Matt O'Keefe is President of Loud & Live Sports, the event organizers behind major CrossFit Sanctionals including Wodapalooza and The Granite Games. He's also agent to CrossFit superstars including Mat Fraser, Tia-Clair Toomey, Brent Fikowski, Patrick Vellner, Katrin Davidsdottir, and more. We sit down to talk about his unlikely origins in the space, the challenges of moving the fitness events space forward, and why so much of what he does is built on close personal friendships. Learn more a...
Apr 06, 2020•36 min
Dr. Andy Galpin is a tenured Professor in the Center for Sport Performance at CSU Fullerton. In 2011, he earned his PhD in Human Bioenergetics and has done incredible work in regard to muscle fibers and how we understand them. On top of being a tenured professor, Dr. Galpin co-authored the book Unplugged and works hand in hand with a variety of elite athletes. In today’s episode, guest host Jake Boly sits down with Dr. Galpin to chat about muscle fibers. They talk about what we know, what we don...
Apr 03, 2020•46 min
Joe Yoon, probably better known as "Joe Therapy" through his massive social media following, is a trainer and massage therapist who's one of the fitness industry's most visible personalities when it comes to mobility. Joe joins us to talk about limitations and misconceptions in mobility, how much time we should really be dedicating to flexibility and prehab work, and lessons from his new bestselling book, Better Stretching.
Apr 01, 2020•38 min
Chad Vaughn is a multi-time Olympian and one of the most accomplished weightlifters in American history. He joins the BarBend Podcast to discuss how weightlifters can stay strong, mobile, and fast when training from home with limited or even no equipment.
Mar 30, 2020•32 min
Chad Wesley Smith is a record-breaking powerlifter, coach, and the founder of Juggernaut Training Systems. He joins the BarBend podcast to talk about the four main areas powerlifters and strength athletes of all types can focus on when working from home with limited or no equipment. Chad also highlights specific movements to focus on to keep neural force production high while away from heavy weights.
Mar 27, 2020•20 min
If you're training in powerlifting or weightlifting, nothing can perfectly replicate the stimulus of a barbell. But smart at-home training with minimal or no equipment CAN make an impact. And in an extended period away from the gym, many athletes can actually add muscle mass and improve their mobility. BarBend Fitness Editor Jake Boly joins the show to talk about strategies to preserve gains and even improve your lifting patterns while at home, using common household items and or just a few piec...
Mar 25, 2020•23 min
Athletes and sports governing bodies across the world have been racing to adapt to postponements, cancellations, and the challenges of training while maintaining social distance. In this special episode, USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews joins us to talk about his organization's first responses to the pandemic, including rapid changes and the lack of spectators at this year's Arnold Sports Festival. We also talk about potential ramifications for Olympic qualification, Phil's thoughts on Tokyo 2...
Mar 23, 2020•24 min
Eugen Loki is personal trainer based in Rome, Italy. More than likely you’ve seen his Instagram page Pheasyque on multiple occasions that has more than 600 thousand followers. On his page, he creates in-depth drawings to explain a variety of training topics that are otherwise difficult to explain through only text. In today’s episode we chat with Eugen about differences in the fitness industry between the US And Italy, how he creates his drawings and if they’re all original, and so much more....
Mar 19, 2020•50 min
Heather Connor is a 2-time IPF World Champion and the first female IPF powerlifter to deadlift 4 times her bodyweight raw. Heather joins us to talk about the injury that sidelined her for nearly a year, along with why it's so easy for lifters to ignore the signs of significant underlying injuries and issues. We also chat about Heather's goals in the sport, what big money competitions could mean for powerlifting's future, and an unorthodox weight gaining strategy. Editor's Note: This podcast was ...
Mar 16, 2020•34 min
Brian Alsruhe is a champion strongman athlete who has overcome an astounding list of setbacks: two back breaks, a brain tumor, parasites, and a bone marrow infection, to name just a few. After finding help through the strength community, Brian is building a brand and gym around putting intensity and focus back into training to help more people lift through adversity. Brian's story is unlike any we've heard before; this is one you won't want to miss. Our conversation gets heavy in some sections. ...
