IFBB Pro bodybuilder Ron Stevens joins Coffee With Doc for Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Ron has trained in Las Vegas since 1992 — one of the first nationally certified personal trainers in the city — and most recently competed at the 2026 IFBB Tampa Pro. He and Dr. John J. Pierce dig into how decades of injuries (torn pecs, a torn bicep, and a distal quad tendon torn off the bone) forced Ron to trade heavy loads for a time-under-tension approach, what it takes to eat 270-300 grams of protein a day on a cod-heavy diet, and why he handed his dieting decisions over to a coach to take the emotion out of it. The conversation closes with a candid look at Ron's sleep apnea diagnosis and the recovery stack — sauna, cold plunge, red light therapy, and a box-breathing protocol — he leans on to keep training at a pro level.

Disclaimer: The information provided by this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.

In this episode:

• Ron's path from San Diego State track & football to Las Vegas personal training pioneer
• The old-school NASM certification process vs. today's online tests
• Why Ron has little patience for undertrained personal trainers
• A career's worth of injuries — and the mindset shift from "push harder" to "pull back"
• Time under tension vs. maxing out: how Ron trains legs and chest now
• John Meadows' risk-reward philosophy and why Ron applies it to his own lifts
• Ron's diet: 270-300g protein/day, a cod-heavy meal plan, and calorie cycling from 1,500-3,000 calories
• Diagnosing and managing sleep apnea — CPAP, mouthpieces, and Dr. Gil Suarez
• Ron's recovery protocol: sauna, cold plunge, red light therapy, grounding, and box breathing

Timestamps:

• [00:01:00] Introducing IFBB Pro Ron Stevens
• [00:03:00] Track star to San Diego State
• [00:04:00] Moving to Vegas, becoming a certified trainer
• [00:05:00] The Sporting House, Dana White & old Vegas gym culture
• [00:06:00] Why trainer certifications used to mean something
• [00:07:00] Ron on today's undertrained "trainers"
• [00:09:00] How training evolved after the injuries piled up
• [00:10:00] Torn quads, pecs & a bicep — Ron's injury history
• [00:12:00] Time under tension over heavy loads
• [00:13:00] The bench press injury that ended an era
• [00:14:00] John Meadows & the risk-reward of high-risk lifts
• [00:15:00] Maintaining muscle mass after 50
• [00:16:00] 270-300g of protein a day: Ron's diet breakdown
• [00:17:00] Calorie cycling & handing control to a coach
• [00:18:00] Dieting through an ER residency
• [00:19:00] Getting into single-digit body fat
• [00:20:00] Ron's daily routine & meal timing
• [00:21:00] Training once a day to maximize time
• [00:22:00] Ron's sleep apnea diagnosis
• [00:23:00] Mouthpieces, CPAP & Dr. Gil Suarez
• [00:25:00] Sauna, cold plunge & red light therapy
• [00:26:00] Ron's sauna-to-cold-plunge recovery protocol
• [00:27:00] Box breathing & the psychology of cold exposure

Joining us today is Master Nick "One Kick" Blomgren

Owner and founder of "One Kick" gym in Las Vegas, Nevada. A gym that has become one of the most respected names in Muay Thai MMA and combat sports training in the United States. Enjoy our first episode of a new series: Local Heroes.

Nick "One Kick" Blomgren Instagram: onekick

www.onekickgym.com

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