Six Weeks To Fitness

Is it possible to live a life of happiness and success, even after being molested and sexually assaulted at a young age?  What about dealing with grief, depression, suicidal thoughts, and abandonment? Most of us cannot even imagine what this would feel like unless you’re LaJune Singleton, a board-certified health coach, nutritional lifestyle coach, advance personal trainer, mindset strategist, podcaster, and author of “Releasing My Trauma: The Root of Self-Sabotage.” During the interview, LaJune discusses openly about her trauma growing up and how she has been able to put the past behind her and use these experiences to help young girls and women to overcome their challenges. She has more than 10 years of experience helping women in many different areas including obesity, chronic illnesses, physical health, injury recovery and more. LaJune Singleton’s book and company stand apart in her ability to deeply reach people who do not understand how not releasing your fears and past can be the root cause of self-sab

How would you like to learn how to reach your highest and healthiest potential after age 40? I asked my next guest, Shahada Karim, that question and she provided some awesome tips and advice. Shahada Karim believes the most effective way to connect is through plain speech, clear direction and decisive action. She grew up ‘dabbling’ in forms of yoga, to stretch overworked muscles from too many hours in the gym. In 2012, she committed to learning as much as she could about yoga with her first 200 hour training in Power (Hatha) Yoga. She’s since been certified in Hot Power Fusion, Yoga with Weights, and Yin Yoga. She has also studied Yoga 4 Cancer and Yoga Nidra. She has specialized training in advanced anatomy and physiology, energetic cultivation and transfer, intelligence in sound and sequencing, and breath-work for grounding and expansion. In 2017, she expanded her studies to Ayerveda Yoga and its specific connection to Nutrition and Physical Expression. In 2018, she founded Habibi Body Sport to focus on spe

Coach SheNesia (Nesi) Ewing is an International award-winning transformation life coach and Master Fitness Trainer who possesses a masters in Sports and Health Science and minor in exercise psychology and currently a Doctoral Candidate of Psychology. Coach Nesi has worked in the field of coaching and health and wellness for more than a decade as a trainer, athlete, coach and as Drill Sergeant in the US Army, with 20+ years of experience in the field of exercise, sports, nutrition, and mindset transformation. Coach Nesi became certified in the field of life coaching and fitness, after becoming homeless and losing everything. This life changing event caused Coach Nesi to not only become financially broken, but emotionally broken, forcing her to step out of her comfort zone to provide for herself and family. With minimal income and resources, Coach Nesi decided to turn her struggle into a success by tapping into her passion of sports and fitness and desire to help others become physically and mentally fit by cre

How would you like to build a healthy, injury-free body?  If you do, then you will enjoy this interview with Dr. Sanaz Hariri, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of shoulder and knee pain. Dr. Hariri did a sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship at Stanford and a total knee replacement fellowship at Harvard. Dr. Hariri is an expert in minimally invasive techniques for shoulder and knee arthroscopy and knee replacement. She has treated players in many elite athletic organizations, including the Stanford football and basketball teams, the United Football League and the San Jose Ballet. Dr. Hariri prides herself in taking the time to work closely with each patient to identify a path to recovery that is tailored to each patient’s lifestyle and treatment goals. Her practice includes the elite athlete striving to return to the highest level of competition, the recreational athlete looking to return to an active lifestyle, and the elderly patient wanting to enjoy their activities

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined once again by Coach Theresa Wells, a native San Diegan, has a great passion for helping others. She is an alternative healing, holistic health and whole person approach advocate in the health and fitness industry. She does not believe in cookie cutter, quick fix gimmicks and is highly vocal about it. She is an effective results producing leader. She is a former Secondary School Counselor who resigned in January of 2022; in order to work alongside those who have made the decision to commit to leading a successful fit life. This passion of fitness and combination of a counseling background, allows her to understand and empathize with those who struggle with the social emotional issues that are deeply rooted in most individuals ability to become psychologically fit; in order to become physically fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. Theresa Wells is the owner of Tone At Home Fitness, an in-home personal concierge support that also provides online health

