Beyond The Beret

About Beyond The Beret

Spencer Lewis spent years as a Special Forces Green Beret making decisions under pressure, leading teams in places most people will never see, and operating at a standard the civilian world doesn't have a name for. Beyond The Beret is what comes after — the honest account of building a business, raising a family, competing as a hybrid athlete, and figuring out who you are when the mission is yours to define. No fluff, no highlight reel. Just the work, the mindset, and the standard Spencer holds himself to every day.

Publisher

Spencer Lewis

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 May 2026

Latest episode

3 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

17 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Aug 2026

   A Loss Is Not Your Identity: How to Get Back in the Arena | Ep. 17

   Every loss feels like it becomes part of who you are. The tab you didn't earn. The relationship that ended. The business decision that cost you $20,000. The thing you didn't do when you should have. Most people carry those quietly for years and let them shape how they see themselves. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ get into what real failure recovery actually looks like — not the highlight reel, not the "everything happens for a reason" version, but the honest version from people who've lost real things and had to figure out how to get back in the arena. Spencer opens up about a bad supplement formulation that cost the company thousands of dollars and had to be pulled before it ever launched, a moment on the range in Special Forces where a teammate shot 7 rounds in the wrong direction with senior leadership watching, and the difference between the guys who got knocked down and picked themselves back up versus the ones who never came back mentally. MJ talks through her own approach as a coach and a parent — including the moment their 7-year-old daughter Reagan had a scary moment in the pool during swim lessons and had to decide whether to get back in. The episode also gets direct: most people don't actually get "screwed over" the way they say they did. Most people had every opportunity everybody else had and didn't take it. Owning that is where growth actually starts. There's also an honest opening conversation about the Bangalore pre-workout — what it actually feels like, why it doesn't hit as hard for people who've been taking pre-workout for years, and why Spencer had to retire the pump formula after the first production run failed on delivery. If you're sitting with a loss right now, running from a mistake you made, watching a kid struggle to bounce back from something, or trying to figure out what actually separates the people who come back from the ones who don't — this episode is for you.

2. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Do Your Habits Match the Life You Say You Want? | Ep. 16

   Everyone has goals. Physique goals, business goals, school selection, a certain kind of life. But somewhere between the goal and the day-to-day, most people quietly stop doing the things that get them there — and then get frustrated that they're not where they said they wanted to be. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ talk about the disconnect between what people say they want and what they actually do — and why closing that gap is the whole game. Spencer walks through what obsession actually looked like when he was preparing for Ranger School, SFAS, and life on an ODA — not 8 hours of training a day, not overtraining, but every waking thought pointed at the next thing. He reframes obsession as a healthy state (not a red flag), explains why balance looks different in different seasons, and gets into why most people are only "motivated" for a couple of weeks before they drop off. The episode also gets into the practical layer — the Alpha Country app's habit tracker, the 1790 method Spencer built to solve the problem of trying to be obsessed with everything at once, and why the accountability of not letting a coach down is more powerful than any workout program. And Spencer gets direct: everybody has the same opportunity. You have the same opportunity as him. He has the same opportunity as you. The person who wins is the one who seizes it — not the one with the best genetics, the best backstory, or the most content. If you keep starting and stopping, feel like your goals and your daily life are on different planets, or you're tired of watching people accomplish things you keep saying you want — this episode is for you. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ TOPICS COVERED ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ▪ Why extraordinary goals actually do require obsession ▪ What Spencer's day-to-day looked like preparing for Ranger School and SFAS ▪ Why obsession isn't a red flag — and what makes it become one ▪ Why balance looks different in different seasons ▪ The gap between what people say they want and what they actually do ▪ Why most people are only motivated for 1-2 weeks ▪ Why coaching clients hire coaches for accountability, not information ▪ What the Alpha Country app's habit tracker actually solves ▪ The 1790 method — the framework for focused obsession ▪ Why the real high-performers on the teams don't look like the guys on Instagram ▪ Why you have no idea what "capable" actually looks like ▪ Following through on what you say — for yourself, your family, your goals ▪ Why everybody has the same opportunity — and who actually uses it ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ RELATED EPISODES ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Episode 7 — Obsession Is the Only Thing That Wins Episode 12 — Why Most "Leaders" You Follow Have Never Actually Led Anything ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Alpha Country App — habit tracker, 1-7-90 method, 9 training programs (7-day free trial, $30/month) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided. Shop: https://thealphacountry.com (https://thealphacountry.com)

3. 

