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 Hundred Years War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialist Resistance - Rashid KhalidiThe Ethnic Cl...

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 discuss the priorities of training, how Yoga and Foam Rolling isn't enough and of course some s...

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 Guys if it didn't get spicy at the end with a little clown sniping. Our Website: http://www.theupgra...

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 leadership within the Health & Fitness industry and we talk about Gary's path to Physiotherapy sch...

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.theupgradeguys.comOur Website: http://www.theupgradeguys.comInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/theupgradeguys

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. We appreciate your support of all our work.Find our Mobility Training products at:http://www.theup...

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 don't move then you cannot move and it is as simple as that. Learn more about Mobility Training wit...

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 save for promoting our own products and services and those of our guests. Mobility Memberships...

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 discussion about the life of RT3 without some discussion on race and some of the challenges surrounding t...

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 where every day is a life or death struggle to survive. From being incarcerated to becoming a s...

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 focus on amplifying the voices of people of color, coaches, activists, etc. We noticed the di...

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 episode.Find DamaliInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/damali.fraiserTiktok: http://www.ticktock.com/lif...

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 and Representation. As we move towards gaining a better understanding of each other, experiences like Emi...

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 leadership and development with other coaches, becoming part owner of a high end New York wellness ...

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/alanzmusichttps://www.youtube.com/alanzhttps://www.instagram.com/alanzmusic/The Upgrade Guyshttp://www.theupgradeguys.comhttp://www.instagram.com/theupgradeguyshttp://www.youtube.com/theupgradeguyshttp://www...

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 through Skinhead Culture.Find Mike Crenshaw:http://www.miccrenshaw.comhttp://www.facebook.com/mi...

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 IIhttp://www.instagram.com/manilablk4The Upgrade Guyshttp://www.theupgradeguys.comhttp://www.instagram.co...

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 owner of Barrel Strength Systems which fabricates grip training equipment. The Grip Competitor community is...

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 - body, mind and spirit.Her brand has been featured in national magazines and digital platforms, includi...

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. This was an incredible episode that features an incredible athlete who's defied the "norms" and i...