Vigor Life Podcast

I’ve known Dr. Spencer Nadolsky for well over a decade and he’s been my go to resource when it comes to GLP-1’s and any peptides that help with weight loss, metabolic health, health and performance in general. It was great to catch up and get the truth about GLP-1’s from an expert that is helping clients in the real world, daily.Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a board-certified family and obesity medicine physician and a leading voice in metabolic health. Known as 'The Doc Who Lifts,' Spencer specializes in the intersection of medicine and lifestyle, helping patients achieve sustainable weight loss and improved heart health through evidence-based nutrition and exercise. He currently serves as the Medical Director at WeightWatchers and is the co-host of the Docs Who Lift podcast. With a background as a former D1 wrestler, he brings a unique perspective on using strength training and modern medicine to treat obesity.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => History of GLP-1’s from diabetes to weight management and what FDA recommends.=> What is the recommended criteria for using GLP-1’s and what does Dr. Nadolsky recommend and which patients does he use it with, and why.=> Why Spencer is ok with people looking to lose “the last 10-20 lbs” using GLP-1’s but draws the line at ______.=> Do GLP-1’s truly affect muscle loss and lowering of bone density, or are those side effects of extreme dieting, lack of strength training, and not enough calories and protein.=> How small is the percentage of people that can lose weight and keep it off for good, and why judgement of people taking GLP-1’s is hurting more than helping.=> The reason why resistance training is a MUST on a diet or on GLP-1’s; these stats will blow you away. => How our environment has changed dramatically and is aligned with the rise in obesity; that is not going to change but here is the solution.=> We discuss the psychology of exercise, diet, and drugs; and what makes someone “undisciplined” (and the misconceptions of it). => What does Dr. Nadolsky recommend to every person that gets on GLP-1’s for best results and long term health. => Do some people need to lose weight and feel better BEFORE they start lifting weights.=> The misconception of doctors being “Pharma shills” and what the behind the scenes really look like.=> Why some people have gastrointestinal issues while on GLP-1’s, and what you MUST do to avoid those issues. => What happens when you “stress test” drinking alcohol while starting GLP-1’s. => Lower fat meals, higher fiber, moderate protein, is a good starting point for people beginning to take GLP-1’s.=> Should you continue to stay on GLP-1’s, get off at a certain point in time, or lower the dose; answered in detail. => The cost of GLP-1’s and how they can be barrier for people staying on them.=> How dosing the drug is very important in getting best results; Dr. Nadolsky explains how to dose it and if you even should dose it up. => Why you MUST have appetite to get enough calories in to support your goals and life (if you are lifting, running, etc). => Zepbound “quick pens” and how they’re allowing better micro and precision dosing of GLP-1’s.=> What are the studies behind peptides such as BPC-157, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, TB-500, Thymosing Alpha, and more.=> Is Retatrutide a “miracle drug” or is it just hype.  => What is the best way to get peptides and the dangers of getting it from non FDA approved compound pharmacies. LINKS & RESOURCES:Dr. Spencer Nadolsky website  https://drspencer.com/Docs Who Lift Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/docs-who-lift/id1611961208Dr. Spencer Nadolsky YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@drnadolsky/videosDr. Spencer Nadolsky Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnadolsky/Vineyard  https://joinvineyard.com/Super Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos

