Strong Ambition Podcast

Rhyland Qually
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Biweekly

You know those people who hang out at the top? The kind of people who have an internal drive to excel at everything they do? Maybe it's sports. Maybe its' academics. Maybe it's a professional career. Whatever it is....each person has their own unique story about how they became who they are. The Strong Ambition podcast is all about having conversations with high-performers, and getting to the core of what drives their ambition, so that you can apply those same lessons to your own training, nutrition and mindset.

  1. 4d ago

    #150 - Whiskey & Barbells: Success, Struggles, Bodybuilding & Mortality

    For the 150th episode of the Strong Ambition Podcast, I'm bringing back Whiskey & Barbells with two of my longtime friends, AJ Zeglin and Rich Girardin! We sat down for some whiskies, and what started as a reflection on the last five years of our lives turned into one of the most interesting and wide-ranging conversations we've had on the podcast. We start by discussing our careers, the challenges of building our own businesses, our biggest accomplishments, and some of the hardest experiences we've faced along the way. With our backgrounds in coaching, counselling, and physiotherapy, we also explore the importance of trust, relationships, and what actually makes someone great at helping others. Then things take a turn. We get into bodybuilding, the psychology of competition, and AJ even gives me a live physique assessment as I prepare for another bodybuilding show. But the conversation doesn't stop at fitness. We eventually dive into grief, losing loved ones, spirituality, religion, our fear of death, and what we believe might happen after we die. It's a mix of humour, personal stories, difficult conversations, and some pretty deep reflections on what makes life meaningful. If you've ever questioned what success really looks like, how to navigate life's hardest moments, or what kind of impact you want to leave behind, I think you'll really enjoy this one. Connect with my guests: Rich — @perimetertherapy AJ — @invictuspfp Episode Roadmap 04:25 – Whiskey & Barbells: Celebrating 150 Episodes! 06:30 – Reflecting on Five Years of Personal & Professional Growth 07:15 – AJ's Journey: Becoming a Counsellor & Building His Own Business 11:30 – Entrepreneurship: Is Betting on Yourself Worth It? 18:00 – What Makes a Great Coach, Therapist or Physiotherapist? 30:00 – Trust, Empathy & the Power of Genuine Relationships 42:30 – Rich's Biggest Accomplishments: Fatherhood, Business & Professional Sports 45:30 – My Biggest Accomplishments & Struggles Over the Last Five Years 51:15 – My Next Bodybuilding Competition & Building a Meal-Planning App 1:00:00 – Natural Bodybuilding, Competition & Performance-Enhancing Drugs 1:11:30 – Why Do We Put Ourselves Through Difficult Challenges? 1:17:30 – Everyone Has Their Own Version of Crazy 1:23:00 – AJ Gives Me a Live Bodybuilding Physique Assessment! 1:34:00 – Our Biggest Personal Struggles: Cancer, Family & Hardship 1:38:00 – "This Is Real Life": Learning to Accept Life's Difficult Moments 1:43:00 – Grief, Losing Loved Ones & the Questions That Follow 1:48:00 – Religion, Spirituality & What Happens After Death? 1:57:30 – The Fear of Death, Nothingness & Our Own Mortality 2:02:00 – What Kind of Impact Do We Want to Leave Behind? 2:06:30 – Loneliness vs. Solitude: Learning to Be Comfortable With Yourself 2:09:00 – What's Next? Our Current Ambitions & Future Goals 2:12:30 – Why Relationships Might Be the Most Important Part of Life

  2. Oct 14

    #149 - MMA, Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Finding Balance in Fitness - Dino Camiré

