Podcast appearances and mentions of arnold classic

The Arnold Classic was last weekend, which is one of the most prestigious stages in strength sports each year. How did it go? Join Coach Justin, Coach Amanda, and Coach Emily as they recap the 2026 Arnold Sports Expo, covering bodybuilding, strongman, and the overall event atmosphere. They analyze competitors, event choices, and the evolving landscape of strength sports, offering insights for enthusiasts and athletes alike. How is the landscape looking? How long can Mitch Hooper Continue? What do we see for the future? Give it a listen here or wherever you get your podcasts! Just look up Bacon, Bibles, and Barbells! Enjoy the episode!

Oscar Aydin and Doug Uram join Zac Amico and discuss Nick Walker posing at the Arnold Classic, the 9 year old girl dead lifting 180 lbs, Mark Henry lifting the Thomas Inch dumbbell, the Hasidic guy who ran out of gas, haggling prices, buying diamonds, the Wendy's president jumping in on the burger challenge and so much more! Air Date: 03/09/26Support our sponsors!SmallBatchCigar.com - Use promo code: GAS10 for 10% off plus 5% bonus points!YoKratom.com - Check out Yo Kratom (the home of the $60 kilo) for all your kratom needs!BodyBrainCoffee.com - Use promo code: ZOO15 to get 15% off!Zac Amico's Morning Zoo plug music can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMgQJEcVToY&list=PLzjkiYUjXuevVG0fTOX4GCTzbU0ooHQ-O&ab_channel=BulbyTo advertise your product or service on GaS Digital podcasts please go to TheADSide.com and click on "Advertisers" for more information!Submit your artwork via postal mail to:GaS Digital Networkc/o Zac's Morning Zoo151 1st Ave, #311New York, NY 10003You can sign up at GaSDigital.com with promo code: ZOO for a discount of $1.50 on your subscription and access to every Zac Amico's Morning Zoo show ever recorded! On top of that you'll also have the same access to ALL the shows that GaS Digital Network has to offer!Follow the whole show on social media!Oscar AydinTwitter: https://twitter.com/OscarHasGayDHDInstagram: https://instagram.com/ItsOscarAydinDoug UramTwitter: ⁠https://x.com/douguram⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thedouguram/Zac AmicoTwitter: https://twitter.com/ZASpookShowInstagram: https://instagram.com/zacisnotfunnyDates: https://punchup.live/ZacAmicoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Longevity has been on my mind a lot lately.This past weekend was the Arnold Classic. You look at those guys on the IFBB stage — absolutely massive human beings — and there's no denying the level of discipline and work that goes into that. But it also highlights something important: enhanced bodybuilding and natural bodybuilding are essentially two completely different sports.When people say “the highest level,” they're usually referring to the Mr. Olympia or Arnold stage. And sure, if you're competing in enhanced bodybuilding, that's the top of the mountain. But I'm not playing that sport. I'm competing in natural bodybuilding, and the highest level there is winning Worlds. Two totally different arenas, two totally different priorities.And when you start looking at it through the lens of longevity, things get even clearer.I had a client compete at the Arnold this weekend — Janis — who is 70 years old. Natural athlete. Keto. She went out there and broke world records in the squat, bench, deadlift, and total. At seventy years old.That, to me, is winning on a whole different level.Most people at 70 can barely carry groceries. They're using walkers and canes. Meanwhile she's pulling over 300 pounds off the floor and planning to keep doing it for as long as she possibly can. That's the kind of outcome I want to stack the chips in favor of.Because the question isn't just how high you can climb for a brief moment.The real question is how long you can perform at a high level.Natural bodybuilding, done properly, gives you that runway. When you prioritize nutrition, progressive overload, recovery, and discipline, you're building a system that supports your body for decades. You can keep improving year after year. You don't have to peak in your 20s and then watch everything fall apart.I plan on competing for a long time. I've got my sights set on winning Worlds in 2027, but whether that happens or not, the cool thing about natural bodybuilding is that you can keep showing up. You can keep getting better. You can keep pushing the needle forward.That's the long game.We also talked about some of the biggest mistakes people make with fat loss. The internet loves to throw around the advice “eat less, move more.” And technically, sure — that's not wrong. But practically speaking, it often misses the bigger picture.A lot of people who hit plateaus aren't eating too much. They're actually chronically under-eating. They're running on fumes, walking 30,000 steps a day, barely consuming a thousand calories, and wondering why their body refuses to drop more weight.At that point the metabolism is suppressed. Hormones are downregulated. Recovery is shot.That's why I'm such a big believer in structured building and cutting phases. When you spend time in a surplus and allow your metabolism to ramp up, you create more runway for fat loss later. When you finally drop calories, your body actually responds.You can't stay in a deficit forever.You have to play the long game — just like everything else.The Tribe is gearing up for a three-day fast, and we've got a bunch of conferences and travel coming up this year. Meatstock, Low Carb for Better Health, Hack Your Health — lots of opportunities to connect with the community and keep spreading the message.At the end of the day, everything comes back to the same principle.What can you do today to stack the chips in your favor so that you can operate at a high level for the longest possible time?That's the game I'm playing.And honestly, I think it's the only game worth playing.Greg Mahler is also a lifetime natural bodybuilder, and can be followed on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ketogreg80/Register For My FREE Masterclass: https://www.ketobodybuilding.com/registration-2Get Keto Brick: https://www.ketobrick.com/Subscribe to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/42cjJssghqD01bdWBxRYEg?si=1XYKmPXmR4eKw2O9gGCEuQ

From the MUTANT® booth, Sergio Oliva Jr., Ron Partlow and Dusty Hanshaw share stories and memories from the Arnold Classic and talk about what the Arnold Expo experience is really like. From meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger to unforgettable expo moments, the guys explain why every bodybuilding fan should attend at least once. 0:00 Inside the Mutant Booth at the Arnold Classic Expo 2:30 Sergio Oliva Jr's First Arnold Classic Expo Experience 5:25 Ron Partlow Predicts the Future of Bodybuilding 6:45 How Andrew Jacked Would Look in Other Bodybuilding Eras 8:00 Is Bodybuilding Better Today Than the Golden Era? 11:00 Favorite Arnold Classic Memories and Stories 25:50 Bodybuilders Still Struggle With Insecurity 29:00 Advice for First-Time Arnold Classic Expo Visitors

Join John Livia and Lee Priest as they discuss the latest in the Martin Fitzwater drama, the Young LA Experience at the Arnold Classic, and all things in professional bodybuilding.#bodybuilding #leepriest #youngla #martinfitzwater Support the show

Send a textBeantown Joins The Morning Fun!Brought to you by our friends at BLACKOUT COFFEE!! (Promo code KINGHAP saves 20%) https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/?p=Hy85hLyRLHigh energy morning show live from The Fantasy Sports Network! Lots to talk about today with NFL, UFC , NBA and WBC all on the table and Beantown even touches a bit of NASCAR! As always great chats with all the VIPS!!!Enjoy a Listen & a Coffee with a couple hundred friends talking sports to start you day off right!!!This episode was recorded live on the network infront of Happy Hour V.I.P.sIf you want to be part of the live tapingsfollow us on Twitchhttps://m.twitch.tv/thehappyhourscorwww.TheHappyHourSocialClub.comAS ALWAYSThe Happy Hour is brought to you by the official Top Shelf Alcohol of the Happy Hour!CLEARWATER DISTILLERY https://shop.clearwaterdistilling.com/PROMO CODE KINGHAPSAVES 10% and free shipping over $100OLD SCHOOL LABSAmazing Supplements made for Amazing people!TRY OATMEAL CREAM PIE PROTEIN! Save 15% site wide with promo code Kinghaphttps://shop.oldschoollabs.com/KINGHAP

Send a textIn this episode, Josh and Lara discussed recent powerlifting competitions, including the Arnold event where multiple lifters earned pro cards in various divisions. They highlighted impressive performances by several athletes, including Alicia Webb who placed second overall in the Masters Raw Challenge and Margaret Necaise who won the Women's division with an astonishing 570 dots score. Josh provided detailed advice about the qualification process for earning a pro card, explaining that lifters should aim to compete in Raw Nationals, regionals, and the Battle of the Regions to maximize their chances of success. The episode concluded with Josh sharing an advanced coaching tip about a rule regarding tied totals in competitions, emphasizing the importance of understanding all rules to avoid unintended consequences.Team Rohr Powerlifting100% Individualized Programming, Meet Day Preparation and Live Virtual CoachingJoin the Team Rohr Training App!Proven Powerlifting Programming Use code PLBALLADSPODCAST for 25% OFF of your 1st month!Executive Arbor Tree CareTop Rated Tree Service Serving Johns Creek & Surrounding AreasDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Follow/Direct Message us @PLBalladsPodcast on Instagram & Facebook Email us at PLBalladsPodcast@gmail.com More Information about the Podcast: https://solo.to/plballadspodcast The Powerlifting & Power Ballads Podcast is co-hosted by Josh Rohr and Lara Sturm and sponsored by Team Rohr Powerlifting - for all of your powerlifting coaching and meet day handling needs. The podcast covers Georgia Powerlifting information as well as National Powerlifting news. One of our more popular segments is music, specifically 80's music and Power Ballads.

Episode 196, Jay Cutler, Manager Matt, Milos Sarcev break down the 2026 Arnold Classic!!! Congrats to Andrew Jacked for his victory! TRT Kingdom - https://trtkingdom.com/?ref=cutlercast Cutler Nutrition - http://jaycutler.com/cutlercast  

It's Just Bodybuilding Arnold Classic Wrap Up 2026 by Think BIG Bodybuilding Media

The 2026 Arnold Classic is in the books! Join John Livia for a recap of the event, including the controversial decision of 1st place to Andrew Jacked. Also, hear thoughts on the retirement of Hadi Choopan and more!#arnoldclassic #ifbb #bodybuilding Support the show

Let me know if you like this type of "solo podcast" and what you'd like to hear next! I'm happy to make anything you guys would like - update on my training and goals since hanging up the towel on competing, recap of my last prep and show season, my current diet, full day of eating, post-bodybuilding drug stuck, peptides - anything! Thank you!    https://www.instagram.com/scott_mys/   Use code "ScottM" at www.BiolongevityLabs.com to save on all Peptides for fat loss, tissue healing, and much more! Get the best prices on quality, lab-tested peptides and help support the show.   This podcast is brought to you by LMNT Electrolytes! It's great for a hot summer day, a workout, or just working at your desk with cold water. Check it out and get your free sample pack along with any regular purchase when you use my custom link, www.drinklmnt.com/ScottMys. The LMNT Sample Pack includes one packet of their most popular flavors. This is the perfect offer for 1) anyone who is interested in trying all of our flavors or 2) anyone who wants to introduce a friend to LMNT. Go to www.drinklmnt.com/ScottMys to claim this awesome deal!   Interested in working with me 1-1? DM me on Instagram and I can answer any questions. If you like, we can even set up a FREE consult call to go over your goals, answer questions, and discuss what it could look like to work together!   Disclaimer: The views presented on this show are not to be taken as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before adopting a new diet or nutrition regime.

