The Inspired Move

Inspired Athletx
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  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The official podcast of Inspired Athletx. Physical Therapy is THE MOVE. The show features athletes and clients, their experience with physical therapy and training, and the impact its had on their health, wellness, and performance.

Episodes

  1. FEB 11

    Episode 11: Mark Esch

    Mark Esch is a highly accomplished football coach, currently serving as the Head Football Coach at Minnetonka High School. With almost 20 years of coaching experience, he previously spent 11 seasons as head coach at Mankato West High School, where he led the program to two state championships and multiple deep playoff runs. Known for building strong team culture and developing high-character athletes, Mark emphasizes leadership and personal growth as much as on-field success. He is also the author of Rise of the Warriors, a book that chronicles how his small hometown football program transformed its culture to achieve sustained excellence.  In this episode of the Inspired MOVE podcast, Coach Esch shares insights on the qualities of effective leadership, the importance of learning humility, and why it's important to never judge a book by its cover. Drawing from his coaching journey, he offers practical lessons on character, perspective, and building trust within a team.Don't miss this episode of The Inspired MOVE podcast! Link to Mark’s book: https://www.riseofthewarriorsbook.com Follow Mark on X: https://x.com/coachesch1 Follow Minnetonka Football on X: https://x.com/TonkaFB Chapters: 0:00; Winning games 03:33; Looking forward to next year 05:26; Fixing college football 11:35; Story of the Rise of the Warriors 14:44; Starting the winning streak 16:05; Qualities of a good leader 18:47; The importance of humility 21:37; Never judge a book by its cover 23:25; Jiu jitsu in the real world 25:07; Grant's high school coach 27:48; Building the brotherhood 29:20; Rise of the Warriors Book

    32 min

  2. FEB 6

    Episode 10: JR Haines & Zak Kiroff

    Join us on this episode of The Inspired MOVE podcast as we chat with JR Haines and Zak Kiroff — lifelong friends and owners of Relative Strength Gym located in Golden Valley, MN. Sit down with us for an honest conversation about building a gym from the ground up, changing the tide with strength training, and helping individuals of all ages find confidence through fitness. You may also be wondering, what is it like to do 10,000 burpees? They answer that exact question in Episode 10 of the Inspired MOVE podcast! Chapters: 0:00 - Connections in the midwest 3:21 - Bringing it back to middle school 8:20 - The Vine and chicken wings 9:55 - Opening the gym 13:13 - Personal training profession 14:10 - Illness management system 18:13 - Asking Grok about our healthcare system 24:06 - Turning the tide with strength training 28:45 - 10,000 burpees 30:12 - Spartan race experience 34:00 - What's next for Relative Strength 36:00 - Getting kids into fitness

    42 min

  3. JAN 19

    Episode 9: Maxx Williams

    Maxx Williams is a former NFL tight end who played for the Baltimore Ravens and the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at the University of Minnesota, where he established himself as one of the nation's top tight ends, earning First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten honors and becoming a finalist for the John Mackey Award. Maxx was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Ravens and went on to enjoy a nine-season NFL career. Off the field, he is staying busy by wrangling his three young boys with his wife and he continues to stay up to date with all college and professional football leagues. 0:00 - three under 4 0:51 - how do parents do it? 2:28 - fastest growing sports in America 3:40 - Iowa wrestling vs. the nation 5:03 - Dan Gable 5:33 - Hot take: NIL 9:29 - Fixing college football 14:30 - Winning the Powerball 16:10 - Fixing college football part 2 19:30 - What coaches are like 21:21 - the purity of MS/HS sports 23:00 - HS football: playing all the positions 23:57 - Go be an athlete, just play 26:25 - Putting on weight 27:27 - College football memories 29:30 - Coming from a family of athletes 32:30 - Real life considerations in the NFL 36:50 - Hearing your name on draft day 38:15 - Sports betting and casinos 43:49 - What’s next? 47:35 - Getting your PHD with the game 51:26 - Family man 52:33 - Day by day 53:08 - You can do anything you set your mind to 1:01 - The Greats 1:04:22 - How the internet has changed our lives 1:16:10 - Sports and technology