Gareth Sapstead is a strength and performance coach, author, and the founder of EPT Lab.For 20 years, Gareth has worked with Olympians, world champions, and high-performing professionals who all had the same problem: plenty of drive, but no margin for guesswork.His work focuses on building strength, health, and physiques that don't fall apart when life gets busy, because results that can't be sustained don't count. He is an author, writer, and international speaker whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Muscle & Fitness, Men's Fitness, and Men's Health.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> How Gareth built up his personal training career over the last 20-years and 3 big things you can learn from it.=> Why Gareth got bored with a very successful online coaching business and opened up his own gym. => What can you learn from “the educational era” that Gareth and I went through in the early 2000’s=> What is the #1 priority when training athletes, that many coaches miss.=> What the assessment process looks like with a client offline and online (since online is significantly harder). => Why the first 30-days is a training and nutrition “shot in the dark” even though most coaches won’t admit it.=> How Gareth uses the conjugate model for different clients from pro athletes, physique athletes, executives, or other general population clients. => The weekly program design breakdown and template Gareth uses with different types of clients.=> Why contrast training makes sense for general population for saving time. => The high low model, power, strength and muscle building training, and also conditioning; how to put it all together in a training day and training week. => The structure of how Gareth runs EPT Lab, from leads to assessment, sales, to giving clients to their coaches, and the onboarding of each client.=> Why did Gareth choose to lose $10k/month from online coaching to do what he is currently doing.=> Being a person of value and getting your foot in the door with opportunities requires getting around people you want to be like.=> Finding your Yoda and finding your peers that make you better is still one of the most underrated things you can do to get ahead. => How to get eyeballs on your brand, and how to create content as a coach to get the most effect for your business. => How Gareth published his first book and the BIG lessons you can take from it.LINKS & RESOURCES:Gareth Sapstead Website: https://thefitnessmaverick.com/Gareth Sapstead Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefitnessmaverick/Book: 100 Of The Best Physique Workouts https://us.humankinetics.com/products/100-best-physique-workoutsSuper Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos

I was really excited about getting Dr. Tommy Wood on the show. This topic is close to my heart with both my parents having Parkinsons disease, and my Mom passing away with it a couple of years ago. Not only is Dr. Tommy an authority on this topic, he communicates it extremely well, and is also at the University of Washington, which makes him a neighbor. Dr. Tommy Wood is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, where his research focuses on brain health across the lifespan. This includes therapies for newborn brain injury, prevention and treatment of adult brain trauma, and factors that contribute to long-term cognitive function and decline. Tommy received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge, a medical degree from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of Oslo. Alongside his academic training, Tommy has worked as a performance consultant to elite athletes in multiple sports. He is also a Director and Treasurer of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, Head of Research for the dementia prevention charity Food for the Brain, and co-host of The Better Brain Fitness podcast.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> If you want a sharper brain at 45, 55, 65… start doing THIS now=> (it’s not crossword puzzles).=> The #1 mistake smart, high-achieving people make with “brain optimization.” Tommy explains why it backfires.=> Are we actually “overstimulated”… or “under-stimulated” in the ways that matter? This distinction changes everything.=> How important is reading for kids as well as for adults when it comes to preserving cognitive health (this WILL surprise you).=> The simplest daily habit that protects cognition long-term—and why it works better than most supplements.=> The reason strength training and cardio are a MUST to future proof your mind from decline and dementia. => Why your attention feels wrecked lately (and what to do about it without going full monk mode).=> The brain-health myth that keeps people stuck in fear—and the more useful way to think about cognitive decline risk.=> Why doing novel, chaotic, unpredictable tasks is a cheat code in brain development (and some things you heard help with cognition, really don’t).=> How to train your brain like you train your body: stimulus → recovery → adaptation (and what most people skip).=> Tommy’s “minimum effective dose” framework for cognitive performance when life is busy and stressful.=> What research says about our work and how it affects our brain development or decline (this will really make you think about your job!). => Movement and cognition: what matters most—intensity, consistency, skill/coordination, or simply more steps?=> Sleep isn’t just “rest.” We break down what’s really happening to memory, learning, and mood.=> Food for focus: the biggest levers for stable energy and clear thinking (without extreme diets).=> What peptides, if any, are helpful with brain health - hear what decades of research have shown.LINKS & RESOURCES:Dr. Tommy Wood Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtommywood/Dr. Tommy Wood website: https://www.drtommywood.com/Book: The Stimulated Mind - https://a.co/d/04ZeqwpOSuper Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos

