In this episode, Chris goes into 6 daily habits that have helped him through the dark times. Of course these habits aren't just for veterans, but they'll be particularly helpful to any veteran out there who's looking to get his or her life on track.
Your problems don't make you special. Everyone faces obstacles in life, and to some extent, if you go through life without any difficulty, it probably means that you aren't really living a fulfilling life.
But sometimes we get into a rut, and the way forward may not appear to be very clear. In this solo episode, Chris discusses some of the problems he's faced in his life and discusses how he pulled himself together.
Chris White is a US Marine Corps Veteran and the founder of Freedom Hard, an unapologetically patriotic brand that focuses on humor to convey it's love of America.
Check out Freedom Hard at: https://freedomhard.com/
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreedomHardUSA/
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZigKgfbr99Y
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomhardusa/
Michael Levin is a New York Times Bestselling author and regular contributor at Fox News. He is also the CEO of Business Ghost, a ghost writing service for corporate executives. His latest project, The Manifesto Podcast, discusses politics in contemporary America from the perspective of a right leaning centrist.
To Catch Up with the Manifesto Podcast visit:‘The Manifesto’ @MichaelLevin tap shopping cart top right to Subscribe https://pm.photos/MTA0MjA1
Drew Manning is known world wide as the trainer who put on 70 lbs of fat so that he could better identify with his clients, but there's a lot more to him than just Fit2Fat2Fit. Since his divorce, Drew has been living as a single father. He's got a huge heart and a desire to help people with the mental and emotional struggles that lead to problems with weight gain and fitness. Over the past couple of years, Drew has been a major advocate for the ketogenic diet and we get into a great discussion about how he found keto and his advice for those who want to try the keto diet.
Take my free Starting Keto Training series: http://www.startketoright.com
Article mentioned in the video: https://warriorsoulagoge.com/blogs/news/a-routine-for-tactical-training
To follow me on my military Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/warriorsoulagoge
To follow me on my fitness instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/startketoright
For my fat loss and muscle building courses: http://www.warriorsouleducation.com
Subscribe to the Warrior Soul Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-warrior-soul-podcast/id1096901382?mt=2
Listen to the Warrior Soul Podcast on the Web: https://warriorsoulagoge.com/blogs/podcast
To join the Warrior Keto Program: http://www.warriorsoulketocamp.com
For Warrior Soul Apparel: http://www.warriorsoulfitness.com
Scott Huesing is a Marine's Marine. After enlisting at age 18 and serving in the first Gulf War, Scott returned to the Marine Corps as an officer. His path eventually led to his command of Echo Company 2/4 in Ramadi. Iraq in 2006.
Scott's recent book Echo in Ramadi is a highly acclaimed account of his Marines and the work they did in Ramadi and the Al Anbar Province in Iraq amid some of the heaviest and bloodiest fighting of that war.
In this conversation, Scott discusses some stories from the book, his perspective on the battle and the war in Iraq, and his perspective on service.
To get a copy of Echo in Ramadi, click here.
Ross and Kara of FBOMB nutrition started their entrepreneurial quest when they saw a distinct problem: so many people were going low carb, but there were very few low carb high fat snack options on the market.
They decided to fill that hole in the market with their FBOMBS, packets containing nut butters and oils that provided a quick and portable snack to low carb dieters.
As with any business story they've had ups and downs, but met each obstacle with grit and determination to help their business to succeed. Now, armed with a new manufacturing facility in Flagstaff Arizona, they are seeking to bring their product to the world, and they want to help US Military service members by sending packs of their healthy snack alternative to troops on the front lines.
If you know of a deployed unit, email us over at info@warriorsoulapparel.com and we will get a shipment of healthy FBOMBs out to them!
Greg Amundson is the founder of Satvana Yoga, Krav Maga Santa Cruz and CrossFit Amundson, all located in Santa Cruz, CA.
Greg is one of the original Crossfit athletes, having started Crossfit in the very beginning under coach Greg Glassman. He's also served as a Santa Cruz County Sheriff, Special Agent with the DEA, and as an officer in the United States Army.
