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Podcast Ep5

Primitive Podcast | Episode 5 — Meet the Partners Behind Primitive x Swole AF Gym

Podcast
December 02, 2025•2 min read

Episode 5 of the Primitive Podcast: Meet Lana and Justin, the partners behind the scenes at Primitive by SwoleAF, as they pull back the curtain on why they opened a gym. From Justin's powerful journey through addiction recovery to becoming a father who can "throw his whole family over his shoulders in a fire," to Lana's brutally honest take on working out ("that causes me more stress"), this episode reveals the real story behind building a fitness community that took 20+ members to Vegas for HYROX competitions. Discover why they're willing to cap memberships at the expense of profit, how they're raising their kids in a culture of wellness, and what makes their gym different from the "toxic" environments dominating the fitness industry.

Watch on YouTube or Stream on Spotify

What's Inside Episode 5:

  • The Accidental Gym Owners - How a need for content creation space for SwoleAF Nutrition turned into a 3-year journey of building a tight-knit fitness community in Garden Grove

  • From Addiction to Action - Justin's transformation story: how he channeled the energy he once spent "treating his body like a dumpster" into becoming a father who prioritizes strength for family protection

  • Community Over Cash - Why they're intentionally capping memberships at their private facility despite financial opportunity, and how 20+ members became close enough to travel to Vegas together for HYROX competitions

  • Raising the Next Generation - Their approach to teaching 8-year-old son and almost-4-year-old daughter about health, wellness, and fitness through active participation rather than empty lectures

This episode is a reminder that if you had the energy to break yourself down, you have the power to build yourself back up — and true strength isn't about being the biggest in the room, it's about being capable when your family needs you most.

“If I can spend that much time and energy treating my body like a dumpster, I could take 10% of that energy and put it into treating my body good... I want to be able to throw my whole family over my shoulders and run them out of the house in the middle of a fire." - Justin

Written by the Primitive Movement x Swole AF Team

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