John Livia is joined by Lee Priest reporting from the Arnold Classic.Check out Pros Gym and Fitness Club in Columbus, Ohio:https://prosgymcolumbus.com#bodybuilding #ifbb #arnoldclassic #fitnessSupport the show

today we're sharing our predictions for the 2026 Arnold Classic | Wellness International Competitors! let us know yours! KNOW YOUR POWER RETREAT TICKETS NOW ON SALE! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••1:1 COACHING WITH KNOW YOUR POWER

The Arnold Classic is next week but Will Hadi Choopan be ready? #johnlivia #leepriest #seriousandsillinessbodybuilding #hadichoopanSupport the show

Podcast - @ironageradioTyler - @chudlife @ironagestrength @ironagepowerliftingJian - @jmarie.13Schram Cattle Co - @schramcattlecoMikal - @mikal.thronesIntro Song:CHAINED TO LIFE - HUMAN TARGETOutro Song:BRICK - HUMAN TARGET@humantargethc ⁠#Podcast⁠ ⁠#Fitness⁠ ⁠#Strongman⁠ ⁠#Powerlifing⁠ ⁠#Manitoba⁠ ⁠#Sports⁠ ⁠#Strength⁠ ⁠#Advice⁠ ⁠#ManitobaStrongestMan⁠ ⁠#BenchPress⁠ ⁠#Deadlift⁠ ⁠#Football⁠ ⁠#Program⁠ ⁠#Workout⁠ ⁠#WorkingOut⁠ ⁠#StrongmanCorp⁠ ⁠#StrongmanManitoba⁠ ⁠#CanadasStrongestMan⁠ ⁠#StrongestWomanInCanada⁠ ⁠#SWIC⁠⁠#OverHeadPress⁠ ⁠#Nationals⁠ ⁠#AmericasStrongestMan⁠ ⁠#AmericasStrongestWomen⁠ ⁠#OSG⁠ ⁠#OfficialStrongmanGames⁠ ⁠#ProAm

In Episode 196, Jay Cutler, Manager Matt, Milos Sarcev and Neil Hill break down the mens divisions at the 2026 Arnold Classic!!! TRT Kingdom - https://trtkingdom.com/free-consult/? ref=cutlercast Cutler Nutrition - http://jaycutler.com/cutlercast  

Dave Palumbo and Chris Aceto preview the 2026 Arnold Classic on the Arnold Week episode of Heavy Muscle Radio.

In deze aflevering van de Sportpoeder Podcast schuift Wesley Vissers aan. Terwijl hij zich voorbereidt op de Arnold Classic 2026, deelt hij precies hoe hij zijn dieet inricht tijdens prep — en waarom voeding dé doorslaggevende factor is voor progressie.We hebben het over:Waarom koolhydraten cruciaal zijn voor herstelCarb timing (pre-workout, post-workout en voor het slapen)Waarom alleen eiwit niet genoeg is in een calorietekortZijn “Victory Breakfast” en slimme volume-hacksCeylon kaneel vs. cassiaZout, kalium en performanceZijn top 3 eiwitbronnen (incl. whey drip)Deze aflevering is voor iedereen die serieus sterker, droger of gespierder wil worden — en klaar is met gokken in de keuken.Want als je jaar na jaar hetzelfde eruitziet in de sportschool, ligt het vaak niet aan je training… maar aan je voeding.

Hadi Choopan has officially landed in the United States! In this episode of Heavy Muscle Radio, Dave Palumbo and Chris Aceto break down the massive news that the "Persian Wolf" has secured his visa and is already training on U.S. soil just two weeks out from the 2026 Arnold Classic. The duo dives deep into the high-stakes battle for the $750,000 top prize, analyzing the fierce competition between Choopan and the towering Andrew Jacked. In this episode: Hadi's Arrival & Security: The logistics of Hadi's visa and the buzz surrounding his training at an undisclosed U.S. location [01:06]. The Arnold Classic Preview: Detailed analysis of the top contenders, including Samson Dauda, Nick Walker, and James Hollingshead [19:11]. Derek Lunsford Update: Dave shares insights from his recent interview with the reigning Mr. Olympia, discussing Derek's mental state, his new gym in Tampa, and his strategy for the 2024 season [29:57]. Bodybuilding "Meccas": Is Tampa, Florida, officially taking over as the new global hub for pro bodybuilding? [24:24]. Olympia History: A nostalgic look back at the most exciting Mr. Olympia contests of all time, from Ronnie Coleman's 1998 upset to the Kai Greene vs. Phil Heath rivalry [07:32]. Watch the full episode for expert analysis on the upcoming Arnold Classic and the latest "Truth in Bodybuilding." Follow RxMuscle: Instagram: @RXMuscle Website: RXMuscle.com

Podcast - @ironageradioTyler - @chudlife @ironagestrength @ironagepowerliftingJian - @jmarie.13Schram Cattle Co - @schramcattlecoMikal - @mikal.thronesIntro Song:CHAINED TO LIFE - HUMAN TARGETOutro Song:BRICK - HUMAN TARGET@humantargethc ⁠#Podcast⁠ ⁠#Fitness⁠ ⁠#Strongman⁠ ⁠#Powerlifing⁠ ⁠#Manitoba⁠ ⁠#Sports⁠ ⁠#Strength⁠ ⁠#Advice⁠ ⁠#ManitobaStrongestMan⁠ ⁠#BenchPress⁠ ⁠#Deadlift⁠ ⁠#Football⁠ ⁠#Program⁠ ⁠#Workout⁠ ⁠#WorkingOut⁠ ⁠#StrongmanCorp⁠ ⁠#StrongmanManitoba⁠ ⁠#CanadasStrongestMan⁠ ⁠#StrongestWomanInCanada⁠ ⁠#SWIC⁠⁠#OverHeadPress⁠ ⁠#Nationals⁠ ⁠#AmericasStrongestMan⁠ ⁠#AmericasStrongestWomen⁠ ⁠#OSG⁠ ⁠#OfficialStrongmanGames⁠ ⁠#ProAm

In deze aflevering van de Sportpoeder Podcast schuift Wesley Vissers aan om te praten over zijn weg naar de Arnold Classic 2026.Waarom sloeg hij de Olympia over?Wat heeft hij écht verbeterd in zijn bouwfase?En waarom voelt deze prep mentaal totaal anders dan voorgaande jaren?We hebben het over zijn nieuwe mindset, het loslaten van druk, de weight cap en lengtemeting, concurrentie zoals Mike Sommerfeld, zijn fysieke verbeteringen (met focus op benen en balans) én het grootste risico deze prep: herstel en immuunsysteem.Voor Wesley draait het deze keer niet alleen om plaatsing — maar om één ding: zijn allerbeste versie ooit op het podium brengen.Een open en eerlijke prep-update richting de Arnold Classic.

Dave Palumbo & Chris Aceto are back for an all-new Heavy Muscle Radio, previewing the 2026 Arnold Classic. Will this show come down to between Andrew Jacked and world #2 Hadi Choopan, or, could this be the show that Martin Fitzwater sends major shockwaves through the top order of the bodybuilding pyramid? Can Nick Walker reclaim glory on the Arnold stage, a place where he hoisted the title in 2021? Plus - a defense of Martin Fitzwater in his recent spat with media outlets. It's Heavy Muscle Radio, on RXMuscle. SHOP SPECIES NUTRITION: https://speciesnutrition.com/

GET 10% OFF TRANSPARENT LABS - USE CODE GENIRON10: https://transparentlabs.sjv.io/7mvQQQGET 35% OFF MOMENTOUS - USE CODE GENERATIONIRON: https://www.livemomentous.com/ Watch the video podcast of this episode here: https://generationiron.com/victor-martinez-kali-muscle-message-heart-attack/Visit the Generation Iron official website for exclusive video content, feature films, and more: https://generationiron.com/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generationiron/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenerationIron/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GenerationIron

Dave Palumbo, Chris Aceto, and John Hansen are back for an all-new episode of Heavy Muscle Radio, bodybuilding's longest running weekly podcast. SHOP SPECIES NUTRITION: https://speciesnutrition.com/

As the Arnold Classic approaches, John and Lee are back for an all new episode of Muscle Talk discussing the competitors including Andrew Jacked and Hadi Choopan. Plus, they look at progress pics and videos from Samson Dauda and much more!#Bodybuilding #ArnoldClassic #IFBBPro #BodybuildingPodcast #AndrewJacked #HadiChoopan #SamsonDauda #MrOlympia #BodybuildingNewsSupport the show

Join the guys as they discuss Andrew Jacked, The Arnold Classic, and all the latest in Professional Bodybuilding.#bodybuilding #fitness #arnoldclassic #andrewjackedSupport the show

In this episode, we dive deep into Rafael Brandao's rise in professional bodybuilding, analyzing his physique, conditioning, stage presence, and how he stacks up against today's elite competitors. Could Brandao shock the world on the Arnold Classic stage? We discuss his potential, momentum, and what makes him a serious threat in 2026.We also take a step back to debate the greatest professional bodybuilders of all time, comparing legends of the sport to the current generation. From classic icons to modern mass monsters, we break down what truly defines bodybuilding greatness.Plus, we cover the latest professional bodybuilding news and major storylines shaping the competitive season.A special thank you to Anthem!Check out their products today at:https://theanthemnation.comPromo Code: PRIEST #Bodybuilding #RafaelBrandao #ArnoldClassic #MuscleTalk #IFBBPro #ProBodybuilding #BodybuildingPodcast #ClassicPhysique #OpenBodybuilding #FitnessPodcastSupport the show

Dave Palumbo is joined by John Romano on an all-new episode of Heavy Muscle Radio, bodybuilding's longest running weekly bodybuilding podcast. On today's episode - Dave and John offer their advice to Nick Walker for the upcoming Arnold Classic, what can "The Mutant" do to WIN the Arnold - after a disappointing Olympia appearance? Plus - a HUGE controversy surrounding alleged PMMA usage among some of the top bodybuilders in the world. It's Heavy Muscle Radio, on RXMuscle. SHOP SPECIES NUTRITION: https://speciesnutrition.com/

Send us a textIn this Episode, Josh and Lara discussed upcoming powerlifting events, including the Arnold Classic and various competitions in Georgia, while analyzing participation numbers and challenges facing equipped divisions. They explored ethical considerations around lift protests and referee decisions, with Josh sharing experiences about addressing unfair calls and maintaining competition integrity. The conversation concluded with a discussion about Josh's mixtape from high school, including song selections and future plans for additional CDs.Support the show Follow/Direct Message us @PLBalladsPodcast on Instagram & Facebook Email us at PLBalladsPodcast@gmail.com More Information about the Podcast: https://solo.to/plballadspodcast Get the Team Rohr Training App! (Use discount code "PLBALLADSPODCAST") for the best in Powerlifting Programming The Powerlifting & Power Ballads Podcast is co-hosted by Josh Rohr and Lara Sturm and sponsored by Team Rohr Powerlifting - for all of your powerlifting coaching and meet day handling needs. The podcast covers Georgia Powerlifting information as well as National Powerlifting news. One of our more popular segments is music, specifically 80's music and Power Ballads.