Mar 12, 2020•38 min
This will shock many athletes: What you do in training likely has little to no impact on your next-day recovery. The common wisdom about recovery, especially sleep, needs a major update. So we sat down wit Kristen Holmes, WHOOP 's VP of Performance, to separate fact from fiction on deep sleep , caffeine consumption, foods that help and hurt sleep, muscle repair, and what tracking HRV can tell us about how rested you really are. A special thanks to WHOOP for sponsoring this episode!...
Mar 09, 2020•33 min
Margaux Alvarez is a 7-time CrossFit Games athlete, long drive competitor, coach, and wine entrepreneur. She's one of the most multi-talented personalities in fitness, and her future in CrossFit — and beyond — is something we had to learn more about. We sit down with Margaux to talk about training across multiple sports, strength training for golf long drive competitions, her future in athletics, balancing wine with recovery, and more.
Mar 05, 2020•33 min
Alex Uslar wears a lot of different hats with Hybrid Performance Method. At Hybrid, Alex serves as the General Manager, Director of Operations, run Hybrid Apparel, and per Instagram is also Stefi Cohen’s official 24/7 hype-man. Over the course of his career, Alex has coached thousands of athletes and competes and judges in the sport of powerlifting. In today’s episode, Jake Boly sits down with Alex to discuss his road from addiction to now playing so many critical roles at Hybrid. We also talk a...
Mar 02, 2020•51 min
Building ANY community is tough. So building a space and community for people obsessed with strength brings its own special challenges. And no one knows more about that than Joey Szatmary. Joey is a multi-sport strength athlete (powerlifting and strongman) and coach who owns The Lions Den Elite Training gym. Throughout his career, Szatmary has worked with a huge variety of athletes and constantly shares his knowledge and experiences on his quickly-growing YouTube channel. In today’s episode, we ...
Feb 27, 2020•54 min
Chris Duffin is an inventor, record-setting powerlifter, author, and founder of Kabuki Strength Labs. He's also one of the strongest humans on the planet, becoming the first person to deadlift 1,000 pounds for reps back in 2016. We caught up with Chris while he was training for his next feat, which he'll attempt in March 2020: Back squatting 1,000 pounds for a triple. In this episode, Chris explains the unique training approach for these records, recovery techniques, lifting for charity, and the...
Feb 24, 2020•39 min
Rowan Minnion is an athlete and researcher best known as the founder and force behind Blonyx. He's especially passionate about improving athletic recovery and explains actionable — and some honestly surprising — tips about the science behind performance. (How do you optimize sleep? What's the "right" way to take a rest day, and why aren't more athletes doing it?) Rowan also shares his own ups and downs working with fitness influencers online, from successful promo to "pay to play" negotiations a...
Feb 20, 2020•33 min
Ian Kaplan is the current Chief Officer of Operations at Hybrid Performance Method. With a background in training and research, when it comes to synthesizing research and understanding how to apply advanced topics into the context of our day-to-day lives, Ian is one of the best personalities we've ever spoken to. In today’s episode, we talk to Ian about a variety of topics including what it means to be “evidence based,” how to interpret the latest research on pain, and much more.
Feb 17, 2020•53 min
Eric Leija is a master Onnit trainer who's better known online as the Primal Swoledier. Every day, Eric posts innovative kettlebell and bodyweight flows that have helped him build a massive following; his workouts are a bit unlike anything else you'll find in the space. We catch up with Eric to talk about how he creates and programs workouts, the most overrated kettlebell movement, and lessons learned from an intense bulk-and-cut transformation he underwent just a couple years ago.
Feb 13, 2020•35 min
Hayden Bowe is one of the founders and owners of Hybrid Performance Method. Throughout his career, Hayden has worked with thousands of individuals and is accomplished in both the sports of weightlifting and powerlifting. In today’s episode, we chat with Hayden about a variety of training topics, but one in particular that we really enjoyed was training youth athletes and how to do it correctly.
