Philosophical Weightlifting Podcast

I welcome Seb Ostrowicz, the founder of Weightlifting House, for a reflective episode sparked by a Facebook memory: our 2019 California trip that led straight into his first World Championships in Thailand. We revisit the scrappy beginnings of filming with a $200 camera, pilgrimages to gyms like Cal Strength and Marin Heavy Athletics, and how those early risks and relationships set the stage for e...

This week I’m joined by Jessie Stemo, a frequent guest of the podcast and CEO of Power and Grace Performance. We dive into the heart of effective training: what it really means to train with intention . From athlete camps to day-to-day programming, we explore how to push hard without burning out, why missing less leads to more progress, and how awareness and quality of effort can transform your tr...

As a follow-up to our past conversations, I welcome back Sean Rigsby — coach, lifter, and founder of Heavy Metal Barbell. Sean has long been recognized for his curiosity and commitment to continual coach development, and in this episode we explore how that mindset has shaped his career. We discuss his journey from athlete to coach, the influence of mentors like Glenn Pendlay, and the importance of...

As a follow-up to years of conversations on the podcast, I sit down to reflect on the evolution of coach education — using the recent Power and Strength Summit as a springboard for discussing what it is, why it matters, and how we can do it better. We explore lessons learned from research and real-world coaching, connecting theory to practice, and moving beyond sets and reps toward a deeper unders...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Quincy Johnson — strength coach, sport scientist, and Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas. Quincy’s career spans from high school powerlifting champion to working with elite athletes in the NBA, MMA, and NCAA. We discuss the role of maximal strength in sport performance, his “10-5-3” training model, and the use of cluster sets and density training to...

What better way to bring in a milestone like the 300th episode than having on one of the most influential people in my life: Seb Ostrowicz For those not in the know, Seb is the founder of Weightlifting House. In this episode... or better yet, metasode, we chat all things podcasting, weightlifting, and philosophy. Enjoy Follow Seb and WH: https://www.instagram.com/seb_ostrowicz/ https://www.instagr...

As a follow-up to a series developing on the podcast, I welcome Jordan Feigenbaum, founder of Barbell Medicine, physician, strength coach, and expert on many things health and performance. In this episode, we discuss conditioning (cardio) and its role in augmenting health-related adaptations. This includes the mechanisms of impact, prescribing conditioning for health and performance, and how to in...

In this episode, Jessie and I debrief on our experiences at USAPL and USAW Nationals. We explore the successes, what could have gone better, and how we are approaching our programming and coaching differently to navigate those needs. Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/josh_philwl/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/philosophicalweightlifting/ Fo...

We are joined by Dr. Michael Roberts, a professor and researcher at Auburn University and one of the most published scientists on muscle hypertrophy and skeletal muscle biology. In this episode, we explore the mechanisms of muscle growth, individual response to training, and how skeletal muscle health allows us to age well. Follow Dr. Michael Roberts: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BiIJ...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, the best damn strength and power conference in 2025!! Register here: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Dr. Jacob Goodin is an associate professor of kinesiology and Director of Sport Science at Point Loma Nazarene University. He holds a PhD in Sport Physiology from East Tennessee State University, where he studied barbell squatting styles, muscle fa...

Every episode of my podcast covers some aspect of training theory, coaching, psychology, and nutrition. Pretty much anything related to performance. With that comes a lot of abstract thinking and imagining how it would play out in practice. Until now... In this crossover episode, Dani and I get interviewed by the Red Gauge podcast and discuss our coach-athlete relationship, remote coaching, and US...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Zach will present on bridging the gap between weightlifting and sports performance. Register here: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Zach: https://www.instagram.com/ciniman_waffle/ https://www.instagram.com/optimus.performance/ https://www.instagram.com/optimus.barbell/ Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/josh...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit: Register here: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Sergii: https://www.instagram.com/putsoff/ https://torokhtiy.com/ Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/josh_philwl/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/philosophicalweightlifting/ Weightlifting House: code PHILWL for 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.weightli...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Mike will present on plyometrics for sport! Register here: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Mike: https://www.instagram.com/mikeyoungphd/?hl=en https://www.athleticlab.com/ Follow Jessie: https://www.instagram.com/jessiestemo/ https://powerandgraceperformance.com/ Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/josh_philw...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where presentations will cover all things strength, hypertrophy, power, and MORE. Register here to attend the greatest online Strength Power event in 2025: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Max and sign up for CoachLogik: https://www.instagram.com/max_aita/ https://app.coachlogik.com/login Follow me and get coaching: https://www.instagram.com...

Todd Kashdan is an intellectual idol of mine. He has a PhD in clinical psychology, is the founder of the Well-Being Lab at George Mason University, and a leading educator to the public. He's written books on curiosity, negative emotions, and the art of insubordination. His writings alone have influenced the trajectory of my life and career. In this episode, we explore the underpinnings of curiosit...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Jessie will present on her experiences as an elite athlete, elite weightlifting coach, and the CEO of Power and Grace Performance! Register here for an early bird discount: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Jessie: https://www.instagram.com/jessiestemo/ https://powerandgraceperformance.com/ Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www...

Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a psychologist, professor at Columbia University, best-selling author, and host of The Psychology Podcast . His work has reshaped how we think about intelligence, creativity, and self-actualization—and in this conversation, he brings those ideas to life. In this episode, we explore topics like reframing trauma, overcoming a victim mindset, and building self-belief. Scott...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Jake will present on the development of muscle hypertrophy. Register here to attend the greatest online Strength Power event in 2025: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Jake: https://www.instagram.com/jake.remmert_coach/ https://www.jakeremmert.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jacob-Remmert Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠htt...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Jessie will present on her experiences as an elite athlete, elite weightlifting coach, and the CEO of Power and Grace Performance! Register here for an early bird discount: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Jessie: https://www.instagram.com/jessiestemo/ https://powerandgraceperformance.com/ Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www....

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Chris will present on power development for athletes. Register here for an early bird discount: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Email Chris to express interest in Lori S. Bigelow scholarship: taberc@sacredheart.edu Follow Chris: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/drchristaber/⁠ ⁠https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher-Taber Follow me and ge...

Steven Hayes returns to the podcast! If you're unfamiliar with his work, he is one of the most cited psychologists in the world, publishing 47 books and over 700 journal articles. In addition to his prolific publications, he's the originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and has played a massive hand in developing the Psychological Flexibility Model. In this episode, we discus...

Sign up for the Power and Strength Summit, where Jessie will present on her experiences as an elite athlete, elite weightlifting coach, and the CEO of Power and Grace Performance! Register here for an early bird discount: https://www.powerandstrengthsummit.com/ Follow Jessie: https://www.instagram.com/jessiestemo/ https://powerandgraceperformance.com/ Follow me and get coaching: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.i...

Andrew Stuart and I first met at the NSCA conference in Baltimore, Maryland. At the time, we discussed his role as the Assistant Director of the Athletic Performance Lab at Nebraska, his experience with US Speed Skating, and how weightlifting fits into the broader picture of performance. In this episode, we explore some fundamental questions in the human performance world: What is sport science? W...

Zack Bartell got his start in athletics, developing an insane level of strength while training for football and, eventually, powerlifting. Fast forward nearly a decade, and he's turned that passion for training into building an incredibly successful in-person gym called SoCal Powerlifting. Through that process, he's built his own business and expertise to help others achieve the same withi...