Seven years ago, Graham Jenkins walked into Pharos Echo Park a month before COVID hit. Today he's the head boxing coach, about to step into a head coach role at the club — and about to take on the biggest physical challenge of his life.
In this episode, Piet sits down with Graham to talk about seven years of growth, what actually makes a great coach, and why experience will always beat certification. They dig into why boxing might be one of the most complete fitness disciplines that exists — building explosive power, coordination, cardiovascular health, and confidence all at once — and why so much of boxing conditioning is still stuck using outdated methods while combat sports as a whole have evolved dramatically over the last decade, largely thanks to the UFC's influence on strength and conditioning.
Graham opens up about his own boxing journey starting at age five, thirty-one years of training built entirely around power and explosiveness, and the genetic wildcards that separate fighters like Tyson, Fury, and Mayweather. Then the conversation shifts into new territory: Graham's decision to step into natural bodybuilding for the first time in his life, working with coach Tyler Bowman to completely restructure his training and nutrition — including pushing his calories up to 3,500 a day and learning, for the first time, how to eat enough instead of doing too much.
They also get into the real conversation nobody has enough — the mental side of a body recomposition journey, protecting your relationship with food during a diet phase, and why \"everything works but nothing works forever\" when it comes to training adaptation.
This one covers coaching philosophy, the business side of running a gym, and why human connection and community will always matter more than any app or AI ever could.
Pharos Redondo turns 3 this weekend — come celebrate with a beach party.
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