Double Edge Fitness

What happens when your life's carefully planned trajectory suddenly pivots in an unexpected direction? Chase Brady, longtime coach at Double Edge Fitness, joins the podcast to reveal his surprising decision to transition from fitness coaching to law enforcement after completing his master's degree in exercise physiology.

The conversation begins with Chase's revelation that despite years of planning for a doctoral program or physical therapy school, he found himself increasingly drawn to the Washoe County Sheriff's Department. With characteristic thoroughness, Chase approached this decision by conducting extensive interviews with current officers, preparing 24 questions for each and spending three hours in conversation with them. His conclusion was definitive: "This is 1 billion percent where I'm supposed to be."

Chase and Derek discuss the challenging moment when Chase first shared his plans to leave Double Edge, the emotional weight of that conversation, and how they're both approaching this transition with optimism rather than loss. For Chase, this decision aligns with his personal values and desire to serve the community in a new capacity, summarized in his father's wise phrase: "You plan, God laughs."

The podcast also covers Chase's recent health journey, including blood work showing elevated cholesterol levels and the proactive steps he's taking to optimize his metabolic health before entering law enforcement. Chase shares insights from his master's research on improving health for night shift officers through sleep and exercise modalities, knowledge that will serve him well in his new career.

For Double Edge members wondering about the gym's future programming and coaching lineup, Derek outlines his approach to finding Chase's replacement and his own increased involvement in programming. Their candid conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into how life's unexpected turns often lead us exactly where we're meant to be.

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Ever feel trapped in a life that looks successful on paper but is slowly draining your soul? Jason Nijilski's story might be exactly what you need to hear.

After spending 15 years climbing the corporate ladder in the wind energy industry, Jason made the life-altering decision to walk away from it all and pursue his passion for fitness coaching. Just three months into his new career at Double Edge CrossFit, disaster struck – a catastrophic injury during a routine back squat left him with all three adductor muscles completely torn from the bone. What followed wasn't just physical rehabilitation, but a profound mental and emotional journey through depression, anxiety, and ultimately, transformation.

Jason's candid conversation reveals the rarely discussed connection between serious physical injury and mental health struggles. "The link to depression and PTSD from an injury is something that needs to be talked about more," he explains, describing the dark moments when he couldn't even get into bed without his wife's assistance.

But this story isn't about limitation – it's about rebirth. Jason shares how this challenge became the catalyst for completely overhauling his approach to health. He eliminated alcohol entirely, transformed his nutrition, and embraced an intentional, whole-food lifestyle alongside his wife. The results speak for themselves: at age 43, he's lost 4% body fat and gained 3+ pounds of muscle in just four months.

From hunting his own meat to meal prepping strategies anyone can implement, Jason offers practical insights into sustainable health habits. He emphasizes the importance of objective data through regular body composition scans and blood work, and shares how these metrics have transformed his coaching approach.

Whether you're contemplating a major career change, recovering from injury, or simply seeking motivation to prioritize your health, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical strategies to transform your physical and mental wellbeing. Listen now and discover how adversity can become the doorway to your healthiest, most fulfilling life.

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Join us at Double Edge Fitness as we dive into a jam-packed episode with hosts Derek and Jacob Wellock! 🏋️‍♂️ In this episode, we cover a ton of fitness topics to help you level up your training game:

• One-Rep Maxes & Percentage Work: Why testing your limits is key to building strength and tracking progress over time.
• Sumo vs. Conventional Deadlifts: Learn how genetics, mobility, and technique impact your deadlift performance and how to fix imbalances.
• Training to Fatigue vs. Failure: Discover the balance between pushing hard and recovering smart for long-term gains.
• Warm-Up Importance: Tips to optimize your warm-up for better workouts and injury prevention.
• Creatine Myths & Facts: We break down the latest buzz around creatine dosages, cognitive benefits, and why quality matters.
• Supplement Quality: How to spot high-quality supplements and avoid the shady stuff in the industry.
• AI-Powered Meal Planning: A game-changing way to plan your meals and grocery lists in seconds using tools like Grok or ChatGPT.

Plus, we share real talk about fitness journeys, overcoming ego, and staying consistent through life’s chaos (yes, even with a giant fly buzzing around the studio 🪰). Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Drop them in the comments or reach out to the Double Edge crew! 💪

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Follow us on Instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/doubleedgefitness/

Step into the gym with brothers Derek and Jacob Wellock as they reignite their podcast journey with raw honesty and hard-earned wisdom. This conversation peels back the curtain on what really drives sustainable fitness results—finding that sweet spot between showing up consistently and pushing your limits with proper intensity.

