BarBend Podcast

Sean Waxman is one of America's most accomplished — and outspoken — weightlifting coaches. The USA Weightlifting Board Member and Waxman's Gym founder talks about his career and approach to coaching. He also explains the most pressing issue in American weightlifting and shares the story of how he discovered CrossFit, which is one of the most incredible tales we've ever heard on the podcast. 

Cole Sager is a CrossFit Games veteran and Spirit of the Games Award Winner. He's a full-time athlete who spends an incredible amount of energy trying to reach people outside the sport. Find out why Cole is so focused on showcasing his life outside the gym, and learn where this former D1 football player (and one-time CrossFit critic) thinks the sport will take him. We also discuss Cole's weightlifting hero and thoughts on the cuts at the 2019 Reebok CrossFit Games.

Steve Cotter didn't invent kettlebells, but it's impossible to talk about their popularity in the Western world without mentioning his name. Since the early 2000s, he's given over 600 seminars and presentations on kettlebell training, in addition to authoring books and producing countless videos for everyone from beginners to competitive athletes. We talk with the coach and IKFF founder about the rise of kettlebells and what so many of us miss about the mental aspect of training. 

Tom Boyden is one half of the dynamic duo Juji & Tom. Find out how he partnered with Jujimufu and cracked the code on the way to building one of YouTube's craziest and most successful video channels.

Greg Nuckols, world record setting powerlifter and founder of Stronger By Science, walks us through his unorthodox career, the coolest strength sports, and bridging the gap between studies and what's actually useful in the gym.

Emily Abbate is a veteran fitness journalist who walks the walk (okay, more like runs). She's best known as the creator and host of Hurdle, one of the most popular fitness podcasts in the world. Emily has interviewed fitness icons like Tia-Clair Toomey, spent a day in the life of Rich Froning, and asked tough questions of sports celebrities like Alex Morgan. And she's only getting started.But her fitness cred goes beyond the podcast space. A contributor to Women's Health, Men's Health, GQ, SELF, and many more, Emily has covered almost everything hot, new, and relevant in wellness. That makes her INCREDIBLY good at seeing through the smoke and mirrors to determine what's legit — and what's fluff — in fitness and nutrition. Emily joins the BarBend podcast to discuss the past, present, and future of fitness journalism. She also gives us tips on how to separate the real from the hype online, including which types of fitness influencers to avoid. Emily also opens up about her personal struggles, and how leaning into wellness inspired the creation of Hurdle and fueled its growth.

Brandon Heavey's story is epic: He's a former NASA engineer who, after a personal fitness revelation, decided to change careers and become a fitness trainer. Heavey swapped Mars rovers for squat cycles and never looked back. Now nearly a decade into his second career, he's one half of the husband/wife duo behind Evidence Based Athlete, using his scientific mind to help optimize results for elite athletes and reformed couch potatoes alike. We talk about his transition from the world of space exploration to fitness closer to home (though the conversation also touches on the future of fitness in zero-gravity). We also talk about his successful podcast — publishing weekly for five straight years! — and the problem with most strength training studies. Brandon is one of the most prolific evidence-based trainers and podcasters around, and he shares some serious knowledge here!

James Newbury is the 5th Fittest Man on Earth, a 4-time Australia's Fittest Man, and one of the most cerebral athletes we've ever spoken with. Learn about the changes to training, nutrition, and recovery that catapulted him to his best-ever CrossFit Games result in 2019 — and where James thinks he has even more room to improve. He also gives his thoughts on format changes for the CrossFit Games, including the cut structure that quickly narrowed the field in 2019. Since starting CrossFit in 2011, James Newbury has made a name for himself as one of Australia's best in the sport. He has four Games appearances under his belt, and through consistent improvement and some important changes heading into 2019, James came away with a coveted 5th place finish in Madison. James and David Thomas Tao talk in-depth on the strategies James uses to keep improving, from elevation training to coaching and the mental strategies that keep him going in tough workouts.They also dive into James' life post-Games and his preparation for the 2020 CrossFit Games season. 

If you've ever read about fitness and strength training online, chances are you have Tony Gentilcore to thank, at least in part. Tony is a trainer and author who was one of the first to take his thoughts online, creating an early bridge between in-gym experience and the web's fitness community. Back around 2010, there weren’t a ton of places to turn to when it came to learning about the ins and outs of strength training online. But Tony’s name was one that popped up everywhere, a testament to his ability to take real-world experience and translate that into the written word.Tony’s known for a lot of things: He co-founded Cressey Sports Performance in 2007, has trained countless elite athletes in pro sports, and remains one of the most prolific writers in the entire world of strength training.In the days before Instagram, Tony helped mold the blueprint of the trainer-author, paving the way for some of today’s biggest online fitness influencers. He’s someone who excels at combining his real-world coaching experience with the latest evidence and research.Today, Tony still dedicates a huge chunk of his time to training clients in-person at his Massachusetts studio. He’s still a prolific writer, with an active web presence at TonyGentilcore.com, and is also an in-demand speaker for fitness events around the globe. In this episode of The BarBend Podcast, I chat with Tony about what’s changed as strength training becomes increasingly mainstream, along with what too many athletes and coaches are STILL getting wrong when it comes to getting stronger. Here’s a hint: We’re probably overcomplicating things.

There are few people in fitness — much less fitness entrepreneurs — who keep it honest and real like Aaron Hinde. He's an open book, someone who's just as eager to explain the bad as he is to celebrate the good. The Co-Founder and President of LIFEAID Beverage Company — makers of FITAID — Aaron is a constant presence at the CrossFit Games, where his company is one of the sport's most visible sponsors. He counts top athletes and coaches among his friends. But that success didn't come without major sacrifice and some serious "lean times" that left Aaron questioning whether his path was really correct. In this episode of The BarBend Podcast, we talk about LIFEAID's rise from scrappy startup to major fitness player. That includes guerilla marketing campaigns, bootstrapped operations, and trying to build a brand while living from one week to the next.We also dive into how Aaron's background as a clinical chiropractor impacts his perspective even today, allowing him to spot trends in fitness before they take off. Aaron also shares some of his craziest CrossFit Games stories, along with what you might not realize about the world's top CrossFitters. If you want to know what's coming next in fitness, or simply need a dose of perspective when it comes to fitness entrepreneurship, tune in!