50% Facts

This week’s question from our Discord is kind of a tough one. Dom Oviedo asked, “ Who are the top 5 dead people you wish you could have on your podcast?” Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media and use the hashtag #onegoodquestion. Join our Discord for free at goodcompanydiscord.com! Check out our gym (Third Street Barbell) at ThirdStreetBarbel...

Of all the documentaries we’ve reviewed, this has got to be the strangest. How does a team of supposedly high school-aged football players, who are supposedly students of a school that doesn’t really exist, end up on ESPN getting walloped by one of the country’s most elite prep academies? How does a man with no experience starting a school or coaching football end up launching one of the most dist...

This week’s question from members of our Discord: Keo asked, “What program would you recommend for increasing the OHP from 1.5 plates to 2? I’ve been stuck for over 2 years now.” Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media and use the hashtag #onegoodquestion. Join our Discord for free at goodcompanydiscord.com! Check out our gym (Third Street Barb...

The 2005--2009 Florida Gators football team, led by coach Urban Meyer, is one of the most legendary teams in college football history. He pushed them to two national championships in three years and an undefeated season. This 4-part Netflix series looks at the highest highs and lowest lows of this period. Or at least that seems to have been the idea at some point, but like the team itself, the doc...

Back to our Discord for another question: Detesestro asked, “ What's the ideal way to tell your ideal bench press width?” Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media and use the hashtag #onegoodquestion. Join our Discord for free at goodcompanydiscord.com! Check out our gym (Third Street Barbell) at ThirdStreetBarbell.com https://www.thirdstreetbar...

We explore what makes international competitions across all sports different from those even at the national level. Should international competition be one of your goals? Should a certain number of countries be included before it’s called a “World Championship?” When most competitors have to travel great distances to unfamiliar places, does that actually level the playing field? Avi Lieu ( @avi.li...

“Intensity” has a specific meaning as related to lifting – a much different meaning than in the rest of the world – yet lifters misuse it all the time. The same is true of “arousal.” That one might spark a bit of a giggle, but when it comes to lifting, it’s deadly serious. Are you using these words correctly? Avi Lieu ( @avi.lieu ) joined us for this one. Have a question for one of our Friday “One...

BALCO. Victor Conte. Steroids. The Netflix Untold documentary series looks back at a time when we all wanted to believe that athletes were suddenly capable of record-breaking achievements simply by perfecting their diets, training, and supplementation. Sometimes called the “steroid era” it could easily be called the “Say it ain’t so” era. Did it all start innocently? Were coaches mostly acting as...

We’re taking a short Labor Day break and have this classic Topic Thunder (our panel format) episode. Labor Day Weekend is always a good time to fill in the gaps in your wardrobe! Head over to 3sb.co and use the code “pod” for 10% off your entire order. Original show notes: In this mini-episode, we share are thoughts and experiences with lifting in home gyms versus commercial gyms. The pandemic for...

We’ve been big fans of the Netflix documentary series Untold. The new season debuted with a look at the rise and fall of Johnny Manziel. A winning Texas high school quarterback. A wildly inventive freshman season at Texas A&M that propelled him to a Heisman Trophy. An NCAA rule-breaking sophomore campaign cashing in on his explosive fame. A brief NFL career marked by struggles with a party boy...

This week’s (somewhat paraphrased) question is from Instagram: What kind of belt do we prefer? Do single-prong, double-prong, or lever belts all work the same? Or are there advantages and disadvantages to each one? Further, how much can you expect to spend on a good belt, and how long will it last? ___ Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media an...

So many lifters get banged up in the course of meet prep and find themselves wondering if it’s even worth doing the meet they had planned. Should they just heal up and wait for the next one? If you can’t PR. If you can’t win. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Avi Lieu joins us to talk about her back injury and her hope that it will be resolved in time for USAPL raw nationals in a few weeks. You can...

This week’s question from our Discord member, msoli: “You have talked extensively about how style or fashion has come from the hip hop community, the skateboarding community, and the basketball community. Where do you see style coming from now? The same places? Somewhere new? Does it matter based on your age?” Mike heads design for Good Company Apparel, so this question is mostly for him. ___ Have...