Chris Manderino is a former NCAA and NFL professional athlete who pursued an opportunity to live abroad while playing football in Italy post his NFL career. He is the founder of LYFE FUEL, a whole-foods plant-based company that helps people achieve optimal health. While in Italy, he was struck by the vast cultural differences between the Italian approach to food and the American approach. Italians, even with all the pizza, pasta and high carb lifestyle seemed a much healthier population than the US. Chris boiled it down to this striking difference: in Italy, food was simpler. The Italians used higher quality, mostly plant-based ingredients and had smaller portion sizes. His revelation inspired a career change and he ended up taking a job in the nutraceutical industry. Later on, Chris decided to study dietary and training theories, and while most nutritionists and food experts disagreed on just about everything else, there was one thing everyone seemed to agree on: eating a plant-based diet is the most importa

Vince Ferguson: Dr. Ashley Lucas is the Founder of PHD Weight Loss. She holds a PhD in sports nutrition and chronic disease, and she's also a registered dietician. She comes to the field of nutrition and weight management with a unique background as a professional ballet dancer. That's right, a professional ballet dancer, and joining me today on my podcast to discuss long-term weight loss success, which is so important and why she believes that weight gain isn't your fault. Let's welcome Dr. Ashley Lucas. Dr. Ashley, how are you? Ashley Lucas: I'm great. Thanks so much for having me. Vince Ferguson: Well, thank you for coming on this show, but before we get started, I want to know, I want you to share with my listeners and viewers where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Ashley Lucas: Sure. Yeah, I grew up in Washington State and it was a great childhood. I trained as a classical ballet dancer when I was young and worked real hard and just didn't have any natural talent to speak of. And so I wa

Jennifer Stehlin was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and danced her way through pre-school and high school graduation -- her passion for and dedication to the world of dance are the foundation of her career today. While earning a degree in Broadcast Communications at the University of Florida, Jennifer balanced academics and a demanding schedule as a Division 1 cheerleader. It didn't take long for ESPN Gainesville to offer Jennifer a Sports Reporter spot on their roster. Jennifer has also done on-camera hosting and reporting for Fangirl Sports Network, Pop Hearts TV, and other outlets. For multiple seasons, Jennifer starred in the FX Network promo spots for Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story. Her other TV credits include Valley Junk TV and Posers. Jennifer stars alongside an all-star cast in Hulu's highly-anticipated limited series, Pam and Tommy. The dark comedy depicts the marriage of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, and the release of their infamous unauthorized sex tape that was filmed privately

The sky is the limit for Alexia Adams, a young, driven, television personality, health enthusiast, humanitarian and retired professional athlete. In the summer of 2021, Alexia made her television debut on season two of Own's “Put a Ring On It.”  She also appeared in “Uncle Drew,” a sports comedy film that aired in 2018 with Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal and other prominent athletes.  Alexia is now working on other film projects. Off camera, Alexia is a brand influencer for Drink2Shrink, a detox and weight loss drink. She also works as the marketing director and a brand manager for a premier global sports and entertainment agency, and as an Atlanta Hawks Player Development Program Affiliate. This is the Alexia Adams story, a story that is still being written and is sure to inspire and motivate young people, especially young girls to go after their dreams and shoot for the stars just like Alexia Adams. Vince Ferguson Alexia, how are you today? Alexia Adams: I'm great. Long week. Vince Ferguson: Long week. I he

Bryce Henson is a fitness expert, coach, author, and inspirational leader. He is also the CEO of Fit Body Bootcamp. The world's fastest growing fitness bootcamp franchise. Having over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry and owning two Fit Body Bootcamp locations. Bryce's passion is spreading fitness to the world. He is mentoring fitness professionals on how to grow their fitness business and change more lives in their local communities. Bryce also co-leads a Fitness Body Bootcamp Mastermind Group. Vince Ferguson: Bryce, thank you for coming on the show and giving us some of your time. But before we discuss Fit Body Bootcamp, tell my listeners and viewers, where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Bryce Henson: Yeah, so I'm a California guy now, but I grew up actually in the Midwest, in the state of Michigan and shoot, I feel blessed to be able to grow up in the first world, like probably most of your audience, but it was actually quite a turbulent young childhood. And actually I say t

