Hey y'all and welcome to the everyday athlete podcast recorded live from Omaha, Nebraska and I'm your host, Katie danger U S army veteran and founder of Red H Nutrition providing everyday athletes just like you, clean, effective nutritional solutions, custom formulated to help you reach your absolute potential every single day.
All right. Hey y'all and welcome to episode number 24 of the everyday athlete podcast. And today I've got a special guest with me, Brandon Ryan. Brandon is my friend, Brandon is already a nutrition athlete and he is also an adaptive athlete. Brandon, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much. Yeah. Hey Brandon. And I'm really glad that you could join us today and you know, I was putting the numbers down and we've known each other now for about four years and I have been so inspired by you and we're relentless spirit you never quit. And one thing that I really have noticed about you is you will always embrace the obstacles on the way to your goals. So I thought you'd be a perfect guest today and you've got a great story to share. So I'm going to give the floor to you and here's what I want you to share with our audience. Just get right into it. I want to share a little bit about who you are, where you come from, where you're going, and what you offer to the fitness community out there.
(01:14): Great. So my name is Brandon Ryan and I'm an adaptive athlete who has cerebral palsy, which in short terms is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, thus causing brain injury to the frontal part of the brain. And because of CP I have a lot of where you can have a lot of coordination and Lake sturdy problems that come with the disability and having motor skill issues as well with the brain body connection. So you know, at the first click of my life, doctors told my parents that I would not have known too much at all, be dependent on them and others for care or that are grow out of the condition altogether. So my life has been an uphill struggle since the beginning of my life and my parents saw fit to, you know, not take that as the end result. And my mom fought every day for me to gain weight because I was a premature baby.
(02:18): As soon as I started gaining weight, I started physical therapy. And as I grew older, my dad put a pair of dumbbells in my hand and taught me how to do curls with the dumbbells and got really just in, started a fire for fitness for me. And so in short, like I've been dealt a pretty tough hand, but I've refused to let that define my life. And yeah, I just, every day is a blessing and I get up out of bed every day and I get after it because that's the only choice I got. So you've shared a little bit about who you are, where you come from, how your
(03:00): Journey started, but I think that there is a lot that's happened since then. So where are you going? What are your personal fitness goals right now? What are you focusing on?
(03:09): Yeah. So I guess you said occupationally. I've been a certified personal trainer for a little under a year and my main focus is the adoptive community. And I feel like I'm the perfect guy as someone that has CP to being an adaptive coach for others like myself. And that's not to take away all the good that's been done with a dagger fitness in terms of the CrossFit community. But those are still for the most part able body teachers. Whereas, you know, someone sees me with my crutches from a wheelchair doing whatever. They're inspired by it too. And there's already that connection there between myself and the person that has the disability as well. So I'm really striving to grow and share what I already have in terms of my years of experience with fitness and having CP and for my own personal physical goals, I really set aside like my love for powerlifting and went to a four calisthenics body weight style workout. And I just want to be good at all the basic movements with body weight training because they're so important, you know? And you can do them anywhere.
(04:24): Tell us why. Why is body weight important? Is it just important for adaptive athletes or is it important for everybody?
(04:30): I think it's important for everybody because just think about, right now we don't have access to gyms within the pandemic, and so a lot of people are just shocked like, what do I do? But then I'm thinking like, you got the floor, you can do burpees until you puke. You can do pushups, you can squat, you can run all these things that are not defined by a building, so to speak. And you know, a pushup is functional in daily life because if you fall down, you gotta do a pushup to get back to your feet. You have to do a burpee to get back to your feet or you gotta squat to pick up that box, whatever it is, you know? So I love it.
(05:09): We've got your fitness goals. What is a personal trainer who focuses on adaptive athletes? I mean, it's visually obvious why you would be a good representative for that demographic because you're an adaptive athlete. You do share the struggles that another athlete would, but what else would qualify you as somebody who can give guidance to an adaptive athlete? Is there anything else that sets you apart? Any I guess, training methodology that you have experimented with yourself that works?
