March 19, 2025 • 6 mins
In this episode of The Intrepid Golden Podcast, we dive into five powerful life lessons from legendary weightlifter Donny Shankle. From developing a warrior’s mentality to embracing brutal honesty, we break down how his mindset can transform not just your training, but every aspect of your life. Tune in to learn how to bring intensity, discipline, and relentless strength to everything you do.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Guys, Welcome to episode four of the Intrepid Golden Podcast.
I'm your host, Ryan Hanson, and today we're diving into
the wisdom one of the most legendary weightlifters of our time,
and that's Donnie Shankell. If you know weightlifting, then you
know Donnie. He's as intense as they come. A man
who's approached to the bar bell and life itself is
nothing short of inspiring. Recently, I wrote about five major
(00:22):
lessons I took from Donnie's mindset when he was here
coaching for about eighteen months, intrepid lessons that don't just
apply to weightlifting, but life in general. So today we're
gonna break those down and talk about how you can
apply them to your training, your goals, and everyday battles.
All right, let's get into it. Warriors mentality. Donnie Shankel
doesn't just lift weights, he attacks them. His approach of
(00:45):
training is all about embodying the warrior's mentality. Being a marine,
he understands that that means no excuse, no hesitation, just
pure commitment. Once he grabs that bar, he's getting under
it like he's ripping the head off a line. If
you know Donnie you know that you have to step
up to the bar. You're going into battle. That's something
that I've tried to instill an athlete's eye coach. Whether
(01:07):
you're in the gym, at work, or facing something tough
in life, you need to have a mindset where failure
is not an option. If you're tentative, if you're second
guessing yourself, you've already lost. When Donnie lifted, he made
it clear either you win or the weight wins, and
he didn't like losing. So ask yourself, are you bringing
that same level intent to the things you say you.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Want if not the love of training.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
A lot of people love competing, a lot of people
love the big moments, but Donnie, he loved the training.
Every day was a grind and the process. Most people
only want the reward. They want to win, but they
don't want to fall in love with what they have
to do to get there. Donnie's career was built on
an obsession with the craft, with lifting day in and
day out, because he knew that's what created greatness. If
(01:56):
you can find joy in the process, in the early mornings,
in the long training sessions, and the setbacks, the small victories,
then you're setting yourself up for real success, because those
who truly love the work are the ones who will
last less than three. If you ever had a chance
to watch Johnny lift, you'd know when he walked into
the gym, the atmosphere change his presence was powerful. That
(02:18):
is something I think a lot about. How do you
carry yourself when you step into a room, into a gym,
into a competition. Your presence should demand respect, not because
you're arrogant, but because you operate at a higher standard.
Donnie didn't have to say much, but when he did,
you listened. He was intense, focused and completely locked in.
(02:38):
That's something we can all work on, not just walking
through life casually, but stepping into every situation with a purpose.
So the next time you enter the gym, ask yourself,
am I here to go just go through the motions?
Or am I here to impose my will? This one's
a big one. Donnie was brutally honest with himself and
with others. Too often we lie to ourselves about where
(02:59):
we are at. We tell ourselves that we're working hard
when we are not. We convince ourselves our effort is
enough when deep down we know we have more to give.
Donnie didn't tolerate that kind of thinking. If I missed
a lift, it wasn't because of a bad luck or
a bad day, it was because he wasn't strong enough.
That kind of honesty is rare, but it is necessary.
I see it a lot in coaching athletes who make excuses,
(03:22):
who blame circumstance, who avoid the hard truth. The real
progress comes when you look at yourself in the mirror
and say, I'm not where I need to be and
it's on me to fix it. I've the relentless pursuit
of strength. Donnie wasn't just about lifting weights. He was
about getting stronger in every sense of the word, physically, mentally,
and emotionally. That's the real lesson. Strength isn't just about
(03:46):
the numbers on the bar bell. It's how you approach adversity.
Are you getting stronger or are you avoiding the hard things?
Every day is an opportunity to build strength, whether it
is training in discipline, in mindset, or in the way
you carry yourself. Donnie live that truth, and if you're
serious about growth, you should too. Number One, approach life
with a warrior's mentality. Get after it right. Every day
(04:11):
you should be getting after it. Attack life like you
would attack the bar or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Fall in love with the training. It's number two. Fall
in love with the training, not just the results.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Remember the leader level athletes were competing at nationals and
then like the American Open and maybe it's an international.
They're not competing every weekend. A lot of the time
is spent. Training is where you have to fall in
love with or what you need to fall in love with.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Number three. Carry yourself with a presence right.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Don't be a dick, but you should be able to
command respect when you walk into a room or walk
into a situation. Always be brutally honest with yourself. Right,
are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating the right foods?
Are you training hard enough? Are you just going through
the motions? Be brually honest, make sure you're doing right thing.
(05:01):
It's not up to me as a coach, is not
up to you. It's up to you. You have to
do it. I can't hold your hand the whole way, right.
I can bring up to the water, but I can't
make you drink.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Pursue strength relentlessly right, strength everywhere, right, strength with the
bar bell, strength in the gym. Right, those things, but
also like your mental state, your emotional state, all of
that matters. You got to make those better and stronger
over time.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Right.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
If you go to a competition you fall apart. That's
not being emotionally and mentally strong. You have to be
mentally and emotionally strong to compete in life and to
excel in life. Right, These aren't just weightlifting lessons. These
are life lessons. If you take them seriously, they'll change
the way you train, the way you work, and the
way you face challenges. Donny Shankle is a rare breed.
(05:50):
If you have a chance to meet him, you will
understand that he is a great man the mindset he embodies.
