Escape Your Limits

Whether it’s Kobe Bryant, The Rock, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Ferruggia knows that you need to think like an athlete to make the difference in your life. Whether working out, fixing your diet, getting enough sleep or embracing personal development, you can always improve. This episode is a lesson in how to be a better entrepreneur, employee, boss, dad and athlete, from a world-renowned strength and conditioning specialist. Watch the full episode on YouTube  Jason Ferruggia grew up inspired by real life and fictional athletes such as The Ultimate Warrior, Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wolverine and any larger than life figure. His dad was interested in bodybuilding, and Jason gravitated towards lifting, motivated to train in-line with the innovative ethos of Dorian Yates at the time. He went to college with the intention of one day hosting SportsCenter on ESPN or directing films, as a communications major. However, it didn’t take long before he got bitten by the iron bug and ended up on pace to makin

As well as UFC fighters, celebrities such as Chris Hemsworth and many athletes, Da Rulk is responsible for training heroes – firefighters, Navy SEALs, SWAT team members and other first responders. His inspirational ethos of “always can” allows him to cultivate a team mindset that proves that while fitness isn’t easy, anyone can do it.   Watch the full episode on YouTube  Da Rulk has an impressive list of credentials including a BSc in kinesiology and certifications in strength and conditioning. His list of clients is even more remarkable, courtesy of elite military personnel, mixed martial artists and first responders. But it’s his humble nature that makes Rulk even more influential. He knows that fitness is hard, and his method of working out – Raw Functional Training – makes you embrace the grind and push through it to succeed in anything. The fundamental part of RFT is building on great foundations to help your future self. For example, as an entrepreneur if you don’t have those fundamentals of hard work,

An internationally renowned icon of corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology, just one conversation with Paul Chek, founder of the CHEK Institute, is never enough. A previous guest on the Escape Your Limits podcast, Paul returns to offer more insight into strength, spirit and our place in the universe.  This episode will challenge your beliefs while helping you to embrace others that you didn’t even realise you had. Paul’s full mind, body and soul approach to fitness and wellbeing is enlightening and inspirational, and we’re lucky to get a second bite of the apple.   Watch the full episode on YouTube Paul Chek is a world-renowned expert in the fields of corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology, stress management and holistic wellness. For over 30 years, Paul’s unique, integrated approach to treatment and education has changed the lives of many of his clients, his students and their clients. By treating the body as a whole system and finding the root cause of a problem, Paul has been su

In this emotional and honest episode, we hear how our guest went on a journey of recovery and pain relief, creating an international business by accident in the process. Following a motorcycle accident, he developed a therapy tool that’s helped everyone from stroke patients to CrossFit icon and fittest man in the world Mat Fraser benefit from an improved quality of life and better performance. For a lesson in beating pain at its own game, along with an insight into recovery and the next generation of fitness, meet Dr Jason Wersland, founder of Theragun.   Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/radT6GFBK14   Jason Wersland grew up on a farm in Utah, embracing the resourcefulness of day-to-day life and watching his neighbor, a chiropractor for the Utah Jazz basketball team, who inspired him to follow the same career path. To begin with Jason worked for people for free to learn the ropes of the chiropractic industry, and it didn’t take long for his skills to develop along with a real dedication and

Wendy Coulson is responsible for developing thousands of instructors in the fitness industry. Through a passion for collective leadership in the global giant that is Les Mills, her position as CEO for the UK and Ireland is built on brilliant branding insight, innovation, staff engagement and trust. Through these incredible efforts she’s helping lead the charge towards a fitter planet. Watch the full episode on YouTube   Wendy Coulson left school and started in the management development scheme of the banking sector. During this time, she qualified in group fitness and PT, spending weekends upskilling herself and eventually deciding it was a better option to follow fitness as a career born from passion. She got a job in Fitness First, opening the chain’s eighth club. Her experience in banking established core skills and competency that she brought to the fitness industry during years on both the supplier and operator sides  Wendy is passionate about collective leadership and everyone coming together, contribut

