The Competitive Edge Podcast: Fatherhood | Fitness | Focus

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• Building relationships and trust is crucial in the fitness industry.
• A strong mindset is a key differentiator in achieving a competitive edge.
• Overcoming challenges and setting expectations can lead to success.
• Training should be tailored to individual goals and include recovery and strength work.

Thank you to our Sponsors for this Episode:

• Vision One CBD Home - Vision One Naturals
• The Hybrid Engine The Hybrid Engine
• Schizz Graphics @Schizz.Graffix on IG or [email protected] (Created this Fancy Podcast Episode Cover)

Much thanks to Schizz Graphics for creating our podcast cover. Contact James Schissler on IG @Schizz.Graffix for more information on how you can hire him to create his eye-popping athlete graphics.

We are officially live with Mr. Dale Lively, who is a stand-out Hybrid athlete and owns a well-established fitness facility on the Gulf of FL which is called Live Training, pleasure to have you on the show Dale!

Ok, as always… Welcome back to the Competitive Edge podcast, I'm your host, Daniel Hickman.. where fathers learn from fathers to sharpen their competitive edge as an athlete and in life! As a reminder, the purpose of this show is to help motivate, inspire, and share tips or hacks from dad athletes like Dale who are champions in racing and at home as a dad.

Thank you to our Sponsors for this episode:

• Vision One CBD Home - Vision One Naturals
• Schizz Graphics @Schizz.Graffix on IG or [email protected] (Created this Fancy Podcast Episode Cover)

Much thanks to Schizz Graphics for creating our podcast cover. Contact James Schissler on IG @Schizz.Graffix for more information on how you can hire him to create his eye-popping athlete graphics.

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Welcome back to the competitive edge podcast, I'm your host, Daniel Hickman.. where fathers learn from fathers to sharpen their competitive edge as an athlete and in life!

This is an episode with CJ Finley, a dad athlete out of Austin, TX, entrepreneur, podcast host of Thrive on Life, and a dad, a 4 mth old baby boy!

• CJ leads by example in everything he does, values his marriage with his wife Erin, and passionately helps men and women thrive on life…

• We both started entrepreneurship in 2017

• We both fell into the partying a bit too much and drinking, except his roommate from Nigeria helped him exit that chapter which led him to connecting with his wife..

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• What were your biggest accomplishments as an athlete?

  • Answer: maintaining a high level of fitness since age 16. I don't care about medals and accolades, I care about consistency and doing the hard shit when nobody is looking or expecting me to.

• What are your biggest accomplishments in business or in your professional career?

  • Answer: being able to build a house that is comfortable enough to host my parents, in-laws, and siblings and provide an environment where they can utilize my garage gym, my sauna/ice, and my redlight setup. It's also a dream come true to have my podcast studio in my home.

• When did the competitive side of you begin? and please walk us through the sports you may have played as a kid into an adult

  • Answer:since I was born. I was voted most competitive in my highschool graduating class. Today my competition is myself, and it is less about accolades and defeating other people like it was in my past.

• How would you define "Competitive Edge"?

  • Answer: asking yourself if you were david, and you are up against goliath, what skills/knowledge/assets do you have to beat him?

• What did your training schedule look like before your kids?

  • Answer:Same as now, two a days

• What does your training schedule look like now as a father? (hours per week est)

  • Answer: 30-1hr run, 30 to 1 hr workout, 30 minutes of sauna and ice

• How have you adapted/adjusted and what changes have you made competing and/or training as a father?

  • Answer: same type of training, way more flexible on time and when it gets done

• What are some things or ways you stay present as a father balancing training and fatherhood?

  • Answer: they are one in the same for me. Being a great father is dependent on me training, and my training is fueled by my ambition to be a great father.

• What advice would you have for those men out there that lost connection with their health when they finished competing as an athlete or as first-time dads that lost touch with their competitive edge and respect for the man in the mirror?

  • Answer: ask me this live, not going to answer here.