The brothers tackle fitness myths head-on, particularly the misunderstood concept of CNS fatigue that many use as a convenient excuse to skip workouts. Through personal examples and years of coaching experience, they explain why most gym-goers will never truly experience this phenomenon and how to recognize when you're genuinely pushing too hard versus not hard enough.

What truly sets this discussion apart is their exploration of finding your "why" in fitness. Jacob shares his ambitious "1800-pound challenge" (a 600-pound deadlift, 500-pound squat, 400-pound clean, and 300-pound snatch), while Derek reflects on how his daughter's health crisis reshaped his approach to fitness as a gift we shouldn't take for granted. This powerful contrast shows how different motivations can fuel equally meaningful fitness journeys.

Between amusing anecdotes about brotherly wrestling matches and thoughtful reflections on their decade-plus building Double Edge Fitness, the Wellocks deliver a masterclass in balancing work and recovery. Their faith-driven approach reminds us that fitness isn't just about looking better—it's about becoming our best selves for those who depend on us. Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or looking to break through plateaus, their practical wisdom will help you train smarter, not just harder.

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Struggling with energy during workouts while trying to lose weight? You're not alone. This deep dive into the science of training while in a calorie deficit reveals why so many athletes feel sluggish when cutting calories—and offers practical solutions to maintain performance while still achieving weight loss goals.

The conversation tackles a crucial nutritional dilemma faced by dedicated fitness enthusiasts: how to preserve workout intensity while creating the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss. While conventional wisdom often pushes low-carb approaches for shedding pounds, this strategy can severely undermine performance for those engaged in high-intensity training. We explore why your anaerobic energy systems demand glycogen (stored carbs) and why fat, despite being an excellent fuel source during low-intensity activities, simply cannot be mobilized quickly enough to power through heavy lifts or HIIT sessions.

Rather than following the standard "cut carbs to lose weight" advice, active individuals often benefit from a counterintuitive approach—maintaining adequate carbohydrate intake while creating a deficit primarily by reducing dietary fat. This strategy provides your muscles with the glycogen they need for powerful training sessions while still achieving the overall calorie reduction necessary for weight loss. You'll discover practical nutrition timing strategies, specific pre-workout meal suggestions, and even natural carbohydrate sources that can help fuel morning workouts without digestive discomfort. Whether you're struggling with morning workouts or trying to balance your fitness and physique goals, these evidence-based recommendations will help you train hard while getting lean. Ready to stop sacrificing performance for weight loss? This episode shows you don't have to choose between the two.

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When a question about low-protein diets for kidney health arrived, what seemed like a straightforward topic quickly revealed fascinating nuances about protein consumption, kidney function, and dietary management. The conventional wisdom of simply reducing protein intake only scratches the surface of proper kidney care.

The real villain for struggling kidneys? Phosphorus. Those with kidney concerns should limit phosphorus-rich foods like red meat, organ meats, dairy products, processed meats with preservatives, shellfish, and most nuts and seeds. For example, just one ounce of almonds contains a significant 137 milligrams of phosphorus, potentially stressing compromised kidneys.

Instead, focus on phosphorus-light protein sources. Egg whites emerge as the champion, containing excellent protein with virtually no phosphorus when the yolk is removed. Lean poultry (chicken and turkey breast), white fish varieties, and plant-based options like quinoa, certain soy products, and buckwheat provide complete proteins without excessive phosphorus. This strategic approach allows maintaining adequate protein intake while protecting kidney function.

Importantly, before making dietary changes, ensure your kidney function tests are accurate. Intense exercise before blood work can dramatically skew results, falsely suggesting kidney problems where none exist. For active individuals, requesting the more specialized Cystatin C test provides more reliable kidney function assessment, as it's less influenced by workout-related markers. Unlike the resilient liver, kidney damage is irreversible, making accurate diagnosis crucial.

Whether you're managing diagnosed kidney issues or simply want to maintain kidney health, understanding these distinctions could make all the difference. Have questions about kidney-friendly nutrition or other health concerns? Keep them coming—I'll keep fighting to provide meaningful, evidence-based answers.

