The Upgrade Yo Sh*t Podcast

Apologies for the sound quality as our mic system was compromised for this episode. In this episode we sit down with Kamel El Khayat who's ancestry to the land of Palestine spans back many hundreds of years.  We talk about his family history, the current plight of Palestinians and how he came to become a Personal Trainer. Find Kamel on Instagram Resources discussed in this Podcast: The Hundre...

In this episode Rich and Nat sit down to talk about Hip Mobility again. This time the discussion discusses the difference between Kinstretch and The Internal Strength Model as well as how the current 12 Week Program is built.  Leading up to the re-release of The Upgrade Guys 12 Week Hip Mobility Program, this episode gives some extensive background on the foundations of training your hips. They di...

In this episode Rich and Nat sits down to talk about Hip Mobility, what the fundamental joint function of the hips are and the basics of joint capsule and training. Leading up to the re-release of The Upgrade Guys 12 Week Hip Mobility Program, this episode gives some extensive background on the foundations of training your hips and how we approach it. Of course, it wouldn't be The Upgrade Guy...

In this episode we speak with Gary Heshiki who is currently enrolled in Physiotherapy School in Australia. He relocated in 2022 and sat down to talk with us just before leaving. This was recorded last year and we will do an updated episode and check in with Gary some time soon.  In this episode we discuss filling the gap between Rehab and Training. We discuss the homogenous nature of the leadershi...

Sometimes people get in their feelings about using the term Coach to distinguish themselves from "Trainer". We think that the two words are not mutually exclusive. You can be one or the other, or both. At the end of the day, words matter. The way we use words matter and how we describe our practice, field or profession matters. Find our Mobility Training products at: http://www.theupgrad...

In this episode we talk about evolution... not really, but we talk about the ridiculous nature of the current fitness industry believing we evolved to do a Bench Press or some other made up exercise.   We don't have any advertisements save for promoting our own products and services and those of our guests. Mobility Memberships and 12 Week courses are how we continue to fund our podcast work....

You hear a lot of people calling just about everything Mobility Training, from Animal Flow to MovNat, but what is Mobility Training really? In 2019 we tried our best to articulate this a little bit for our audience. Mobility training is specific and deliberate. The intention behind your mobility training has to be focused on and deliberated effect the parts involved with movement. If your joints d...

In this episode  of The Lost Tapes we dive into the lenses by which we view training, exercise, fitness, etc. Regardless of what we do in life, there will always be lenses through which we see things. We may view through the lens of culture, gender, sex, race, or many other things. In our normal freestyle manner that kicked off our early podcasting in 2019.  We don't have any advertisements s...

In this episode we talk to Coach Rich Thurman aka Coach RT3.  We discuss who he is, where he's from and some monumental moments in his life that make him who he is today. From growing up in San Francisco before gentrification and the Tech boom of Silicon Valley exploded the cost of living to moving and living abroad, this episode has a lot to unpack further. Of course we can't have a dis...

In this episode we chat with Nat of The Upgrade Guys about growing up in the 80's in Los Angeles. During the time where groups like NWA, and films like Colors and Boyz N the Hood were the soundtracks to some of the most violent days in Southern California. How did those streets shape and mold the man we know today. We follow his journey from SoCal to Oregon, and eventually to the penitentiary...

This was the first episode we recorded back in 2019.  We initially had planned to record these podcasts just talking about general fitness and social media trends, before we ended up terminating this project due to coordination issues. We ended up buying a bunch of equipment during the 2020 pandemic and reviving this idea of a podcast for The Upgrade Guys with an new agenda. Our new agenda was to...

In this episode we speak with Damali Fraiser about her Kettlebell Training career. This episode delves into the depths of the underlying undertones within Kettlebell culture. We talk about women, body image and people of color within the space of Kettlebells. Within all training, people like to skip over the basics, but you can't build a strong practice without solid foundations. Enjoy this e...

In this episode we speak with Emily Torockio. Her article in Medium " I Didn’t Think I Needed “Representation.” Then I Watched Always Be My Maybe. " touches on the importance of representation.  We do a deep dive into her experiences as an Asian American woman both growing up within American society and making her way through the Yoga world. This was an insightful conversation Identity a...

