Fortitude Radio

The Journey of Fortitude Strength has been one of great growth and development. From the days of its birth to where it stands today, Cody comes on and talks about what that journey has looked like and all the things Fortitude Strength has gone through over the years. From the seed  it began as, to the tree it stands as now, tune into this latest episode of Fortitude radio to learn more about the history of Fortitude Strength and how it became what it is today!

On this episode of Fortitude Radio we discuss the art of noticing. How often do you go throughout your day without noticing how you feel? How something else makes you feel? The things around you? More often then not you are not taking the time to just notice.The thing with noticing is that it's an actionable thing that you can do. Noticing your emotional, physical and mental state before, during and after any activity will help you connect thought patterns and habits to outcomes–both good and bad. Noticing these things about ourselves CAN result in change.

Why is protein the one thing everyone talks about? Protein is one of the most important nutrients that you should be consuming everyday. The bad thing is most people are not getting enough protein. Check out this episode of Fortitude Strength, where Coach Jess dives into why protein is such an important component of your day to day nutrition!

On this episode of Fortitude Radio we dive into the world of restaurants and talk about why it tastes so good and seems to be the best addiction anyone could ask for. Nutrition coach, Jess Cole, also provides you with some tactics and strategies when ti comes to eating out and staying on track!

Find out why words are more important then just being a means to communicate. They are a tool that can be used for growth or destruction. Listen in to find ways you can use your words to create a better and stronger mindset for success.

On this episode of Fortitude Radio, we talk about Phase 2 and 3 of the client Journey and how it came about. These phases are about building and developing the confidence, strength, and things you need in order to accomplish your goals. So, tune in and learn more about Phase 2 and 3 of the client journey and what it is all about!

On this episode of Fortitude Radio, we talk about Phase 1 of the client Journey and how it came about. This phase is about collecting the necessary data and information needed to create the best plan for you the client. This is part 2 of a 3 part series. So, tune in and learn more about Phase 1 of the client journey and what it is all about!

On this episode of Fortitude Radio, we talk about the general overview of that Journey and how it came about. This is the client journey that everyone who comes to Fortitude goes through. This is part 1 of a 3 part series. So, for this episode we talk about the journey and how and why it was created and take a look at the overall picture!

On this episode we talk about unilateral and bilateral training, what it is, how you should use it, and why it's important. 

On this episode we have Coach Jess talking about her upcoming seminar! There is going to be two dates, times, and locations for this seminar for those that are interested! This seminar is going to take a deep dive into the world of menopause and how to handle things then it comes to nutrition and training. This can be a tricky time for the ladies and so Jess wants to help you take control and get a better understanding when it comes to this time! 

Nutrition is tough and when you add in creating and eating healthy food options things can seem to become even more challenging or take more time. Here's the tool you're missing for your success. It's meal prepping. This can look a million different ways. What meal prepping does is provide you with the success and plan you need to stay on top of your nutrition for the day and week. We take a trip into the nutrition world and talk about how you can use meal prepping to be successful.

Strength is not for just the select few, it's for everyone. Whether you are 20 or 70 years old there isn't a bad time to develop and build your strength. In this episode we dive into the world of strength training and talk not only about how to train strength, but we also talk about the endless benefits that come with it!

On this episode of Fortitude Radio we chop it up with Coach Cody and Steve and we talk about the upcoming language workshop that is happening March 19th here at Fortitude Strength. Tune in to find out how powerful your language really is and what this workshop is all about!

On this episode of Fortitude Radio we chop it up with Coach Cody and dive into the foundation and principles behind Fortitude's training methodology. We talk about three main concepts, practice, training, and competition. What these are and how they apply to the everyday training life and their importance at Fortitude Strength.

To kickstart 2022, we have a WimHof Workshop going down here at Fortitude Strength, so on this episode we talk with the host of the upcoming workshop, Brandon Powell. We dive into the history of Brandon and the WimHof Method as well as what the method is all about. So, take a deep breathe and tune into this one!

On this episode we have an awesome guest, Angelo Sisco, the master mind behind Alpha Hippie. This episode dives into the world of changes as well as navigating things when change comes around as well as how to make things more clear when it comes to "finding your way". Angelo tells his story and walks us through his journey that has brought him to where he is today and how he approached major changes he experienced along that road.

Another beautiful week with a new episode to get things started off. In this episode we chop it up with Coach Steve and talk about Resolutions, goals, and all the thoughts and actions that go with them. Tune in to find out how to take those goals or resolutions that you set at the beginning of the year and make them stick!

