Episodes
Why does your personality suck (or not suck)?
March 2, 2022
So last year we took a test to see if either of us is a sociopath. We came out OK on that one, so we thought we’d give a full, 300 question personality assessment a go. No, not the Myers-Briggs. This assessment is from Perso…
How do you get your kids into lifting? | One Good Question mini-episode
Feb. 25, 2022
We asked you for suggestions for a single question you’d like to hear us cover in one shorter episode. @arrogantfool asked us on Instagram, “How, as a dad who lifts, should we approach getting our kids under the bar? 'force'…
Why does everybody love the bench press?
Feb. 24, 2022
Specifically, why does the general public get so excited about the bench press record? We kick around this question in light of the recent 804 lb. training press by Danial Zamani. We talk about being present for Eric Spoto’s…
Bulk, cut, or nah? | Topic Thunder mini-episode
Feb. 18, 2022
Are big bulks or big cuts worth it? Will you get what you want out of them or do they (almost) always go bad. And if you’re on a bulk, how many glizzies can you eat in 48 hours? We throw out some opinions on this and share s…
Modest calorie restriction for longer “health span” and a droid that carries your lunch
Feb. 16, 2022
A grab bag of topics, including conversation about a new study linking moderate, “short term” calorie restriction and its impact on life span and “health span.” We also take a look at a motorized lunch box/ice chest that wil…
Our biggest fitness mistakes? | Topic Thunder mini-episode
Feb. 11, 2022
Maybe the biggest fitness mistake is not committing to being fit, but what were the biggest mistakes we made once we made that commitment? Where did we waste our time/money/both? Listen and see if you did some of the same cr…
Can we treat adaptive athletes as athletes first? | Guest Sam Schaefer
Feb. 9, 2022
Sam Schaefer is an adaptive and inclusive trainer, a fairly recent below-the-knee amputee – but and first and foremost, he’s an athlete. He shares the story of how he pushed himself forward through over nine years of constan…
Which sport is the most athletic? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Feb. 4, 2022
Standing at the crossroads of the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics, a few weeks from the NBA All-star game, and a likely delayed MLB season, this seemed like a good time to debate which sport is the most athletic. We came to …
Which “underground” sports will actually work on TV/streaming/etc.?
Feb. 2, 2022
This discussion started with a basic question: If Olympic weightlifting is really leaving the Olympics, will a mass audience ever be able to watch it again, and will it even survive? This brought up a larger question: Which …
Pain, Fame, and Anthony Bourdain | Our Review of Roadrunner
Jan. 29, 2022
Roadrunner -- A Film About Anthony Bourdain, was released in July of 2021. It documents the rapid rise of a middle-aged chef, turned writer, turned TV host who took us along as he sampled foods that most of us would never ta…
Which sports (if any) should allow TRT? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Jan. 27, 2022
Due to some production scheduling stuff, we’re flipping the script this week and dropping a Topic Thunder episode on a Wednesday and a regular episode on a Friday. Is nothing sacred? And speaking of sacred, which sports shou…
After the Fear? Our first after-show
Jan. 21, 2022
After our conversation with Garrett Fear in the previous episode, we kicked around some additional ideas about the viability of powerlifting as entertainment for “gen pop” audiences. We also talked about what we watched duri…
Garrett Fear: Can powerlifting ever grab a mainstream audience?
Jan. 20, 2022
Can the next generation of powerlifters (and powerlifting promoters) finally bring the audiences (and sponsor money) the sport has dreamed of? Garrett Fear thinks so, and he gives us some insight into how it might work. We k…
Is bodybuilding a sport? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Jan. 15, 2022
If a sport requires a physical performance that is measured against other competitors, can bodybuilding really be a sport? Or is the actual sport in the preparation? Or is it more like a pageant or even a dog show? We’re tot…
Why does CrossFit get so much hate? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Jan. 13, 2022
Full-length Wednesday episodes return next week! As powerlifters, we've observed the impact that CrossFit has had on general fitness, weightlifting, powerlifting, etc. On balance, its influence has been pretty positive, ri…
If you could delete one thing from the fitness world, what would it be? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Jan. 7, 2022
Which one thing do you think we’d be better off without? Is it a social media posturing? A training method? A useless supplement? Or is it just the ways that “fitness” is sold to us? Dean Saddoris of Caffeine & Kilos joined …
What’s the best pre-workout? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Jan. 5, 2022
While the main show is on a holiday break, please enjoy this episode of our show, Topic Thunder. How do people decide that they need a boost just to get through a workout? Are some too much and some not enough? What can you…
Are New Year’s resolutions a cop out? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Dec. 31, 2021
Does it matter when you decide to set goals and make changes in your life? Should you keep your goals private until you’ve made some progress? Does stating your goals out loud more or less likely to keep pursuing them? Is an…
Who’s on your Fitness Mt. Rushmore? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Dec. 29, 2021
While the main show is on a holiday break, please enjoy this episode of Topic Thunder. Which four people have contributed the most to the current state of the fitness industry? Or what you enjoy about the industry? Who’s had…
Best lifting shoes? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Dec. 24, 2021
When did it become a thing to have specialized shoes for everything? Are flat shoes better than heeled shoes or vice versa? If you’re thinking about putting your Christmas money into lifting shoes…or you’ve got a really spec…
What did we learn from running our first meet?
Dec. 23, 2021
We partnered with Caffeine & Kilos to hold an unsanctioned deadlift meet at our gym. What did we find out that we didn’t know before? We’ve participated in running meets in the past, but this was our first shot at making it …
What was your first definition of “fitness?” | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Dec. 17, 2021
We throw our minds back to our first ideas of what “fitness” meant when we were first exposed to it as kids. Was it gadgets like the Thighmaster? Was it Richard Simmons? Was it bodybuilding magazines in the supermarket? Oh, …
King Richard | BioPic Review and Reaction
Dec. 16, 2021
We’re taking our first jump into scripted film territory. Will Smith stars as the father, and sometimes coach of, Venus and Serena Williams in this 2021 “definitely-not-a-documentary” biographical film. Does the film do ju…
Should steroids be legal in sports? | Topic Thunder Mini-episode
Dec. 11, 2021
MLB’s Hall of Fame recently voted on a slate of potential inductees from baseball’s “steroid era.” The game benefited from the performance of these players. Specifically, they helped bring enthusiasm and crowd back to the sp…