Sean has become a good friend and it’s taken me too long to get him on this podcast. His has built a very successful business in Active Life and we dive into what it takes to become successful and build a great career in the fitness industry.Dr. Sean Pastuch, DC, grew up around the fitness, health, and wellness industry. And when he graduated Chiro school, he ended up opening a clinic and a CrossFit gym. He didn’t want to be that Chiro who tells you, “You need to this exercise and be on “X” program.” Then, pat you on the back and say see you next week.He works with people and athletes, who don’t want to deal with pain and injury anymore. And at the same time, don’t want to stop their training or don’t want to keep modifying their workouts every time there’s a workout that has overhead movements.With hands-on experience running a gym that does functional movements and treating people with injuries or previous injuries, which surface from having to move functionally, Sean started getting busier. And because of his unique approach, he also started getting requests from clients that used to see him but moved to another city asking for workout programs.IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> Connection is key to ideation and leadership, (only) sitting behind a computer is not the way to build your career.=> Sean shares how Luka said to be “Omnipresent” and doing that opened up opportunities.=> Chronic pain affects a significant portion of the population and there’s opportunities to build those skills and benefit from solving those problems.=> The fitness industry needs to address chronic pain effectively, something that isn’t taught much through governing bodies.=> Productivity is linked to well-being and pain management; getting people out of pain is VERY valuable.=> Successful coaches must be hardworking, curious, and client-centric - the foundation for any good coach.=> Continuous learning is essential for growth in coaching; Sean and Luka discuss what they look for in potential. => Effective marketing messaging is crucial for business success - if you’re not clear, or if you confuse, you lose. => Building relationships can lead to valuable connections and opportunities; here’s our blueprint to connect with the best of the best.=> Assess the value of your service on a scale of 1 to 5 with these three questions (this is KEY for the right market).=> How to understand the demand for your service and the competition.=> Avoid falling for guru marketing schemes.=> Success is not just about money; it's about fulfillment (diving into the PERMA model and why it matters in your business)=> Skill development is crucial for career advancement, what skills are you currently building to increase your stock?=> Confidence comes from competence and proof of success; how we build our teams up.=> Leverage your network for support and knowledge; how Sean connected with Jesse Itzler=> Surround yourself with successful and inspiring individuals that raise your standard.LINKS & RESOURCES:Dr. Sean Pastuch website  https://drseanpastuch.com/Active Life Professional https://activelifeprofessional.com/about-us/Dr. Sean Pastuch Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drseanpastuch/Super Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos

Finally got my Balkan brother Mladen Jovanovic on the podcast to talk about agile periodization, constraint based coaching, coaching principles and how to think “bottom up” and not just “top down” when it comes to training clients. We also dive into best approaches to open a gym with a small group training model. Mladen Jovanovic is a physical preparation coach from Belgrade, Serbia. He has worked internationally with various clubs and teams and is one of the leading minds in sport training. His knowledge of both science and technology is very impressive, and he really has a great grasp on training theory.Coach Jovanovic was involved in physical preparation of professional, amateur and recreational athletes of various ages in sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, martial arts and tennis.Mladen’s articles, interviews, articles, products and services can be found on his website at Complementary Training. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:=> What is agile periodization and how does it apply to sports performance training with athletes as well as with general population clients.=> How does a coach build a program that actually gets better or more refined when things go wrong—such as injuries or scheduling conflicts—rather than falling apart?=> One of Mladen’s principles is being a 'minimalist to be a maximalist'. How can a coach determine the minimum dose of training needed to move the needle without overtaxing an athlete's recovery.=> Agile Periodization borrows heavily from software development. How do concepts like 'Iterative Planning' and 'Responding to Change over Following a Plan' practically change the way a coach writes a training block.=> You talk about the tension between long-term goals and daily readiness. How does Agile Periodization allow a coach to maintain a 'North Star' while remaining flexible enough to pivot based on how an athlete feels that morning.=> Client autonomy and preferences and how much they influence a training sessions and training block, Mladen and Luka discuss examples in the real world to help you become a better coach.=> Instead of complex algorithms, Mladen often advocates for simple heuristics. What are 2 or 3 'rules of thumb' every gym owner or coach should use to decide if a session should be pushed or pulled back.=> How a training program is a story we tell client and why is the 'completion ritual' or marking milestones so important for client buy-in and long-term satisfaction.=> Why the constraint of coaching can many times be space, equipment, and training schedule, which means the program design should be filtered “bottom up” rather than “top down”=> For gym owners, long-term planning can feel impossible with high member churn. How can they apply 'Agile' principles to their group programming to keep it effective for a wide variety of skill levels - Luka dives into his small group training model.=> Mladen is opening a gym, Luka gives his insights on the training model for the ability of the gym to make an impact on clients while also being successful and profitable.LINKS & RESOURCES:Mladen Jovanovic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/physical_prep/Mladen Website: https://complementarytraining.com/Vigor Ground Fitness Gym https://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/Super Coach Mentorship https://lukahocevar.com/super-coach-mentorship/Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Luka-Hocevar/videos