Truth Serum with Tyler Minton

I sat down with Tony Lena, retired Navy SEAL Command Master Chief and General Manager of Virginia High Performance, where he and I work together daily with active duty and retired Navy SEALs. I've learned more about leadership from this man in casual conversation than I have from most books, so I figured it was time to actually put it on record. Tony spent 27 years in the teams, leading 500 person...

In this solo episode, I'm breaking down one of the most overlooked problems I see every single day working with NFL athletes, UFC fighters, and Navy SEALs. It's not a lack of willpower. It's not a lack of information. It's goal dysmorphia. You're chasing the wrong goal. I call it the Goal Triangle. Three goals that every person is trying to navigate at the same time: performance, aesthetics, and h...

I sit down with Jen Widerstrom, trainer, performance coach, and former Biggest Loser trainer who has spent over two decades working with everyone from professional athletes to everyday people. What she'll tell you is that the gap between knowing and doing has almost nothing to do with information. It's all in your head. Jen gets into the psychology of behavior change, why people fail the same diet...

I just got off the stage at SummerStrong 19. Myself and Virginia High Performance Lead Strength Coach Chipper Anderson sit down to break down every talk from the weekend, the highlights, the big ideas, and what coaches and athletes actually need to take away from one of the best strength and performance events in the country.   ✅ Fuel Your Performance – Protekt Products Electrolytes that actually...

DeAndre Corbe didn't take the obvious path to becoming an elite grappler. He came up through Muay Thai, built a career as an engineer, and somewhere along the way decided the mat was where he was supposed to be. In this episode, he breaks down what that transition actually looked like, walking away from a stable career to go all in on professional grappling, and what it cost him to get there. We g...

Aaron Love is a retired Air Force Pararescueman, co-owner of the Ones Ready podcast, and one of the most unfiltered voices in the veteran space. He went through PJ selection four times before earning the beret, and he hasn't stopped paying attention since he got out. In this episode we get into the Iran rescue of the downed F-15 pilot, the Maduro raid and the weapons used on the ground that the pu...

Last December, Stuart Locke, the coach and mind behind Kodiak Barbell, nearly didn't come home. An allergic reaction to anesthetic left him fighting for his life, and his wife facing decisions no spouse should ever have to make. He made it through. And he believes he knows exactly why. In this episode of Truth Serum Podcast, Stuart opens up about the experience that tested everything: his body, hi...

Gavin Corbe is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete and the owner of BlackBox Jiu Jitsu in Virginia Beach.   In this episode, Gavin breaks down his approach to jiu jitsu and why he believes most people are training the wrong way.   Instead of relying on traditional drilling, Gavin teaches through games. A method designed to build athletes who can think, adapt, and perform under pressure.   We also get in...

On this episode of Truth Serum, I sit down with Scott Benson, founder of Benson Sports Training and one of the most respected performance coaches in the country.    Scott also hosts the Building the Athlete Podcast.   Scott’s journey in sport started long before he became a coach. He is the South Dakota high jump record holder and one of the most accomplished track and field athletes the state has...

In this episode, I sit down with Chipper Anderson, Head Strength Coach at Virginia High Performance, a facility trusted to prepare Navy SEALs and elite special operators for the demands of real world performance. Despite being one of the younger coaches in the field, Chipper holds a position many strength professionals spend decades chasing. Chipper breaks down how he earned trust inside one of th...

In this episode of Truth Serum, I sit down with Rob Wilson, a human performance specialist and the mind behind Check Engine Light.   We break down why performance rarely falls off all at once and how most high performers miss the warning signs long before things go sideways. Sleep disruption, mood changes, lingering fatigue, pain. These aren’t random. They’re signals.   We talk about treating the...

Greg “Vick” Navickas leads human performance for U.S. Air Force Special Warfare training and is the founder of Echotyr, a platform built to connect operators and high performers with elite training, performance, and support resources.   In this episode, we break down how modern warfighters are trained more like tactical athletes, why sleep is the true foundation of performance, how brain health an...

