It’s not about the idea, it’s about the people behind the idea who can make it happen. That’s the theme of today’s StartanUp Endurance Series episode, where host Johnny Waite interviews Jody Bragger, Jodie Gauld and Gabriel Ghiglione, who together, ran across Tajikstan as part of a friendly bet. The bet started in the dead of winter, where the crew picked a location on a map (blindfolded) and committed to running wherever their finger landed. The end result was a cross-country adventure that was...
Jan 07, 2021•25 min•Ep. 638
They were desperate enough to call in an airstrike on themselves. Think about that. WIth that came ultimate clarity. Retired Navy SEAL Thom Shea says war teaches you what's real. He served 23 years with distinguished valor before writing his bestselling book, "Unbreakable: A Navy Seal's Way of Life." Today he talks about his latest book, "Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos." The founder of Unbreakable Leadership's lessons are more valuable than ever today. Thom shares battle-tested advice...
Jan 05, 2021•33 min•Ep. 637
When a decade of training wrestling, blindfolded, saves your life. That’s what Spartan CEO Joe De Sena and SpartanUp Combat Series host Ryan Warner talk about in today’s episode. The guys also cover Joe’s passion for combat sports, why Spartan Nutrition and Joe’s background in chosen suffering. In this episode you’ll learn… How a dinner in NYC led Joe to fall in love with combat sports, specifically, wrestling Joe’s journey from cleaning pools, to Cornell to Wall Street Why Joe started racing ul...
Jan 02, 2021•23 min•Ep. 636
“Keep climbing and stop whining,” says Jarod Cogswell, co-host of the SpartanUp DEKA Series. “Keep climbing and stop whining,” says Jarod Cogswell, co-host of the Spartan Up DEKA Series. Coaches Jarod Cogswell and Yancy Culp share their best advice for making the most of your 2021 in this episode solo. They recap their biggest learnings from 2020, share strategies on how to get the most out of 2021, and talk about 3 reasons to be grateful during these crazy times. In this episode you’ll learn -T...
Dec 31, 2020•21 min•Ep. 635
Mo Gawdat, today’s guest on Spartan Up, tells Joe De Sena happiness, like fitness, is something you can build. He’s the author of "Solve for Happy'' and former Chief Business Officer of Google [X], and today he’s on a mission to teach the art and practice of happiness. Mo experienced a uniquely devastating event, the death of his son, it inspired in him a drive to understand the formula of happiness. Happiness, he says, follows a predictable equation. "You can actually follow an algorithm, simil...
Dec 29, 2020•45 min•Ep. 634
Exercise is like the magic pill. You’ll get better sleep. You’re testosterone will go up. You’re going to look and feel better. All because of exercise, says Olympic wrestler Jake Herbert. Host of the SpartanUp Combat Series Ryan Warner talks with Jake about: -How to track personal growth in 2021. Jake uses a journaling routine called the 4 B’s to guide his personal growth tracking. -Why exercise is the magic pill -Financial literacy for the new year -Takeaways from the Russian philosophy of wre...
Dec 26, 2020•53 min
“If you want to identify your running inefficiencies, run naked” says ultra-marathon runner Patrick Sweeney, who talks with SpartanUp Podcast Endurance Series host Johnny Waite about how to become a minimalist runner. In this episode you’ll learn: -How Patrick developed a love for running in the sandals -Why minimalist running improves your running form -How running with sandals heightens your sense of awareness -Why running naked will identify your running inefficiencies -That running in sandal...
Dec 24, 2020•16 min•Ep. 632
We've been telling you for YEARS to do hard things. Today Joe De Sena, our show host and the founder and CEO of Spartan, asks neuroscientist, psychologist, and University Distinguished Professor, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett if we're right. The author of "7 1/2 Lessons About the Brain" and "How Emotions are Made," explains how the brain reacts to stress. How to keep your brain snappy into old age. And how it is that doing hard things affects your mind and your body. This episode of Spartan Up podcas...
Dec 22, 2020•42 min•Ep. 631
This interview is dedicated to our gracious, enthusiastic, and gone too soon series host Roy Wallack. Rest in peace. “The best social security is to keep on riding.” Tinker Juarez (@dtinker) is 59 years old and still rides 350 miles a week. His consistency and dedication to training is the main focus of today’s episode. La Ruta Series on the SpartanUp Podcast host Roy M. Wallack talks with Tinker about training secrets for those of us past our athletic primes. In this episode you’ll learn: • Tin...
Dec 19, 2020•20 min•Ep. 630
One of the most decorated CrossFit athletes of all time - Sam Briggs - talks with Spartan Up podcast DEKA series hosts Jarog Cogswell and Yancy Culp about: -Sam’s origin story and what being a firefighter has taught her about team building -Why Sam participated in the Spartan Games -The benefits of functional fitness, regardless of age -When Sam takes on a new challenge, how does the evaluate the opportunity? -How has Sam’s ‘why’ changed over the past decade? -Spartan Games Day 2 recap -Sam’s in...
