From Gym Life to Classroom Wisdom: Dean Guedo on Teaching, Parenting, and Purposeful Fitness

From Gym Life to Classroom Wisdom: Dean Guedo on Teaching, Parenting, and Purposeful Fitness

Author: Chris Liddle July 30, 2025 Duration: 56:00

Dean Guedo returns for his fifth appearance—his first since the show’s rebrand. This time, the mic is flipped toward life lessons, shifting priorities, and the quiet power of showing up when it’s not glamorous. Dean talks candidly about returning to teaching, evolving as a dad, coaching high school football, and why he’s doubling down on movement that matters—weighted vests, pushups, air squats, and showing up tired but fulfilled.Subscribe to Dean’s newsletter here: https://getfluxed.squarespace.com/newsletter

Highlights:

* [00:00:00] Dean’s return & show rebrand reflections

* [00:01:00] Transitioning back into teaching—and forgetting he used to be one

* [00:03:00] How parenthood reshaped his career lens

* [00:06:00] The evolution of coaching football after years away

* [00:08:00] Why being an athlete again changed everything

* [00:10:00] The long-awaited update on the Get Fluxed book with Jeb Stuart Johnston and Dr. Mike T. Nelson

* [00:13:00] The weighted vest debate, TikTok confusion, and walking the walk

* [00:17:00] Why we need to meet clients where they’re at—not shame them for not being optimal

* [00:21:00] What VO2 max circuits taught us about what really works

* [00:26:00] Fridge-mode, farmers, and finding strength through life’s tasks

* [00:30:00] Training for longevity vs. ego, plus neck training epiphanies

* [00:34:00] Being strong enough to move your friends’ furniture in your 70s

* [00:36:00] Burnout, stress, and how capacity—not recovery—might be the answer

* [00:45:00] Dean’s panic attack at World Nogi—and the moment he chose to keep going

* [00:54:00] Final message: Chase something bigger than comfort

Key Quote:“Give yourself a reason to recover. Most people are tired because they never get to feel truly spent.”

Listen Now:

* 🎧 Apple Podcasts

* 🎧 Spotify

* 📺 YouTube

More from Chris:

* 🔗 Training

* 🔗 Media Consulting

* 🎥 CapCut Academy

* 🥗 Holiday Meal Guide

* 💪 Follow-Along Workouts



Get full access to Insight by Chris Liddle at chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe

Chasing Common Ground: Lifestyle Conversations with Chris Liddle is a space for thoughtful dialogue that lives between categories. Host Chris Liddle believes meaningful progress comes from connecting ideas across the usual boundaries of education, culture, and self-improvement. Each episode, whether a solo reflection or a conversation with a guest, is built on a simple, powerful question: where can we find shared understanding? This isn't about quick fixes or passive listening. It's a purpose-driven exploration of the habits, philosophies, and societal shifts that shape our daily lives. The aim is to uncover practical insights and nuanced perspectives that resonate, helping you move forward incrementally but intentionally. You'll hear discussions that feel like a good, meandering talk with a curious friend-one that leaves you with something to chew on, not just consume. The podcast deliberately avoids easy labels, weaving together threads from personal development, cultural commentary, and societal observation to examine what a considered life can look like. It’s an ongoing series for anyone tired of echo chambers and interested in the subtle art of building a better year, and a better self, through conversation. Tune in for a consistently engaging mix of voices and topics that all circle back to that essential chase for common ground.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Chasing Common Ground: Lifestyle Conversations with Chris Liddle
Podcast Episodes
Why Most Trainers Quit (And How To Actually Last) | Blake Parado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:13
Most people don’t leave the fitness industry because they don’t care.They leave because they can’t make it work.In this episode, I sit down with Blake Parado — a coach and gym owner out of Hawaii — to talk about what it…
Why High Performers Burn Out (And How To Fix It) | George Pagan III [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:00
Most coaches don’t burn out because they’re lazy.They burn out because they care too much — and they never learned where to draw the line.In this conversation, I sit down with George Pagan III to talk about what it actua…
Pivoting Through Life’s Seasons with Dal Sekhon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:40
This one hit home. After a year of slowed down podcast publishing pace for Chasing Common Ground, I sat down with my friend Dal Sekhon to talk about what it means to evolve in real time—when life doesn’t go how you plann…
Paul Buono on OCD, Fear, Identity & Becoming a Fully Human Coach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:54
In this deeply human conversation, coach Paul Buono opens up about identity, perfectionism, OCD, lupus, disordered eating, fear-based avoidance, and the path to becoming a more integrated person. The episode explores how…
Exploring Empathy and Adventure with Liv Á Argjahøvda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:32
I got to visit Liv and her family last summer in Denmark, and it really left a mark on me. In this episode, we talk about growing up between cultures, raising grounded kids in a digital world, and how empathy can be a gu…
When Consistency Feels Impossible, but You Show Up Anyway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:15
Some days, consistency isn’t a choice—it’s a non-negotiable. In this solo episode, I open up about what’s been pulling at me lately, from health challenges to identity shifts, and why I’m still hitting record. I share th…