The Line of Resilience Podcast

In this episode of Ricardo’s Rules of Resilience, Coach Ricardo sits down with mindset performance coach Kelly Fuson to talk about the voice in your head that’s been running the show without you noticing. Most athletes think they have one inner voice. Kelly says you have several, and each one is trying to do something for you, even when it’s getting in your way. You’ll also hear about the unexpected cues athletes can use to get into the right headspace when it matters most, and how confidence, goal setting, and visualization all connect back to that first question.Most athletes try to push through their doubts or shut them down. If you’ve ever felt like you were your own worst competitor, wondered why nerves hit even when you’re fully prepared, or caught yourself saying something you’d never say to a teammate, this conversation might change how you talk to yourself.BRING DEKA TO YOUR GYM.A full DEKA event at your facility, with equipment, judging, timing, and promotion all handled. Midwest Roadshow Coordinator Alton Mullinax is now booking 2027.Packed floor. New members. One unforgettable weekend.Host a Roadshow → altonmullinax.com/deka

In this episode of Ricardo’s Rules of Resilience, we sit down with 2-time DEKA World Champion Kevin “Bubbles” Gregory for an honest look at what happens after you reach the top. He won, slipped to third the following year, then came back as the underdog to win again. He walks through what he got wrong after that first title, what the setback taught him, and the changes that got him back on top. The conversation covers how Bubbles handles pressure when the stakes are highest, why recovery matters more the closer you get to a championship, and how he prepares in the final stretch so he arrives ready instead of run down. He also shares his approach to visualization, and it may not be what you expect. Most athletes spend the final weeks adding more, doing more, and thinking more. If you’ve ever struggled with nerves before a big race, wondered whether you’re doing too much, or watched a good season fall short, this conversation might change how you prepare. BRING DEKA TO YOUR GYM. A full DEKA event at your facility, with equipment, judging, timing, and promotion all handled. Midwest Roadshow Coordinator Alton Mullinax is now booking 2027. Packed floor. New members. One unforgettable weekend. Host a Roadshow → altonmullinax.com/deka

Training hard gets you to the start line. Recovery is what gets you across the finish line at a world championship. Coach Alton and Coach Ricardo sit down to talk about the part of preparation most athletes cut short, and how skipping it can quietly cost you your best performance. In this episode of Ricardo’s Rules of Resilience, the two coaches pull back the curtain on what it really takes to show up fully recovered when it matters most. They explain why recovery becomes even more important the closer you get to a championship, and what they’ve seen happen to athletes who ignore it. They also break down why sleep is one of the most powerful tools you have, and it costs you nothing. You’ll uncover: how sleep can make or break your performance, the recovery methods the coaches rely on beyond a good night’s rest, and what to do in the final stretch before a big race so you arrive ready instead of run down. Most athletes are busy adding more training while the edge they’re looking for sits in the hours they spend off their feet. If you’ve ever felt burned out, plateaued, or unsure whether you’re doing too much, this conversation might change how you prepare. BRING DEKA TO YOUR GYM. A full DEKA event at your facility, with equipment, judging, timing, and promotion all handled. Midwest Roadshow Coordinator Alton Mullinax is now booking 2027. Packed floor. New members. One unforgettable weekend. Host a Roadshow → altonmullinax.com/deka

Katie is the founder and sole owner of Wholly You Fitness. No partners, no safety net, just her. How does one person build a fitness business that experiences real growth? She says it comes down to a simple habit that most gym owners ignore.In this episode of Ricardo’s Rules of Resilience, Katie pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to grow on your own. She talks about the moments when the path wasn’t clear, and what she leaned on during times of uncertainty. She also explains why a simple weekly email became one of the most powerful tools in her business.You’ll uncover: what Katie does when she has no idea what’s next, the unexpected role faith plays in her business decisions, and why showing up in your people’s inbox every week matters more than any ad. Most business owners are busy chasing the next big thing while the answer sits in a habit they’ve been skipping. If you’ve ever felt stuck, stretched thin, or unsure where your business is headed, this conversation might change how you see it.BRING DEKA TO YOUR GYM.A full DEKA event at your facility, with equipment, judging, timing, and promotion all handled. Midwest Roadshow Coordinator Alton Mullinax is now booking 2027.Packed floor. New members. One unforgettable weekend.Host a Roadshow → altonmullinax.com/deka

On this week’s episode we have on Pete Saenz, CPA, owner of Bodify Fitness, and accomplished athlete. He shares the journey of building a thriving fitness community from the ground up and the challenges he’s overcome along the way in hybrid racing. Pete has spent years studying what keeps people motivated, which has led him to gamifying fitness and making education in hybrid racing a cornerstone of his approach. Learn more about the marketing and growth strategies he uses to pack his fitness events, why internal motivation matters more than any finish line, and how he celebrates achievements to inspire others.

