BarBend Podcast

Rowan Minnion is an athlete and researcher best known as the founder and force behind Blonyx. He's especially passionate about improving athletic recovery and explains actionable — and some honestly surprising — tips about the science behind performance. (How do you optimize sleep? What's the "right" way to take a rest day, and why aren't more athletes doing it?) Rowan als...

Ian Kaplan is the current Chief Officer of Operations at Hybrid Performance Method. With a background in training and research, when it comes to synthesizing research and understanding how to apply advanced topics into the context of our day-to-day lives, Ian is one of the best personalities we've ever spoken to. In today’s episode, we talk to Ian about a variety of topics including what it m...

Eric Leija is a master Onnit trainer who's better known online as the Primal Swoledier. Every day, Eric posts innovative kettlebell and bodyweight flows that have helped him build a massive following; his workouts are a bit unlike anything else you'll find in the space. We catch up with Eric to talk about how he creates and programs workouts, the most overrated kettlebell movement, and l...

Hayden Bowe is one of the founders and owners of Hybrid Performance Method. Throughout his career, Hayden has worked with thousands of individuals and is accomplished in both the sports of weightlifting and powerlifting. In today’s episode, we chat with Hayden about a variety of training topics, but one in particular that we really enjoyed was training youth athletes and how to do it correctly.

Don Saladino is one of the fitness world's most in-demand trainers. A specialist in strength and physique for over 20 years, Don is perhaps best known for getting some of Hollywood's biggest stars ready for massive on-screen roles: Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Ryan Gosling, and more. Don is also the founder and owner of Drive 495 gym in Manhattan. In today's episode, D...

Alan Thrall is an accomplished strength coach and the owner of Untamed Strength. Alan has coached thousands of athletes over the course of his career, and his YouTube channels has amassed more than 85 million views, helping countless athletes get stronger in and out of the gym. In today’s episode, guest host Jake Boly talks to Alan about his growth in strength coaching, how he accidentally built a...

Kari Pearce is a 5-time CrossFit Games athlete and earned the title of "America's Fittest Woman" in 2016, 2018, and 2019. She's a former Division 1 gymnast who's well known for her incredible capacity on bodyweight movements. We talk to Kari about training around injury, attacking weaknesses, and what most CrossFitters get wrong about core strength. 

In the world of fitness, Rich Froning needs almost no introduction. He is a 4-time Individual and 4-time Team CrossFit Games Champion, as well as the owner of CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, Tennessee. Rich joins the BarBend Podcast to talk about hosting a Sanctional qualifier (the CrossFit Mayhem Classic), his honest reactions to CrossFit Games changes, and his future as a competitive athlete. 

Dr. Pat Davidson and Jordan Shallow are both at the front of the pack leading the fitness industry and building better standards. Dr. Davidson has a PhD in exercise physiology and is an accomplished strength & conditioning coach and author, while Dr. Shallow is a chiropractor, strength coach, and traveling presenter. Both of these individuals have brilliant minds when looking at and assessing...

Stefi Cohen is one of the owners of Hybrid Performance Method. She holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, a CSCS, and has broken a total of 11 all-time powerlifting world records throughout her career. Additionally, Stefi is currently ranked #2 in the world for holding the all-time highest Wilks score with a remarkable 698.11, and continues to push the boundaries of what's physically possible...

Weightlifter, coach, and YouTuber Zack Telander joins us to talk about transitioning back and forth between CrossFit and weightlifting. Zack also talks about setting realistic goals for weightlifting athletes, along with changing the paradigm of which sports are "worth it" in American culture. Zack also gives his thoughts on dealing with weightlifting data and the most underrated coach i...

Joe Sullivan is a champion raw powerlifter who speaks his mind on everything from online trolls to bad gym etiquette. Joe joins us to talk training, his favorite powerlifters to watch this year, and an incredibly close (and internet famous) brush with disaster due to equipment failure. 

