Woodgym with Petrone

Summer break comes to an end with the Woodgym finally at a cool 86 degrees, so we had to return to podcasting. Couldn't have asked for a more special guest than an OG Woodgym-er from back in the Homberg days: Nick Evennou. Nick is a born racer and athlete who started training with Charlie at the age of 14. He's raced motorcycles and bikes all around the world, and shares some stories and insights. This one will need a part 2 . . .

Vinicious "Draculino" Magalhães graces the Woodgym with an extensive collection of insights gleaned throughout an unbelievable career in martial arts.  Learn how dispirate communities of Brazilian surfers and martial artists coalesced in a pivotal moment and changed Jiu Jitsu's evolution.  Finally, hear a definition of mental toughness from a modest but implacable athlete and competitor who has seen success both on the mat and as a trainer and mentor. 

Chaz, Choo, and the crew continue to explore the topic with Knoxville's resident biking bad*** Kaysee Armstrong.  Kaysee's story is awesome and left us all astounded and inspired. We explore the roles of heredity and childhood in mental toughness, and hear how she transformed adversity and trauma into fuel for her outdoor adventures and stellar performances on the trails.  Listen up and get learned! 

Charles and James get to chat once again with ten time World Champion Jiu Jitsu master Sam about mental toughness, whether it's something that can be developed. Finally, they talk about what it's like to train others across a spectrum of disciplines.

Charles and Dr. Choo get to work grilling two combat veterans about what led them to pursue military careers. Were they mentally tough when they enlisted? Did their time at Parris Island augment their temperament? Finally, what's it like experiencing combat and dealing with the memory when they're expected to plunge back into civilian life?  We get Zach and Derek to take a break from their jiu jitsu training and answer these questions and more in this special Mental Toughness episode. 

Charles and James are joined by golf pro Alex Fourie, a guest who literally traversed the world and overcame some of the bleakest conditions imaginable to end up in the US competing in a sport he loves. 

James and Charles blast into the second half of the series with an incomparable guest appearance by James Arthur Haslam II, the founder of Pilot Corporation and much more.  

Charles and Dr. James Choo pause three episodes in to reflect on what we've learned about the mind, perseverance, and success. Is the Woodgym any closer to defining what mental toughness is?

James and Charles welcome Justin Sims, an original Petrone guy, to the show to continue the round table discussion on mental fitness. Can "manufactured" adversity shape someone's mental toughness? What role do positivity and perspective play? 

Woodgym favorite Freddie Smith helps expand the dialog on mental toughness. What roles do preparation and determination play in overall fitness? 

Chaz, Choo, and the crew are joined by the parent whose question sparked the series. We can describe or picture mental toughness, but can we agree on a definition? Listen as the guys and Joe talk it out!

New deep dive series from the Woodgym. What do the words "mental toughness" mean to you? We ask Woodgym veterans what they think. Series premiere coming soon!

Charles is joined by world champion boxer turned coach Frank Eppolito, owner of Eppolito Boxing Gym in Knoxville. Choo, Chaz, and Frank talk about training, their influence on the youth they work with, and what sports can reveal about character. 

Jets WR Josh Malone takes a short break from training to talk to Chaz with alacrity about working with multiple trainers in different states. He's staying sharp and prepping for yet another NFL season! 

Charles sits down for an impromptu talk with Samuel Braga, an athlete that forged his own path to becoming a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and TEN times world champion.

Pier-Olivier Lestage sits down in the Woodgym office to review his 2 week training with Charles.

What if you're not one of the Woodgym's "Type A" personalities? Charlie and Choo are joined by "Diamond Dave" one year after the Lost Generation series to revisit the pursuit of fitness by the average American.

The doctors return as Charlie and Holly have an early morning chat with Dr. Steve Smith and Dr. James Choo

Charlie, Dr. Choo, and Ashlyn talk about the phenomenon of overtraining. What are the signs, who is vulnerable, and what are the solutions?

Charlie, Holly, and Choo. Chaz gets the old band back together as the weirdest summer break ever comes to a close.

4 of the great Woodgym minds gather in the office once again to zoom out and share a macro-view of the pandemic and protesting. Who is behind it all? What is the endgame?

Holly hops on the mic for the first time EVER to talk about toughness with Charles and Dr. Choo.

Chaz gives Dr. Choo the lead (and even the intro) on this follow up episode with Dr. Steve.

Dr. Steve’s final special episode closes with ethos and food for thought.

School of Dr. Steve is back in session as the trio continues their discussion of the pandemic and public health.

Charlie and Choo head to school as Dr. Steve Smith, father of our favorite Viking, unleashes a volley of thoughts on the pandemic and public health.

The world might seem as though it’s on hold, but here at the Woodgym we are dedicated to improving and podcasting. Petrone and Choo back again to collect their thoughts amidst the chaos.

Better late than never! Choo and Charlie got together in the early moments of this pandemic and talked STRESS. They reflect on Charlie’s 2020 NFL Combine training, and ponder effective stress management tactics.

Getting this guy on the show says a lot. Charlie’s guy Tee Higgins opens up about his childhood, and talks about living and training with Petrone. Now he looks forward to going pro in the NFL draft. He's a talented young man and a cool cat. 