   27 Jul 2026

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4. 

   9 Jul 2026

   How to Prepare for SFAS: A Green Beret Answers Your Questions | Ep. 14

   Every week, Spencer Lewis gets messages from guys asking the same set of questions. How do I prepare for SFAS? How do I train for selection while active duty? What physical standard should I hit before I show up? Should I take an 18X contract? What if I'm still in basic training and don't know where to start? In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ run a rapid-fire Q&A covering the most common questions Spencer gets from active-duty soldiers, prospective candidates, and civilians thinking about enlisting. This is the tactical, no-BS version — what to do, how to train, what standards to hit, and what most people get wrong. Spencer doesn't sugarcoat. If you're stressed about the PT test, you probably shouldn't be going to selection. If you're a combat arms soldier who can't Max the APFT on any given day, that's a problem. If you signed up to be a hard motherfucker, you don't get to complain when it gets hard. This episode also gets into the philosophy behind Spencer's coaching — why he only takes a small number of one-on-one clients, why every program is custom (not cookie-cutter), and why you can pay $30/month for the app and run the same phase-one program Spencer ran the 42 days before he left for selection. If you're prepping for SFAS, Ranger School, or any military selection course, considering an 18X contract, active duty and trying to level up your PT test, a civilian thinking about enlisting, or just curious what a Green Beret's actual advice sounds like — this episode is for you. Topics covered: What physical standard you should hit before showing up to SFAS Why "stressed about the PT test" is a red flag for selection candidates Custom coaching vs. cookie-cutter programs — and why it matters The 42-day Operation Alpha Phase 1 program Spencer actually ran before selection Ruck training: what "train how you fight" actually means (and doesn't) Fueling during selection vs. fueling during an ultramarathon Why cold showers before BUDS don't do what people think they do APFT / PT test coaching — why 90% should be the standard for combat arms 18X contract advice: get through basic first Why every combat arms soldier should be a "walking billboard of what right looks like" How to balance military life with home life: when you're home, be home Why ultra marathons are the best mental prep for hard things Spencer's life motto: "I didn't fold like a little bitch" Related episodes: Episode 4 — SFAS Explained: What Special Forces Selection Is Really Like Episode 8 — What Ranger School Is Actually Like (From a Green Beret Who Recycled) Episode 12 — Why Most "Leaders" You Follow Have Never Actually Led Anything Mentioned in this episode: Alpha Country App — Operation Alpha Phase 1 (7-day free trial, $30/month) — the exact program Spencer ran before selection Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

5. 

   6 Jul 2026

   The Part of My Body I Neglected the Longest | Ep. 13

   The part of the body the military never trains you to protect — and the part former Green Beret Spencer Lewis ignored the longest. Spencer and his wife MJ on why almost everything you feel every day traces back to one system nobody warned him about.

6. 

   6 Jul 2026

   Why Most "Leaders" You Follow Have Never Actually Led Anything | Ep. 12

   Somewhere in the last 10 years, leadership stopped being about action and became a content genre. Podcasts about leadership from people who've never led a team. Instagram life coaches with a million followers who have never coached anyone through anything. YouTube gurus quoting Jocko while sitting in a rented office. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ have an unfiltered conversation about what real leadership actually looks like, why most of the "leaders" people follow have never actually led anything, and what Spencer's own path through the 82nd Airborne, Ranger School, SFAS, the Q Course, an ODA, and now running Alpha Country has taught him about the difference. Spencer breaks down the misconception most people have about military leadership — the movie version where the leader yells on the battlefield — and contrasts it with the reality: calm in chaos, action first, competence over volume. He talks openly about his own evolution, including the years he tried to lead by carrying everyone's gear and being everyone's friend (which didn't work), and the moment in Ranger School after recycling when it clicked that leadership is about competence and standard, not popularity. The episode also gets into the hard parts: why he thinks a huge percentage of what gets called "leadership content" online is coming from people who have never done anything, why he thinks that's actively harmful to the people consuming it, and why insecurity — not laziness — is what stops most people from becoming what they're capable of. If you're in a leadership role, trying to grow into one, running a business, in the military or coming out of it, in first response, or just tired of watching people pretend on the internet — this episode is for you. Topics covered: The one-sentence definition of a leader Spencer lives by Why leading by action always beats leading by talking The movie version of military leadership vs. the real version Why the best leaders in high-stress situations are the calmest ones The social media life coach epidemic — and what it's actually doing to people Spencer's early experience in the 82nd Airborne and the shift he watched happen Why the GWOT-era guys started leaving and what that did to leadership standards Ranger School: why trying to be everyone's friend was the wrong move The moment after recycling mountain phase when leadership clicked SFAS and why yelling at people doesn't work by week three Andy Frisella on leading by example — "not the best way, the only way" Leadership on an ODA vs. leadership in a business Running Alpha Country: fulfillment, hiring, and why "sexy jobs" aren't the point Why most people self-sabotage instead of pursuing what they're capable of The hard truth about who actually knows you (hint: it's not your Instagram followers) Related episodes: Episode 4 — SFAS Explained: What Special Forces Selection Is Really Like Episode 8 — What Ranger School Is Actually Like (From a Green Beret Who Recycled) Episode 10 — Starting a Business After the Military: How I Built Alpha Country From Nothing Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

