Build for Health with Srdjan Injac
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
Build for Health is a show that flips the script on fitness. Hosted by longtime podcaster Pete Wright and strength coach Srdjan Injac of ELEV8 Fitness, this show isn’t about gym culture or getting shredded—it’s about why building muscle is the most important investment you can make in your long-term health. Each week, Pete and Srdjan break down the science, bust the myths, and offer real-world insight into how resistance training supports not just strength, but brain function, metabolic health, emotional well-being, immune resilience, and aging with independence. If you think lifting weights is just for looks, think again. It’s time to rethink strength—and build a body that’s built for life. --- Meet the Hosts Srdjan Injac is a certified strength coach and the founder of ELEV8 Fitness in Portland, Oregon. With a background in kinesiology and a lifelong passion for movement, he’s trained everyone from elite athletes to everyday professionals to feel strong, live pain-free, and age with purpose. Srdjan’s coaching style is built on evidence-based training, long-term sustainability, and a deep belief in the power of muscle as medicine. Pete Wright is a veteran podcaster, storyteller, and—most importantly—a guy who used to avoid the gym at all costs. Srdjan’s just so happens to be his trainer. As such, Pete tries to bring curiosity, candor, and a deeply personal perspective on what it really takes to change your relationship with strength... no matter how much it hurts. With a background in health communication and habit-building for adults with ADHD, Pete asks the questions we’re all wondering—and helps listeners stay curious while getting stronger.
Episodes
- The Incident: How Srdjan Broke His Arm and Started Beating the Clock
In this episode, Srdjan Injac, host of Build for Health, details breaking his arm in a bike accident and his subsequent recovery. He discusses his experimental therapies and the impact of muscle memory on his healing process.
- ADHD in the Gym
This episode discusses ADHD and fitness, focusing on why standard gym advice may not be effective for individuals with ADHD. It explores strategies for creating a fitness practice that is compatible with neurodiverse brains, drawing on bra…
- Aging Is Inevitable. Weakness Isn't.
This episode explores how resistance training can combat age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia. It highlights the benefits of resistance training for older adults, including improved strength, balance, and metabolic markers. The dis…
- Programming 102: When to Shock the Muscle and How to Know You're Ready
This episode discusses building a training program that adapts. Topics include concurrent periodization, knowing when to advance from beginner linear programming, and changing angles, order, tempo, and tools instead of just adding weight.
- Mythbusting!
This episode of Build for Health with Srdjan Injac addresses common myths in strength training and fitness. Pete and Srdjan aim to clarify misunderstandings and provide accurate information to encourage effective exercise practices.
- Stop Collecting Sore Joints and Start Making Progress: Programming 101
This episode discusses periodization as the core principle for achieving consistent fitness progress, contrasting structured training with unstructured workouts. It details linear, non-linear, and block periodization strategies, the functi…
- Tracking Progress Without Losing Your Mind
This episode discusses the unreliability of daily body weight as a fitness metric, explaining factors like water and stress that cause fluctuations. Hosts Srdjan Injac and Pete suggest focusing on more stable indicators such as body compos…
- Training After Surgery: Slow Is Fast
This episode of Build for Health discusses training after surgery, using a case study of knee replacements. Host Srdjan Injac covers essential steps like reviewing medical notes, assessing movement, distinguishing pain types, and avoiding…
- The Two Most Slandered Joints in the Gym
Srdjan Injac and Pete discuss common gym myths surrounding knee and shoulder pain, offering advice on training safely by prioritizing range of motion and control over excessive weight.
- Protein Panic and the Myth of Perfect Timing
Srdjan Injac and Pete Wright debunk the post-workout 'anabolic window' myth, emphasizing daily nutrition and consistency over strict timing. They explain that the body's response after training is longer than commonly believed and encourag…
- Flexibility vs. Mobility: The Distinction That Could Change How You Train
This episode clarifies the distinction between flexibility (passive range of motion) and mobility (active, controlled movement). Hosts discuss how understanding this difference can alter training and aging, covering optimal stretching time…
- Introducing Instability: The Secret to a Stronger, Safer Core
This episode of Build for Health redefines core training, explaining the core as a 360-degree muscular system essential for stability and injury resistance, rather than just aesthetics. Hosts discuss how instability, breathing, and bracing…
- What’s the Deal with Cardio?