Dec 17, 2020•29 min•Ep. 629
Pain is inevitable, right? But how do you distinguish between the pain you should push through and the pain that's a red flag? Dr. Sean Pastuch, founder of Active Life RX, gives Joe De Sena his 4 rules for pain assessment. He also talks about the importance of seeking out and overcoming some kinds of pain in our life. When assessing pain Pastuch says there are four important terms you need to understand - Insult, Irritation, Pain and Injury. Whether you're taking on a Spartan race or planning yo...
Dec 15, 2020•33 min•Ep. 628
When you leave a high-paying job on Wall Street to fight MMA professionally in Peru. That’s the decision Rollie Peterkin (@rolliepeterkin - Twitter) made - our guest on today’s episode of Combat on the SpartanUp Podcast - that would forever change his life. Host Ryan Warner talks with Rollie about: -Rollie’s college wrestling career at the University of Pennsylvania -The breaking point that encouragee Rollie to move to Peru, leaving his Wall Street job behind -How to acclimate to a new environme...
Dec 12, 2020•53 min•Ep. 627
Imagine running the Chicago marathon and then running to New York - spanning 22 days - to compete in the NYC Marathon. That’s the kind of runner that Patrick Sweeney is and in this episode, he talks with Spartan Up Endurance Series host Johnny Waite about: -How he developed a love for running in the early days and what drew Patrick to long-distance running -How Patrick chooses a race. Here’s a sneak peak - he uses the strength of community and the location. -How to have a blast and still perform...
Dec 10, 2020•16 min•Ep. 626
He went to the DOJ. He testified to congress. He went to the IRS. Instead of a "thank you," they threw him in jail! But that wasn't the end of the story. Next, the US Government awarded Bradley C Birkenfeld with over 100 million dollars. In fact, he holds the Guinness World Record for the largest payout by a government to a single individual! Sounds too crazy to be true? Joe De Sena interviewed Birkenfeld, author of "Lucifer's Banker," back in September of 2019. We just dug up the interview for ...
Dec 08, 2020•50 min•Ep. 625
Meghan Hicks says “Don’t put on a race or don’t sponsor racers unless you are ready to sponsor women who perform at the same level as their male counterparts.” Hicks tells Spartan Up Podcast Trail Series host Mauri Pagliacci about how gender equality, sustainability and COVID can pose unique challenges trail running. #1 - Meghan’s race adventures during Covid. Meghan completed the Nolans 14, a run over the 14 summits over 14,000 ft. in Colorado's Sawatch Range. #2 - Equality in trail racing. Meg...
Dec 05, 2020•22 min•Ep. 624
“I chased the pain,” says mountain biking legend Tinker Juarez (@dtinkerj), who has spent nearly 40 years atop the world of cycling. Spartan Up La Ruta series host Roy M. Wallack (@roywallack) - author of Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100 - talks with Tinker about his career, how Tinker has achieved longevity in the sport and advice on how to grow your own career. In this episode you’ll learn: Firsthand, the early days of BMX and how mountain biking grew into a mainstream, extreme sport Tinker’s...
Dec 03, 2020•16 min•Ep. 623
What defines you? Is it your origins? What you've overcome? What you've achieved? Who you are becoming? By any measure, Curt Maggitt is a champion. We met Curt, a former NFL Colts player, at the 2020 inaugural Spartan Games presented by Harley Davidson, where he launched out of his comfort zone tackling challenges ranging from Spartan courses and mountain biking to Deka fit and wrestling- all with a smile and an unrelenting drive. Childhood wasn't easy, Curt's mother died when he was two leaving...
Dec 02, 2020•27 min•Ep. 622
Did you listen to the "Spartan Up!" interview with Ivor Cummins? Joe Desena interviewed the biochemical engineer and complex problem-solving specialist about what popular messaging got wrong about COVID-19 and the lockdowns. We asked you for your feedback, and Spartan racer Kyle Enfield MD reached out to us. Kyle runs the Covid ICU at UVA, has a master's in epidemiology, and was willing to come on the show and give us the latest updates, background, and detail about Covid. This is a no politics ...
Nov 30, 2020•30 min•Ep. 621
Private Equity is about building great teams to evaluate talent and in turn risk. Mike McMullan is a private equity investor, and formerly was a 4x All American for wrestling at Northwestern and a college wrestling coach for the University of Pennsylvania. Spartan Up Combat series host Ryan Warner talks to Mike about the key ingredients for building a successful team. In this episode you’ll learn -The parallels between building great teams as a college coaching and private equity investor -The r...
Nov 28, 2020•25 min•Ep. 620
Fitness is the fountain of youth! Joe Decker - former Guinness World’s Fittest Man and Death Race legend - talks with Spartan Up Endurance series host Johnny Waite about how to accomplish your fitness goals when you're 50 or older. In this episode you’ll learn: How to approach training when you’re out of your prime How to pivot your training. If you are beat-up from a life of running, try paddling or climbing. Don’t be afraid to be a beginner again. Pivoting to a new form of training takes humil...
