NEW SERIES: Spartan HEALTH with Dr. Nada Milosavljevic every Sunday Your five senses are your body’s most direct connection to the outside world. They take in information 24/7 whether you know it or not. Harnessing any one of your senses can be a powerful way to stimulate the brain to achieve optimal results. WHAT WE COVER: What are essential o ...…

Are you always 1 step shy from finishing your “mission”? 1 step short of achieving your goals? Today Zach Even-Esh tells you how you can make it over the finish line. Listen, then start taking pride in the challenges while turning your obstacles into opportunities. LESSONS: View your obstacles as opportunities You don’t have to like it, you jus ...…

Setting goals is an important way to keep us accountable to the dreams and desires that we have for ourselves. Goals are an effective way to keep us on track and give our movement structure. Sometimes, however, we fall into the trap of setting insane goals - goals that are unreasonable for our current position and end up hurting us in the long ...…

Watch 2010 Drill Sergeant of the Year puts Joe DeSena in his place. First Sergeant Melissa Solomon has a deep understanding of what it takes to motivate. She should, she’s a top professional.She knows fitness too! 1SG Solomon leads trainings in the Army Master Fitness Course to “create personal trainers in each company of 150 soldiers, to have ...…

Fear is one of those emotions that can significantly impact our choices, behaviors, and ways that we engage with the world. We all have our own set of fears and the intensity to which we feel fear about different things varies as well. One trap that we can all fall into though is the misbelief that the intensity of our fear is a measure of our ...…

34% of his body was burned when the Humvee he was driving hit an antitank mine in Iraq. Do you define yourself by your scars or do you conquer all obstacles with mindset, tenacity and humor. This week we speak with Dancing with the Stars champion JR about the art of adversity and about Joe dancing to Donna Summer. LESSONS Do you follow? Do you ...…

Ben Franklin has a famous quote that speaks volumes: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. What does your day look like? Do you get to bed too late and in turn, your morning is a struggle? Lack of sleep will negatively affect your health, relationships, energy levels and career! Listen to this episode to hear what ...…

Engaging in a mindful practice each day can help reduce stress and increase your performance on certain tasks. But nowadays, individuals are feeling pressured to start this practice without acquiring an understanding of what mindfulness is and how to engage in the process. Simply stated, mindfulness is really just paying attention. It is bringi ...…

You want to shift your paradigm and find optimal health? Get ready to dig in for some hard work: break up with yourself, vision cast and sit down to do some writing. The new Director of Programming at Shrugged Collective and host of the Barbell Shrugged Podcast, wants you to “live a pain free, empowered life through mindful movement,” and take ...…

Do you remember our earlier episode on how obstacles are opportunities? Well, if you’re stressed out, you likely have an obstacle standing in your way which is simply an opportunity in hiding! Here’s how to reduce stress and boost productivity by learning a simply system for organizing your day and week. LESSONS: How to multiply your success by ...…

Shame is a focus on self, whereas guilt is a focus on behavior. When we use language that is self-deprecating and shaming in nature our self-esteem struggles. Shaming language, such as “I’m a failure”, “I’m an idiot”, “I’m a loser”, creates a belief system that our struggles are inherent to who we are and fixed rather than demonstrations of dif ...…

The Managing Director at the helm of Craft Sportswear. He tells Joe what motivated him to a position of success, hint: people told him he wasn’t qualified. This week we learn that when someone tells you you can’t, that can be your fuel to show them just how well you CAN! Lessons: Get past fear in life You don’t need a degree to get to the top W ...…

Have you ever felt like you’re in a slump? The less you do, the LESS you want to do! Take a noter from Tony Robbins; he always talks about “getting into state”. Do 1 thing to move you towards your goal. Move forward, never stay stagnant. LESSONS: Action always beats inaction Think about something you want to get better. Do 1 Thing to move towar ...…

Internal emotional boundaries refer to the boundaries that are required for you to set in order to avoid absorbing and taking on the emotions of other individuals. It’s important for us to set these boundaries so that we don’t become overwhelmed by the other people’s emotions and then become overregulated ourselves. We often need to become inte ...…

An adaptive professional athlete, veteran,and Adaptive Athletes Liaison for Operation Enduring Warrior he has been “Lopezing” friends, comrades and racers sparking their passion and fortitude to conquer the obstacles of life and on the course - over walls, up the ropes and on extended endurance challenges, all with one arm and a ceaseless smile ...…

What’s the most common excuse for not exercising? I don’t have the time! Well, we’re about to show you that you DO have time. Not only do you have time, but there are more options than you know to exercise with just your bodyweight or in your backyard. Opportunity is knocking, as always! LESSONS: You can train in your backyard, in your house or ...…

