Welcome back to Build for Health, where we take your questions seriously—even when you’re not quite sure how to ask them. This week, Pete Wright and Coach Srdjan Injac tackle a full slate of listener-submitted questions covering everything from high-rep vs. low-rep training to the dangers of ego lifting and the long tail of physical therapy.

We kick things off with a deceptively simple question: what’s the difference between lifting light for many reps and lifting heavy for a few? Srdjan breaks it down by goals—endurance, hypertrophy, or raw strength—and explains why he programs a blend for most of his clients. Next up: can you just copy other people at the gym until you get the hang of things? Short answer: no. Long answer: also no, but with good reasons involving injury prevention, YouTube charlatans, and how to find credible online educators.

Things get personal with a question from Patrick, who’s been lifting for a year but still feels clumsy. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Srdjan validates the ups and downs of gym progress and offers tools for checking your form without living in front of a camera. We also hear from Olga, who wonders if those “boring” post-surgery rehab exercises need to stay in the mix (spoiler: some of them should). That leads naturally into a fantastic discussion on form and whether there really is a “right way” to do an exercise—especially when CrossFit, bodybuilding, and powerlifting each seem to do it a little differently.

And finally, we close on the subject of ego lifting. Is it really that bad? Don’t you need to push into risky territory to get real gains? Srdjan gets honest about his own early mistakes and lays out the line between productive stress and just trying to impress. As always, it’s about targeting the right muscles, listening to your body, and training smarter—because progress without pain is possible when you leave your ego at the door.

If you have a question, we want to hear it. Use the anonymous link in the show notes and let’s keep building, together.

Links & Notes

• Submit your questions to the show!

Fad diets promise quick fixes—but at what cost? This week on Build for Health, Pete Wright and Coach Srdjan Injac are joined by family nurse practitioner and medical weight loss expert Misty Lohn to cut through the noise around crash diets, cleanses, and shortcuts. Misty brings her deep medical training and frontline patient experience to explain why so many trendy plans—keto, extreme calorie restriction, one-meal-a-day, detox cleanses—set people up for disappointment and even long-term harm.

Together, the three dig into the difference between “losing weight” and actually getting healthier, the critical role of preserving muscle mass, and why balanced nutrition is the only sustainable path. You’ll hear candid stories from the gym and the clinic, a frank take on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, and a rapid-fire round of myths busted—from supplement stacks to carbs to cleanses. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful message: health is built on small, sustainable steps, not drastic swings. If you’ve ever felt caught in the cycle of quick fixes, this episode will help you shift your mindset toward something that actually lasts.

Links & Notes

• Carpe Omni Med Spa
• Submit your questions to the show!

Some moves might be popular gym staples, but that doesn’t mean they belong in your workout. This week on Build for Health, Pete Wright and Coach Srdjan Injac dig into what they call “The Forbidden Exercises”—those movements and machines that look like they should make you stronger but actually carry a higher risk than reward. From upright rows that wreck shoulders, to behind-the-neck pulldowns that twist the spine unnaturally, to that infamous ab-crunch contraption that never quite fits right, Srdjan explains why certain exercises are off his list—and what safer alternatives you can do instead.

Along the way, you’ll hear about Srdjan’s own injuries and how they reshaped his training philosophy, why natural joint motion is the ultimate red flag test, and how long-term risk management is just as important as short-term gains. If you’ve ever wondered why your trainer skips a machine or cringes when you swing through a set, this episode will give you the inside story—and some practical guidelines to spot risky movements in your own workouts.

Links & Notes

• Submit your questions to the show!

This week on Build for Health, Pete Wright and coach Srdjan Injac get down to the nuts and bolts of training with a focus on two fundamentals: form and isolation. While flashy new exercises and ever-heavier weights can grab attention, Srdjan reminds us that real progress comes from precision. Form isn’t about looking sharp in the mirror; it’s about safety, efficiency, and making every rep matter. Isolation, meanwhile, helps identify and strengthen weak links, correct imbalances, and build the control that pays dividends in big lifts and everyday life.

Srdjan shares stories from the gym floor—clients who learned the hard way about ego lifting, his own recovery experiences, even surviving a car accident where years of training proved to be protective armor. Along the way, he explains why machines aren’t one-size-fits-all, how bad form eventually leads to pain or plateaus, and why he often favors “boring” exercises over the Instagram-friendly ones. Pete pushes on the questions everyday lifters struggle with: How do I know if my form is good without a trainer? What happens if I keep building muscle on bad form? Is isolation just for bodybuilders? The answers point toward a deeper truth: slowing down, learning your body, and building muscle memory may not be glamorous, but it’s the surest path to strength, resilience, and longevity.

