Our very own @Arlyn Smith and her husband are competing at one of the very biggest United States Powerlifting Coalition meets in the World today!! Arlyn is a powerhouse female strength athlete and is chasing several state and national records in the Masters and Para Divisions!! 👊🏻 Check out Arlyn’s video of Squatting at our Para Nationals last summer and show her some love In the Comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO7BduLCZU8/?igsh=dnVjZDY5ZWpqNTJ6

This morning at the gym, Austin and I were having a great shoulder and bicep session. During the workout, he mentioned that he’d love to write a training program for me—one focused on building significant strength and muscle by putting me in a calorie surplus. The plan was to build a solid foundation of muscle now, then eventually transition into a "cut" to lose fat while maintaining that new mass. As he was talking me through his ideas, I felt an overwhelming wave of anxiety, dread, and deep discomfort. The moment he said "calorie surplus," something shifted. I have struggled with disordered eating in many different forms for as long as I can remember. It has always felt like the one area of my life I could never truly control. When I lost 100 pounds with the help of GLP-1, that "food noise" finally went silent. It was one of the most freeing periods of my life because I no longer felt that constant, exhausting push-and-pull with food and sugar. It was just... gone. I’ve been off the medication for over a year now, and while I’ve maintained my weight through an intense and disciplined workout regimen, the last few months have been a struggle. The food noise has returned with a brutal vengeance. As Austin spoke, tears flooded my eyes and I just broke down. I felt that familiar sense of being out of control—a feeling I relate closely to my past relationship with alcohol. But this feels harder. Alcohol is a poison I could cut out entirely, but I can't just quit food. I have to find a way to navigate it every single day. I can’t "call it a day" on eating; I have to do it correctly, and that requirement of balance feels incredibly daunting right now. I don’t have a happy ending to this story just yet. I will keep you all updated on the journey. I’m still in the thick of it. But I know that with @Austin Douglas support, this community, and my own relentlessness, I’ll get there. I wanted to share this for anyone else struggling with something they can't seem to get a grip on.

Hey everyone!! The results are in for our Poll, and we will not have a set date for our monthly Group Calls!! Our Group Calls will take place every 3rd Wednesday each month at 7pm 👊🏻❤️‍🔥 Check the Calendar tab now and add the dates to your schedule so you will always know in advance!! 🚨 That being said, we are gonna squeeze a Group Call in for March TOMORROW 3/25/26 @ 6pm 🚨 Hope to see you all there, we are going to have a great chat on Courage in the Face of Fear. 🙏🏻

There is that moment, when you need to take a deep breathe to reset. The world around us can be a bit pressuring, at times, suffocating. I especially take serious the need to be aware of larger world events, which seems to require gravity to apply more force onto my shoulders. I know it is voluntary, but that is kind of the point. We all have a duty to be aware to what happens not only in our own backyard, but also on the global landscape. Not to say that four hours of your day needs to be prioritized to reading on the global economic impact of nitrogen supplies being shorted due to the Iran conflict, forcing countries who rely heavily or primarily on imported nutrients for their farmers. But please tell me you have spent more than 2 minutes reading on the Iran conflict. Simply, I ask you to be aware of what happens around us, as the US is a bubble in itself. Because, as you encounter and engage in the world as a whole, view the world in the MACRO: the micro-systems in your own unique user experience shall not be trivialized. Ultimately, allowing you to take a deep breathe, and enjoy the moment. Take Care, Austin

I was thinking about what normal protocol is for stress - you hear a lot of “self-care”…”take a day off”…”do something to relax, like take a walk”. But what if the "secret" to beating stress and anxiety is actually the opposite of relaxing? Most of the stress we feel doesn't actually come from the tasks on our plate—it comes from avoiding them. Think about that one difficult conversation you’re putting off. The more you skirt around it, the bigger it grows in your head. You spend way more energy worrying about it than it would actually take to just have the conversation. Avoidance is the primary fuel for stress. When you stop running and actually "live through" the stress, two cool things happen: 1. You get better at life: Every time you "figure it out" in real-time, you build competence. Competence leads to self-trust, and self-trust is the only real way to feel certain in an uncertain world. 2. Your body adapts: Your nervous system is actually pretty smart. When you face a "scary" situation and survive, your body realizes it doesn't need to hit the panic button so hard next time. Growth happens at the edge This isn't about inviting chaos into your life. It’s just a reminder that growth doesn't happen in the cozy, comfortable center—it happens at the edge of your ability. Next time you feel that hit of fear or procrastination, don't run. Take one small step toward it. You’ll find the only way out is usually straight through. ⚡️ ⬇️💬 Is there something you’ve been putting off because it feels a bit "too much"? What’s one small move you can make on it today?