WHEELHOUSE RADIO

Our Relay Team sat down post race to talk about our first (and not last) Hyrox experience. If you are curious about this race at all, this one is worth a listen. Contact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

From rowing crew in college to planning events for USA Weightlifting...Josh began tinkering with coffee and saw an opportunity to provide great drinks and positive vibes to his neighborhood.Today, Josh, his wife Melanie and their team serve Cala coffee in both their Cahaba Heights and downtown Birmingham location. This team is making big moves and we are excited to collaborate with them and learn more about the history of one of Birminghams most popular coffee brands. You can find Josh @jmcosio@calacoffeecoContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Spoiler Warning: This is a sequel to episode 14 (An American Dream). Listen to that episode FIRST before diving into this one.This episode dives into greater details of Luan and his family's escape to the United States as refugees of war. Co-host of this episode is Jacque Howard, Luan's sister. He shares with her, for the first time, details of the escape that was only revealed to Luan a few years ago on a father-son trip before their dad passed. @luan.n.nguyenContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Branden Lower is the Founder and Lead Strategist at Build Design Studio, a creative agency specializing in comprehensive branding solutions. Based in Birmingham, Branden focuses on structured creativity, ensuring that brands can fully leverage their visual identity and messaging to meet strategic goals.A graduate of Samford University with a degree in Graphic Design, Branden has a rich professional background. He gained valuable experience as a Producer for Bryan Johnson and as a Creative Lead at a mid-sized nonprofit, roles that shaped his strategic approach to branding.He also has a keen interest in AI and its applications in business.Branden's passion for helping brands succeed and his love for community make him an inspiring figure in the world of branding and design.4oContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Strap in for an incredible episode with my friend Kelsey. She's practiced Nutrition since 2011 after her degree in dietetics and Masters in Functional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. (There's a much longer list of her accomplishments including blood chemistry analysis courses, functional diagnostic nutritionist and advanced thyroid practitioner.)Kelsey is the founder of Pro-Fit, a company who's aim is to help people through functional medicine. She helps clients ranging from busy moms, young athletes, to high performing CEOs, TV personalities and professional athletes. Listen to her journey and don't miss out on the part where she shares about being brainwashed into a religious cult. Dead serious :)Find Kelsey and her company here:@pro_fit_highperformance@kelsey_koehlerContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Eric shares about touring the world with a band to eventually settling his roots deep in the heart of Avondale by creating a non-profit in Firehouse Community Arts Center.Firehouse CAC is dedicated to the enrichment of Birmingham's musical community, offering music education programs with scholarship opportunities for the underserved students. Finally, we get to learn about his latest project, Runnin' on Insulin, a 10k fundraiser dedicated to Camp Seale Harris on Sat Sept 23rd. Catch up with all things Eric here:@ericwallace@wearerunninoninsulin@firehousecommunityContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Listeners, meet the incredible Ellie Hiller. A Birmingham native, former college athlete, current high end competitive CrossFitter and owner of Vulcan Nutrition (VN), a nutrition company that works with cleient's needs on a one-on-one level. Based out of Birmingham, Ellie and her team at VN curates and helps manage an approach to food and eating that is personalized for each individual. They work with the full spectrum of clientele  ranging from those who are brand new to health and fitness all the way to the seasoned competitor looking to make final tweaks during their competition season. You can find and follow Ellie and VN on IG:@the_vulcan_nutrition@elliehillerwww.thevulcannutrition.com#fuelwhatmovesyouContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Coach Faye and I dive into the history or our anniversary party, The Whammys. From why and how it got started to why and how it is changing for this year as we celebrate our 6 year anniversary and the people that make up this place. Thanks for listening! Thank you for the training!@luan.n.nguyen@loveletterlily@wheelhouse.academyContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

After dropping out of college, Micah moved to North Carolina to chase a dream: to open and operate a fitness facility. Looking back at his decade in the industry, we reflect on the lessons learned and how that lead to the creation of the 205 Throwdown (a four person team fitness competition geared to provide the best experience for ALL levels of competition to include Rx, Scaled and Masters athletes).Luan and Micah also announce their partnership together for 205 Throwdown, as they strive to offer up an incredible competition option for Birmingham athletes and neighboring communities in the Southeast. Micah is now coach to some of Crossfit's top level athletes and hosts his own podcast with Brute Strength.Sign up now for this years competition taking place on August 12th, 2023 at the Bill Harris Arena. Catch up with Micah and all things here:@micahshoemaker@205_throwdown@brute.strength---------------------@luan.n.nguyen@wheelhouse.academyContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

