At 13 years of age Logan lost his arm in a wakeboarding accident - has that limited his life? Nope- not at all! You may not be able to control the adversity you face, but that doesn't mean you don't control your destiny! In this interview, he discusses how he will never accept the expectations of others and is dedicated to spreading awareness and opportunities through education. Logan says you have to accept the reality of the situation, be grateful for the abundance that you have, be mindful wh...
May 05, 2020•32 min•Ep. 547
Mike Barwis is a strength and conditioning guru. He’s trained Olympic athletes in over 40 sports, works with pro teams such as the Red Wings and Mets, and is the CEO of Barwis Performance Centers. On this episode, we focus on the work Mark did with Brock Mealer. Brock was involved in a car accident in 2009 and was paralyzed from the waist down. After 2 years of physical therapy, Brock was unable to walk. Then he met Mike Barwis. Tune in to hear the full story. Find out more at https://spartancom...
May 02, 2020•19 min•Ep. 546
Kwame Christian is a master negotiator, and he is all about helping you become one too. He is the bestselling author of "No One Will Play With Me - Finding Confidence in Conflict", and host of the #1 negotiation podcast in the world, "Negotiate Anything". We cover much more than just business negotiation in this episode, focusing on family and personal dynamics that may be especially challenging in current times. This episode of Spartan Up is brought to you by Wine 4 Runners, learn more at Wine4...
May 01, 2020•58 min•Ep. 545
When things feel really out of our control, we often move into a position of helplessness. We can operate from a victim mindset, throw our hands up, and believe that we’ve got zero power. The truth is, there are absolutely going to be times in your life when things happen outside of you that are not in your control. However, there are ways that you can shift your perspective to give yourself a sense of greater control. By considering the things that are in your control and implementing greater a...
Apr 29, 2020•5 min•Ep. 544
Entrepreneur, chess master and angel investor James has had a number of great successes, used his winnings and then found himself back at zero again. Each of these times he used his creativity and ingenuity to find another opportunity and make it happen. Life is like an ultra marathon with many peaks and valleys to ascend and descend. Enjoy it all! Sometimes it's not even about being the smartest, but about being the most agile. LESSONS 90% of communication is non-verbal Be able to play with pos...
Apr 28, 2020•45 min•Ep. 543
Do you ever sit and wonder if the elite among us experience self-doubt? I know I do and on this episode we talk with 2008 Olympian Andy Hrovat about a trying 14-month period of his life leading up to the 2008 Olympic trials. During that time Andy lost and regained his place on Team USA. The big takeaway for me is that we all experience self-doubt and by battling through those fears and insecurities, we become a different person in the process. Find out more at https://spartancombat.com/ SUBSCRIB...
Apr 25, 2020•17 min•Ep. 542
Kristen Ulmer knows a lot about fear. As one of the top extreme skiers in the world, Kristen has stared at death and dropped in anyway. But she says her scariest time ever was when she thought her marriage was over, and that the prospect of starting a speaking career was as terrifying as any mountain. In this episode, Kristen shares experiences and lessons that appear in her bestselling book “The Art Of Fear : Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What To Do About It” and personal stories from her ...
Apr 24, 2020•45 min•Ep. 541
We train our bodies and focus on flexibility so that we prevent injury, recover better, and perform at our optimum. But we must also build mental flexibility for the same reason: It prevents us from getting stuck, helps to build resilience, and allows us to perform better in life. There are a few ways that you can work on building this cognitive flexibility. First, challenge the norm. Certain ways of thinking may be in place because “it’s always been that way.” Challenge this by exposing yoursel...
Apr 23, 2020•5 min•Ep. 540
The world is facing a new paradigm and as a global events / racing company we at Spartan have had to pivot and pivot quickly to adapt. Today Joe De Sena, our host & the CEO of Spartan, speaks with Spartan’s Chief Marketing Officer Carola Jain and our host Col. Tim Nye speaks with Spartan’s VP of Merchandise Mike Lunardeli. We ask how Spartan as a company and a culture is stepping up to face its current business challenges. We have been learning & talking about resilience, performance und...
Apr 21, 2020•45 min•Ep. 539
Learn how to build and define your personal philosophy with the Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence. James completed 50 Ironman distance races in 50 states in 50 days. As a kid, James wrestled throughout high school and into college before embarking on a life as a world-renowned ultra-distance athlete. Find out more at https://spartancombat.com/ SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW US: Spartan Combat: ht...
