Getting Back to the Gym After Being Sick: How to Know When You're Actually Ready

How to Sleep Better for Muscle Growth, Fat Loss, and Daily Performance

Alex and Aaron Skinner are calling out the hustle culture nonsense around sleep deprivation — and making the case for why getting quality rest might be the most underrated thing you can do for your health, your gains, and your sanity. They get into the real science (cortisol spikes, protein synthesis, REM vs. deep sleep) without taking themselves too seriously, plus share what's actually been working for them — from magnesium and Oura rings to cutting caffeine and stopping the late-night NBA rabbit holes. What You'll Learn: * Why bragging about running on 4 hours of sleep is genuinely dumb * How poor sleep tanks muscle growth AND stores more fat (the double whammy) * What cortisol does to your body when you're sleep deprived * Simple, non-influencer habits that actually improve sleep quality * The real deal on melatonin vs. magnesium * Why alcohol, late workouts, and doom scrolling are wrecking your nights * What the Oura ring reveals that'll make you rethink everything * Why even a guy who spent $2M on his health swears by a sleep schedule

Ep. 1 - Unsexy Coaching: Alex's First Session with Aaron

Follow the Journey on Instagram: @unsexyalex On this episode of the Unsexy Businessmen Podcast, Alex sits in the hot seat as Aaron runs him through a full coaching intake session — the same one Aaron uses with real clients. No fluff, no BS, just the exact questions, numbers, and awkward guesses (bicep size, anyone?) that go into building a real training and nutrition plan. Alex opens up about his training history, his relationship with alcohol, stress-eating, and why "genetics" isn't the excuse he used to think it was. Aaron breaks down DEXA scans, the A/G ratio you've probably never heard of, and why literally everyone — even the coaches — has a coach. It's honest, it's a little TMI, and it's exactly how this six-month transformation series kicks off. What you'll learn: * The exact questions a real coach asks in a first session (training history, diet, sleep, stress, lifestyle) * Why tracking macros and understanding your "why" matters more than chasing a number on the scale * What a DEXA scan actually tells you — including body fat %, lean mass, and the often-overlooked A/G (android/gynoid) ratio * Why consistency beats intensity, and how accountability changes the game * How stress-driven habits (drinking, binge eating) sabotage progress — and how to plan around them instead of ignoring them

From Skinny Farm Kid to 60-Year-Old Bodybuilder: Dan Maddox's No-Excuse Fitness Journey

This week Alex and Aaron sit down with Dan Maddox — a northeastern Montana farm kid turned law enforcement officer, 22-year paramedic, gym manager, motivational speaker, and competitive bodybuilder who just stepped on stage at 60 years old. Yeah, he's doing a lot. Dan's story isn't your typical fitness journey. We're talking a guy who graduated high school at 6 feet tall and 140 pounds soaking wet, crushed his arm so badly doctors said he'd never grip anything again, and responded by working up to a 612-pound raw deadlift. Doctors say never — Dan says watch me. What You'll Learn: * Why "no growth in your comfort zone" isn't just a bumper sticker — and how Dan actually lives it * The dietary shifts that made the biggest difference between his 2013 debut and stepping on stage four years ago * How self-esteem is the real barrier to entry at the gym (and what to do about it) * Why Dan thinks your first gym step is harder than any set you'll ever do — and how to take it anyway * The 85/15 rule for eating that lets you stay consistent without losing your mind * What 22 years of 911 calls taught him about using the gym for mental health * How to keep building muscle and bone density after 50, 55, or 60 — no excuses accepted * Why you can't soar with eagles if you're hanging around with buzzards Dan's the kind of guy who doesn't preach what he doesn't practice. Come for the deadlift numbers, stay for the life advice.

From Costco Hot Dogs to Cream of Wheat: Our Full Day of Eating

We heard you asking, so we're opening up the fridge and the pantry. In this episode, Alex and Aaron break down exactly what they eat on a daily basis — pre-workout, post-workout, lunch, dinner, snacks, and yes, the cheat meals too. No gatekeeping, no perfect diet BS, just real food, real macros, and a lot of opinions on Minute Made rice. What You'll Learn: * What Alex and Aaron actually eat from morning to night (with real macro breakdowns) * Why tracking your food is non-negotiable — and why it takes about 10 seconds, not an hour * Snack hacks that actually taste good AND fit your macros (Greek yogurt cheesecake, anyone?) * The caffeine conversation: does cutting it really improve your sleep? * Why goals matter just as much as tracking — and what happens when you have one without the other * The sneaky calorie bombs hiding in "simple" meals (looking at you, Taco Bell run) * How to build a sustainable way of eating you actually look forward to

Strong, Not Skinny: How Gordon Steele Built a Body (and a Routine) That Actually Lasts

This week Alex and Aaron sit down with their old mission buddy Gordon Steele — and yes, he looks exactly as jacked as you'd expect someone named "Steele" to look. But it wasn't always that way. Gordon went from managing a restaurant and eating his way through the menu to becoming a five-to-six-days-a-week lifter who's now training for his first Hyrox with his wife. No overnight transformation, no magic pill — just baby steps, a good playlist, and a hard-won routine. What You'll Learn: * How Gordon went from zero gym habit to five or six days a week — and why starting with just two days was the actual key * The mindset shift that made nutrition finally click (hint: eight months of MyFitnessPal and a lot of tacos) * Why the number on the scale is almost completely useless and what to pay attention to instead * The supplements worth taking (creatine and magnesium) and the ones you can skip * How to actually protect your sleep schedule when you've got three kids and a nine-to-five * Why your kids aren't your excuse — they're your reason * The "appointment with yourself" philosophy that Gordon's father-in-law swears by (and that changed everything) * Walking as a legitimate, underrated form of cardio — and why your knees will thank you * The Heavy app, progressive overload, and why tracking your lifts will keep you sane on the bad days