(05:37): Yeah, I would say that I've been there. I know what it's like not to have full use of the right side of my body, you know, and not being able to take a dumbbell and Elekta is high as I can over my head as much as I'd like to, you know, I know what it's like to feel fatigue on a regular basis. I know what it's like to be stuck in a chair for a while or a bed. So again, not taking away anything from people in the industry, but if you haven't been there, it's hard to build that deep connection with the client, which is what I find most people like me. You want anyways more than fitness and like the fat loss or whatever. They want a coach and a trainer that understands where they're coming from. That's why I feel like I have my own personal leash
(06:28): And I'm trying to make the most of it ever heard. The same. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. A major component to your competitive success will be your nutrition prep and I created a competition nutrition guide to help you utilize pre-internet and post-competition nutrition protocols, boost your confidence heading into a competition, recover quicker post comps, you get right back to training and increase your power output and max capacity so you can own that podium. I created this guy just for the everyday athlete and you can get your free copy at competitionnutritionguide.com. I'll say again, competitionnutritionguide.com.
(07:10): There's always challenges when you know we can call it selling yourself, but really you just want to share your passion with others. You want to share what you've learned, experienced, and how you've improved yourself. So you obviously realize that fitness is important for you, but when you're working with other adaptive athletes, what are some of the common challenges that you face with them?
(07:27): It's not even so much physical, but it's all in here. You know, I'll post the video and I'll get like 95% positive feedback, but that last few percent is filled with comments and say, Oh I can't do that. That to me is so heartbreaking because you know, it's hard being an online coach, but I guarantee you if I'm with that person in person, I'll find your adaptation that you can do. And then, you know, it's just hard cause I hate the words. I can't. So to hear someone like myself or anybody say they can't do something as heartbreaking, I will bend over backwards to find somebody a way to do something. You know, even if a person doesn't have use of any of their limbs and this is still active, you know, sharpen your mind, make your mind as Bulletproof as possible.
(08:21): Okay. How does somebody do that? What's your recommendation? Whether they're adaptive or not, somebody listening right now, you've got people and they stuck. What do you say?
(08:30): I think you really have to start with the fact that you just gotta get off your ass and decide that you want to go a new direction in life. Think of like people that go through like alcohol anonymous and they have that moment of clarity where they're like, I'm tired of the way I'm living and I want to change. Those moments are real and they're life changing. And so everybody that I come in contact with, I feel like they have this moment where they're like, I am sick of the way my life is going, how my body is feeling. And so they in that moment can change their mindset and take those small steps to move forward into a new chapter of their lives
(09:19): At any moment. Somebody can make the choice to change. Yes. I think the key word there, I love this word, but the word is choice. Yeah. I think that we are always in control of it, at the very least our thoughts, which generally produce our feelings and then that kind of creates our results. So that mindset that you mentioned that is very, very important no matter who you are, what stage you're in.
(09:43): Yeah. And I mean it's hard to get there, but I want people to understand that. Like I've been told that smart enough. I've been told that I would never amount to anything. So I know that you can rise from the bottom of the pit. I know you can do it.
(09:59): And anybody who's listening to this show for the past 20 episodes I've talked extensively about, it doesn't matter if the entire world says you can or you can't, you are the only person that dictates that outcome. You, yourself, Brandon, all of that is fantastic. So we just talked about, you know, some of the challenges that you experienced, which really are challenges like any trainer, the mindset, but how are you succeeding right now? What are you doing that you would say you're successful at right now?
(10:25): I would say what I'm doing is a water trainers won't do and that's take on clients who physically cannot pay you. So I know that money is important for many things in life, especially within the context of we find ourselves, I just want to serve people, help people. So if I know that a person I'm working with physically cannot pay me even $5 because it's so tight and they want to put in the work to change, I will work with them free of charge. You know, because I want people to better themselves physically and mentally where I know you won't be able to find that most anywhere else in the world.
(11:03): So that kind of answers. The next question I had for you is what are the roadblocks that you're facing?
(11:08): Roadblocks are simply just the fact that it's hard to gain traction with as much impact as I'm making. It's still hard to get people to want to take that step and be like, I need help. Because I was doing a podcast some weeks ago and a lady that was interviewing me was like, yeah, I have so many people in my, on my painters that want to contact you. They're just scared because it's that initial, I need help. I can't do this anymore. I want help with it. So it's very difficult in just getting people to want to take that first step is extremely challenging. But you know, I'm here and I'm here to help. So whenever people want to decide to make that choice, well then I'm here.
