Forge and Fortitude Fitness

Heath Ellenberger
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Welcome to the Forge and Fortitude Podcast! We’re Heath and Faith Ellenberger, fitness professionals with over 30 years of combined experience in health and wellness. This podcast is all about real conversations, practical tips, and a little tough love to help you build strength, resilience, and a healthier lifestyle. Whether you’re a fitness pro or just getting started, we’re here to share what we’ve learned, what’s worked for us, and how you can forge your own path to becoming your strongest self. Let’s do this together!

  1. JAN 1 · BONUS

    Mini Episode 4: New Year’s Frenzy Called And We Sent It To Voicemail

    Resolutions are easy to write and hard to live. We make the case that Q1 should be about direction, not speed—and we show exactly how to apply it so you can start strong without burning out by week two. Instead of trying to overhaul your life on January 5, we walk through a simple framework to select three priorities, stack hard goals in the right order, and define what “winning” actually means this quarter. We unpack why everything can’t be a priority and how that belief creates chaos at work, in training, and at home. You’ll hear candid examples from our own routines: preparing for a race means running comes first, weights second, and some lifts get cut altogether. That sequencing choice—what comes first, what can wait, what doesn’t matter—creates early wins and real momentum. We also talk about confidence as a byproduct of clarity. When the plan is clear, the day feels calm, not frantic. To help you align with your partner or team, we share a simple year-end reflection we’re doing together: list 25 things you’re grateful for, pick four favorite photo memories, write how each of us showed up this year, answer six reflection questions, name the year, and set goals across spiritual, professional, physical, and relational areas. It’s a small ritual that removes noise, deepens support, and sets a shared direction for 2026. If you’re ready to protect your time, trim commitments that don’t fit your focus, and build momentum that lasts, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs clarity over hustle, and tell us your top three priorities for Q1—we’d love to cheer you on.

    15 min

  2. 2025-12-31 · BONUS

    Mini Episode 3: You Don’t Need More Motivation

    If you’re tired of grinding with nothing to show for it, this conversation is your reset. We dig into a simple truth: you don’t need more motivation, you need more direction. By putting start lines, finish lines, and rules back into your work, you strip away hesitation, make accountability neutral, and unlock that effortless feeling of just executing the plan. We walk through how clarity becomes a competitive advantage during planning season. First, we tackle the real reason people and teams stall: unclear expectations make decisions slow and emotional. Then we show how to lower cognitive load by setting precise roles, standards, and priorities, so no one wastes energy guessing what “good” looks like. You’ll hear a candid interview approach that replaces posturing with honest dialogue, and a sports framework that turns vague goals into measurable wins—because a first down is always ten yards and an end zone is always six points. From there, we focus on repeatability. When expectations are clear, success is teachable, results are repeatable, and leadership scales. We offer a practical reflection—where are you being unclear because it feels easier—and a 24-hour action to build momentum now: clarify one concrete expectation with a person or your whole team. Whether you’re aiming to lose weight, earn a promotion, or lead a stronger organization, the path is the same: make the plan visible, state the standards, and run the play again and again. If this helped you think sharper about Q1, follow the show, share it with a teammate who needs clarity, and leave a quick review so more people can find these mini episodes. Your next win might be one clear expectation away.

    8 min

  3. 2025-12-30 · BONUS

    Mini Episode 2: Resetting Standards For 2026

    If “being nice” has been your leadership strategy, it’s time for an upgrade. We dig into why tolerance isn’t kindness, how avoidance breeds drift, and what clear, enforced standards do for trust, energy, and results—at work, in the gym, and at home. The conversation starts with a simple truth: culture is built by what we allow, not what we announce. When we stop reinforcing standards, performance gets inconsistent, expectations blur, and high performers quietly throttle back to match the average. We walk through real examples: showing up early that slowly becomes optional, uniforms that become “suggested,” and training plans that never get tracked. You’ll hear how fairness breaks when fours skate by while eights are held to the letter, and why that gap pushes your best people toward the middle. Instead of waiting for a perfect moment, we model timely, transparent feedback that aligns behavior with shared values. No theatrics. No lectures. Just clear expectations, steady follow-through, and practical tools that make the right behaviors easier to repeat. You’ll learn how standards shrink emotional labor by reducing repeated corrections and decision fatigue. We share simple systems—scorecards, checklists, and quick logs—that make consistency visible without micromanaging. Then we close with two reflection prompts to spot drift and one small action that starts the reset: pick a single standard and reinforce it this week with measurement and accountability. Ready to build a culture that lifts everyone instead of settling for the average? Follow the show, share this with a leader who needs it, and tell us which standard you’re tightening up before 2026.