From the age of eight, Mikey Doucet lived in uncertainty. Who would truly care for him? Would he have enough to eat? Would he get along with the people who were supposed to be responsible for him or would he end up on the outside of another closed door holding all his belongings? Instead of losing his entire childhood to despair, he found ways to foster hope and dream of a better future and a happ...

This week’s question comes from social media, and Mike gets it pretty often: “What’s the most complicated part of owning a gym?” Owning any business is complicated. Which complications are specific to gyms? Our own Avi Lieu join us for this one. You can find her on IG @avi.lieu . ___ Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media and use the hashtag #...

Snowboard phenom Shaun White faces the end of his storied Olympic career in this Prime Video documentary series. We take a look at the first episode of this four-part series chronicling his start as a skateboarder and surfer and how his whole family became obsessed with chasing the best snow-covered slopes all over the western US. How would you handle becoming a millionaire as a teenager? Dean Sad...

This week’s question from our Discord: ChrisAllDownHill asked, “How often are professional powerlifters competing at 100% (physical health)? I feel like I’m always battling some sort of strain, or injury, or discomfort so is it unrealistic to think that one should be competing at 100% every time?” Our own Avi Lieu join us for this one. You can find her on IG @avi.lieu . ___ Have a question for one...

We took a look at the first episode or so of the 8-part Netflix doc series that follows Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota through the 2022 NFL season. Are these three athletes engaging enough to carry a series? Or a winning football team? Dean Saddoris joined us for this one. You can find Dean on IG @deansaddoris.ck and at caffeineandkilos.com. Have a question for one of our Friday...

We were asked about this via Instagram rather than Discord this time. Tracking apps and “AI” style apps for nutrition and training are being used all over now. What’s our experience been? Do you need to pay for an app to have a good experience? Our own Avi Lieu joined us for this one. You can find her on Instagram at @avi.lieu . ___ Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episode...

In some states, only specific medical professionals (physicians and surgeons) can use the title “Doctor.” California law is particularly strict about this. Are potential clients confused when other professionals with doctorate degrees use the title, thinking they are hiring (or following) a medical practitioner? We also break down our weekend at Barbell Brigade’s USAPL meet, talk about Bronny Jame...

This week’s question from our Discord: Chili72 asked, “ Do you ever think there will be another athlete that rivals Shaq in terms of dominating their sport, then continuing to branch out across different areas on at a high level Examples: DJ Diesel, Rap Albums, Broadcasting, Acting, his business & charities, etc.” Avi Lieu join us for this one. She’s on Instagram at @avi.lieu . ___ Have a ques...

Just a couple of times we have been able to watch a documentary about someone we’ve met in person and podcasted with. This time it’s Stone Cold Steve Austin. We checked out the Biography Channel documentary on his life and career, which became free on YouTube this week. Here is the description: Directed by Jake Rogal and Executive Produced by Jason Hehir ("The Last Dance," "Andre The Giant"), this...

This week’s question from our Discord: Fluffy999 asked: “How should I calculate a caloric deficit? Been struggling to find the perfect amount of calories without starving myself.” Avi Lieu join us for this one. She’s on Instagram at @avi.lieu . ___ Have a question for one of our Friday “One Good Question” episodes? Hit us up on social media and use the hashtag #onegoodquestion. Join our Discord fo...

Suddenly we’ve got a new social media platform trying to take down Twitter. Does Threads (spun off of Instagram) have a real chance at making Elon’s bird app irrelevant? Is this a preview of the rumored Zuckerberg vs Musk match in the octagon? Probably more importantly, are some social media platforms better for fitness content (and influence) than others? Also, during the pandemic, many people go...

In honor of the Fourth of July holiday week – and to make up for the fact that the traditional hot dog eating contest didn’t happen this year – we’re bringing back a classic Topic Thunder episode. We tackle the question, “How many glizzies could you eat in 48 hours?” Original episode notes: Are big bulks or big cuts worth it? Will you get what you want out of them or do they (almost) always go bad...