Stronger Weekly

Jesse and Ben Barker are back for an Ask Us Anything, tackling the real-life questions busy parents and lifters are actually asking: how much screen time to allow your kids (now that even the government is warning about it), how to unwind at night without reaching for a drink, how to finally lose the stubborn lower-belly pooch that won't budge, whether the Presidential Fitness Test's retur...

Should you try Hyrox? Is CrossFit actually good for you? Should you just run a bodybuilding split? With a hundred ways to train and only a few hours a week to spend, the hard part isn't effort — it's choosing where to put it. This episode cuts through the noise. Jesse grades the biggest training styles — Hyrox, CrossFit, traditional bodybuilding, and hybrid training — with actual letter gr...

You spent the spring trying to dial it in — then work, stress, and life got in the way. Now summer's here and you're a few pounds short of revealing the work you put in. It happens to almost everyone, and those last five pounds are always the most stubborn. But it is not too late. This episode is a tight, practical playbook: tighten your calorie deficit (and why you're probably eating...

If nothing feels satisfying anymore — if you need your phone, your coffee, your drink, and your scroll just to feel normal — your dopamine system may be out of balance. And you're not broken. You're over-stimulated. This episode separates the real science from the viral nonsense. The dark-room "dopamine detox" is a myth — you can't drain a molecule your brain makes to keep yo...

The truth most fitness shows won't tell you: we're overestimating both how MUCH and how HARD we train. We think we're training. We're really just moving. Statistically speaking, only 24% of American adults meet the federal exercise guidelines. This episode breaks down what "training hard" actually means for strength versus cardio, why vigorous intensity is non-negotiable...

Jesse and Ben Barker are back for an Ask Us Anything together, tackling listener questions on how much time busy parents really need to train (the realistic minimum), how to talk about nutrition with your kids without giving them food complexes, what's actually in their supplement stacks (no sponsored answers), how much weekly time it takes to check every fitness box (strength, muscle, cardio,...

Four in ten American adults — and half of adults under 50 — now get their health and fitness information from social media influencers. According to a landmark Pew Research study published this month, 16% of those influencers list ZERO credentials. No degrees. No certifications. No training. Just content, abs, and a follow button. This episode breaks down what the data actually shows, exposes the...

One in eight American adults have now tried a GLP-1 (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound). The drugs work—people lose 15-22% of their body weight in clinical trials. But new research published this month confirms what many suspected: 25-40% of that weight loss is muscle, not fat. That is catastrophic for long-term metabolic health, strength, and healthspan. This episode breaks down the latest meta...

Most people think barbell back squats, conventional deadlifts, and wide-grip pull-ups are non-negotiable. They're not. Many of the most common exercises quietly wreck joints while safer alternatives deliver the same muscle activation with a fraction of the injury risk. This episode lays out the 8 riskiest exercises, backed by research, AND gives you safer swaps for each one. When it comes to f...

Most people focus on program splits, exercise selection, and supplement stacks. They miss the six fundamental mistakes that actually matter: poor lifting skill, ego lifting, program hopping, chasing conflicting adaptations, overtraining without recovery, and eating more calories than they think. This episode breaks down the research on each mistake and offers a practical fix. Whether your fitness...

Jesse and Justin are back for Ask Us Anything Vol. 11, tackling listener questions on cold plunge timing (does it blunt muscle growth?), protein on rest days, how to look good with your shirt off (not just clothed), essential supplements if you could only take three, meditation vs. breathwork (is it actually helping or just aspirational?), and when to tell your kids about your past mistakes. It&#3...

Ben Westhoff is an investigative journalist, bestselling author of "Fentanyl, Inc.", and filmmaker behind the new documentary "Antagonist". He was the first reporter to go undercover in a Chinese fentanyl lab, and his work has advised top government officials. His new film exposes how naltrexone—a life-saving addiction medication—has been systematically suppressed by big-money...