7. 

   28 Jun 2026

   TRT, Peptides, and Men's Hormones: What 10 Years of Experience Actually Taught Me | Ep. 11

   Most of what's online about TRT, peptides, and men's hormones is either AI-generated influencer slop trying to sell you a stack, or it's academic research papers that don't translate to real life. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ have an honest, first-person conversation about what they've each learned over the last several years of getting blood work done, getting on hormone replacement therapy, experimenting with peptides, working with a clinic, and figuring out what actually matters versus what's just noise. Spencer goes all the way back to age 19 in the Army, when he first started experimenting with testosterone on his own without guidance — and walks through what he's learned since, including the difference between abusing testosterone and using it responsibly under medical supervision. He's currently off TRT while he and MJ are trying to conceive after a vasectomy reversal, and he's open about what coming off feels like versus being on it. MJ shares her own first experience with blood work during her 2024 bikini competition prep, finding out her testosterone was extremely low even though it fell inside the "normal" range, and what HRT has done for her since. This is not a stack-of-the-week episode. There is no "buy this peptide using my code" pitch. The whole point is: get blood work done, talk to an actual specialist (not your primary care doctor, who probably isn't a hormone specialist), and build the foundation before you stack anything on top. If you're a man feeling off and wondering if it's hormonal, a woman who's been told your levels are "in range" but you still feel terrible, an athlete trying to optimize, a veteran or first responder whose body has been through it, or anyone tired of getting recommendations from influencers who get paid per click — this episode is for you. Topics covered: The difference between "in range" and actually optimized Why your primary care doctor probably isn't a hormone specialist Spencer's first experience with testosterone at 19 in the Army What being in the 200s vs. the 1200s actually feels like The misconception about "roid rage" and TRT Why TRT is a need and peptides are a want MJ's first blood panel during bikini prep — and finding out she was severely low while "in range" Coming off TRT for fertility — what that actually feels like The vasectomy reversal and trying to conceive HCG, Enclomiphene, and what each one actually does BPC-157 after the 100-mile ultra and recovery from leg damage Why the military won't let combat arms guys be on TRT — but will let them drink themselves stupid in the team room The honest truth about black market and research-grade peptides Why alcohol is the most socially acceptable poison and what it actually does The tiered system for optimization: foundation first, blood work second, peptides last Why most people skip the foundation and go straight to the stack Medical disclaimer: Spencer and MJ are not doctors. Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Everything discussed is personal experience. If you're considering hormone replacement therapy or peptides, work with a licensed medical provider who specializes in this area. Mentioned in this episode: Telegenix — the clinic Spencer and MJ use and partner with personally Telegenix Home Page - https://www.telegenix.com/ref/SPELEW-HV5X Testosterone Replacement Therapy - https://www.telegenix.com/ref/SPELEW-HV5X?page=testosterone Peptides - https://www.telegenix.com/ref/SPELEW-HV5X?page=peptide Tri NAD+ - https://www.telegenix.com/ref/SPELEW-HV5X?page=nad-plus Weight Loss - https://www.telegenix.com/ref/SPELEW-HV5X?page=weight-loss Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

8. 