Kita Richards is a former AAU, USA and high school track and field coach. Teaching basic and advanced movements to young adults was always her passion along with helping people to meet and exceed their physical and mental capabilities. It was this passion that prompted Kita to become a personal and group fitness trainer, transforming her two car garage into her first training space. She has now expanded her brand and has launched two fitness clubs, one in Greenwood, South Carolina, and the other in Greenville, South Carolina.  During the interview, Kita will discuss what life was like growing up in Greenwood, South Carolina, and how the last words of her mother, who lived a very active life until she succumbed to colon cancer, gave her the drive and motivation to live life to the fullest.  She will also share her fitness journey which included losing close to 80 pounds of body fat with the help and guidance of her husband and changing her diet.  Kita believes that each of us is connected in divine space and t

Did you know that 42% of adults in America are obese? And that overeating and binge eating is a major contributor to obesity.  If we want to get our health back on track, we must get a handle on our eating, and that’s why I’m thrilled to have as my next guest, Dr. Glenn Livingston, a veteran psychologist, and longtime CEO of a multi-million-dollar consulting firm that has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. His works have been published in major periodicals such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Chicago Sun Times. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and food-obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. Most important, however, was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food. In thi

Do you suffer from IBS, Depression, or Psoriasis? How about fatigue or anxiety?  If so, then I recommend listening to Jordan Trinagel, she is the founder of Health Reconditioned, an online health coaching business focused on utilizing holistic health and functional medicine to find the root cause of symptoms and diseases. Jordan was a professional dancer in college and an NPC bikini competitor.  She is also a licensed occupational therapist.  Jordan struggled with her own health issues, such as anxiety/depression, IBS, psoriasis, and fatigue until she discovered functional medicine which helped her to understand what was causing her symptoms and helped to reverse the diseases.  During the interview, Jordan will discuss why functional medicine is so effective when it comes to diagnosing and reversing disease.  Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine addresses the root cause of the disease, not just the symptoms.  According to Jordan, there are three things that make us sick, (i) things we put in our

In this episode of Six Weeks to Fitness, I’m joined by former professional football player, Joe Barksdale.  During his career, Joe played for the St. Louis Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals.  He is also an accomplished musician, mental health advocate and comedian.  During the interview, Joe will discuss his childhood, growing up in Detroit, Michigan, and the many challenges he faced as a child.  Joe didn’t grow up playing sports, and it wasn’t until high school, that he decided to try out for the football team. Joe Barksdale’s NFL career lasted about 8 years and when I asked him why he left the NFL, his response was “I got tired of losing.”  Joe speaks freely about his NFL career, but it’s a career that he would like to put behind him.  He is most happy about his career as a performance artist and a stand-up comedian.  It was hard not to laugh at Joe’s many anecdotes during the interview.  He is a natural-born comedian always laughing and joking during the interview while making his point. Men

How would you like to build, balance, confidence and strength? In this episode of Six Weeks to Fitness, I am joined by Brittany Kohnke, a certified personal trainer and strength coach out of Temecula, California. Her mission in life is to guide others towards a life of balance, confidence, and strength so they can be the absolute best version of themselves in every sense of the way. Brittany specializes in showing others what’s possible by removing the impossible and she does this by being an advocate for strength training and evidence-based practices. Brittany’s exposure to fitness started out in her childhood, growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, where she played a variety of sports such as ice skating, gymnastics, volleyball, and basketball, but her real passion was softball, which she played throughout college.  Although she was very active, Brittany’s nutrition left much to be desired.  It was during her time in college that she was introduced to the world of fitness competition.  Brittany was in awe of