Apr 18, 2020•38 min•Ep. 538
From our Live Zoom chat: There is a reason Mark Divine is one of the rare podcast guests we have featured twice! He is “an expert in human performance as it is displayed in mental toughness, leadership and physical readiness” and a powerful communicator with awesome lessons for all of us. A retired Navy Seal, he has created SEALFIT, The Unbeatable Mind, written several bestselling books and is a much sought after speaker and teacher. His wisdom and bulletproof demeanor are especially reassuring ...
Apr 17, 2020•57 min•Ep. 537
Social isolation can lead to some super unhealthy patterns that we have to be careful of falling into. It can always have a profound impact on our mood and our willingness to engage socially in the future. When you find yourself isolating it’s important to remember that at some point you will need to step out of isolation in order to better serve your mental health. Taking that first step can be hard but it is necessary to say YES to that invitation that you would prefer to avoid (rather this is...
Apr 15, 2020•5 min•Ep. 536
Legendary ultra-runner Mike Wardian is back on Spartan Up! Last time he had just broken the fastest 50K on a treadmill while on the Spartan Cruise. He holds the record for the fastest time for 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days; fastest marathon and 50K on an indoor 200-meter track; fastest Marathon as Spider-Man & Elvis; fastest Leadville 100 mile and Pike's Peak marathon double and ran the grueling Marathon des Sables-appx 150 miles in the Sahara desert in Morocco more than once. This i...
Apr 14, 2020•31 min•Ep. 535
We are all feeling isolated right now - but that will end. Mark tells Joe De Sena about the tools he used to change his trajectory. As a young boy Mark moved to the U.S. with his family from Egypt and found he was very socially isolated. For the next decade his diet and behaviors fostered an unhealthy lifestyle that fueled his social anxiety. After a certain point he had had enough and did the deep work to get over what was limiting his life. At only 22 years old he's now sharing what he learned...
Apr 08, 2020•29 min•Ep. 533
Communication is so important in getting our own needs met and effectively assisting others. When we experience stress or during times of uncertainty, our communication can be one of the first thing that suffers. We are often flooded with emotions which make it difficult for us to dial in on effective communication. There are a few key things to keep in mind in order to maintain good levels of communication. Being clear with the ones around you is always important in delivering a message, as is ...
Apr 02, 2020•3 min•Ep. 532
You may be feeling the challenge. This interview with Dan Crowley, Bataan Death March survivor, will remind you that we must as a culture reframe our frame of reference. Yes, this time has limited our freedoms, invoked fear and changed the paradigm of our daily life as we know it…. Yet, there are elders in our midst that have dealt with truly unthinkable horrors and come out on the other end even more resilient. This week we revisit one of the most important interviews in Spartan Up history. Dan...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 531
During times of stress and unpredictability, there is often no more important value than the value of interdependence. Interdependence is the recognition that I can rely on you and you can rely on me. For whatever reason, many of us have come to believe that reaching out to others for support is weakness or a demonstration of incompetence. In truth, using the support around you and offering support in return is a huge measure of strength and courage. Give yourself permission to reach out for hel...
Mar 26, 2020•3 min•Ep. 530
Marko Cheseto is one of the happiest people I've ever met! He came from Kenya to Alaska on a running scholarship, but while he was there he lost both legs to frostbite. Today Marko holds the record for the fastest Marathon by a double amputee - he's fast! In this episode he tells his story, but also shares some really great advice for making the best of difficult times. Let me know what you think! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Pl...
Mar 25, 2020•49 min•Ep. 529
Obstacle immunity is a credo of this community and together we will adapt and overcome! Now more than ever we need to be positive and beacons to those around us. We must be solution focused and not fall into the traps of fear. You’ve got this Spartans. Together we are Spartan Strong and will overcome this invisible obstacle. Now is the time to be of service and retrain yourself in the new skills needed. In this special episode we will hear advice from 10 EXPERTS in medicine, mindset, food, busin...
Mar 20, 2020•44 min•Ep. 528
Dr. Lara Pence says: Stress is something that we all encounter and learning how to be resilient to stress can be one of your most important skills. It’s important to remember and consider that stress isn’t going away anytime soon. Often we imagine that “life will get easier” but sometimes it just doesn’t. What does get easier? Our ability to manage and become more resilient. How do we do that when it comes to stress? It all starts with acknowledging and accepting stress. It’s not going away so l...
