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Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Are Already Dead (And How to Actually Change in 2026) 🔥 | Run With The Cheetahs

Most New Year’s resolutions don’t survive the first week — and it’s not because you lack motivation.
In this no-BS episode, Russell Anderson and author Jerry Freishtat dismantle the lies that keep people stuck and hand you the exact playbook high achievers use to build extraordinary lives.

In just 60 minutes, we destroy the old thinking — and rebuild what actually works:

💥 What you’ll learn:

💥The 4 levels of commitment (and why “I’m trying” really means “I’m not doing it”)

💥Why keeping your options open guarantees mediocrity

💥The brutal “Man in the Mirror” conversation almost nobody is willing to have
(yes — we read the AI prompts that hit like a truck)

💥Jerry’s real 5:00 AM morning routine at age 65 — no fluff, no alarm clock, gym every single day

💥Win the Day vs. Win the Moment — the only system that actually works

💥Damage control: what to do the day after you completely blow it
(Cliff Brooks’ 5,000-calorie Thanksgiving example)

💥Why obsession beats balance, comfort is a curse, and average is a sin

If you’re tired of false starts, half-commitments, and waking up a year from now in the exact same place, this episode is your reset button.

👉 Do ONE thing the second this video ends.
Jerry guarantees you’ll feel the dopamine shift in under 10 minutes.

📘 Grab the book — Run With The Cheetahs (companion to the podcast):
https://amzn.to/xxx

🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode (new drops every 2 weeks)

⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – This episode was supposed to be about commitment… we went way deeper
02:11 – The quotes that set the tone
06:40 – Who’s really writing the chapters of your life?
13:20 – Can you recover from a terrible decision? (Scar tissue = self-esteem)
18:45 – The 4 levels of commitment (most people live in the dangerous #3)
26:10 – Why “eat healthier this year” is absurd
32:30 – Man in the Mirror: the AI roast no one asked for
41:15 – Win the Day vs. Win the Moment — start RIGHT now
48:20 – Jerry’s exact 5 AM routine (65 going on 45)
55:10 – Damage control after you fall off the wagon
59:30 – Embrace the Battle

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

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What does it really take to transform your body and your life in your 50s… and come out with ZERO regrets at 65?

In this raw, no-BS episode, Jerry Freishtat (author of Run With The Cheetahs) and his legendary “Alpha Lion” bodybuilding coach David Johnston (6’2”, 250 lbs onstage, 22 years coaching champions) drop life-changing truth bombs:

✓ Why 90% of people quit the hard things… and the 10% who make it actually ENJOY the suffering
✓ How Jerry went from “normal 50-something gym guy” to state bodybuilding champion under David’s brutal training
✓ The real reason most New Year’s resolutions die in January (and David’s genius “pre-prep” strategy that almost guarantees success)
✓ Why chosen discomfort > forced discomfort — and how walking into the fire on purpose callouses your mind forever
✓ David Goggins-level wisdom: “A lot of us don’t know another world exists… because it’s on the other side of suffering”
✓ The mindset that lets you look back at 65 and honestly say: “I have no regrets — I went to war and I won”

If you’ve ever wanted to know what separates the cheetahs from the herd… this is it.

Whether you want to build your dream physique, your business, or simply a life without regret — this episode will light a fire under you.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Living a life with ZERO regrets
04:20 – Meet David Johnston – The Alpha Lion of bodybuilding
12:30 – From overweight kid to 250-lb stage beast
22:40 – Why obsession is a gift, not a disease
32:15 – Jerry’s insane body transformation in his 50s
41:00 – The brutal truth about contest prep suffering
55:10 – David’s “moderate discomfort” philosophy that changed everything
1:08:00 – How to actually keep your 2026 New Year’s resolutions (start THIS week)
1:20:00 – Embrace the Battle – the mantra for an extraordinary life

👉 Get Jerry’s book “Run With The Cheetahs” (the companion to this podcast): https://www.runwiththecheetahs.com

👉 Follow or train with David Johnston: all links in comments & description below

If this episode hit you hard, drop a “EMBRACE THE BATTLE” in the comments and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

No excuses. Do the work. Run with the cheetahs.

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us a text

At 57 years old, after 30+ years of lifting, Jerry Freishtat stepped on stage for his FIRST bodybuilding competition… and walked away the Maryland State Champion 🏆💪

In this raw and inspiring Episode 05 of Run With The Cheetahs, Jerry shares the full story most people never hear — the truth behind discipline, mindset, and becoming someone entirely new.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll discover:

🔥Why less than 10% of wannabe competitors ever make it to the stage

🔥The brutal 80/20 truth about getting shredded (hint: it’s NOT the workouts)

🔥How Jerry survived months of extreme dieting, 90-minute daily cardio, and a coach who screamed, “Just f**ing quit now!”*

🔥The mirror moment that proved he was no longer the same person

🔥The childhood lie he carried for 30 years — and how he finally crushed it

💥 Plus:
The mindset shift that turns “I have to do this” into “Bring it on!”
Rocky Balboa wisdom 🥊
Tough love, daily micro-wins, and why Jerry believes:
👉 “Discipline is the strongest form of self-love.”

If you’re tired of quitting on yourself…
If you’re done waiting for New Year’s…
If you need proof that ordinary people can still do extraordinary things —
this episode will light a fire under you 🔥

Once you learn to love the battle, you learn to love the results.

📘 Grab Jerry’s book: Run With the Cheetahs: Your Climb to an Extraordinary Life
👉 https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG

🔔 New episodes every 2 weeks — subscribe & hit the bell so you don’t miss out!

Episode 5

💬 We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback!

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Startup Advisor | Speaker | Author

Russell Anderson
Founder & President, ACS Creative | Marketing & Design (30+ years)
Serial Entrepreneur | Forever Student of Business — and Life

🎵 Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big thanks to Michael Fath for The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1