BarBend Podcast

Today we're talking to Bethany Shadburne, a multi-time CrossFit Games athlete who finished in the Games Top 10 in 2019. While many top Games athletes seem to only highlight their biggest lifts and fastest times, Bethany is better known on social media for the minutia; hundreds of thousands of people tune into her posts for creative prehab and warm-up exercises, a routine Bethany prioritizes because of a history of injuries and back pain. Bethany joins the podcast to talk about Games training during quarantine, body parts CrossFitters tend to neglect, and why she almost stopped training completely in the months leading up to her outstanding 2019 Games performance.

Note: We recorded this podcast a couple weeks before recent leadership changes at CrossFit HQ and before a series of delays were announced for the 2020 CrossFit Games.

Today I’m talking to Scott Herman, a trainer, BSN athlete, influencer, and founder of MuscularStrength.com. Scott was one of the first mainstream fitness influencers on YouTube and built out one of the internet’s first real video instructional libraries. Scott and I catch up on his background as a reality TV star, how fitness on the internet has evolved, and what he thinks is most misleading in the fitness industry.

I want to give a big shout out to this episode’s sponsor, BSN. BSN has been around for nearly 20 years, and they’re a global leader in sports nutrition. For their protein powder — including their partnership line with Cold Stone Creamery — to preworkout, protein bars, and more, BSN has won more than 35 sports nutrition awards over the last few years. (My personal favorite of their flavors? The Birthday Cake Remix Syntha-6. I literally hid some in my desk to keep the rest of the BarBend team from using it all.)

Armen Hammer has worn a lot of hats around the CrossFit community: Athlete, affiliate owner, writer, vlogger, you name it. And his relationship with CrossFit HQ has been colorful, to say the least. Years ago, Armen, who was attending as a blogger and spectator, was removed from the CrossFit Games by event staff.

More recently, he’s built close friendships with people inside CrossFit’s leadership, and his videos and social media posts about goings-on inside the CrossFit community are some of the most popular content in the space. He’s also broken and confirmed some massive news stories, including the announcement that Greg Glassman would be retiring as CrossFit’s CEO. We recorded this podcast just one day after that become public knowledge, and our discussion revolves around the CrossFit Games, CrossFit as a company, and how the community is reacting to sudden changes.

Today I’m talking to Syn Martinez, who owns and operates the fitness and lifestyle clothing brand Afro Brutality. Syn also owned and coached at CrossFit Harlem from 2009 to 2014. I’ve known Syn for around seven years, and he’s always been very transparent and outspoken in his views. In this conversation — recorded just a day before it was announced Glassman would be stepping down as CrossFit CEO — we cover some topics and perspectives that may be controversial in the fitness space. It’s also worth noting the podcast does include language that could make some uncomfortable.

Our conversation revolves around the controversy surrounding Greg Glassman and CrossFit HQs stance — or in some cases, silence — on race relations and inclusivity. Syn was an early adopter of CrossFit methodology on the East Coast, and he also built relationships with Glassman and his team over the years, including some possible initiatives to expand CrossFit’s reach within the Black community. Syn gives his perspective on the opportunities that could have been and what he thinks fell through along the way.

Ebenezer Samuel is a trainer and the Fitness Director for Men's Health Magazine. He joins the BarBend Podcast to talk about how his fascination with superheroes guided his career, the fittest professional athletes, giving pole dancing a try, and much more.

On June 4th, Professor Richard McLaren released his team's report investigating allegations of financial corruption, election fraud, and doping cover ups at the International Weightlifting Federation's (IWF) highest levels. According to McLaren's report, former IWF President Dr. Tamas Aján was involved in deep financial corruption (with over $10 million unaccounted for) as well as coordinated election fraud. However, allegations made against the Hungarian National Anti-Doping Agency (HUNADO) regarding false drug testing did NOT prove to be accurate.

(Read BarBend's summary of McLaren's report as well as the original report.)

In this episode, USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews — who began serving in a temporary transition role with the IWF after McLaren's investigation was underway — joins us to talk about McLaren's findings and potential impact of the report. It's worth clarifying two things: Though he's acting in a temporary position with the IWF, Phil was not directly involved in the investigation and only had access to the report at the same time as media and the public. In this recording, Phil also requested we clarify he is speaking here as the CEO of USA Weightlifting, and his words don't necessarily represent positions held by the IWF.

Bill Esch is best known online as the Kettlebell Warrior. Starting with a background in Olympic weightlifting, Bill discovered kettlebell sport in his late 20s. After five years of training, he became the first American male to achieve the rank of master of sport international class in kettlebell sport. 

In today’s episode, we talk about the origins and history of kettlebell sport, what exactly it is that Bill competes in, and give some context on the extreme marks of endurance, strength, and mental fortitude his and other kettlebell athlete’s accomplishments really signify.

Jay Maryniak is a trainer and athlete who's been innovating in the functional wellness space for over a decade. Jay joins us to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on boutique fitness and fitness classes. He also talks about minimalist home gyms and his personal experiences training as a Type 1 diabetic. 

Charlie Dickson is the 2018 International Powerlifting Federations' 83kg Junior World Champion. He's also a Doctor of Physical Therapy with an educational and professional background that gives him unique insight into training at an elite level. Charlie joins the BarBend Podcast to talk about training frequency and intensity misconceptions, his surprising approach to warm-ups, and the active powerlifters he most admires in the sport.

Justin LoFranco is the founder and CEO of Morning Chalk Up, a daily newsletter and media company dedicated to all things CrossFit. He joins the BarBend Podcast to talk about his roots on Capitol Hill and schisms within the CrossFit community. He also shares reactions from his friends and family when he decided to leave behind a promising career in politics to focus on such a niche sport.