160: The Secret Training Method That TRANSFORMED a Busy Dad's Life

160: The Secret Training Method That TRANSFORMED a Busy Dad's Life

Author: TRAIN HARD Media April 25, 2025 Duration: 1:06:28

What does it take to balance a demanding career, fatherhood, and staying fit? In Episode 160 of The Jason Khalipa Podcast, Jason Khalipa and Gabe Yanez sit down with Andre Crews, who shares how he went from a finance career to becoming a fitness expert, creating life-changing results for clients, including busy dads like YOU. If you're tired of feeling stuck and want to take control of your fitness without sacrificing family time, this episode has exactly what you need.


Andre breaks down his secret training methods, like Bulgarian split squats, that helped him build strength and resilience while juggling the demands of everyday life. Whether you're looking to stay active for your kids, improve your work-life balance, or just finally feel fulfilled in your fitness journey, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.


Through relatable stories and honest lessons, the hosts explore how small, consistent efforts, both in the gym and at home, can lead to huge transformations. Tune in and see how practical, functional fitness can create strength not just for the gym, but for your daily life as a father, leader, and husband. Don't miss this motivational conversation that will leave you ready to tackle whatever comes your way.


Hit play, and let's dive in. Stay tuned until the end to hear Andre’s personal tips that completely changed the way he trains and how you can make it work for your lifestyle too!


Follow Andre on IG: https://www.instagram.com/andrecrews/


Take our Training Program Quiz and get a 7-Day Trial to the TH App here: https://th.fit/


Code: JKPODCAST for 50% off Lab Work at Blokes: https://blokes.co/jkpodcast


Never let momentum get to zero. Listen to the Jason Khalipa Podcast every Monday and Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.


Follow Jason: https://instagram.com/jasonkhalipa?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Follow TRAIN HARD: https://www.instagram.com/trainhard.fit/?hl=en

Never Zero Newsletter: https://www.th.fit/

NCFIT Programming For Gym Owners: https://www.nc.fit/programming

Philanthropy: https://avaskitchen.org/


Chapters:

0:00 Andre Cruz shares his journey from finance to fitness  

2:02 From banking to becoming a personal trainer  

5:15 The challenges of building a career as a personal trainer  

7:07 Personalized training programs and client success stories  

10:52 The value of in-person training over online coaching  

12:39 Thoughts on his son pursuing a fitness career  

16:23 Recognizing the need for change without hitting rock bottom  

18:02 Exploring passions before making career changes  

21:27 Financial stability and strong relationships before having kids  

23:11 Understanding the commitment required for parenthood  

26:40 Andre's relationship journey and family planning with his wife  

28:25 Evolving conversations about having children during the pandemic  

31:36 Parenthood’s impact and discovering its deeper meaning  

33:21 Honest reflections on the joys and challenges of parenting  

36:27 Quality time with kids during formative years  

38:02 Bulgarian split squats: building strength and performance  

41:10 Zercher squats and farmers carries for strength and toughness  

42:40 Focusing on foundational movements for fitness progression  

46:01 Functional fitness for real-world strength  

47:42 The importance of personal experience in training  

50:54 Building strength and hypertrophy with Bulgarian split squats  

52:35 Proper technique for Bulgarian split squats  

55:56 Challenges in gym ownership and scaling a fitness business  

57:32 Transitioning from gym ownership to online coaching  

1:00:42 Prioritizing family and work-life balance through online coaching  

1:02:24 The importance of hard work, perseverance, and risk-taking  

1:05:34 Wrapping up with fitness insights and inspiration


You’ll find a refreshingly direct tone in the Jason Khalipa Podcast, produced by TRAIN HARD Media. It’s a series grounded in the belief that strength isn’t just physical-it’s built through discipline, clear leadership, and showing up intentionally in all areas of life. Each episode feels like a candid talk between friends, where Jason delves into the mechanics of fitness alongside the broader challenges of fatherhood and cultivating a resilient mindset. The conversations avoid theory and abstraction, focusing instead on the tangible work required to build a capable and purposeful existence. Listeners hear real stories and practical takeaways, often punctuated with laughter, that challenge them to reflect and then move. This isn’t about hype or empty motivation; it’s about the incremental, sometimes messy, work of getting better. Tuning into this podcast means joining a community focused on applied wisdom, where every topic, from gym routines to family dynamics, is discussed with an honesty that’s both relatable and actionable. If you’re looking for a genuine resource in the health and fitness space that connects physical training to the core of how you live, this series provides exactly that.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Jason Khalipa Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Conveyor Belt of Life: How to Break Free w/ Nick Koumalatsos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
Nick Koumalatsos joins the Jason Khalipa Podcast for the first episode of a special four-part series.In this conversation, Nick shares his perspective on the "conveyor belt of life" and why so many people find themselves…
CrossFit & HYROX: The New Era of Fitness Competition w/ Matt Chan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:29
In this episode, Jason and Matt dive into the evolution of fitness competitions and why events like HYROX are bringing a new wave of people into the world of training. From aerobic conditioning and long-term durability t…
The Notorious Pool Photo & The Minimum Effective Dose with Matt Chan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:47
In this episode, Jason and Matt Chan reflect on some of the most memorable and high-pressure moments from the CrossFit Games, including the nerves, energy, and intensity that made those experiences unforgettable. From co…
Peptides, Testosterone, and Fitness Over 40 with Matt Chan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:33
Matt Chan returns for part two of his four-part May series on the Jason Khalipa Podcast. This week, the conversation dives into peptides, testosterone, recovery, and what it really means to stay capable as you get older.…
Are You an Asset or a Liability? with Matt Chan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:52
In this episode, we sit down with Matt Chan to talk about what it really means to be someone others can rely on—physically, mentally, and emotionally. From wild road trip stories to hard truths about readiness in high-st…
An Update: Where Have I Been? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:52
Join Jason Khalipa as he shares experiences from Ava's Kitchen, the Train Hard Men's Club, and lessons on mental resilience and leadership:The impact of charity events like Ava’s Kitchen on children’s perception of givin…
Leave No Doubt: The One Event That Still Sticks with Me [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:05
This episode is about a moment that never really goes away.Looking back at the 2012 CrossFit Games, there’s one event that still stands out—not because of the result, but because of the effort.It wasn’t about losing. It…
What I Learned After Three College Rejections [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:04
In this episode, Jason shares a story from his early years that completely reshaped how he thinks about effort, growth, and long-term success.He talks about “peaking” in high school, not fully applying himself, and the w…
It Was the Deal of a Lifetime… Until It Wasn’t [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:16
When Jason was younger, he thought he found the deal of a lifetime.The car looked great. The price was even better. On paper, it made zero sense not to buy it.But sometimes when something feels too good to be true… it is…
What Really Happened When I Blacked Out at the CrossFit Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:47
This week Jason shares a story from the 2009 CrossFit Games. Coming off a win the year before, expectations were high. In the middle of an event, he blacked out and hit the floor.What happened next mattered more than the…