Strong By Design Podcast

Send us Fan Mail CBD oil has not only sparked some pretty intense debates among the general population, but it has also piqued the curiosity of individuals who want to know more about this product and if in fact, it has any real benefits with respect to their health and wellness. With the impact CBD oil is making, as far as being utilized in alternative therapies for everything from pain managemen...

Send us Fan Mail Ben Greenfield, by his own description, was a complete NERD. President of the chess club, played violin for 13 years, wrote fantasy fiction, and spent most of his childhood years with his nose in a book. Well, it certainly paid off and has led to a few decades of excellence. At one point in his incredible fitness journey Ben’s been a collegiate tennis player, volleyball player and...

Send us Fan Mail Are you fit for the kingdom? Pastor, podcaster, personal trainer and holistic health coach Trent Holbert joins the Strong By Design show from the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Trent is doing some amazing things for God’s kingdom and approaches his ministry in a holistic way focusing on the spiritual, physical and emotional health of his congregation. This holis...

Send us Fan Mail Eating disorders and body dysmorphia plagued her for years. A classically trained dancer, Maura Vega experimented with vegetarian, paleo, and IIFYM to maintain her beautiful curves.  But it wasn’t until she started following a ketogenic lifestyle that she was finally able to heal her body and repair her metabolism as well as her mind and her relationship with food. Maura started K...

Send us Fan Mail The power of life or death can literally come from our mouths. Words can either kill or be life giving. As it says in James 3: 9-12; "With the  tongue  we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Pastor and close friend JP Poirier sits down with Mike Westerdal and Samantha Harrison. He has a powerful message abo...

Send us Fan Mail Is the ‘American Dream’ the same for everyone? I think most of us agree it’s not. And things need to change. People of color in America today are hurting and the murder of George Floyd may have finally gotten people’s attention. This special episode of the Strong By Design podcast features two men of God. Christian brothers. Kingdom minded black men that are willing to share their...

Send us Fan Mail Do you know the largest muscle in the body? How about the strongest muscle? These questions and many more in the areas of exercise and nutrition will be answered in this special Fitness Jeopardy Team edition.  Plus, as a surprise, a splash of 80’s music trivia for a fun twist. Get to know the men and women of Critical Bench in this lighter side of Strong by Design and have some mu...

Send us Fan Mail The human immune system is a very complex and incredibly intelligent system in the body. It has many parts to it that all work together to fight infection and disease in the body. In this eye-opening episode of Strong By Design Coach Chris Wilson sits down with Holistic Health Practitioner Tonya Fines to discuss just how amazing this defense system truly is. If you’ve ever wondere...

Send us Fan Mail In business, you either focus on what matters most to achieve higher levels of success or spend your time on the small stuff, never really leveling up. So how are you prioritizing your day? When it comes to the MOST important thing in your business or in life, you must attack it early with your best energy, effort and focus. This episode of SBD, Chris Wilson speaks with friend, me...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re hurting, not sure what to do or how to handle this terribly difficult time in your life, please tune in to hear how these men have faced their hardest days. Saying goodbye to someone you love is painful. No matter how much or how little you’ve experienced the loss of a family member or close friend, it’s never easy. For brothers Bob and Chris Wilson, it’s something they’...

Send us Fan Mail It’s not something people like to discuss or admit to. It can be a killer of loving relationships and a secretive part of your life hidden in the closet, embarrassing and unhealthy. If you’re looking for real and raw honesty on the topic of porn addiction and how to overcome it, you’ve found the right episode. Listen as creator of The Super Human Life podcast Frank Rich pulls back...

Send us Fan Mail Pioneers, Adversaries and now Friends… Founder of CriticalBench, Mike Westerdal, and Founder of Total Fitness Bodybuilding, Lee Hayward, share their beginnings on the internet for over 2 decades! The internet age has seen a lot of changes since the late 90’s (and that’s an understatement!) Mike and Lee have been along for the ride ever since, navigating through challenges, the man...

Send us Fan Mail After completing her undergraduate studies summa cum laude in Biotechnology at Ferris State University, Dr. Fortin spent a year working in neurosurgery research at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and became a published researcher.  She developed a strong foundation regarding the most intricate processes of the human body at the cellular level and went on to earn her medical degree...

