BarBend Podcast

On this episode, we sit down with a rising star in the international weightlifting community,  22-year old Jourdan Delacruz. While the roster for the Tokyo Olympic Games hasn't been finalized, Jourdan is in a great position to qualify. She's the 2019 Pan-American Champion in the 55kg category and the 2020 IWF World Cup Champion in the 49kg category. In our discussion, we talk about training, changing bodyweight categories and how weightlifters can encourage newer athletes in the sport to get more involved. 

In today's episode, we sit down with Conor Heffernan, BarBend contributor and Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sports Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Our discussion spans thousands of years of strength, strength training and strength competition. From ancient weightlifting to the 1960s, where strength sports like Weightlifting and Powerlifting begin to split off into their own disciplines. It's an exciting ride through the history of strong people. 

Today we're talking to Pedro Meloni, Events & Sponsorships Director at USA Weightlifting. Prior to his role with USA Weightlifting, Pedro was the Weightlifting and Powerlifting Sport Manager for the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. In our conversation, we cover Pedro’s most memorable moments from the 2016 Games, including barely-in-time equipment deliveries and a weightlifting session that triggered international uproar. We also talk about the challenges facing organizations like USA Weightlifting to organize virtual and in-person events during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Unless otherwise specified on certain content, the two organizations maintain editorial independence.

Today we're talking to Steph Chung, an elite CrossFit athlete who’s also on the executive committee of the professional fitness athlete’s association. After a lengthy gymnastics career in the US, Steph discovered CrossFit, which quickly became her primary social outlet while living abroad in the Middle East. It’s where she found friends, developed her athleticism, and even where she first met with her now-husband. Now back in the United States, Steph lives and trains in Massachusetts. She joined us virtually to talk about training, what many elite CrossFitters want to see next for the sport, and much, much more. 

Today we're talking to Caffeine & Kilos Co-Founder and CEO Danny Lehr. Danny is also an accomplished weightlifter and won gold at the 2019 Masters World Cup for Weightlifting. Danny joins the podcast to talk about the unlikely origins of Caffeine and Kilos — including the accidental revelations that led them on the path to selling both athletic lifestyle apparel and high-end coffee blends. We talk about training in weightlifting while balancing a full time job and family, how to grow a business that gives back to the lifting community, and, of course, what makes a great coffee blend. 

Today we're talking to Marcus Martinez, better known online as Kettlebell Exercises on Instagram. Marcus is a master kettlebell instructor on a mission to help people build better bodies with kettlebells, and that means tackling a lot of misconceptions people have about kettlebell training. In our conversation, we discuss what kettlebell training can and can't do for you, big (and sometimes controversial) differences in training methodology, and the most impressive strength feats Marcus has ever witnessed. 

Today we’re talking to 11-time IPF World Champion and Hall of Fame powerlifter Jen Thompson. Summarizing ALL of Jen’s accomplishments in strength in a quick intro is frankly impossible. She’s one of powerlifting’s all-time greats and still very much a dominant force in the sport, both when competing on the platform and through her contributions as an organizer and advocate. We talk about Jen’s current training and programming split, her favorite accessory movements for a legendary bench press, and how powerlifting has changed over her 20 plus years in the sport. We also talk about where there’s still room for improvement, especially on the international level. 

Today we're talking to Jake Boly, BarBend’s outgoing fitness editor. In nearly four years with BarBend, Jake has covered hundreds of strength sports events and written or edited thousands of articles on training and strength research. We look back on Jake’s time in and contributions toward strength journalism, including the athletes and feats that impressed him the most!

Today we're talking to Ryan Dorris, accomplished bodybuilder, powerlifter, strength coach and owner of Fortis EQ. Strength sports — particularly CrossFit, but it's not alone — have witnessed lots of changes in the last few months. In this episode, Ryan reflects on how and why strength sports have lacked inclusivity in the past. He's optimistic though, offering a positive and insightful outlook on the culture of strength sports and how we can create more inclusivity together in a time of uncertainty. 

Today we're talking to Zack George, who finished the 2020 CrossFit Open in first among males in the United Kingdom. Zack’s journey is an inspirational one: From overweight kid to the UK’s fittest man, we talk about the challenges and humbling moments along his path. Zack also joins us to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the CrossFit season, as well as his response to CrossFit HQ’s organizational shakeup and outgoing CEO Greg Glassman’s controversial comments.