   6 Jun 2026

   Starting a Business After the Military: How I Built Alpha Country From Nothing | Ep. 10

   Most veteran-to-entrepreneur stories skip the actual origin. The couch. The surgeries. The $25,000 you just sent to a manufacturer with no guarantee any of it works. The hours sewing patches onto hats one at a time in your living room because the orders are coming in and you don't have a manufacturer yet. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ go all the way back to the start of Alpha Country — the supplement, apparel, and coaching brand he built from nothing while medically retiring out of Special Forces. Spencer was sitting on the couch recovering from SI joint fusion, hip, and ankle surgeries with no plan, no social media, no product, and no idea what he was doing. This episode is the real story of how it all got built. Spencer breaks down every part of the journey: the first time he sold a training program as a PDF in the DMs, the brand deal that took advantage of him and made him go all-in on Alpha Country, how he found a supplement manufacturer with zero connections, the $50,000 first production order that was every dollar he had, the 16-to-20-week supplement production timeline nobody warns you about, sourcing apparel on Alibaba and losing money learning, the years of late nights packing orders out of his house, and the standards he holds for every single touchpoint with the customer. If you're a veteran thinking about starting a business after the military, a service member with a brand idea, an entrepreneur trying to bootstrap a real product company, or someone curious about how Alpha Country actually got built — this episode is for you. Topics covered: Why Spencer started Alpha Country while still medically out-processing the Army Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) as the brand he studied to learn the playbook Selling training programs as PDFs in Instagram DMs to make first revenue The brand deal that taught him to never give his work away again Building the first supplement formula (Bangalore pre-workout) without white-labeling The $50,000 first production order and what it actually buys you The 16-to-20-week supplement production timeline nobody talks about 40/60 payment structures with overseas apparel manufacturers Sewing hats in the living room: 20 minutes per hat, then 10 Building relationships with USPS and UPS when nobody at the counter wants to help The standard for fulfillment, packaging, and the customer experience Why the last physical touchpoint with the customer matters more than anything Hiring, the three-strike rule, and why "sexy" jobs are the wrong goal Previous episode (Ep. 9): Spencer covers losing his identity after the military and how to build a new one. That episode is the why. This one is the how. Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

9. 

   4 Jun 2026

   Losing Your Identity After the Military (And How to Build a New One) | Ep. 9

   This episode of Beyond The Beret started with a listener email asking exactly that: how do you find your identity and purpose after leaving the military? Former Green Beret Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ break it down without sugar coating it. Spencer goes back to the first time he lost himself — when high school sports ended and he turned to drugs and partying — and traces it all the way through his medical retirement from Special Forces, the years it took to set the old rucksack down, and the identity he's built since: husband, father, Christian, coach, founder. The hard truth Spencer keeps coming back to: nobody is coming to save you. No one is going to hand you purpose, structure, or a new chapter. You have to build it yourself, one day at a time, starting from wherever you are right now. If you're medically retiring, getting close to your ETS date, recently out and feeling lost, a military spouse watching your partner struggle through this, or anyone facing a major life transition where the thing that used to define you is gone — this episode is for you. Topics covered: Why identity loss hits harder after the military than almost any other transition The parallel between leaving sports and leaving the service The "rucksack" you have to set down to move forward Why the military's structure is something you can keep (and should) Getting bitter at the organization vs. still loving the job What no one tells you about the exit process Why nobody is coming to save you — and why that's actually good news How Spencer rebuilt purpose through Alpha Country, coaching, and helping others The difference between chasing what you want and helping others get what they want Practical advice for guys who feel completely lost right now Next episode (Ep. 10): The origin story of Alpha Country — how Spencer turned post-military purpose into a brand. Drop your questions in the comments and we'll answer them on the next one. Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

10. 