From aircraft maintenance officer to professional fitness champion to executive coach, Tanji Johnson Bridgeman '97 has exhibited leadership on many stages. SUMMARY In the premiere episode of Focus on Leadership, she joins host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 to share how resilience, self-care and feedback transform challenges into growth — and why caring for yourself is key to leading with presence and impact.   SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    TANJI'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Lead with a Whole-Person Approach: Effective leadership requires nurturing mind, body, and spirit, not just focusing on one aspect. Reframe Failure as Feedback: View setbacks as events and learning opportunities, rather than personal flaws or endpoints. Consistency Over Perfection: Strive for regular, sustainable effort and give yourself grace rather than aiming for flawless execution. Self-Reflection Builds Authenticity: Regular reflection (e.g., journaling, meditation) helps clarify values and stay true to yourself as a leader. Executive Presence Matters: Project confidence through body language, eye contact, and purposeful communication to influence and inspire others. Take Inventory and Set Self-Care Rituals: Assess mental, physical, and emotional health, then develop small, habitual self-care practices to maintain energy and focus. Recognize and Address Burnout: Leaders must be attentive to signs of burnout in themselves and others, emphasizing rest, breaks, and boundaries. Normalize and Model Wellness in Leadership: Leaders should model healthy habits and make personal wellness a visible priority to support team well-being. Focus on Connection and Service: Shift focus away from self-doubt by being intentional about serving, connecting, and empowering others. Adapt and Accept Change: Growth requires adapting to new realities, accepting changes (including those related to age or circumstances), and updating strategies accordingly.   CHAPTERS 0:00:06 - Introduction to the podcast and guest Tanji Johnson Bridgeman. 0:01:07 - Tanji shares her journey from the Air Force Academy to wellness and leadership. 0:04:13 - Discussing wellness strategies and advice for cadets and young leaders. 0:12:10 - Recognizing burnout, setting boundaries, and maintaining consistency in habits. 0:17:39 - Reframing failure as feedback with examples from Tanji's career. 0:27:58 - Exploring the concept of executive presence and practical ways to develop it. 0:38:07 - The value of authenticity and self-reflection in leadership. 0:44:21 - Creating sustainable self-care rituals and adopting healthy habits. 1:00:54 - Emphasizing wellness in leadership and the importance of leading by example. 1:02:18 - Final reflections and a summary of key takeaways from the episode.   ABOUT TANJI BIO Tanji Johnson Bridgeman graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1997, where she distinguished herself by navigating the rigors of cadet life with both determination and initiative. As one of the first women to serve as Group Superintendent during Basic Cadet Training for the Class of 1999, she honed her leadership and public-speaking skills by addressing hundreds of incoming cadets nightly. Following her commissioning, she served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force — initially in the Academy's admissions office as a minority enrollment officer, then as an aircraft maintenance officer at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where she led over 200 personnel across six specialties supporting KC-135 air-refueling operations. After four years of service, Tanji pivoted to a second career in fitness and wellness, becoming an 11-time professional champion in the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) and competing for 18 years in 54 pro contests. She later leveraged her competitive success and military-honed leadership into executive-presence and lifestyle-coaching, founding the “Empower Your Inner Champion” brand and offering keynote speaking, coaching, and wellness solutions.    CONNECT WITH TANJI LinkedIn Instagram: @OriginalTanjiJohnson   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT Guest, Tanji Johnson Bridgeman '97 | Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 If you love the Long Blue Leadership podcast, you'll want to discover Focus on Leadership, a Long Blue Leadership production of the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation. Here on Focus on Leadership, we move beyond the “why” and dive into the “how,” exploring the habits, mindsets and lessons that turn good leaders into great ones. In each episode, host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99, sits down with accomplished Air Force Academy graduates and other influential leaders to uncover their stories, their insights and real-world actions that drive excellence. Focus on Leadership: Offering impactful and actionable lessons for today's exceptional leaders. Without further ado, sit back and enjoy this premiere episode of Focus on Leadership. Naviere Walkewicz 0:58 Welcome to Focus on Leadership, where we take a close look at the practices that make strong leaders even stronger. I'm your host, Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Today we're joined by Tanji Johnson Bridgeman, Class of '97, an Air Force Academy graduate whose journey has taken her from aircraft maintenance officer to professional fitness champion, American Gladiator known as “Stealth,” entrepreneur and executive coach. Tanji is here to teach us about leadership through the lens of health and wellness, how caring for yourself physically and mentally fuels your ability to establish presence and lead others with confidence. Tanji, welcome to Focus on Leadership. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:36 Thank you, Naviere. It is so good to be here. Naviere Walkewicz 1:40 Such an honor to see you. I mean, as a ‘99 graduate to have a ‘97 trainer here in the presence, I'm already feeling wonderful. And you know, it's been about 10 years since you've been at your academy. How are you feeling? You came back last evening. What are your thoughts? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 1:54 Wow, I was here nine years ago for my 20th reunion. I just feel so much gratitude. I mean, it's so surreal. Even last night, we went to work out. And you know, you're driving up the hill towards Vandenberg, and all these memories are coming back to me from the good times. But the biggest thing I'm feeling is pride, you know, pride and gratitude. Because, you know, we don't always reflect, but just being here, it forces you to reflect, like, this is where it all started. I mean, it really started with my upbringing, but the Air Force Academy, my experience here, laid the foundation for who I became, and I'm so grateful for that. Naviere Walkewicz 2:29 Well, let's go back to the fact that right off the bat, you got off the plane, you met me and we went to work out. So wellness, no joke, is right at the top of your foundation. So how did you get into this space? Let's kind of introduce that to our listeners, because I think it's important for them to really understand the depth of what wellness means. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 2:46 Well, the funny thing about it is I never would have imagined that I would be doing what I'm doing today, because I was a die-hard — I thought I'm going in the military, and I'm staying in for 20 years. So when I was here, you know, I was on the cadet Honor Guard and I cheered, and that's when I fell in love with lifting weights. So I got into competing, even as a lieutenant, and I just I fell in love, and I turned professional. And so there was these transitions where I had an opportunity to be a professional athlete, and I took it, right? And so I became a professional bodybuilder, fitness champion. And then next thing you know, I'm on NBC's American Gladiators. That was wild. And so I did that for a while, and then I became a trainer and a coach and a promoter and a judge, and did all the things bodybuilding. And then I retired in 2016, and that's around the time I met my husband, and so really that's when my real wellness journey began. Because prior to that, it was heavily around physical fitness, but wellness for me began when I transitioned and retired from competing. And really, I had to figure out what is my fitness life going to look like, because it's not going to be working out three times a day on a calorie-deficient diet. Naviere Walkewicz 3:57 Three times a day… Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 3:58 Right, none of that. I was like, I'm done. I'm done. But I really had to design the rest of my life and really figure out what that was going to look like. So I got into functional medicine, health coaching. I married a chiropractor, so we believe in holistic medicine, and that's where it started. Naviere Walkewicz 4:13 Excellent. And so this is not a traditional career path. So let's kind of go back to the cadet mindset. For example: How would you — knowing what you know now — maybe talk to yourself as a cadet, or actually, cadets that might be listening, of what they should be thinking about in this priority space of wellness, in leadership? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 4:30 Absolutely, I think that's a great question. The disadvantage for young leaders, whether they're cadets or lieutenants, is that they don't have the luxury of having a lot of life experience. And so building a foundation is important, and it takes mindfulness and just, “What should we be aware of?” So what I would want to impart on them is to adopt the philosophy of looking at wellness from a whole-person approach, because high performance is going to demand it. And so when I say whole person, wellness is multi-dimensional. So we want to look at the mindset, we want to look at the body and we want to look at the spirit, and being able to start from a place where you're going to go into all of those. Naviere Walkewicz 5:13 Well, as a cadet, there are so many hats they have to wear. No pun intended. They have to be on top of their game in the academic space. They have to be on top of the game in the military, and then also athletically. Can you talk about, or maybe share an example as a cadet, how you navigated that journey of wellness and what that looked like? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 5:32 Well, let's go back to — so I didn't get a chance to break down. So mind, body, spirit. Why is that important? Because in anything, any philosophies that we adopt, we have to really see where it's important. So when you think of what is an officer, what is a leader going to have to do with their mind, this is where they have to have clarity. It's going to help with focus, creativity to innovate new solutions. And so we need to be able to prioritize our mindset and our mental health. And then there's the body, right? So a lot of us are going to be going on deployments. We're going to work long hours. Our body is what's going to give us the fuel and energy and the stamina to get through a day. It's literally bringing our energy. And then you think about the spirit, and this one is really special, and it's probably the most neglected. So when you think about the spirit, this is where you're going to anchor in with your emotional health. What is your purpose? What is your “why?” You know, earlier today, I was having a great discussion with Gen. Marks, and he shared with me that one of his goals for the cadets is that when they graduate, you know, they're going to be committed to being leaders, but are they committed — like really committed — and bought in to knowing what their purpose is going to be? And I think that a big part of that is being able to explore their spirit in advance, so they can discover their identity and their strengths in advance and to be able to go off into the leadership and fully own it. And so an example that I would like to present: When I was coaching bodybuilders and female athletes, I remember I started a team. And now this is going to be a team of women that they have the common goal of competing. So they're trying to pursue physical excellence with how they transform their physiques. But what I did was I brought this team together, this sisterhood of women. So a couple of things that I wanted to see, I wanted sisterhood and support. I wanted them to have the commonality of the same goal, and I wanted them to be able to support each other, and I wanted to be able to support them by elevating their mindset. And so one of the things that I did that was really unique at the time, that a lot of other coaches and leaders weren't doing, — when somebody wanted to work with them, they just sign them up. But I would have a consultation. It was kind of more of an interview, because one of the questions I would ask is, “Naviere, why do you want to compete?” And then I'd give them examples, like, you know, “Is this a bucket list? Are you trying to improve your health? Is this for validation and attention? Is this because you're competitive? Because, if you're competitive, and you're telling me that you just started working out last year, maybe we need to wait a couple of years.” You see what I mean. So when you go back to the “why,” it keeps you in alignment to move forward, in alignment with your why, but a lot of people don't know what that is, and sometimes all it takes is asking the question. Naviere Walkewicz 8:17 So the question I'd love to ask you then, is going back to the cadet side, because I think talking to Gen. Marks and the purpose piece, you know, you actually, I think as a cadet, remember, you were on Honor Guard. You were also a cadet… I think you were the cheer captain of our cheerleading team. I feel that that is such a great testament to the fact that you have to figure out, you know, the purpose of, how do I do more and give more and still stay connected to my purpose of where you said in the beginning, “I was going to serve 20 years in the Air Force.” How do our cadets get that same level of interviewer coaching with someone without having that life experience yet? Like, what would you share with them now, from your learning experience? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 8:55 So when I think back to… OK, so when you look at wellness, and you think of mental wellness, physical wellness, emotional wellness, you know, I think what happens here at the Academy — and I remember starting this way — we prioritize physical fitness, right? I remember being in that fight-or-flight mode like, OK, if I can just show that I am, you know, prioritizing physical fitness, that strength is going to get me respect, and I could definitely feel the difference in how I was treated. The problem sometimes with prioritizing physical fitness… It's great because, you know, it can strengthen your mind. So if your body's feeling strong, your mindset is strong, but it becomes problematic when your body fails. So what happens when you fail? And I have plenty of stories and memories, my goodness, of being on Honor Guard, one that I remember distinctly is, you know, if you had me doing push-ups or pull-ups, oh, I was in a zone. I was impressing everybody. I was passing all the tests, but you put me in a formation where the short people are in the back, you throw a helmet, M1 Garand, and we have to go run 3 miles now, now I'm falling out and I'm getting exhausted. And you know, the body goes — the stress goes up, the blood sugar goes down. It's just physiology, right? And so what happens is, now mentally, my mind is becoming weak. So when the body fails, my mind is getting weak,   Naviere Walkewicz 10:13 And you've been training your body right? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 10:14 Right, right. And so I look back, and I just, I remember those days in Honor Guard where I would feel doubt, like, “Am I going to make it do? I deserve to be here? Am I good enough?” I would feel discouraged, right? And I would go back to my room and then something happened. So after about two weeks of suffering through this pain and this big challenge, I remember thinking, “Gosh, every time they beat me down physically, I feel so weak mentally. But I was in my room and I remember having anxiety for the next day, like, “Oh, I'm going out there again.” And for some reason that meme, you know, with the Asian guy that says, “But did you die?” Right? That's always in my head, and I remember saying that to myself, like, “It was hard. Today was hard, but did I die?” No. And actually, after two weeks, I'm like, “It's actually getting easier,” like, because I'm getting more fit, right? I'm able to do the push-ups. I'm running further. And I remember that was the mindset shift where I realized, “OK, now, tomorrow, when I go out to practice, I'm not going to be as afraid, because I've already decided that I can do hard things.” And so now, when I was enduring the practice, right, and the leadership of my Honor Guard cadre, I was prepared with that mental strength, right? And so that's what we need. We need to be able to train so that when our body fails, our mind prevails, right? Naviere Walkewicz 11:39 Love that — those three facets of wellness, and that's a really strong way to explain it. And so you gave a couple examples about when the body fails, so when we think about how we're wired, and I think many of us are this way, as cadets, as graduates, as those who really want to succeed in life, right? Thinking about resilience, how do we balance? Or maybe balance isn't the right word, but how do we make sure we're very mindful of that line between healthy discipline and then harmful overdrive. How do you navigate that? Maybe, what would you share with some of our listeners? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 12:11 Well, you were asking like, how do we recognize when it's happened? You know, the good news is, your body will leave clues. You will have emotional clues, you will have physical clues, you're going to have behavioral clues. Your body will leave clues. So the first thing is, I think that if we can be willing to evolve — you know, look at what culture are we in now, like you and I, we come from a culture where the philosophy was grit at any cost. Push, push, push, push, and drive, drive, drive. You know, I think about, as an athlete, you know, especially if you're motivated. You're thinking, when I was training my body, I remember thinking, “I want to get these results, and so I'm going to do what it takes. So every day I'm doing the lifting, I'm eating the food, and I'm going to train every day.” And I remember on that seventh day, you know, I had done all the things, I took the supplements, I got all the sleep, and I went in to train, and my body was exhausted. And it's because I was physically burning out, and my body needed the rest. And then it really transferred into how I would choreograph my training and so with routine. So I was a fitness competitor. I did these fitness, crazy fitness routines where I'm doing push-ups and squats and gymnastics and flying around, right? And it's two minutes long. So think of doing like a crazy CrossFit routine for two minutes straight without stopping, and smiling. And so I remember being strategic, right? And how I would lay out those practices athletically, where I would do a portion, 30 seconds — I would train 30 seconds at a time, and then the next day I would do the next 30 seconds, a week later I would go for about a minute. But the part I want you to know is, right before the competition, I would decrease that training load. I would actually do less, because the year that I trained full out, all the way up into the competition, I didn't do well on stage because my body was exhausted. So again, our body is going to leave us clues, and we have to be willing to evolve, to say that self-care — it's not selfish, but it's strategic. And so we need to pay attention to those signs, because we're going to have a choice to either pivot and be intentional and strategic with taking care of ourselves, or we're going to stay stuck in this old-school thinking that's not going to serve us. Naviere Walkewicz 14:38 So if it's not the body telling you — because we talk about how wellness is more than just physical — how do you recognize signs on the spiritual side, on your emotional side, that you might be in this harmful space of it's too much give, give, give, and not enough fill, fill, fill. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 14:55 I think that's a great question. So here's some telltale… So going back to physical, you know, like the examples I gave, you're going to feel exhausted, you're going to have muscle tension, you might even start to have stomach issues. Those are all great physical signs that you're reaching burnout. Now, when you think of mentally, if you notice emotionally and mentally, that you start getting irritable and you've become more impatient and you're having a harder time making decisions, those are also great clues that mentally, you're starting to get burnt out. And then when you think of behaviorally, you know, let's say you had a great morning routine, and now all of a sudden, you find yourself in this season where you've abandoned that, or you have deadlines that you're usually very protective, and you can get things done, but now you're starting to procrastinate, and you're thinking like, “Who am I right now? I'm procrastinating. I've abandoned my wellness routine. I'm not even… I don't even have a morning routine.” That's when you should really step back. And I think one of the practical tools that everyone can do is check in with themselves on a regular basis. So I'm being very transparent. I check in with myself daily. So let's say I do three back-to-back hours of Zoom calls: Maybe ones with an executive coaching clients. Maybe another one is a team Zoom, where I'm training a group of folks, and then another team meeting. After that three hours, I will stop, and I'll check in with myself, and I'll take a deep breath and say, “How am I feeling? Do I feel like getting right back on a call? No, my brain is fried right now.” And then I'll pivot and I'll go take a 10-minute walk around break. And that's just one of my strategies. Naviere Walkewicz 16:30 So it does… A check in doesn't have to be this grand “I take time off and I spend a week.” It literally could just be a few minutes of [breathes deeply] and check in with yourself, because I think sometimes time is a challenge as well, right? We talk about, how do we prioritize all these things and we're within this 24-hour period. How do we make sure that the time piece is something that we can also utilize to take care of ourselves, and so when you said it doesn't have to take a lot of time to check in. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 16:58 And think about it. So we just talked about how to check in with yourself daily. What about like in your career? You know, I was helping physique athletes with poise mastery, basically teaching posing to athletes for over 15 years, and towards the end of that career, what I started to notice when I would mentally check in with myself, is I would notice that as I was driving to the office to go work with another client, I just did not feel as energized. I didn't feel as passionate. My motivation was going down, and this was a sign for me that I was getting burnt out from this specific way of serving, and it was my first clue that it was time to pivot and to look at something else. Naviere Walkewicz 17:38 That's really interesting, because when you think about when you're making big decisions, whether in career, whether in leadership or just, you know… The fact that you have these signs help you make those decisions, but I also wonder if it helps you at times think about part of the growth is maybe not totally pivoting, but it's recognizing that I'm supposed to go through this period of hardship. So what I'm kind of alluding to right now, is failure, right? So failure, as we go through some of our experiences are inevitable, right? How do we make sure we're using failure in a way to grow, as opposed to the easy button of, well, I failed, so I'm pivoting. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 18:18 OK, so that would be like a reaction. You're reacting to what happened, and you think what you need to do is flee from it. So you have to be able to discern, “Am I pivoting because I'm afraid, or because I feel like I'm not good enough, or because my purpose and my spirit is telling me that my work is done here, and I'm looking for innovation.” I'm looking for something new. I'm looking to impact new people. So going back to failure — like public speaking, it's one of the top two fears, right?   Naviere Walkewicz 18:52 What's the other? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 18:53 Oh, public speaking, flying, swimming [laughs]. No, I'm just kidding. Only if you grow up like me. But going back to failure, I think that people fear failure a lot because they make the mistake of connecting it to their identity instead of realizing failure is an event. It's not your identity. And so how many times do we do something, and maybe it's a competition, or it's an event or an application, and you fail. You don't get the desired result. It's an event. So what we need to do is reframe failure as feedback. That's it. So I have a great example. When I think about a great example of someone who was able to show in person, in reality, that when they failed, it did not disrupt their identity at all. So I don't know if there's any boxing fans out there, Naviere Walkewicz 19:46 Oh, we have some, I'm sure. Yeah. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 19:47 The Canelo and Crawford fight, it was a couple weeks ago. Did you see that? Naviere Walkewicz 19:50 I didn't, but I did hear about this. Actually, honestly, I fell asleep. I planned to watch it. My husband watched it, but I fell asleep. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 19:57 Oh, they went all the rounds, right? It was a great fight. Really, really great. You saw two physical specimens, you know, at the top of their game. They were both undefeated. I believe Canelo was favored to win, but he didn't. He lost the belt, right? And so Crawford wins. And so I'm always very intrigued with how people respond to failure when it's public, right? And so Crawford got to make his speech, and then when Canelo made his speech, you know, one of the first things they ask is, “OK, so you didn't get the result you were hoping for. You didn't win this bout. How are you feeling?” And he gave an answer that I totally didn't expect. He said, “I feel great.”   Naviere Walkewicz 20:39 Just like that?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 20:40 Yes. He was like, “I feel great.” He was like, “It was a great fight,” you know. He affirmed Crawford, you know, edified him. Talked about how great he was, you know, but he maintained his identity, and you could feel that in his spirit. He said, “I feel great. I came out here. I did a great job. I did what I was supposed to do. Obviously, there's room for feedback, to learn. You know, I didn't get the result I wanted. So whether it was endurance or I wasn't strategic enough, or I didn't prioritize my offense, there's feedback there.” He's going to learn from that. But he basically had such a great attitude. And he ended it by saying, you know, “I feel great and it was great time.” And I remember thinking like, “Wow, now there's an example of someone who did not own the failure and make it a part of his identity. It was just an event.” And his legacy will still be restored, right? And to be honest with you, it made me think about my own career. Naviere Walkewicz 21:31 Yes, so did you, have you experienced anything like that in your career? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 21:34 Have I experienced failure? Over and over again. Naviere Walkewicz 21:39 And how did you respond in your, you know, the wellness side of it, when you think about, you know, what you're trying to do, your purpose. How did you use that? Did you use it as feedback? Or what did that look like for you. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 21:50 So let's say in sports, if you don't win, then that event is deemed as a failure, right? And so if you think about it, I did 54, I've done 54 professional bodybuilding, fitness competitions.   Naviere Walkewicz 22:04 Wow. OK, what year did you start, just so we can get some perspective?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 22:06 I started in 2001 and retired in 2016, so about 17 years. And I won 11 of them. So that means out of, and that's a lot, actually. So out of that many, that means I lost all the others. And there's one particular competition that will always be dear to my heart, and it was the Arnold Classic. Yes, the Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know, he has this gigantic competition every year. And midway through my career, I started I got in the top five. So I would get fourth, and then the next year I'd get third, and then I'd go down to fourth, and then I'd get second, right? I think I got second maybe four years in a row. So basically, in my 10th year of competing, I finally won the darn thing. So Arnold comes from across the stage, and I'm already crying, and, you know, with his accent, “Why are you so emotional?” And there's a picture of me taking the microphone from him because I had something to say, and in that moment, because it was a special moment, I realized, yes, all of these years of failure, every time I competed, I missed the mark. I missed the mark. I missed the mark. But what did I do? I took that feedback and I went back and said, “What do I need to do differently? What does this mean? How can I improve my physique? How did I need better stamina in my routine?” And every year, I was coming back better and better and better. But guess what? So were the other athletes, right? And so when I won in that 10th year, I actually would not have had it any other way, because I don't think it would have meant as much to me. Because what was happening, I may have won the Arnold Classic on that day, but I was becoming a champion throughout that whole 10-year process. You see what I did there. So it's not your identity, it's an event. So if you look at it and reframe it as feedback, then you can leverage that and use it as an opportunity to win. Naviere Walkewicz 24:00 So failure, and we're going to say synonym: feedback. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 24:03 Exactly. Naviere Walkewicz 24:04 I like that. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 24:05 I mean, and I'll give you another example. So you know, I did my first TEDx Talk last year, and I was a part of this coaching group. And here's the thing: As leaders, we get to create and build culture. And I think it's very important for leaders to create a culture where they normalize failure and they teach their teams that it's meant to be for feedback. So encourage courage, and then help them leverage the failure or the mistake as lessons learned so that they can grow and move forward. So I'm in this coaching group, and they told us, “We're going to have you send out probably an average of 80 applications. Now we're going to guide you and tell you what to do, but every application is different, because the event promoters are different. So we can't tell you exactly what they all want, but you're going to find out when you apply.” So I remember applying, I think, to UCLA Berkeley or something, and I applied to do a TEDx Talk, and midway through my application, they asked me, what was my scientific evidence and proof of my theory and my great idea? And I didn't have one at the time. And I remember thinking, “I'm going to go ahead and finish this application, but yay, I just got some feedback that I need to include scientific data in my pitch and in presenting my idea.” And it was shortly after, I think I did five more applications and I got selected. And so now I have been so trained to see failure as an opportunity to grow and excel, that when I am afraid of something, I reframe it immediately, and then I actually look forward to it, like, “Oh my gosh, I can't wait to get out there and do this thing, because I'm going to get this feedback, and that's going to make me better.” Naviere Walkewicz 25:39 Well, I think that's really wonderful in the way that you frame that. Because, you know, in the military, and I was actually just at a conference recently, and they were talking about how failure should be a part of training. Failure is actually the most important part of the training, because when it comes time to actual execution, operationally, that's when we can't fail, right? So, like, you want that feedback through all the training iterations, and so, you know, the way you just, you know, laid that out for us, it was in a sense that, you know, you had this framework, “I'm getting feedback, I'm training, I'm training, I'm training.” And then, you know, of course, when you took the champion spot… Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 26:10 And I love… I think back to when I physically learned to appreciate failure was through weight training. And I know you've done it too, because can you go back and remember the first time you know, as a bodybuilder, when you lift weights, you're trying to grow your muscle, and to grow the muscle, the muscle fibers have to tear, and so there has to be a certain level of intensity and hardship in doing that. So if you're one of those people that you go to the gym and you're doing, you know, 15 easy reps, four sets, you never break a sweat, you're toning and you're getting some movement in, but you're not tearing your muscle fibers, and that's probably why they're not growing. So when I worked with the trainer and we were doing overhead military presses, and I physically felt like I was done at about 12 reps, but he was spotting me, so he just kept force repping me through six to eight more. I mean, until my arms were done, and I put my arms down, and they started to float up in the air. And he looks at me, because I'm looking at him, like, “Dude, what are you doing?” I'm like, “Wow, are you trying to hurt me?” And he just said, “No, but I do need you to learn that you're going to have to fail in order to grow and win.” And I was like… So then after that, we're going in the gym, like, “All right, Naviere, we're going to hit failure today. Oh yeah, we're going to learn how to fail.” “Did you fail at the gym last night?” “Yes, I did.” So in the bodybuilding community, it's celebrated. You know, it's a concept where that's we're trying to work through failure because we know it's on the other side. Naviere Walkewicz 27:34 Yes. Oh, I love that. That's fantastic. Well, and then you said you retired in 2016, so that was probably quite a transition in the fact where you had to… You probably have been doing all the wellness check-ins. “Where am I at? What am I thinking?” How did you make that transition into the executive presence space? Because it doesn't seem like it's a direct correlation from someone's body building to executive presence. Or maybe it is. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 27:58 So, in in body building, I developed a niche. So I started off as a trainer, and then very quickly, probably because of some of my Honor Guard background, I mean, we did precision drill, and I just realized that I can… I learned things really easily, and then I can teach it. I can see something and break it down in detail and teach it. And so I got really good at doing that for the athletes proposing to where I was able to build a whole career and get paid really well through poise mastery. Now what I think? You know when I think back to all the things we had to do as a cadet, from standing at attention, keeping your chest up, you know, your chin in projecting we were all we were already starting to work on our executive presence, but we just didn't know realize it, right? And so in the real world outside of the military, where people are not building habits of standing up straight on a regular basis, they don't. I go into board rooms. I go to events where I see people get on stage. They're looking down, they're fidgeting, they're not making eye contact, they're speaking too softly. And so executive presence is the ability to project confidence in how you show up and the way that you communicate and how you get people to experience you, because, unfortunately, we live in a society where perception shapes opportunity. So as a leader, if you're not commanding that authority right off the bat, you may you may be missing the mark on being able to influence, and that's what leadership is. And so I was basically elevating all of these athletes to just present the best version of themselves, and in leadership, that's what we want, too. We all have strengths, we all have learned skills. We all have something to offer. But if we're not projecting and presenting our inner power externally, a lot of times we miss that mark, and I want to connect the dots. And that's kind of what hit me when I thought about moving into the executive space, is, you know, I can… sure I can teach you how to stand in front of a red carpet and some power poses, but it goes beyond that. It's how we communicate. It's our body language. And so there's, there's a lot of skills that can be learned. Naviere Walkewicz 30:09 Well, let's start with maybe just sharing a couple. How can our leaders, our listeners start to display a stronger executive presence every day? What's the first couple things you might have them start thinking about? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 30:22 OK, so physically, I would start like, let's say with body language is eye contact. So my concern with this, the generation that we have now is they're dealing with a disadvantage that we didn't have to deal with. You know, when we were in school together 20 years ago, we were connecting all the time. It wasn't even a challenge. We were always together in person, building relationships, connecting, communicating. And now we're in a digital world where our attention is, is we're fighting for it, right? And so a lot of times I will watch people, and I realize whether they're going out to dinner and they are not maintaining eye contact because they're distracted, and they really haven't been, they haven't been trained to really be present. So for example, when you're speaking with someone and you're making eye contact with them. They feel seen,, you know? And so that's, that's one of the strongest ones. OK, Naviere Walkewicz 31:16 OK. I like that a lot. That's perfect. So as they're starting to think about the first thing is being present and making eye contact, from a — that's a physical standpoint. Maybe what, from a mental or emotional standpoint should be they be doing from a starting point for executive presence? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 31:33 OK, so being intentional. So when you think about your leader, and let's say you're going to speak in front of the Cadet Wing, or you're going to start managing a team, or you're going to a networking event as an executive, and you're trying to pick up a few sponsors. Before you even go to the event, you can be intentional about who am I meeting with, what is my goal and how do I want them to feel. So when you think about networking, a lot of times, there's people, I have a client. You know, she hired me because she has a little bit of social anxiety. She's younger, and so she's on a board where everybody's older than her. So there's a little bit of that mental insecurity of, you know, “Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? Are these people going to respect me,” right? And so she's coming into the situation already insecure, and she's thinking about herself. “How am I going to be perceived?” instead of going there, focused on connection, right? So if she was to go there and say, “This is who's going to be there. This is how I want to make them feel. So I'm actually going to be very intentional about asking questions that's going to connect with them, that's going to make them feel a certain way. If I want this audience to feel respected, what do I what do I ask them, and what do I say? What do I highlight? If I want them to feel accepted and warm. What can I say?” And so it just gives you more power to show up, be present and be intentional, and you'll feel more confident, because now you've taken the focus away from yourself to how you're going to serve others. Naviere Walkewicz 33:02 That is excellent, and that leads us into a bit of the mental piece of it, right, the mindset. So earlier, you talked about how you had a mindset shift when you were getting beat down in Honor Guard, you know, you're in the back, you know, because of the vertical challenge, and you're running, you know, and you're hanging in there, and you got better. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 33:19 Well, it makes me think about when I was auditioning for American Gladiators. And again, I'm going to go back to this executive presence and where I use my mental training to serve me, so when I was auditioning, so if you guys don't remember, the old show was, there was no water, right? It was just everything was over big, you know, pillows and just a flat area, OK? So when I went in there to audition, I remember there was for the sake of diversity, there was like, two of everything. There was two Black women there, there was two redheads, two blondes. And I remember looking around thinking, “OK, both of us are not getting this job.” And so the very last part of the audition, after many rounds, is you had to go in front of the executive committee, and you had a one-minute pitch. You could say whatever you want, but they're all sitting there with their arms crossed, and you just get to go in there. And I remember thinking, “OK, I am shorter than her, but I'm more muscular. And, you know, she's been on tons of fitness magazines. She's, you know, super beautiful, more popular. I want to go in there, and I want to be intentional about showing them that what I'm going to present is the right fit for the show.” And so I walked in there and I called the room to attention. I used my Honor Guard diaphragm, and I called the room to attention. And then I went in and I started telling them about how during basic training, I was like one of the pugil stick champions. And they thought that was great, because we had an event for that, right? And so, you know, going back to that mental training, you know, part of it is just that intention of being prepared, you know, what is it that you want to achieve? What are you going to do? And then you strategize and have a game plan for how you're going to go in there. Now, another example: So once I got… I got the job, yay, right? And then we go to Sony studios, and I look at the set, and I realized that half of the set is over water. So half of the events, the joust, Hang Tough, the rock climbing, it's all over water. And you guys remember when I talked about a little bit not, not being a big swimmer. And so this was fascinating to me, but I didn't want anyone to know, because I didn't want to lose my job, right? And so here's where I tapped into my mental and mindset training. So as an athlete, I did this a lot: To preserve my physical body, because of all the gymnastics and routines, I didn't overtrain, because there's damage when you over train. But I would visualize myself going through my movements, and I would picture myself being successful, so I didn't visualize myself messing up or anything like that. And there was, there would be repetition after repetition after repetition. And so what I did to face that fear of having to do events that were going to land me in the water is I had to use logic, you know, so I literally would say, “OK, if I end up being in the joust and I get hit, I'm going to fall in the water. And this is how far away the edge of the pool is. I'm going to take a deep breath. I'm going to I know how to do the stroke, so I'm going to get over there.” But I had to visualize myself falling and then I use logic to just keep myself calm. So I visualize myself hitting the water and being calm, because I would prepare myself to be calm. If I wasn't, I probably would have panicked and drowned. And so I think back to that, and I never told anybody, but I was ready, and I was not afraid, because I had already went through the mental training to prepare myself to do something that I was uncomfortable doing. Naviere Walkewicz 36:50 And so did you fall into the water, and did it play out the way that you had mentally prepared it for? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 36:56 So here's what's crazy. I'm probably not even supposed to talk about this, but the way they film some of these shows, they're not in sequence. So imagine that I'm filming a water event from Episode 1, 3 and 8. OK, well, for me, like, my third day there, I actually tore my ACL falling off the pyramid. And so, you know, those viewers at home didn't know that. So actually the answer is no, I actually didn't even get put into a water event because I got injured beforehand. But I was ready mentally. Regardless, I was actually disappointed, because I was ready to see that courage come to the surface. Naviere Walkewicz 37:32 Oh my goodness! These are all such wonderful examples of how you have really almost embodied wellness throughout your decisions as a leader throughout your career. I'm really curious, as you think about how you've been true to yourself in this journey, because there's an authenticity to you that only Tanji could bring. And so I'm wondering, how do you know who is your authentic self as a leader, and how have you continued to really show up for yourself in that way? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 38:07 I think this is very important. And you know, my heart goes out to the young leaders, because, again, like I was saying earlier, they haven't had the experience yet. And I even remember when my sister, my younger sister, she was struggling to figure out what she wanted to do for a living, and she was a college graduate, and she still didn't know. And a lot of it is because when you don't have that personal life experience, you know — experience is a teacher. It tells you, it leaves clues. So when you don't have that, you kind of feel like you're just shooting from the hip trying to figure it out. And so what I think is important is to start the art of self-reflection early. I will never forget I was on a TDY during the Kosovo crisis. I was at RF Mildenhall, and I was a maintainer, and I remember having, you know, a lot, I think, over 200 troops over there, but it was kind of a lonely season for me, because all my peers were pilots, and they were all flying, and, you know, I didn't have anyone to hang out with, and I wasn't home, you know, I was, I was TDY. So I remember just spending my time. I would go to the gym, and then I would go for walks, and I did a lot of journaling. And I don't know why I had the foresight been but I would, you know, ask myself questions like, “Who am I? What matters to me? What values are important to me?” And the process of doing that really helped me solidify my identity. And so, for example, I knew that I thought self-love was really important to me. It was a value that I care about. So when I see people that are self-deprecating, they're talking poorly about themselves. They don't believe in themselves. This hurts my soul. It's a part of who I am, right? And so I've always believed in self-acceptance, you know. For me, as a Christian, you know, I want to celebrate how God made me and have that level of self-love. So when I was a cheerleader at the Air Force Academy, I remember I didn't have self-esteem issues with my body image. Nothing about it, right? And then I go off an become a professional fitness competitor — now I'm competing. And in that industry, breast implants were very prevalent and they were starting to get really popular. And it made me really insecure. So if you think about it, I did not change, but my environment changed. So as leaders, how often are we going to be in situations where your environment is constantly changing and maybe you feel that pressure to conform? And so in my environment, most of the women around me, as a means to an end, were getting breast implants to change how their body looked, to look more feminine, to be more accepted. And there's nothing wrong if that's what you want to do, but I remember feeling like, “Now I'm insecure about my body. Now I don't feel as pretty. Now I don't feel as feminine.” And I remember that being problematic because it wasn't in alignment with my identity. And so, again, knowing what my values are, I thought, “Well, I could go get the operation like a lot of people do. But this is problematic because I don't want to lead a life — and how am I going to go back and coach other women and lead a team if now what I'm saying is whatever is true to who you are and your identity, it's OK to abandon that.” And so, for me, that's why I chose not to have that surgery. And I started this journey — it took about two years — of being able to redefine beauty, redefine femininity. And this is kind of where all the different tools came in. So I started looking in the mirror and I would do positive — because it's self-taught. Instead of looking at my chest and saying, “You're flat and it looks masculine and you're not feminine enough,” I would say, “Girl, do you know what this chest cand do? We can do crazy push-ups.”  