Send us Fan Mail We are advancing leaps and bounds technologically and finding ways to do “more” with less time, but are we compromising our well-being? Have we lost a sense of what nourishes our body and mind and truly makes us feel good? What do we really need to live well, be healthy and enjoy quality of life?  It's time to take a step back, unplug and ask how we can maximize our health an...

Send us Fan Mail No matter where we turn or which way we look, it seems chaos is right there looking straight as us. But hope is here and peace can be found in the midst of it all. We are in a peculiar time right now and we all are in desperate need of community, confidence and a cure. Finding and knowing peace in a middle of a crisis is just one personal decision away.  As we try to adjust to new...

Send us Fan Mail Matt Walter has lived a truly incredible life and he’s not done yet... Over the past 30+ years he has served our country in the Marine Corps, raised 7 children with his amazing bride, become fluent in Arabic and lived in Jordan teaching Arabic to Christians to better connect with Muslims. There’s really nothing more awe inspiring than hearing how the love of Jesus can affect and c...

Send us Fan Mail In times like these, we need increased communication, empathy, kindness and hope! We Believe that you are Strong By Design, Made in God's image to have a Strong Body, Mind & Spirit. Thank you so much for listening to the SBD podcast show, we feel truly honored to have amazing listeners like you!   Subscribe to  iTunes , Love the podcast? Leave a review on  iTunes ! What d...

Send us Fan Mail You’ve probably followed every diet guru's advice, spent hours on the treadmill, and restricted calories to obscene levels. Maybe you’ve seen some success, but it’s most likely left you feeling depleted, overwhelmed, and out of control. As a Certified Nutrition Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Personal Trainer, Amanda Tress spent years in the gym working with peopl...

Send us Fan Mail “Be comfortable being uncomfortable.” -Peter McWilliams This quote encapsulates the conversation between Founder of Critical Bench and SBD host Mike Westerdal and his long-time mentor and close friend Vince Del Monte. Vince is a World-Renowned On-line Business Coach, Best-Selling Author and WBFF Pro Fitness Model & Competitor. He is also the Founder of The 7-Figure Mastermind...

Send us Fan Mail It's all anyone is talking about right now... The Coronavirus has taken over as the only thing on our mind and the talk of the town. It's officially a pandemic that's altering the course of modern history. So Team Critical Bench sat down to speak openly, honestly and candidly about this very serious issue... To better understand WHY things are unfolding the way that...

Send us Fan Mail Our direction in life is directly tied to our decision making (good or bad) and the people we choose to surround ourselves with. So that begs the question, who do you have in your inner circle and why have you chosen them? In this very personal story of risk, faith, friendship and love, we discover the heart and strength of entrepreneur and Get Lean After 40 co-founder Ryan Colby....

Send us Fan Mail Grit. The opposite of quit. The ability to overcome obstacles small and large and persevere. To press on, grind and Get Stuff Done (GSD)! This one 4 letter word has been a prevalent fixture at Critical Bench, the internet’s #1 strength and health authority since 1999. In this very special 100th episode of Strong By Design, Founder Mike Westerdal sits down with long time friend and...

Send us Fan Mail Stephen Christian, the former lead vocalist and songwriter of Anberlin, one of the greatest alternative (Christian) rock bands, is as talented and brilliant as musicians get. His writing and vocal style is a combination that is unlike any other, one you'll never forget. Anberlin having sold more than a million albums in their 12-year existence, this Floridian band has toured...

Send us Fan Mail What if there was a way to quickly and easily improve your flexibility while torching fat and building strength? Would you do it? The real secret to flexibility and burning fat is the same: movement. But the fitness industry wants to convince you otherwise… That you need to starve yourself with crash diets, you need to follow complicated 12-week programs and you need to spend hour...

Send us Fan Mail Sure, personal training is an admirable career path, providing a great service to people who want to improve their health, wellness and get stronger...BUT these are the reasons WHY becoming a personal trainer may not be for everyone. In fact, personal training can really suck at times. No matter your passion and love of something… if you’re too heavily invested in something it can...