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Today I'm talking to one of my oldest and dearest friends in the fitness industry, Adam Bornstein. He's a New York Times Bestselling Author, personal advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, journalist, and all around Swiss Army Knife of all things content. His latest book is call You Can't Screw This Up, and it's a new paradigm for dieting and the journey to wellness. I learn something every time I talk to Adam, and this podcast recording was no exception. I hope you enjoy!

Today I'm talking to CrossFit coach, athlete, and affiliate owner Adam Neiffer, who joins The BarBend Podcast for the second time. Adam is perhaps best known today as the coach of two-time reigning Fittest Man on Earth Justin Medeiros. I've known Adam for approaching a decade, and he's one of the most thoughtful coaches I've ever had the pleasure of chatting with. Adam shares his approaches to training both elite and general population clients, and he also dives deep on the challenges of training top athletes in a sport where anything — and we do mean anything — can be contested.

Today we're joined (for the second time!) by Dr. Conor Heffernan, an historian and educator regarding the history of strength and physical culture. He's also a frequent BarBend contributor! Dr. Heffernan joins us to talk about the history of stone lifting in cultures around the globe, with a particular emphasis on Irish stone lifting. Dozens of historic Irish lifting stones have been uncovered in the past few years, and one intrepid explorer/lifter has even been called "Indiana Stones" because of his rare finds. How exactly are researchers finding these historic stones? And is anyone lifting them today?

Today, we're talking to the NEW World's Strongest Man, Mitchell Hooper. Mitchell is actually joining the podcast for a second time! He's the first Canadian athlete to ever hold the title of World's Strongest Man, and he did it in a Finals packed with former champions. Did we mention it's only his SECOND year as a pro strongman?Mitchell updates us on 24 hours in the life of a new World's Strongest Man, along with how his goals and outlook on the sport have shifted since we last chatted. He also talks about getting back to his day job — yes, he has a full time job outside of strongman! — and the media circus that started right after he hoisted the famous trophy.

Here's a VERY popular one from our archives: Today I’m talking to weightlifter, CrossFitter, pro strongman, financial advisor, and coach Graciano Rubio, best known online as the Wall Street Weightlifter. He’s also the owner of CrossFit Valley View. In today’s episode, we discuss his strength background and why you should treat training like an investment portfolio — especially when it comes to something called stop loss. Along the way, I also get on a high horse about competing. You’ll just have to listen to find out more.

Today I’m talking to Canadian strongman Maxime Boudreault, who finished third place at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man and fifth at the 2022 World’s Strongest Man. Maxime is sitting out this year’s World’s Strongest Man due to injury — by the way, the competition kicks off this week! That recovery time has given him new perspective on the sport, and he’s looking to come back stronger than ever. We talk about breaking through strongman’s professional ranks, competing against historically amazing athletes, and the toll of staying on top in one of strength’s most demanding disciplines.We also discuss how Maxime has used the AIRWAAV mouthpiece — which generously sponsored this podcast — to improve his performance and recovery in both training and long competition days. AIRWAAV is now The Official Mouthpiece of World's Strongest Man, and BarBend Podcast listeners can use the code BARBEND to receive 15% off. Now let’s get on with the show.

Today I’m talking to strongwoman Victoria Long. She’s a pro strongwoman, the current America’s Strongest Woman, and a 2-time Arnold Pro Champion. She’s also a world record holder in the deadlift, having pulled 651 pounds earlier this year at the Arnold in strongman style. We talk about her background in strength — she really only started competing seriously in 2019 — and mental tips for turning back days into small (or in her case, sometimes big) wins. It could be argued Victoria is the strongest overall woman in the world right now — some more wins could cement that — so it’s rare to get training, nutrition, and mindset insight from someone at this level.

Today I'm talking to Dr. Kelly Starrett, someone I've known for approaching a decade. He's a New York Times Bestselling author and the mastermind behind The Ready State. Kelly works with pro athletes, world record holders, and championship sports teams, but what he's REALLY focused on these days is getting the general population moving better and living richer lives. Our conversation covers a range of topics, all relating back to how we as humans can move better for longer. Kelly's new book, Built to Move, releases April 4th, and it's a reflection of his lifelong obsession with learning — and teaching others — movement. You won't think about training quite the same way after this!

Today I’m talking to CrossFit Games athlete Nick Mathew, who finished 14th at the 2022 CrossFit Games. Along the way, he also earned the prestigious Rookie of the Year award and won two events in the fittest field of athletes on earth. But Nick was no overnight success in the sport of fitness. He talks about his seven-year journey to the top rungs of CrossFit, including his roots in bodybuilding, overcoming injury, and several near-misses that provided both frustration and motivation. Nick is humble, candid, and honest about his goals in the sport, as well as the — to put it lightly — drudgery that can go along with being a top athlete. I hope you enjoy.

Today I’m talking to Seb Ostrowicz, founder and mastermind behind Weightlifting House. They’re a media company and equipment supplier dedicated to the sport of Olympic weightlifting. What started as a passion project became a full-time career for Seb, and he’s traveled to all corners of the globe to bring weightlifting to more people than ever. We talk about how the sport has changed in the past five years, from all-time world records to blockbuster-level organizational corruption, and where weightlifting might be headed next. Along the way, we find some common ground in our love for strength sports and talk about the people who have inspired us most on our journeys.