    1 Jun 2026

    What Ranger School Is Actually Like (From a Green Beret Who Recycled) | Ep. 8

    Ranger School is the most asked-about school in the U.S. Army, and most of the content out there is either polished recruiter talk or guys who went straight through and skipped the hard parts of the story. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, former Green Beret Spencer Lewis sits down with his wife MJ for a full, unfiltered breakdown of what Ranger School is actually like — from a guy who got pre-Ranger honor grad, recycled mountain phase, found out about his ex-wife's miscarriage between phases, and still walked out with the tab. Spencer covers all three phases (Darby, Mountains, Florida), the pre-Ranger course at 82nd Airborne, the 12-mile ruck that smoked the whole class, what platoon tactics actually look like at the squad and platoon level, how you really get graded, what the food and sleep cycle does to you (one MRE at 5 a.m., another at 2 a.m., repeat), peer evaluations, the truth about recycling, and the moment he knew he'd recycled mountains before the mission even ended. He also breaks down the mindset shift between his first and second look at mountain phase — and why trying to be everybody's friend doesn't get you a Ranger tab. If you're getting ready for Ranger School, just got your slot, recycled and trying to come back, or you're an NCO trying to prep your guys — this episode is for you. Topics covered: Pre-Ranger course at 82nd Airborne (and why it was harder than first phase) All three phases: Darby, Mountains, Florida What a typical day looks like (5 a.m. MRE, planning, patrols, 2 a.m. dinner) The 12-mile ruck and what really cuts the class down Land nav and the golden compass award Platoon-level tactics vs. squad-level tactics Getting recycled in mountain phase and what the 10-day reset looks like Peer evaluations and integrity violations Sleep deprivation and food deprivation Why Ranger School is a leadership course, not a tactics course The mindset shift between first and second look Why every combat arms soldier should be chasing the tab Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

11. 

    29 May 2026

    Obsession Is the Only Thing That Wins | Ep. 7

    Why do some people get average results while others dominate everything they touch? Everyone wants to call it discipline, motivation, consistency, or talent. Former Green Beret Spencer Lewis says all of those are downstream of one thing: obsession. In this solo episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer breaks down the trait he's seen behind every elite athlete, special operator, and successful entrepreneur he's ever met — and the reason most people who say they want success will never get it. Everybody wants the result. Almost nobody wants the lifestyle. Spencer pulls from his own experience chasing the Ranger tab, earning the Green Beret, completing a 100-mile ultramarathon, and building a million-dollar business through divorce, custody battles, and everything else life threw at him. He gets real about what obsession actually looks like — not the highlight reel, but the monotonous early mornings, the lonely two-hour training sessions, the friends you lose, and the weddings you miss. And why being okay with all of that is the price of admission. If you're chasing a Ranger tab, a pro card, your first marathon, a 200-mile ultra, a business goal, or anything that demands more than the average person is willing to give — this episode is for you. Topics covered: Why obsession is the real driver behind discipline and consistency The lifestyle behind the result nobody wants to talk about The sacrifices required to win at anything that matters Why obsession is lonely and how to be okay with it Losing friends when you level up Training, business, and family through obsession Why there is no Plan B How obsession compounds across every area of your life Hosted by Spencer Lewis — Former Green Beret, Father, Husband, Founder of Alpha Country. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

12. 

    27 May 2026

    Developing Discipline From Motivation | Ep 6

    In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer and MJ dig into a topic suggested by Melissa after her visit: the real difference between motivation and discipline, and why most people get this wrong. Spencer's take is that motivation isn't bad, it's just an emotional state you can fall into when you're around the right people, the right examples, or in the right environment. The problem is when motivation is the only thing carrying you. Discipline is what gets built when you keep doing the work the same way you did when you were fired up, on the days you're not. They cover what this looks like across different chapters of life: the dudes who said they'd go to Ranger School or selection after seeing Spencer come back and never did, the people who say they're going to run 100 miles next year and don't sign up, what changes inside a bodybuilding prep when the new wears off in the middle, and why your "why" doesn't have to be deep or noble to be valid. Wanting to look good, feel good, or just be a better example for your kids is a real reason. Other ground covered: the 80/20 rule Spencer lives by so he doesn't beat himself up on bad days, why quitting one thing makes the next quit easier, how the long military pipelines reshaped his relationship with timelines and patience, the role of a dark side or a chip on your shoulder when motivation runs out, and what it actually takes to build what Spencer calls a bulletproof person. If you've ever struggled to stay on track through the middle of something hard, this one is for you. Mentioned: thealphacountry.com The Alpha Country app — training programs Spencer designed using the same methodology he used for Ranger School and SFAS Leaders Circle coaching and the upcoming retreat If this episode hit, share it with someone who needs to hear it, leave a rating, and drop your questions in the comments for future episodes.

13. 

