Best Challenging Pseudoscience Podcasts (2025)

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On the legacies of eugenics 48:22

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3+ y ago48:22

48:22

This episode is a recording of a talk given by medical historian, Marius Turda, at the Royal Institution in September 2021. His talk explored the historical roots of eugenics. He argued that the longevity of eugenics is due not just to its promise of drawing together social and cultural theories of human improvement, but also the credibility it was…

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Science museums and the 'culture war' 51:44

4y ago51:44

51:44

This episode features a panel discussion hosted online by the Association of British Science Writers in October 2021. The theme was the so-called ‘culture war’ and its effect on the UK's science and technology museums. The panelists discuss their personal experiences of government influence on museum independence and policy, and who should and shou…

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Fake news fighters 41:16

4y ago41:16

41:16

This episode features a panel discussion held at the British Science Festival Live in Chelmsford, UK, in September 2021. The theme was fake news and how to tackle the spread of scientific misinformation. The panelists discuss how social media algorithms help the spread of misinformation and fake news, they speak about the language to be aware of wh…

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SS 315 - Diet Breaks for Fat Loss- Yay or Nay? 35:11

4y ago35:11

35:11

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Heavey shares the research on diet breaks for fat loss. The boys also announce a big change to the podcast format. Finally, they touch on the mental health and stress levels of high-level athletes such as Simone Biles...and how the last year has affected all of us. If you love the strength part of Stre…

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SS 314 - How Grant Lost 30 Pounds of Fat… And A Debate Over the 75 Hard Challenge 48:26

4y ago48:26

48:26

In this episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant shares his journey of losing over 30 pounds in the last 7 months. Addressing his 4 pillars of health, Coach Heavey walks through Grant’s progress and success. The boys also answer a listener question about the 75 Hard Challenge. Is it worth it? Is it really about mental toughness or marketing genius? If…

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SS 313 - Is Willpower Genetic? 33:40

4y ago33:40

33:40

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey discuss nature vs nurture: Is willpower genetic and thus preordained at birth? The boys also debate who has the most willpower between the two of them. If you love the strength part of Strength & Scotch AND you'd like to get into the best shape of your life, be sure to subscribe to Hea…

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SS 312 - The #1 Reason People Fail to Lose Weight 41:12

4y ago41:12

41:12

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Coach Heavey discusses the #1 reason why people struggle with fat loss- it’s not what you think! Grant also shares his recent success with fat loss, a memorable 9-mile run and a sneak peek at this month’s whiskey club selection. If you love the strength part of Strength & Scotch AND you'd like to get i…

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Misinformation and censorship on social media 50:03

4y ago50:03

50:03

This episode features a panel discussion held at the Association of British Science Writers online in June 2021. The theme was misinformation and censorship on social media. The panel discussed how algorithms that feed us science news on social media sometimes promote disinformation and inadvertently demote good scientific content. The panelists ex…

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SS 311 - Concurrent Training: What Happens When You Mix Cardio and Lifting 38:00

4y ago38:00

38:00

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey chat about concurrent training: the combination of weight training and cardio. Does cardio interfere with strength gains? What’s the ideal workout order, recovery period and frequency of training when combining strength and cardio? Tune in to hear what the research says ...and to hear …

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Vaccines: Warriors and worriers 1:20:33

4y ago1:20:33

1:20:33

This episode was a panel discussion about vaccines hosted by the Royal Institution in February 2021. The panel explored how vaccines work, why some people are sceptical of them despite the evidence, and how disinformation about vaccines spreads online. They also took questions from the audience, offering lots of practical advice. The discussion was…

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Disinformation and how to counter it 1:08:47

4y ago1:08:47

1:08:47

This episode was a panel discussion on the theme of disinformation held at the Association of British Science Writers for their online UK Conference of Science Journalists in October 2020. We focused on the difference between misinformation and disinformation, the tactics of those spreading pseudoscientific theories such as climate change denial, a…

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SS 310 - All Things Running with Coach Nicole 56:48

4y ago56:48

56:48

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey are joined by Coach Nicole of Evidence Based Athlete to answer all of Grant’s running questions. Having recently been bit by the running bug, Grant gets advice on running shoes, how to properly increase mileage, setting running goals, form tweaks and mindset. If you love the strength p…

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SS 309 - How to Use Caffeine to Boost Your One Rep Max 38:44

4+ y ago38:44

38:44

If you already have a caffeine habit, can you still use caffeine as an ergogenic aid for strength and strength endurance? In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Coach Heavey shares the science on caffeine as an ergogenic aid, dosing for men vs women, and whether you should cut back on regular daily caffeine to improve pre-workout caffeine e…

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SS 308 - Are You Performing Your Lifts in the Right Order? 34:05