This episode of Build for Health features trainer Srdjan Injac explaining the essential role of cardiovascular training for a stronger heart and lungs, better recovery, improved metabolism, deeper sleep, and sustainable longevity. They dis…
- Trainer, Coach, or Program: Choosing Your Best Fit
Srdjan Injac and Pete compare in-person trainers, online coaches, and self-guided programs for fitness, discussing their strengths, limitations, and accountability factors. They cover practical costs, setup needs, and pitfalls of generic p…
- Why Strength Sticks When Goals Don’t
This episode discusses the difference between outcome-based and identity-based fitness goals, arguing that focusing on identity leads to more lasting change. It covers practical strategies, the psychological benefits of exercise, and answe…
- High Reps, Heavy Lifts, and Other Fitness Questions
This episode of Build for Health addresses listener questions about fitness, including the differences between high-rep and low-rep training, the risks of ego lifting, and the importance of proper form. Hosts Srdjan Injac and Pete Wright a…
- Why Fad Diets Fail
On Build for Health, Pete Wright, Srdjan Injac, and Misty Lohn explore the pitfalls of fad diets, explaining why they often lead to disappointment and harm. The episode emphasizes the importance of balanced nutrition and sustainable habits…
- The Forbidden Exercises
In this episode of Build for Health, Srdjan Injac and Pete Wright discuss "The Forbidden Exercises," popular gym moves with high risk and low reward. Srdjan explains why certain exercises are avoided and suggests safer alternatives, while…
- Form and Isolation: The Unsexy Keys to Strength
Srdjan Injac and Pete Wright emphasize the foundational importance of proper exercise form and isolation techniques for achieving strength and resilience. They discuss how mastering these elements enhances safety, efficiency, and long-term…
- Energy or Intimacy? Choosing Your Gym Fit
The episode compares large gyms to private studios, discussing atmosphere, coaching, and corporate pressures versus client-focused practices. Host Srdjan Injac also reveals his upcoming bodybuilding competition prep.
- Trainer Red Flags, Green Flags, and Real Talk
This episode discusses how to select a personal trainer and gym, contrasting big-box facilities with private gyms. Srdjan Injac shares insights on effective consultations, prioritizing safety in training due to his own injuries, and advise…
- Plateau or Power Move? Demystifying the Maintenance Phase
This episode of Build for Health features Srdjan Injac explaining the fitness maintenance phase as a strategic period of consolidation and habit reinforcement, rather than stagnation. He and Pete Wright discuss the risks of 'finish line' t…
- Recovery Is Not a Reward
This episode challenges the idea of recovery as a reward, with Srdjan Injac detailing essential techniques like sleep, hydration, nutrition, cold therapy, sauna, and massage. Consistency is highlighted as crucial for these methods to be ef…
- The First Rep: How to Begin Again (and Again)
This episode of Build for Health investigates the psychology of starting, exploring why individuals delay change and the mental barriers to action. It emphasizes the importance of consistent effort, the concept of minimum effective dose, a…
- Beyond Protein: Building a Smarter Supplement Stack
In this episode of Build for Health, Pete Wright and Srdjan Injac examine the effectiveness of various supplements. They discuss protein, creatine, pre-workouts, and electrolyte drinks, proposing that supplement use may indicate a need to…
- The Protein Priority: Building Blocks, Not Buzzwords
This episode of Build for Health discusses the importance of protein, covering its role beyond muscle growth in areas like brain health and immune support. Hosts Srdjan Injac and Pete Wright explain protein types, optimal intake strategies…
- Beyond the Mirror: Why Muscle Matters More Than You Think
Srdjan Injac challenges the focus on aesthetics, explaining on Build for Health why muscle mass is crucial for metabolic health, cognitive function, and overall resilience. The episode discusses the science behind muscle, dispels fitness m…