What does it take to turn a 30-person gym event into a 600-racer spectacle? Pete Saenz and Coach Ricardo break down the real blueprint: passion, buy-in, and making fitness feel like a can’t-miss event.Pete—CPA, owner of Bodify Fitness, accomplished athlete, and Director of Deadly Dozen USA—shares how his first DEKA race barely broke 30 signups, why he invested anyway, and how he scaled up to 372 racers in the July heat of Laredo, Texas. Ricardo joins him to explore how community, marketing, and an inside-out approach can turn curious members into committed competitors.In this episode, you’ll hear:How to introduce hybrid racing to members who are new to DEKA, HYROX, or fitness racingWhy staff buy-in can help an event grow from the inside outHow DEKA-based classes and a six-week prep challenge can build interestWhy photography, video, DJs, sponsors, and a memorable event experience matterHow competing against yourself—not just the person beside you—can keep athletes coming backPete also shares plans for the November 14, 2026 event in Laredo, with two connected soccer fields, at least eight lanes, age-group heats, solos, teams, and relays. The event will also include a pre-race clinic with elite athlete Kevin Gregory.Explore Pete’s event: https://www.spartan.com/en/race/detail/11012/overviewThis conversation is for gym owners growing hybrid racing, coaches looking for ways to engage members, and athletes preparing to compete. At its heart is a reminder that fitness can build confidence, community, and a reason to keep showing up.

DEKA World Championship invitations are about to drop, and one wrong move could cost you your shot in Fort Worth. Coach Ricardo and Coach Alton break down exactly how qualification, roll-downs, and elite versus age group invites work so you can make the right decision the moment that email lands.If the leaderboard has ever felt like a maze of categories, cutoffs, and confusing roll-downs, this episode clears the noise fast. You’ll learn how the top 30 elite invites get pulled first, why roll-downs can happen in a matter of minutes, and how age group invitations change once the elite spots are removed from the field.You’ll discover:How DEKA elite, age group, and team invitations are separatedWhy roll-downs are first come, first served—and why waiting can shut you outThe invitation dates for STRONG, MILE, and FITHow to decide whether to treat the World Championship as an A race or a fun, low-pressure experienceWhat to consider if you qualify in multiple races or need a replacement team partnerCoach Ricardo also shares hard-earned perspective from his own roll-down experience, including how a last-minute invite turned into an unforgettable World Championship trip and why a leaderboard number does not guarantee race-day results. Coach Alton adds practical strategy for deciding when to race hard, when to recover, and when to save your best for the main event.This episode is essential listening if you’re chasing a DEKA World Championship spot and want a clear plan before invitations hit your inbox. A few small decisions now can shape your entire World Championship weekend—from whether you race one event or several to whether you arrive rested, ready, and confident.Stay tuned for the rest of the DEKA World Championship series, where Ricardo and Alton continue building your training, mindset, and race-week strategy for Fort Worth.

Most gym owners are sitting on a growth lever they barely use. Mike D'Angelo shows how simple challenge-based systems, clean goal tracking, and client accountability can turn a struggling boutique gym into a membership engine - without relying on more ads.Coach Ricardo sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Mike D'Angelo, a world champion bodybuilder turned fitness-tech builder, to unpack the story behind Body Evolver and Train With Me. Mike shares how his obsession with measurable progress started in hospital-based exercise physiology, grew through years of training regular clients and winning major bodybuilding titles, and eventually turned into software that helps trainers, gym owners, and facility managers deliver better results at scale.You'll discover how Mike went from advanced Excel spreadsheets to a real subscription platform, why body comp data and visual goal pages change client behavior, and how challenge formats like six-week team competitions, DEKAprep, and streak-based habits re-engage members who have gone quiet. Ricardo and Mike also break down how challenges create referral momentum, social media buzz, and real business growth, including examples of gyms seeing major membership lifts from simple, repeatable systems.

On this weeks episode we have on Chad Bryant of Rain Tree Athletic Club. He shares his expertise of running a top of the line wellness facility in Colorado. He's spent lots of time analyzing the future of the fitness direction which has led him to DEKA. Learn more on how he has been utilizing to maximize his facilities bottom line. Plus, grow a blossoming fitness community.

Most companies kill their biggest growth opportunities by sticking to old playbooks. What if the secret to resilience and scaling isn’t avoiding friction but leveraging it? In this episode, former Spartan race co-founder Brian Duncanson reveals how chaos and setbacks became the fuel for his extraordinary success— from launching one of the world's most iconic obstacle course brands to overcoming cancer. Discover the counterintuitive strategies Brian used to turn obstacles into advantages, including how a farm kid’s accidental gladiator stunt sparked a global phenomenon and how turning inside-out challenges into opportunities reshaped his entire business.You'll learn:How embracing friction and chaos accelerates growth rather than hinders itThe business lessons hidden in wild, unplanned incidents during Spartan’s early daysThe power of creative risk-taking, from inside Fenway Park to international marketsWhy resilience is a foundational skill beyond fitness, proven through Brian’s battle with cancerActionable protocols inspired by real stories that help you harness friction for unprecedented successWhether you're a gym owner, entrepreneur, or leader facing adversity, this episode shows why your biggest challenges are your greatest assets. Brian’s stories of grit, innovation, and resilience will inspire you to turn setbacks into stepping stones—because sometimes, friction isn’t the enemy, but the secret ingredient to outlasting and outscaling everyone else.Perfect for anyone eager to reframe obstacles as opportunities and build unbreakable resilience in their personal or professional life.