The Refined Strength Podcast

A very special, off schedule episode for a very special person: the first new coach for Refined Strength, Jessica Best. Jess and I have been good friends and until exactly a year ago, we were coworkers at our now former company. We've both grown a lot since then, and many stars have aligned that brought us to this big step for both of us. Listen for all the details and the "why" behi...

Matt and Destin are the owners of Sculpt Birmingham in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. They discuss their experiences in the fitness industry, the challenges they've faced, and the lessons they've learned and how simply being yourself and owning everything about who you are and your mission is the best pathway to success in business. They emphasize the importance of customer service, transpa...

Meg Santa Barbara is taking no shit on her way to her Wellness Pro Debut—After going pro in figure in 2018, briefly switching to WPD, taking a year off of bodybuilding to going all in on her goals of switching to wellness despite what the reddit crusaders have to say—she is a great representation of staying in your lane with blinders on, eyes on the dream, enjoying the process. In this episode we...

Brittney is a bodybuilding & lifestyle coach with Tomanek Trained as well as a competitive athlete currently transitioning into the Wellness Division. If you know Brittney, you know she takes up space with her big personality and strong sense of self. In this episode we talked about what our respective journeys have looked like over the years in finding our purpose and becoming who we are toda...

The man, the myth, the legend: Dynamite D AKA David DeMesquita, owner and head coach of DeMesquita Nutrition. David is well known in our industry as not just an elite level bodybuilding coach of olympians, but an exceptional functional health coach and all around good person. We had a great time talking about the art of peaking and the nuances that come with peaking bikini athletes vs open bodybui...

Eleni Polites is an IFBB WPD and Figure pro and a good friend of mine made through the connected world of bodybuilding. She's also an Occupational therapist specializing in neck, shoulder and arm/hand therapy. She's based in the greater Seattle area but holds the value of helping anyone and everyone she can, from wherever she is, however she can. On this episode we spoke about how her jour...

How do you choose the perfect combination of fabric color, crystal color & placement, design, connectors, and cut when it comes to your stage suit? How do you know you'll fit perfectly into the suit you order? I got to have a great talk to owner of KHCustoms Krista Haynes about all things stage suits, as well as learn more about her business and origin story. In this episode you'll lea...

This week I got to sit down with a very close friend i've known for years and been through a lot with--Danielle Rainwater. Danielle is an online coach and personal trainer based out of the greater Seattle area. She's a pillar in her community when it comes to posing, show guidance, building inner and outer strength, and just being a positive light in the bodybuilding and health coaching wo...

Corey Lindner is a master trainer of competitive bodybuilders of all divisions, but in recent years has started to specialize more in female divisions such as bikini, wellness and figure. He takes his vast knowledge of training principles paired with his passion and intricate understanding of judging criteria and has made a name for himself among the industry's best prep coaches who now trust...

I've known Huyen (AKA Emmy) and John Person from the PNW bodybuilding circuit and I've come to really respect them so much as bodybuilders and business owners over the years. I've watched them grow so beautifully as competitors as well as leaders within their businesses so I am excited to have them on the Refined Strength podcast. On this episode we talk about how their relationship wo...

Josh Thomas aka The Lifted Mindset, is a coach and transformation specialist based here in the DFW area. He shared about his journey of becoming a coach and the impact it has had on his life. We talked about his transition from competitive bodybuilding to focusing on healthy habits and sustainable success for his clients, as well as how his values and purpose has transformed over he years. Follow...

In this episode my good friend & IFBB Bikini Pro Daraja speaks all about her current pregnancy, her move to Colorado, and how she has cultivated her mindset that has brought her to the Olympia 4 times including 3 top 10 finishes and several pro wins. We talk self awareness, self love, the tools used for stress management, and how being open to timelines taking longer than we originally anticip...

Andrea Loces, an IFBB Bikini Pro, shares her journey and mindset heading into her pro debut season. She emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes, failing fast, and failing forward. Andrea discusses her close partnership with her coach and the impact he has had on her belief in herself. She highlights the value of self-belief and training intensity in bodybuilding, and the need to focus...