    1h 23m

  4. JAN 9

    Episode 8: Andrew Stelter

    Andrew grew up in Owatonna, MN and attended the University of Minnesota for his undergraduate degree and again for his physical therapy schooling. He played Division 1 football at the University of Minnesota, where he was a captain his senior year. Andrew played professionally after college in the AAF and XFL while training at Inspired Athletx during the off-season. He is an avid outdoorsman with interests in hunting and fishing. He recently finished "Squatober" with a new post-collegiate career max back squat! Hear more about all of this on this episode of The Inspired Move! 0:00 - First ever podcast 0:20 - Unique perspective with Inspired Athletx/full circle 0:55 - HS/College athletic background 2:00 - Being an athlete during the COVID pandemic 3:41 - Playing for Mike Martz 4:13 - The call 5:31 - XFL 2.0 journey 7:25 - Ending the career on a Win 8:05 - Dad as coach 9:11 - HS track career 9:44 - Father/Son coaching relationship 11:15 - Life of an outdoorsman 13:40 - Ice fishing tournament 15:48 - Expensive hobby 16:10 - The sport of bow hunting 21:40 - Squatober 22:25 - Squat PR!! 24:55 - Treat yourself 27:50 - What to do when you get hurt 32:00 - Long range view at your health 33:40 - Put the work in before you need it Andrew on Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrewstelter Work with Andrew: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/sche... Physical therapy is the MOVE! Find out more at https://inspiredathletx.com

    35 min

  5. JAN 8

    Episode 7: William Henderson

    Master Sergeant William Henderson has been in the U.S. Army for over 18 years, formerly active duty and current member of the National Guard, who worked as an interrogator within the Intelligence apparatus through deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode William discusses his experiences in the army as well as some of the injuries he sustained and how he's dealt with them. He also gets into how much improving physically has helped with aspects of mental health. Along with military experience, William has produced his own podcast called Relentless Fitness and participated extensively in CrossFit. 00:00:00 Why not podcast? 00:04:57 Check your supplements 00:11:31 Creatine 00:12:53 Fad diets 00:16:40 Individuality 00:18:10 75 Hard 00:26:50 Strength training 00:30:30 You can do it 00:32:50 First time at PT 00:39:50 The military’s toll on the body 00:48:10 There is hope 00:53:37 When to ask for help 00:54:17 Being in effective protector and caretaker 00:57:00 An army interrogator 01:01:51 Training interrogation 01:06:27 Best things about the job 01:15:06 Don’t make assumptions 01:19:14 Memorial Day 01:20:52 The connection between mental and physical health 01:24:04 You’re not alone 01:25:10 There is a way 01:28:14 Advocating for yourself 01:29:07 What to look for in a PT 01:30:45 Healthcare on offense Find Will on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlesswill86/ Physical Therapy is the MOVE: https://inspiredathletx.com/physical-therapy

    1h 37m

  6. 12/08/2025

    Episode 6: Hana Pokornowski

    No sick days in 4.5 years with Hana Pokornoswki. Hana is the office coordinator and an athletic trainer at Inspired Athletx and has been with us for over 4.5 years. In that time she has a (still running) record of 0 sick days. How does she do it? Find out this and more in this episode of the Inspired MOVE. Hana is a former collegiate swimmer with records in the pool and in the gym at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) and Dassel-Cokato High School (MN). She prioritizes strength training, exercise, clean diet, and rest and recovery to optimize her health and performance and it's paying off! 00:00 Intro: No Sick Days in 4.5 years 01:19 Prioritizing health and fitness 02:22 Fill your own cup first 03:23 Simplistic discipline 04:25 Commit to the process 05:15 Healthcare on offense 06:49 What do do when it gets hard 10:00 Motivations after college athletics 11:35 How much ya bench? 13:26 School records 17:30 College career in the pool 18:11 Visualization training 21:15 Where to follow Hana Hana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanapokornowski?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Physical therapy is the MOVE! Find out more at https://inspiredathletx.com

    23 min

  7. 11/22/2025

    Episode 5: Josh Fridgen & John Castaneda

    Josh Fridgen is a member of the Army Special Forces, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and current instructor and owner at The Academy Plymouth. He was a 2nd place finisher in the All-Army Combatives tournament, a grueling 3-stage event open to members of the army and special forces. John Castaneda is a professional Featherweight UFC fighter with a pro record of 21-8, and one of four UFC fighters in the state of Minnesota. He is originally from Waconia, MN and is now also an instructor and owner at The Academy Plymouth. Josh and John share stories of how they got started in martial arts, some insider stories from time in the military, and a never before publicized story about John's early career in fighting. The two also discuss the expansion of Academy Plymouth, which is currently underway. Josh also shares his experience with physical therapy and how it's helped him stay healthy and at the peak of his game. 00:00 Intro & Josh's military career 02:23 All-Army Combatives tournament format and results 06:10 Getting started in martial arts training 10:07 Stories from training in the army 17:45 Intro John and background in wrestling 19:00 Making the switch to MMA 20:40 Opening an MMA training facility 22:26 The Waconia Fighter 28:01 Sexy Mexi 30:02 UFC's new Paramount deal 33:11 New training facilities 34:36 Physical therapy experiences 38:39 The coolest magic trick 42:30 The methods behind the magic 45:58 Insurance vs direct pay physical therapy 47:55 Performance is the new healthcare 53:01 Bringing it back to jiu jitsu Academy Plymouth: https://academyplymouth.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/academyplymouth John Castaneda: https://www.instagram.com/johncastaneda_/ Inspired Athletx: https://inspiredathletx.com/

