat. However, it was the teasing that caused him to initially take up bodybuilding, informed and inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding book. Developing his interest in fitness, discovering the UFC's mixed martial arts disciplines and even watching Dragon Ball Z led to Eric taking up Jiu Jitsu. However, he still kept his head down, before realising that his education had come at the expense of his social skills development. Especially as he wasn't interested in drinking, Eric found it difficult to connect with classmates. He dropped out of college and drove to Minnesota to experience the fighter's lifestyle through a mutual UFC fighter friend of his brother. Immersing himself in this world, while also experimenting with other ways of expanding his mind, Eric found a new confidence in how to dedicate his efforts. This turning point led Eric to doing his own thing, but he had to make money. Here, his journey with Onnit began, as an interest shared with CEO Aubrey Marcus led Eric to start work in the factory, packing products and embracing all things Onnit. When Onnit went from a product manufacturer to educating clients and customers by opening its own gym, the company offered Eric the opportunity to become a trainer. His hard work and dedication to Onnit's values and lifestyle, staying in shape and always taking an interest in MMA, meant that he was ideally placed to teach others how to use the training tools. Today, Eric stands alongside Joe Rogan, UFC champ Tyron Woodley, and serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk as a representative and member of the Onnit family. Through his social media following, Eric demonstrates his value by giving out free workouts regularly, rather than teasing audiences and putting up a paywall. This even extends to a four-week programme that can be found on his website, ericleija.com Episode Highlights - How important it is to pick a brand name that stands out and is memorable, even if your original idea for it may have come from a different point of inspiration. The effect of smashing preconceptions and doing your own thing, and how this motivation can come from the most unlikely experiences. What, other than fitness, brought Aubrey Marcus (founder and CEO of Onnit), Joe Rogan, UFC fighters and more together as a vested interest in their social lives. How putting in the hard graft and removing any entitlement from your actions will bring incredible opportunities. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Eric Leija…

Previously a stand-up comic, Tony Horton has always been used to proving that he's worth the limelight. He was there at the birth of personal training as we know it and has since motivated millions, including Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Billy Idol, through fitness, personal training and his exercise regimens with Beachbody.com and P90X. Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/xt-ZW5C_JZY Born into a military family, Tony had moved a lot as a child with his father serving in the army. His first notable ventures into fitness came when he provided personal training to a professional at 20thCentury Fox, before offering PT services to movie stars and musicians, or representing fitness giants Thighmaster and NordicTrack. Originally Tony moved to California thinking he'd become an actor. He'd wanted to be a cross between Jim Carreyand Brad Pitt, but has since said things turned out better for him, creating some of the most famous and effective workout programmes available. Today, Tony Horton is still one of the biggest personalities in fitness. He puts his level of motivation down to loving what he does. At 60 years old, he's still training and surrounds himself with people equally as passionate in his life. A world-class motivational speaker, Tony is incredibly active on social media, inspiring others and teaching us all about how to live the best life. Through his books, programmes and events, Tony's passion and philosophy, combined with his humour, make his message one that not only benefits the world's future, but entertains us all, too. Episode Highlights - What it's like training celebrities such as Billy Idol, Tom Petty, Annie Lennox, Stephen Stills and Bruce Springsteen regularly, and whether there's a difference in pressure. Why you need to walk the walk if you want people to believe that you're genuine about what you're selling. Why you should be chasing your passion and not just the money. How you can stay motivated, even after you've succeeded and achieved your original goals, or if you're facing a business venture failing. Learn the biggest reasons for sticking to what you know, from Tony Horton's advice after undertaking a variety of business ventures. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Tony Horton…