Dave Tate's Table Talk

EPISODE DESCRIPTION The industry lied to you: performance isn't built on a squat rack—it's engineered at the cellular level. Most coaches are guessing with your biology, while Anthony Castore has spent thirty years proving them wrong. Before becoming the bridge between elite medicine and the weight room, Castore was a student of the "Old Guard," forged in the high-stakes environments of Westside B...

In this episode, we dive into the extraordinary "Triple-Threat" career of Adam "Rosco" Roszkowski , one of the most uniquely versatile athletes in modern strength training. We explore the mental and physical shift required to transition from the grace of competitive ballroom dancing to the gridiron of American football, and finally to the world stage of Strongman. This conversation breaks down the...

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Benerakis, the mastermind behind Big Benchas, to deconstruct the technical precision required for elite strength training and world-class athletic performance. With 13 years of experience in the trenches of powerlifting, Nick shares the secrets of the equipped bench press and how he navigated the journey to a massive 820 lb multi-ply lift. We explore the nuan...

In this episode, Anthony Diehl and Aaron Chappel from MODUS pull back the curtain on the  "Longevity Arc" of elite strength. From World's Strongest Man stages to the life-changing reality of metabolic health, we break down why the "Meathead Identity" is dead and how to build a B-Plan that actually saves lives. We discuss the transition from "Big and Fat" powerlifting to a "Metabolism-First" approa...

Zachary "Zeus" Smith is the owner of Flex Gym (Virginia Beach) and a veteran Powerlifting Coach who has spent a lifetime in Rugby and Combat Sports learning exactly which "investments" actually bear fruit. Whether he's building high-performance athletes through elite gym culture or "generously" using Joe Jackson's horoscope to predict his rival's inevitable downfall, Zeus's coaching is rooted in h...

Josh Miller, founder of NTBFW Training Systems and UNC Chapel Hill Exercise Science alumnus, is a strength coach and powerlifter specializing in globalized core training and force transfer. This episode explores building a 'coordinated unit' to manage spinal stenosis and herniated discs while utilizing conjugate principles and block-style organization. Miller also breaks down his 'Other 22 Hours'...

Michael Brinson is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for Jackson Academy athletics and a competitive powerlifter with a 2155 raw total. He's coached performance at every level, from collegiate football programs (Southern Miss, Kansas, Liberty, Missouri) to Fort Bragg with the 82nd Airborne bringing a no-BS approach to building strong, fast, resilient athletes. Follow Michael: Instagram: @brin...

Dr. Chris Stepien — founder of Barefoot Rehabilitation Clinic (Denville, NJ) and developer of Adhesion Release Methods.   Dr. Chris specializes in helping chronic pain sufferers, especially 30–60 year olds who've had pain for 6+ months and have already seen multiple doctors or therapists without real relief. He's also training high-level manual therapists and clinicians to diagnose and treat adhes...

Dave Tate reacts to the internet's most viral fitness moments, including Kim Kardashian's Hollywood workout, Ronnie Coleman's take on the modern era of bodybuilders, and Jeff Nippard's "perfect" exercise. The Westside Barbell legend breaks down the difference between old-school grit and modern hype, tackling everything from teen steroid abuse to cringe-worthy gym fails. Tune in for an unfiltered r...

Joe Jackson, better known as  Delco Jesus , is a 140 kg raw powerlifter, coach, and member of the Delco Spotting Crew from just outside Philadelphia. After battling depression, dropping over 100 pounds, and even going through a period of homelessness, Joe found powerlifting and never looked back. With best competition lifts of  826 lb squat, 463 lb bench, and 744 lb deadlift  for a  2017 lb total...

 "The Gentleman Barbarian" Bruss Hamilton,  a former U.S. Marine, World Strength Games u265 champion, and 2025 America's Strongest Veteran who traded the strongman field for the pro wrestling ring.   Trained at the Black & Brave Wrestling Academy under Seth Rollins and Marek Brave, Bruss has become a staple of the Midwest independent scene (SCW Pro, AAW, Iron Spirit Pro, ZOWA Live, Wrestling Revol...

Jon Grove — North Georgia Barbell founder, APF Georgia State Chairman, WPC Junior World Champion, and true powerlifting lifer. Jon competed in powerlifting for 20 years (1990–2010), lifting in the first monolift meet in history and the very first WPO meet. He's a multi-time national and world champion, owner of the legendary North Georgia Barbell (2002–2013), and a self-described amateur historian...

Dr. John Rusin is an internationally recognized strength coach, physical therapist, and injury-prevention expert with nearly two decades of elite-level experience working with MLB All-Stars, NFL All-Pros, Olympic gold medalists, and world-record-holding powerlifters. He's the founder of the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification (PPSC), the world's fastest-growing health-first training edu...

