Episodes

Episode 1 

Welcome back to Unauthorized Gains - the only military fitness podcast where we treat truama with and cope with push-pull splits instead of professional help. Todays episode is dark, real, and probably hits harder than your last eval debrief. It's called Mental Health, Muscle and Mast. Lets talk about why the gym is full of the emotionally unregulated savages you'll ever meet - and why we're all pretending it's "just for the pump". 

Segment 1: Why the Gym Became Therapy

Look nobody joins the military expecting a TED Talk on emotional intelligence. But after your first deployment, fire leadership beatdown, or first "see me after quarters" you start to realize that you've got 2 choices. 1. Cry in your rack or 2. Scream into a barbell. Most of us choose the barbell. The gym became the last sacred place where you don't have to exsplain yourself. No evals. No inspections. No fake smiles. Just you, gravity, and a bluetooth speaker playing music that's legally considered domestic terrorism.

Segment 2: Creatine over counseling

Now, I know what someone at the Command is thinking. "But why don't they just use the resources we provid?"

Because sir... No sailor is choosing to sit down with a Navy therapist who reads from a laminated checklist. Creatine doesn't ask questions. Counseling does. And when your chain of command barely knows your name, that barbell feels more trustworthy than the entire Mental Health Department. Is that healthy Hell no. Is it real? Absouluty.

Segment 3: The Dark Side of the Grind

Lets be hones't though - using the gym as therapy works... until it doesn't. There's a fine line between healing and hiding. Between discipline and obsession. Between "I am better now" and "I haven't processed anything but i did hit a PR". You stop lifting for health and start lifting because it's the only part of your day that doesn't suck. You eat like a machine train like you're preparing for war - but inside you're still carrying the truama. And when you get injured? Or miss a week? That's when it all starts crashing down. 

Segment 4: Real Talk & Real Stories

We've heard from real sailors who went through it:

The guy who started lifting after his shimate died - and hasn't stopped since

The girl who never got justice after reporting an assult, but found her voice in lifting 225. 

The corpman who lost 40 pounds of rage and learned to forgive himself in the squat rack.

Youre not weak for hurting. You are not alone for coping. And if the gym keeps you going? That's valid.  So don't be afraid to ask for more than steel plates and sad playlist. 

(transscript unavailable)

The Unauthorized Lesson

So here's the Unauthorized Takeaway: If you're training to fight your demons - just make sure you're not giving them a protein shake and a gym membership too. Lift Heavy. Heal harder. And if you're hurting, talk to someone. Even if it's us. We might not be therapists, but we'll deadlift your secrets and scream "one more rep" until you belive in yourself again. 

Hit subscribe, share this episode with a shipmate who's been benching instead of feeling, and check out the site for new plans, memes, and questionable advice. 

Unitl next time - stay jacked, stay unhinged and stay out of mast.