Ground Zero Fitness

Sam has a vendetta against helping the elderly put their groceries in their car. Furthermore, he doesn't even help his grandpa with picking things up.

Jokes aside, Kyle and Sam discuss why strength training is so beneficial in the long term and how our personal experiences reinforce why we should all be training for a lifetime.

In this episode of Ground Zero Fitness, Sam and Kyle expose the prevalence of misleading fitness programs and share crucial insights on navigating through the noise to find trustworthy fitness guidance. We uncover red flags to watch out for when evaluating programs that promise unrealistic results or employ questionable methods.

Sam and Kyle offer practical tips to help listeners separate fact from fiction, highlight the importance of critical thinking, research, and seeking trusted sources of information in an industry filled with misleading claims.

Join us as we empower you to make informed decisions and achieve genuine, lasting results.

In this episode of Ground Zero Fitness, Sam and Kyle tackle the often overlooked topic of what to do when you find yourself in a training limbo—whether it's taking a break from a structured program or intentionally stepping back from intense strength training.

We share practical strategies and insights on how to maintain your fitness momentum even when you're not following a strict routine.

Sam and Kyle dive into the importance of mindset shifts and setting new goals during these transitional phases. Additionally, we provide valuable tips on maintaining muscle mass, preserving strength gains, and avoiding the common pitfalls that can derail progress during these off-program periods.

Whether you're currently on a training break or contemplating one in the future, this episode will equip you with practical tools and strategies to keep your fitness journey thriving.

Join hosts Sam and Kyle in this episode of Ground Zero Fitness as they dive into the world of powerlifting. We discuss the importance of standards and benchmarks specifically for the squat, bench press, and deadlift (SBD) lifts. Sam and Kyle share insights, experiences, and practical advice on setting realistic goals, improving technique, and overcoming challenges in these lifts. They break down the standards for different experience levels, body weights, and genders, empowering listeners to unlock their true strength potential. Tune in and embark on a transformative episode that will inspire you to reach new heights in your strength training journey.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced lifter, this episode will empower you to set and achieve realistic goals in your SBD lifts. Join Sam and Kyle on Ground Zero Fitness as you unlock your true power and reach new heights in your strength training journey.

In this episode of "Barbells and Business," join Sam and Kyle as we delve into the inspiring journey of Sam, an ambitious entrepreneur who turned his passion for fitness into a thriving gym business. With a year and a half of experience under his belt, Sam shares valuable lessons learned from the highs and lows of launching and managing his own gym. From finding the perfect location to building a strong brand and attracting dedicated members, Sam reveals the strategic decisions, challenges, and triumphs he encountered along the way. Tune in to gain insights into the mindset, dedication, and innovative approaches that propelled Sam's gym from a mere idea to a flourishing fitness hub. Whether you're an aspiring gym owner, fitness enthusiast, or entrepreneur seeking inspiration, Sam's story and the lessons he imparts are sure to leave you motivated and equipped to embark on your own path to success. Get ready to lift weights and business wisdom with this episode of "Barbells and Business: Sam's Lessons from Launching a Gym."

In this episode, get ready to unleash your lifting ambitions as Sam and Kyle spill the beans on their all-time favorite exercises. We take you on a journey through the most effective lifts tailored to your specific objectives, breaking them down into three crucial categories: compound, supplemental, and accessory exercises.

Discover the lift selections that fuel their fitness passion and learn how these exercises form the cornerstone of a successful training regimen. From building brute strength to sculpting the perfect physique, they reveal their tried-and-true exercises for maximum gains.

Join in as we share our favorites and offer valuable insights on how these exercises cater to your goals. Whether you're a seasoned lifter seeking new inspiration or a beginner embarking on a fitness journey, this episode is your gateway to unlocking your full potential.

Welcome to the Ground Zero Fitness podcast, where we explore everything related to strength training and fitness. In this episode, titled "How Much Exercise is Too Much?", Sam and Kyle delve into the topic of exercise volume and how much is necessary to build strength.

They discuss the minimal requirement of the volume necessary for building strength and provide insights into what happens when you decrease volume but increase strength. Sam brings up an interesting case study of a lifter who decreased volume but gained over 400 pounds in his total, which leads to a discussion on the importance of recovery and how too much volume can hinder progress.

We also offer our perspectives on what's necessary versus extra when it comes to exercise volume, based on personal experiences and expertise in the field of fitness. Whether you're a seasoned lifter or just starting out, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to optimize their training and reach their strength goals. So tune in to "How Much Exercise is Too Much?" on the Ground Zero Fitness podcast now!

Sam and Kyle discuss the age-old question - does cardio kill your gains? If you are someone who loves lifting weights and building muscle, you might be wondering if cardio is really necessary or if it will hinder your progress. Today, we will explore the science behind this topic and give you the facts you need to make an informed decision.

A year and 2 months later ... we're back with episode 45! There's been quite a trend on Twitter discussing the benefits of Barbells vs. Machines. Sam and Kyle tackle the discussion and split it into 2 topics: Which comes first, and which one is less injury prone?

We miss you guys. For the past few months, we were working on our own projects. Catch up and get to know what's been going on with us! 

Sam and Kyle also talk about how lifting won't solve all your problems, but it cant be used as a snowball effect of self-improvement.

P.S., we go down quite the rabbit hole of self-improvement of not only lifting, but life

Enjoy!

We're back. 

Almost a month later, Sam and Kyle are back with another episode talking about warmups. How important are warmups? Listen in as we discuss our takes and what we've learned over the years. The answer may just shock you ...

If you're skinny fat, do you cut or bulk? You wanna build muscle AND drop fat at the same time? What should you do?

Sam and Kyle give you potential solutions you can take ... Instead of ending up in this endless cycle of little to no progress ever made.

Kyle and Sam were both able to successfully impact their families in one way or another, either through getting them to work out or make healthier changes in the kitchen. The both of us discuss the strategies we took, and how you can help your family, significant other, or friends make similar changes to what you may be doing.

Ingri Pauline is a strength training coach that teaches women to be tough, without being a victim to the phases of their body. We talk about:

- Her background as one of the few women to serve & train in the US Navy Special Operations EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) 

- Training prenatal and postpartum clients

- How women should train around their cycles

- Misconceptions with training for women

Check out her socials:

https://twitter.com/IngriPauline

https://ingripauline.ck.page/48207ba619

https://www.instagram.com/ingripauline/

Sam and Kyle sit down with Seth Moldenhauer, a personal trainer that also happens to be a Nurse. He had a sports background of playing hockey, had hip surgery at the age of 17, and was still able to deadlift 500+ pounds. We talk about topics surrounding:

- Broscience vs. Medical Practices

- Filling the gap between the two industries

- Importance of training and habits impacting his relationships

- Deadlifts

Enjoy!

Sam and Kyle sit down with Kolin, better now on Twitter as "Decade investor". We discuss his marathon training and health prioritization and how it has impacted mindset towards investing and wealth. 

Jerry Teixeira is a 42-year old father that's lean, mean, and a jacked machine. He comes from a background of being in the military, becoming obese at 27, worked towards being the healthiest version of himself at 42 years old, and helps teach others how to get jacked at home. We talk about the science and art behind training and nutrition, problems with society's eating habits, the longevity aspect of a healthy lifestyle, and how to optimize your nutrition for a long life.

Buckle up, this is a helluva episode.

Check out Jerry at:

Website: https://bodyweightstrength.fit

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jerryteixeira

Youtube: https://bit.ly/3x10JFG

We might hurt feelings with this episode. If you've been working out for years and haven't seen as much progress as you'd like ... This might be for you. 

Majority of people who are working out have never done progressive overload properly. What do we mean by that? Listen in.

Matias was in a really dark place.

He had moved to Los Angeles from Argentina to pursue his filming career and had gone broke. He lost purpose, drive, and found himself depressed with a magnum in his drawer. Over the course of 7 years he had reprogrammed his mind & body to go from depressed & broken to lean & strong.

We discuss topics around getting out of a dark place, strategies to build for a better future, being skinny fat (or as Matias calls it, normal weight obesity), blaming the sodium when the problem may be elsewhere, and the LONG TERM MINDSET FOR SUCCESS!

This episode is loaded with great information.

Follow Matias @Hormetik on Twitter!

We see it more and more these days. Organic peanut butter cups. Organic freshly squeeze juice. Organic nutri-grain bars. 

The question lies ... Does slapping the term "organic" in front of a food make it healthy?

Sam and Kyle discuss their takes and what YOU should watch out for ...

Haven't checked out Avalon yet?

Find it @ www.avalonsignup.com

A big issue with society is the amount of misinformation that spreads. You see it all the time in Men's/Women's Health magazines, your favourite athletes, or even from other trainers. Sam and Kyle talk about how much weight you can REALISTICALLY lose, how much muscle you can REALISTICALLY build, and better measures for the normal person than taking extremes.

Find us on Twitter @coachkylechen and @samk_strength

If you haven't visited Avalon yet, check it out here: http://avaloncommunity.net/

The age-old question ... You're trying to get in shape, but you don't know WHAT to do. Should I be performing cardio first, or lifting? Sam and Kyle dissect this question and give you a better idea of what's more beneficial for YOU. Listen in and take notes, because this is the most important step for your fitness journey. 

Find us on Twitter @coachkylechen and @samk_strength

Also if you haven't yet, check out Avalon!

http://avaloncommunity.net/

Why should you deadlift? Sam and Kyle discuss the who, where, how, why, and when of Twitter's favorite exercise: THE DEADLIFT. Sam discusses how deadlifts changed his life as well as the 5-step deadlift process that anyone can use to deadlift correctly in minutes!

Sam and Kyle discuss the alarming difference between trainees who take the mind set of "eating and training" over "dieting and exercising". A very important distinction for someone just gettting into fitness to understand. 

Sam and Kyle discuss the daily plan of the "Biggest Loser" contestant who lost over 200lbs before gaining a big portion the weight back. A big problem in the fitness industry is crash dieting to rapidly lose weight and doing endless cardio. People will see success, but they didn't change any of their habits which leads them back to the place they came from without learning anything from it. 

On today’s episode of Ground Zero Fitness, we’ve got an extremely special guest. Touted as the #1 body transformation coach for professionals & executives, ex-corporate worker, and the dude with probably the biggest chest and lats you’ll ever see, welcome Oliver Anwar.

Guest co-host Francis Melia (@CoachFHM) joins us on the show as Sam has been busy with spring baseball. Kyle (@coachkylechen) and Francis talk with Oliver Anwar (@roanwar) about the importance of eating a balanced diet, why muscle is king, the golden body fat % for naturals, why working out the hardest ISNT the best way to build muscle, and fasted cardio is BS.

Francis and Oliver talk about why fasted cardio is BS, the most annoying Twitter trolls, and the funniest things that bother both of them.

Join us on the wild ride of this conversation. It was hilarious, a great time, and you can learn lots from both Oliver and Francis!

In this episode of Ground Zero Fitness, Sam and Kyle discuss whether you should either go Cold Turkey or take things in moderation.

The conversation ends up in an interesting place as it becomes a therapy session for Sam as he realizes his addiction to caffeine.

Listen to this episode to understand how you should start making changes in your life, and what you should go cold turkey in vs. taking changes with moderation.

Follow us @coachkylechen and @samk_strength on Twitter!

Announcing our latest project: AVALON. We are building an incredibly special community unlike anything else that we want all of our listeners to be a part of! The ability to create an online accountability group truly has no borders and unlimited potential for our members.  Tune in to get the run down of what the group offers. 

Sam And Kyle sit down with their new partners, Francis Melia, Ty Todt, and Vilson to discuss our new community we are building that we want YOU to be a part of. 

In this episode, Sam and Kyle discuss what is actually realistic when it comes to fat loss. Lots of online "gurus" advertise clients dropping "30lbs in 1 month" and we explain why this is highly unlikely and they are lying about clients progress. They also talk about how to set yourself up in a deficit, when to weigh and measure yourself, and the possibility that while you may be losing fat, your scale may still be lying to you about what is going on!

You are not fragile. Your body is strong and resilient. In this episode Sam and Kyle discuss how to effectively manage injury, pain, and aches when training. Sam walks through his 4 step process to managing pain that allows you to keep training by focusing on what you CAN do. 

We sat down with the FitFathers: Rob W. James and Shane Fitzgerald to discuss their fitness journeys and how it lead to coaching. Both are busy fathers who have figured out how to balance fitness and family. We get to hear how they find time to train, what that training looks like, and how they have kickstarted healthy habits within their families. This is a great one for any parent struggling with ways to keep yourself and your family healthy and strong!

You can find Shane on Twitter at @FitzgeraldSTA and check out his website: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/FEQ3a9O/upwardlift

You can find Rob on Twitter at @Rob_NBF and check out his website: https://nothingbarredfitness.com/

Sam and Kyle discuss their take on what makes a good gym and why making the right decision is important for your fitness goals. Different types of gyms are discussed: Some are bashed on, while others are commended. This decision should come down to the environment you want commit to and how serious you are about your goals. 

Sam and Kyle talk about what muscle soreness is, whether you should be training for if it’s a byproduct of intense training, how long you should feel sore for, and what to do in order to reduce muscle soreness.

Tune into this episode of Ground Zero Fitness Podcast to learn how to rest, recover, and combat soreness!

Sam and Kyle talk about how to the most bang-for-your-buck equipment & HOW TO work out at home. We touch on two different scenarios: 

1. The ones who don't have much space to work with

2. The ones looking to build a gym in their garages

Listen in as we talk about how you can use:

• Resistance Bands
• Pull-up Bars
• Dip Bars
• Backpacks
• Adjustable Dumbbells
• Calisthenics
  • Exercise variations to raise resistance curve

Enjoy!

We want you to successfully achieve your New Years fitness and lifestyle goals.

• What is your why, and why is it something you haven’t started yet?
  
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative goals
  
• How todays Resolution could be a powerful daily habit 5-10 years from now
  
• How to break down your lofty new years goals
  
• How to get into an Accountability Group
  
• How to negotiate with family members
  

GYM ETIQUETTE. If you’re new to the gym, there are a lot of things that beginners don’t know.

What do I wear to the gym?

What do I bring to the gym?

How do I ask for equipment?

How do I USE the equipment?

How do I ask for a spot?

Sam and Kyle answer all these questions in an information OVERLOADED episode.

This is a great episode to listen to if you have just joined or are thinking about joining the gym!

Sam and Kyle sit down with Coach Francis Melia, a personal trainer and competitive powerlifter from Liverpool, England. Have fun understanding his "Scouse" accent. We discuss his journey into getting big and strong from being a younger man with "man boobs". He discusses his own "flail zone" where he didn't know what he was doing, similar to other beginners, to getting smart with his training to where he is now. He also talks about his Twitter Famous body recomposition on how he bulked up to 260lbs before cutting to 215lbs to look like Chris Hemsworth. We discuss carbs, sugar, and Anonymous accounts giving advice on Twitter. Enjoy!

Francis's Guide packed full of no B.S. Info, can be had here: Fluffy to RIPPED in 18 weeks eBook - https://gumroad.com/l/zrRoo

His online coaching questionnaire (for serious applicants that want to work with him): 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeq6w6cefgBxVP9C8wMjCQafhioHF0gLL0PfmDroHbOa53tQA/viewform

Sam and Kyle talk about how the holiday season is a tough time for people trying to maintain their weight. You celebrate multiple times and have feasts throughout the weeks that seemingly have no end. We discuss topics like:

- The bulk mentality vs. strategically eating mentality

- Eating more of the good stuff, less of the bad

-  Why building proper eating habits BEFORE the splurge makes it 10x easier

Enjoy the holidays!

Check us out on Twitter!

Find Kyle at @iamkylecee 

Find Sam at @samk_strength

Kyle and Sam chat with Marcus Rice, Conquer Training and Fitness. He has built himself a substantial Instagram following that has allowed him to successfully coach 100’s of busy professionals. He has a B.S in exercise science and tons of in-person and online personal training experience. He also is probably one of the most low-key Jacked individuals in the fitness Twitter realm. We discuss his his journey from an athlete into the online personal training realm. He gives us insight into how he helps beginning clients virtually, what traits successful beginning clients have, dives into the mindset and habits of beginners. We also chat about the fun topics like BCAA's, Carbs, and other common fitness trends. 

How to get connected with Marcus:

Twitter: @ConquerClub_

Instagram: marcus_rice

Sign up for his free, 5  day email course: "Discover the 9 fat loss killers that are keeping you from getting lean, strong, and sculpted"

Ebook/Website: 9 Fat Loss Killers: https://conquertraining.kartra.com/page/9FatLossKillers

Sam and Kyle discuss solutions building proper nutrition habits and how to navigate the processed food pandemic, price sensitivity, and family influence.   Sam gives a rant on his systematic approach that listeners can use to stop eating like a child and start eating like an adult using 7 simple steps. 

Follow us on Twitter:

@samk_strength

@iamkylecee

Sam and Kyle talk about the importance of goal setting, how to break down goals, and how to readjust when needed. They also discuss how to build SYSTEMS to achieve your goals instead of just shooting for an arbitrary goal with no plan. 

Follow us on Twitter:

@samk_strength

@iamkylecee

Sam and Kyle discuss the importance of a diet and training, and which one comes first. We talk about what you should start off with, and the easiest step to a healthier lifestyle.

Getting started in fitness, especially if you haven’t been in the gym or worked out before, is a daunting task. We developed this podcast to help listeners get strong, stay strong, and enjoy what life has to offer. We discuss the why and how of strength, nutrition, and health, so people can be better versions of themselves, for a lifetime.

Check us out @iamkylecee and @samk_strength on Twitter.