Dave Tate and Tom Sheppard recap 2025 and discuss the seven deadly sins of training.  Table Talk Lifetime Limited Crew Membership -  https://tr.ee/Tk65mP This offer will expire on Friday, Jan 9th.  Shop EWS Supplements (CODE:ELITE30) -  https://eternalwarriorsupplements.com Get 10% OFF Your Next Marek Health Labs (CODE: TABLETALK):  https://marekhealth.com/tabletalk Tom and Naomi's new website:  ...

David "Dumptruck Dave" Raymond is a 34-year-old father, stepfather, and grandfather from a small town in Illinois, and one of the strongest 165-lb lifters in the world. He started as a 148-lb lifter, becoming one of the first Americans to squat 600+ pounds at that bodyweight, then moved up to 165, where he squatted  705 pounds  and deadlifted  716 pounds  in the same meet. Along the way, he's comp...

Justin Zottl — Canada's strongest powerlifter (All-Time Total). From national champion cyclist to 2300+ totals, Justin breaks down winning  American Pro 3  three weeks after  herniating L5 , why  standards  matter more than hype, and what  ABS  is doing right on meet production. Follow Justin / Team Zottl: IG:  https://www.instagram.com/fullzottl/ Team Zottl Coaching:  https://www.instagram.com/te...

Ben Patrick (Knees Over Toes Guy)  — founder of ATG (Athletic Truth Group), coach, and educator turning deep-range knee strength into scalable programs used by athletes, parents, and schools. Website & gear:  https://atgequipment.com Instagram:  https://instagram.com/kneesovertoesguy Become an elitefts channel member for early access to Dave Tate's Table Talk podcast and other perks.  @eliteftsoff...

Protégé of the late John Meadows, Cris has spent over 18 years competing and coaching, helping bodybuilders and serious lifters achieve stage-ready physiques without compromising their joints, digestion, or overall well-being. He now carries the Mountain Dog legacy forward with Mary Meadows—keeping the principles sharp, practical, and brutally honest. Follow Cris: Website:   https://www.mountaindo...

Stuart Locke is a champion powerlifter, coach, and owner of Kodiak Barbell, which specializes in athlete mentoring, rehabilitation, and individualized programming. He's also the Director of Strength Sports at Pre-Script and a thought leader on sustainable performance coaching. Stuart's Info: www.kodiakbarbell.com   Instagram @stu_kodiakbarbell.   Become an elitefts channel member for early access...

On episode 385 of Dave Tate's Table Talk Podcast Dave sits down with Strength & Conditioning Coaches Colton Razo and Michael Silbernagel.  Colton Razo — Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for Track & Field at The Ohio State University. Formerly University of Houston, Bemidji State, SD Mines, Kansas (GA). Frequent presenter at USTFCCCA and T&F education events. Michael Silbernagel — Manager at...

Alex Viada is a coach, educator, and founder of Complete Human Performance (CHP). He's best known for pioneering the modern  Hybrid Athlete  methodology—training strength and endurance  concurrently  without tanking either. We dig into programming (MED, stress consolidation), durability for tactical/functional athletes, pain & injury re-learning, and what's inside his new book,  The Ultimate Hybri...

John Ruoppo is an elite American powerlifter, coach, and gym owner based in Massachusetts. He's the  All-Time World Record holder in the 308 lb single-ply squat (1,075 lbs)  and has posted best competition lifts of  1,201.5 lb squat ,  700 lb bench , and  804.7 lb deadlift , for a  2,560 lb total . John co-owns  Evolve Fitness & Training  in West Boylston MA with his wife Stefanie—an ex-college so...

John Welbourn  is a former 10-year NFL veteran (Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots) turned entrepreneur, strength coach, and performance educator. After retiring from professional football, he founded  Power Athlete , a global leader in athletic performance programming, education, and community building. John is also the creator of  CrossFit Football , one of the earlies...

In this episode of  Dave Tate's Table Talk , we're joined by  Alex Kikel , also known as  The Prep Coach —a leading figure in the world of human optimization, performance enhancement, and health restoration. With a Master's degree in Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement and a background in Exercise Science, Alex brings a powerful blend of academic knowledge and real-world coaching experie...

Jared Maynard  is a Canadian physiotherapist, strength coach, and competitive powerlifter who specializes in resilience through strength training. In January 2023, what began as a mild cold quickly escalated into  Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) , a rare and deadly hyper-inflammatory disorder. Despite being strong and healthy, Jared rapidly suffered multi-organ failure, includin...