(11:49): What's the most important thing that you've learned throughout your journey of fitness? So
(11:54): I think the most important thing is you have to know why you're doing what you're doing. What I mean by that is, you know, people will write me on Instagram sometimes and they'll be like, why do you do so many burpees? Cause there was one weekend where I just crushed a thousand burpees. I crushed a thousand burpees like an hour and 20 minutes and I pointed on Instagram and people wrote me like, you're insane. Why would you do that? My response was I wanted to test my mental resolve. I wanted to fight that voice in my head that just said quit. That'd be when I got tired, when I didn't want to do it anymore. Most people in this world don't know what that's like to break past that waste in your head. And I'm happy to say that I've done that. It's so liberating when you can break past that thought in your head that says you're not good enough, where you can't do it.
(12:45): What's your superpower brandon? And everybody's got a super power. What's yours? My superpower is my iron will. Like you'll have to kill me to stop me. So I'm a fighter. I love it. You know one thing that I think is my superpower is I'm a morning person and I love mornings so I also really believe in the morning routine. Sets you up for success, sets your day off in the right tone. Do you have a routine that sets you up for success? Yeah, so coffee is really important to me. So I have to have my first black cup of coffee and then my morning steak and then I'm set for the day and then I'm doing anything else. So why black coffee? Where's sugar? Then go to Starbucks for scooters and you know, depending on who you talk to, black coffee has more accidents in it.
(13:35): So there you go. I love you like a light roast or dark roast. Have a big dark roast fan. I do stride close by black rifle coffee company a while ago. So good. I still haven't tried those yet. I totally have to get after that. So Brandon, here's my last question to you before we end the episode here. Who are your three biggest inspirations and why? David Goggins, number one, because he was someone else that was told he would never amount to anything and yet became a Navy seal and a green Beret all in his life and overcame so such dark experiences in his life. And then my boy Jacko, he just, if I can have an alarm clock with Jocko was his voice on it. I would telling me to get up out of bed because like in my mind when I don't want to wake up, you know, whatever time in the morning I hear Draco's thing get up in my mind. And when it was spring out of bed and then aside from Jacko, probably just the Amy buddy that decides to combat mediocrity and their life, it was my inspiration because life is such a blessing. And so many times. Sadly, people settle for mediocrity and I don't want it to be me or anybody else. Amen. Brandon, thank
(14:52): You so much for your time, Brandon. I really appreciate it. I want people to know how they can get in touch with you. If somebody listening wants to get in touch with you after the episode, how can they find you?
(15:02): So my opinions page is a adapter di fitness and my Instagram is Brandon, the adoptive one for app Brandon, the adaptive one.
(15:13): What's the best way? Is that your personal page or your business page?
(15:17): My personal page would be the most efficient way. That's how people get a hold of me anyway, even though I do have a business page, they are friendly their personal page. That's to me that way. So you do a lot of fun stuff on your personal page. I love it. Yeah.
(15:31): Okay. Athletes, Brandon, I want to thank you guys so much for listening today. Brandon's information and his contact info is going to be available in the show notes and I want you to do yourself a favor right now while you're finishing. Listening is up. So go to Instagram, follow his personal page at Brandon, the adaptive one or his business page at adapt or die fitness and as like just like that. Just like that. We've got another episode and it's wrapping up. We've had our second podcast interview now with Brandon. And last thing, last thing, if you need a boost for your next workout, if you've got to try and get over an obstacle with your mindset or you just need a kick in the rear off the couch. I got two words for you, pre workout and Brandon, I'm going to bring you in for this here real quick. Formula H, what do you love about it?
(16:17): It's amazing and it makes me feel like,
(16:20): Yeah. Yeah. So it's another super power, right? Compared to the other pre-workouts you've tried, is there anything that makes formula H I don't know, like better than the others?
(16:32): Tastes amazing and it doesn't make me feel like a zombie
(16:36): And nobody wants to be a zombie in the gym. So you know what? If you don't take my word for it, take Brandon's word for it. And I want you to go to red H nutrition.com check out the new website and try our new bomb pop pre-workout flavor. And guess what? If you use code podcast 20 it's a treat for my listeners and you're always going to save 20% of your orders. So podcast 20 at RedHnutrition.com load yourself up on that pre-workout and do yourself a favor and hit your next workout hard. So athletes, here's your next marching orders. Grab the new pre-workout flavor, train hard. Follow Brandon on Instagram at Brandon, the adaptive one, and then join me next week for episode number 25 when they tell you exactly how you can use cardio to put on muscle. Yes, cardio to put on muscle until next week. Athletes, this is Katie D.
This is ThePodcastFactory.com.
