Iron Sights

In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I’m back in the studio with Cece and Ryan breaking down nine practical tips to make your cardio training more effective—without turning it into a science lecture or chasing fitness rabbit holes. Most people approach cardio with the wrong focus. Today we help you reframe how you think about your cardio sessions, what actually matters, and how to stop wast...

In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I sit down with Red Dot Fitness nutrition coach Steven Brenna to talk about essential amino acids (EAAs) and what role they actually play in muscle, performance, and long-term health. We break down what the research says, what it doesn’t, and how EAAs compare to BCAAs—without getting lost in the weeds. If you’re training hard, trying to maintain muscle,...

Today on the Iron Sights Podcast After Dark, I’m sitting down with Billy Barton — a Grand Master USPSA shooter, high-level competitor, and the owner of SpecTrain | Firearms Training . Billy has been on my short list for a long time, and after a few missed connections, we finally made it happen here in California. What makes Billy interesting is not a military or law enforcement background — it’s h...

Training doesn’t always feel good. It doesn’t always feel motivating. And it definitely doesn’t always feel “fun.” In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I’m back in the studio with Ryan and CeCe to talk about what happens when your workouts stop giving you that sense of enjoyment or fulfillment. If you’ve been training long enough, you’ve probably hit this phase at least once.  We talk hones...

In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I sit down with Stephen Brenna, our nutrition coach at Red Dot Fitness, for a raw, unfiltered conversation. We hit record and break down the five things we’d absolutely be doing if our goal was to not achieve our nutrition and fitness goals going into 2026. No trends. No shortcuts. Just honest insight into the habits and mistakes that quietly derail prog...

Welcome back to the Iron Sight Podcast. Today I’m in the studio with Cece and Ryan, and we’re digging into one of the most persistent myths in the fitness world: the repetition continuum. You’ve heard it before — heavy weights for strength, moderate reps for hypertrophy, and light loads for endurance. It’s simple, it’s clean… and it’s not really true. In this episode, we break down where that mode...

Today on the Iron Sites Podcast, I’m joined by Josh Burton — former Delta Force operator, entrepreneur, and founder of Elevated Operator. After a long career in the Global War on Terror, Josh has stepped into a new mission that’s just as demanding: fighting the global war on mental health. We get into his transition out of military service and the challenges operators, veterans, and first responde...

Intensity gets talked about a lot in the gym… but most people are using the word completely wrong. In strength and conditioning, intensity can mean different things depending on who you learned from, what sport you’re in, and what your training goals actually are. So in this episode, I’m back in the studio with the Red Dot Fitness crew to clear it all up. We break down what intensity really means,...

Today on the Iron Sights Podcast I’m joined by Dustin Mowery of Mowery  Tactical Concepts — a 27–year law enforcement veteran, long-time SWAT operator, team leader, instructor, and one of the most detail-oriented shooters I’ve had the chance to train with. I first crossed paths with Dustin at the 2025 Combatives Summit in D’Iberville, Mississippi, where he and my good friend Mark Smith were tag-te...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode here on the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is Cliff Byerly — former U.S. Marine, LAPD Gang & Narcotics Officer, and founder of Hill Country Combatives. Cliff has spent decades immersed in high-risk environments — both in law enforcement and in training — and he’s one of those guys who brings a raw, unfiltered honesty to everything he does. I met...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode here on the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is Jerry Wetzel, founder of Red Zone Threat Management Systems. Jerry’s a lifelong martial artist, gym owner, and educator whose mission is simple — to provide real training for real people to survive real violence. We sat down right after the Combatives Summit 2025 in Mississippi and got into everything fro...

We’re back in the studio for another episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, and today we’re asking a question that every athlete and coach should think about: does form really matter? In this conversation, the crew digs into how our experiences as coaches shaped the way we look at movement, form, and performance. We talk about where our ideas came from, how they’ve evolved, and why what you think you...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is my good friend John Valentine, who officially holds the record for the most appearances on the After Dark series. John’s been part of the show since the early days — from his philosophy on combatives and coaching to his role in shaping the Combatives Summit into one of the most respected gatherings in the trai...