    Dino, owner of One Family Fitness and an experienced strength coach, joins the Strong Ambition Podcast to discuss his journey through competitive judo, professional MMA, natural bodybuilding, and international powerlifting. With over 20 years of coaching experience, Dino shares how his approach to fitness has evolved from chasing physical achievements to building strength, performance, and habits that last a lifetime. We explore why powerlifting is as much a skill as it is a test of strength, the differences between bodybuilding and powerlifting, and how to balance training intensity, recovery, and nutrition when pursuing multiple fitness goals. We also dive into carbohydrate cycling, muscle glycogen, competition preparation, and why traditional water-cutting practices may be counterproductive for natural bodybuilders. Finally, Dino introduces his book, The BUILD System, and its five pillars of sustainable fitness: Train, Fuel, Move, Measure, and Belong. In This Episode, We Discuss Can almost anyone bench press 225 pounds?Dino's journey through judo, MMA, bodybuilding, and powerlifting.Why powerlifting is a skill, not just a test of muscle.The differences between bodybuilding and powerlifting communities.Balancing strength and muscle retention during a bodybuilding prep.Carbohydrate cycling, glycogen, and competition-day nutrition.Water cutting and common mistakes in natural bodybuilding.Why daily movement and strength training matter for long-term health.The five pillars of Dino's BUILD System.Why community, identity, and enjoyment are essential for lifelong fitness. @topcoachdino Book link The Build System Episode Roadmap 00:27 – Can Almost Anyone Bench Press 225 Pounds? 03:08 – Why Powerlifting Is a Skill, Not Just Strength 05:04 – Dino's Journey Through Judo, MMA, Bodybuilding & Powerlifting 09:00 – Gamifying Fitness & Finding Motivation Beyond Appearance 11:41 – Dino's Professional MMA Career & Transition Into Coaching 14:21 – From Bodybuilding to Powerlifting 17:37 – Why the Powerlifting Community Is Different 20:38 – Building Strength, Community & Long-Term Motivation 23:04 – Can You Compete in Bodybuilding and Powerlifting at the Same Time? 24:23 – Managing Training Intensity, Volume & Recovery During a Diet 28:46 – Carbohydrate Cycling for Strength & Performance 30:40 – Carb Loading, Glycogen & Competition Preparation 34:12 – Why Pre-Workout Nutrition Is Often Misunderstood 37:19 – Why Your Nutrition Weeks Before Competition Matters More Than the Final Meal 38:55 – Water Cutting: Is It Necessary for Natural Bodybuilding? 43:49 – Rhyland's Experience With Bodybuilding Peak Week 47:13 – Introducing Dino's Book: The BUILD System 48:30 – Train & Fuel: Strength Training and Sustainable Nutrition 51:00 – Move: Why Daily Activity Matters Beyond the Gym 53:00 – Measure: Tracking Progress Beyond the Scale 54:57 – Belong: Community, Identity & Lifelong Fitness 58:31 – Rhyland's Takeaways From the Five Pillars 1:00:28 – Dino's Current Ambitions: Team Canada & Growing Powerlifting 1:02:23 – Where to Find Dino & One Family Fitness