Mar 18, 2020•4 min•Ep. 527
Mark Pattison was catching touchdown passes in the last minutes of games to stadiums of 100,000 plus thousand people. Playing football at a high level taught him how to think big and step into fear. When his NFL career ended, what was next? It’s not easy to leave a job and identity like that. After a pivot to what became a successful marketing and import, export business - Mark Pattison decided that how things looked from the outside mattered less than how he felt on the inside. He wanted to tru...
Mar 17, 2020•40 min•Ep. 526
Advice from 20 EXPERTS in medicine, mindset, food, business and mindfulness. To the Spartan Community, globally we are facing an obstacle like never before and never has it been more important to remember and implement all the resiliency lessons we have learned over the five years of doing this podcast. In this special episode we check back in with experts across the fields of physical, mental and medical wellness to give you the best tools for your toolbox to accept and adapt to this challenge....
Mar 13, 2020•46 min•Ep. 525
One of the best ways to build confidence is to utilize your fear of something and move through it with courage. Although some believe that courage is the absence of fear, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Courage is about being afraid but doing anyway - and from this we build confidence because we can reflect on that which we have accomplished and create a library of moments in which we see our greatness arise. Reality testing is another great way to build and tap into confidence that mig...
Mar 11, 2020•2 min•Ep. 524
Have a question for Joe or anyone on the Spartan Up team? Here is your opportunity. Voice message or text 1.917.924.3002 and we’ll answer the best questions in another Q&A episode. This is a quick episode with some powerhouse advice from the gritty man himself. As Joe says, any day we get to wake up on this side of the dirt is a good day! Enjoy - smile - move that needle forward in your endeavors and send us your questions! Make them hard ones- Joe’s up for the challenge! LESSONS It takes a ...
Mar 10, 2020•7 min•Ep. 523
Host Dr. L says: There is a saying that God Gave Us Two Ears and One Mouth for a Reason. The notion: That we were born to listen more than we were to talk. In today’s society, the ever-present social media platform has given many a vehicle to use their voice, put out their message, and be heard. And, at the same time, as a society we are losing the art and skill of listening when our focus becomes ‘what can i say?’ instead of ‘how can I listen?’ In order to building back up the skill of listenin...
Mar 04, 2020•3 min•Ep. 522
Doctor, Lawyer or failure - those were the 3 options David Meltzer's mother laid out for his future. After seeing his mother’s financial struggles, he picked a fourth - RICH. Straight out of the gate he was phenomenally successful, living the proverbial dream, until the walls came crashing down in 2008. He had lost his center. Lucky for him - his wife called him out. This shift had him reassess his values and shift his focus to 4 central principles: gratitude, forgiveness, accountability & i...
Mar 03, 2020•27 min•Ep. 521
Guest host Patrick Sweeney, the Fear Guru, is back for week 4. Now it's time to use neuroscience for peak performance. It doesn't matter if your career is on the line, or you're playing for the club tennis championship - choking is part of competition. It's your body's biological response to stress that can all too often derail you from your ultimate goal. Patrick explains the neuroscience behind why this happens and gives you several proven strategies you can put to work today to help use fear ...
Feb 28, 2020•7 min•Ep. 520
The morning is one of the most important times of the day. It’s when we set our intentions, decide what tasks require our time and energy, and establish a foundation of perspective that will guide us throughout the next 12 hours. So doesn’t it make sense to treat this time with care? We think so. There are three things to keep in mind when your eyes open and you step out of that bed (on the right side that is!). First, what can you do for your body? How can you activate the physical parts of you...
Feb 26, 2020•2 min•Ep. 519
Being left behind at a young age by parents searching to create a better life might be what drove Raul Villacis to become a real estate millionaire… but with that success came new challenges. When life finally became comfortable, he lost his edge. Raul has covered a lot of ground. For him the solution starts with his unique morning ritual and the decision to live every day like a hunter. Those are the secret oil and sharpening stone that keep his razor-sharp edge. What about balance? For Raul it...
Feb 25, 2020•23 min•Ep. 518
Guest host Patrick Sweeney, the Fear Guru, is back for week 3. How can you own your day, every day? With a morning routine. In this episode Patrick shares the morning routine he’s optimized since learning some of the basics at the US Olympic training center when he was a world-class rower training for the Olympics in the single scull. His first step alone will help you sleep better, think clearer and actually live longer. He also gives you the science why his routine works – this isn’t bro scien...
Feb 21, 2020•7 min•Ep. 517
