The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

Every time we ask you "who do you want on the Spartan Up podcast" your answer is Joe Rogan. We finally got him! Here's the story of the 6 year journey AND the questions Joe De Sena asked Joe Rogan, along with insights from some of the guests who have appeared on both The Joe Rogan Experience and with Joe De Sena on Spartan Up: Ben Greenfield, Rich Roll, CT Fletcher, Andrew Huberman, PhD, Jesse Itz...

How much trash do you create? Professor Joshua Spodek tells Joe De Sena he had been eating packaged food with every meal of his life. One day he decided to take responsibility for his own mess. With every meal, everything we buy from stores, everything we order- we throw something away, and every item of waste you have ever "gotten rid of" still exists in some form, somewhere. Spodek calls Joe De...

Every individual responds differently to what they eat. We all know eating a healthy diet is important, but what is happening on a chemical level inside our bodies? Josh Clemente started out as an engineer and welder at SpaceX to explore the outer atmosphere, but what he realized was most important was monitoring what was going on inside our own bodies. This episode is a great deep dive into what...

This week's episode features an audio documentary - Assembly Fall - produced by our host Ryan Warner.  The audio documentary is about the biggest upset in Illinois High School wrestling history.  Enjoy!   ABOUT: Dubbed as the biggest upset in Illinois history, Matt Kucala defied the odds and pinned the previously unbeaten Eric Tannenbaum at the 2001 IHSA state finals. Assembly Fall takes an in-dep...

What does an Ultra Runner look like? Sometimes it looks like Mirna Valerio! Mirna, "The Mirnavator," is busting expectations and stereotypes and she's on a mission to make trail running, fitness and the outdoors accessible to all. She and Joe De Sena talk about some of the challenges and rewards of being an unconventional runner.  "I feel my most human out on the trails." New to trail running?  Sh...

Mark Schwab is the former wrestling coach for the Big 10 power Minnesota Gopher wrestling team.  In this episode, Mark talks about having a 'healthy mental climate' and how to achieve that. Enjoy folks!   Really enjoyed this one. Hope you do as well.   Find out more at https://spartancombat.com/   SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play...

Tyler Jack Harris set an insane goal, to sell almost three times the number of policies a great salesperson would in a year. Then he did it, for three years straight. When 7 miles was the longest distance he had ever run, he took on two ultramarathons in one week. He completed both. He sets audacious goals and achieves them. WHY? Because he said he would. In this interview, he shares his ultimate...

Phil Davis is the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion and is currently fighting out of San Diego.  In this episode we talk about Phil's background in wrestling, where he won an NCAA title for Penn State, as well as his transition to MMA.  My favorite part of this episode is when Phil talks about the 10k rule and how he applied it to his MMA training.    Really enjoyed this one. Hope you do...

6x Powerlifting champion C.T. Fletcher is the original Iron Addict - invincible - indestructible - unbreakable. The tough-talking, weight lifting inspiration to an entire generation has flatlines not once but five times and come back from death's door to tell us about it. When a heart attack knocked him to the ground, he thought it was lights out for good. The sheer will mirrored to him by his son...

Clay Guida is a UFC fighter with wins over Nate Diaz, Anthony Petis and RDA. He's the former Strikeforce World Champion and is set to fight in his 30th UFC fight this weekend.    What really stood out to me was just how crazy Clay's path to UFC stardom was.  As they say, life only makes sense looking backwards and that's definitely the case here.     Really enjoyed this one. Hope you do as well.  ...

Spartans, there are many challenges in this world that don't have a clear solution, this one does! The importance of food security and good nutrition has never been more obvious than in the last few months. Local access to healthy food can come from a lack of land access or resources. Sprouting seeds solves all of these problems! Seeds are inexpensive and with a simple jar and some water, wherever...

Forrest Molinari is a 2x member of Team USA for our women's wrestling team.  She's vying for a spot on the 2021 Olympic Team. She was fifth at both the 2018 and 2019 World Championships. She was also the 2019 and 2020 US Open champion. Originally based out of California, Forrest attended King University (Tennessee) and was living in Iowa City Iowa at the time of this recording.  Enjoy it folks!  ...