  3. Sep 30

    #148 - Live Debate: Are Seed Oils Truly Harmful? Cherie Calbom

    Cherie Calbom, MS, nutritionist and author of The Truth About Seed Oils, joins the Strong Ambition Podcast for a friendly debate about one of the most controversial topics in nutrition: Are seed oils actually harmful? Cherie explains why she believes industrial seed oils should be avoided, while Rhyland challenges whether the human evidence supports labeling seed oils as toxic. They discuss inflammation, randomized controlled trials, anecdotes versus population evidence, beef tallow, processed foods, calories, food sensitivities, and why the overall dietary pattern may matter more than any single ingredient. Despite disagreeing on seed oils, the conversation finds plenty of common ground around whole foods, sustainable nutrition, individual differences, and the importance of actually enjoying your life and the people you share it with. In This Episode, We Discuss: Cherie’s personal health transformation and journey into nutrition.Why juicing and whole foods became central to her nutrition philosophy.The argument that seed oils oxidize and create harmful byproducts.Are seed oils actually “toxic” in the human body?What randomized controlled trials can tell us about seed oils.Biological mechanisms versus real-world human outcomes.Anecdotes, food sensitivities, and population-level recommendations.Why Rhyland believes individual ingredients are often unnecessarily villainized.Seed oils versus overall calorie intake and dietary patterns.Is beef tallow actually healthier than seed oils?Why Japan creates an interesting challenge to the seed oil argument.Correlation versus causation in nutrition research.GMOs, food processing, chemicals, and the appeal to “natural.”Why different dietary restrictions can all improve adherence for different people.Finding the right balance between whole foods and flexibility.Listening to your body and recognizing individual food sensitivities.Why relationships, community, and enjoying food also matter for health.Where Rhyland and Cherie ultimately agree despite their differences. Episode Roadmap 00:47 – Cherie’s Health Transformation & Journey Into Nutrition 04:24 – Juicing, Whole Foods & Cherie’s Current Diet 09:47 – The Truth About Seed Oils 11:01 – Why Cherie Believes Seed Oils Are Toxic 13:33 – Rhyland Challenges the Evidence Against Seed Oils 17:37 – Where Rhyland & Cherie Agree — and Disagree 19:52 – Personal Stories, Food Sensitivities & Anecdotal Evidence 22:41 – Can Seed Oils Be Part of a Healthy Diet? 25:07 – Is the Ingredient the Problem or the Overall Diet? 26:55 – Beef Tallow vs. Seed Oils 29:27 – Calories, Processed Foods & the Bigger Health Problem 30:38 – Japan: A Challenge to the Seed Oil Argument 34:30 – GMOs, Cancer & Asking What the Evidence Actually Shows 35:00 – Correlation vs. Causation in Nutrition Research 37:40 – Why Rhyland Doesn't Think Seed Oils Are the Main Problem 39:38 – Dietary Restrictions, Adherence & Finding What Works for You 41:26 – What Does “Chemical” Actually Mean in Nutrition? 42:42 – Does Natural Automatically Mean Healthier? 44:03 – How Much Processed Food Can Fit Into a Healthy Diet? 46:24 – Food Sensitivities & Individualizing Your Nutrition 48:00 – Why Relationships and Community Matter for Your Health 50:33 – Where Rhyland & Cherie Find Common Ground 52:08 – Cherie’s Current Ambition & Making Healthy Eating Enjoyable 1:XX:XX – Rhyland’s Reflection https://amzn.to/3MU4EBg @juiceladycherie

  4. Sep 16

    Episode 147 - Self-Limiting Beliefs & Your Fitness Potential - Kelsey Willkie

    Kelsey Willkie—copywriter, entrepreneur, founder of Inspired Idiots, and longtime RQ Training Nutrition client—returns to the Strong Ambition Podcast, but this time she turns the tables and interviews Rhyland. Kelsey shares how years of restrictive dieting and disordered eating led her to believe that achieving the body she wanted would require a lifestyle she didn't want to live. Working with Rhyland showed her that she could become stronger, leaner, and more confident while creating more freedom in her life. Together, Kelsey and Rhyland challenge the self-limiting stories people tell themselves about fitness: “I don't have the genetics,” “my metabolism sucks,” “I'm too old,” “I've tried everything,” or “it's unrealistic for me.” They explore the difference between accepting legitimate limitations and prematurely deciding what you're capable of, why sustainable results are often simpler than expected, and how consistency over a long enough timeline can completely change what's possible. The conversation also dives into business, pregnancy, self-belief, strength training, nutrition, body image, and learning to challenge the stories you've accepted as facts. Kelsey's journey from restrictive dieting to a healthier relationship with fitness. Why she once believed she couldn't achieve her goals while still enjoying life. Genetics, metabolism, and other self-limiting beliefs. Why repeatedly failing at diets can make you believe you're the exception. The difference between “impossible” and simply not finding a sustainable path yet. Why extreme approaches like 75 Hard, keto, and fasting can feel more appealing than simple habits. Ruthless consistency with simple strategies versus constantly searching for the next solution. Why trial and error isn't failure. Finding nutrition and training strategies that fit your personality and lifestyle. Calorie tracking, protein tracking, meal plans, and creating flexibility around food. The difference between an unrealistic physique and an unrealistic timeline. Finding the healthiest and happiest version of yourself instead of chasing someone else's body. How strength and performance goals can make fitness more rewarding. Rhyland's “seed of belief” analogy and why belief can come before visible results. How self-limiting beliefs show up in business as well as fitness. “If your life were a movie, what would the audience be yelling at you to do?” How pregnancy challenged Kelsey's beliefs about fitness and her body. Self-compassion versus self-criticism. “It's the pattern that's the problem, not the incident.” How training can change during pregnancy without abandoning fitness. Whether everyone should strength train. Whether protein, 8–10K steps, and strength training are enough for most people. How long it can take to achieve a result you've never seen before. Find Kelsey and her podcast, Inspired Idiots, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inspired.idiots 01:18 – How Long Does It Take to Achieve a Result You've Never Seen Before?02:33 – Kelsey's Fitness Story & Believing Her Goals Were Unrealistic04:28 – Genetics, Metabolism & the Stories We Tell Ourselves07:45 – “I've Tried Everything” & Searching for the Secret08:41 – Kelsey's History With Restrictive Dieting11:27 – Why Fitness Doesn't Have to Be as Hard as You Think13:31 – Why Extreme Diets Can Feel More Appealing Than Simple Habits14:53 – Embracing Trial & Error Instead of Giving Up18:30 – Are Your “Unrealistic” Fitness Goals Actually Unrealistic?20:50 – How Understanding Calories In This Episode, We DiscussEpisode Roadmap