Greg is the author of four books, Your Wife is NOT Your Sister, God In Me, Firebreather Fitness and United States Army National Guard: Tips For Success. Greg is also a minister, highly respected lecturer and educator on such topics as Universal Law, Leadership, Warrior Spirit, and Gods Love. Greg’s Podcast “The Greg Amundson Show” has been praised as an encouraging warrior’s perspective on the Word of God. Greg is currently a Graduate Student at Western Seminary in Milpitas, CA., where he is pursuing a Masters of Divinity.
Thomas Delauer is a fitness model and entrepreneur. He's also one of the smartest people in the fitness industry when it comes to fighting inflammation through proper nutrition. Inflammation causes or exacerbates a number of issues that are prevalent in the veteran community including heart disease, diabetes, and even PTS and TBI. Thomas came on the podcast this week to talk about some easy and inexpensive ways that veterans can become healthier with some very simple nutrition tweaks.
To connect with Thomas:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTdelauer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasdelauer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.delauer/?ref=br_rs
Website: http://www.thomasdelauer.com
Kenton Clairmont is the founder of Train to Hunt, a company that provides events and conditioning programs specifically for hunters. A former professional baseball player, Kenton combined his love for athletics with his love for hunting. These challenges and conditioning programs are a great way for hunters to stay in shape year round. We spoke to Kenton about how he thought up Train to Hunt along with his success secrets including his daily routine and training schedule. This was an awesome conversation and hunters and non-hunters alike will find a lot of value here.
President Trump recently discussed the right to try in his State of the Union address. The right to try pertains to patients with terminal diseases who wish to try alternative medicines with the blessing of the US Government.
In this podcast we discuss different alternatives for a non-terminal disease that affects many: anxiety. Anxiety affects many Americans and though it is not classified as a terminal disease it can lead to chronic disease and depression.
Matt and I discuss the use of psychedelics as well as their impact on anxiety and athletic performance as well as non-drug induced techniques for achieving altered states of consciousness that could increase performance.
Matt's Web Site where you can book your own consultation -http://www.12amlabs.com
Matt's recent article about this subject: SOUL X SPORT Article
-Matt Specialize in health restoration, health/fitness optimization, athletic performance, and addiction/stress/trauma wo
-IG: @12amlabs
-Books: The Oxygen Advantage, It Didn’t Start With You, The Body Keeps The Score, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers,
One of the greatest tragedies of fitness is that many normal, everyday, and hard working people have been tricked into thinking that they don't have time to be fit. This short podcast speaks about an article on the Warrior Soul Agoge called 5 PRACTICAL FITNESS TIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH BUSY (REAL) LIVES.
In 2007, Lieutenant Joshua Mantz was on a dismounted patrol just outside of Sadr City in Iraq. As he was standing in front of Staff Sergeant Marlon Harper, a sniper fired a large caliber round from a nearby building. That round passed through Staff Sergeant Harper's chest, killing him instantly. That same round hit Mantz in the leg, severing his femoral artery. Though wounded, Mantz attempted to assist Harper before noticing that he was also gravely wounded.
Mantz began fighting for his life until he flatlined. Mantz was dead for 15 minutes before a determined US Army medical team was able to revive him. Miraculously, Mantz did not suffer brain damage and he was able to return to his deployed unit in Iraq 5 months later. He continued to serve in the Army, reaching the rank of Major, until he was discharged due to severe Crohns Disease.
But though Mantz had healed from his physical wounds, he was not healed. Throughout the rest of his military career and into his civilian life, Mantz struggled with darkness, depression, guilt, and shame regarding his recovery in the shadow of the loss of his soldier. As a high profile spokesman for the military's behavioral therapy program, Josh was able to hide his pain behind the shield of his story. It was not until he was able to integrate this darkness into his life that he truly began to heal. His book, The Beauty of a Darker Soul chronicles his journey and he's made it his mission in life to help others recover from their own invisible wounds.
