Navigating the fitness industry is a murky business. People will say and do anything to make a buck even if that means selling snake oil to the trusting public. That’s why we started Recovering Bro Approved; a certificate of authentication for people in the health and wellness industry who are actually doing good work and adding good to the world.
It’s not an easy stamp to receive because not only do you have to meet our standards of quality and information but you also must fall in line with the Recovering Bro mantra of full transparency. This means, no secrets, no false narratives, and no fake personas.
That’s why this month we are proud to bestow our stamp of approval on Ryan P. Hughes.
Our level of transparency at Recovering Bro doesn’t just stop at letting you know every ingredient in our supplements, and how and why we make them, but it extends to us letting you know when other brands are trustworthy and high quality. Ryan and his team at Ghost have created a brand that is trustworthy, high quality, and full of transparent vibes.
Here’s some more transparency for ya, Dr. D, the resident health and wellness expert at Recovering Bro is friends with Ryan (which may have been useful in writing this article).
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the man behind Ghost.
Who really is Ryan P. Hughes?
Ryan spent the better part of his 20s getting lathered up and walking around in his underwear. Or as he probably called it: modeling.
He then went on to become one of the very first physique athletes to walk across the stage at Mr. Olympia in the men’s fitness category! That ain’t easy to do. This means his discipline and work ethic were just as strong as his glutes and jawline.
But Ryan didn’t earn the RBA stamp because of his symmetrical ass… he earned it with integrity and commitment to being The Full Hughes. Nothing more. Nothing less.
He had a brief stint as a driver on the NASCAR circuit but his unwavering commitment to creating “vibes” in the cockpit & exclusively driving in Lane 8 quickly led him to pit row relegation.
This setback led Ryan to start Ghost with a simple premise: great flavors and full transparency. That means, everything inside of the can is listed on the outside of the can. Ryan doesn’t try to pretend he is something he’s not and he thought it was important that as a brand, Ghost should have that same integrity.
Fun Fact: Did you know Ryan tore his bicep? He did! Snapped like a Looney Toons window shade rolling up the side of his humerus - what most people don’t know, is he did INTENTIONALLY. Ryan wanted to know what it felt like to feel momentary weakness. (Editors note: He liked it)
Fun Fact Again: Ryan is so fully committed to transparency he refuses to don anything but skinny jeans. “The full Hughes is fully transparent.” (Ryan might have said if he asked him for a comment.)
Enough with the loving skinny-jean-nut taps, Ryan P. Hughes is Recovering Bro Approved because he is massively emotionally engaged in people. He is a true nurturer of relationships. As friends of Ryan IRL, we can confidently say that this man gives everything of himself to take care of the people in his life.
The name Ghost even comes from the idea that as a brand, they want to be fully transparent…just like a ghost. This makes their tagline, “Be seen,” a very poetic way to give those who don’t feel seen or heard, a way to see themselves in a brand they can trust. We at Recovering Bro try to embody this same philosophy.
We now know why Ryan chooses to feed himself with nothing but empathy, good vibes, and Ghost Energy - keeping that jegging clad rig we love so much, ready to roll into a shoot at moment's notice.
So on behalf of the whole Recovering Bro team, we would like to welcome our little brunette Johnny Bravo, Ryan Hughes, into the Recovering Bro Approved family. Because even though Ghost products may or may not actually have ghosts in them, Ryan never ghosts on his loved ones or his commitment to running a brand (and a life) with great integrity.
When asked to comment, Ryan said, “It’s a vibe in here.”