In this episode of Six Weeks to Fitness, I am joined by Antoine Bhutan, out of Atlanta, Georgia.  Antoine is the creator of Veganbando, “a source of inspiration for better lifestyle choices.” Veganbando was created in 2017, to document Antoine’s plant-based journey. Antoine had been advised to eliminate dairy from his diet to help alleviate his severe seasonal allergy symptoms and this recommendation proved very effective. After witnessing the power of holistic healing, the quest for a healthier, more-proactive lifestyle began. Over the years, Veganbando has grown into a unique space where health-conscious, high-vibrational individuals celebrate good vibes and spiritual abundance to the sounds of high-vibrational music of the diaspora. Antoine grew up in New York City but would spend most of his summers either in Trinidad or Barbados, but it was in Trinidad where most of his family would grow their own vegetables and that is where he picked up most of his healthy lifestyle habits. During the interview, Antoin

In this episode of Six Weeks to Fitness, I am joined by Danielle Gray, a multi-passionate entrepreneur Wilhelmina fitness model, speaker, professional athlete, and the founder of Train Like a Gymnast. She's also a certified personal trainer specializing in bodyweight training, nutrition, women's fitness, youth exercise, kettlebells, and pre and postnatal exercise. She was also a former junior Olympic gymnast judge and coach.  During this interview, Danielle will share her fitness journey and how you can train like a gymnast in the comfort of your own home. Vince Ferguson Danielle, where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Danielle Gray: I grew up in Manhattan Beach, California. So right next to LAX, it's called the South Bay and I'm an only child and then I was raised by a single mom and we were like best friends, you know? we still are, but it's just that kind of tight-knit community, the family was very important and everything, and then I started gymnastics when I was 4 and I dabbled in like

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I interviewed Dona Andrews, domestic violence and cancer survivor.  She was born and bred in Esperanza Village in the country of Belize and migrated to New York in her early 20s at the encouragement of her mother.  During the interview, Dona will share the physical, verbal, emotional, and financial abuse that she endured in her marriage, and the steps she took to break free from the abusive relationship.  At the beginning of the marriage, her husband was very loving and attentive, and then one night at a party, all of that changed.  While at the party, Dona got up and started dancing with her sister, and then another man (as some men do) got up and started dancing with both of them; her husband saw that the man was dancing next to her, so he became furious, stepped in between them, and told her that she was embarrassing him and told her that he was going to deal with her when they got home.  Well, the husband couldn’t wait until they got home, so while in th

In this episode of Six Weeks to Fitness, I interviewed fitness expert Nate Palmer and asked him how to Build a Million Dollar Body during the holidays.  The holidays are a time when most people seem to pack on the pounds.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could use the holidays to reverse this trend and start to build a million-dollar body? This and other questions, I asked Nate Palmer, who just happens to be a fitness and nutrition expert, coach, speaker, and writer who believes that being in incredible shape gives a massive advantage in business, focus, and relationships. He's also a dad, husband, and the #1 bestselling author of The Million Dollar Body Method and Passport Fitness. Nate helps business owners and entrepreneurs improve their physique, finances, and family time using fitness and nutrition as force multipliers. During the interview, Nate provides fitness and nutrition tips on how the average person can apply the principles from his Million Dollar Body Method book into their daily lives, even during

Dave Sherwin is a certified fitness and nutrition coach, podcaster, entrepreneur, and practitioner of mindfulness and meditation. His company has helped over 100,000 people achieve long-term weight loss and today on my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, Dave shares his tips on how to achieve long-term weight loss during the holidays and much more.  Did you ever think about eating an apple before heading out to your company’s holiday celebration or before heading out to your family’s Thanksgiving celebration?  What about choosing a smaller plate for your snacks?  These are just a couple of the many tips and suggestions Dave will share on the podcast.  Dave’s passion is helping grown-ups navigate real-world business and life challenges to achieve their best health and wellness at any age. He is also the creator and host of The Dirobi Health Show which covers everything to do with health and wellness, including the latest in nutrition, exercise, supplements, and clinical studies.  Dave has used hard work, nutrition,