The Better Basics Podcast

Hot Topic: LMNT is suing the Oasis app Worth It? Whey Protein Main Course: What Say You About…? In this episode we offer off the cuff opinions and insight on hydration breaks, Norwegian sports culture, Nestle’s GLP-1 strategy, and heels elevated squats. Q&A: I’m training for my first 5K. Any tips on how to update my gym routine to support my running training?

Hot Topic: Is the Norwegian soccer team avoiding US food? Worth It? One extra hour of sleep Main Course: It’s 95 degrees in Wisconsin today. So, in this episode of The Better Basics Podcast, we’re harnessing the heat wave to offer our health and fitness hot takes. From training for aesthetics, to arm days, to chasing optimal – this one is sure to fire you up. Q&A: I’m getting a bit burnt out/b...

Hot Topic: Is Hyrox the new Tinder? Worth It? [Book Edition]: Endurance Main Course: Summer has a way of making even the most dedicated gym-goers want to be anywhere but inside. In this main course, Matt explores why that’s probably a good thing, makes the case that humans are meant to be seasonal creatures, and shares his simple summer fitness framework built around strength maintenance, outdoor...

Hot Topic: Are phones to blame for declining birth rates? Worth It? Hobbitmaxxing Main Course: In this episode of The Better Basics Podcast, we use a coffee shop in Chicago to ask a much bigger question: are we choosing what’s actually better for us, or just what feels familiar? From Starbucks sitting right next to Intelligentsia to the way people approach fitness, food, business, routines, and id...

Hot Topic: Why does restaurant food kind of suck now? Worth It: Marcus Aurelius’ 2000-year old morning routine Main Course: In this episode we break down the three big body-composition strategies everyone argues about online: bulking, cutting, and recomping. What do they actually mean, who are they actually for, and why do so many people screw them up? We explain why bulking is not just eating eve...

Hot Topic: Do magic mushrooms expand the life of human cells by 57%? Explain it to Dylan: Can kimchi remove microplastics from our bodies? Main Course: This week on The Better Basics Podcast, we’re diving into the Bean Stew Theory: the idea that people will take something simple, useful, and specific, then overcomplicate it until it becomes completely unusable. Someone posts a bean stew recipe, an...

Main Course: This week we're doing something different. It's our first health and fitness grab bag - where we explore interesting topics in the world of health and fitness, including: who's more athletic, AI podcasts, boredom and distraction getting in the way of presence, drinking alcohol, Dana White's terrible take on men's mental health, and the Enhanced Games 2026. Q&A:...

Hot Topic: What exercise burns the most calories? Back to the Basics: Farmers Carries Main Course: Most people say they want to lose weight, but what they usually mean is they want to look better, feel stronger, move better, and feel more confident in their body. In this episode, we break down the difference between weight loss and body recomposition, why the scale is useful but incomplete, and ho...

Hot Topic: 8,500 steps per day to keep the weight off Worth It? Prioritizing cognitive fitness Main Course: We’re breaking down how to structure a full-body day in the gym without turning it into a random two-hour exercise buffet. We talk about why full-body training is one of the best options for busy adults, beginners, parents, and anyone training 2-4 days per week, then walk through how to orga...

Hot Topic: Can your Fitbit predict IBS? Worth It? Eccentric Training Main Course: We’re tackling one of the biggest questions in fitness: what’s the ideal way to train? The answer? It depends entirely on your goal. Dylan throws out real-world scenarios like “my doctor told me I need to lose 100 pounds,” “I want to get ripped,” “I just want to tone up,” and “I want to stay strong and functional int...

Hot Topic: Your doctor might prescribe…friends? Worth It? “Healthy” Snack Foods Main Course: If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s better to move more or eat less for fat loss, this episode breaks it down in a way that actually makes sense. We walk through what a calorie deficit really is, how your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is made up – from basal metabolic rate (the biggest piece) to t...

Hot Topic: AI flags “unreported” GLP-1 side effects Worth It? Smith Machine Main Course: If you’ve ever spent 10 minutes scrolling and walked away thinking you need magnesium, a cold plunge, and a full hormonal reset…this episode is for you. We unpack why it feels like everything in health and fitness suddenly matters, and how that’s actually leaving people more confused, overwhelmed, and stuck. W...

This week we go off script. We drop the structured format and riff for an hour on the topics that are top of mind for us in health and fitness. We talk about everything from home owner tips to kids and sports to Dylan's new gym membership. And don't worry, the sad song segment remains!