    25 May 2026

    Cop, Soldier, Athlete: Malissa on the Border, the Badge, and Becoming a Runner | Ep 5

    In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer sits down with longtime Alpha Country athlete and friend Melissa, who flew in from Chicago for the Memorial Day Murph. What started as a DM about a pair of shorts five years ago turned into one of the closest friendships in the brand's orbit — and this conversation goes everywhere. Melissa shares her full story: growing up on the South side of Chicago as the daughter of immigrants, water polo and swimming on scholarship through high school and college, a sorority chapter she wasn't expecting, and the road that eventually led her to enlist in the Army Reserves and join the Chicago Police Department as a fast-tracked recruit. Then she goes into the 14-month mobilization to the southern border in late 2024 — what she actually saw down there, why Border Patrol is more stretched than people realize, the reality of cartel scouts, rape trees, kids crossing alone with a phone number scribbled on them, and what it felt like to walk into a deployment as a reservist surrounded by combat-experienced soldiers. The back half of the episode shifts to her current chapter: leaving bodybuilding behind to learn how to be a runner. Spencer breaks down why he programs zone 2, bike work, and incline walks the way he does, and Melissa talks through the mental battle of her first long-distance race, her upcoming Chicago half and full marathon, and the Ironman on the horizon. Honest, unfiltered, and covers more ground than most people get to in a year of conversations. Find Melissa on Instagram and follow the journey. Mentioned: thealphacountry.com The Alpha Country app — training programs, including zone 2 and hybrid endurance work Memorial Day Murph 2026 at Hard Work Strength & Performance Gym If this one hit, share it, rate the show, and drop questions in the comments for future episodes.

14. 

    24 May 2026

    What SFAS Is Actually Like (From a Green Beret Who Got Selected) | Ep. 4

    In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer and MJ break down the full story of Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) — the gateway course every aspiring Green Beret has to survive. Spencer walks through it all: why he chose the SF route over Ranger Regiment after a training exercise with an ODA changed everything, how he prepped his body and mind in the 60 days before reporting, and what actually happens once you're there. From PT week and unknown-distance runs, to land navigation alone in the woods with a 65-pound ruck at midnight, to team week, to the infamous final trek — he covers the phases, the standards, the mind games, and the moments that broke guys who looked unbreakable on paper. You'll also hear the stuff most breakdowns skip: what cadre are really watching for, why physical studs get cut in week one, the role of humility and coachability, how cheating gets caught (yes, they track you), and the mindset that gets you to the finish line when there's no watch, no pace, and no teammate to carry you. Whether you're prepping for selection, curious about what Green Berets actually do, or just want an honest look behind the tab, this one's for you. Mentioned in the episode: Operation Alpha Phase 1 — the exact training program Spencer used to prep for Ranger School and SFAS, available in the Alpha Country app thealphacountry.com If this episode helped you, drop a rating, share it, and leave your questions in the comments — we're answering them in future episodes.

15. 

    23 May 2026

    Leaving the Green Berets: My Med Board, 3 Surgeries, and Losing Who I Was | Ep 3

    A former Green Beret and his wife sit down to talk about the part of military life nobody puts on a recruiting poster: getting out. In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer Lewis and his wife MJ go deep on Spencer's transition from Special Forces to civilian life — the Med Board process, three major surgeries (ankle, SI joint fusion, hip), losing 45 pounds bedridden, the identity crisis of "who am I now," and the mental framework that pulled him through: one day at a time. This isn't another war story podcast. Spencer skips the kill stories and Afghanistan highlight reels other veterans lean on, and instead goes deep on what most operators won't talk about: fighting Army PAs and physical therapists to get a real diagnosis, learning to advocate for your own medical care, navigating military retirement at 26, walking through a 3.5-year custody battle, and rebuilding a life and identity after the only career he'd ever known was gone. MJ brings the spouse's side of the story — what it looks like from the home front when your husband is medically retiring, in pain, and figuring out who he is again. If you're a veteran transitioning out, a military spouse, a service member staring down a Med Board, a first responder leaving the badge, an athlete walking away from the sport, or anyone who has poured years into something and is now asking "what comes next" — this episode is for you. Topics covered: Special Forces medical retirement and the Med Board process SI joint fusion, hip surgery, and ankle surgery recovery Advocating for yourself in military healthcare Identity loss after leaving the military The "one day at a time" mindset for hard transitions Setting down the backpack: letting go of your old chapter Custody battles, fatherhood, and starting over Becoming an ultramarathon runner during recovery Marriage through medical retirement and transition Mental health and choosing to move forward Hosted by Spencer Lewis — former Green Beret, ultra runner, founder of Alpha Country — and his wife MJ. New episodes weekly. Already Decided.