• If you were an animal, what animal represent your way of life or personality type the most?

  • Answer:wolf. I am capable of being a loner and thriving, and great at leading packs. it just depends on the day.

• What big races, or events, coming up for you this year?

  • Answer: main focus right now is hyrox mixed doubles with my wife in dallas november 18th, followed by the lake norman 50k ultra on dec 2nd

• How can everyone find you and follow what you're doing (IG handle, website, etc)? any sponsors or upcoming items you want to share?

• • Answer: @cj.finley @thriveonlifepodcast

Thank you to our Sponsors:

• Vision One CBD Home - Vision One Naturals
• The Hybrid Engine The Hybrid Engine
• Schizz Graphics @Schizz.Graffix on IG or [email protected] (Created this Fancy Podcast Episode Cover)

Much thanks to Schizz Graphics for creating our podcast cover. Contact James Schissler on IG @Schizz.Graffix for more information on how you can hire him to create his eye-popping athlete graphics.

Welcome back to the competitive edge podcast, I'm your host, Daniel Hickman.. where fathers learn from fathers to sharpen their competitive edge as an athlete and in life!

Today we have a special episode: a phenomenal Mom Athlete of one son who is now a young man, and to my 3 daughters she is superwoman, to me Heidi is a forever friend I will never forget and the one person who got me into hybrid racing and the reason why I earned my first place AG Hyrox podium in NYC! She believed in me before I did!

This is an episode with Heidi Williams, a Champion in soooo.. many ..areas and races, and lives in the Gulf of Florida where she has owned a Salon for the last 40 years and is a Gym owner as well…. but today Heidi is connected with us .. LIVE… all the way from Iceland.. Yes Iceland and we will jump more into that for sure.

Her biggest accomplishments as an athlete are:

• Deka World Champion

• Hyrox World Champion 2x in a row

• Earned 2 world records

• Completed the World's highest OCR

Thank you to our Sponsors for this Episode:

• Vision One CBD Home - Vision One Naturals
• The Hybrid Engine The Hybrid Engine
• Schizz Graphics @Schizz.Graffix on IG or [email protected] (Created this Fancy Podcast Episode Cover)

Much thanks to Schizz Graphics for creating our podcast cover. Contact James Schissler on IG @Schizz.Graffix for more information on how you can hire him to create his eye-popping athlete graphics.

Forrest Bouge: "Winning the Battle Against Alcohol to Win in Life" | Spartan and DEKA Elite Athlete | Dad of 2 Teenage Girls

Owner of Man Flow Yoga: Dean Pohlman | Father of 2 | Has Helped Over 180,000 Men Take Back Their Health!

Use code DADEDGE by clicking this link: https://manflowyoga.com/seven-day-trial/

Our guest Dad Athlete, Dean Pohlman, was so kind to offer the listeners of this episode a special discount code to save $211 off on his One Year Yoga/ FitnessVirtual Video Library and Community only for Men.

Use code DADEDGE by clicking this link: https://manflowyoga.com/seven-day-trial/

This is Episode 27 today, Dean is a 33-year-old father of 2.. He has helped over 150,000 men and dads all over the world with his effective men's yoga fitness.. video library and more.

He recently came to the 2nd health and wellness conference where they measure an athlete's overall fitness with performance tests measuring strength, speed, endurance, and more. And This was possible because he is a very well-rounded athlete.

In college, Dean was a stand-out all-conference collegiate lacrosse player.

Some big Man Flow Yoga accolades include Books written by Dean, DVDs, a community members' area, a website, and a mobile app.

Man Flow Yoga has also been featured in Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Men's Health, The Chicago Sun, New York Magazine, and many other major news media outlets.