And I would say, “Wow, you're strong.” And over time, I changed how I felt about myself. And it was a very proud moment for me, because I look back, and that's why identity is so important. You need to take the time to reflect on who you are, what do you stand for, so that when those moments of pressure come, you're going to be able to make a decision to stay in alignment with who you are. Naviere Walkewicz 42:15 So you said — and maybe it's by grace — that you hadn't really planned. You just started journaling in those moments of quiet when you're feeling a little bit alone as TDY. Is that the best way, you think, to spend some time figuring out who you are? What's important to you? Or are there other tools you might suggest? Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 42:33 There's going to be multiple tools. You know, for me, I like to write. You know, for some people, they will pray and they will just ask a higher being to guide me and to make me more aware, make things known to me. For other people, they're going to meditate. You know, I liked journaling. I also have the strength of curiosity. And so, because of that, I was always not only asking myself a lot of questions, but I was asking other people too. And so, for example, if people don't have that strength of curiosity and they're thinking, “I really don't reflect very much and I'm never asking myself those questions,” you know, you don't necessarily have to journal it, but you can just take time to spend in reflection. But some of the work that I do, I take people through identity activation drills where I will list several, several different lists of values, different lists of strengths, and they'll think about each one and they'll really start to think about, “Let me think of a time where I experienced one of these strengths.” Or, “What's the last thing somebody celebrated?” Or, “What do people tend to tell me or complement?” And then all of a sudden they realize,” I didn't realize this was a strength, but, wow, this is a strength!” And now they can own it because they're aware of it.  Naviere Walkewicz 43:48 That is outstanding. So, you've really taken wellness into practice with everything you've done. You started to elevate others around you to have this ability to discover themselves and then have this executive presence. You know, if all the things you are doing, it takes energy. How are you… Because I know you talked about not overtraining and making sure you preserve that and doing mental reps. Is that really the special sauce? The mental training so that you don't find yourself in a period where you just lack energy and burnout?    Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 44:22 So basically, how do you sustain energy when it comes to wellness? So again, you go back to mind, body and spirit. So what I would do is I would — and this is for each person… You just break it down. You ask yourself, “OK, mind. How am I going to keep energy in my mind? What can I do?”  One of the easiest things to do is to just take a short break. So when I gave you the example of how my mind was working at full capacity for three hours straight. So when I was done, it needed a bit of a reset. And so what I do every day when I'm at home is I go outside and I visit with my chickens. So I have chickens and I have four cats. And so I will take a mental break and it's a habit for me now. I get up from the table and I will walk, because it decreases your stress hormones when you have movement, and I will give my mind a break and I will allow myself to observe. That's my favorite thing: I call it mindful walks where I just go outside and I will just take a moment. You know when they say, “Just stop and smell the roses.” No, seriously.   Naviere Walkewicz 45:28 Or the chickens…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 45:29 So the chickens make me smile because when I come out there I typically have treats. But they just come… They bumrush me.  So I go out there and they make me smile and then something wonderous will happen, like I might see my cat just sprinting up a tree and I'm just thinking, “Wow, what a hunter,” right? They're so fast. Then, you know, I see my dahlias that have been sprouting and I just can't believe how fast they grow overnight with sunshine. And that's just 10 minutes. And then I come back in and I instantly feel recharged and I sit down and I'm restored and ready to focus again on the next task. So, mentally, I like taking breaks. When it comes to physically, just getting into movement. And, you know, a lot of times people will think, “Well, I don't have time to go to the gym for an hour.”      Naviere Walkewicz 46:16 Or, “I'm tired already. How am I supposed to go workout?”   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 46:17 Exactly. So when I think about the body, you know, there's four pillars that you can focus on. And if you feel like you're not mastering any of them, just start with one. So food is one. Food is fuel. And then we have hydration. You know, my husband's mom actually went to the hospital because she works all the time and she had been out in the sun and we discovered that she was dehydrated and it put her in the hospital. So sometimes when we're going after the mission and we're doing one task after — you know, when people forget to drink water and eight hours later you're dealing with brain fog, you're irritable, you don't understand what's happening. But you didn't fuel the body. So hydration, movement, food and sleep. So those are like the four pillars. And I would just ask yourself — so if I'm working with a health coaching client, I would say, “Out of those four areas, where do you want to start?” They'll say, “Sleep. My sleep health is terrible.” And then I can take it step further and say, “Have you heard of a thing called sleep hygiene?” They're like, “What's that?” “Sleep hygiene is literally, what is your sleep ritual? What are your habits to prepare for bedtime? Do you have a consistent bedtime? Do you decrease blue-light therapy? Do you put the phone away? Do you take a bubble bath to relax?” When you think about your environment and what your habits are, when some people tell you, “I do not feel rested,” we look at your sleep hygiene. What's going on? There's things that we can fix, and that's just with sleep. And so I ask people, “Where would you like to start? And you just pick one habit that you can commit to over time and once you've mastered that, you start to habit-stack.” Naviere Walkewicz 47:57 Amazing. So that was — you talked about, from the energy, when it comes to your physical and then your mental. What about from the spiritual side?    Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 48:07 OK, so, this is — and I think this is important because, again, I talk about the spirit is the anchor for your emotional health, right? And so you want to think about activities that's going to feed your soul and your spirit. Now I'll give an example. If you're going through, let's say, a season where you're irritable and you're feeling ungrateful and you're pessimistic and everything just seems bad. We're actually kind of in a season like that right now sometimes. One of the things I do — so this is just an exercise, but it's a gratitude process. Write down 100 things you are grateful for. I did this for three months straight. It took me about 20 minutes, but I got really good at it. And when you have to list out 100 things, you know, at first you might do 20 and you're like, “All right. Where do I go from here?” But you're forced to dig deeper. And when I came up with my 100 list, first of all, I would think about my husband. And 10 things, I would get specific. Grateful for his provision. Grateful for support, for his sense of humor, for his hot, fit body. You know, I'd just go down all the things, right? And then every day I'm grateful for my home, for my physical abilities, for my flexibility, my mobility. You're just in a different frame of mind. And anyone can get there if they choose to do an exercise or a prompt that shifts them from their current circumstance. And that's why I'm most passionate about empowering people that they truly can design their life utilizing these tools. Naviere Walkewicz 49:47 Can you share an example when you've seen someone that was maybe in that season…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 49:53 What kind of season? Negative season?   Naviere Walkewicz 49:54 In the negative season. And how going through some of these, kind of, wellness check-ins or activities — what did it allow them to do? What did it open on the other side that changed for them with your help?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 50:06 OK, so, one example would be we have social media; we have digital devices. And we can easily… Everything is about habit management and that's one thing I would tell people to do, you know? If you were to take inventory, look at how you live your life every day, and if you were to put every single action you did down as a habit — brush your teeth is a habit. Stop by and grab the Diet Coke is a habit. Sit down on the couch to watch TV is a habit. If you put it in a category of what serves you; what doesn't serve you. You know, one of the most…      Naviere Walkewicz 50:41 So first list out all your habits and categorize them?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 50:43 Right, right. So then you would recognize, “Oh my goodness. I have a habit of scrolling Instagram. Or social media.” And then you ask yourself how much time do you spend doing that. “Oh, I get caught up in a loophole of 30 to 45 minutes. And then what are you consuming? You know, so let's say the things that have happened in the last couple of weeks, you know, say something negative happens in society that's getting a lot of public attention and you're just ina rabbit hole reading about that incident over and over and over again. And when you're done scrolling, the question is, “How do you feel after that activity?” And most people would say, “I feel tense. I feel angry. I feel disappointed.” They list off all of these negative feelings. And so what I do is I help them realize, “OK, so does that serve you? Because you were in this negative health space, when you went to dinner with your family or when you went into this next assignment, how did you show up? How did you perform?” And then they realize, “Oh, wow. Not very well. I treated my wife like crap because I was irritable.” And so then you go back again. Your experience… We leave clues with how we're living our lives. So then you go back and you realize, “That is a habit I need to change.  And I just need to make a decision, and I have to have a compelling reason. So let's say you want to work on your marriage and you want to show up better for your spouse, but you're always showing up with negative energy because of this habit that you do right when you get home, then you can — so we just come up with a plan, and it's different for each person. You know, “What could you do that would be more positive?” “I could come home play a game with my kid, because, you know, my kid is amazing, and it makes me smile and laugh,” and you're in a good mood, you know? And this is why, if I am stressed during the day, I already know if I get exposed to my chickens, my cat, or just go outside, I'm so mesmerized by the beauty of nature. All of those things I know fill me in a positive way. And so I am very intentional and aware of when I need to shift, and I know what my go-to are. So when I work with clients, I help them discover what their database of go-tos are going to be. The first part is just helping them become more aware of when it's happening so they can decide to shift. Naviere Walkewicz 52:57 Right. So that awareness is really critical, but then the next step is probably the discipline and actually doing something about it?   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:07 Right. Naviere Walkewicz 53:08 How can you take the lessons that you've had in bodybuilding, and then, you know, in all of your journey to help those now move from the awareness bucket to actually…   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:17 To making it happen? So I think that the first goal should be consistency, not perfection, right? And I learned this the hard way as a bodybuilder, because in the beginning of my career, I hated dieting. I've always hated dieting. I love food.   Naviere Walkewicz 53:31 You and I are kindred spirits in that way.   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 53:32 I don't mind being, yes, I don't mind being on a structured, you know, meal plan. But, you know, being on a strict diet can be hard, so anytime you set a goal to do something that is difficult, you know, the first thing that I tried to do was be perfect. So I would hire a coach, and my nutritionist would tell me, “This is what you're supposed to eat for meal one, two, three, four, exactly down to the macros. And maybe I would do great for three days. And then, you know, I would fail. I would cheat or have something I'm not supposed to have, and I would feel so bad again. Going back to a lot of these principles are coming back up. I was letting the failure identified me as a bad person, so now I'm feeling shame, and that's making me feel discouraged. And I kept doing this thing, like, “Well, I blew it, so I'm just gonna take the whole day off.” Like, how dumb is that, right? Like, there's four more meals you can eat and you're just gonna sabotage the rest of the four. So think about if I did that every day. So if you messed up every day and you sabotage three out of the six meals every single day, where would you be at the end of the week?   Naviere Walkewicz 54:31 Worse off. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:32 Fat. [Laughs] No, I'm just kidding,   Naviere Walkewicz 54:33 Worse off than you were when you started.   Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:35 You would be, with no results.   Naviere Walkewicz 54:37 No more Oreos in the house so you wouldn't have to worry about eating them anymore. Tanji Johnson Bridgeman 54:40 So that's when I realized, “Oh, I'm getting caught up with perfection, and that's causing me to sabotage.” So then I changed. I said 80/20, 90/10, I just want to be consistent. And so when you fail, you know you give yourself that grace, right? And so I always like to say courage, grit and grace. You have to have the courage to do something uncomfortable, the grit to endure and then the grace to embrace when you've messed up and then move forward. And so the first thing I would do with wellness habits is, you know, you build one habit at a time, and you do what you can to be consistent, and when you fail, again, here's that theme, you take that failure as feedback. “Why did you fail? Did you get hungry? Did you have temptation in the house? Did you not set your alarm?” Right? You know? “What could you do differently?” And then you just recommit to being consistent. Naviere Walkewicz 55:31 That is excellent. So talking about everything, this has been a wonderful conversation. When I think about lasting impact, right? So you know, you've had this incredible journey. You've helped people understand how to be more aware of their wellness, how to take action, be consistent and really drive change. What is one challenge you might have our listeners take in the w