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What if your body was sending warning signals years before disease struck—and you could actually see them? That's exactly what comprehensive blood testing offers, yet most people avoid or minimize the importance of regular lab work until symptoms appear. In this eye-opening conversation, fitness coach Derrick Wellock and his wife Cassie, a physician assistant who recently opened Vertical Primary Care within Double Edge Fitness, share their expertise on using blood work as your body's early warning system.

Cassie explains how standard lab ranges reflect the average population rather than optimal health, and why "normal" results might still warrant attention, especially for those seeking longevity and peak performance. The couple dives deep into cholesterol testing, revealing why an advanced NMR panel that measures particle size offers far more valuable information than standard lipid profiles. Derrick transparently shares his personal journey with high cholesterol and how coconut oil—touted as healthy in fitness circles—sent his numbers "bonkers" virtually overnight.

The discussion challenges common misconceptions about carbohydrates and insulin sensitivity, with both hosts explaining how strategically incorporating quality carbs actually improved Derrick's blood glucose levels. They also tackle hormone optimization for both men and women, providing a nuanced view of testosterone replacement therapy beyond the oversimplified approaches offered by many hormone clinics.

Whether you're a fitness enthusiast who assumes external health equals internal health, someone avoiding medical care, or simply curious about preventative medicine, this episode offers practical guidance for using blood work as a powerful tool in your health journey. As Derrick aptly puts it: "Blood work is like your car's dashboard—it tells you when to act before the engine fails."

Ready to take control of your health journey? Schedule those labs, establish your baseline, and discover what's really happening beneath the surface. The insights could add years of quality life to your future.

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Finding your anchor might be the most important health discovery you'll ever make. In this deeply personal episode, I reveal the critical insight I've gained after two decades in the fitness industry about who succeeds and who doesn't in their health journey.

While most people begin fitness focused on aesthetics and weight loss, I've observed that these motivations rarely sustain long-term commitment. The transformation we seek moves painfully slow, and we're often never satisfied with our appearance regardless of improvements. This creates a psychological trap that leads many to abandon healthy habits when visible results don't materialize quickly enough.

The solution? Finding a deeper anchor that connects your daily fitness decisions to something more meaningful than appearance. For me, this anchor solidified after reading Peter Attia's book "Outlive" and facing my daughter's Crohn's disease diagnosis. I realized that maintaining optimal muscle mass and healthy body fat levels dramatically reduces the risk of chronic diseases, with exercise being the most powerful tool against insulin resistance—the silent precursor to our major killers.

What transformed my approach was understanding that the fitter you are at 40, the fitter you'll be at 70. Your strength, VO2 max, and metabolic health today set the foundation for your quality of life decades later. This perspective makes each workout and healthy meal an investment in your future self rather than a sacrifice for short-term aesthetic gains.

Life will inevitably derail your momentum occasionally. The difference between those who succeed and those who don't is the ability to reconnect with their anchor and get back on track. Discover what deeply matters to you—whether it's being there for your family, maintaining independence as you age, or simply enjoying vibrant health—and let that drive your fitness decisions toward a sustainable lifestyle.

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Your approach to pre-workout nutrition, especially for early morning training, might need a personal overhaul. Drawing from 20 years of coaching experience, I've discovered that the conventional wisdom of what to eat before training deserves careful reconsideration.

The classic recommendation of 20 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbohydrates before training holds merit, but requires individual calibration. Your muscles store glycogen from meals throughout the day, which means your previous day's nutrition profoundly impacts your morning performance capability. For some, fasted training works beautifully; for others, it's a recipe for poor recovery and diminished results.

Gender differences add another critical layer to this conversation. Women typically experience greater hormonal disruption from high-intensity fasted training compared to men. Dr. Stacy Sims's research reveals that women benefit significantly from consuming both carbohydrates and protein before training sessions, while men—who generally have more muscle mass and glycogen storage capacity—might perform adequately without immediate pre-workout nutrition.

Experimentation is essential. I recommend testing a consistent morning protocol for 1-2 weeks, paying close attention to energy levels, recovery capacity, and daily well-being. Some people thrive with liquid supplements 30 minutes before training, while others need whole foods two hours prior. Equally important are your micronutrients and hydration status—electrolyte balance dramatically affects performance regardless of your macronutrient timing.

Ready to optimize your pre-workout approach? Listen now to discover how to design your perfect nutrition strategy that works with your body's unique needs rather than against them.

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