Today I’m talking to stic, perhaps better known as stic.man, one half of the celebrated hip hop duo Dead Prez. Stic has been a defining voice in hip hop over the last few decades, and he’s also an accomplished author, producer, and mentor to a generation of musicians. Today, he’s talking about his health and wellness journey. From an event in his early 20s that set him on a lifelong exploration of wellness, to journeys into various martial arts disciplines, to his current passion for distance running, stic simply refuses to stop searching for practices that build the body and calm the mind. I hope you enjoy.

Today I'm talking to Clay Cooper, better known online as @discoverydeadlift. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Clay took his weight plates and barbell outside and began doing his deadlift workouts in the great outdoors. Since then, he's rucked barbells and plates to mountains, riverbeds, beaches, and deep into the woods. He's deadlifted across the United States, had interesting encounters with wildlife (and people), and is planning to take his project international in the near future.

Today I’m talking to Matt B. Davis, the founder and driving force behind Obstacle Racing Media, the web’s number one source for all things OCR, Hyrox, and more. Matt and I have a lot in common: We’re both passionate about fitness, we both started sport-specific media companies, and we both started those media journeys at a time when a lot of folks said it was a bad idea. Like BarBend, Obstacle Racing Media has stood the test of time and grown from a one-man blog into a true source and home for its community online. If you want to know about the real history behind the rise and fall and rise again of OCR, Matt has a story for you.

Today I’m talking to Eoin Everard, an Irish physiotherapist and elite runner who has represented his country on the international athletics stage — he’s run the mile in under 4 minutes and is the 2-time Irish National Champion at 1500 meters. And if that’s not enough, he’s got a PhD in biomechanics. Eoin and I talk about his athletic background and how overcoming injury led him down a path to better understand sports performance for all athletes. Where does athletic movement start breaking down, and how do mobility restrictions factor in? And what can athletes to do start addressing those issues? While the information on this podcast isn’t meant as medical advice, I hope you get a lot out of how our guest breaks down biomechanics in a really digestible way. Before we get into that, I want to give a quick shoutout to today’s episode sponsor, Protecht Wraps. Wrist protection is important for me — and as someone with wrist injuries in the past, I try and go the extra mile to protect them.Do you wear a fitness tracker when lifting? Then you've probably experienced taking it off for bench press, kettlebells, or other exercises. Introducing Protecht Wraps, the first and only wrist wrap for lifting, cross-training, and kettlebell workouts that are designed to work around your watch while keeping your wrists and watch protected. They just launched, and you can check them out at Protechtwraps.com

Today I'm talking to IFBB Bikini competitor Clare Morrow. What does it mean to be a bodybuilding pro? And what happens when you find that sport a little later in life like Clare? Clare and I talk a lot about her journey in that sport as well as practice with clients hoping to life healthier lifestyles. And we also discuss why Clare DOESN'T coach bodybuilding competitors to get stage ready.I will say a lot of topics in this conversation border on medical. The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource.Everybody is different, so seek out that professional guidance if you're thinking of making big changes. With that said, let's get on with the show.

Here's one from the archives with a man who needs little introduction. Mat Fraser is a 5-time CrossFit Games Champion. He has a lengthy background in strength sports as a youth weightlifter, all the way through to the fittest man in history. I've known Mat for years, before he was a CrossFit Games Champion, and it's awesome to finally get him on this podcast. We talk about everything from nutrition to his eating habits as a weightlifter and goals in the sport, transitioning to CrossFit, training without knowing what was really going on in functional fitness, all the way through today. These days, he runs HWPO (Hard Work Pays Off), a training and coaching empire. 

Today I’m talking to Grammy-nominated composer, producer, and songwriter Kitt Wakeley. Kitt has a decades-long career in music, and he’s also a lifelong fitness fanatic. He joins us to talk about finding a path to wellness in the demanding and temptation-filled music industry, including tips for how he stays on track while on the road. Kitt also talks about his bucket-list collaborators, rock & roll stereotypes, and much, much more.

Today I'm talking Swolverine co-founder Alix Best. She has a varied and deep background in fitness, and we cover a lot of topics in this podcast, including what it's like to infiltrate what basically amounts to a "fitness cult" — you know, the EARLY days of CrossFit. (I'm joking, just sort of.) We also talk about what it's like to be a woman founder in the male-dominated supplement industry and broader fitness industry. Alix is a straight shooter, and she doesn't hold much back. Some of her stories from the trenches about not being taken seriously just because she's a woman were eye-opening for me. They changed my perspective on how much work still needs to be done in this industry so that people are given credit based on merit. I hope you get as much from this podcast as I did!

Today I’m talking to pro strongman and multi-time World’s Strongest Man competitor Travis Ortmayer. Travis rocketed to early stardom after turning pro and was on top circuits for years. But then a series of personal setbacks — including addiction — sent him tumbling toward rock bottom. I’m going to give an important warning here: This episode is raw in places and deals with issues surrounding addiction, recovery, drug use, and suicidal thoughts. If you or anyone you know is dealing with thoughts of suicide or self harm, please dial the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8.With that said, I want to personally thank Travis for sharing his difficult and emotional journey, including battling multiple personal demons. He’s been at the top, at the bottom, and worked his way back up. Impressive doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Here's my absolute favorite episode from 2022 (and one of our most downloaded ever!):Today I’m talking to legendary fitness researcher and bodybuilding Dr. Jim Stoppani. When it comes to influencers in the space, Dr. Stoppani’s resume is almost unparalleled. He’s an active research scientist who has also spent decades in fitness publishing. And he’s a straight shooter, not afraid to separate fact from fiction and to admit when the research is still coming up short on topics in strength. Stoppani joins us to talk about everything from training myths to protein requirements as we age. Don’t miss out on this conversation with one of the most knowledgeable people in strength.