  5. Sep 2

    Episode 146 - How to Perform Better with Curiosity, Spirituality, and Motivation - Ricky Scruggs

    Performance coach Ricky Scruggs joins the Strong Ambition Podcast to discuss how athletes and high performers can improve their performance by learning to become more present. Drawing from his background in professional baseball, coaching, business, and ministry, Ricky explains why constantly thinking about the future can interfere with our ability to respond to what is actually happening in front of us. Ricky and Rhyland discuss identity beyond achievement, curiosity over confidence, learning to let go of outcomes, and how everyday practices can train us to become more aware and present when performance matters. The conversation also explores Ricky’s Christian faith and how spirituality, grace, acceptance, and releasing control have shaped his approach to performance—even where Rhyland and Ricky approach religion from different perspectives. In This Episode, We Discuss Ricky’s journey from professional baseball to mental and spiritual performance coaching.How athletes can lose their identity when it becomes attached to their sport.Finding happiness and fulfillment within the pursuit of your goals.Why being present is a skill that can improve athletic performance.Changing the question from “What should I think about?” to “What should I notice?”How everyday walks and moments of awareness can train your ability to perform.Why overthinking can interfere with natural athletic movement.Finding the deeper “why” behind achievement and performance.Why Ricky teaches “curiosity over confidence.”Shifting from trying to prove yourself to seeing what you can learn.How to care about winning without becoming controlled by the outcome.How Ricky connects spirituality and Christianity to mental performance.Rhyland’s challenges and limitations with religion as a belief system.Finding common ground through grace, acceptance, and letting go of control.Separating your value as a person from your performance. Episode Roadmap 00:49 – Ricky’s Story: Baseball, Business, Ministry & Performance Coaching 05:55 – Ricky’s Difficult Childhood & Why Baseball Became His Refuge 10:43 – What Happens When Athletes Lose Their Identity? 12:00 – Finding Happiness Within the Pursuit 14:14 – Achievement, Acceptance & Letting the Game Come to You 16:45 – Why Being Present Can Be Difficult for High Performers 19:18 – Learning How to Rest & “What Should I Notice?” 22:22 – Overthinking Movement & Trusting Your Athletic Instincts 24:32 – Finding the Real “Why” Behind Performance 26:59 – Stop Trying to Prove Yourself & Start Trying to Learn 30:15 – How Everyday Presence Can Make You a Better Athlete 32:54 – Curiosity Over Confidence 35:14 – Letting Go of Results When Results Still Matter 38:45 – How Faith and Spirituality Connect to Performance 40:00 – Rhyland’s Challenges With Christianity & Religion 42:09 – Ricky’s Perspective on Faith, Heaven, Hell & Grace 45:30 – How Acceptance Can Actually Improve Performance 49:14 – Judgment, Grace, Free Will & Personal Growth 52:50 – Separating Human Value From Achievement 55:10 – Love, Trust & Learning to Release Control 58:25 – Where Rhyland and Ricky Find Common Ground 1:00:23 – Interpreting Christianity in a More Practical Way 1:05:30 – What Ricky Is Most Excited About Next 1:XX:XX – Rhyland’s Reflection www.rickyscruggs.com Instagram rickyscruggs19

  6. Aug 19

    #145 - My First Registered Dietitian Guest: Do We Actually Agree on Nutrition? Featuring Meridan Zerner, MS, RDN, LD