    9 min

  4. 2025-12-29 · BONUS

    Mini Episode 1: Rethinking ROI Before The New Year

    Ready to trade a packed calendar for real progress? We unpack a simple year-end audit that helps you measure ROI beyond money—think time, energy, focus, and bandwidth—and use those insights to shape a stronger start to the new year. Instead of chasing more goals, we focus on doing less, better, and protecting your best hours for the work that actually moves the needle. We start by reframing the classic productivity trap: being busy isn’t the same as being effective. You’ll hear how filling every gap can stall future growth, and how to spot the quiet drains that erode momentum—meetings that never change anything, legacy processes no one questions, and relationships where you’re over-supporting instead of developing. Then we get tactical. We share how shifting from weekly one-on-ones to purposeful async check-ins improved clarity while clearing the calendar, and how to evaluate tasks based on real return so you can delegate or delete with confidence. From there, we dig into the habits that compound: team development, focused learning, consistent training, and carving out deep work during your peak energy window. High performers aren’t superhuman—they’re selective. By eliminating low-return tasks and reinvesting time into activities that build leverage, you create results that stack week after week. We close with a concrete challenge: pick one habit, meeting, or responsibility to pause or remove in January, and use that reclaimed time to build the future rather than just maintain the present. If you’re ready to step into the new year with clarity and momentum, this mini sode is your reset. Listen, make one decisive cut, and tell us what you’re removing. Subscribe for more mini sodes this week as we sharpen focus, set smart boundaries, and build habits that actually compound.

    10 min

  5. 2025-12-22

    Stop Losing At Resolutions: Run A Real Year-End Audit

    Ready to stop losing at resolutions and start building results that actually stick? We walk through a practical, honest year-end audit designed for leaders, builders, and anyone who wants to show up stronger physically, mentally, and professionally. Instead of chasing a clean slate with vague goals, we break down how to align your time, standards, and decisions so your goals have a real foundation. We start with behavioral ROI: did your time, energy, and money in 2025 produce the outcomes you wanted, or just keep you busy? You’ll learn how to identify the choices that quietly drained you, the habits that supported (or sabotaged) your progress, and the people, processes, systems, and conversations you tolerated for too long. Then we dive into leadership: setting clear expectations, reinforcing standards, and developing people rather than just managing outcomes. We tackle the common mistake of assuming competence, how to train for clarity, and how to seat people where they create the most value and joy. From there, we protect capacity. Time is currency, so we map your schedule to your energy peaks and troughs, reduce low-value meetings in drain zones, and add simple rituals that restore focus. Finally, we design January with the 3-3-3 framework: three priorities, three metrics that matter, and three actions you will actually execute. Whether your focus is fitness, team performance, or personal growth, this is a clean path from audit to alignment to acceleration. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s setting goals, and leave a quick review telling us your three January priorities. Let’s raise the standard and keep it there.

    32 min

  6. 2025-06-09

    The Checklist Trap: Why Doing Everything Right Still Feels Empty

    Do you feel burned out, or is something else at play? That nagging exhaustion you're calling burnout might actually be a purpose deficit in disguise. Many high achievers mistake fatigue for burnout when the real issue lies deeper. Through our personal experiences and coaching others, we've discovered that what feels like burnout often stems from misalignment with your true purpose or chronic boundary neglect. We break down the critical difference between fatigue (a physical and emotional depletion) and true burnout (a profound disconnect from your why). Using fitness and business parallels, we explain how "overtraining" and "hustling without direction" create similar patterns of diminishing returns and growing frustration. The "checklist trap" catches even the most disciplined among us—you're doing everything right, checking all the boxes, yet still feeling unfulfilled. This leads to what we call the "identity drain"—that uncomfortable question of who you are when the grind stops. When your identity becomes fused with your actions rather than your essence, any pause triggers anxiety. Through practical reset strategies like movement routines not tied to performance, gratitude practices, and honest self-reflection, we offer a pathway back to alignment. The most powerful question isn't "How do I overcome burnout?" but rather "What purpose am I disconnected from?" Whether you're a fitness professional, business owner, or someone simply trying to find balance, this episode provides the framework to distinguish between true burnout and its imposters. The solution might not be rest—it might be reconnecting with your deeper why.