The Arnold Classic has been a staple for Massenomics since 2016. We are going to be back in 2026, but for the first time in a long time it will be without a booth. Listen to find out why! EliteFTS Use code MASS10 to save 10% on most orders! Build Fast Formula Use code MASSENOMICS to save 10% on every order! BearFoot Shoes Use code MASSENOMICS to save 10% on every order! Juggernaut AI Use code MASSENOMICS to save 10%! The Strength Co Get some Go-To Plates! Texas Power Bars Get the Barbell that changed the game!

Watch the video podcast of this episode here: https://generationiron.com/victor-martinez-sam-sulek-2026-arnold-classic-prediction/ Visit the Generation Iron official website for exclusive video content, feature films, and more: https://generationiron.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generationiron/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GenerationIron/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GenerationIron

Send us a textIn this episode with Drew Brannon we break down the major changes to the 2026 Olympia Qualification Rules and what they mean for athletes, fans, and the future of competitive bodybuilding. We dive into the new hybrid point system, automatic bids for top Olympians and tier-one shows like the Arnold Classic, New York Pro, and Dubai Pro, and how the updated structure impacts divisions from bikini and wellness to men's open bodybuilding and the brand-new fit model category. With insights on how these shifts will create a more competitive stage, reduce bloated lineups, and add excitement for athletes chasing points, this discussion unpacks everything from international show expansion to lifetime Olympia qualifications and the unique role of the Ben Weider Naturals Pro. Whether you're an athlete eyeing your path to the Olympia or a fan tracking the road to the sport's biggest stage, this episode delivers the clarity and perspective you need. Drew Brannon, an Exercise Science graduate from USF, owns Pinellas Ultimate Strength House, a premier 7,000 sq. ft. training facility in Largo, FL. A former physique researcher, athlete, and coach, he helps clients—from NCAA athletes to bodybuilders—achieve peak performance.https://www.instagram.com/drewbrannon08Welcome to FitBody Lifestyle the podcast hosted by Jami and Greg DeBernard! Join us as we explore the multifaceted world of fitness, health, business, relationships, and the art of leading a well-rounded life. Whether you're pumping iron at the gym, grinding in your entrepreneurial endeavors, or simply striving for balance in your daily routine, you've landed in the right spot.In each episode, we'll embark on enlightening discussions, provide you with actionable tips, and share inspiring stories that touch on every aspect of your journey towards a healthier, more fulfilling life. We'll cover everything from fitness tips to expert guidance on nutrition, and effective weight loss strategies. Dive deep with us into topics like strength training for both body and mind, fostering cardiovascular health, and discovering the harmony between your daily lifestyle and your personal well-being. We're here to help you unlock your full potential, empowering you to transform your mind, body, and overall life. Don't forget to subscribe, and together, let's take the first step towards a healthier, happier you.Connect With Us:https://www.fitbodylifestylepodcast.com/https://www.fitbodyfusion.com/https://www.instagram.com/jamidebernard/https://...

