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Athlete Builder

Athlete Builder

By: Jim Beebe
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We work with high school and college athletes. Our goal is to reach and help 20,000 college athletes and 2 national title winners by the end of 2028. We have 6 Core Values: Integrity, Discipline, Kaizen (constant improvement in all matters), Teamwork, Enjoyment, and Sisu (never ever quitting). Our mantra is Relentless. And our mission statement is that we are Forging Unbreakable Athletes. The athlete's head is impacted by 3 components or inch blocks: their Mindset, their Knowledge of their sport, and how they interact with all Teammates (leadership, support, and game Teammates). The athlete's body also has 3 inch blocks: their Training, Nutrition, and Recovery. And each athlete needs a Playbook or roadmap guiding them to advance as quickly and effectively as possible. We help guide and identify the next targets in an athlete's 6 blocks and push him/her forward. We do this systematically and strategically. We are Relentless in this approach. This podcast will have on guests that can help provide insights and ideas for athletes and coaches. We'll have on athletes, coaches, doctors, military personnel and others. We'll dissect books and look for other approaches to help athletes as well. We want more info and ideas for advancing athletes in the 6 blocks. Hop on board and keep pushing forward. Be an athlete!2023 Hygiene & Healthy Living
Episodes
  • Athlete Builder Ep. #141 Megan Lautz: Your Pre-Workout is a Lie

    Athlete Builder Ep. #141 Megan Lautz: Your Pre-Workout is a Lie
    Jun 1 2026
    What First Responders, Pro Baseball Players & Busy Athletes All Get Wrong About Food | Megan Lautz Athlete Builder Podcast · Megan Lautz, RD · Nutrition · First Responders · Performance · Lifestyle EPISODE SUMMARY "You're not gonna run a pediatric code and come back to the station wanting a salad. That's just not how humans work." Most nutrition advice assumes you work nine to five, sleep eight hours, and have twenty minutes to meal prep. Megan Lautz built her career around everyone that doesn't. Megan is a registered dietitian, founder of Rescue RD, and one of the team dietitians for the Baltimore Orioles. She has spent nearly a decade in the trenches with firefighters, police officers, and first responders — the population that nutrition science almost entirely ignores. She was recently at the FDIC in Indianapolis presenting at workshops and live podcasts, and she has a book on the way through Fire Engineering. In this episode, Jim and Megan dig into the real reason willpower fails on shift work, why your pre-workout is a lie, what an applesauce pouch has to do with MLB performance, how to build a go-bag that actually keeps you from destroying the vending machine at 9pm, and why eating a closed-pantry donut and eating an open-counter donut are two very different experiences — according to actual research. This one is practical from start to finish. No perfection required. KEY LESSONS 1. All-or-nothing thinking is the #1 nutrition killer First responders and athletes alike fall into the same trap: either they're perfect or they've completely given up. Megan's entire approach is built around rejecting that binary. The goal isn't perfect eating — it's making a better bad decision every time. Cut three Bangs down to three Monsters and you've already cut caffeine in half. That's the win. 2. Carbs before your workout aren't optional — they're fuel The single biggest mistake Megan sees from first responders to MLB pitchers is showing up to training or game day having skipped carbs. Caffeine kills the feeling of fatigue but provides zero performance energy. Carbs do the actual work. An applesauce pouch 15 minutes before training — and 30–60g of carbs per hour during longer sessions — can dramatically change what your body can push through. 3. Your environment is making your choices for you A study at OSU fire stations found that when treats were put behind a closed door and healthier options were placed in plain sight, firefighters ate an additional pound of produce per shift. Nothing else changed. What you see first, you eat first. Make the good choice obvious. Add friction to the bad one. This is Atomic Habits applied to the kitchen counter. 4. Sleep deprivation rewires what you eat and how much Trauma exposure, interrupted sleep, and chronic stress don't just make people tired — they change the brain's relationship to food. Cravings shift toward salty, fatty, high-calorie foods. Willpower tanks. Portion control disappears. And two measured drinks reduces sleep quality by nearly 40%. Megan's approach accounts for this rather than pretending it doesn't exist. 5. The go-bag solves the 9pm fridge raid A non-perishable snack bag stocked with protein, carbs, and electrolytes (protein bars, jerky, tuna packets, applesauce pouches, dried fruit, Cheerios) keeps you fueled between meals so you don't arrive at dinner having not eaten since noon and eat everything in reach. Works for first responders, athletes, parents running kids to practice, realtors, anyone living in a van on schedule. 6. 40% of first responders have a sleep disorder. 80% don't know it. A lot of the nutrition problems Megan sees — chronic fatigue, energy drink dependency, overeating — have an upstream cause that isn't food. Sleep disorders are radically underdiagnosed in the first responder population. Sometimes the fix isn't a go-bag. It's a sleep test. 7. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care Megan's quote for the episode cuts to the core of why behavior change fails. Rapport isn't soft — it's the mechanism. Whether you're a dietitian, a coach, a parent, or a teammate, the technical advice doesn't land until the relationship is real. Meet people where they're at. Then move them. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro — Megan Lautz, Rescue RD, and the Baltimore Orioles 2:10 FDIC Indianapolis — what happens when you put 40,000 firefighters in one city Scooter injuries included 4:00 Baltimore Colts trauma and why the Colts are last on Megan's list Still too soon, apparently 5:30 Soccer, lacrosse, track — and failing as a group fitness instructor three times Too intense for beginners. First responders were a better fit. 7:30 Why nutrition advice ignores first responders entirely 10:15 All-or-nothing: the mindset that tanks nutrition before it starts 12:30 Shift families, $2-a-head dinners, and why you're eating the donut Social dynamics are ...
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    46 mins
  • Athlete Builder Ep. #140: Midnight Practice, a Broken Wrist, & an All-American. The Justin Baker Story