This week we are joined by my good friend and fellow Figure Pro Clarissa Fortune. Clarissa earned her pro card in 2021. Around then we became friends and she has helped both myself and several of my own clients with their posing routines over the years. Its been a joy to watch her grow her posing and coaching business so I had to have her on to share her wisdom and personality with you. Follow &am...

We're BACK! With a helluva guest: Alex Edwards. Alex is a Figure/WPD competitor, coach, influencer, and all around amazing person. She has been through a big transformation in the last couple years and has great wisdom and messages to share with anyone who knows they need and deserve more in their life. We talk bodybuilding, divorce, drugs, and the art of finding yourself, which happens to als...

My friend David was in Texas and graced the Refined Strength podcast with some real & raw talk about body image, his personal health and fitness journey, life as a single girl-dad, and stories of the supplement world. Technical Notes: halfway through, we lost power. Sound quality is being worked on and improved:) The mission of the Refined Strength podcast is to amplify the voices of those aro...

Today's episode I have a conversation with Steve DeVore. He is an NPC and IFBB Head judge, Olympia Judge, and the NPC Utah Chairman. Steve is a rising star in the world of judging in our industry; he's shown to be extremely impartial and fair in his judging, he communicates clearly with fellow judges as well as competitors asking for feedback to improve, and he truly cares about furthering...

I had the honor of sitting down with Doctor of Physical Therapy and IFBB WPD Pro Dani LaMartina and getting into so much more than just the work she does with her clients. Dani is always arguably the hardest worker in any room she’s in, and also the kindest and most humble. On this episode we spoke about her story going from the clinic to fully remote work as a PT, marketing yourself as a professi...

What are some self-limiting beliefs you have about your life? How have those beliefs started and how do you respond to them? I have had a lot of limiting beliefs about myself over the years and every time i've watched myself overcome them and move forward, I realize more and more how useless those thoughts are. In this episode I speak about how i've overcome those and some of my thoughts a...

I'm joined by my good friend Emily Interwicz to talk all things branding, marketing, social media and personal growth. Emily is the Marketing Manager for Core Nutritionals & Merica Labz, she works for a number of other brands managing their social media & marketing, and she's an online health & fitness coach. The mission of the Refined Strength podcast is to amplify the voices...

Warm welcome to Briana Blix, owner of Viking Landscape Solutions out of Arlington, Washington and long time figure client of mine to the podcast. On this episode we talk about her 2023 prep and how she balanced life during that time while owning an operating a landscaping business with her husband. We dove into the importance of time management, fuel prioritizing, taking time off, as well as the m...

I had the pleasure of hosting my good friend and colleague Jess Best at my home office studio for an in-person podcast recording. Jess is a Contest Prep & Lifestyle coach with Pro Physique and a Bikini Competitor. We talked about her days as a synchronized swimmer and full time swim coach and how she had to do a lot of inner work to shift her body image and expectations when going from a cardi...

Our first in-person guest episode and I'm joined by my boyfriend Austyn Richardson and our good friends Elias and Lianna McCall, both IFBB Pros who just moved to Texas. In this episode we cover a variety of topics such as Elias' journey from the Marine Corp to his IFBB Pro Card, And Lianna's transition from Pro Figure to Pro Wellness. We ended with the question of "what is the mos...

Are you interested in the world of bodybuilding but not really sure how to get started? Should you go self coached or find a coach? How do you pick a division or a show to do? How long does it take to build? This solo-cast episode with Rachel goes into all these frequently asked questions for the extreme newbie in the world of competitive bodybuilding. Follow & engage with me: www.refinedstren...

Welcome to the Refined Strength podcast! Today I'm blessed with the presence of my good friend Kayleigh Obert AKA Cupcake Muscle. She is a coach, a mom, a wife, and an all around bubble gum badass. We used to work on the same team and through a turn of unique events, left to start our own businesses on the same day in 2023. On this episode we talk about how that transition went, why we left, w...