• Location and age. What do you do? (occupation/business etc)
• Answer: northwest Chicago, 43 years old, entrepreneur, a business owner, European car repair and BMW performance
• How many kids do you have (please include ages)?
• Answer: three kids, Nate 12, Savannah 15, Jacob 20
• What were your biggest accomplishments as a dad athlete?
• Answer: oh, really, the big accomplishment is being an example to my kids. I have the energy, focus, and drive to be at my top potential in parenting, and travel. My family has traveled all over the country to races. We've seen so many beautiful places as a family. And won some races doing so!
• What are your biggest accomplishments in business or in your professional career?
• Answer: oh, well, it's been a long one, but I started my own business in 2010. My wife and I had -$34 in the bank and decided to start an automotive repair business out of our garage. 13 years later it has transformed into a Shop providing service to over 5000 clients, it's taking a lot of hard work but honesty, caring about people and trust go along way in business. That's what made us successful.
• What is your biggest accomplishment as a father (in regard to your family members)?
• Answer: just being there for them. Cheering them on, being an example in their lives, and seeing it come to fruition. My oldest Jake, is 20 and just seeing him grow and the man that he's developed into is amazing. Same thing with our daughter and our 12-year-old. Just having, a relationship with them and being there for them. Teaching them and keeping their influence within the family. I came from a childhood where my father was not around very much. I know that he loved me in his own way, but I did not really have a relationship with him until later in my life. It still hurts me to this day and I've had to process some very hard things lately without him in my life. I'm just grateful that it's not that way with my kids.
• How would you define "Competitive Edge"?
• Answer: well, I think competitive is having something more than your opponent, So I really need to define this in a few different ways. The Lord God, and having a relationship with him is definitely an edge, my family, my wife, that is my cheerleader gives me confidence and a mental edge. Also, I would have to say that I am super consistent to a T. I have the ability to push myself when I need to and to lay off, but I always show up rain or shine feeling good or bad. I'm there ready to work.
• I feel like I'm also able to go to a really painful place during races where maybe others can't access that amount of pain.
• When did the competitive side of you begin? and please walk us through the sports you may have played as a kid into an adult
• Answer: I've always been competitive in the form of needing to feel superior to other people, let me explain that. I really found that a little bit later in life because in my childhood, I was always picked last in sports, my mom raised me, so I really didn't have someone to really teach me how to play ball sports or really any sport at that. I had to kind of pick it up myself and was really not all that good at anything. I got picked on a lot in grade school, and middle school, and moved to the south side of Chicago at 14-15 years old. Really had to learn how to defend myself, learn how to box. That gave me an upper hand in high school. I started lifting weights in the gym after high school and started putting on some size and muscle. I still never really challenge myself at anything competitive. However, there is a turning point in my life at around 30 years old that changed my life forever, almost lost my wife and family and died to drug abuse. I fell into a deep hole, eventually climbed out of it, and started running. I found running to be relaxing and really gave me a chance to think deeply. It also increases dopamine and pleasure receptors. I have an addictive personality, so finding this piece within really was something that I wanted. Started riding motocross with my son. That it turned into obstacle course racing and competing around 2018. 2019 I did my next race and excelling very quickly at the sports. I was able to run fast and pull my weight around very easily.
• What was the dynamic with your parents? who brought you to sports and etc?
• Answer: my mom and I lived a long growing up. I generally did sports on my own, but my mom would bring me to sports and games when I was a kid.
• What is that quote or saying your parents always told you that sticks with you today?
• Answer: there's really no quote or saying from my parents, however, something that is strong that sticks out in my mind is my mom would always tell me that she was praying for me and that she was proud of me. To this day.
• What kind of competitive athletic events did you compete in before kids as an adult?
• Answer: in grade school and middle school, I played soccer, and baseball got into track in high school for my sophomore and junior years. Ran the 400 mainly. Ran it pretty quickly, but it wasn't enough to get me into state or anything. Pretty basic.
• What did your training schedule look like before your kids?
• Answer: basic bro Gym style
• What kind of competitive events do you compete in now as a father?
• Answer: in the last three years, I've competed competitively in the spartan OCR series races, and local OCR, events, and OCR worlds, have been training the last six months for a Hyrox. Competed into Hyrox events recently at one doubles in and one open. Next on the list is Hyrox, New York, pro men's
• What does your training schedule look like now as a father? (hours per week est)
• Answer: 11-12 hours I run a seven-day training cycle. Six days on one day off repeat cycle.
• How have you adapted/adjusted and what changes have you made competing and/or training as a father?
• Answer: a really fine-tuning of schedule. I'm a pretty systematic person so I like things to be organized and grouped and consistent. My kids are a bit older, so they've been able to take care of themselves, my oldest even trains with me. Just finding the right time of benefit for the body and life. For me, that is first thing in the morning. wake up take a cold shower get dressed get down to the gym in the basement. Start getting warmed up. Stretching out. I have a coach that programs for me. So just getting the workout, dialed in, equipment, set up, etc. Like cardio and then follow with the prescribed work. I really adapted to this by bringing all of my training equipment to me. I have pretty much everything in my basement that I need to train specifically for the races that I do.