If you’ve ever rushed through reps, fought with a machine that just doesn’t feel right, or wondered why your shoulders ache after chest day, this conversation will hit home. Form and isolation aren’t extras—they’re the engine of sustainable training.

Links & Notes

• Submit your questions to the show!

What’s the real difference between training at a big national gym and a private studio? New trainer Brooke Passey joins Pete and Srdjan to unpack incentives, atmosphere, and coaching—and Srdjan drops news about his own bodybuilding prep.

Brooke shares what it’s like to move from a commercial gym to independent coaching: behind-the-scenes sales pressures, “numbers” targets, and sticky contract renewals that can matter more to corporate than member outcomes. In her words, trainers and clients can feel like metrics to “higher ups,” which is precisely what she left to build a client-first practice.

Pete and Srdjan map the real trade-offs: the buzz of a packed floor versus the calm and focus of a quieter, owner-curated space; a sea of machines versus a layout chosen for flow and function; scale versus community. Srdjan describes designing ELEV8 around relationships—members and coaches who actually become friends—and picking equipment intentionally rather than “just packing the place.”

Brooke’s philosophy centers mindset and daily habits as much as sets and reps, including how she gauges when a client is truly ready for change. Then Srdjan breaks news: he’s stepping on a bodybuilding stage next year, outlining a nine-month plan—bulk for muscle, then a tough cut with coaching support on nutrition—and yes, the final weeks may be “two months of misery” the show will follow.

Links & Notes

• Submit your questions to the show!

This week, we zoom in on the moment you decide to get help—how to choose a trainer (and a gym) that won’t waste your time or your joints. Srdjan contrasts the incentives inside big-box facilities—where volume and sales often dominate—with the owner-led standards, community, and results focus he’s seen in private gyms. The gist: when reputation’s on the line, care gets personal and outcomes matter.

From there, we get practical. What should a good consult sound like? Clear, specific explanations you can feel in your body—not canned answers you could Google. Srdjan also walks through how his own injuries shaped a post-rehab training style that prioritizes safer alternatives without sacrificing progress, and how that experience helps him quickly troubleshoot pain and modify movements.

Finally, the playbook: “shop your trainer.” Take multiple free sessions, compare approaches, and notice who supports you between workouts—texts about nutrition, label reads, and the kind of client-to-client encouragement that keeps you showing up. The goal is a relationship that’s personal, evidence-driven, and sustainable over years, not weeks.

Links & Notes

• Submit your questions to the show!

This week on Build for Health, Pete Wright sits down with trainer Srdjan Injac to take on one of the most misunderstood stages in any fitness journey: maintenance. Why do so many people hit their goals and immediately fall off the wagon? Is maintenance just an excuse for taking your foot off the gas, or is it a legitimate skill that deserves as much attention as any muscle-building or fat-loss phase?

Srdjan breaks it down: true maintenance isn’t about stagnation, but consolidation—a strategic period where you reinforce habits, solidify gains, and let both your body and mind adapt to a new normal. They discuss the dangers of “finish line” thinking, how quickly you can lose hard-won muscle and strength if you slack off, and why older adults may need to work even harder just to maintain progress. Pete shares his own struggle with “goal-centered motivation” and the mental hurdles that come when apps and challenges end, while Srdjan explains how building “mature muscle” early makes everything easier down the road.

Whether you’re coming back from a break, dealing with an injury, or just wondering how to stay in shape for the long haul, you’ll learn why a good maintenance plan isn’t just smart—it’s essential. Plus: the importance of building habits, the realities of muscle memory, and how to make the comfort zone work for you without letting comfort become complacency.

Links & Notes

• Learn more about ELEV8 Fitness Hillsboro
• Submit Your Questions for Srdjan

We treat recovery like flossing: we say we do it, but mostly we don’t. This week, Pete and Srdjan break down the myth of rest-as-recovery and walk us through what your body actually needs to come back stronger.

Srdjan lays out his full stack of recovery techniques—from the basics like sleep, hydration, and nutrition, to the heavy hitters like cold plunges, sauna sessions, cupping, deep tissue massage, compression therapy, and even red light therapy. The catch? None of them work if you’re inconsistent.

You’ll also hear:

• Why sleep is more important than your workout
• How to start cold therapy without crying (too much)
• The science behind pairing heat and cold for max benefit
• What those weird cupping bruises actually mean
• How athletes use compression to flush out waste products
• The post-workout nutrition stack that fuels real growth
• Why “active recovery” is more than just a buzzword

And if you’ve ever been tempted to “recover” by collapsing on the couch with a bag of fries, this episode might gently (or not-so-gently) nudge you in a better direction.