Welcome back listeners, it's 2022 which means it's a new year and to start things off we have a new podcast season! To kick thing off we have Coach Steve on the show to talk about the upcoming nutrition challenge that they have going down starting February 14th. This years challenge is a partner challenge and it's going to be the perfect challenge that can kick start your year in the right direction nutritionally! Tune in to find out what the challenge is all about!

If you haven't heard yet, we just recently announced that we are hiring and with that we are opening up an opportunity to not only be hired here at Fortitude Strength, but also an opportunity to grow and develop as coach. This course is for anyone who is interested in making coaching their career or if you are currently a coach this is an opportunity to grow, develop, and become a true professional. In this episode we dive into conversation about what the Coaches Development course is and what it entails. So, if you are interested in this program take a listen and see if this is for you! 

It's another year and it's that time again! For those that have been with us know about this event, but for those that are new we are partaking in the opportunity to participate in the Row-4-dough fundraising event yet again this year! In this episode Cody and Paul, one of the minds behind the event, dive into details about what the event is all about! They go into the history of the event, how it's become what it is today, what the proceeds are going towards, and how you can get involved. So, take a second listen and let us know if you have any questions.   

Want to donate? https://www.classy.org/campaign/giving-back-west-michigan-rowing-fundraiser/c304974 

Tune into this special episode where our new host James Purkey and our very own Steve Graham talk about the upcoming healthy weight loss seminar going down here at Fortitude Strength, September 11th, 12:00 - 1:00 pm. They Talk about who this seminar is for as well as what it's all about! Stick around a listen!  

Back again with another episode of Fortitude Radio and on this episode we are here with Brandon and Keith from Body Activation. They kick things off talking about some of their experience with personal development programs and why they went the route they did. From there, the conversation dives into deep and intense conversations about the body and the web of connection it has with the body as well as their views and interest with the health and fitness world.

Do you know the true power of your breath? It hold a lot more importance within the human body and mind then simply supplying oxygen so we can survive. Our breath can create and open gateways in so many different avenues when it comes to performance both mentally and physically. Brandon Powell, another host that will be here at Fortitude Strength come August 7th and 8th, talks about the world of breathing and gives us a little insight on who he is. 

Want to know more about the upcoming workshop? This episode is for you, today we talk with Aaron Jannetti, one of the hosts of the two day resilience shop, and his side of things and what he is bringing to this event. He also dives into the whole weekend itself and talks about what to expect and some of the things you will be doing. 

If you haven't heard, Fortitude Strength is going to be hosting a two day workshop full of a diverse amount of things that can help cultivate your inner bada**.  On this episode, Mark England one of the hosts of the workshop, discusses about what the workshop entails and what to expect. So, if you are on the fence about signing up for the workshop or have questions this episode is for you. Stay and listen to find out about what's going down August 7th & 8th.

You are going to want to buckle in for this one. In this episode we got the pleasure to talk to Matt Gallo and Ron White, the faces behind the podcast Mind.Heart. Muscle. We talk about how they got started with what they do as well as dive deep into discussion about the coach, values, relationships, growth, and so much more. This episode is packed full, so stick around and give it a listen!

Welcome back to another episode of Fortitude Radio. This week we dive into conversation with the Drew and Joey, the faces behind the brand Few Will Hunt. In this episode we discuss how they came about Few Will Hunt as well as their journey building the brand as it is known and the message they are trying to deliver with their brand.

On the latest episode of Fortitude Radio, we sit down with mentor, friend, and founder of Active Life Rx and Active Life Professional Sean Pastuch to discuss growth and Turning Pro.

Kyle is a leader, business coach, and one of my personal coaches. Kyle empowers communication and culture within the corporate landscape by teaching employees how to use their language to develop and focus on customer experience.

You’ve probably heard the statement “Everything is Everything.” What does that mean? Well, how you show up in one area of your life bleeds into the others.

Have you ever been motivated by the “I’ll prove them all wrong, then I’ll be worthy” mindset?

How did that affect the way that you showed up at home? Professionally? In your relationships? With your kids?

In this episode we dive into how the “I need to suffer” mentality leads to breakdown physically and mentally. How does an injury affect our story? How do your words affect your life?

All the answers to those questions as well as actionable steps that you can begin implementing right now to create a better outcome in every area of your life can be found in this podcast.

In this episode, we are joined by Mr. Mark England. We're rapping about the power of words and every inch of this podcast is solid gold.

 Mark England has been coaching people for 15 years on 1 thing... Language. How the words that we use influence the life that we create. 

Mark is a master storyteller. We diver into how he got into the language game and helped to develop 2 world-class language courses Procabulary and Enlifted. Each helping thousands of people reclaim the power of their words.  Mark leads us through some practical exercises and delivers a truckload of value. 

Bring a pen, you're gonna want to take notes kids. Hell, I'll be shocked if you don't end up listening twice... Yeah, it's that good.

This is one of the most valuable episodes of Fortitude Radio yet! And stay tuned, you're going to be seeing a lot more dope guests and coaches from around the world sharing their unique gifts and insights right here! 

2020 was an interesting year. Today the coaching staff of Fortitude discusses some of the greatest lessons that we took away from last year.

CrossFit Inc. has sold! Greg Glassman is out and the new guy Eric Roza seems to be exactly what the brand needed. Though I imagine you will see a mass re-affiliation from the gyms who had distanced themselves from the CrossFit name initially, Fortitude Strength will not be reaffiliating.

The decision is layered and complex. Hell, we flew the flag for 5 years! We have a tremendous love for CrossFit and a training methodology we do not believe it reflects the brand and methodology that we are creating at Fortitude Strength.

Why? Guess you'll just have to listen to find out.

This week we have a very special episode with Johnny Lopez. Johnny is running for Branch County Sheriff and as a company, we value supporting dope people who are interested in making Coldwater and the surrounding area a better place to live.

In this episode, I give Johnny room to inform all of us why he is running and his background in law enforcement. We're also touching on something that I do not see many local leaders talking about, values. There is a difference between leaders and people who want to be seen leading. I have seen the leadership in this local community sit back and choose to maintain the status quo rather than step up and lead.

We are living in a community desperate for leadership, Johnny Lopez is one of those leaders.

Today we're diving into what Fortitude Strength is. Who we are, who we can help, and what we see on the horizon.

The last few months have created a TON of opportunity for clarity. Check out this episode to find out what that really means.

This episode's theme is adaptation and growth. COVID-19 forced a lot of small businesses to adapt. At Fortitude Strength, we pivoted to online and outdoor training and some local restaurants chose to pivot to pick up and delivery.

It's important to highlight that this adaptation was a choice. Businesses we're given the option to throw a temper tantrum about how 'unfair' it was OR pull themselves up by their bootstraps and innovate. It was more difficult and it was the right thing to do for the community.

Over the years JT's and GM Brian Marteen have made decisions on how to operate the business that aligns with our values of Fortitude, Integrity, and Community. 

We're VERY excited to announce that our partnership will be growing! 

Over the next few months, you will start seeing the Fortitude Strength logo next to some staple menu options that JT's already offers. These handpicked items will make up the Fortitude Strength Healthy Menu Options! 

You'll also see some NEW Fortitude Strength Nutrition inspired options including a sugar-free BBQ chicken cauliflower crust pizza!

We're very excited to partner with local businesses, like JT's Billiard Bar and Grill, who will help us create a better community through strength, fitness, and nutrition.

VALOR is a 90-day program that I’ve created to give men the tools to create a better life.  

Over the last few years, I have noticed a trend in men close to me. A trend of lethargy, complacency, and self-destruction. I’m not sure when it happens exactly but the pieces of the puzzle seem consistent.  The guy gets the girl, the car, the house, the job, the family, or whatever thing(s) that he chased to validate his existence and let him know that he’s “made it”. 

Somewhere between 25-50 years old that guy, who is now a Man, is done. Done reaching, done improving himself, done becoming more, done learning, done attempting to become a better version of himself. He spends the next HALF OF HIS EXISTENCE just waiting to die. 

Most of his relationships have the depth of a puddle. He treats his body like an amusement park living fat, tired, and deeply unhappy. So, he eats and drinks himself to death. All while trying to convince himself (and the world around them) that this really is the life he wants. 

That fucking sucks and for many men, its life. 

 VALOR exists to change all of that. VALOR is built on principles of fitness, working-in, and creating a community of like-minded men. 

The program begins with a 90-day course led by me and the first class starts on June 15th. This is my BETA test group so I’m limiting it to 5. The price of this first group will be the only time it's offered this low and I’m gonna ask for a ton of feedback. If you want to chat about one of the course email cody@fortitudestrength.co

Journaling is a powerful tool for clearing out, rewiring or providing some relief for your mental state.

In this episode, we go through some practical examples and give 3 awesome exercises for you to try!

The fitness industry generates 100 billion dollars annually. Nutritional advice falls into that fitness industry bucket and with more #fitcoaches than actual experts its time for some honest conversations about food. 