In this episode of the Bacon, Bibles, and Barbells podcast, Coach Justin, Coach Amanda, and Dave discuss the Strongest Man on Earth competition, sharing insights on training experiences, event highlights, and the evolution of strongman competitions. They compare the Shaw Classic and Arnold Classic, emphasizing the differences in event structure, spectator experience, and competitor performances. The conversation culminates in reflections on the future of strongman events and the potential for growth in the sport.   And of course, they can't ignore that Evan Singleton finally got a big win, highlighting the importance of the mental game when competing.

He may have gotten a late start in pro wrestling, but Magnus King is making his mark at POWW Entertainment as one of the owners of a Key to the Kingdom. Magnus joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to discuss what led him to finally start wrestling training after years of competing as powerlifter, aligning with Jimmy Blaze against The Reckoning, what his possible plans are for cashing in his key for a title opportunity, being a fan of the monsters in wrestling such as Undertaker, Kane and Bray Wyatt, competing in the Arnold Classic and more. Plus, Mike recaps action from AEW Forbidden Door, NXT Heatwave, Freelance Wrestling, Southland Championship Wrestling, Squared Circle Megastars and a joint show from Northland Pro and All Heel Wrestling, while previewing WWE Clash in Paris, Ego Pro Wrestling, Wrestle League, They Live Wrestling, C3 Ultimate Wrestling, Ultimate Combat Gauntlet and Illiana Pro Wrestling. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Send us a textYou know that phrase that's everywhere right now, “Women are not small men”? Well… it's true. And also? It's become the perfect little hook for some people to sell you complete and utter BS.In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Allan Bacon, yes, the guy who trains Arnold Classic competitors, publishes in scientific journals, and also works with regular humans who just want to get stronger without losing their minds, to bust some of the biggest myths floating around women's health and fitness right now.We get into the shady tactics “menopause influencers” are using to prey on women's very real experiences (and why some of these folks are making you just as stuck as the old-school bro science ever did). Allan explains how to tell the difference between what's actually happening in your body and what's just Instagram fear-mongering.And spoiler: some of the things you think are “hormones” might actually be your habits. Which is great news, because habits are something we can change.We also talk mouse studies (yep, apparently you're a large mouse now?), why cortisol isn't the enemy it's made out to be, and a brutal but brilliant “10-day diet” test to check if your metabolism is actually broken.If you've ever been told to only do one type of workout because of “menopause” or if you've wondered whether all this hormone talk is a legit wake-up call or just a very expensive con, this one's for you.What's Inside:Why “women are not small men” is true and how it's being used to con youHow to spot influencer fear-mongering vs. actual scienceThe truth about metabolism during menopause (and the habits that matter most)Why your workout program probably doesn't need to be “hormone-specific” to workSo let me ask you this. What's keeping you from feeling good in your body right now? Is it your hormones, or is it the sneaky little habits that crept in without you noticing? If you've ever felt stuck, frustrated, or just plain confused about what the hell to do next, you're not alone. Shoot me a DM on Instagram and tell me what's going on for you. Let's get you moving in the right direction.Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Allan Bacon on Instagram – @drallanbacon Maui Athletics Lifestyle Nutrition Guide Healthy As Fck*Oonagh Duncan on InstagramFit Feels Good Strong AFLeave me a voice note on Speak Pipe!

Mike Sapp, who trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger during the summer of 1980 right before the Mr. Olympia contest, is the guest on this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast. Mike talks about when he started training, his time working out at Gold's Gym in the late 1970's and, of course, his time training with Arnold during the summer of 1980. At the end of the podcast, host John Hansen reads the article "My Olympia Comeback" written by Arnold Schwarzenegger for the February, 1981 issue of Muscle & Fitness Magazine. Time Stamps: 1:40 - John's Contest Prep 5:20 - Upcoming interviews for the Podcast 6:35 - Emails to the Podcast 9:05 - Contest Prep Video Series 9:54 - Interview with Mike Sapp 12:00 - Meeting Bill Pearl 16:30 - Training at Gold's Gym in the '70's 30:15 - Meeting Arnold 42:45 - Training at World's Gym in 1980 47:15 - Mike's collection of gym shirts 49:45 - Vince's Gym 51:30 - Breakfast with Arnold 57:50 - Working out with Reg Park 1:00:35 - Going to the first Arnold Classic 1:35:00 - John reads the article "My Olympia Comeback" written by Arnold Schwarzenegger for the February, 1981 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine. Links: Become a Patreon Member John Hansen Workout and Diet Programs John's YouTube Channel Bodybuilding Legends website  

Get Access to my FST-7 App workouts for only $1 use code “FinishStrong” https://www.hanyrambod.com/fst7/Evogen Nutrition: Code "HANY" for 10% Off All Productshttps://www.evogennutrition.com/YoungLA: Code "HANY"https://www.youngla.com/Megafit Meals:  Code "HANY"https://megafitmeals.com/Download The Truth Podcast here:Spotify: http://bit.ly/THETRUTH-SPOTIFYitunes: http://bit.ly/THETRUTH-ITUNESInteract with Hany RambodInstagram: https://www.Interact w/ Me:MY SUPPLEMENTS: https://bit.ly/EVOGENSUPPSHRWEBSITE: https://bit.ly/HANYWEBSITEINSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/HANYINSTAGRAMFACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/HANYFACEBOOKTIKTOK: https://bit.ly/HRTIKTOKTWITTER: https://twitter.com/hanyrambod

I got hit with the flu very hard. And I mean ‘hard'.    One minute, I was fine, heading to the Arnold Classic, and the next, I was stuck on a plane with fever, chills, nausea, and full-body aches, wondering how I was going to make it through.    It hit me so fast that even the flight attendant was worried. But the crazy part is that I recovered in ‘half' the time it takes most people.     How? Because I did things before and after I got sick, that set me up for success.     In this episode, I'll be sharing exactly what helped me bounce back so fast. I'll tell you about the number one mistake that keeps people sick longer (most people don't even realise they're doing this). Plus the one simple habit I've been doing for years which gave me a massive advantage, and why your body might be struggling to fight off illness without you even knowing it.     I'll also break down the three biggest factors that made the biggest difference in my recovery, like how I kept myself out of the hospital, what I took to support my immune system, and the biggest game-changers for fighting off and a key nutrient that most people don't get enough of.     What I share could mean the difference between being stuck in bed for a week or greatly reducing the symptoms and recovering quicker, bouncing back in just a few days.   So, if you've ever been knocked down by the flu or want to make sure you recover fast the next time it hits, don't miss this episode.   Connect with me!   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CodeRedLifestyle/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristycodered/   Website: https://coderedlifestyle.com/⁠

On. this episode of the Bodybuilding Legends Podcast, host John Hansen talks about the passing of Lloyd "Red" Lerille, 1960 AAU Mr. America, who passed away on March 14, 2025. John reads an article about Red when he won the 1960 Mr. America contest from IronMan Magazine. John also reads a series of articles written by Jack Neary, one of the best writers to work for Muscle Builder Magazine in the late 1970's.  Time Stamps: 1:00 - The passing of Red Lerille 2:15 - The rumor of Robby Robinson's death 4:00 - Upcoming Jack Neary interview 8:00 - 2025 Arnold Classic review 9:05 - Emails to the Podcast 13:15 - John reads the article "How I Became a Mr. America" written by Peary Rader for the August, 1960 issue of IronMan Magazine. 23:10 - John reads the article "The 1976 American Bodybuilding Championship" written by Jack Neary for the January, 1977 issue of Muscle Builder magazine. 37:05 - John reads the article "In Two Years, I'll Reach the Top" written by Jack Neary for the December, 1976 issue of Muscle Builder magazine. 50:16 - John reads the article "The Thinking Man's Bodybuilder" written by Jack Neary for the October, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine. 1:13:50 - John reads the article "He Paid His Dues, Now He's Being Paid Back" written by Jack Neary for the September, 1979 issue of Muscle Builder magazine.  Links: Become a Patreon Member for the Podcast John Hansen Workout and Nutrition Programs Bodybuilding Legends Show website Bodybuilding Legends Podcast on Instagram Bodybuilding Legends Podcast on Facebook

It's Just Bodybuilding Podcast 330 Ron Harris joins Big Ron Partlow, Dusty Hanshaw, Scott McNally Chapters 00:00 teaser and intro 02:59 When Bodybuilding was on ESPN 05:00 91 Olympia 08:50 Boycotts in Bodybuilding - Ali Bilal 20:00 Nick Walker vs. Bob Cicherillo Drama 24:00 Would Nick Walker Have Turned Pro In The 90's? 27:40 Bob Breaks Up with the Arnold Classic 30:03 Analyzing Martin's Physique and Competition 32:00 Nick Walker vs. Martin Fitzwater Showdown 35:25 The Impact of Chris Bumstead's Retirement 40:43 Shaun Charida in 2025 44:00 Willian Bonac and Brandon Curry in 2025 47:55 Phil Heath: The Last Open Dynasty? 55:00 The Evolution of Bodybuilding Shows and Excitement 57:17 Nostalgic Encounter with Ronnie Coleman back in the day 59:55 Reflections on Career Choices and Industry Changes 01:02:01 Adapting to New Trends in Bodybuilding 01:10:51 Supporting a Community Member in Need - Dave "Mad Max" Bourlet Help Dave Here : https://tinyurl.com/496s8njz

In Episode 156, Jay and Matt bring on 7x Mr Olmypia, Phil Heath to disucss the current state of bodybuilding, 2025 Arnold Classic, and Phils current projects! TRT Kingdom - https://trtkingdom.com/free-consult/?ref=cutlercast Bucked Up Energy - http://www.buckedup.com/shop/energy-drinks Pacific West Law - http://www.pacificwestinjury.com Fit Club Vegas - http://www.fitclubvegas.com  

French tennis player receives a threatening message before competing at the ATP Challenge. Would Charlie take a dive if someone threated him? Is JLR willing to go to the clinic for his E.D. and why is he always yawning during the show? A 20-year-old female bodybuilder, Jodi Vance, dropped dead at the Arnold Classic. 

It is a Golden Show. Listeners are upset by the new way the podcast is being uploaded. Nut Sort, a color sorting game. Is Rover on weight loss drugs? Krystle has never had chickenpox. What is the perfect room temperature? French tennis player receives a threatening message before competing at the ATP Challenge. Would Charlie take a dive if someone threated him? Is JLR willing to go to the clinic for his E.D. and why is he always yawning during the show? A 20-year-old female bodybuilder, Jodi Vance, dropped dead at the Arnold Classic. What would happen if you took steroids and did not workout? Dispute at a Mexican restaurant over a coupon gets a woman fired from her job. President Trump addresses Congress. Smoke grenades throw in Serbian parliament. Twitch star, Amouranth, was hospitalized after robbers broke into her home attempting to steal her cryptocurrency. Charlie is tired of hearing Krystle brag about buying sugarcane for a woman at the grocery store. Jim Dukhovny, of Alef Aeronautics, claims they have invented a flying car.

French tennis player receives a threatening message before competing at the ATP Challenge. Would Charlie take a dive if someone threated him? Is JLR willing to go to the clinic for his E.D. and why is he always yawning during the show? A 20-year-old female bodybuilder, Jodi Vance, dropped dead at the Arnold Classic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is a Golden Show. Listeners are upset by the new way the podcast is being uploaded. Nut Sort, a color sorting game. Is Rover on weight loss drugs? Krystle has never had chickenpox. What is the perfect room temperature? French tennis player receives a threatening message before competing at the ATP Challenge. Would Charlie take a dive if someone threated him? Is JLR willing to go to the clinic for his E.D. and why is he always yawning during the show? A 20-year-old female bodybuilder, Jodi Vance, dropped dead at the Arnold Classic. What would happen if you took steroids and did not workout? Dispute at a Mexican restaurant over a coupon gets a woman fired from her job. President Trump addresses Congress. Smoke grenades throw in Serbian parliament. Twitch star, Amouranth, was hospitalized after robbers broke into her home attempting to steal her cryptocurrency. Charlie is tired of hearing Krystle brag about buying sugarcane for a woman at the grocery store. Jim Dukhovny, of Alef Aeronautics, claims they have invented a flying car.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dave Palumbo and Chris Aceto break down 2025 ARNOLD CLASSIC!

It's Just Bodybuilding with Shaun Clarida the day after his fantastic showing at the 2025 Arnold Classic. With Big Ron Partlow, Dusty Hanshaw & Scott McNally

the arnold classic is feb 28nd-march 2nd and we're sharing our predicitions for who's taking the trophies, sam sulek and more bodybuilding tea!