Chad Raynor is a personal trainer and founder of Technical Fitness LLC. Before forming Technical Fitness, he was a personal trainer and training manager for Gold’s Gym, New York Sports Clubs, and Crunch Gyms where he finished in the top five nationwide in personal revenue produced every full year that he worked for Crunch Gyms. We sit down to discuss Chad’s journey into the Fitness Industry, his l...

What does it mean to be the "Model Minority"? Alan Z is a recording artist who's latest song off the album with Jason Chu, entitled "Model Minority" takes a deep dive into the myth of "White-adjacency" often attributed to Asian people.    Find Alan Z at: https://www.soundcloud.com/alanzmusic https://www.youtube.com/alanz https://www.instagram.com/alanzmusic/ The...

In this episode we speak with Mike Crenshaw. Mike is a long time activist, organizer and recording artist. He was a member of the Baldies, a crew of anti-racist skinheads that often take part in violent combat with their neo-Nazi counterparts. He gives us a history of the skinheads and so much more. This conversation was both eye opening and historically enlightening. Join us as we go on a journey...

In this episode we speak with Philippine Basketball Association multiple championship winner Harvey Carey II. Harvey grew up in San Francisco, California just down the street from Coach RT3.  We discuss being mixed race, (Black and Asian) as well as how Harvey ended up living and playing basketball in the Philippines for over a decade. We hope you enjoy this episode. Find Harvey Carey II http://ww...

What is it like to be "White Passing" in America?  We see Barack Obama as a mixed race man and because of the color of his skin he's considered black. Like it or not, there is inherently racist bias that colors the lens by which we see him.  But what happens when you are mixed race, but phenotypically do not seem to look Black? Gil Goodman aka @squeezus is a grip competitor and owne...

Bernadette Henry is a Jumprope Instructor and Mental Health & Emotional Wellness Coach helping busy working moms stay fit physically, mentally and emotionally. With 20 years of case management experience and non-profit work, she's passionate about supporting others in their life journeys. She is the founder of Make It Fun NYC, a lifestyle brand focused on helping you live your best life -...

In the realm of Mobility Training, grapplers, wrestlers and fighters can upgrade their game tremendously. In this final episode of Season I of the Upgrade Yo Sh*t Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with UFC champion Tatiana Suarez about her rise to where she is today and how she reaps some of the benefits of the same Mobility Training Methodology and principles that we use with our clients....

Usually our podcasts feel more like an interview. In this episode it felt like a few old friends who've known each other for years, kickin it! Be ready to go from laughter to serious shit in a flash with us as we had the chance to sit down and chat with Vinyasa instructor Brittney, CEO of Trap Yoga Bae. Hailing from West Oakland and now residing in Los Angeles, CA, Brittney keeps it 100 with...

In this episode we chat with Athletic Trainer Chris Flores also known as Chris Flo, founder of Flo Fitness. We discuss his journey into the realm of fitness, how he went from training in his garage to opening his own facility. Chris is one of the early Animal Flow Master Coaches and we discuss how he incorporates ground based movement into his coaching methodology. From Hip Hop and it's influ...

In this episode of the Upgrade Yo Sh*t Podcast Rich and Nat chat with Coach Preston Hale of Ignite Performance in Chandler Arizona. Preston works with young aspiring athletes to help them improve performance, with the objective of obtaining scholarships in order to continuing their athletic endeavors and education. Preston explains the term Ecological dynamics and how he uses this methodology to h...

In this episode we link up with Health & Wellness Professional Allison Tibbs. Allison has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the realm of self care and wellness. We discuss everything from Self Care and Habit Stacking to Brushing your teeth and someone shitting in your bathtub. Sometimes we're moving too fast and fear and ego gets in the way of taking the right offramp. How do we know...

In this episode we speak with Dr. Locatelli Rao DPT OCS, owner of Pasadena Physical Therapy about his journey into Physical Therapy and evolution towards becoming a healer. We discuss everything from the best tacos in SoCal to kids potty training adventures. We dive into discussions on utilizing multiple thought processes when helping human beings. From utilizing Intra-abdominal pressure of the DN...