Hot Topic: Jason Day’s perspective on the big 4 lifts

Worth It? Social Media/Phone Detox

Main Course: In this episode, we break down one of the biggest debates in strength training: unilateral vs. bilateral lower body work. Are squats and deadlifts still king, or is single-leg training the more functional approach? We dive into the real benefits of both: how bilateral lifts build maximal strength and efficiency, while unilateral exercises improve balance, stability, and address imbalances, and where each can fall short. We also discuss how real life (and sport) requires both, why many programs get this wrong, and how to actually structure your training depending on your goals. Whether you’re training for strength, longevity, or just trying to move and feel better, this episode will help you understand when each approach makes the most sense, and how to use both effectively.

Q&A: Can you really only “use” 20-40 grams of protein at a time and does the rest get converted to carbohydrates and stored as fat?

What’s On My Mind? I’m not doing 59 pushups

Worth It? Chewing 32 times

Main Course: In this first ever solosode of The Better Basics Podcast, Dylan shares five simple things he’s personally doing right now to improve his health - all of which are accessible for almost anyone - and invites the listeners to join him. From taking a one-week break from social media and practicing a mindset of “yes, thank you” in frustrating situations, to rediscovering the underrated power of potatoes, building an easy protein + fiber daily ritual, and experimenting with a one day on- two days off strength training schedule, this episode explores practical habits that can have an outsized impact. No extreme protocols. No expensive gadgets. Just a handful of basic strategies that can help reset your perspective, improve your nutrition, and make training more sustainable.

Q&A: There was a huge protein trend, now we’re seeing a ton of fiber (I’m a first time caller, long time listener and you guys were on the fiber thing early) - with that in mind, any predictions on what the next thing will be?

Funniest Thing I Saw This Week: Alex Honnold's Greatest Accomplishment

Explain it to Matt: Does ultraprocessed mean unhealthy?

Main Course: We're ranking 2026 fitness trends by one simple standard: bang for your buck. Instead of reacting to hype, villains, and viral takes, we’re asking what actually moves the needle for normal adults. We break down 12 trends - from sunlight, plyometrics, creatine, and protein intake to Zone 2 cardio, Hyrox, wearables, cold plunges, seed oil panic, and extreme diet identities - and sort them from S Tier (foundational, high return, low nonsense) to F Tier (mostly fear, marketing, or distraction). The goal isn’t cynicism, it’s clarity. What improves real-world performance? What’s sustainable? What’s helpful? And what’s just loud?

Q&A: I’m getting ready for a week in Florida with my family. I don’t want to lose the progress I’ve been making in the gym, but I also don’t want to spend my vacation working out. Any advice?

Hot Topic: USA Hockey Wins Gold

Main Course: What if balance isn’t the goal and never was? In this episode, we unpack the Four Burner Theory, the idea that life is like a stove with four burners: health, family, friends, and work - and that you can’t run all of them on high at the same time. Popularized by David Sedaris, the concept challenges the modern belief that we can “have it all” without trade-offs. We explore whether success truly requires sacrifice, how to think in seasons instead of guilt, why unconscious trade-offs are more dangerous than intentional ones, and how to decide where the heat belongs in your life right now. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin trying to excel everywhere at once, this conversation is for you.

Q&A: If you could medal in one winter olympic event what do you think it would be?

Hot Topic: The happiest men over 40 are overweight...

Worth It? Reading Fiction

Main Course: In this episode of The Better Basics Podcast, we break down 10 major red flags in modern health and fitness content - from scary chemical claims without dose, to rat studies applied to humans, to influencers diagnosing a “root cause” and selling the fix in the same breath. We explore why emotionally charged, bias-driven messaging spreads faster than balanced nuance, how relative risk gets inflated to sound catastrophic, and why mechanism-heavy explanations don’t always translate to real-world outcomes. This isn’t about becoming cynical - it’s about becoming harder to manipulate. If you can recognize the patterns behind fear-based marketing, oversimplification, and algorithm-driven outrage, you won’t get pulled around by hype disguised as science. You don’t need a PhD to navigate health information - you just need better questions, a slower reaction time, and a filter that protects you from panic.

Q&A: Do you have a go-to healthy meal that you can make on a week night when things are hectic and time is limited? Or a place you eat out that has healthier options in a pinch?

Hot Topic: Colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50, second for women

Worth It? Slowmaxxing

Main Course: In a world where work is remote, food is delivered, and entertainment is streamed, fitness has quietly followed the same path - but at a cost. In this episode, we make the case that while digital tools can support fitness, they can’t replace the thing that actually makes it stick: real people, in real places, doing hard things together. We unpack the illusion of online fitness “community,” what gets lost when training becomes fully solo and screen-based, and why accountability, belonging, and being seen are underrated performance variables. Using a “buy local” lens, we argue that fitness isn’t something you consume, it’s a practice you participate in, and it works best when it’s shared. The future of fitness isn’t more apps or better algorithms; it’s more human connection, especially as life gets busier and lonelier.

Q&A: How many pushups can you guys do?

Hot Topic: Dammit, Peter Attia

Worth It? High Intensity, Low Volume Training

Main Course: This week we’re planting our final flags on the top things that we are IN or OUT on in 2026. Cardio? Plyometrics? Phone use? Mobility and stretching? Synthetic underwear? Social media content? Consumption? We’ll discuss our thoughts, justifications, and nuances and provide some food for thought for 2026 and beyond.

Q&A: When you care about something bigger than you have control over - what do you do about it? Choosing not to care feels wrong, but figuring out what to do feels helpless.

Hot Topic: GLP-1 pills hit the market

Worth It? Overnight Oats

Main Course: This week we’re planting flags on the top things that we are IN or OUT on in 2026. Cycling volume? Identifying “strong enough”? Maximizing training weeks? 60+ minute workouts? Seasonal training? Reading fiction? Television? Social media? We’ll discuss our thoughts, justifications, and nuances and provide some food for thought for 2026 and beyond.

Q&A: Where do you guys see the podcast going? Any thoughts on bringing in guests? If so, who's your dream interview?

Hot Topic: Vital Farms Eggs - A Pasture Raised Scam?

Worth It? Peanut

What Say You About? [Edition Nine]: The ninth episode of the series! Matt and Dylan have a fun discussion off the cuff on a variety or health and fitness topics, including: upper lower splits, breaking through pull-up plateaus, resources for stretching and improving mobility, and suspension trainers (TRX) for hypertrophy - oh, and also the people that stand up the minute the airplane lands...

Q&A: As boy dads, what are your thoughts on Lucas Jones' poem "Dangerous Men"?

Hot Topic: The New American Food Guidelines & Pyramid

Worth It? Infinity Medium

Main Course: Most fitness content trains you to treat your body like a decoration — something to judge, fix, and constantly “improve” in the mirror. In this episode, we flip that narrative and ask a better question: what can my body do? We break down why looks-first goals make fitness fragile (and why they’re so easy to quit on), how capability-based training builds real confidence, and we give you a “capabilities menu” of goals to choose from — strength, cardio, mobility, and fun skills that actually make life better. You’ll hear a couple real stories, plus a simple framework to pick ONE target, build a plan around it, and track progress like a scoreboard. Because the goal isn’t a perfect body — it’s a body that works.

Q&A: If you could change ONE thing about the American food environment, what would it be?