BarBend Podcast

Today we're talking to American weightlifter Meredith Alwine, the current Pan American champion in the women’s 71kg category. I first met Meredith back in 2016 - in the early days of BarBend - while doing color commentary for the RVA Open in Richmond, Virginia. Back then, she was an up-and-coming collegiate lifter, and let’s just say her progress since has been nothing short of astounding. She’s risen through the ranks from the local, collegiate, and national levels to now be a contending force at any international competition where she’s representing the United States. She joins the podcast to talk about training, her progress in the sport, and the coach/athlete dynamics that are so vital to success in the sport. 

Today we're talking to Justin Cotler, a longtime CrossFit coach and affiliate owner who works with top athletes like Fittest American Woman and CrossFit Games podium finisher Kari Pearce. Justin joins me to talk about building a new destination for functional fitness athletes in Las Vegas, the ins and outs of coaching CrossFit Games athletes, how COVID impacted gym ownership in America, and much more. Even if you don’t follow competitive CrossFit closely, Justin gives some great insight into the coach’s mindset and how to get the most out of your training, so stick around. 

Today we're talking to Christmas Abbott, a woman with a fitness resume about a mile long. She’s been a team CrossFit Games competitor, weightlifter, influencer, reality TV star, and also NASCAR’s first-ever female pit crew member. I’ve known Christmas for over seven years, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had a proper catchup. In this episode of the BarBend podcast, we talk about her evolution from hyper-competitive athlete to producing fitness content for the masses, the physical rigors of working with a pit crew, and badass moms from movies Christmas wants to emulate. 

Today we're talking to strongman athlete Brian Alsruhe, who actually joins the BarBend Podcast for a second time. Recently, Brian has been focusing most of his time on building a homestead in the woods, completely by hand and without the use of power tools. We discuss what it means to use strength in a real-world environment, along with how building a log cabin mirrors strongman-style training. This podcast also touches on the human connection with nature, feats of endurance long before electricity, and we even touch on Bigfoot and other topics in cryptozoology. Don’t miss it.

Today we're talking to Kris Gethin, a renowned bodybuilder, biohacker, and owner of KAGED Muscle Supplements. Kris, who joins us on the podcast for a second time, is also an extreme sports junkie, and earlier in 2021 he suffered a significant triceps injury while snowboarding. We talk about Kris’ approach to recovery, and how his years of working to optimize recovery from in the gym training have impacted that approach. We also discuss his favorite gyms around the world, and why bodybuilding training can be so much more difficult than many people realize.

Today we're talking to an athlete who probably needs little introduction: Martins Licis, the 2019 World’s Strongest Man and one of the strength world’s most charismatic athletes. We don’t want to say too much more, but a quick preview: we discuss coming back from injury, when Martins plans to compete again, how long he thinks his strongman career will last, what it was like filming a GEICO commercial, setting Steinborn squat world records, and much, much more. We even came up with a new strongman event during this recording, so you don’t want to miss out.

Today we're talking to pro strongwoman Jessica Fithen. Among her many accomplishments, Jessica is the first strongwoman to block press 100 kilograms or more. She’s also very active on social media and is the brains behind the Instagram page “You Look Like a Man,” which highlights and parodies some of the more ridiculous — and usually unsolicited — things women lifters and strength athletes hear online. This recording is equal parts deep dive into the sport of strongman and an examination of strength communities on social media. We hope you enjoy!

Today we're talking to coach Travis Mash. In some circles, Travis is best known as a champion, world record-breaking powerlifter, and his career in that sport is legendary. But fewer people know that Travis’ first strength love was weightlifting, a sport he spends most of his time coaching these days. Travis joins us to talk about training athletes based on scientific principles, starting a collegiate weightlifting program, and his passion for strength research. We also discuss the super total — which involves testing athletes across both weightlifting and powerlifting events — and much, much more. 

Before we get into that, I want to give a quick shoutout to today’s episode sponsor, Athletic Greens. I first tried Athletic Greens back in 2012. It was already a massively popular daily supplement, and since then, they’ve undergone dozens of formulation tweaks, each an improvement on the last. It’s the rare all-in-one greens supplement that’s NSF-certified — a must for competitive athletes — and also tastes delicious (I’m probably a bit biased because I love the subtle notes of pineapple and vanilla). Interested in trying it? Visit athleticgreens.com/barbend to get a free gift with your purchase. 

Today we're talking to kettlebell sport champion Kim Fox, who holds multiple all-time world records in the sport. She’s also one of the most accomplished Americans to ever compete in the sport. If you’re not familiar with kettlebell sport, this conversation is a solid introduction to what it entails, the intense mental and physical challenge involved, how a world champion trains, and the small but growing community of athletes and coaches around the globe. Kim shares insights from early on in her career though to today. Whether you’re a die-hard kettlebell fan or just looking to learn more about the world of strength, this is an episode we hope you’ll enjoy. 

Today we're talking to OUT Foundation founder Will Lanier. Formerly known as OUTWOD, the OUT Foundation’s mission is to remove the barriers that block LGBTQ+ individuals' access and participation in fitness, health, and wellness to ensure their success. Will takes us back to the group’s origins as an informal workout community in New York City, and he details how — over nearly ten years — it’s grown into a foundation that serves communities across the United States. We also discuss their goals moving forward, issues they’re mobilizing around, and why they felt the need to create their own leaderboard for the CrossFit Open.