BarBend Podcast

Today we're talking to CrossFit Games athlete and Doctor of Physical Therapy, Amanda Barnhart. Amanda is one of the CrossFit world’s highest-performing athletes in the space since making her Games debut in 2018. That includes back to back Top 10 finishes at the Games in 2019 and 2020. In our conversation, we talk about how athletes recover after the brutal CrossFit Games competition season, along with Amanda’s first reactions to a new qualification format for 2021. We also discuss an athlete’s competitive mindset, what it’s like going toe-to-toe in workouts against a spouse, and much, much more.

Today we're talking to athlete and coach Steph Hammerman, better known online as Steph the Hammer. Steph was born with cerebral palsy, and since discovering CrossFit years ago, she’s been a prominent force in the space as both a coach to all and an advocate for adaptive athletes. In many cases, that meant leading from the front by being the first person with cerebral palsy to compete at numerous prominent events in the fitness and CrossFit spaces. In 2014, she became the first person with cerebral palsy to earn a Level 2 CrossFit Certificate.Our conversation focuses on Steph’s career in fitness, including some frank discussion of lower points and lessons learned, including when Steph had to close her gym during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today we're talking to Liz Plosser, the Editor in Chief of Women’s Health. Liz is one of the fitness industry’s head honchos when it comes to content, but journalism definitely wasn’t the first place her career started out. And ending up at the top of Women’s Health’s content was far from an overnight success story. Today, Liz and David Thomas Tao discuss careers in health and fitness journalism, along with how content is marketed to women — and how that has changed dramatically over the last few decades.

Today we're talking to Bill Grundler, a coach, athlete, and media personality who’s been one of CrossFit’s most visible personalities for nearly a decade. Bill also owns CrossFit Inferno and co-hosts the Get with the Programming Podcast, which analyzes programming in the CrossFit landscape including Worldwide Qualifiers, Age Group Online Qualifiers, Sanctioned Events, The Open and CrossFit Games. In our episode, Bill — once a career firefighter — explains how CrossFit methodology caught on so quickly in the first responder community. We also discuss what it’s like being a veteran of the competitive CrossFit sphere — a true fire-breather, as some in the community call it — along with Bill’s second career in the broadcasting booth. I do want to give a second to mention today’s sponsor, 1600 WODs. Available now, this book by coach Chris Gale is a collection of over 1600 WODS from the head coach/programmer at CrossFit Kenko. Seven years of the exact programming used from day one at the affiliate, and a nearly endless source of inspiration for fitness enthusiasts around the globe. Google BarBend + 1600 WODs to learn more and find your copy today.

Today I’m talking to weightlifter, coach, and former bodybuilder Jon North, who has been a prominent figure in American Strength Sports for nearly a decade. Jon’s story is one with a number of twists and turns: From overcoming addiction to earn his way among the top ranks of American weightlifters, Jon was one of the first virtual weightlifting coaches to build a large following online, and he also competed in bodybuilding. He’s also caused a stir in weightlifting, and at one point created his own competition federation separate from USA Weightlifting. Jon is reflective and thoughtful when it comes to his career in strength. In our conversation, Jon talks about some fundamental changes in his life after he suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition. He also details his evolution as a coach and why he’s happier coaching far fewer athletes than he did years ago. 

Today we're talking to writer and journalist Haley Shapley, the author of Strong Like Her. Published earlier in 2020, Strong Like Her is an examination and celebration of women’s athleticism and strength throughout history. Haley is passionate about strength and fitness, and her own athletic journey served as an inspiration to write about history’s strongest women, something that’s been all too frequently glossed over or ignored for hundreds — and really thousands — of years. We discuss the fascinating history behind women’s strengths sports from ancient times through to today, along with how women are continuing to push boundaries and change what is seen as societally mainstream when it comes to physical culture.

Today we're talking to Amanda Kohatsu, an elite powerlifter who’s also the owner and CEO of Doughnuts & Deadlifts, an apparel brand focused on the strength community. We chat about how Amanda took over Doughnuts & Deadlifts, the ups and downs of running an apparel brand focused around strength, and what balance really can and should mean to people who strength train. We also chat about SoCal versus NYC and share some funny stories about the origins of strength stereotypes. 

Today we're talking to Dr. Aaron Horschig, a physical therapist, strength & conditioning coach, speaker and writer. Aaron is the author of one book on mobility and movement, with another on the way, but he’s probably best known as the creator and mind behind Squat University. In our chat, we discuss what so many elite strength athletes are missing when it comes to movement, and how Aaron’s own experience as a weightlifter impacts his approach to helping people prevent and recovery from injuries. If you’ve ever wanted to improve your squat, this is a great place to start from the ground up.

Today we're talking to Devon Lévesque, a trainer and fitness influencer based out of Jersey City, New Jersey. Devon is probably best known for — and I promise I’m no exaggerating here — bear crawling a full marathon. In about 22 hours this past October, Devon — who already held the world record for distance in the bear crawl — bear crawled 26.2 miles and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for FitOps, an organization dedicated to empowering veterans to pursue health and fitness careers. Devon — whose father was a professional bodybuilder and whose mother was a pro arm wrestler — joins us to talk about his unconventional upbringing in wellness, motivation and preparation for his record breaking bear crawl, and much, much more.I want to take a quick second to shout out Today's episode sponsor, MANIMAL, America’s Longest-Lasting Wrist Wrap Since 2010. Manimal has over +1,000 5-star reviews and trusted by athletes and coaches who want to get stronger in the gym, minus the wrist pain. Want to put MANIMAL wraps to the test? Visit Manimal.com and use code BARBEND for 15% off, backed by a Lifetime Guarantee.

As we approach the holiday season, BarBend wants to celebrate by revisiting some of our most popular podcasts from the past 12 months. This episode with Jordan Shallow prompted a ton of discussion, and we're excited to share this remastered version!According to Dr. Jordan Shallow, the way we warm up — and the way most people think about movement —  is fundamentally broken. The chiropractor, internationally competitive powerlifter, and presenter joins us to talk about the root cause of injuries, how we can prep our bodies to move better, and why the human body wants to operate "like lightning."