    Meridan Zerner, a registered dietitian with over 30 years of experience in preventive health and nutrition, joins the Strong Ambition Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about what actually creates lasting health. As the first registered dietitian to appear on the podcast, Meridan and Rhyland explore where coaching and dietetics align, challenge common misconceptions, and discuss why sustainable habits will always outperform extreme diets. Together they dive into today's biggest nutrition conversations—from protein, fiber, supplements, and body composition to behavior change, food guidelines, and the growing politicization of nutrition science. Rather than focusing on rigid rules, the discussion emphasizes building practical habits that fit real life and help people create healthier lifestyles they can actually maintain. Whether you're trying to lose fat, improve your health, build muscle, or simply cut through the endless nutrition misinformation online, this episode offers an evidence-based conversation that prioritizes nuance, sustainability, and long-term success. In This Episode, We Discuss Meridan's journey from journalism to becoming a registered dietitian.How a life-changing neck injury shaped her passion for health and wellness.Why information alone doesn't create behavior change.Building sustainable habits instead of relying on motivation and willpower.Why personalized nutrition always beats one-size-fits-all diets.The importance of structure, consistency, and realistic expectations.Optimal protein intake and how current recommendations have evolved.Why fiber may be one of the most overlooked nutrients in nutrition.Soluble vs. insoluble fiber and how they impact gut health, appetite, and longevity.Body composition versus body weight and why the scale often tells an incomplete story.When supplements like collagen, creatine, fiber, vitamin D, and multivitamins may actually be beneficial.Thoughts on MAHA, nutrition policy, and the importance of evidence-based recommendations.Why community, relationships, and purpose are essential components of long-term health.Meridan's book, The Thoughtful 30, and her practical framework for creating lasting lifestyle change. Connect with Meridan Zerner Website: www.meridanzernernutrition.com Instagram: @meridanzerner Episode Roadmap 00:00 – Meet Meridan Zerner, Registered Dietitian 01:30 – The injury that sparked a lifelong passion for health 05:30 – Why nutrition eventually replaced journalism 08:30 – Why information doesn't change behavior 12:00 – Building habits instead of chasing motivation 16:00 – Creating a nutrition plan that actually fits your life 20:00 – Coaching, dietetics, and simplifying nutrition 24:00 – Why body composition matters more than the scale 28:00 – The truth about optimal protein intake 35:00 – Why fiber deserves more attention 41:00 – Fiber supplements, gut health, and practical nutrition tips 44:00 – Collagen, supplements, and filling nutritional gaps 49:00 – MAHA, food policy, and evidence-based nutrition 56:00 – Translating nutrition science into everyday life 1:00:00 – The Thoughtful 30: Meridan's framework for lasting change 1:07:XX – Rhyland's Reflection

  7. Aug 5

    #144 - Body dysmorphia, building muscle, and powerlifting strategies ranked - Coach Querwin Campeciño

    Coach Querwin (@fitnesscoachq) joins the Strong Ambition Podcast to share his journey from growing up in the Philippines to becoming one of Winnipeg's respected personal trainers and powerlifting coaches. What starts as a conversation about his story quickly evolves into a thought-provoking discussion on what actually makes a great coach, realistic fitness expectations, bodybuilding, powerlifting, body image, and the biggest misconceptions surrounding fat loss, muscle growth, and strength training. Whether you're a coach, an experienced lifter, or someone simply trying to improve your health, this episode offers practical advice, honest conversations, and evidence-based discussions that challenge many of the myths spread throughout the fitness industry. In This Episode, We Discuss Coach Q's journey from the Philippines to Canada.Becoming a coach after helping hospital staff transform their health.What actually separates great coaches from average ones.Whether coaches need to experience the same struggles as their clients.Should fitness coaches "look the part"?Contest prep and the realities of bodybuilding.Why muscle growth is much slower than social media suggests.Body dysmorphia and unrealistic physique expectations.Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and how they change training recommendations.Why Coach Q transitioned from bodybuilding into powerlifting.Why powerlifting became more motivating than bodybuilding.The supportive culture of the powerlifting community.Training for strength versus hypertrophy.Ranking popular powerlifting tactics and discussing what actually helps build a stronger squat, bench press, and deadlift.Practical coaching lessons every lifter can apply to train smarter, recover better, and make long-term progress. Connect with Coach Q Instagram: @fitnesscoachq Episode Roadmap 00:00 – Meet Coach Querwin (Coach Q) 00:40 – Growing up in the Philippines and moving to Northern Manitoba 03:20 – How bodybuilding unexpectedly led to becoming a personal trainer 07:30 – Why coaching is harder than people think 09:00 – Does a coach need to personally experience the same struggles as their clients? 15:15 – Should fitness coaches "look the part?" 18:00 – PEDs, genetics, and why social media creates unrealistic expectations 21:30 – Why building muscle takes much longer than people think 28:00 – Why getting lean often changes how muscular you actually look 30:00 – Contest prep: Hunger vs. extreme fatigue 32:30 – Transitioning from bodybuilding into powerlifting 37:00 – Why powerlifting became more enjoyable than bodybuilding 41:00 – The downside of powerlifting that nobody talks about 43:00 – Ranking Popular Powerlifting Tactics: What Actually Works? 1:10:57 – Rhyland's Reflection