Feb 10, 2020•47 min
Don Saladino is one of the fitness world's most in-demand trainers. A specialist in strength and physique for over 20 years, Don is perhaps best known for getting some of Hollywood's biggest stars ready for massive on-screen roles: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Ryan Gosling, and more. Don is also the founder and owner of Drive 495 gym in Manhattan. In today's episode, Don joins host David Thomas Tao to discuss building a list of Hollywood clientele, setting realistic expectations fo...
Feb 06, 2020•35 min
Alan Thrall is an accomplished strength coach and the owner of Untamed Strength. Alan has coached thousands of athletes over the course of his career, and his YouTube channels has amassed more than 85 million views, helping countless athletes get stronger in and out of the gym. In today’s episode, guest host Jake Boly talks to Alan about his growth in strength coaching, how he accidentally built a massive YouTube channel, and much much more.
Feb 03, 2020•59 min
Kari Pearce is a 5-time CrossFit Games athlete and earned the title of "America's Fittest Woman" in 2016, 2018, and 2019. She's a former Division 1 gymnast who's well known for her incredible capacity on bodyweight movements. We talk to Kari about training around injury, attacking weaknesses, and what most CrossFitters get wrong about core strength.
Jan 30, 2020•40 min
In the world of fitness, Rich Froning needs almost no introduction. He is a 4-time Individual and 4-time Team CrossFit Games Champion, as well as the owner of CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, Tennessee. Rich joins the BarBend Podcast to talk about hosting a Sanctional qualifier (the CrossFit Mayhem Classic), his honest reactions to CrossFit Games changes, and his future as a competitive athlete.
Jan 27, 2020•33 min
Dr. Pat Davidson and Jordan Shallow are both at the front of the pack leading the fitness industry and building better standards. Dr. Davidson has a PhD in exercise physiology and is an accomplished strength & conditioning coach and author, while Dr. Shallow is a chiropractor, strength coach, and traveling presenter. Both of these individuals have brilliant minds when looking at and assessing basic and advanced training concepts and programs. In today’s episode, Jake Boly takes commonly aske...
Jan 23, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Stefi Cohen is one of the owners of Hybrid Performance Method. She holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, a CSCS, and has broken a total of 11 all-time powerlifting world records throughout her career. Additionally, Stefi is currently ranked #2 in the world for holding the all-time highest Wilks score with a remarkable 698.11, and continues to push the boundaries of what's physically possible for the human body. In today’s episode, Jake Boly sits down with Stefi to chat on her upbringing in the ...
Jan 20, 2020•31 min
Weightlifter, coach, and YouTuber Zack Telander joins us to talk about transitioning back and forth between CrossFit and weightlifting. Zack also talks about setting realistic goals for weightlifting athletes, along with changing the paradigm of which sports are "worth it" in American culture. Zack also gives his thoughts on dealing with weightlifting data and the most underrated coach in American weightlifting.
Jan 16, 2020•33 min
Joe Sullivan is a champion raw powerlifter who speaks his mind on everything from online trolls to bad gym etiquette. Joe joins us to talk training, his favorite powerlifters to watch this year, and an incredibly close (and internet famous) brush with disaster due to equipment failure.
Jan 13, 2020•37 min
Kris Gethin is a bodybuilder, fitness model, and supplement entrepreneur who has been the face of some of fitness' biggest physique campaigns. He's also a passionate endurance athlete who has a ton of knowledge on balancing muscle growth and strength gain with long-duration training for triathlons and distance events. We talk to Kris, the founder of Kaged Muscle, about these strategies and more.
Jan 09, 2020•32 min
JC Deen was one of the first online fitness writers and trainers to build his name for a no-BS approach. He joins us to talk about beating fitness frustration, turning to "Doggcrapp Training," and how machine learning & AI might change the industry moving forward.
Jan 06, 2020•33 min
Zack Bartell is a powerlifter and gym owner based in Southern California. Bartell opened SoCal Powerlifting to the public at a very young age, and with strategy, a dream, and a business mindset, he has expanded the gym twice and has created a hub for multiple powerlifters and coaches in a few short years. In this episode, we discuss the logistics of opening your own gym and what it truly takes to build a successful coaching business.
Jan 02, 2020•46 min