Hot Topic: Can “Exercise Snacks” Improve Mental Health? Explain it to Matt: Socks in the Gym Main Course: In this episode, we break down what might be the most underrated skill in health and fitness: the ability to hold two truths at the same time. Instead of chasing black-and-white answers – “good vs bad,” “right vs wrong” – we explore why real progress comes from understanding nuance. From train...

Hot Topic: Social media’s big tobacco dominoes start to fall Worth It? Skipping the receipts Main Course: Peptides are everywhere right now – from fat loss drugs to “healing” injections – but what are they actually, and do they live up to the hype? In this episode, we break down Peptides 101: what peptides are (and how they function as signaling molecules in the body), why they’ve exploded in popu...

Hot Topic: David Protein Bars Worth It? Are Machines Worth It for Functional Strength? Main Course: In this episode, we make the case that boredom isn’t something to avoid—it’s something we’re missing. Inspired by a reel that highlights how we’ve filled every quiet moment with noise, we break down why that might be costing us creativity, focus, and clarity. We dig into the science of boredom, how...

Hot Topic: Jason Day’s perspective on the big 4 lifts Worth It? Social Media/Phone Detox Main Course: In this episode, we break down one of the biggest debates in strength training: unilateral vs. bilateral lower body work. Are squats and deadlifts still king, or is single-leg training the more functional approach? We dive into the real benefits of both: how bilateral lifts build maximal strength...

What’s On My Mind? I’m not doing 59 pushups Worth It? Chewing 32 times Main Course: In this first ever solosode of The Better Basics Podcast, Dylan shares five simple things he’s personally doing right now to improve his health - all of which are accessible for almost anyone - and invites the listeners to join him. From taking a one-week break from social media and practicing a mindset of “yes, th...

Funniest Thing I Saw This Week: Alex Honnold's Greatest Accomplishment Explain it to Matt: Does ultraprocessed mean unhealthy? Main Course: We're ranking 2026 fitness trends by one simple standard: bang for your buck. Instead of reacting to hype, villains, and viral takes, we’re asking what actually moves the needle for normal adults. We break down 12 trends - from sunlight, plyometrics, c...

Hot Topic: USA Hockey Wins Gold Main Course: What if balance isn’t the goal and never was? In this episode, we unpack the Four Burner Theory, the idea that life is like a stove with four burners: health, family, friends, and work - and that you can’t run all of them on high at the same time. Popularized by David Sedaris, the concept challenges the modern belief that we can “have it all” without tr...

Hot Topic: The happiest men over 40 are overweight... Worth It? Reading Fiction Main Course: In this episode of The Better Basics Podcast, we break down 10 major red flags in modern health and fitness content - from scary chemical claims without dose, to rat studies applied to humans, to influencers diagnosing a “root cause” and selling the fix in the same breath. We explore why emotionally charge...

Hot Topic: Colon cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50, second for women Worth It? Slowmaxxing Main Course: In a world where work is remote, food is delivered, and entertainment is streamed, fitness has quietly followed the same path - but at a cost. In this episode, we make the case that while digital tools can support fitness, they can’t replace the thing that actually mak...

Hot Topic: Dammit, Peter Attia Worth It? High Intensity, Low Volume Training Main Course: This week we’re planting our final flags on the top things that we are IN or OUT on in 2026. Cardio? Plyometrics? Phone use? Mobility and stretching? Synthetic underwear? Social media content? Consumption? We’ll discuss our thoughts, justifications, and nuances and provide some food for thought for 2026 and b...

Hot Topic: GLP-1 pills hit the market Worth It? Overnight Oats Main Course: This week we’re planting flags on the top things that we are IN or OUT on in 2026. Cycling volume? Identifying “strong enough”? Maximizing training weeks? 60+ minute workouts? Seasonal training? Reading fiction? Television? Social media? We’ll discuss our thoughts, justifications, and nuances and provide some food for thou...

Hot Topic: Vital Farms Eggs - A Pasture Raised Scam? Worth It? Peanut What Say You About? [Edition Nine]: The ninth episode of the series! Matt and Dylan have a fun discussion off the cuff on a variety or health and fitness topics, including: upper lower splits, breaking through pull-up plateaus, resources for stretching and improving mobility, and suspension trainers (TRX) for hypertrophy - oh, a...