• Being a husband and a father comes first, even though working out usually comes first. If the schedules change, my lifestyle at the current time doesn't allow me to train the way I want, I adapt, change times, and work out on the road wherever. I can adapt to my environment and make it fun and get the kids and wife Motivated as well. Super proud of my wife too because she has started a training plan and she's really making some good progress.
• What are some things or ways you stay present as a father balancing training and fatherhood?
• Answer: This is really hard to be a father of three, owning my business 100%, my wife, home schools, all of our children, training, and racing. The kid's events, etc. That's why I need to get all of my workouts and training done first thing in the morning before anybody else is awake. then I can focus on work and family when I come home and have the weekends basically free. Also, we generally do something as a family or husband and wife run, bike session on Saturday for Saturday's long run.
• Why do you train and/or compete? What drives that bug in you to compete?
• Answer: yeah, I really was challenged with this question. The why.. I like a challenge, I like to train to be the best. It's my way of setting an example for those around me. That can be done, also I have an addictive personality, so I feel that I need to feed this monster that lies within me before the things that I did were toxic to my life. This is cleansing and makes me feel like a masculine husband and father that can go to battle if I need to, live a healthy lifestyle, and be around for my family for a long time.
• What are the most notable improvements you've noticed from staying fit and/or competing in fitness events? What changes have you experienced that you would most likely brag about to a friend? What benefits do you get out of training and competing?
• Answer: I really just feel alive when I'm competing in training for something. It gives me something hard to work towards. It is meaningful for me. It gives purpose to my life. Not all-purpose, but a certain amount. In the past three years, I look back on pictures of some of the first events and it's really crazy to see how far I've come. What seemed like normal Chad in 2018 was really a very average not necessarily unfit but not very fit person and that's OK, but I feel that as an athlete training every day my body has changed immensely. There are muscles in places I didn't even know were possible. very low body fat I'm able to maintain all year around. There's no loading or cycling that really changes my BMI. I've stayed anywhere between 6% and 9% body fat for the past 3 years straight. I eat only Whole Foods, I prepare all my meals the weekend before, I only cheat, maybe once a week, and let myself have a dessert, or a bag of gummy bears, but realistically, the desire isn't there. The food is good, the protein shakes and the meal prep is great.
• What kind of time management hacks have you conquered? Training in am or pm etc?
• Answer: yeah, I think I went over that before in one of the answers, but I'd like to train in the morning. Train first thing in the morning, and have a cup of coffee. Get the hard work out of the way. Three minute cold shower. Off to work, definitely at your shop and meal prep the Sunday before your work week and bring premade meals with you. You can always eat on time what you're supposed to and get that nutrition in. I even put a kitchen in at my shop so I'm able to cook myself food there and have spoiled myself a little bit in that area. I built a gym in my basement. I only need to walk downstairs. No driving necessary keeps me more consistent and focused.
• What advice would you have for those men out there that lost connection with their health when they finished competing as an athlete or as first-time dads that lost touch with their competitive edge and respect for the man in the mirror?
• Answer: maybe that isn't important to them anymore. There has to be a drive and fire that comes from somewhere. If someone is unhappy with their body, but the pain of the unhappiness of the type of body in the way that they feel in the way that people look at them and the lack of energy, etc. isn't enough to push them to do the even harder thing which is to climb back out of that hole.
• But if that desire is there, and you do want to make a change, you need to make that commitment to change and once you make that commitment, you sign your name on the line. You do it. There's no turning back it's OK to be unhappy that you have to get up and do something hard the first few weeks of getting your ass back into gear, but it will slowly start to become beneficial you will start to feel, more alive, your wife or your girlfriend is going to look at you in a way that they haven't for a very, very long time your kids will start looking up to you. You will be more present and you'll be more alert. This is going to propel you into taking care of yourself more, it's like this perpetual mold within yourself that keeps producing. It's not easy it's very hard at first to get in the rhythm. I'd say at least a good eight weeks. If you can hold out for eight weeks, you're gonna start to see some changes but you have to be consistent every day. And you just remind yourself of that commitment you made yourself because if you are gonna let yourself down, you're gonna let everybody else down too.
• If you were an animal, what animal represents you the most?
• Answer: not an animal but an ant or a bee. Worker! Always moving!
• What big races, or events, coming up for you this year?
• Answer: trying to compete in a Hyrox Worlds 2024. Also would like to do a marathon, and possibly OCR worlds.
• How can everyone find you and follow what you're doing (IG handle, website, etc)? any sponsors or upcoming items you want to share?
• Answer: @dynamicdad on insta

