The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Latest Episodes:

101 - My Twitter Q&A: Talking Cryotherapy, Self Defense, Heel Hooks and More! Dec 08, 2017

Show notes

Loved doing this massive Q&A! What I did was take the time to more fully answer questions that I had first addressed in 140 characters on my first Twitter AMA (Ask Me Anything). Follow me on Twitter where I'm @stephankesting so you can get in on the next Q&A session! Here's what I talked about... My cryotherapy experiment update - 01:13 The 3 most essential submissions (and why) - 07:09 Grappling dummies and should you use them - 09:59 Bad hygiene and etiquette on the mats - 13:23 Are there techniques big guys should avoid - 16:15 Should you do a takedown or pull guard? - 18:00 Essential training for beginners - 19:51 Gracie combatives - 24:15 Worst handicap I've seen someone overcome in training - 26:33 Making starting out in jiu-jitsu easier - 27:48 Red flags and problem people at gyms - 29:06 Should belt promotions cost money? - 30:11 Dealing with strong closed guards - 31:20 The types of guard for punch defense - 32:22 Easing pressure on the spine during guillotine submissions - 33:20 Are new rules hurting BJJ? - 34:49 Game changing concepts - 37:14 How to finish single leg takedowns - 38:57 Squats and deadlifts - 40:55 Eating before training; what and how long? - 42:16 Making the most of limited rolling time - 43:04 Best BJJ techniques for self defence - 44:19 BJJ and firefighting - 45:31 Toe holds vs heel hooks - 47:18 Opinions on cross-training - 49:00 Training at different schools - 50:31

100 - Optimal BJJ Training and Recovery with Sean McHugh Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

I've known and trained with black belt Sean McHugh for 16 years, so I was super-stoked to have him on the podcast. We covered a lot of important material including

How to train your training partners so that they can help you get better as fast as possible
Strategies for optimal post workout recovery
BJJ injury prevention and rehabilitation
How the teaching of BJJ has evolved since the art was introduced to North America
Beginner's teaching progressions, and should you let people spar on the first day of class?
The dark side of MMA, including concussions, addictions, and lack of options after leaving the sport
How to continue training when life is kicking the crap out of you
And much more...

099 - How to Motivate Yourself to Train Nov 22, 2017

Show notes

In this episode I share one of my best tips to get your butt on the mat or in the gym, indicators for when it's NOT time to push, as well as a cautionary tale of when an MMA training session went too far and I ended up bleeding from the kidneys!

Also, I've got some really interesting podcasts coming up in the near future, and if you subscribe then you won't miss them!

098 - Why Do So Few BJJ Gyms Teach Takedowns? Nov 17, 2017

Show notes

Are takedowns important even though so few BJJ gyms teach them, and can you get away with never training them if your focus is competition? And what about self defense? This are questions I answered during an recent Instagram Live Q&A session - follow me on Instagram @stephan_kesting and maybe next time I'll be answering YOUR question!

097 - A Q&A About Training BJJ for Older Grapplers Nov 12, 2017

Show notes

In this episode I answer questions and share some tips and tricks for training in BJJ as an older grappler. How often should you train? How can you recover faster? Should you also do weight training as an older athlete and more! The questions came from an Instagram Live broadcast I did; follow me on Instagram @stephan_kesting and maybe next time I'll be answering YOUR question on one of these Q&A sessions.

096 - Lessons Learned from 19 Different World Champions, with Mike Zenga Nov 09, 2017

Show notes

In this episode BJJ and Judo black belt shares some of the lessons, commonalities, and differences he's seen from working one-on-one with 19 BJJ, Judo and ADCC world champions. Do they all train the same way? Eat healthy food or junk? Drill, spar or do lots of conditioning? Listen and find out!

In addition we also talk about CTE and brain damage in the combat sports, MMA, boxing and grappling betting tips, the toughest guy that Mike has ever rolled with, the differences in BJJ training between Brazil and North America, whether the USA can ever catch up in BJJ, and Mike's secret plan for building a future world champion!

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did - it was a lot of fun with lots of great information.

095 - Increasing Mobility for Jiu-Jitsu Nov 06, 2017

Show notes

Some quick thoughts about improving the different forms of 'mobility' for jiu-jitsu, both in terms of movement on the ground, and joint mobility, from a recent Instagram Live Q&A. You can find me on Instagram at @stephan_kesting and I'd be thrilled if you followed me because I'm releasing pics and videos there all the time!

094 - Carnage and Survival in South Africa with Coach Rodney King Nov 01, 2017

Show notes

WARNING: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and is definitely not suitable for children.

In this episode I talk with boxing and BJJ coach Rodney King about the epidemic of violence in modern day South Africa, how training helps you prepare for confrontations, and how dangerous a 'romantic' notion of fighting is.

Some of the topics we covered include:

00:17 - Who is Rodney King? 01:16 - Growing up in South Africa 08:47 - Bouncing at nightclubs 13:57 - Johannesburg today 26:42 - Some reasons for the South African crime epidemic 33:10 - How much does training help? 40:09 - Prevalence of techniques 46:52 - Self defence and conflict de-escalation 54:21 - Training vs real life 64:03 - Ventures outside martial arts

093 - Testing Techniques and Avoiding Cults; The Critical Concept of Testability Oct 30, 2017

Show notes

In this rant I go off about the importance of critical thinking, and include examples from the martial arts, business and life. Somehow I try to wrap things up by bringing the Heaven's Gate cult and the biggest mass suicide on US soil into the discussion. Let me know if this podcast worked on you on Twitter (where I'm @stephankesting), OK?

092 - How Violent Was Our History, Really? A Conversation with Daniele Bolelli Oct 24, 2017

Show notes

I love this episode where I talked with historian Daniele Bolelli. In it we talked about a huge number of topics including...

His process of researching and producing History on Fire, one of the leading history podcasts
How to get rid of weight cutting in mixed martial arts competition
The evidence for and against an ultra-violent human past vs a peaceful noble savage model of our hunter-gatherer past.
The rise of MMA in Asia.
Daniele's proposed 'Gladiators for World Peace' program and how it's going to get him the Nobel Peace Prize
His return to Italy as a tourist
Is it too soon to tell whether we're moving towards a more peaceful future?
Ötzi the iceman, Neanderthal DNA in our genomes, and a mass murder that occurred 430,000 years ago (http://bit.ly/1JYX91M)
And much more!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected