Fortis After Hours Podcast

Send us Fan Mail A hurricane hits, the power goes out, training schedules get wrecked, and somehow the barbell is still waiting. That’s the reality of sticking with powerlifting long enough to matter, and it’s exactly why we wanted to talk about longevity instead of hype. We break down the three core things that have kept us in the sport for almost 7 and 8 years respectively. Letting go of obsessi...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re explaining what “redefining strong” actually means to us, why we put it on the wall at Fortis Fitness Studio from day one, and why it’s still the mindset we coach by years later. We start in the world of powerlifting because it makes the problem obvious: it’s easy to believe strong only belongs to the people lifting the most weight. But the platform tells a bigger stor...

Send us Fan Mail Fall is where good training years either get sharpened or quietly slip away. We talk through how we’re approaching the “fall winter arc” with actual targets, real timelines, and the kind of honesty that keeps you progressing when pumpkin season chaos shows up and motivation gets noisy. Liz is four weeks out from a USAPL meet, and the mission is clear: fix the deadlift. We unpack w...

Send us Fan Mail Nate and Liz each share 3 lessons they wish they knew when they first stepped into the gym, and they get honest about the mistakes that slowed progress for years, especially for lifters chasing muscle gain and bigger numbers on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. We dig into the truth behind gaining size: if you want to get bigger, you usually have to eat more than you think, co...

Send us Fan Mail If your training has started to feel like a checklist, that’s a problem you can solve and it might be the difference between a good month and a great decade. We’re Nate and Liz, and we’re back from summer break with a mix of coaching talk and listener Q&A built around one theme: training has to be sustainable, and sustainability often comes from actually having fun in the gym....

Send us Fan Mail Most people can start things. The real skill is finishing, especially when the newness wears off and your calendar gets loud. We talk honestly about why goals stall, how overwhelming thoughts sneak in, and what it takes to keep moving when life is busy. We also share a quick heads up about our summer break and move. We break down two different “brain styles” that show up in real l...

Send us Fan Mail We are making something official that’s been true for years: Liz is the Head Powerlifting Coach at Fortis Powerlifting. She’s the one writing our base team powerlifting programming, building the meet-day spreadsheets, and creating the backend systems that let us handle multiple athletes across flights and still make smart decisions under pressure. We talk through how Liz actually...

Send us Fan Mail I tried my best sounds good, but it can be the most comfortable way to stay the same. We dig into a simple idea from Tim Grover, the trainer known for working with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant: There’s a real difference between trying your best and doing your best, and that difference shows up in your results. We talk through how this mindset plays out in powerlifting and streng...

Send us Fan Mail Chasing strength without solid technique is a fast way to collect injuries and slow progress, and we’ve both lived that lesson. We talk through why technique first isn’t just a coaching slogan, it’s developing the skill that lets you actually express the strength you’ve built in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and even everyday general fitness training. When your reps are clean...

Send us Fan Mail  We just got back from PLU Nationals in San Antonio, and we’re breaking down how we brought a full Fortis Powerlifting crew to a national stage. We talk through why we picked this meet in the first place: location, qualifying totals, and a condensed two-day format that keeps the competition feeling like a competition instead of a week-long convention. Then we get into the details...

Send us Fan Mail We’re closing out our meet prep mini-series with the meet day tips we wish every lifter had before stepping onto the platform, especially with PLU Nationals coming up in San Antonio. From meet day eve packing, to knowing your openers, we focus on the small decisions that keep you calm and consistent when the room is loud, the schedule is tight, and the bar is loaded. We get specif...

Send us Fan Mail Travel can wreck your meet week long before you touch a barbell. We want you showing up calm, fueled, and ready to hit your attempts, so we walk through the unglamorous, simple and powerful details of powerlifting meet travel.  We start with the big choice: driving vs flying. Driving gives you freedom and fewer moving parts, but long hours in a car can leave you tight and tired. F...