Welcome back to another Iron Sights Podcast! I’m joined once again by the crew to dig into one of the most underrated tools in training — medleys.  In this episode, we break down what medleys are, how to structure them, and the science behind why they’re so effective for building real-world strength and endurance. We’ll share practical examples for both gym and unconventional setups, plus tips to...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode here on the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is Chris Urrutia from Vortex Optics and the Vortex Edge training team. Chris and I first met a few years back, and I’ll be honest—our time together on the range left a lasting impression. There was something about the way he approached his craft, his students, and his mindset that told me I had to get him on...

Welcome back to another episode of the Iron Sights Podcast. Today we’re diving deep into heart rate zone training based on your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR).  In this episode, we’re bridging that gap so you can learn how to train smarter, recover better, and get more efficient results from your endurance and conditioning work. We pulled a lot of what we discuss today straight from our brand...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode here on the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is Justin Li, former law enforcement officer and co-founder of QORE Performance.  QORE Performance builds thermoregulation solutions designed to enhance human performance, and today we’re digging into how it all started. Justin shares the story of how he and his partner, J.D. Wilcox, set out to solve a compl...

Welcome back to another episode of the Iron Sights Podcast with the crew from Red Dot Fitness. Today we’re diving into one of the most underutilized yet powerful training methods out there — cluster sets.  Most lifters stick to straight sets like 3x10 or 5x5, but cluster sets can be a game changer when it comes to improving strength, power, and muscle growth without adding junk volume. We break do...

Welcome back to the Iron Sights Podcast. I’m in the studio today with CeCe and Ryan, and we’re diving into how to build real power in the gym—without Olympic lifts or endless box jumps. A lot of people think power training is reserved for elite athletes or requires advanced lifts like cleans and snatches. While those are great tools, the truth is you can develop explosive strength and speed in saf...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode here on the Iron Sights Podcast. Tonight, I’m hanging out with Erik Grohmann, a former U.S. Marine infantryman who found his passion for fitness and nutrition while serving and then went on to earn a master’s in nutrition and dietetics. These days Erik is the nutrition coach over at Modern Athlete Strength Systems, where he works with law enforcement, fir...

Welcome back to the Iron Sights Podcast! I’m back in the Red Dot Fitness studio with Ryan and CeCe to tackle a hot topic that’s all over the internet right now: the clash between science-based training and so-called “bro science.”  We break down what exercise science research really tells us—and where it often gets taken out of context—so you can make smarter decisions about your own training. We...

Welcome back to another After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is Phil Downs, partner at Cholakian & Associates, former U.S. Marine Infantry Platoon Commander, and seasoned civil defense litigator.  Our conversation goes well beyond report writing. We dig into the nuances of use of force, the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, and the non-uniformity of the U.S. judiciary...

Welcome back to the Iron Sights Podcast! In this episode, Ryan, CeCe, and I are excited to introduce Fit for Action.  This isn’t just another cookie-cutter workout plan—it’s a carefully designed system that blends strength training, conditioning, and mindset work so you can be ready for anything. We dive into what the program is, who it’s for, why it matters, and how we’re managing it from the ins...

In this After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I sit down with retired police sergeant Jamie Borden, founder of Critical Incident Review. Jamie is a nationally recognized expert in police performance analysis, use-of-force investigations, and critical-incident review. We dive deep into what really happens before, during, and after a critical incident—covering how evidence can be misinterpr...

Start your free trial of Fit For Action: https://reddotfitness.net/fitforaction On this Iron Sights Podcast episode, I’m joined by Ryan and CeCe to share five essential tips for getting—and staying—fit after 50. I’ve crossed that milestone myself, and between my own experience and years of working with countless clients, we’ve learned what really works as the body changes. We cover smart training...