Shawn Baker is a former professional rugby player, a US Air Force veteran, and an orthopedic surgeon. He is also a leading spokesman for one of the most controversial diets out there: the carnivore diet. Shawn is over 50 years old, he's big, lean, strong, has records in weightlifting and concept 2 rowing, and he can still dunk a basketball. He says he's in the best shape of his life since he switched to consuming nothing but red meat.
Nick Santonastasso was born with a rare genetic condition called Harthan Syndrome. At the time, he was one of only 12 babies that had been born with this condition. Nick has no legs, one arm, and only one finger.
But Nick never let that stop him from following his dreams. Nick has competed on the varsity level in high school wrestling, competed in bodybuilding, and developed a massive social media following for his light hearted and inspirational videos. If you check out his Instagram account, you'll find videos of him lifting weights, playing football, and hanging out with celebrities like the Rock.
We got to sit down with Nick and discuss his life, his future, and his message to anyone out there who thinks that they have limits.
For the video version of this interview, click HERE.
Amputations are an unfortunate product of our modern wars. Luckily, with better medical technology, we are lucky to keep more wounded warriors alive and living productive lives. As we see with some, like Rob Jones, they can even go on to do extraordinary things that even people with all their limbs cannot do. The problem is that these warriors go through so many challenges when it comes to phantom limb pain.
Amira Idris is looking to give her revolutionary pain relieving device away to 80 veterans who are willing to provide information on how well the device works. If you are interested you can contact her directly at info@weartherav.com.
Ok, picture this. It's 3pm. You have 30 things to do on your to do list and not one of them is checked off. You've been playing cleanup - dealing with phone calls and texts all day long. Your wife wants to spend time with you tonight, but it's gonna be rough. Working out? That's a laugh. You don't have time to breathe.
In this episode we talk about setting up your schedule so that you can win the day. This involves finding time in your day to do the things that are important to move you forward, and compartmentalizing the firefighting activities you have to do i.e. solving everyone else's problems into a space that doesn't interrupt the things you need to do to move forward and succeed.
Rob Jones served as a US Marine Corps Combat Engineer in Iraq and Afghanistan. While clearing IED's during a deployment to the Sangin District in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, Rob stepped on a mine. His injuries resulted in him losing both of his legs above the knee.
During his recovery, Rob became interested in competing in sports. He began training in rowing, and eventually competed for the US Paralympic Team at the 2012 Paralympic Games winning Bronze with his partner Oksana. Seeking more challenges, Rob undertook a solo supported bike ride from Bar Harbor, Maine to Camp Pendleton, California in 2013. Recently, Rob completed 31 marathons in 31 days and raised thousands of dollars for charities including the Semper Fi Fund.
Rob continues to raise money and awareness on veterans issues and speaks at events around the country.
US Marine Corps Veteran Antonio Centano is the creator of the wildly popular YouTube Channel Real Men Real Style where Antonio delivers videos packed with information on style, social skills, and tips for success in business and life.
This interview is packed with information on lessons Antonio learned in his transition out of the Marine Corps and in his climb to business and media success.
Antionio's Bio:
Scott A. Huesing is a retired USMC Infantry Major with over 24 years of service, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer. His career spanned 10 deployments and he conducted operations in over 60 countries worldwide. During his numerous deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa he planned, led, and conducted hundreds of combat missions under some of the most austere and challenging conditions.
As a Marine Infantry Officer in 2006 Scott had the privilege to command Echo Company, 2d Battalion, 4th Marines as part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC) while attached to 1-9 Infantry Battalion ("Manchu"), 1st Brigade Combat Team (1 BCT “Ready First”), United States Army (USA) as part of the Surge Strategy in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Every year thousands of veterans leave military service to head off into the civilian world. Many go to college or straight into private sector jobs. Either transition leads to a new environment, new people, and new opportunities to make new friends.
But many veterans have expressed frustration at their transitions and the lack of a new network of people they can count on. For this episode, we've invited one of the top experts on social interaction in the world to come on and speak about things veterans can do to increase the quality of their social circles and find strong relationships that will help them forward toward their goals. His name is AJ Harbinger and he's the CEO and co-Founder of the Art of Charm along with his co-founder Jordan Harbinger.