With FightCamp, Khalil Zahar has not only created an incredible product that’s valued by MMA, boxing and martial arts athletes worldwide, but he’s grown his venture to build and nurture a community like no other. This ‘Peloton of boxing’ is a martial arts-centric, full body workout programme backed by world-leading technology to bring physical and mental benefits to anyone, pro fighter or family fitness fan.    Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/7EMCebwnlzo   FightCamp is a story of evolution following Khalil Zahar’s personal journey in learning how to box. He fell in love with the sport and saw quick progression and improvement until he reached a plateau.   Not being able to find a dedicated way to efficiently track his boxing progress and see tangible improvement, Khalil originally founded Hykso, a company that produced sensors and software to track punches and effort metrics – number or type of punches and speed – during boxing workouts.   Through continual development and not being scare

Bill Parisi is a pioneer of performance in sports and athleticism. His understanding of how to coach for speed, power and agility is at the core of his world-class programming. Now, he’s diving deeper into what the human body is capable of through a new fascination with fascia and how it inspired a new level of physical ability. Unlocking the secrets of better athletic achievements, day-to-day posture and even how fascia training can help fight cancer, this episode is a lesson in resilience and how our bodies are more like plants than machines. Watch the full episode on YouTube   An all-American in track and field, Bill Parisi went on to start his youth training franchise at age 24, having now trained over 650 thousand athletes with his world-class programming and presentations, from NFL teams to huge industry icons such as Nike. After an injury brought an end to his Olympic javelin dreams, Bill was $50,000 in debt and started his entrepreneurial venture by buying a van and driving around to take on clients i

A pioneer of fitness in Asia, Eric Levine has a passion that’s driven him to truly understand members, customers and clients. His career over four decades has taken him from positions where he would have worked for free because he loves fitness and knows how to get results through genuine care, to growing hundreds of clubs in multiple countries around the world. This episode is a lesson in adding value in every aspect of your business. Through branding, marketing, empathy and impressive results, you’ll hear how to motivate different cultures and communities for universal fitness success.   Watch the full episode on YouTube     Growing up in Montreal, Eric’s father was a businessman and an athlete – a national water polo and volleyball player. His family was all about health. Eric was even bought a weights set when he was just 12 years old. At 16, Eric’s first job in fitness was in a chain of spas as a non-certified trainer. He fell in love with the industry. From such an early age, Eric appreciated that busin

Mark Mastrov has done it all in fitness and beyond. Building an empire, including one of the biggest chains in the world, his involvement in brands and markets such as 24 Hour Fitness, UFC GYM, Crunch, NFL associated training centres, NBA ownership, eSports and countless others prove his model for success works and his work ethic cannot be beaten. Humble but determined, Mark Mastrov has written the manual on making money in the fitness business. With simple systems for personal training, operations, sales and management, he’s backed his teams around the world to grow careers and profit margins time and time again. There’s no better to talk to for episode 100 of the Escape Your Limits podcast! Watch the full episode on YouTube   Mark was told that he’d need to keep his knee in shape for his whole life after an injury in college. He started working at a small gym in return for free membership and soon fell in love with the business. An opportunity arose to invest in the gym with money he borrowed from his grand

Rick Richey not only owns the WeWork of fitness but has co-founded the first studio in the world to use technologies that help fight cognitive stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation. His mission? To restore your body, reboot your mind and reshape your system. Used by NBA players, UFC and Bellator fighters, and other professional athletes, ReCOVER NYC also offers the value of great recovery to anyone in search of better wellness. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson in longevity. Watch the full episode on YouTube Dr Rick Richey is a master of understanding how the human body works for the healthiest, natural results from any effort. He not only owns a chain of gyms with some of the best trainers that New York has to offer in the WeWork of fitness, but he’s pioneering self-care with the world’s first recovery studio. Host of the official podcast of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and co-host of the Omnia Fitness podcast, meet Rick Richey, owner of Independent Training Spot and co-fo