    59 min

  8. 11/14/2025

    Episode 4: Tony Leonard

    Tony Leonard is a career businessman who started, purchased, built and sold multiple companies over his career, across many categories. He draws on an incredible wealth and breath of experience that he now applies in a consulting role to help other businesses grow and thrive. Over the years, Tony, along with his three children, who are all current collegiate athletes, have been clients of Inspired Athletx for a variety of physical therapy and performance development situations. This episode dives into how PT has impacted the recovery and training processes for high-level athletes and active adults along with a great look into Tony's business career. 00:00 Tailgating 02:40 Brotherly love 03:59 The football season rundown 04:58 Deer hunting 06:28 Physical therapy for the whole family 10:29 Tony's background in business 13:58 The sales process 17:10 Building a sales force 20:01 Accountability 25:45 Need for the trades 27:30 Moving into online business 31:25 What's next - helping businesses grow 33:16 Surprise heart surgery 36:45 The recovery process 38:40 Maintaining high performance Business consulting with Tony: https://www.allrisebiz.com Physical therapy is THE MOVE. To make the move, visit inspiredathletx.com

    41 min

  9. 11/12/2025

    Episode 3: Joe Lombard

    Joe Lombard is a professional football player who most recently played center for the Kansas City Chiefs. Joe was an All-American center at the University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD), allowing just 1 sack his entire senior season. As the leader of the offensive line, Joe helped the team make a run to the semifinals of the FCS NCAA postseason tournament. Joe is originally from Anoka, MN where he was a 3 sport athlete, competing in football, basketball, and lacrosse. While at USD, he completed an undergraduate and Master's degree in Business. 00:00 Burpees and Hawkeye Football 02:24 Career updates 05:59 The developmental process 10:30 Being proactive with caring for your body 16:27 Revisiting Cryosolar Therapy 17:44 Reflections on favorite football moments 25:20 Benefits of tough love 27:14 Sneaking cookies 30:21 Taking care of business in the classroom 34:05 Close games 38:11 Ripping trees out of the ground 41:11 The mental game 51:49 Flipping the switch on the field 57:25 Life beyond football 01:00:31 Distance running 01:05:42 Closing thoughts Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelombard_76/ Joe on X: https://x.com/JoeyLombard77?s=20 Joe's college player profile: https://goyotes.com/sports/football/roster/joey-lombard/13417 Join the Movement at Inspired Athletx: https://inspiredathletx.com

    1h 7m

  10. 11/04/2025

    Episode 2: Ultra Athlete Kate Leis

    Kate Leis is an ultramarathoner who runs 50 and 100 mile races. In May she is set to take on a new challenge - completing a race through the desert in Arizona, called Cocodona, which is over 250 miles and includes over 40,000 feet of elevation gain. Kate is also the owner of Sunrise Fitness in Delano, MN. You can follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or Strava. 00:00 Welcome 02:30 Rewriting the script 03:01 How Kate got into running 03:59 Want to run a marathon? 07:55 The jump to ultra marathons 08:33 The professional eating contest - eating for ultras 11:54 The mental side of ultra marathons 13:20 Take quitting off the table 16:24 The big one coming up: The Cocodona 250 20:42 Running at night 23:25 Implementing physical therapy into the training process Cocodona Race Info: https://www.aravaiparunning.com/cocodona2/ Kate's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateleis?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Physical therapy is the MOVE. Make the move at https://inspiredathletx.com

    28 min

  11. 10/24/2025

    Episode 1: Jenny's Comeback Story

    Jenny is a physical therapy client who is coming off a foot surgery to repair some degenerative changes and alignment issues in the toes of one foot. Her first experience with physical therapy was after the surgery. In this episode she reflects on the physical therapy experience and has some advice for people considering seeing a physical therapist, as well as for those considering surgical procedures. 00:00 Welcome 00:57 Why I had surgery 02:16 What my surgeon said about physical therapy 03:00 What I learned when I implemented physical therapy 03:30 How a surgery affects the rest of the body 04:48 Improvements and changes with physical therapy 06:10 Frustrations with the process, small increments of improvement 07:20 An evangelist for physical therapy 07:55 Advice from Jenny: See a PT first! 09:15 Sometimes surgeries can be avoided Physical therapy is THE MOVE. Get better today. Build for tomorrow. Make the move at: https://inspiredathletx.com/physical-therapy

    11 min
  • 11 Episodes

About

The official podcast of Inspired Athletx. Physical Therapy is THE MOVE. The show features athletes and clients, their experience with physical therapy and training, and the impact its had on their health, wellness, and performance.

Information

  • Creator
    Inspired Athletx
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Inspired Athletx
  • Show Website
    The Inspired Move