The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

This former NFL player remembers the day his mother handed him over to foster care, he went on to play in the NFL and now uses his "Identity Shift" program to help people move away from old programming that no longer serves them so they can reach their highest potential. He tells host Col. Nye about his method and walks you through a series of defined steps: See Shift Sustain, Accept Dissect Disco...

Host Zach Even-Esh and his guest Col. Tim Nye talk about tactics to end indecisiveness. It can stress you out and often cause you to miss out on amazing opportunities. Here's how to avoid missing out and start taking control of your life. LESSONS: Always be open to new opportunities. Avoid "Getting comfortable in your cage". Action Always. Advance & Conquer. Moving forward is the key to your succe...

Holidays are officially here! And with all the glitter, shimmer, and swanky bows comes stress, anxiety, and sometimes even a case of the holiday blues. So planning ahead for these emotional waves can put you in a position to better handle what's ahead. There are a few key things to remember as we move into the holidays. Setting boundaries, keeping your priorities in line, and maintaining a routine...

The founder of Optimize sits down with the founder of Spartan for a power-packed conversation on participating in excellence, actualizing your potential and being a hero! How can you "Optimize" your life to be your absolute best? What can we learn from ancient Greek philosophers? And what do the roots of words teach us? Brian Johnson scours the greatest books to bring you the core concepts through...

Do you ever feel stressed and overwhelmed? Of course, you do! That is how MANY people feel nowadays in this world that never stops or slows down. Zach Even-Esh and COl Tim Nye share some simple solutions to your stress. LESSONS: Take a short exercise break to recalibrate your mind and body. Take a short 10-minute walk (outdoors if weather permits) for some fresh air. Write down in a journal how yo...

With the holidays around the corner, Dr. L reminds us, the practice of gratitude and the importance of giving thanks becomes a part of the season. Gratitude is important because it allows us to shift into the present and observe what it is in the now that we are grateful for. Maintaining a gratitude practice helps to give us space to experience joy and to reflect on some of the more difficult expe...

When he was just 8 years of age, his friend accidentally lit him on fire. The impact was severe. Undergoing decades of surgeries to treat the 65% of his body now covered in scars, Shay is a true Phoenix. His inner spirit, and his joyful charm, have been forged like steel through fire. In spite of constant pain he became an undefeated boxer, an Ironman and multiple time World Champion athlete, and...

Zach Even-Esh and Joe De Sena (Spartan founder & CEO) ask: Who's in charge? You or your cell phone? People drive cars looking at their phone instead of the road. People look at their phones while crossing the street instead of looking where they're going. Here's how to control the cell phone vs your phone controlling YOU. LESSONS: Does your phone control you or do you control your use of the phone...

Ben Greenfield is a longtime friend of the Spartan community and is one of the most well recognized and respected names in the health, fitness & nutrition sectors. On this episode of Spartan Up podcast Joe De Sena sits down with him at Spartan Media Fest by ATP Science in Tahoe. Ben "is a biohacker, human body and brain performance coach, ex-bodybuilder, Ironman triathlete, professional Spartan at...

With this episode, we honor all veterans, and at the same time share the incredible lessons, valuable in all walks of life, this one leader has distilled from a life of service. In honor of Veterans Day for this special episode Joe De Sena sat down with Retired Command Sergeant Major Rick Lamb - among his significant military background a Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Jo...

Hosts Zach Even-Esh and Joe De Sena talk with up and coming wrestler Ray Jaz about the difference between working smart and working hard. So many people talk about working smarter, NOT harder. Well, what we've realized is that when you're working HARD, you are very often working SMARTER!   LESSONS: Working smart is sometimes an excuse for people to avoid the work. Not at SPARTAN. The smartest work...

Host Dr. L says: Though we often talk about endurance from a physical point of view, building mental endurance is just as important. It's important that we stretch what we think we can do and work to increase our mental fortitude so that we can tolerate difficult experiences on the path of life. Building mental endurance is a practice - so getting yourself to practice this practice is one of the f...

What do these legends, some of the world's top distance and trail runners, think about the growing adoration for the primal sport of trail running? Trail runners have always maintained an infamous degree of camaraderie and community, especially the Ultra runners who cover distances that can seem inconceivable.  Hear about incredible records, but also the simple joys of running and of sharing the j...