16. 

    21 May 2026

    Afghanistan 2020: The Peace Deal, COVID in Combat, and Watching It All Fall Apart | Ep 2

    In this episode of Beyond The Beret, Spencer takes MJ and the listener inside his 2020 deployment to Afghanistan with 7th Special Forces Group. It's the longest, heaviest conversation they've had on the show so far, and it explains a lot of what came later in 2021 for anyone who watched the country fall and wondered how it happened. Spencer starts with the train-up: how a Bravo on an ODA carries the load of planning every range, every shoot, every coordination across the country, and what 2019 looked like with the team gone 10 out of 12 months. Then the deployment itself. Landing at the wrong airfield in a snowstorm, getting stuck three days in Herat, finally linking up with his team at a small outpost out near Farah, and getting shot at on day two while meeting the partner force. The middle of the episode is where it gets heavy. Spencer talks through the rocket attacks on his FOB, identifying spotters on ridgelines, getting in trouble for engaging them, and the conventional first sergeant who pulled him aside the next morning with drone footage that proved him right. The Taliban tactics. The two POO sites. Why these dudes have been fighting on this terrain for centuries and you underestimate them at your own cost. Then the turn. The peace deal gets signed and COVID hits at almost the same time. Suddenly the team can't see their partner force, can't go outside the wire, has to mask up for VIPs, and watches helplessly as the Afghan checkpoints they trained get hit one by one with VBIEDs from infiltrated allied vehicles. Spencer talks about being in the Intel room watching drone feeds of attacks he knew were coming and couldn't stop, and what that does to a person. He's honest about falling in love with Afghanistan and the Afghans, about the moment he stopped telling most of his team what he was learning because they had stopped caring, about the contradictory orders from up the chain to retrograde one day and build up the FOB the next, and about the seeds that were planted in that second half of the deployment that he'd carry home and into his exit from the military. This is not a war story for entertainment. It's the unfiltered ground-level version of what 2020 in Afghanistan actually felt like, told by someone who was there and saw 2021 coming. Next episode picks up with the medical retirement, the surgeries, and how Alpha Country was born out of all of this. Mentioned: thealphacountry.com The Alpha Country app If this episode hit, the best thing you can do is share it with someone who'd want to hear it, rate the show, and drop a comment. The algorithm only spreads this kind of conversation if listeners tell it to.

17. 

    13 May 2026

    The Origin Story: From Omaha to the Army to the Green Berets | Ep 1

    Welcome to Beyond The Beret. In this first episode, Spencer and MJ sit down in the garage studio to lay the foundation for the whole show. The idea: the brand and the videos cover the present, but a lot of people who follow Alpha Country don't know where any of it actually came from. This podcast is for the deeper stories that don't fit into a reel. Spencer starts at the very beginning. Born in Belleview, Nebraska, parents divorced when he was around six, splitting time between two houses on two very different schedules. Strippers and college football players as roommates at his mom's place who, in a strange way, taught him everything he knows about hard work and falling in love with sports. The grease fire that burned down his mom's apartment when he was 14 and how losing the little they had pushed everyone into darker ways of coping. He gets honest about the years that followed: an all-state football and basketball career running in parallel with addiction, partying, and pain pills. Almost dying more than once. Walking away from a Nebraska Cornhuskers walk-on opportunity. Waking up one night in a college dorm and realizing he had to enlist or he wasn't going to make it. From there: the recruiter's office, the Marines plan that died over half-sleeve tattoos, getting clean enough to pass a drug test, basic training in 2014, the note handed to him a week before graduation telling him he was about to be a dad, airborne school, the 82nd, the platoon sergeant who asked him if he was a [redacted] and then handed him a Ranger School packing list six months later, getting promoted to corporal, the Jade Helm exercise with an ODA that changed his trajectory, selection, the Q course, language school, military free fall, and getting picked up by his ODA at 7th Special Forces Group. This is the foundation. Future episodes go deeper into Ranger School, SFAS, Afghanistan, and everything that came after. If you've been following Spencer for the brand, this is the part of the story you haven't heard yet. Mentioned: thealphacountry.com The Alpha Country app If this resonates with you, share it, rate the show, and stick around. We're just getting started.

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

17 ratings

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