BarBend Podcast
BarBend
Learn from the top athletes, coaches, and influencers in strength! Each week, the BarBend Podcast brings together some of the world's biggest strength names across weightlifting, powerlifting, CrossFit, strongman, and more. BarBend Editor and Co-Founder David Thomas Tao sits down with the strength community's smartest and strongest minds to with a focus on their learnings through training, competition, and coaching. We dive deep on their journeys and where strength training has taken them. World record holders share their competition secrets. Coaches give their most underrated tips. And top thinkers and researchers from the realm of strength science go deep on their most promising findings. This podcast is the perfect companion for experts and beginners alike, covering a wide range of topics to keep listeners up to date on the world of strength.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 14, 2021 • 36min
2021's Biggest Strength Stories
Today on the BarBend Podcast, we welcome two of the BarBend Team's finest: Managing Editor Andrew Gutman and Senior Writer Phil Blechman. We dive into our favorite strength stories, feats, records, and competitions of 2021, then look ahead at the big stories to come in 2022. Did we include any of your favorite moments?
Dec 6, 2021 • 23min
17 Year-Old Weightlifting World Champion (with Hampton Morris)
Hey folks, we have a short and sweet one for you. Today I’m talking to American weightlifter Hampton Morris. Just 17 years old, Hampton has an athletic resume that is nothing short of jaw-dropping. He was 2 World, 10 Pan American, and 16 American weightlifting records, and he’s the 2021 Pan American Senior Champion and 2021 Youth World Champion. We chat about Hampton’s meteoric rise in the sport, the unorthodox accessory movements in his training, and more.
Nov 30, 2021 • 34min
BarBend Classic: Heather Connor and What We're Getting Wrong About Injuries
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 recorded before it was announced the SBD Sheffield 2020 Powerlifting Championships would be canceled due to concerns surrounding COVID-19.
Nov 22, 2021 • 28min
Treat Your Training Like a Stock Portfolio (w/Graciano Rubio)
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.
Nov 16, 2021 • 30min
The First Time He Deadlifted, He Pulled 500 Pounds (w/Andy Huang)
Today I’m talking to powerlifter Andy Huang, perhaps better known online as That Huge Asian Guy. Andy has put up some of the world’s all-time great totals at 275 lbs bodyweight, and after battling several injuries, he recently came back to top competition form. Andy talks about finding powerlifting a bit later in life, and how his training approach has grown over the years. Andy also discusses the benefits of training with and around other world-class powerlifters, and how their mentality helps shape his own.
Nov 9, 2021 • 27min
How Long It Takes to Become World's Strongest Woman (w/Donna Moore)
Today I’m talking to Donna Moore, a British legend in the sport of strongman and a three-time World’s Strongest Woman. Donna has been competing in strongman since 2012, and in today’s episode, she shares her unlikely origins in the sport — including a seemingly random competition through Facebook — as well as her future aspirations, which include competing in a completely different bodyweight category. Along the way, Donna shares some of her favorite and funniest competition stories and provides some insight into what it takes to start from the beginning and work your way to the tippy top of a strength sport.
Nov 1, 2021 • 30min
Why We Lie to Ourselves About Fitness (w/ James FitzGerald)
Today we have a rare repeat podcast guest, James Fitzgerald. James was the first-ever men’s champion at the CrossFit Games – back in 2007 — and since then he’s built a reputation as one of the fitness industry’s most thoughtful and prolific coaches. His company OPEX offers a variety of online coaching and education resources, which gives James nearly-unparalleled insight into macro trends in fitness. But our conversation here goes deeper than the latest and greatest in working out. James gets candid about discussing how the question “why do we work out?” has more flawed answers than honesty. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into the philosophy of exercise, training, and the human condition, this is certainly an episode we hope you’ll enjoy.
Oct 25, 2021 • 37min
BarBend Classic: Jen Widerstrom on "American Gladiators" to Becoming a Go-To Trainer
From the BarBend Podcast archives: Jen Widerstrom rose to the national spotlight as a star on "American Gladiators," but after the show was canceled, a career in the fitness industry didn't happen overnight. We talk with Jen about behind-the-scenes stories from "Gladiators," finding footing as a coach and trainer, and eventually becoming one of Hollywood's got-to trainers for TV and shows like "The Biggest Loser." What's it like to coach Kevin Hart and Conan O'Brien? Jen gives us the details, along with the incredibly fit celebrities you might not expect.
Oct 19, 2021 • 32min
The Secret to Strength Commentary (w/Big Loz)
Today I’m talking to legendary strongman competitor Laurence Shahlaei, better known in the strength community as Big Loz. Loz has a storied strongman career, having competed in more than 10 World’s Strongest Man competitions, winning Britain’s Strongest Man twice, winning Europe’s strongest man, and racking up more podium finishes in the sport than we can list in this intro. He’s since made a successful transition over to sports commentary and is building one of the strength sports world’s fastest-growing communities on YouTube and through his work bringing competitor insight to live events.
Oct 11, 2021 • 25min
Can Britain's Strongest Man Repeat? (w/ Adam Bishop)
Today I’m talking to strongman Adam Bishop, the reigning Britain’s Strongest Man (as of this podcast’s publication). After playing rugby at a high level, Adam became a strength and conditioning coach for professional rugby players. It was only in the past couple of years that he was able to focus full-time on training for strongman, and his results have skyrocketed. Now a three-time World’s Strongest Man finalist, Adam talks about his evolution in the sport, along with the athletes he sees as his closest rivals.