    Athlete Builder Ep. #140: Midnight Practice, a Broken Wrist, & an All-American. The Justin Baker Story
    May 25 2026
    Athlete Builder Podcast | Episode #140 Midnight Practice, Broken Wrists & All-American: The JB Baker Story He broke a bone in his wrist two weeks before Nationals. Didn't tell a soul. Then competed anyway — and became an All-American. Justin "JB" Baker is an elite hammer thrower, former college football player at Northern Iowa, high school coach in Kansas City, and mental performance coach with the AEA Mental Edge Academy. His story doesn't start with a scholarship or a throws coach — it starts with a belt, an uncle, and a shot put ring where nobody taught him anything. So he listened to every coach on the sideline, stole every cue he could, and built himself piece by piece into one of the best throwers in the country. In this episode, Jim and JB go deep on what actually separates elite athletes from everyone else — and it's not talent. What you'll learn in this episode: — How JB used visualization, kinesthetic rehearsal, and audio cues to train through three simultaneous injuries and still compete at the national level — Why he drove his truck onto campus at midnight, parked in the grass, and used the headlights to practice — and why he kept doing it every year after that — The math behind becoming an All-American: how JB and his coach reverse-engineered exactly what it would take and built the entire training plan backward from that number — Why cracking the national top 10 almost ended his career — and the lesson his coach had to scream at him in front of the whole team — The psychology of pain avoidance vs. reward: why athletes work harder to avoid losing than they do to win, and how to use both levers — What the Blue Angels, Mike Tyson, and Brian Dawkins all have in common when it comes to pre-performance mindset — How to build momentum when everything is going wrong — and why "I'll be right as right" changed JB's relationship with adversity This episode is for athletes, coaches, parents, and competitors who want to understand what mental performance actually looks like when the stakes are real, the body is broken, and quitting would be the easy choice. Timestamps 0:00 — Intro & how JB came to Mental Edge Academy 1:30 — Football or track? JB makes his call 4:00 — The controlled chaos of throwing sports 7:30 — Shot put, discus, hammer — ranked and explained 11:00 — Dr. Zach Riley & the physics of throwing 14:00 — How JB got into throwing: a belt, an uncle, and a ring in Kansas City 18:00 — Career-ending wrist injury — and he still competed 20:30 — From injured to All-American: the math, the method, the mindset 25:00 — Visualization, audio cues & kinesthetic rehearsal 31:00 — The midnight practice story 34:00 — The art of momentum in mindset training 37:00 — Carrot and stick: why people avoid pain harder than they chase wins 43:00 — Stacking wins — from making your bed to breaking records 45:00 — The lesson that cost JB a national championship 50:00 — John Gruden, perfect walkthroughs & building a culture of fundamentals 53:00 — Rapid fire: music, movies, heroes, villains & favorite lifts 56:00 — Rugby, the All Blacks & why the Haka is on Jim's gym wall 58:00 — Book rec, closing quote & where to find JB Connect with JB Baker Instagram: @justinbaker_9010 Facebook: Justin JB Baker TikTok: @justinbaker Connect with Athlete Builder 🌐 athlete-builder.com 📸 Instagram: @athlete_builder 🎵 TikTok: @athlete.builder 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/1athletebuilder ✉️ info@athlete-builder.com Listen on 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/34QCcodvAqAgj7iwk3tdrj 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/athlete-builder/id1715521920 📻 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b5583cce-62bc-4611-ab54-ff367f41632d/athlete-builder Athlete Builder Products 📘 Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/9xiGOWQ 🎓 Courses: https://athlete-builder.com/courses🧠 Book a Game Plan Session: https://link.closersoftware.com/widget/bookings/ab-gameplansession 🎤 Speaking: https://athlete-builder.com/speaking 👕 Apparel: https://athlete-builder.printify.me/products 📰 Newsletter: https://athlete-builder.com/newsletter AEA Mental Edge Academy 🌐 https://www.aea-neuro-fitness-academy.com/ Athlete Builder is brought to you by the AEA Institute — Performance Management. Mental Edge Academy summer boot camps are open now. Contact Jim at info@athlete-builder.com for team and school programs.
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    57 mins
  • Athlete Builder Ep. #139--Colorado State's Shelton Bynum: Culture, Leadership, & Mental Toughness