Follow the money in any industry and you're bound to find someone trying to cash in on our biological need to solve problems easily. This leads to a ton of misinformation and cleaver marketing "tactics".

It ranges from the way that supermarkets are set up to make you feel good about throwing the Oreos in your cart to food documentaries with million-dollar marketing strategies that convince you to eat only plants.

Don't Eat Like An A**hole is a podcast with a group of nutrition coaches who have decided to share with you our experiences from the hundreds of clients that we have worked with and provide you with information filtered through the lens of our experience. These are our opinions on what you can do to be more successful when it comes to what food you put onto your plate and into your body.

High-quality food is more readily available than it has been at any point in human history. Yet more Americans have died from metabolic diseases (chronic disease) since 2010 than total people around the World died in World War 1 and 2 combined. 

This podcast is our attempt to help you decipher the good from the bad information and combat the bullsh*t that exists around nutrition. 

At 50 years old most people are waking up with a laundry list of aches and pains. Imagine being 50 and in the best shape of your life, let us introduce Jess Cole.  

Jess has been doing CrossFit for 9 years. She has been with Fortitude Strength since the day that we opened the doors. Jess talks all about setting lifetime Personal Records at 50 years old. This is an honest conversation about the long sometimes challenging road to health and fitness. She offers insights into the gym, community, nutrition, positive mindset, family, changing habits, and the relationship that we have with ourselves.   

Jess is an absolute savage in life. She is a high performing professional. A caring and insightful friend/ spouse/ mother/ daughter. And as diligent as they come in regards to creating a F.I.T. lifestyle. 

If you want some golden nuggets of information and pearls of wisdom on how to be a better human being, you won't want to miss this episode.

In this episode, we talk with Elyse Martin, owner of Cloverfield Farms a family run business committed to excellence and service of the community.

Cloverfield is one of the sponsors of our most recent Nutrition Challenge at Fortitude Strength.  Cloverfield is committed to pesticide-free, Non-GMO, Organically minded, sustainable products for consumers. They offer beef, poultry, eggs, and honey.  

Elyse and Cloverfield have even created some bundles for our listeners! You can check them out at https://www.facebook.com/CloverfieldFarmInc/  

We also have order sheets at the gym!

In this episode, I sit down with Berto to discuss his journey at Fortitude including a recent really scary back injury. Not only do we talk about how injury happens, but how we helped Berto get out of pain without taking time off from the gym. 

The reality of using your body in any physical capacity is that injury can happen. It's like talking to a person who rides motorcycles, they say there are 2 kinds of people. The ones who have gone down and the ones who will. Having a good understanding of what we can and should do in relation to our goals is really helpful. Sometimes a setback can actually give us the opportunity to reassess priorities and, in Berto's case, revisit the basics. We rebuilt his hinge pattern, developed some much-needed strength, and shifted our focus to what he needed as an individual. All in only 8 weeks with 1 on 1 coaching and 7 weeks post-injury he was able to do a CrossFit competition pain-free! 

In this episode, Seth sits down with one of CrossFit Angola's Founding Members Kristi. She has been crushing it for a year in the gym, but her fitness journey started long before we opened the doors of CFA. Like most people who come to us, she had hit a sticking point with her old routine where the results just weren't coming anymore and what worked at first wasn't working anymore. It started with fitness and became so much more.

4 months ago Kristi decided it was time to really commit to her body composition goals and she joined our nutritional coaching program. This is when things REALLY started to change for Kristi. In this conversation, we discuss the problems Kristi was having when she joined, what it felt like when she knew our program was working, and a trophy that she keeps as a reminder of her journey.

If you enjoy the episode subscribe to our YouTube channel or check us out wherever you listen to podcasts by searching for A Community That is F.I.T.

Today we get to sit down with Darrell Cox. He has been a member at Fortitude for 2 and 1/2 years. He started group CrossFit class after losing over 70 pounds! But Darrell was still dealing daily with knee pain from a motorcycle accident over 20 years before. We are happy to report that his knee is better than its EVER been today, but the journey wasn't an easy one. There were trials and errors, fears, and weeks off from the gym.

Progress is never linear. It took over 2 years for Darrell to gain the knowledge, strength, and confidence that he has today. And we are happy to be a part of his F.I.T.ness journey.

Enjoy the episode!

This episode does 2 things:

1. Introduces our new Nutrition Coaches at Fortitude- Steve and CrossFit Angola- Ken. These guys have had a lifelong passion for nutrition and recently finished up our education process to begin helping our members with Nutritional education and accountability. 

2. Rolls out the details on our upcoming Partner Nutrition Challenge. On January 18th we are kicking off the New Year right with a 6-week partner nutrition challenge! Check out this episode for all the details.

This week's episode is a VERY special one where I sit down with Gail Doerr. Gail has been a member at Fortitude for almost 3 years now. About 6 months ago, Gail bumped up against something that is many of us who exercise regularly bump up against. Gail got injured.

The ugly truth is that it happens and it happens in our gyms. As gym owners, we try to create as many buffers against injury as possible but as Gail and I discuss sometimes sh*t happens. Gail had some issues that we didn't know were there. Primarily flexibility and mobility related issues that crept in, in part, because we didn't have the knowledge or processes in place to identify them. Then one day, after a simple workout of rowing and box step-ups it was hard for Gail to get out of bed the next day. After trying chiropractors, doctors, and physical therapy Gail was discharged because she wasn't getting any better but she wasn't getting any worse either. She was sent home being led to believe that living with pain that registered a 5 out of 10 was a good as it gets for her.

As a facility owner, stories like Gail's led to countless sleepless nights and almost closed the doors of Fortitude. I got into this to help people, then every few months someone would get hurt and I would ask "What the hell are we doing wrong?" So, what did we do about it? We got better. Honestly, when Gail initially developed symptoms of pain in her low back and hip we did not have the knowledge or resources to help her. Then, we started working with a company called Active Life and all of that changed. Seth and I went to an assessment workshop in Wisconsin and that same week I reached out to Gail to offer her a free assessment just to see if her problem, that no one else could fix, was something that was within our capacities to try and help with. And... It was. 

After the 2nd personal training session, Gail emailed me that her pain was around a 3 consistently and she felt that she had learned more in the 2 hours that we worked together than she did through months of other interventions. After only 8 weeks Gail registers her daily pain between a 0 and 2 when it used to be 5-8!! 

Though she is not done with her custom program yet, I expect to see her almost entirely pain free on a consistent basis very soon. This is one podcast that you do not want to miss.

This week we dive into our On-Ramp process (how we bring new members into the gym) called Foundations.

If you have been a member for more than 2 months, Foundations is different than what you did. It is FAR more individualized and valuable for our members now. 

Here's the deal, we got tired of losing members after the first 2 months because they simply weren't ready to join CrossFit class. We tried to standardize our On-Ramp process and it set a lot of people up to fail once we took the proverbial training wheels off. 

In turn, we lost the chance to help them. For that we are sorry and we are going to do better.

If you know someone interested in joining either gym, this episode will give them an explanation on how we set them up for success.

If you are a previous member who we failed with our old process, we would love to talk with you about how we can help now. Simply email cody@crossfitcoldwater.com or seth@crossfitangola.com and we will reach out to you!

This week we talk about the upcoming CrossFit Open season. This is a very interesting year. It's the 1st and hopefully last time that we will see 2 CrossFit Opens in 1 year. Over the last few weeks, we have had a ton of conversations around and put a lot of thought into the Open and what it means for our gyms and who we are trying to serve. 

In this episode, we will go over the logistics of the when and where we will be doing the Open workouts in our gyms and take a really deep dive into the conversation of helping you determine if the Open is the best thing for you to be doing right now. 

Please, drop us a review on iTunes and subscribe on YouTube to stay up on all the latest info from our Community That is F.I.T.

This has straight up been one of my favorite episodes to date! Seth and I are road tripping to Milwaukee for an Active Life Coaches Workshop and rapping about some of the recent podcasts that we have been listening to when we dive into 2 of the bigger pillars of the conversation.

1. The stories that we tell ourselves about who we are can seem very real in the moment,  but if we lose sight of the fact that they are only stories we lose sight of the potential positive outcomes of changing said story.

2. You have to want it, whatever "it" is, for you more than you want to be where you are right now.

We hope you love this convo! If you do, drop us a review on iTunes and subscribe on YouTube

One of the coolest aspects of CrossFit is that there are over 15,000 affiliates worldwide! This means that wherever you are vacationing or visiting for work, there is probably a box within a few miles. As a member of the community, you can drop into those gyms and take a class. 

In this episode, we talk about some of the great drop-ins that we've had and some of the not so great. It's important to remember that just because a gym flys the CrossFit flag does not mean that we all do things the same. In fact, most CF affiliates run entirely independently so do your due diligence and find a gym that looks like a good fit for you. We also dive into the "emotional" side of movie watching and a unique phenomenon that seemed to pop up sometime in Cody's mid 20's... Getting choked up by movies.