In this episode of the Shaw Strength Podcast, Brian goes on the road and sits down with Scott DeShields Jr., better known as Kentucky Ballistics, for one of the most intense conversations we have ever recorded. On April 9th, 2021, Scott loaded what he believed was ordinary military surplus ammunition into a .50 caliber rifle. It had degraded into something closer to a bomb. When he pulled the trigger, the gun came apart in his hands.

Scott walks through the entire story for the first time in this kind of detail. The cap that broke his cheekbone, orbital bone, and nose and blinded him in one eye. The piece of steel that went through his throat, sliced his jugular, and stopped in his right lung. His father running up and telling him there was a hole in his neck. The decision to pack his own throat with his shirt and drive his thumb in up to the knuckle, and the nine minutes across two creeks and a field to get to town while he fought to stay conscious and kept seeing his kids' faces every time everything went black.

From there, Brian and Scott get into the parts of the story most people have never heard. The chest tube the doctor could not get through his rib cage. The moment his wife watched his number disappear from the surgery board and believed he had died. Being opened up with a bone saw, the warning that he would likely come out of surgery having had a stroke, and the strange, peaceful place he says he woke up in while he was under. Scott is careful and honest about that last part, including the years he has spent questioning it himself.

The conversation also covers what got him there. Building Kentucky Ballistics from a bored state trooper filming on a borrowed camera into one of the biggest channels in the space, quitting a career his family told him not to leave, and the ego and the drift that came with the money and the growth. Scott is direct about what he thinks that day was and why he now says that if he could go back and stop it, he would not.

If you have questions for Brian, topics you would like to hear Brian talk about or guests you would like to see on the podcast email them to: askbrian@shawstrength.com

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawstrengthpodcast/
Brian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawstrength/
Clothes, Supplements, and Supportive Gear: https://shawstrength.com/
Behind the scenes content and Giveaways: https://club.shawstrength.com/

Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SHAWSTRENGTH

In this episode of the Shaw Strength Podcast, Brian sits down with Coop Mitchell from Garage Gym Reviews for a conversation that goes way beyond gym equipment. They kick things off by exploring a surprising question: could insurance companies eventually influence how we train? If digital resistance equipment can prove it leads to fewer injuries, could traditional gyms end up paying more for insurance and slowly move away from free weights? It sounds far-fetched, but it's an interesting look at the kinds of forces that can quietly shape an entire industry.

From there, Brian and Coop dive into what makes great strength equipment stand the test of time. They talk about York's legendary legacy, why Rogue has become the modern benchmark for American-made equipment, and why some plates and dumbbells just feel right the second you use them. Brian also shares how training with Charles Poliquin changed the way he approaches activation, rotating handles, thick grips, and micro-loading, and why paying attention to the little details can make a huge difference when it's time to perform.

They also talk about building trust in the fitness industry. Coop shares how Garage Gym Reviews grew from writing simple equipment reviews into one of the most trusted voices in the space by always putting the audience first. The conversation wraps up with home gyms, raising kids around hard work, and why making fitness part of everyday family life can have a lasting impact.

If you have questions for Brian, topics you would like to hear Brian talk about or guests you would like to see on the podcast email them to: askbrian@shawstrength.com

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawstrengthpodcast/
Brian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawstrength/
Clothes, Supplements, and Supportive Gear: https://shawstrength.com/
Behind the scenes content and Giveaways: https://club.shawstrength.com/

Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SHAWSTRENGTH

In this episode of the Shaw Strength Podcast, Brian sits down with Nathan Payton to break down what it actually takes to build a nutrition plan that works in real life—not just on paper.

Most diets don’t fail because of a lack of willpower, they fail because they were never designed around the chaos of work, family, travel, and stress. Nathan, a longtime strongman nutrition coach who helped dial in Brian’s own approach, explains how to build structure that actually holds up when life gets busy.

We dive into the “good, better, best” framework for making smarter food choices without chasing perfection, plus simple, repeatable meal prep systems that keep you consistent without living in the kitchen. Cook your basics in bulk, layer in flavor fast, and make it work for the whole household—no separate diet meals, no overcomplication.

From there, we get into the mindset side of nutrition: treating food as fuel while still understanding cravings, emotional eating, and the reality of human behavior. Then it goes deeper into coaching, discipline, and performance—why your “why” fades, how self-awareness changes everything, and why flexibility is often the difference between short-term effort and long-term results.

If you have questions for Brian, topics you would like to hear Brian talk about or guests you would like to see on the podcast email them to: askbrian@shawstrength.com

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawstrengthpodcast/
Brian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawstrength/
Clothes, Supplements, and Supportive Gear: https://shawstrength.com/
Behind the scenes content and Giveaways: https://club.shawstrength.com/

Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SHAWSTRENGTH