It's been a while since we caught up with the Movewell Team so in this episode,  I got to host three of the four PTs that service our community at Wheelhouse on a weekly basis: Aaron, Dakota and Kaley.Of course we dug into all things Physical Therapy and how it pertains to movement and pain in the fitness world as well as answered some of the questions sent in from our listeners and IG followers. Tune in and enjoy!@movewellmobile@asherrill1316@d_hoop331@kaleyb1010@luan.n.nguyenContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

This episode was Coach Faye's idea and brainchild as she got us together to chat about Resolutions because its THAT time of year. Luan, Lori Ann and Faye dive in to their personal experiences with resolutions/goals setting from what they see from a coach's point of view to their own personal approach to all of it. Follow us for more episodes and follow the three coaches on our IG at:@luan.n.nguyen@exploringlori@loveletterlilyContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Several athletes from Team Wheelhouse qualified for AO Finals (because they crushed it at State Championships).  On this episode, Coach Luan sits down to recap the American Open Finals  shenanigans with Dakota Hooper and Jeven Sloan. Listen in to get a 'behind the scenes' happenings of this awesome weightlifting meet and experience. "It was my greatest weightlifting experience...EVER", says Jeven Sloan. Check it out!@wheelhouse.academy@d_hoop31@worldsokayestweightlifter@luan.n.nguyenContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topics related to fitness, strength and/or a person that we can interview to learn about their Wheelhouse!Thank You for Listening!

Luke can be seen at the 4:30pm Conditioning getting his work in just about every day of the week. You've worked out beside him but did you know that he started two business on his own? His latest creation is Humphrey's Dog Resort, a first class dog boarding, daycare, and grooming with personalized activities to help your pet live their best lives. Listen in as he shares how he was effected by Covid and how he made the most of it, creating his next adventure. @humphreysdogresortContact Wheelhouse Academy Instagram: @wheelhouse.academy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheelhouse.academybham Website: https://www.wheelhouse.academy Email: info@wheelhouse.academy Let us know what you would like us to cover in future episodes! Any topi...

We are hosting a Self Defense Workshop for Women this Saturday October 1st and I've brought in two of our very own Wheelhouse members (who will also help coach the workshop) to share about their journey in Jiu Jitsu and how it has impacted their level of confidence in self defense and in daily life. Listen in to this incredible episode to learn about how Chandler Duncan (our 5:30pm regular athlete) and Annie White (5:30am regular athlete) both got started and the advice they give for someone who may be starting new in Martial Arts, specifically Jiu Jitsu. There's a combined 40+ years of martial arts experience in this episode so you wont want to miss hearing from these 'savages' that you sweat alongside daily. Follow them on IG @chandlahh @juneredhead

This episode takes us back to earlier this year when the Whammys  (our annual celebration/party)  was just an idea. Should we try to resurrect an event that died during the pandemic? Could we pull it off? How do we pull it off?This is such a special and important event for our community but I knew that our team was spread thin on the logistics side of event planning at the moment. Naturally I leaned on great friends Nick Pihakis (Pihakis Restaurant Group) and Tina Liollio (Local Link Bham) we we somehow put on the event of the year for our community. This episode takes us back as we got together to chat about all things leading up to the event. And now we cant wait for next year!@locallinkbham@tina_liollio@npihakis@thepihakisrestaurantgroup

Meet "The Beer Guy", Eric Meyer. He's a husband, father, entrepreneur, and full time firefighter. You will often find Eric in the early morning strength classes, on the Jiu Jitsu mats or at happy hour at his business, Cahaba Brewery, where he leads the charge bringing Birmingham some of the best local brews around. Eric shares how a passion of home brewing with buddies became a full fledged business along with his other passions and hobbies along the way. Learn more about Eric @uabericm and @cahababrewing

We meet the creators of some of Birmingham's favorite eating spots and learn about their up and coming project as well. Victor King and Kristen Hall share how Bandit Bham and The Essential became a thing and how it almost wasn't. These two open up completely on the other side of business that you often don't hear about. Incredibly valuable and transparent. Follow Victor at @tomatoesandgrits and Kristen at @bakingbandits Visit their spots @banditbham ,  @essentialbham , and their soon to open wine bar @lafetebham

Luan and Rain outline the vision behind the 535 Challenge, the parameters, what we wanted it to be and what we did NOT want it to be. Use this challenge to propel you through the multiple levels of adherence in order to create healthy habits that could be life changing for you and be successful towards any goals. 535 Challenge begins Monday Feb 7th and ends Sunday March 13th.5 Weeks35 Days5 Rules to Follow

Nick Pihakis is with us today and shares about growing up in the food/service industry, seeing Jim N' Nicks start from the ground up and now playing a huge role in the Pihakis Hospitality Group where they have built some of our favorite restaurant brands around Birmingham such as Little Donkey, Hero Doughnuts and Rodney Scott's BBQ to name a few. More importantly, Nick opens up about some pivotal times in his life and recognizing that he needed to find a way to re-incorporate health and fitness back into his life making it a priority again. Powerful stuff indeed. 