Together with his team, AJ has coached, trained, and mentored thousands of students in the art of social dynamics using a science based approach.
To find out more about AJ and the Art of Charm's training opportunities: https://theartofcharm.com/
To catch up with AJ and the AOC community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheArtofCharm/
SO YOU’RE LOOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT. IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU WORKED OUT. YOU STOPPED SOME TIME AGO BECAUSE THE MAIN REASONS YOU TRAINED AND ATE WELL ARE NOW IN THE PAST. YOU’RE NOT CHASING TAIL ANYMORE, AND YOU’RE RIDING A DESK, OR A PIECE OF MACHINERY, OR A CAR SEAT MOST OF THE DAY. AS FAR AS FOOD GOES, YOU’RE AT THE WHIM OF YOUR WIFE AND YOUR KIDS AND WHAT THEY WANT, OR WHATEVER YOU CAN FIND LYING AROUND AT WORK. YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE RIGHT NOW.
But the other day something happened. You were in the bathroom and you looked in the mirror. The person standing there was someone, but it wasn’t you. Well it’s definitely not who you want to be.
And then, you remember. You remember what it was like to have your whole life in front of you. You remember the thrill of being admired. How people used to look at you when you were young and full of energy. But now, at this moment, you have problems with your wife even noticing you when you walk across the house.
And here’s the thing: you’ve probably got a lot of years left. If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or even your 50s, you’ll probably be living at least as long as you’ve lived so far, but you’re wondering what those years are gonna be like.
It’s amazing how many men give up on themselves once they’ve settled down and had families. We get married, have kids, and something in our minds click that tells us that we shouldn’t be taking care of ourselves anymore.
But that’s faulty logic. To be a good father, a good husband, good at your job, or good at anything, you need to be at your best. No one wants a parent or a spouse that hates himself or his life, and despite how much you may try, it’s really hard to cover it up if you do.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
One of the biggest problems is that you feel resigned to your fate. Like there’s no way to improve yourself considering the life you currently live. You don’t have the time, the money, or the energy to get into shape, and being in shape isn’t your priority.
Well here’s the truth of the matter … that’s a lie. And the worse part of it is that no one else told you this lie. It wasn’t the government, your wife, your boss, or your parents. It was you. You told it to yourself to justify giving up. You may be miserable, but being miserable is easier than being happy. Being happy is actually difficult because it takes work to get what you want and to create the life you want to live.
So here’s your red pill/blue pill moment. You can either continue the way you’re going and nothing will change, or you can follow the tips I am about to give you and put yourself on the path to changing your life for the better. The choice is always yours.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME, MAKE TIME.
There’s only one reason why I’m able to be an entrepreneur: I get most of my work done when others are sleeping. For example, I wrote this blog during an early morning writing session at 4:15AM. I do all of my writing in the early morning because the rest of my day is filled with phone calls, meetings, and other people trying to impose themselves onto my day. If I tried to work from 9 to 5, I wouldn’t get anything done. But when I wake up at 4:00AM, it’s like I have superpowers. I get more done between the hours of 4:15AM and 8:15AM than I do for the rest of the day. Then, after that’s done, I go and I train.
Before you go crazy, I’m not telling you to wake up at 4:00AM. I’m simply telling you that there is a time in your day where you can get some exercise in. It could be in the early morning. It could be on your lunch hour. It could be in short 10-15 minute spurts throughout the day. Or it could be on your living room floor at night while the rest of the family is watching TV. Wherever that time is, find it.
UNDERSTAND THAT TRAINING DOESN’T NEED TO TAKE HOURS AND IT DOESN’T REQUIRE A GYM.
It doesn’t even need to take a half-hour. You can do 100 burpees in 15 minutes. You can do a kettle bell tabata circuit in 4 minutes. You can do a pushup series in 10 minutes. You can work on your pull-ups a couple of minutes at a time several times a day by putting a pull up bar on a door you pass through regularly. If you truly want to get in shape, but you don’t have time to spend hours in the gym, invest in a kettle bell, a pull-up bar, or some dumbbells. Or don’t invest at all and just do some bodyweight work. Training is free and it can be done anywhere. If you need ideas for workouts, we give non-gym workouts daily to people who sign up for our free fitness academy, and you can sign up here.