Nov 26, 2020•11 min•Ep. 619
What works to optimize your biology? Alisa Vitti, hormone expert, has made it her life's work to find out. In her conversation with Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena, she explains how and why women need to plan differently for intermittent fasting and hit workouts, how men can maximize testosterone and performance using their circadian rhythms, and hormonal power women can unlock by understanding infradian rhythms. New studies are revealing more about our endocrine systems and the unique diffe...
Nov 24, 2020•43 min•Ep. 618
What does a 4x La Ruta endurance mountain bike race champion eat during a race? Louise "La Ruta Lou" Kobin shares tips on diet for performance with our Spartan Up La Ruta series host Roy Wallack. In this episode you’ll learn: -What Louise eats and drinks during a race -How often she’s consuming calories while on the bike -What to eat and drink during that all important 30-minute window after a race -Louise’s go-to meal during a multi-day race For those of you who missed the first episode, Louise...
Nov 21, 2020•6 min•Ep. 617
If your life was a movie, would you change the channel? That’s the question Hunter McIntyre wants you to ask yourself every day. Hunter McIntyre is a professional athlete and fitness trainer who has established himself as a dominant force in the world of obstacle course racing. He was named one of the top 50 fittest athletes by Sports Illustrated and is the undefeated champion of CMT's reality TV show, Broken Skull Ranch. Hunter was a Defender on CBS's Million Dollar Mile produced by LeBron Jame...
Nov 19, 2020•12 min•Ep. 616
Dr. Gil Blander, the founder of InsideTracker, has created a system to unlock the information hidden in your blood. Today on Spartan Up Podcast he tells Joe De Sena about his process and the surprising patterns he's discovered. For example, many health-conscious people are overdoing it with supplements. For his studies, Blander considers blood "validated calibrated liquid gold." LINKS: https://www.insidetracker.com/ Ultimate Spartan x InsideTracker giveaway - prize package of racing and testing ...
Nov 17, 2020•26 min•Ep. 615
“The moment I had the courage to be completely honest with myself”….that’s when things started to change for Sarah Hildebrandt, our guest today on Spartan Combat. Sarah is a 3x member of Team USA and currently the #1 ranked wrestler in the country in her weight class. Host Ryan Warner and Sarah talk about the all important moment of turning PRO. You don’t have to be a professional athlete to be a PRO. Turning PRO is about the decisions you make, consistently, in all facets of your life, day in a...
Nov 14, 2020•10 min•Ep. 614
At age 27, Joe Decker was out of shape and out of hope. He was an alcoholic and drug addict who had just hit rock bottom. Three years later, Joe broke the Guinness Record for World’s Fittest Man. He got there - from out of hope to Fittest Man - by mastering the goal setting process, and that’s the focus for today’s conversation. Host Johnny Waite talks to Joe about: -Joe’s starting point. As we said, he was at rock bottom and could barely run a mile. He decided to fill the void with fitness. -Us...
Nov 12, 2020•20 min•Ep. 613
Fit Men Cook founder Kevin Curry joins Joe De Sena (Spartan Race founder & CEO) to talk about how Kevin changed his relationship with food. This episode of Spartan Up! Is brought to you by GONEROGUESNACKS.COM - use code SPARTAN25 for a discount FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Joe De Sena Sefra Alexandra, Johnny Waite & Colo...
Nov 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 612
If you want to make a change, start with a single person. In an age of more is better - more likes, downloads or views - Todd Durkin talks with hosts Jarog Cogswell and Yancy Culp on how to ‘light up the planet’ by starting with a single person. In case you missed the first episode, Todd Durkin (@ToddDurkin) is an internationally recognized strength, speed, and conditioning coach, as well as an author, and a motivational speaker. He is the founder of Fitness Quest 10, an award-winning health and...
Nov 07, 2020•11 min•Ep. 611
Runners, when you hit the wall, Meghan Hicks suggests these two tips to push through. She would know, she’s run over 60 trail races and ultras, won and won the Marathon des Sables. She's is the managing editor for IRunFar.com. She’s also the author of Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running. Today she tells Spartan Trail host Mauri Pagliacci about her experience at Nolan’s 14 where she's set multiple records. Back in the 2000’s, Meghan quit her first 100-mile race. It’s hard to believe – e...
Nov 05, 2020•8 min•Ep. 610
Hooked on Sugar? How about "diet" sodas? Kara Goldin, founder of hint water and author of the new book Undaunted, fell for the advertising. For years she believed that something called "diet" must be good for you. One day she stopped and read the ingredients label and her journey to better health for herself and others began. Kara set the diet sodas aside and drank only water. The benefits to her health were immediate, but she found the taste boring and she invented "hint." Starting and growing ...
Nov 03, 2020•33 min•Ep. 609