I brought in an SME (Subject Matter Expert) to chat about the importance of strength training for women. Alyssa Parten has accomplished her Masters in Exercise Science, and is currently studying for her pHD. She has worked as a personal trainer since 2012 and shares her shift from bodybuilding to competitive powerlifting, all while running her online strength coaching business (LadyBeef Inc) and being the best wife and mom that she can be for her family. Listen in to this incredible episode. We will definitely need to do a part 2 in the future because we could've chatted for hours about all things Health and Fitness. 

Luan and the crew (aka some of the coaches at Wheelhouse) get together to share experiences that they have had when it comes to goal setting this time of year. We dive into being "sticky" when it comes to adherence to a new gym community and not being another drop off statistic. Brandon EtheredgeEmma McFarlandDakota HooperLuan Nguyen

I finally get to sit down with Dakota Hooper DPT (Physical Therapist), ATC (Athletic Trainer) and Wheelhouse Olympic lifter and Strength Coach, to not only learn more about his story but also recap our experience from the American Open Finals last weekend in Denver, CO. Hoops shares about life in small-town Florida, the physical therapy world, his olympic weightlifting journey and where he aims to be next year in 2022.Find him on IG @d_hoop31, coaching athletes @wheelhouse.academy or seeing patients with @movewell

Birmingham native, Ramsay HS alumni, Army 1st Lieutenant and 11:30am lunch class regular, Mrs Kenya Staples joins our show today to share her background and story on her pursuit into entrepreneurship. Learn how she turned her Chemistry degree into a passion.  We are also happy to announce that her website and skin care line launches this weekend! www.DearSundaySkin.com

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought it would be fun to host an episode where we talk about our fears.  But not only immediate fears. I challenges the coaches to come on air to talk about a time in their life when they have been most afraid. Coach Brandon, Steve and Rain were all about it. Tell us what you think about these stories. Can you relate? What are your phobias and fears and what is a life moment when you were most afraid? I would love to hear about it. 

Hannah Oakes is a board-certified music therapist working here in Birmingham at a local hospital.  Most people enjoy music & can get behind the idea of "music as therapy", but what does this look like as an evidence-based profession? How does someone become a music therapist? Hannah will take us through the history of music therapy, how she became a music therapist, & what it looks like specifically in a hospital/rehabilitation setting.

On this episode, Coach Rain and I dive into the differences of the three programs that you receive here at Wheelhouse. We share about how they differ and how they can benefit your growth and the overall direction of your journey.Listen in to learn more about our incredibly popular Conditioning Program, our Powerlifting Program that is a huge hit for strength development of all lifters (especially those new to fitness) and finally our Olympic Weightlifting Program that has produced medalists on the local, national and even international level of competition. Thank You for the Listen, Thank You for the Training and....Respect!

This episode is exactly what this podcast is about. Diving into the life of a guy that we have all trained alongside but never really know his story.  It was incredible to sit down for an hour, which flew by, with Chuy Mendez. We learned so much about how his childhood molded him to become the successful entrepreneur that he is today. From turning his life around spending months in jail to becoming the business owner, restauranteur that his is today.  Chuy also shares the mind shift that he made to really get the most out of his training and health. p.s.  If you haven't tried out his food at Unos Tacos, you are missing out. 

EA Montgomery and Michelle Sloan are two of many bad ass women in our community. I invited them in to this podcast to help me uncover the physical and emotional benefits of implementing fitness for the new mom or expecting mom's life while keeping both mom and baby safe. They have a wealth of knowledge to share and I can't wait for you to listen in to learn a little bit about them and their insight on this matter. Fellas, don't skip this one. Lots of good bits for you in there as well. I know it was enlightening for me!

Luan shares his story of being rescued at sea after fleeing tyranny in hopes of the American Dream. Listen in to this incredible story of escape, hope and starting new in the greatest country in the world.  