In this episode of Truth Serum, I sit down with Steve Petre, the Executive Performance Chef for the UFC, to break down what really goes on behind the scenes to keep fighters fueled and able to make weight at the highest level.   Steve shares how fighters are supported through training camp, weight cuts, and fight week, including the attention to detail required to fuel performance without missing...

On this episode of Truth Serum, I sit down with Ray Thompson, one of the most accomplished karate coaches in the United States and the man who laid the foundation for Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.   We talk about Ray’s early years and the origins of when he was fighting himself. His childhood, how he was raised, and how those experiences shaped his mindset around discipline, respect, and work ethi...

Chris Camacho is the strength coach behind legends like Daniel Cormier and Gennady Golovkin.   In this episode, I sit down with Chris to talk through past fight camps, the realities of preparing athletes at the highest level, and why great coaches must always put their athletes first even when pressure, money, and expectations are high.   Chris also opens up about the motorcycle crashes that nearl...

On this episode of Truth Serum I sit down with Dan Ige to break down the night everything changed. When Diego Lopes needed an opponent on short notice, Dan stepped in and delivered one of the most respected performances of the year. We talk through why he took the fight, what was going through his head backstage, and how that moment reshaped the way fans and fighters see him. Dan opens up about th...

In this episode I sit down with UFC world title winning coach Eric Nicksick to unpack the path that took him from a football coach to one of the most respected leaders in mixed martial arts. Eric tells the full story of how he ended up in the corner for some of the biggest fights in the world, and what he learned along the way about culture, accountability, and building fighters who can handle rea...

Jon Heck has lived the evolution of college football, from suiting up for UNC to coaching strength and conditioning at both Troy and his Alma Mater. He’s worked with elite athletes chasing the NFL and everyday players chasing their peak, and his approach to performance goes way beyond the weight room.   In this episode, Jon and I get into his exact methodology for getting in the best shape of your...

Jordan Sullivan (The Fight Dietitian), has fueled some of the most elite MMA fighters and endurance athletes on the planet. In this episode, we break down what it really takes to perform at your absolute limit, whether you’re cutting weight for a fight or running 100 miles through the mountains. Jordan reveals why most athletes are under-fueled, over-trained, and chasing bad advice. We talk carb t...

Performance coach Mike Dolce joins Truth Serum to dismantle the soft culture that’s taken over men’s health and the UFC. He reveals how to rebuild strength from the ground up, through nutrition, discipline, and the daily pursuit of something greater. This is a blueprint for men who want to win at life again.   ✅ Protekt Ultimate Sideline Giveaway 👉 https://protekt.com/collections/2025-ultimate-s...

I sit down with Jim LaValle, clinical pharmacist, nutritionist, and bestselling author, to uncover the overlooked strategies that fuel performance and health. From the science of metabolic health to the surprising power of box breathing, Jim shares how small changes in stress, recovery, and supplementation can completely transform the way you feel and perform. This episode breaks down what the wor...

Vote for Charles for Trainer of the year at The World MMA Awards! https://www.worldmmaawards.com/votenow/   When people think about the UFC, they picture the walkouts, the knockouts, the highlight reels. But long before fighters step into the Octagon, there’s another fight happening, one with the scale, with food, with the limits of the human body.   I sat down with Charles Stull, Director of Perf...

On this episode of Truth Serum with Tyler Minton, I sit down with Aaron Ausmus, former Head Strength Coach at the University of Southern California.   Aaron has spent years training some of the best athletes in the world, and he shares the real secret to getting athletes stronger — it’s not just about lifting heavy. From movement quality and mindset to the systems that built national championship...

Justin Lee is the world’s greatest spearfisher, a hunter whose skill and instinct have been honed by a lifetime in the ocean. In this episode, Justin and I dive deep into the mindset and craft of hunting both underwater and on land, the discipline it takes to thrive in the most unforgiving environments, and how fatherhood has reshaped his outlook on risk and legacy. Justin opens up about a childho...

If you’ve ever flinched, punched a trigger, or felt your brain hijack your shot, this episode is for you.   Joel Turner is the founder of SHOT IQ, a firearms and archery training system built entirely around one thing: the mental game. A former SWAT sniper and instructor, Joel has spent decades teaching shooters how to control their shot under pressure. Not with gimmicks. With a system.   In this...