Jay Wright has built a business based on passion not only for the design of buildings around the globe, but also for the human body. Creating beautiful gyms, high-end luxury condominiums hotels and consulting for developments in many other world-class locations, The Wright Fit elevates experience everywhere it touches for the future of fitness. Creating opportunities to run, jump, lift and carry things, Jay and his team are naturally battling sedentary lifestyle trends with incredible fitness environments and training for life. Watch the full episode on YouTube   Formerly co-owner of the largest private training gym in Manhattan, Jay Wright has designed fitness spaces and wellbeing facilities for some of the most iconic locations in New York City, including 15 Central Park West and JFK Airport. His lifestyle brand continues to educate clients across the country with holistic design, consulting, management and operations expertise in luxury gyms and residential projects. Designs aside, today’s Escape Your Limi

Cuoco Black came from a background of engineering and natural bodybuilding to rise an icon of interior and conceptual design. His work stands as a playbook for innovation with exciting branding that’s respected around the world. An Italian American, Cuoco also “recalibrated” his artistic ability after a professional visit to Paris, understanding how intellectual, cerebral, artistic and academic design can be, through a mix of the technical with the creative, blended together. Alongside his mission of trying to bring humanity back into fitness and wellness, Cuoco Black is breaking the mould of gym design, sharing his secrets in this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast.   Watch the full episode on YouTube    Cuoco Black grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. He studied engineering-based subjects before an epiphany led him to discover his passion for interior and architectural design through activities both in and out of education. He started teaching the subject, which gave him a good understanding of the

Charles Chen’s weight loss journey saw him lose 100 pounds before continuing his discipline to help others and rise up as an influencing businessman in his own right. His ventures have drawn interest from serial entrepreneurs Gary Vee and Tom Bilyeu, motivational speaker Gabrielle Bernstein and he’s now moving into the corporate world, working with companies such as Microsoft and Google.   Watch the full episode on YouTube.   A chef and wellness entrepreneur, Charles knows how to fuel his success in every respect. Host of Kitchen Hustle, creator of Dinner-Club, and founder of wellness media company Zzeal, he also appreciates the importance of bringing value to an audience.   Episode highlights  Why you should always be creating content instead of sitting around and waiting for opportunities to come to you. The explosion of growth in markets such as the emerging CBD industry, and how these are going to affect the food industry. How Charles’ focus on food has developed from a need to heal himself, having lost

This week we meet a man who has not only brought in £50 million in revenue and stood alongside the most famous figureheads and influencers – including sharing the stage with American presidents – but he offers tools and techniques that that change lives. His courses offers insights and implementation of how businesses can improve their message, deliver the ultimate presentation, or discover a new level of understanding in anything they do with world class public speaking, free online classes and coaching at all levels. Not only does Andy Harrington show how he’s a master of mindset, marketing and message, but this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson in the most important skill you can improve.   Watch the full episode on YouTube   Andy Harrington travels the world teaching business owners and entrepreneurs to unlock a secret revenue stream that they never knew existed. Creating new leaders at every event, he breaks clients out of a limited mindset to increase their earning potential by turni

Frank Zane agreed to this special follow-up episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast to give us even more insight into the life of a Mr Olympia icon. He tells us behind the scenes secrets of the Pumping Iron era, Gold’s Gym and working out with Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as how bodybuilders regularly helped each other improve, despite competitive nature. This is the life of a constant creator, improving muscle, music, body and mind.  Watch the full episode on YouTube   In this two-part episode, Frank Zane returns. His original Escape Your Limits podcast interview has been popular with millions of people on YouTube, social media and blogs across the internet. His insight into maintaining success well into your ’70s, proves that we can all stay strong throughout our lives. Frank is still idolised by people all over the world for an incredible approach to life in both mind and body. His honest, logical and spiritual manner has brought levels of focus and success that most can only dream of, through persever