DON’T MAKE DIETING COMPLICATED.
If you listen to most fitness experts, they’ll tell you to start your diet by counting every gram of protein, carbs, and fats. Yes, meeting your macros and getting yourself into a calorie deficit is a really effective way to get lean, but it’s only effective if you put the time in to doing it. Otherwise, you’re stuck in a never ending cycle of telling yourself that you’re going to start your diet without ever actually doing it. What you need to do is to break your diet down into the simplest terms possible. Eat mostly vegetables at each meal. About 2/3 of your plate should be covered by them. Have a serving of protein about the size of the palm of your hand. If you’ve worked out that day, have a serving of potatoes or rice at about the size of your palm, but only at the meal after your workout. These are very simple rules, but they are effective.
DRINK WATER
Being dehydrated can decrease your mental and physical performance by up to 50%. It steals your energy, and when your energy is down, you start to crave junk. Dehydration can also increase insulin resistance and increase your potential for fat storage. As a rule, drink half your bodyweight in fluid ounces of water, plus an additional 10 ounces. Keep water around you at all times. Carry a bottle with you wherever you go.
ELIMINATE SUGAR
I don’t like telling people that they can’t eat things, but you really shouldn’t eat sugar. By sugar, I do not mean fruit. You shouldn’t overeat fruit, but having 1-2 pieces of fruit a day can be beneficial, and eating whole fruit will also give you a good source of fiber. But avoid fruit juices. There is no fiber in the juice and you’ll get as much sugar from it as drinking a soda. Avoid candy bars, cakes, ice cream, and the candy tray at work. Sugar will steal your energy, ruin your insulin sensitivity, and add to your fat stores like nobody’s business. Does that mean you can never enjoy dessert again? No it doesn’t. It means you can enjoy dessert even more, when you have it on special occasions.
CONCLUSION
These are the five simplest things you can do to turn your fitness around. I say simple, not easy. Doing these things will require discipline and willpower, but these things are simple in that they require simple decisions on your part. What I want you to understand is that your health, your fitness, and the quality of your life as you get older is largely in your hands, and that it is realistic for you to regain control over your body.
I also want you to realize that it is worth it. Years put back onto your life make it worth it. Opportunities to enjoy life and to be happy make it worth it. The ability to function properly for the rest of your time that you are on this Earth definitely make it worth it. Your possessions mean nothing if you cannot enjoy them, and your family will be better served if you are healthy and happy.
Finally, understand that this is not an exhaustive list. What I had laid out here is a way to get started. If you want to know more about optimizing your mind and your body, check out our basic courses at www.warriorsouleducation.com.
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While serving as a Marine Corps officer, Jack Somers found his military career cut short abruptly when he began experiencing seizures while on deployment.
Needing to find a new career, Jack became a real estate agent where he found himself knocking on doors trying to find leads on a daily basis. Then Jack got an idea: he could take the expertise he gained in his real estate career and help service members who needed to relocate. The idea for Relobase was born.
Today Jack serves as the President of Relobase, a full service company for US Military Service Members who need relocation services for bases throughout the US.
This was an amazing conversation and we get deep into Jack's journey and the obstacles he's overcome to build his business.
To learn more about Jack and Relobase, visit http://app.relobase.com/#/home
To learn more about the Stanford Ignite Program for Post 9/11 Veterans, visit https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/stanford-ignite/campus/post-9-11-veterans
Josh Lindstrom is a retired Special Forces Green Beret who suffered a career ending Traumatic Brain Injury in 2012. Emily Hightower is a Breathing and Yoga specialist who works with challenged athletes to improve their performance. Together they've adapted breathing and mindfulness techniques to help veterans to improve at specific sports like Archery and to help them gain better mindsets and healing.
Plant medicines have been used for thousands of years and in many cultures and did not carry a social stigma until very recently. In this episode, we discuss uses of this medicine to treat veterans who have returned from combat for PTS, Depression, and other common issues affecting the veteran population.