As a Spartan, resting your body is part of the training program. You rest to reduce the risk of injury, increase performance, and avoid burnout. Your mind, like your body, deserves the same level of attention and mental rest is essential for the very same reasons you rest your body. Resting your mind with intention and purpose gives your mental ...…

Imagine 24 hours locked in isolation in a completely dark shipping container competing to see who can run the furthest on a TrueForm treadmill. Retired United States Marine, Major Brian Chontosh (aka “Tosh”) and three others (John Witzing, Josh Chessman, and Isaiah Vidal ) accepted this challenge to raise awareness around mental health with the ...…

Whoever said you must CLIMB the ladder of success was wrong! You can JUMP the ladder of success thanks to technology and the speed of access you have to information and people who have already achieved what you want to achieve. LESSONS: Learn from the best of the best by finding a mentor. Learn from prior episodes of Spartan UP! Change your env ...…

When we overgeneralize, we tend to create statements and stories that are based on a single event rather than a reasonable amount of evidence. We take one instance and string it out, cutting out possible counter evidence and leaving us tethered to a single moment. Unfortunately, this can lead us to believe things about ourselves that just aren’ ...…

A man who needs little introduction is Paul Teutal from Orange County Choppers. This week we learn how he literally built his business out of the ashes, spent years overcoming obstacles with alcohol abuse and how strong bending steel really makes you. Many may wish for overnight success, but would you be ready to handle the consequence? Lessons ...…

Many of the most “successful people”in the world have a tough back story. They experienced tough times and instead of allowing those experiences or circumstances to define them, they chose to use those tough times to DRIVE them to greater heights. Lessons: Use your tough times to empower you vs over power you Remember that people who are achiev ...…

When presented with both positive and negative feedback, why is it that we tend to focus on the negative? Ninety-nine positive comments followed by a single negative one, can lead us feeling determined to zoom in on the one rather than relish in the glory of the ninety-nine. This is called Filtering and it’s a common way of thinking that has th ...…

Can eating only raw fruits and vegetables improve your performance, health and recovery in racing? This week Myriam and Jacky explain how eating raw vegan has enhanced every aspect of their life - from a decade adventure racing to now conquering the obstacle courses at Spartan. Where can you find protein and what is your body really craving? … ...…

Obstacles can stop you in your tracks or, with the right mindset, you can find the opportunities in these obstacles. Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach has a great quote, all those things that seem to oppose our goals are actually the raw material for achieving them. LESSONS: Write down a list of “obstacles” holding you back in any area of your li ...…

We have a lot of power and control to change our own trajectories. We can pivot at any moment though we often get stuck in certain thinking patterns that become barriers to us shifting direction. One of these thinking patterns is something called all-or-nothing thinking. It is a tendency to think in extremes - I’m either all in, or all out. The ...…

What does it take to mentally conquer any challenge? This week Claudio Alessi, a man with a seemingly endless list of championships and achievements, tells Joe that all of it boils down to service. Joe Desena talk with the Swiss Ski team’s team mental coach who has over 50 years of martial arts training and is a 7 time world champion - he even ...…

I was 19 years old and had just started working at Price Club. I was working for less than a month and was awarded “Employee of the Month”. How did it happen? Simple. I went above and beyond “normal” effort. This is something you can apply to ALL areas of life, not just your work or career. Good enough is the death of greatness. LESSONS: Compla ...…

Our values are a set of principles by which we choose to live our life. Values can not only help guide us towards what we want but they can also be used as a barometer for what truly matters to us. Sometimes, however, we lose sight of our values and find ourselves engaging in behaviors that are not in alignment with our values. This can not onl ...…

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), is the REI of Canada whose founder wants you to be part of the company, find your purpose and GET OUTSIDE! Raised in South Africa and served in active combat in Angola, his toughest challenge was actually finding a job once he moved to Canada. In this episode we will learn how to define ourselves in difficult mom ...…

During an interview I heard with Yanik Silver and Gary Vaynerchuk MANY years ago, I learned a favorite lesson from Gary. It had nothing to do with how fancy your website looks, how awesome your logo is, etc. It’s ALL about genuinely caring. That is the foundation and overall essence of what you do . You can’t fake it. Never take for granted the ...…

Readiness is the state of being prepared to take on a new challenge at any given time. There are two key components of being ready, 1. Your capacity to manage change, and 2. Your willingness to try new things. In this episode, learn about the stories and beliefs that you have about yourself as it relates to these two things and how they may be ...…

She was run over TWICE & still runs with a smile, Amanda Sullivan will teach you to be the candle that banishes darkness. Amanda is someone who runs into the fire, she has worked with little girls who have been sex trafficked, orphans and refugees from areas of natural disaster and conflict, and was hit by a car … twice. Her previous experience ...…