This episode was great connecting with Joe on a deeper level. We go way back to 2019 when I first started running and trying out OCR races. From there, I was hooked never missing a Sunday OCR class at Gett-It-Core Fitness.

Joe passionately helps mold his athletes for greatness and winning races. He also leads the pack from the front by winning all types of races annually. (OCR, DEKA, HYROX, and more). He puts all of his energy into his members and his gym.

Link to Live Unedited Video Interviews: https://tr.ee/5IJJpYlvKa

The motto for his gym and members is C.O.R.E.

• Challenge yourself to ordinary tasks and be sure to reward yourself for excellence then make new goals to progress!

C - Challenge

O - Ordinary

R - Reward

E- Excellence

Partnered Discount Codes:

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Hyrox Races | 10% off DanielH10

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Show Notes:

Welcome back to the competitive edge podcast, I'm your host, Daniel Hickman.. where fathers learn from fathers to sharpen their competitive edge as an athlete and in life!

This is Episode 24 today, with a very well-known dad athlete who is also called the LEGEND in the OCR space, he is a dad of 3 adult kids and one 11 year old.

Joe Rivera is 56 years old as a retired postal worker and lives in Jacksonville FL , He is also the owner of the very popular fitness facility called Gett itt core fitness , that is full of top notched athletes.

His biggest accomplishments as a dad athlete are:

• Third Place in the Spartan Age Group National Series Championships...

• Hyrox Men's Doubles Age Group Record holder and Worlds Champ

• Goruck Games athlete

• First Place Age Group winner at Indian Mud Run 100 obstacle event.

• Second Place AG Winner Obstacle Course Racing World Championship.

• First Place Age Group 55 to 59 DEKA FIT, DEKA STRONG, DEKA MILE World Championship.

Podcast Updates:

• Most recent episode upload with Mom-athlete Bridget Brown is crazy popular and is not the 5th most downloaded to episode.

• Interviews in Editing mode are Mark Gaudet and Dylan Scott

• Upcoming interviews with Chad Coleman, Dustin Needham, Victor Quezada, the owner of man flow yoga, and Robert Killian

• Top 5 most downloaded episode interviews in this order.. are with Julius Jeter, David Magida, E-rock, Bruce Jackson and Bridget Brown

Events:

• Hyrox World Championship this weekend in Manchester UK (Good luck to the past interviewed dad athletes Mario Johnson, David Magida, Dylan Scott)

• Deka Fit Carolinas coming in June

• Hyrox NYC in June as well

Questions for show:

• What were your biggest accomplishments as a dad athlete?

