Beyond the Training

Is pole dancing a real workout? In this episode of Beyond the Training, Reggie sits down with pole dancer, certified instructor and competition winner Des to talk about what pole fitness actually demands and who it is for.

Des shares how she went from ballet, cheerleading and basketball to pole, and why she calls it a sport, an expression and a way of life. We get into the biggest misconceptions about pole dancing, the strength and conditioning beginners need, why rotator cuff injuries are so common, and how pole compares to strength training. We also talk body types, how partners and coworkers react, and what it takes to compete or become a certified instructor.

Whether you are curious about pole fitness classes, a lifter looking for new cross-training, or just want to understand the sport better, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:
- Pole dancing misconceptions and stigma
- Beginner exercises and conditioning for pole
- Rotator cuff injuries and listening to your body
- Pole competitions and how they are judged
- How to become a pole dance instructor

Find Des: Intro to Pole, Tuesdays at 10:45 a.m. at Dakini Movement Studio in the Princeton, NJ area. Instagram: @winged_desire

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Gym hot takes, no filter. Reggie and Bishop each bring the hills they would die on in fitness and training, and they do not always agree.

They debate whether you need more rest or more intensity, why gatekeeping fitness with arbitrary strength standards misses the point, whether cheat meals are worth it, sumo vs. conventional deadlift, and why the scale matters if you are overweight. They also get into partial reps vs. full range of motion, yelling coaches vs. calm coaching, and why saying "I earned it" too soon can hold you back.

If you like honest fitness conversation, strong opinions, and a little friendly arguing, this one is for you.

Topics include:
- Rest days, recovery, and training intensity
- Strength standards and gatekeeping in fitness
- Cheat meals, calorie tracking, and weight loss
- Sumo vs. conventional deadlift
- Why the scale matters if you are overweight
- Partial reps vs. full range of motion
- Coaching styles and motivation

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/z_UCsjy5E0I

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Is your winter arc starting now? Bishop sits down with Larry, anime podcaster and host of the TOPT podcast, to talk about what anime training arcs can teach us about real-life fitness, discipline, and consistency.

They cover how Hajime no Ippo pushed Larry into boxing, why everybody wants to be Goku but we're all really Vegeta, and what Rock Lee and Might Guy prove about hard work. They also look at how Solo Leveling, Hunter x Hunter, and Demon Slayer show the importance of food, rest, and breathing. Along the way, they talk about handling online negativity, why consistency beats perfection, and how to set yourself up for success before the new year.

If you need workout motivation, a mindset reset, or a reason to get locked in before 2027, this one is for you.

Topics include:
- Winter arc mindset and 90-day goals
- Calisthenics, progressive overload, and tracking your workouts
- Boxing, humility, and confidence
- Rest, recovery, and avoiding overtraining
- Anime that inspire fitness: Hajime no Ippo, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Solo Leveling, Hunter x Hunter, Demon Slayer

Find Larry: search TOPT on any podcast app or YouTube.
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Watch the full video on YouTube: [link]

Follow Beyond the Training on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, leave a rating, and share it with a friend who needs a winter arc.

🎙️ This is Beyond the Fitness. Simple conversations. Real experiences. Real work.

📍 Follow the guests: Youtube:  @TOPTpodcast  Instagram: @toptpodcast

📍 Follow the hosts: Official Instagram: @beyondthetraining Official Tiktok: @beyondthetraining

Official Website: https://beyondthetraining.podbean.com/

Reggie: @prime_fit_73

Bishop: @don_gainz

Is Pilates actually worth your time, or is it just another trend? Reggie and Bishop sit down with Pilates instructor Michelle Natalie Mendez to talk about what Pilates can do for strength, recovery, and athletic performance, and why more people are adding it to their routines.

We get into how Pilates compares to yoga, what hybrid and strength-focused Pilates looks like, why more men and athletes are giving it a shot, and how to use it as part of your recovery. We also cover reformer vs. mat Pilates, at-home reformers, and what to look for when choosing an instructor or studio. If you have been curious about Pilates but didn’t know where to start, this one is for you.

Connect with Michelle Natalie Mendez: https://www.instagram.com/michellenataliemendez/

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How many of the fitness rules you follow are actually true? In this episode of Beyond the Training, Reggie and Bishop take on some of the most common fitness myths and give you their honest take on each one.

They start with calories in versus calories out and why weight loss really comes down to the math, even when life makes it hard to stick to. Then they tackle muscle soreness and why feeling sore is not the same as growing. From there, the conversation moves into genetics versus personal responsibility, why honesty matters when you share how you got your results, and whether isolation exercises deserve a place next to your compound lifts.

They also break down zone 2 cardio in plain language, including how heart rate zones and perceived effort line up and why your heart benefits from variety. They finish with the anabolic window and a quick word on creatine loading.

If you have ever second-guessed something you heard in the gym or online, this episode will help you sort the facts from the noise.

Have a myth you want debunked? Send it our way and we may cover it in a future episode. New episodes of Beyond the Training drop every week. Follow the show, rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and share this one with a friend who needs it.

What does it take to become a true hybrid athlete? In this episode of Beyond the Training, Bishop sits down with calisthenics competitor, personal trainer, and artist Dr. Shroomar to talk about the discipline, mindset, and daily commitment behind building a body and a brand.

Dr. Shroomar opens up about his journey from inconsistent gym sessions to full-time dedication, why he believes a trainer’s body is his product, and how he made the leap from heavy weightlifting into calisthenics before combining the two. He breaks down the brutal reality of calisthenics battles, why burpees are the foundation of his training, and how he approaches coaching new clients who are ready to put in the work.

The conversation goes beyond fitness into mindset, discipline, overcoming injury, and the belief that you are your own biggest opponent.

In this episode:

• Making the switch from weightlifting to calisthenics, then training hybrid
• The role burpees and bodyweight work play in his routine
• What calisthenics competitions are really like and how to get started
• His coaching philosophy and who he takes on as clients
• Nutrition, supplements, and staying lean year round
• The mindset that keeps him going when quitting feels easier

New episodes of Beyond the Training drop every week. Follow the show so you never miss one, and share this episode with someone who needs a push to get started.

We all have some things annoy us in the gym. Listen to us breakdown some things that really get under our skin when we're trying to get a workout in! 

 

🎙️ This is Beyond the Fitness. Simple conversations. Real experiences. Real work.

📍 Follow the hosts: Official Instagram: @beyondthetraining

Official Tiktok: @beyondthetraining

Official Website: https://beyondthetraining.podbean.com/

Personal Instagram Pages

Reggie: @prime_fit_73

Bishop: @don_gainz

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She joined the sheriff's office overweight. Years later, she's still taking Wegovy — and she's not apologizing for it. This week, Renee Garcia, a sheriff's deputy, joins Reggie and Bishop to talk about losing weight on a GLP-1 while working one of the most physically demanding jobs in the country, and why she has no plans to stop.

In this episode:

• Why she started Wegovy, and what the job felt like before
• How GLP-1s actually work, and the muscle-loss debate researchers are still untangling
• What happens to her body — and her job — if she ever stops
• Duty gear, fitness tests, and whether department weight standards actually hold up
• The "easy way out" stigma, and being a woman on the force

Beyond the Training breaks down real fitness and health topics without the fluff. Subscribe for new episodes every week, and tell us in the comments: is a prescription weight-loss drug a shortcut, or just modern medicine?