Kris Gethin is a bodybuilder, fitness model, and supplement entrepreneur who has been the face of some of fitness' biggest physique campaigns. He's also a passionate endurance athlete who has a ton of knowledge on balancing muscle growth and strength gain with long-duration training for triathlons and distance events. We talk to Kris, the founder of Kaged Muscle, about these strategies a...

JC Deen was one of the first online fitness writers and trainers to build his name for a no-BS approach. He joins us to talk about beating fitness frustration, turning to "Doggcrapp Training," and how machine learning & AI might change the industry moving forward. 

Zack Bartell is a powerlifter and gym owner based in Southern California. Bartell opened SoCal Powerlifting to the public at a very young age, and with strategy, a dream, and a business mindset, he has expanded the gym twice and has created a hub for multiple powerlifters and coaches in a few short years. In this episode, we discuss the logistics of opening your own gym and what it truly takes to...

Dr. Mike T. Nelson is one of the most knowledgeable people in human performance, and he's got the resume to prove it. Dr. Nelson joins us to talk about metabolic flexibility and how to determine whether your body is more tuned to utilize fat or carbohydrates for fuel. He also discusses the most ignored metabolic pathway for top athletes and tells us what many aspiring CrossFit Games competito...

Josh Bridges is a multi-time CrossFit Games athlete and podium finisher who's also had a remarkable career as a Navy SEAL. (And before Josh's CrossFit Games days, Dave Castro was actually one of his military instructors.) Josh joins us to talk about his time in the SEALs, comparing mental toughness in the military to CrossFit, his favorite athletes to train with, and the massive changes...

Rob Kearney is a multi-time World's Strongest Man competitor and the 2019 Arnold Australia Strongman champion. He's one of the rising stars in the sport, even while weighing up to 150 pounds less than other top competitors in his division. In addition, Rob is one of the most visible openly gay strength athletes in America. Rob joins us to discuss his training, career goals, and the impac...

Eric Helms, PhD, double masters holder, CSCS, and the current Chief Science Officer of 3DMJ is an incredible source of knowledge in the world of fitness and training. He’s published multiple peer reviewed studies on exercise and nutrition and plays a role in MASS, a monthly research review for strength and physique athletes. In addition to his impressive research background, Eric has coached hundr...

Mike Matthews is the CEO of Legion Athletics and bestselling writer of numerous fitness books. He's also a no-BS kind of guy who isn't afraid to call out what he thinks are shortcomings in the supplement industry. Mike joins us for a candid conversation that touches on beginner gains, marketing falsehoods, and the limits of natural performance. 

Kenny Santucci is a coach, actor, and athlete who first gained fame in the world of reality TV. Now, through the Strong New York event series, he's bringing together top minds from around the strength world to present and share knowledge under one roof. The Strong New York founder joins us to talk about building fitness experiences, the athletes who inspire us the most, and how we can turn le...

James FitzGerald was the first-ever men's CrossFit Games Champion, winning the inaugural competition in 2007. He's also the founder of OPEX and one of the world's most in-demand experts on coaching mindset and training. We talk about the early days of CrossFit competition, "waking up" the coaching industry, and the origins of James' famous "OPT" moniker. 

Jordan Syatt is a record-setting powerlifter and content producer who's best known to many as Gary Vaynerchuk's personal trainer. We sit down to talk about sacrificing everything to reach lifting goals, the psychological components of fitness, and the number one thing everyone in fitness can do to improve their communication skills. Jordan also shares a personal story of how Westside Bar...

According to Dr. Jordan Shallow, the way we warm up — and the way most people think about movement —  is fundamentally broken. The chiropractor, internationally competitive powerlifter, and presenter joins us to talk about the root cause of injuries, how we can prep our bodies to move better, and why the human body wants to operate "like lightning."

Chad Wesley Smith has squatted over 900 pounds, started one of the world's most respected strength centers, and built an AI-powered system for training programs. Now, the Juggernaut Training Systems founder reflects on a decade of growth and talks about how artificial intelligence is helping his team train more athletes with greater precision.