  8. Jul 22

    #143 - A pastor and a coach debate faith & fitness — Rick Meyer

    Rick Meyer is a pastor who's also run over 143,000 miles since he was 11 years old. Which is a combination I've never had on the podcast before. I brought him on to talk about faith and fitness.How discipline actually gets built.Why people who show up for their families and jobs still struggle to show up for their own health. Rick has a mantra he uses when he runs — I can't. Christ can. We are. He talks about training as stewardship. You take care of your body so you can better serve the people in your life. Whether you're religious or not, that framing hits different than "I want to lose 20 pounds." But that's not the part I want to talk about. Halfway through, I told Rick something I don't usually bring up on the podcast — that I grew up religious, that Christianity shaped a lot of my character, and that at some point I lost the faith itself. The values stuck. The belief didn't. And then I asked him a question I've been chewing on for years. I call it the Blood Diamond Problem, because that's where I first really thought about it. If you've not seen the Leonardo Dicaprio movie, it involves a kid in Africa who gets kidnapped by rebels, brainwashed, and turned into a child soldier. Eventually he ends up turning on his own family. He didn't choose any of that. His environment made him. So what happens to that kid? How does he get judged by a God he was never given a fair chance to know? And there are billions of people like that — not in the same circumstance, but people who've never heard about Christianity, or heard about it but grew up somewhere it couldn't stick. If salvation only runs through Jesus, where does that leave them? I've heard a lot of religious people try to answer that question. Most of the answers don't hold up for me. Rick's did. And it's not because he had some perfect scripture that closed the case — but because he was willing to just say he didn't fully understand it. He said faith reaches people in ways he can't explain. And then he said something a lot of religious leaders won't — that certainty is a bad look, including for him. I don't know if I'd say we agreed. But I felt like I got an honest answer from someone who'd actually thought about it, which is all I really want in these conversations. We got into: Farm-life discipline and why it's the closest thing to fitness disciplineRick's mantra: "I can't. Christ can. We are."Why motivation and discipline are two sides of the same coin, not oppositesThe weird similarities between getting to the gym and getting to churchGratitude as a performance tool (there's actual psychology behind it)Why Rick thinks Christians have an obligation to take care of their bodiesThe Blood Diamond Problem and Rick's honest answerWhat happens to people who never hear about JesusWhy "I don't know" is the most honest thing anyone can say about the big stuffWhy I still value the Christian character I grew up with, even without the faith This one probably isn't for everyone. But if you've ever tried to reconcile the values you grew up with against the beliefs you can't quite hold onto anymore — this conversation might hit home. Find Rick's books here: Leadership Books​​Speakers Bureau: here​​Instagram: @rickmeyer9014​​TikTok: @running.on.faith3

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About

You know those people who hang out at the top? The kind of people who have an internal drive to excel at everything they do? Maybe it's sports. Maybe its' academics. Maybe it's a professional career. Whatever it is....each person has their own unique story about how they became who they are. The Strong Ambition podcast is all about having conversations with high-performers, and getting to the core of what drives their ambition, so that you can apply those same lessons to your own training, nutrition and mindset.

Information

  • Creator
    Rhyland Qually
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    150
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rhyland Qually
  • Show Website
    Strong Ambition Podcast