In this episode, I catch up with long-time friend and legendary fitness educator Karl “Steaderz” Steadman. Karl reflects on his 20+ years in the fitness industry, including a 15-year tenure on the CrossFit Seminar Staff delivering over 400 seminars to an estimated 18,000+ people worldwide. The conversation dives deep into the art of communication, leadership, and adaptive coaching. He contrasts rigid, command-and-control leadership with an empowering, “outcome-based” style that gives people the freedom to take ownership. Later in the episode, Karl speaks candidly about parenting, navigating life’s non-linear path, and the grief of losing an identity. Finally, he introduces his current venture, Momentum Fitness—a minimalist, outdoor strength and conditioning community based in the Scottish Highlands. Scroll down if you’d like to watch the conversation or if you’re listening on Spotify please visit the Substack page here. Key themes from the episode The Art of Communication & Delivery How working with non-native English speakers refined Karl’s verbal coaching by stripping away flowery language. Reading the room: Using subtle audience cues to adapt the delivery on the fly and evaluating success based on output: Did the student actually understand and execute? Leadership: Intent vs. Rigidity Why rigid, command-and-control leadership restricts growth and creates fear of failure. Rather than an intent-based framework: Asking team members “How do you intend to do this?” rather than giving strict commands. Insecurity, Ego, and “Johnny Average” Karl’s perspective on himself as “Johnny Average done well” through application and work ethic. Balancing tall poppy syndrome (”don’t stand out”) with a quiet internal confidence in one’s specific skill set. “Trust Your Gut, the Rest is Logistics” Why overthinking paralyzes decision-making. Karl’s “all-in or all-out” personality and committing fully to life choices. Parenting, Navigating Emotional Waves & Identity Shifts “Action vs. Emotion”: Teaching his 14-year-old son that it’s okay to feel any emotion, but the action afterward is what matters. And the difficulty navigating the adolescent tension between authenticity vs. belonging. Dealing with identity loss after leaving CrossFit and riding the “grief wave”. And how negative emotions hit hard early on, but shrink in size over time. Momentum Fitness & Outdoor Community Partnering with Stu (Operation Cairngorms) to build a minimalist strength program in the Scottish Highlands. Removing “CrossFit” branding to break down barriers to entry and earn the trust of everyday people. The Real McCoy Club: Free monthly community sessions connecting local veterans and men through physical training and campfire chats. “Trust your gut, the rest is just logistics” I hope you enjoyed that conversation, I know I did! Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, I love hearing about what people take away from these conversations! Learn more If you’d like to learn about more about Momentum Fitness, check out their Instagram here. Karl also mentioned that he has transitioned to working with Metfix, if you’d like to learn more about Metfix, check out their website here. Support the cause If you’re enjoying the podcast, and would like to support men’s mental health, consider leaving a 5 star review on Spotify and follow Taming Thumos on Instagram or better still, sharing the episode on your social media! Stay up-to-date Never miss an episode by subscribing to Taming Thumos on Substack, it’s free! Every new episode and article is sent directly to your email inbox. Or if you’re listening on Spotify hit the notification bell to stay up to date with future episodes! Go deeper If you’re enjoying the vulnerability of the podcast and appreciate introspective, thought provoking content, consider checking out my personal publication Musings On Life and Such Things here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tamingthumos.substack.com