A 3 step framework. In life, there are countless opportunities to have hard conversations. Whether we are confronting a friend who is struggling with unhealthy behaviors, giving a review to someone at work who hasn't been meeting their benchmarks, or talking to family members about certain high-octane issues, we are never at a loss to engage in a conversation that requires courage. Today our own D...

Patrick was 10 when his family fled Iran as refugees, and now owns one of the biggest privately held insurance companies there is. Patrick Bet-David and Joe De Sena talk today about the value of working hard and making your own way. After a stint in the 101 Airborne, he began his search for the right opportunity. He employed the "Blue Ocean" strategy and created PHP one of the fastest-growing comp...

Andrew Huberman, PhD runs a neurobiology lab at Stanford University and talks today with Joe De Sena about the brain science behind many of our moods and behaviors. How can you trigger the chemical releases, naturally with behaviors, that will help you sleep better, control stress, and achieve more?  It turns out napping is great for memory, recovery, and health, that a simple breathing technique...

Anthony Constantino is the co-founder of Sticker Mule , one of the fastest growing internet companies. They count Microsoft, Netflx and Twitter among their clients.  In this episode, Anthony talks about how to use principles to guide decision making.  Enjoy it folks!   Find out more at https://spartancombat.com/   SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/Sparta...

Fitness entrepreneur Hannah Eden, founder of PumpFit, arrived in America with a wild, dark destructive party streak. When she found CrossFit she was able to translate that obsessive behavior into something healthy and positive. Later she created her own program, accessible to all, called PumpFit. Hannah used painful events in her life to fuel her, pushing her limits in challenges like a human-powe...

Gene Zanetti is the founder and CEO of Wrestling Mindset, a mindset training company that works with wrestlers of all ages (youth - Olympians) to fine-tune the conversation that goes on between the ears. The focus of our conversation is how to avoid common mental pitfalls, such as self-pity, negative self-talk, and judging success based on wins and losses.  Enjoy it, folks!   Find out more at http...

Our society really struggles with comparison. We scan and we scroll through the social feeds of others and often wind up putting ourselves in a position of comparison. If insecurities within us get activated, which normally happens, we can wind up feeling pretty poorly about ourselves. There are a few things to do that can help you move away from comparison, including understanding it's root and r...

Dan Gable is the most popular American wrestler of all time. As a wrestler, he was undefeated through high school and college before losing his last collegiate match. He rebounded to win a world title in 1971 and the Olympics in 1972 without surrendering a single point. He was the head coach at the University of Iowa for 21 years and during that time, won 21 straight Big 10 titles and 15 NCAA titl...

On this special Mother's Day episode Joe De Sena talks with Janine Shepherd. She was training with the Australian Ski Team, positioned to be headed towards the Olympics, when a tragic accident sent her to a spinal ward for 6 months. She was forced to shift everything she thought defined her. She has led her life by the concept that a broken body is not a broken person. Through her dedication to Ho...

Each and every one of us is on this planet for a reason, and we all have a unique contribution to make. In today's climate of comparison, we can often get caught up in what others are doing and attempt to emulate them, whereby ignoring what our own contribution might be or how our individuality matters. It is important that we all recognize that it IS the uniqueness of each of us that matters and...

At 13 years of age Logan lost his arm in a wakeboarding accident - has that limited his life? Nope- not at all! You may not be able to control the adversity you face, but that doesn't mean you don't control your destiny! In this interview, he discusses how he will never accept the expectations of others and is dedicated to spreading awareness and opportunities through education. Logan says you hav...

Mike Barwis is a strength and conditioning guru. He's trained Olympic athletes in over 40 sports, works with pro teams such as the Red Wings and Mets, and is the CEO of Barwis Performance Centers.  On this episode, we focus on the work Mark did with Brock Mealer.  Brock was involved in a car accident in 2009 and was paralyzed from the waist down.  After 2 years of physical therapy, Brock was unabl...

Kwame Christian is a master negotiator, and he is all about helping you become one too. He is the bestselling author of "No One Will Play With Me - Finding Confidence in Conflict", and host of the #1 negotiation podcast in the world, "Negotiate Anything". We cover much more than just business negotiation in this episode, focusing on family and personal dynamics that may be especially challenging i...