We ran our first meet at Third Street Barbell on Dec. 18, 2021.

And this is the first commentary video on this channel in many years.

The meet was an unsanctioned deadlift-only meet. For many of the lifters it was their first meet, but experienced lifters like Brittany Chown used it as a tune-u…

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 happen by ourselves. Shout out to Barbell Brigade and Vibe Health Bar for h…

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 justice to the amazing rise of the Williams sisters or is it mostly a Will Sm…

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After some period of time away from the gym, how do you deal with the mental impact of being WAY off your PRs? Are meal replacements worth or it or a good idea? What have we learned that we didn’t know while making this show? What would we tell our younger selves if we had the chance? Is it a good …

It’s fitting that Rogue Fitness would decide to underwrite an expansive documentary on the life of Terry Todd -- a name known to many in the strength world for decades. As a lifter and coach, he was a formative presence in Olympic lifting, powerlifting, and strongman. In many ways, he helped define…

In a bit of a mashup between a regular 50% Facts and one our shorter Topic Thunder episodes, we sat down with our friends from Caffeine & Kilos to take another swing the advantages and disadvantages of home gyms. We also hit on “do not disturb” on smart phones, the disappointment of “skipfree” port…

Pat Tillman, who walked away from NFL millions to join the Army and was later killed, is a legendary heroic figure. What was the real story of his death by friendly fire? This documentary reflects his family’s efforts to find the truth and get the military and the government to admit to efforts to …

In this episode, we discuss the final chapters of The Way Down. These episodes cover the impact on the lives and families of the cult surrounding the Remnant Fellowship and diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara. Many former members detail the extent to which the cult controlled their behavior and actions, a…

We’re lucky to have not one, but two physical therapy docs as members of our gym. We sat down with Emily Snee and Dominic Violi to discuss what it really takes to get back in the game, and the stuff that’s probably just a waste of time and money. It didn’t shock us, and it shouldn’t shock you, that…

The author of the bestselling diet book The Weigh Down, Gwen Shamblin, appeared on the national TV talk shows and sold her weight loss philosophy to people across America. Especially churchgoers. By 1999, she had essentially started her own Tennessee church (or cult depending on your point of view)…

To what extent is “canceling” someone in 2021 just a way to take someone off the board? Does intent matter? And can people really be educated/rehabilitated? We take a look at the recent scandal around former Raiders’ head coach/GM John Gruden’s emails and his hurried resignation.

We kick it off w…

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Hey, powerlifting-specific content! We asked one of our gym members who had just competed in his first meet, the USAPL California State Championships, to talk about the experience. We also share our personal experiences and best practices.

What should your last week of training look like?
Do you…

We spend a couple episodes talking about a couple of high profile (in their sports) transgender athletes through the lens of documentaries about their lives: “Transformer” about the life of powerlifter/bodybuilder Janae Kroczaleski, and “Untold: Caitlyn Jenner” about the 1976 US Olympic Decathlon g…

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Support the stream: https://streamlabs.com/jimmcdonald

Show starts at 1:57.

Discussion about the book, "The Power of Now" and other approaches that help people with anxiety live in the moment. Viewer questions include our funnies gym moments, whether carb cycling is worthwhile, and making progress on the bench. We also talk about some of the nuances o…

This is a conversation about the limits and challenges of monetizing a presence on social platforms. Last week the OnlyFans platform announced an end to explicit content. This week that decision was reversed. Since many personalities and creators in fitness rely on social platforms to make money – …

The 2021 Netflix documentary “Untold: Malice in the Palace” unpacks some overlooked elements of a riot that broke out during an Indiana Pacers/Detroit Pistons in November 2004. The careers of Pacers’ Jermaine O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Stephen Jackson, and Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) were all impact…

The 2020 Netflix documentary “Athlete A” details the scandal that nearly destroyed USA gymnastics. Team doctor Larry Nassar sexually violated young women gymnasts for decades before a shocking number came forward to tell their stories of abuse – so many that the story could no longer be ignored or …

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After a brief, unplanned break last week, we’re back to follow up on another of the words/phrases that people say all the time but not everyone understands.

Nearly all the social media and streaming platforms we all encounter daily run on “recommendation algorithms that control what we see. We br…

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