The Tony Montgomery Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Oneid, world-class powerlifter, bodybuilder, and founder of Master Athletic Performance and Coaches Corner University, to explore the psychology behind strength and performance. Paul shares how he weaves mindset, resilience, and personality into his coaching, what separates successful athletes from the rest, and why he continues to push himself to pursue more...

What if your first psychedelic trip wasn’t in adulthood, but at birth? In this episode, we explore the Birth Echo Hypothesis , a bold new theory proposing that DMT acts as a neurochemical interface between the brain and consciousness itself , triggered during life’s greatest transitions: birth and death. Drawing on neuroscience, developmental psychology, psychedelic research, and evolutionary biol...

n this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jason Moser, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Michigan State University and director of the Clinical Psychophysiology Lab, to explore what the brain’s response to errors, emotions, and internal conflict reveals about mental health. Dr. Moser’s groundbreaking research on cognitive control, anxiety, emotion regulation, and resilience sheds light on why...

In this episode I talk to Carlos Reyes, elite level strength athlete and firefighter. We discuss his path to becoming one of the best overall strength athletes. What it means to follow in his dad's footsteps of becoming a firefighter, along with how he carved his own path to success. We touch on what legacy he wants to leave behind and how he juggles all of his training and roles of being a father...

In this episode I talk to Tom Griffen an adventurer, endurance athlete, writer, and artist. We talk about the life lessons he's learned from his adventures. How writing allows him to express himself and the freedom that brings. How nature gives back to him in so many ways, that can benefit anyone.  As a long-time runner and former National Director of Training at Fleet Feet, he’s tackled grue...

In this episode, I talk to Sam Loch about what it takes to be an Olympian and the lessons he learned from that pursuit. Sam Loch is an Australian Olympian, world record-holding rower, and elite strength athlete known for his relentless work ethic and unmatched power on the erg. With a career spanning two Olympic Games (2008, 2012) and numerous world records in indoor rowing, Sam embodies the spiri...

In this episode I explore the idea of how our beliefs can impact our physiology, biology, and psychology.  How the research shows the power of changing our beliefs can have on our mind and body. Tangible tools to improve our mind and body. Lastly how storytelling can impact our creativity, education, and motivation to exercise.

In this episode I discuss the role of storytelling in shaping our beliefs and who we are in the world and the power to overcome it. Storytelling isn’t just how we entertain—it’s how we survive, connect, and make meaning. From an evolutionary standpoint, stories helped early humans bond in larger groups, transmit wisdom, and navigate danger. Neurologically, they activate empathy circuits, mirror se...

In this episode I explore the use of The Biopsychosocial Model for Mental Health. I break down each component of the model exploring the validity of biological, psychological, and social interventions. I go over the research comparing this model to single treatment options. Why the US health care system has not adopted yet and future directions on how we can push it into the US health care hemisph...

In this episode I discuss how we can become more resilient through different protocols. Stress resilience is the ability to maintain or quickly regain mental health during or after adversity, and it depends on how well we regulate our emotional, physiological, and cognitive responses to stress. I discuss the different brain areas related to building resiliency and different techniques one can use...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Gwen Adshead to explore the human nature of violent criminal offenders through the lense of a forensic psychiatrist. Dr. Gwen Adshead is a renowned forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience working with individuals who have committed violent crimes. She has worked extensively in high-security hospitals, prisons, and mental healt...

In this episode I sit down with Karissa Johnson, PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan where she focuses on research supporting female athletes through self-compassion. We talk about what self-compassion research and how that translates to helping athletes. How to build confidence, overcome challenges, and so much more.

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Alex Olmos and discuss the ins and outs of strength training. The mechanisms behind why we get strong. The benefits of strength training. What he has learned from his recent research and what life is like transitioning from a PhD candidate to a professor.

In this episode I talk about the building blocks to create a successful strength or hypertrophy program. I go over strength training considerations of skill acquisition and how we get strong. Hypertrophy program, how we grow and the importance of progressive overload. I end with going over the psychological considerations of programming and tools to improve your awareness of the psyche.

In this episode I talk to Burkhart Hahn PhD candidate from Oklahoma State University where is specializes in research focusing on anxiety disorders. Here we talk about his own mental health and how that has made him a better therapist. Tools to better understand and cope with anxiety disorders. The anxiety disorders as a whole and the mechanism behind their function. Along with how exercise can he...

In this episode I sit down with 20-year Special Forces Veteran Eric Maxwell. We discuss what makes a good leader and how can one build leadership skills. How war impacts our human behavior. How has mental health changed in his 20 years of service. How to balance family life in the military and transitioning out.

In this episode I discuss how we can use exercise to improve our mental health. I discuss the mechanisms of action to get a better understanding of how exercise can help improve mental health. Developing a biopsychosocial model to create a better understanding of mental health. Psychological strategies to improve motivation and adherence. Along with exercise prescription ideas that are backed by r...

In this episode I discuss the science behind how emotions are made. The difference between emotions and feelings and why that is an important distinction to make. I also talk about effective strategies on how to regulate emotions, cope with stress, and shift one's perspective and beliefs towards stress to improve the nervous system response.

In this podcast I will be exploring human behavior in all its aspect. From the lived experiences to what the science says and everything in between. There will be solo episodes diving into the research of specific topics, along with guest interviews from some of the top performers, researchers, and writers. I hope that you enjoy the show and it prompts you to become more curious.