We kick back with one of our Ambassadors and 11:30am class regulars Wes Whitten as he dives in to some golden nuggets of information that he has attained and created in his 20+ years of experience in Sales and Marketing.  Wes is now the Sales Director at Neodent, part of Straumann Group which is #1 globally in dental implants. Listen in, to learn about Wes and especially to hear his wisdom on the-5 Questions You Should Ask Before Going In To Sales (Medical) -Do's and Dont's to Prepare For an Interview

What type of shoes should I get? Do I need a weight belt? What about knee sleeves and wrist wraps that other people are wearing? Do I need gloves?Coach Luan and Coach Rain dive into these topics (and a few more) and also share what they carry in their personal gym bag. 

If you are new to fitness but have some anxiety building up on whats expected of you from your friends, family and most importantly, yourself. This episode is for you. Or, perhaps you're not new to fitness but new to a gym community where they do different movements, use different equipment, and you don't have a clear picture of how to start. This episode is for you. Listen in as Coach Luan and Rain dive into a few concepts when it comes to being coachable,  having the right mindset on your new journey, being a 'white belt' all over again, and making adjustments along the way. We were all beginners once. Share this episode with someone who could benefit from it as they march on their fitness journey. 

Dietician Nutritionist, mom of two, content creator and podcaster. Brierley Horton shares so much about her journey in the dietetics industry focusing on food's effect on mental health. We share a whole lot of laughs and even have a Q and A section answering questions sent in by our listeners. You dont  want to miss this episode!

As a doctor of physical therapy with a passion for fitness, Aaron Sherrill has spent his career studying human movement and fine-tuning his craft with certifications through FMS, NSCA, Myopain and USAW. He recently founded MoveWell Mobile in response to frustrations in the field. MoveWell delivers a new alternative of care for people that don't have the time or patience to deal with the typical song and dance in healthcare. A Madison native who now calls Birmingham home, Aaron graduated from Birmingham Southern College and UABs PT program in 2016. He currently lives in Homewood with three house plants that he has kept alive for just over a year. 

Hailing from Texas, this 11:30am class regular member chats with us about his time in the NFL, his hunting and fishing based podcast (Buck Wild) and his time in Nascar.  Boone also has a passion for all things BBQ and we dive into a sneak peak of his passion project / business venture. 

Jim McFarland is as wholesome and real as they come. Lean in to this episode where we chat about his amazing 150 lb weight loss and his incredible passion project and company, Urban Purpose where they serve and love on "those who need loved on". 

Coach to the State Champion team in Lacrosse (Stars Lacrosse) and Owner of First Sight Paint and Construction, this young entrepreneur has an incredible story and future. Kee'vin's story about stepping out on his own, while in his twenties, is inspiring for anyone who is wanting to dip their toes in the world of entrepreneurship. @firstsightpainting@steelcitystarslax

Leadership expert and executive advisor Gayle Lantz is a powerhouse both in her workouts at Wheelhouse and in the leadership field helping CEOs revitalize their teams, shape corporate culture and inspire change in record time. She's the author of the award-winning book Take the Bull by the Horns and creator of The Leadership Journal and CEO on the Go Podcast. Listen in on Gayles story as she reveals how an idea and inspiration from a mentor lead her to gain 20 years of experience, pouring in to brands such as NASA and Southern Company.

One of our favorite community events is an internal competition we call Friday Night Lights.  Over 120 members of all experience levels formed 4 teams that went head to head each Friday for 4 weeks. As coaches and staff, we see the competition through a slightly different lens. At the end of the day, friendships are formed and new PRs are made!

Anyone who is in the food industry here in Birmingham, knows Robby Melvin. He has worked in many aspects of the industry for the past 30 years. Follow along as he shares the pivotal moments in his life that has allowed him to continue to fine tune his craft and love of food without getting bored in the same scenery and roles. If you have a passion for the food business, this is a must listen. 

Join some of the WH Barbell Team onsite from Masters Nationals in Orlando, Florida. Coach Luan and a few of the masters lifters; Daniel Cambron, Noah Oliphant and Jeven Sloan, recap their training during covid, the events leading up to the meet and the incredible mindset and strategy to win GOLD!

Sit back and listen to Luan, Hunter and Rain chat about Wheelhouse Academy's origins, vision, community aim and the differentiators that we uphold that has attracted Birminghamians who want more than just getting sweaty and sore. Wheelhouse is not simply a 'weight loss' gym. It's a place of growth, learning,  development and sharing. We meet people where they are in fitness and map out the best flight path for them.