On this episode Charlie gets to sit down with one special dude. He's a Patriot, a Cardinal, a Woodgym guy. It’s been years since Aaron has been back to the Woodgym after training with Petrone for the NFL combine. Now that he’s back, you get to listen to an NFL wide receiver on his personal and professional journey and one of the few dudes to live on the Hill with Petrone. 

Don't miss your appointment with the Doctor! Dr. Choo is back with Charlie in 2020 dropping a new episode once a month that delves deeply into health and wellness topics not usually emphasized in the high performance training community. This week he and Charlie talk about SLEEPING. Think grinding means less sleep? Wear your long waking hours like a badge of honor? ARE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN SLEEPY DR. CHOO? Tune in and find out.

This episode Charlie gets to sit down with his favorite French Canadian sports agent, Sasha Ghavami. He flew into Knoxville for a few days to check up on his guys and catch up with Petrone. Let him take you through his days and how he started representing NFL and CFL athletes.

Woodgym with Petrone kicks off 2020 with a new podcast season. Charles opens with his pro soccer dude, Tyler Gibson. Listen as he takes us through the life of a professional baller…

The final episode of the lost generation part 6 comes to an end discussing various topics on health and wellness. Dr James Choo and I cover the art of negotiating nights out, and try debunking truths and myths of weight gain and weight loss. Plus we do a call out to our peeps about staying on the path...

This time Charlie gets reminded how much he forgets about training. This guy is not normal - he’s Mike McKenry. A former big leaguer tells stories of some of his epic Petrone training sessions and so much more. He is the definition of “grinder.”

Part 5 of this special series finds us all preparing for the holidays. How do we fight through what seems like a lack of progess? How do we plan ahead so that we can enjoy the season with family while sticking to our goals? Find out in Part 5 with Dr. James Choo and Petrone.

“Take a listen (or view) to this very, very special guest. He’s like a son to me — Bryan White discusses the word “pivotal” and how he uses it in his life from football with the NY Jets to Nascar. Now, the business mogul shares his story in the Woodgym.” ~Charlie

Part 4 of Charlie's series with Dr. James Choo is about influence. What influence have the first three episodes had on the guys in the gym? Choo and Petrone dive into the differences between average fitness and Instagram fitness.

We finally got our guy back into the Woodgym for the offseason, and it’s a huge offseason for Nicky “The Kid” Delmonico. Listen to the Major Leaguer as he shares his journey with Petrone…it’s real talk.

This is the guy that got Charlie into podcasting in the first place! Jesse Smithey tells us how he grew to love athletics and reporting on sports. Now he’s covering sports like never before with Five Star Preps!

On this episode of Woodgym with Petrone, Charlie has a special guest. His good friend and and one of the strength coaches for the Cleveland Browns, Evan “Big Man” Marcus. Discover the 3 great things he and Charles have in common, and much more.

Part 3 of Charlie's series with Dr. James Choo delves even deeper into their health and wellness analysis, and answers the question, "What does it mean to 'do more'?"

Graeme Keys, PT, has worked with Petrone and his athletes for over 20 years. Now he joins the podcast to discuss the intersection of his therapy with Petrone’s training, and how both fields have changed their views on healthy movement since their journey began.

He goes by “Big Jim Haslam,” but to Charlie he’s known as “POPS.” Charles has trained him and his family for over 20 years now. Listen to his stories from the oil biz, his amazing health and wellness lifestyle, and some personal fun Charles and Jim have had together.

Part two of the 6 part health and wellness series with Dr. James Choo.

“Talk about discipline - this woman lives, breathes, and sleeps it. Katya made time in her busy fitness schedule to sit down with me (between meals) to talk about her journey of fitness and health and how competing in fitness competitions keeps her focused on the ultimate prize: health. Enjoy her accent!” ~Charlie

Charles sits down with Dr. James Choo to introduce a new 6-part series discussing a health and wellness lifestyle. "This is something we have noticed in both our practices almost nonexistent to the normal non pro athlete... the 40 50 60 70 80 year old American needs to be saved. Dr. Choo and I are on a mission. Get ready to listen to real hardcore truth!!! Hope you can handle it." - Petrone

“This weeks show is with my dude, fellow Italian Tony Vitello, talking about passion. This kid has it. He’s the University of Tennessee head baseball coach and frequently visits the Woodgym to twist steel and get his dose of PetrONE. After his training session he sat down with me to talk baseball, life, and his own personal journey. Give it a listen!!!” - Charles

This week’s guest is a special young man. From high school to starting college safety at Tulane University, Chase came in to train this winter, and we had to lock him down for a Woodgym podcast. One of the hardest working kids in the Wood…

Not too many people know this about Charles, but tennis is one of his favorite sports. “This week in the Woodgym, I got to talk shop with tennis coach, a former client of mine, and like a son to me: Chase Thomas. He absolutely loves the game and it’s apparent that he’s on the rise to be one of the best coaches out there. Sit back and listen to another type A dude from the Woodgym…” - Petrone

This week’s guest is truly an amazing guy. Charlie finally got this vagabond to take a few minutes to share his story on how he found the infamous Woodgym and his journey to professional men’s volleyball. If Charlie says a cat is special — he means it!