Can exercise be unhealthy? Laura Gordon knows firsthand. She's a licensed therapist, strength coach, and PhD student at Clemson studying stress dysfunction and maladaptive coping. Today, she's researching how trauma rewires the brain and why PTSD diagnostic criteria need an overhaul. Laura breaks down stress dysfunction vs. PTSD, how exercise can become maladaptive coping (anger release, p...

Last week, a California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for social media addiction. This week, Kaylin Peete from the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) delivers the solutions parents need. FOSI is a nonprofit that partners with Apple, Google, TikTok, Roblox, and other major tech companies to translate research into practical tools for families—reaching over 300,000 parents globally. Kaylin b...

On March 25, 2026, a California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for social media addiction, ordering them to pay $6 million in damages. It's the first time platforms have been ruled defective products based on design—not content. Over 2,000 similar lawsuits are pending. One day earlier, Meta was hit with a $375 million verdict in New Mexico for failing to protect children from predators. Je...

Every month, we answer your real health & fitness questions. This month: cardio versus strength training, testosterone replacement therapy for men over 40, alcohol’s impact on your fitness goals, lost identity as a dad, and whether caring about your body is vain as a Christian. These aren’t hypothetical questions. These are real asks from real people trying to stay fit, stay healthy, and stay...

Most people fail fat loss because they don’t have a system. They crash diet for two weeks, overtrain, and quit the moment it gets uncomfortable. Then they start over and repeat the cycle, never truly achieving the physique they want.  I’m 30 days out from a Florida trip with my family. I need to get lean. And I’m not guessing—I’m running the exact protocol I use every time I need to strip body fat...

Most people have NO idea just how helpful, and versatile, chiropractic medicine is.  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Dan Wallis—chiropractor, father, and founder of Elevate Chiropractic in Fort Collins, Colorado—to explore the parts of chiropractic care most people have never heard of. Dr. Dan treats newborns with colic. He works with pregnant women preparing for labor. He optimizes nervous s...

Most dads are trying to figure out how to stay fit while juggling work, kids, and everything else. But here’s the problem: They’re either chasing programs designed for 22-year-olds with unlimited time, or they’re settling for watered-down “quick workout” BS that doesn’t actually work. And even when they find something that fits their schedule, they’re still dealing with the bigger question: How do...

Every week, millions of people turn to the internet to ask basic, but important fitness questions online. Questions like: “Can I do cardio and lift weights on the same day?” Or “Should I be tracking macros?” Or “How do I know if I’m sore or injured?” They’re the questions everyone has when they’re starting out. They’re just afraid to ask them. In this episode, I’m pulling real questions from Reddi...

After 40, your body changes. Muscle loss accelerates. Recovery takes longer. Injuries don't heal like they used to. Most people over 40 fall into one of two traps: Either they ignore the biological reality and grind themselves into injury, or they assume they're broken down and settle for watered-down "everything workouts." Both approaches fail. In this episode, you'll learn...

Your weekend health and fitness news briefing. We break down the health and fitness headlines that matter for busy people who want to stay informed without the noise. In less than 5 minutes. This week's coverage: GLP-1 medications: WHO confirms major weight loss results—and what the patent expiration means for prices Exercise and depression: 79,000-participant study finds aerobic exercise riva...

A majority of Americans are dehydrated, while three out of four drink less than 3 cups of water per day. That means YOU are statistically likely to be chronically dehydrated, and you probably didn't realize it. And if you’re busy, active, or dealing with stress? The odds are even worse. In this episode, I break down: What hydration actually means—and why drinking water alone isn’t enough The h...

What if 3 minutes of cold water could replace your evening drink? In this episode, I share my 6-month journey with cold plunging—and how it completely changed my ability to transition from work stress to being present with my kids. I didn't start cold plunging for mental health. I started for the "bro science" stuff—testosterone, recovery, optimization. But what I discovered was some...

You ask, we answer! Welcome to our monthly Ask Us Anything episode. Jesse is joined by Justin Maziarz and Dave Lipay to unpack real listener questions on testosterone replacement therapy, balancing training with family, the guilt of not wanting to spend every waking moment with your kids, managing stress without alcohol, choosing the right fitness program, and knowing when to quit a job you hate....