  • Answer: the ability to juggle fatherhood, careers, family and training in order to stay competitive.

• What are your biggest accomplishments in business or in your professional career?

  • Answer: Retiring as a Sergeant Major of Marines from the Marine Corps and being a well respected Business (Gym) owner.

• How would you define "Competitive Edge"?

  • Answer: That point in your training where your body wants to quit but your mind takes over pushing you beyond your perceived limits.

• What was the dynamic with your parents? Who brought you to sports etc?

  • Answer: I grew up during a time where sports were not really encouraged just academic achievement. I self taught myself to find interest in my sport but by that time I could not catch, hit, or throw a ball to save my life so running was where I turned to.

• What kind of competitive athletic events did you compete in before kids as an adult?

  • Answer: I got married young and had my 1st child young so I already had kids when I started being competitive in my adulthood.

• What did your training schedule look like before your kids?

  • Answer: My training happened sporadically or when time permitted.

• What kind of competitive events do you compete in now as a father?

  • Answer: OCR races, DEKA Events, Hyrox Events Road races and other functional fitness types of events.

• What does your training schedule look like now as a father? (hours per week est)

  • Answer: Train about 12 to 15 hours a week.

• How have you adapted/adjusted and what changes have you made competing and/or training as a father?

  • Answer: the biggest and hardest thing is time management and not sacrificing a lot of family time. 2nd is trying to include my son in my competitive events so he can learn and hopefully take interest in being competitive himself someday.

• What are some things or ways you stay present as a father balancing training and fatherhood?

  • Answer: it's a constantly evolving process because my sons interests change frequently but i continue to keep him involved in my events, i take him with me to my racecations and i encourage him to be active and in things that peak his interests.

• Why do you train and/or compete? What drives that bug in you to compete?

  • Answer: setting the example for others, whether irs my gym members, my racing peers and the desire to set a goal and try to achieve it as best as possible.

• What are the most notable improvements you've noticed from staying fit and/or competing in fitness events? What changes have you experienced that you would most likely brag about to a friend? What benefits do you get out of training and competing?

  • Answer: the most notable thing I have gotten out of what I do and how I train is my level of endurance and physical abilities for someone of my age.

• What kind of time management hacks have you conquered? Training in am or pm etc?

  • Answer: funny you should ask because i use to be a morning training guy but lately my desires to train in the afternoon have superseded the mornings.

• What advice would you have for those men out there that lost connection with their health when they finished competing as an athlete or as first-time dads that lost touch with their competitive edge and respect for the man in the mirror?

  • Answer: Get out there and do something for yourself while you fulfill your dad responsibilities. Buy a running stroller, a bike buggy, etc, anything that will get you outside exercising with your child while he is young.

• If you were an animal, what animal represents you the most?

  • Answer: Spydermonkey

• What big races, or events, coming up for you this year?

  • Answer: Hopefully Hyrox, OCR Worlds and DEKA Worlds.

• How can everyone find you and follow what you're doing (IG handle, website, etc)? any sponsors or upcoming items you want to share?

  • Answer: Gett-ittcorefitness.com

  • Gett-itt core fitness facebook

  • Gett_itt core fitness IG

Partnered Discount Codes:

MyZone Devices | $60 off CODE: TMZ001-51445-60

VisionOne CBD products | 20% off CODE: CompEdge20

PWRlift Recovery Drinks | 20% off CODE: DHICKMAN20

Hyrox Races | 10% off DanielH10

MudGear | $15% Code: Hickman

TYR | 10% Code: iamdanielhickman10off

What an amazing conversation with such a devoted new father. You can tell how excited he is to be a dad!

Dyland shares his experiences and adjustments as a new father and how he integrates fatherhood with work, travel, race training, and racing.

He also walks us through his intense training format. Was great having Dylan on the show and looking forward to seeing him grow in the hybrid space!