Frank Zane agreed to this special follow-up episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast to give us even more insight into the life of a Mr Olympia icon. He tells us behind the scenes secrets of the Pumping Iron era, Gold’s Gym and working out with Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as how bodybuilders regularly helped each other improve, despite competitive nature.  This is the life of a constant creator, improving muscle, music, body and mind. Watch the full episode on YouTube    In this two-part episode, Frank Zane returns. His original Escape Your Limits podcast interview has been popular with millions of people on YouTube, social media and blogs across the internet. His insight into maintaining success well into your ’70s, proves that we can all stay strong throughout our lives. Frank is still idolised by people all over the world for an incredible approach to life in both mind and body. His honest, logical and spiritual manner has brought levels of focus and success that most can only dream of, through perseve

A sought after mentor, analyst, advisor and consultant, David Minton, director of The Leisure Database Company has seen it all. Through exploring data, research and insight, he knows what it takes for companies and entrepreneurs to thrive, embracing the catalysts of evolution for member benefit. This deep dive into health and wellbeing is a lesson in understanding of the real state of the fitness industry, through data driven information and years of experience. Watch the full episode on YouTube – David Minton has unique insights to share from decades in health and wellbeing as an analyst, advisor, mentor and fitness futurist. A man that knows the importance of finding your target market, his company has spent years helping operators maximise potential, improve strategies and unlock the secrets to growth. Through customer profiling, site analysis, market data and in-depth reports, he can identify fitness industry intelligence trends for investment opportunities or to benefit members and gym goers before even

Kali Muscle is a master of money and motivation. Whether it’s building his body or building a business, he’s known for outworking anyone. Turning his life around after a prison sentence, he kicked his PT career off at 24 Hour Fitness before ‘making it’ as a larger than life YouTube star, inspiring millions and preaching that there’s no excuse not to get motivated.   Growing up, Kali Muscle was a youth pastor and man of God. At home, he wanted to prove to his mother that he was just as good as his high-flying brother. Through this motivation he became a great student until something horrible happened. His brother committed suicide. As the only man that Kali looked up to, it really affected him. However, despite the family tragedy, Kali he was still incredibly driven. He achieved a scholarship at Fresno as a strong safety in American football, going heads-up against the biggest running backs in the team. Through football, wrestling, or track, Kali would train until nobody else was working, even though he suffer

Kali Muscle is a master of money and motivation. Whether it’s building his body or building a business, he’s known for outworking anyone. Turning his life around after a prison sentence, he kicked his PT career off at 24 Hour Fitness before ‘making it’ as a larger than life YouTube star, inspiring millions and preaching that there’s no excuse not to get motivated.   Growing up, Kali Muscle was a youth pastor and man of God. At home, he wanted to prove to his mother that he was just as good as his high-flying brother. Through this motivation he became a great student until something horrible happened. His brother committed suicide. As the only man that Kali looked up to, it really affected him. However, despite the family tragedy, Kali he was still incredibly driven. He achieved a scholarship at Fresno as a strong safety in American football, going heads-up against the biggest running backs in the team. Through football, wrestling, or track, Kali would train until nobody else was working, even though he suffer

Bret Contreras, “The Glute Guy”, has found a niche and developed business after business in a market where it’s hard to be heard. His workouts, training, books, studies and experience have led him to become a gym-owning serial entrepreneur that’s kicking ass on Instagram.  Whether it’s finding your one rep max or performing reps to failure, this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson in how to dominate a niche in a crowded market. Watch the full episode on YouTube   Bret Contreras’ journey on becoming The Glute Guy began as he wanted to develop his own muscles, motivated by insecurity as a youth. He successfully built his body through strength training, but still needed to get his ass in shape. He studied for a PhD in Sports Science from New Zealand to learn the differences between squats and hip thrusts, so that he can find out what works best. As his passion for posteriors grew, he started putting the time in through personal training, community building, blogging and engaging with countless