Episodes
What does the perfect powerlifting federation look like for you?
March 17, 2023
Deadlift bar or stiff bar? Twenty-four hour weigh-in or two-hour weigh-in? Owned by lifters or owned by an individual? These are some of the factors on which lifter preferences differ. What do we, or more specifically Avi…
Avi wins the Arnold!
March 15, 2023
But what does it really mean to be a pro? What could federations do to make the pro rank more prestigious and more financially feasible? Avi and her coach, Michael Kieu, joined us in Columbus the day after the meet to break…
Relationships hurt your gains? | Topic Thunder
March 10, 2023
Do athletes perform better when they’re not in a relationship? Niko and Elexa joined us again, for this particularly relevant question. You can find Nico at http://instagram.com/nicoflores83kg on Instagram and TikTok and …
JP Gallardo, Evan Holmes, and John Nealon
March 8, 2023
We’re joined by bodybuilding coach and huge (3 million!) TikTok influencer, JP Gallardo, another coach and social media content creator, Evan Holmes, and Hoka shoe designer John Nealon. Barbell Brigade’s Nadeem Hamidy also j…
Most overrated shoe? | Topic Thunder
March 3, 2023
The question: Are Jordan Ones the most overrated shoe? Niko and Elexa joined us for this one. You can find Nico at http://instagram.com/nicoflores83kg on Instagram and TikTok and Elexa at @nanoo31 on Instagram and TikTok …
Do golfers need to be jacked? | Full Swing documentary | PGA vs LIV
March 1, 2023
The Netflix documentary series “Full Swing” takes a look at the struggles players go through to end up in the money on the PGA tour, and a new alternative format where everyone gets paid regardless of performance. There w…
Would we ever try strongman? Guest Omar Isuf | One good question
Feb. 24, 2023
One good question from our Discord (https://discord.com/invite/XVvJ5eNzdq): Bronzielocks asks: Would you ever try doing strongman? That would be a cool series to see, kind of like when you did the oly series. Our best-…
Omar Isuf
Feb. 23, 2023
Our best-est friend from north of the border joins us in studio. Omar has been a force in YouTube fitness for years, and last year he led “Ancient Workouts with Omar” in association with the History Channel. We launched i…
Deadlifts are not worth the risks? | Topic Thunder
Feb. 17, 2023
We’re still in Topic Thunder mode this week. Our panel tries to find agreement (or not) with the suggestion that training deadlifts the risks if you’re not a competitive powerlifter. Are they actually dangerous? Or…
Hook grip is unreliable? | Topic Thunder
Feb. 15, 2023
We’re still in Topic Thunder mode this week. Our panel unpacks this hot take, “Hook grip Is unreliable and may be overrated.” Hook grip is a bandwagon that most lifters jump on at one time or another to try to up their…
Things NOT to overlook when you’re planning a meet | Topic Thunder
Feb. 10, 2023
Our panel takes on a couple of related questions about the giant meet we just ran from members of our Discord: AR17 asked, “What do you believe was the most under (over) looked aspect of running/ prepping a meet?” Keit…
Powerlifting has become a meme? | Topic Thunder
Feb. 8, 2023
We just hosted a great big meet – maybe the largest local USAPL meet ever – and we’re beat so we’re slipping into Topic Thunder mode for a bit to recover our calm and our voices. Topic Thunder episodes are short, sometime…
Do you need a mentor? | One Good Question
Feb. 2, 2023
This week’s question from our Discord: EvilFern asked, “How important is having a mentor? Am I missing out by not having one? Feel like it's something that should happen naturally instead of seeking one out somehow.” J…
Our best and worst takes on what powerlifting looks like in 5 years Guest: Joe Stanek
Feb. 1, 2023
Joe Stanek of Gameday Barbell joins us for this discussion. You can find Joe on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thejoestanek ____ Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on socia…
Ground turkey vs ground beef vs ground chicken | One Good Question
Jan. 27, 2023
This week’s question from our Discord: ArrogantFool asked, “Why do people use ground turkey instead of ground beef to lose weight when the macros and calories are nearly identical and there isn't a cost advantage?” We ki…
The Pandora’s Box of Powerlifting
Jan. 25, 2023
Where’s the line between holding an organization accountable for turning a blind eye to unspeakable acts and stirring an angry mob to chase Frankenstein’s monster with torches and pitchforks? (Are there any more metaphors we…
Can you be too talented to need a coach? | NetFlix Doc series Break Point
Jan. 18, 2023
Dean Saddoris is back to help us break down the first episode of the new Netflix documentary series “Break Point,” which documents up-and-coming tennis stars during the 2022 Grand Slam season. Gifted “bad boy” Nick Kyrgios …
Most people give low effort in the gym? | Topic Thunder
Jan. 13, 2023
This episode is about reacting to a hot take that was sent to us: Most people are putting in such low effort in the gym, it’s a waste of time! Our own Kyle Castro and Sebastian Brambila on Instagram join us for thi…
Pete Rubish
Jan. 11, 2023
Pete’s on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pete.rubish/ and his website https://www.koa-strong.com/ ____ Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media and use …
Should gym owners yell about stuff like dirty bars? | Topic Thunder
Jan. 6, 2023
Our own gym manager Kyle Castro and lead trainer Avi Lieu join us for this one. Kyle’s on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kyle.castroo/ and Avi on https://www.instagram.com/avi.lieu. ____ Have a question for one…
What’s the best condiment? | Topic Thunder
Jan. 4, 2023
Our own Kyle Castro and Sebastian Brambila on Instagram join us for this one. Kyle’s on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kyle.castroo/ and Sebastian at https://www.instagram.com/sebastian_brambila. ____ Have a qu…
Should powerlifting be judged by robots? | Topic Thunder
Dec. 30, 2022
Our own Kyle Castro and Sebastian Brambila on Instagram join us for this one. Kyle’s on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kyle.castroo/ and Sebastian at https://www.instagram.com/sebastian_brambila. ____ Have a qu…
How to handle big business changes? | One Good Question
Dec. 28, 2022
This week’s question from our Discord: Frequent contributor Keith Honeycutt asked, “What are some unexpected changes you have had to make to the gym or your business model since opening the doors?” Our own Kyle Castro…
Craziest question or comment from a total stranger? | Topic Thunder
Dec. 24, 2022
We’re in Topic Thunder mode for most of our episodes over the holiday break. What’s Topic Thunder? It’s the name of our roughly 10-minute “rant” show with a four-member panel who throw out as ideas as possible about a parti…