Want to change your life? Books can, especially GREAT books. If you have the common thought of I’m too busy to read, try this simple rule: Just read 2 pages a day. I prefer reading at night but morning, afternoon or night is up to you. 2 pages takes less than 5 minutes and will calm you before going to sleep. LESSONS: Read daily or almost daily ...…

We all carry around wounds, grievances, and past hurts. Some of these are from decades ago while others may be more recent. If we aren’t paying attention what these are they can weigh us down - impacting our choices, behaviors, and relationships. In this episode, learn how to take a look at what’s in your sandbag, understand and explore the wou ...…

7-7-7 World Marathon Challenge: Seven marathons, seven continents in seven days and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this sixty-six year old! Robert and Johnny talk this week about what it means to build a “win” into each day and when faced with struggles and challenges do you “suck your thumb, or suck it up?!” As a former Special Ops Par ...…

You’ve heard the phrase, You are the average of your 5 closest friends. Well, this isn’t news. It’s been implemented in the business world, the Military and even Presidents have used this “mastermind principle” to make one another better. Here’s how: LESSONS: Surround yourself with people who make you better and vice versa. Invest in yourself. ...…

Failure is part of the human experience. We all fail. When we see failure as negative, we are not only less likely to challenge ourselves but we are also more likely to get weighed down by the experience. If you begin to consider failure as both purposeful and positive, you can gain extraordinary wisdom and growth. In this episode, learn which ...…

Find out why Joe De Sena calls this executive coach, the Human Whisperer. Jason helps people to gain self-awareness, to discover blind spots and identify past traumas that are hindering that leap from being a 1 billion dollar company to a 5 billion dollar company. What simple adjustments can you make in your life and in your corporations to sto ...…

Joe and Zach get together to record the first ever Spartan Way episode while discussing a favorite topic at Spartan, Finding Your True North. Your True North is all about discovering your WHY? Why were you put on this earth? What is the 1 thing you are so passionate and excited about that you can keep doing for the next 25 years? If you’re unsu ...…

As much as you may want to, you can’t actually control which emotions arrive at any given time. You can, however, control how you respond to them when you are tuned in and paying attention. Becoming more aware of your emotional state gives you greater agency over your choices, behaviors, and ways of relating. In this episode, learn a simple thr ...…

What does it take to hunt an antelope barefoot in the Kalahari Desert? Run 3,100 miles around the same ½ mile block in Queens, New York for 52 days straight? Or become a Marathon Monk that must complete 1,000 days of consecutive running or be put to death? Find out how this inspired Joe to start Spartan and the persistence and perseverance witn ...…

Can you change the way you think? This week’s conversation is all about how to change the way you think about what is possible and how to create “the most empowering place on earth.” Joe on his perpetual QUEST to rip people off the couch, talks with Impact Theory’s Tom Bilyeu about creating a media platform that empowers people to leverage thei ...…

Feed your mind, shoot for the long odds, look for mentors and draw your ideas out with us at Dodgers Stadium. What does it take to succeed in the software industry? Peter thinks it’s “timing, tenacity, execution and when you’re getting out.” We explore what an infinite blank canvas for intuitive collaboration on the cloud looks like with the fo ...…

Founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? WOW 1 DAY PAINTING, You Move Me, and Shack Shine- Brian shifted the paradigm of “ordinary home services and turns them into exceptional experiences.” This week Joe discusses some shady junk removal of his own, learns the Painted Picture Method of envisioning your vision & how a high school dropout stuck with his not s ...…

From the art of the trade on Wall Street to the trade of art beyond canvas - Brendan Murphy entices you with his positive energy, imagery and outlook on life. A prior professional basketball player in Europe and member of the elite Malibu Mob, he believes his greatest currency is his network of friends. LESSONS: Don’t be afraid to pivot Think b ...…

One of the World’s Fittest Men, began his journey to health at 39. As a full-time ultra-endurance athlete, Wellness Evangelist & plant-based nutrition advocate- he believes we all must “be more audacious in our aspirations.” On this episode he allows us to rethink our relationship with nutrition, our obsession with protein and how to access our ...…

LESSONS:1. You must be ready to receive help. Someone could be willing to help you, but if you're not ready to receive it you will miss it.2. You never know when what you say may have a profound impact on someone.3. Life is not linear.4. Success is not something someone gives you, it's a feeling that comes from within. This episode of “Spartan ...…

Just START, a message from boxing promoter Barry Hearn that can’t be emphasized enough. This episode deserved an encore because we cannot overemphasize the importance of not taking your life for granted. Life is a gift, you must not abuse it. Hearn wanted to be a heavyweight boxing champion, but his path lead him to be a promoter instead. His o ...…