It's for today's episode of the Traffic Golden Podcast. If
this resonated with you, share it with a friend, and
if you have any thoughts, hit me up. I'd love
to hear your applying the lessons to.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Your own journey.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Until next time, train hard, stay relentless, and keep chasing strength.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Bye.
Guys, Welcome to episode four of the Intrepid Golden Podcast.
I'm your host, Ryan Hanson, and today we're diving into
the wisdom one of the most legendary weightlifters of our time,
and that's Donnie Shankell. If you know weightlifting, then you
know Donnie. He's as intense as they come. A man
who's approached to the bar bell and life itself is
nothing short of inspiring. Recently, I wrote about five major
(00:22):
lessons I took from Donnie's mindset when he was here
coaching for about eighteen months, intrepid lessons that don't just
apply to weightlifting, but life in general. So today we're
gonna break those down and talk about how you can
apply them to your training, your goals, and everyday battles.
All right, let's get into it. Warriors mentality. Donnie Shankel
doesn't just lift weights, he attacks them. His approach of
(00:45):
training is all about embodying the warrior's mentality. Being a marine,
he understands that that means no excuse, no hesitation, just
pure commitment. Once he grabs that bar, he's getting under
it like he's ripping the head off a line. If
you know Donnie you know that you have to step
up to the bar. You're going into battle. That's something
that I've tried to instill an athlete's eye coach. Whether
(01:07):
you're in the gym, at work, or facing something tough
in life, you need to have a mindset where failure
is not an option. If you're tentative, if you're second
guessing yourself, you've already lost. When Donnie lifted, he made
it clear either you win or the weight wins, and
he didn't like losing. So ask yourself, are you bringing
that same level intent to the things you say you.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Want if not the love of training.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
A lot of people love competing, a lot of people
love the big moments, but Donnie, he loved the training.
Every day was a grind and the process. Most people
only want the reward. They want to win, but they
don't want to fall in love with what they have
to do to get there. Donnie's career was built on
an obsession with the craft, with lifting day in and
day out, because he knew that's what created greatness. If
(01:56):
you can find joy in the process, in the early mornings,
in the long training sessions, and the setbacks, the small victories,
then you're setting yourself up for real success, because those
who truly love the work are the ones who will
last less than three. If you ever had a chance
to watch Johnny lift, you'd know when he walked into
the gym, the atmosphere change his presence was powerful. That
(02:18):
is something I think a lot about. How do you
carry yourself when you step into a room, into a gym,
into a competition. Your presence should demand respect, not because
you're arrogant, but because you operate at a higher standard.
Donnie didn't have to say much, but when he did,
you listened. He was intense, focused and completely locked in.
(02:38):
That's something we can all work on, not just walking
through life casually, but stepping into every situation with a purpose.
So the next time you enter the gym, ask yourself,
am I here to go just go through the motions?
Or am I here to impose my will? This one's
a big one. Donnie was brutally honest with himself and
with others. Too often we lie to ourselves about where
(02:59):
we are at. We tell ourselves that we're working hard
when we are not. We convince ourselves our effort is
enough when deep down we know we have more to give.
Donnie didn't tolerate that kind of thinking. If I missed
a lift, it wasn't because of a bad luck or
a bad day, it was because he wasn't strong enough.
That kind of honesty is rare, but it is necessary.
I see it a lot in coaching athletes who make excuses,
(03:22):
who blame circumstance, who avoid the hard truth. The real
progress comes when you look at yourself in the mirror
and say, I'm not where I need to be and
it's on me to fix it. I've the relentless pursuit
of strength. Donnie wasn't just about lifting weights. He was
about getting stronger in every sense of the word, physically, mentally,
and emotionally. That's the real lesson. Strength isn't just about
(03:46):
the numbers on the bar bell. It's how you approach adversity.
Are you getting stronger or are you avoiding the hard things?
Every day is an opportunity to build strength, whether it
is training in discipline, in mindset, or in the way
you carry yourself. Donnie live that truth, and if you're
serious about growth, you should too. Number One, approach life
with a warrior's mentality. Get after it right. Every day
(04:11):
you should be getting after it. Attack life like you
would attack the bar or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Fall in love with the training. It's number two. Fall
in love with the training, not just the results.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Remember the leader level athletes were competing at nationals and
then like the American Open and maybe it's an international.
They're not competing every weekend. A lot of the time
is spent. Training is where you have to fall in
love with or what you need to fall in love with.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Number three. Carry yourself with a presence right.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Don't be a dick, but you should be able to
command respect when you walk into a room or walk
into a situation. Always be brutally honest with yourself. Right,
are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating the right foods?
Are you training hard enough? Are you just going through
the motions? Be brually honest, make sure you're doing right thing.
(05:01):
It's not up to me as a coach, is not
up to you. It's up to you. You have to
do it. I can't hold your hand the whole way, right.
I can bring up to the water, but I can't
make you drink.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Number five.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Pursue strength relentlessly right, strength everywhere, right, strength with the
bar bell, strength in the gym. Right, those things, but
also like your mental state, your emotional state, all of
that matters. You got to make those better and stronger
over time.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Right.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
If you go to a competition you fall apart. That's
not being emotionally and mentally strong. You have to be
mentally and emotionally strong to compete in life and to
excel in life. Right, These aren't just weightlifting lessons. These
are life lessons. If you take them seriously, they'll change
the way you train, the way you work, and the
way you face challenges. Donny Shankle is a rare breed.
(05:50):
If you have a chance to meet him, you will
understand that he is a great man the mindset he embodies.
It's for today's episode of the Traffic Golden Podcast. If
this resonated with you, share it with a friend, and
if you have any thoughts, hit me up. I'd love
to hear your applying the lessons to.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Your own journey.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Until next time, train hard, stay relentless, and keep chasing strength.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Bye.
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