Why do we catch ourselves falling into negative talk or self-doubt at times? How do we fix this? In this episode, Zach Even-Esh talks with four-time NCAA All American Wrestler and Cornell Coach Gabe Dean about how to conquer self-doubt and negative head chatter. LESSONS: - Why are you falling into the trap of self-doubt or negative self-talk? - Failure is actually a POSITIVE thing. Failure will sp...

Dr. L says we are a culture obsessed with expertise. We are in a constant hustle of one-up-manship and forgetting that we can find tremendous wisdom in not being the best. Sometimes when we give ourselves permission to suck at things we actually come out on top because we learn from the experience, gain wisdom from the failures, and extrapolate a new tolerance of getting uncomfortable. LESSONS: Al...

This special episode features a remarkable panel recorded at Spartan World Media Fest brought to you by ATP Science. Learn to create your own personal board of advisors, how to choose who influences you, AND how to use your own wisdom learned on life's journey to positively impact others. This rockstar episode features Spartan founder Joe De Sena, our buddy Anders Varner from Shrugged Collective,...

Zach Even-Esh is joined by guest Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman to talk about keeping it simple! Do you ever feel overwhelmed? If you do, take a look at your desk / workspace. Take a look at your garage, bedroom, etc. Having too much "stuff" that you don't need will stress you out and overwhelm you. Here's how to declutter and get more productive while being less stressed. LESSONS: Once a week,...

Spartan's "Chief Mind Doc" Dr. L says: Teaching your children to tolerate distress is not an easy task. It requires clear boundaries and firm NOs. It's not always easy to be firm when your kid's have strong wants and desires that, at times, put you in precarious positions. But it's important that your children understand that they cannot always have their way and learn to tolerate what this feels...

Joe De Sena and his family visited the wrestling room at West Point to learn from the ultimate role models in mental and physical toughness. Kevin Ward, head wrestling coach, explains what it takes to build and maintain the culture of a team, whether that is a wrestling team, a family or a business. Motivation, says Kevin, is a byproduct of being passionate, and discipline is true freedom. Invite...

Zach Even-Esh and Joe De Sena answer a listener question "what would you have done differently starting your businesses?" The answer? Who cares! It's in the past. Time to move forward. On today's Spartan WAY hear the strategies, tactics and philosophies the founders of Underground Strength and Spartan use to get things done and keep moving forward. . LESSONS: Fire. Ready. Aim The past does not exi...

Spartan MIND host Dr. L says: We tend to store up emotions in our body. These can be of any kind, the more painful ones like irritation, anger, sadness, or shame, or the more joyous ones like excitement, pride, and happiness. Although talking about feelings can certainly be useful, sometimes we need alternative forms of emotional expression so that we can release our feelings and the energy that g...

Recycled man is driven by the need to earn the heart, and second chance, he was granted. A diagnosis of cancer can change everything in your life - learning you need a new heart would cause many to give up. Derek Fitzgerald faced both of these challenges, even flat lining a few times before receiving a heart transplant. Yet he had the inner strength and drive to got from crawling to running to mar...

Zach Even-Esh and Joe De Sena let you know what they think of your excuses. Can't afford the gym? Too long a drive? Don't have time to get there? F*** the gym, Joe & Zach have the answer. LINKS: More about Zach https://zacheven-esh.com Read "The Spartan Way" https://www.spartan.com/en/race/learn-more/race-types-overview?article=the-spartan-way-book SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanU...

Today on Spartan MIND host Dr. L Says: When hype begins to arise around an experience or event, doubt, insecurities, and excuses can settle in simultaneously. These serve as a protective barrier to our greatest fear - failure. But shying away from the experience or letting a list of excuses serve as a disclaimer is not the way to go. Lean in to the experience, no matter how much you want to pad it...

Jason believes that adversity is what builds opportunities to create trust. Whatever you are facing in life, let go of the past, lock-in to the mission in front of you and win the day! Navy Seals go through some of the toughest training on the planet. Mental, physical and emotional limits are tested beyond what we can imagine. What key lessons are learned in these life or death experiences that ca...