BarBend Podcast

Justin Bergh is the General Manager of the CrossFit Games and has been a driving force behind the event for over a decade. Justin joins the podcast to talk about what the CrossFit Games will look like in future years. That includes how the event interacts with sponsors (and the types of brands they won't work with), the organization's on-again/off-again relationship with social media, an increasingly international athlete and fan base, and how the Games broadcast may continue to evolve over time. 

Kevin Oak has held multiple all-time powerlifting world records throughout his career. Currently, he holds the raw 242 lb raw all-time world record for the squat with his recent 860 lb lift. Outside of powerlifting, Kevin also owns his own apparel business, Barbell Commission. 

In today’s episode we chat with Kevin about a variety of topics including his pre world record mindset, what his next epics feats of strength will be, and much more. 

Matt O'Keefe is President of Loud & Live Sports, the event organizers behind major CrossFit Sanctionals including Wodapalooza and The Granite Games. He's also agent to CrossFit superstars including Mat Fraser, Tia-Clair Toomey, Brent Fikowski, Patrick Vellner, Katrin Davidsdottir, and more. We sit down to talk about his unlikely origins in the space, the challenges of moving the fitness events space forward, and why so much of what he does is built on close personal friendships. 

Learn more about the work Matt is doing to help the CrossFit community during COVID-19 at United in Movement.

Dr. Andy Galpin is a tenured Professor in the Center for Sport Performance at CSU Fullerton. In 2011, he earned his PhD in Human Bioenergetics and has done incredible work in regard to muscle fibers and how we understand them. On top of being a tenured professor, Dr. Galpin co-authored the book Unplugged and works hand in hand with a variety of elite athletes. 

In today’s episode, guest host Jake Boly sits down with Dr. Galpin to chat about muscle fibers. They talk about what we know, what we don’t know, and everything in-between. 

Joe Yoon, probably better known as "Joe Therapy" through his massive social media following, is a trainer and massage therapist who's one of the fitness industry's most visible personalities when it comes to mobility. Joe joins us to talk about limitations and misconceptions in mobility, how much time we should really be dedicating to flexibility and prehab work, and lessons from his new bestselling book, Better Stretching. 

Chad Vaughn is a multi-time Olympian and one of the most accomplished weightlifters in American history. He joins the BarBend Podcast to discuss how weightlifters can stay strong, mobile, and fast when training from home with limited or even no equipment. 

Chad Wesley Smith is a record-breaking powerlifter, coach, and the founder of Juggernaut Training Systems. He joins the BarBend podcast to talk about the four main areas powerlifters and strength athletes of all types can focus on when working from home with limited or no equipment. Chad also highlights specific movements to focus on to keep neural force production high while away from heavy weights. 

If you're training in powerlifting or weightlifting, nothing can perfectly replicate the stimulus of a barbell. But smart at-home training with minimal or no equipment CAN make an impact. And in an extended period away from the gym, many athletes can actually add muscle mass and improve their mobility. 

BarBend Fitness Editor Jake Boly joins the show to talk about strategies to preserve gains and even improve your lifting patterns while at home, using common household items and or just a few pieces of exercise equipment. 

Athletes and sports governing bodies across the world have been racing to adapt to postponements, cancellations, and the challenges of training while maintaining social distance. In this special episode, USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews joins us to talk about his organization's first responses to the pandemic, including rapid changes and the lack of spectators at this year's Arnold Sports Festival.

We also talk about potential ramifications for Olympic qualification, Phil's thoughts on Tokyo 2020, and what USA Weightlifting is doing to help athletes find places to train when gyms across the country are closed for an extended period. 

Editor's Note: This podcast was recorded on Tuesday, March 17th, 2020. 

Eugen Loki is personal trainer based in Rome, Italy. More than likely you’ve seen his Instagram page Pheasyque on multiple occasions that has more than 600 thousand followers. On his page, he creates in-depth drawings to explain a variety of training topics that are otherwise difficult to explain through only text.

In today’s episode we chat with Eugen about differences in the fitness industry between the US And Italy, how he creates his drawings and if they’re all original, and so much more.