In this powerful episode of The Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd sits down with the legendary Mike Catherwood—radio icon, voice actor, certified trainer, father, and jiu-jitsu practitioner—for a raw, unfiltered conversation on addiction recovery, discipline, and the relentless pursuit of personal growth.
From his punk rock beginnings and battles with addiction to co-hosting the globally syndicated Loveline and training jiu-jitsu in Hill Country, Texas, Mike shares his journey of resilience and transformation. This is a deep dive into what it means to truly live the "Always Be An Athlete" lifestyle—mentally, physically, and spiritually.
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We get into:
🔹 The role of psychedelics in healing trauma and reshaping identity
🔹 Mike’s mental model for staying sober, strong, and grounded as a husband & father
🔹 Why jiu-jitsu, barbell training, and strength and conditioning are foundational to mindset
🔹 The dark truths about dopamine addiction and how to reclaim discipline
🔹 High-performance habits forged through hardship, fatherhood, & fighting ego
🔹 Why authenticity, consistency, and humility are the new currency for men’s mental health
📢 SUBSCRIBE for more real conversations with high-performers, athletes, and warriors on mindset, training, and elite performance!
📲 CONNECT WITH JUDD LIENHARD:
→ Follow Judd on Instagram @juddlienhard
→ Train with Judd
📲 CONNECT WITH MIKE CATHERWOOD:
Instagram: @mikecatherwood
Podcast: Mikey Likes You
YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@mikeylikesyou1
🕒 TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 - Intro: From Loveline to Discipline
00:03:14 - Mike’s early drug use and the power of peer influence
00:06:21 - Meth, heroin, and the chaos of addiction
00:09:42 - Getting clean: Mike’s rock bottom moment
00:14:10 - How training helped save his life
00:17:30 - Bodybuilding, ego, and evolving beyond aesthetics
00:21:45 - Discovering jiu-jitsu and the beauty of skill
00:28:06 - Mike’s daily routine: training, fasting, and discipline
00:31:40 - Quitting Hollywood: choosing integrity over fame
00:35:00 - Raising a daughter in a broken culture
00:38:15 - How psychedelics helped Mike become a better father
00:41:10 - Lessons from addiction applied to everyday life
00:44:00 - “Real spirituality is found through action”
00:46:25 - The mental side of fitness and growth
00:50:12 - Becoming the man you admire
00:53:47 - Dealing with temptation and staying the course
00:57:01 - The difference between shame and guilt
01:01:22 - Faith, forgiveness, and moving forward
01:08:39 - What it means to “Always Be An Athlete”
01:12:02 - Final thoughts: humor, humility, and hard truth
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