Send us Fan Mail One missed rep can hijack an entire peak if you let it. We sit down and get practical about the moment training stops matching the plan, especially when you’re close to a powerlifting meet. We talk about how to tell the difference between a random off day and a predictable readiness issue and give you practical tips on what to do when a lift doesn't go as planned.  There are...

Send us Fan Mail The final block of training. This is where meet prep gets real honest.  The strength is already built, but the outcome on the platform depends on whether your goals match your effort and execution, and whether your daily habits can actually support what you say you want. Nate and Liz kick off a 4 part mini-series called Prepare for the Platform with a practical framework for power...

Send us Fan Mail The last few weeks feel like someone hit fast-forward on our calendar. Fortis is growing, we’re traveling more than ever, and we’ve had some routine shifts as our dog Toby battles dementia. We share the behind-the-scenes of what that actually looks like for strength coaches and competitive lifters: planning attempts, managing warm-up rooms, staying calm when schedules get messy, a...

Send us Fan Mail Skipping warm-ups is the fastest way to turn a good training day into a frustrating one. We want you to have a repeatable warm-up plan you can use for the big compound lifts, whether you train for powerlifting or you just want your squat, bench press, and deadlift to feel smoother and stronger. We map out a clear path to warm up jumps for the Squat, Bench and Deadlift so that you...

Send us Fan Mail Ever felt a rock-solid set turn sketchy in a blink? We’ve been there and that’s why we’re unpacking the real reasons spotting should be a priority when you’re moving meaningful weight. Safety is the first objective, but the bigger story is how the right spotter crew sharpens focus, frees your mind, and actually helps your squat and bench move faster and cleaner. If you’re lifting...

Send us Fan Mail Chasing strength isn’t about guessing the heaviest plate math you can survive today. It’s about picking the right load for the right stimulus so you stack clean reps, build confidence, and show up stronger next week. We dig into the three big ways Powerlifting coaches like to load training: percentages, ranges, and RPE. We break down each method and share where it shines, and wher...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to run a gym with your spouse, coach each other, and still want to train together tomorrow? We give you an insight into our day-to-day, where structure meets spontaneity and turned from chaos into forward momentum. We start with the shift from separate careers to full-time partners and the messiness that came with it: unclear roles, scattered tasks, and no...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what we use for continued success? Today we unpack our favorite things that keep our training consistent and productive: the clothes that match meet-day feel, the shoes that stabilize your base, the pre-workout strategy that fuels hard sets, and the accessories that build muscle where it counts.  We start with the foundation: outfits and footwear that make lifts feel t...

Send us Fan Mail When life throws the unexpected at you, most people ditch the plan. We took the opposite route. Facing months of broken sleep and the emotional weight of a Toby's cognitive decline, we stuck to our routines amongst the chaos, without giving up on training, coaching, or big goals on the calendar. We walk through the real choices that kept us consistent: shifting expectations s...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to stop guessing what to eat and start hitting your goals with less stress? We walk through a practical, no-drama meal prep system for beginners that actually fits your busy week. You’ll learn why prepping just one meal a day can flip your nutrition from chaotic to consistent, and how a few small tools well under $100 remove the friction that makes most people quit. This is...

Send us Fan Mail Resolutions feel great on day one, and then life happens.  We dig into how to make change stick by shrinking big ambitions into small, repeatable habits that slot into your actual routine. From water and protein to planning and posting daily videos, we share practical examples from our lives that prove consistency isn’t about willpower, it’s about design. We break down the differe...

Send us Fan Mail Resolutions don’t fail because people dream too big, they fail because we don’t break them down into small goals we can accomplish every day.  We’re back from a packed meet season with a clear plan for 2026, a fresh 705 deadlift on the books for Nate, and a blueprint you can use to turn ambition into action without burning out. We start with the whirlwind: hosting and coaching acr...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder how a small team pulls off big results without burning out? We go behind the scenes after hours and walk through the real systems that keep Fortis moving: how we split creative and operations, why delegation beats heroics, and what it takes to turn a rebrand from a file on a screen into a painted logo on a gym wall. You’ll hear how a simple choices, can save hours and...