    46 min

  7. 2025-05-19

    10 Traits That Require Zero Talent: Part 2

    What truly separates people who wish from people who win? The answer might surprise you – and it has nothing to do with natural talent or formal education. Most of us struggle with the nagging feeling that we're behind, underqualified, or missing some crucial advantage needed for success. The truth? You already possess everything required to excel. This episode reveals the final five traits (plus a bonus) that require zero talent but yield extraordinary results when consistently applied. Attitude emerges as perhaps the most powerful trait, controlling nearly 90% of life's outcomes. As we explore this concept, we draw a surprising parallel between attitude maintenance and personal hygiene – both require daily attention and profoundly affect how others respond to you. We share vulnerable stories about times when our attitudes either rescued or wrecked important situations, proving this principle through lived experience. Passion similarly transforms performance, carrying you through periods when motivation inevitably falters. But what happens when your fire dims? We offer practical strategies for rekindling passion when things feel repetitive, drawing from our experiences in fitness, business leadership, and personal challenges. You'll discover why people inherently follow those who genuinely care – both about themselves and those they lead. The conversation takes a deeper turn when discussing coachability, revealing the psychological barriers that prevent many from receiving feedback effectively. Through candid stories of hard feedback that changed our trajectories, we demonstrate why those resistant to coaching ultimately limit not just their growth but their leadership potential. The podcast culminates in examining how preparation makes you "dangerous" in the most positive sense and why choosing joy daily creates the foundation for all other success traits to flourish. Each concept comes alive through relatable examples, honest reflections on our mistakes, and practical applications you can implement immediately. Listen now to discover how small, daily choices about your attitude, passion, coachability, effort, preparation, and joy create the difference between merely wishing for success and actually achieving it. The power has been within you all along – this episode shows you how to tap into it.

    54 min

  8. 2025-05-12

    10 Traits That Require Zero Talent Required: Part 1

    The difference between average performers and unstoppable achievers often has nothing to do with talent, education, or special skills. Instead, it comes down to mastering a set of fundamental behaviors that cost absolutely nothing but deliver extraordinary results. This episode dives deep into the first five of ten traits that require zero talent but make all the difference in your success trajectory. We explore how being consistently on time isn't just about punctuality—it's about respect and reliability that speaks volumes before you say a word. We examine work ethic as the differentiator that allows some people to achieve remarkable results regardless of natural aptitude, and why effort remains entirely within your control even when everything else feels out of reach. The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we unpack how your body language silently communicates confidence, engagement, and authority. From crossed arms to phone distractions, these nonverbal signals create impressions that can either strengthen or undermine your effectiveness. Perhaps most compelling is our discussion of energy—that intangible quality that either elevates everyone around you or drains the life from rooms you enter. Through personal stories and practical examples, we reveal why these fundamental traits matter more than talent in nearly every arena of life. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or simply trying to become the best version of yourself, mastering these zero-cost behaviors creates a foundation for success that transcends natural ability or specialized knowledge. As you listen, consider which of these areas presents your greatest opportunity for growth. What single trait could you focus on improving this week? The beauty of these success factors is that they require no special circumstances—just your decision to raise your standards and commit to consistent practice. Join us next week as we complete this powerful framework with the remaining five traits that make ordinary people truly unstoppable.

    47 min
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About

Welcome to the Forge and Fortitude Podcast! We’re Heath and Faith Ellenberger, fitness professionals with over 30 years of combined experience in health and wellness. This podcast is all about real conversations, practical tips, and a little tough love to help you build strength, resilience, and a healthier lifestyle. Whether you’re a fitness pro or just getting started, we’re here to share what we’ve learned, what’s worked for us, and how you can forge your own path to becoming your strongest self. Let’s do this together!

Information

  • Creator
    Heath Ellenberger
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    218
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Forge and Fortitude Fitness
  • Show Website
    Forge and Fortitude Fitness