    Athlete Builder Ep. #139--Colorado State's Shelton Bynum: Culture, Leadership, & Mental Toughness
    May 18 2026
    Episode Summary In Episode #139 of the Athlete Builder Podcast, Jim Beebe sits down with Shelton Bynum, Director of Football Strength & Conditioning at Colorado State University and former Division 1 football player at UNC Chapel Hill. Shelton shares powerful insights on what separates average athletes from elite competitors, including the mindset shifts required to move from high school football to Division 1 and ultimately to the NFL. He discusses intentionality, sacrifice, accountability, leadership, and the importance of culture in elite programs. The conversation dives into locker room brotherhood, the psychology of performance, NIL and transfer portal challenges, mental toughness across generations, and what today's athletes must do to stand out in an increasingly distracted world. Shelton also gives a behind-the-scenes look at college football culture, game-day environments, player development, leadership standards, and how championship programs create accountability from the top down. This episode is loaded with practical wisdom for athletes, coaches, parents, strength coaches, and leaders looking to build elite habits and championship culture. Key Lessons & Takeaways 1. Elite Athletes Live With Intentionality At the highest levels, talent alone is never enough. Shelton explains that athletes must become intentional with every rep, recovery session, meal, study session, and practice. Elite performers don't drift through the day — they attack it with purpose. 2. Sacrifice Separates Good From Great The jump from high school to college football requires sacrifice: Better sleep Better nutrition Better preparationMore discipline More recovery More consistency Elite athletes willingly give up comfort to pursue greatness. 3. Culture Is Built Through Consistency Shelton emphasizes that culture is created by consistent standards and messaging: Accountability Effort Communication Attention to detail Leadership by example Everything matters — from cleaning up the locker room to moving weights correctly. 4. Leadership Requires Courage True leaders: Hold teammates accountable Communicate directly Stand out from the crowdDo extra work Accept discomfort Leadership is not popularity — it's responsibility. 5. Today's Athletes Struggle With Instant Gratification Shelton and Jim discuss how younger athletes often: Want results too quicklyFear failure Avoid standing out Resist long-term development Elite athletes trust the process and stay committed when progress is slow. 6. Brotherhood Is Still Football's Greatest Gift Beyond wins and losses, Shelton says football's greatest value is the lifelong brotherhood built through shared struggle, adversity, competition, and sacrifice. Episode Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Chad Coy Stories 02:15 – What Shelton Loves About Football 06:55 – The Power of the Weight Room 11:05 – Why Game Day Is Different 14:00 – Craziest College Football Environments 19:30 – Mindset Shifts From High School to College to NFL 27:30 – NIL, Money & Financial Literacy 31:00 – Transfer Portal & "Portal Pain" for Coaches 37:30 – Building Culture & Leadership Standards 44:50 – Mental Toughness Across Generations 52:00 – Winning a National Championship as a Coach vs Player 54:45 – Favorite Music, Movies & Athletes 59:45 – Book Recommendations & Leadership Growth 1:04:00 – Favorite Lift: Zercher Squats 1:05:00 – "Grown Man Habits & Behaviors" 1:06:00 – Final Thoughts & Closing CONNECT WITH ATHLETE BUILDER AEA Institute 🌐 https://www.aea-neuro-fitness-academy.com/ Listen to Athlete Builder Podcast 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Athlete-Builder 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/34QCcodvAqAgj7iwk3tdrj 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/athlete-builder/id1715521920 📻 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b5583cce-62bc-4611-ab54-ff367f41632d/athlete-builder Follow Athlete Builder 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athlete_builder/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1athletebuilder 𝕏 X / Twitter: https://x.com/AthleteBuilder 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@athlete.builder 🌐 Website: https://athlete-builder.com ✉️ Email: info@athlete-builder.com Athlete Builder Products & Services 📘 Buy the Athlete Builder Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/9xiGOWQ 📚 Bulk Orders: https://bookpal.com/athlete-builder-the-blueprint-to-build-champion-athletes-9798218498382 🎓 Athlete Builder Courses: https://athlete-builder.com/courses 🧠 Schedule a Game Plan Session: https://link.closersoftware.com/widget/bookings/ab-gameplansession 🎤 Book Jim Beebe for Speaking Engagements: https://athlete-builder.com/speaking 👕 Athlete Builder Apparel & Swag: https://athlete-builder.printify.me/products 📰 Athlete Builder Newsletter: https://athlete-builder.com/newsletter ✍️ Athlete Builder Blog: https://athlete-builder.com/blog 🏋️ Train at Unbreakable Athletics Academy: ...
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    1 hr and 5 mins
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