4+ y ago34:05

34:05

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey discuss the science behind exercise order. Does it matter what movements you perform first for strength vs hypertrophy? How does an extended warmup affect training? And what is the principle of specificity? Tune in to hear all the details. If you love the strength part of Strength & Sc…

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SS 307 - Can You Get Stronger as You Age? 34:13

4+ y ago34:13

34:13

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Heavy and Grant discuss a question from listener Jim: Can you get stronger and build muscle with age? Heavy shares the research on muscle and aging, the most powerful supplement for older athletes, and variations in protein requirements for masters athletes. If you love the strength part of Strength & …

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SS 306 - Kettlebell Training with the Kettlebell Warrior Bill Esch 57:17

4+ y ago57:17

57:17

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey are joined by national long cycle kettlebell champion Bill Esch. Bill shares his tips on kettlebell training for beginner and intermediate athletes, breathing, technique work, and the mental aspect of kettlebell as a sport. If you love the strength part of Strength & Scotch AND you'd l…

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SS 305 - Alternate Fasting & One Meal A Day 39:02

4+ y ago39:02

39:02

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey discuss various fasting protocols. Coach Heavey reviews research studies on the OMAD (one meal a day), the alternate day fating (ADF) and combination protocols. Tune in to get the scoop on all things fasting and how Grant has fallen in love with the scale. If you love the strength part…

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SS 304 - Back Injury: From Being Told You’d Never Lift Again to Setting All-Time PR’s In A Year 44:22

4+ y ago44:22

44:22

What would you do if you were told you'd never lift a barbell again? In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey are joined by EBA Coach Nicole for a special client case study. Nicole shares the journey of client “Nakatomi” who went from emergency back surgery and a prognosis that she would never lift again, to setting all-time …

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SS 303 - What Happens When You Mix HIIT & Alcohol? 34:34

4+ y ago34:34

34:34

Beer + burpees in the name of science??? In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey discuss two studies researching the effects of mixing HIIT training and alcohol. Tune in to find out the results of alcohol on body composition and performance. If you love the strength part of Strength & Scotch AND you'd like to get into the be…

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SS 302 - How to Accurately Measure Body Comp Change at Home 54:36

4+ y ago54:36

54:36

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey discuss the best methods for measuring body composition changes at home. From smart scales, tape measurements, calipers and lifting progress, they cover the gamut of both fat loss and body recomposition tracking. Heavey also helps Grant get over his hatred of the scale. If you love the…

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SS 301- How To Manage Stress & The Inflatable Pillar 35:59

4+ y ago35:59

35:59

In this week’s episode of Strength and Scotch, Coach Heavey shares his new take on stress as an inflatable, flapping pillar of health. Distressors, eustressors and how imaginary trolls can help manage your health. It’s a wild yet brilliant ride through both Heavey’s mind AND stress management. Buckle up! If you like Heavey's take on health and fitn…

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SS 300 - Mistakes We Made In The First 299 Episodes 40:09

4+ y ago40:09

40:09

This week the boys celebrate 300 episodes with a look back at their beginnings. Tune in to hear hilarious outtakes, trivia, and bad jokes along the Strength and Scotch journey. Grant and Brandon also share how their views have changed on health, fitness and whiskey over the last 6 years. If you like Heavey's take on health and fitness be sure to su…

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SS 299 - Weed 101 with Tim Pellerin of PAX Labs 1:17:15

4+ y ago1:17:15

1:17:15

In this episode, Grant and Heavey are joined by Tim Pellerin, General Manager of PAX Labs. As a leader in the cannabis space, from regulation to product innovation, Tim is helping to transform the industry and establish cannabis as a force for good. The boys chat all things cannabis: from regulations, delivery mechanisms, strains and health effects…

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SS 298 - Nutrition for Ultra Endurance with Coach Nicole Latimer of Evidence Based Athlete 41:28

4+ y ago41:28

41:28

In this episode, the boys are joined by Evidence Based Athlete Coach Nicole to discuss nutrition and training for ultra endurance athletes. Nicole shares the journey of EBA client “Tomagotchi”, an accomplished endurance athlete looking to up his performance for 100 mile races. They chat about calories, electrolytes, mileage and the mental preparati…

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SS 297 - Get A Stronger Mind with Dr. Eric Bean 54:06

4+ y ago54:06

54:06

This week Grant and Heavey are joined by Dr. Eric Bean, PhD, a high performance and leadership consultant. Dr. Bean shares his expertise from working with navy seals, the army, high level CEO’s to professional athletes. The boys chat all things mental performance including tips on working from home, finding your flow state and intrinsic motivation.…

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SS 296 - Personal Glucose Monitoring with Josh Clemente from Levels 59:17

5y ago59:17

59:17

In this episode, Grant and Heavey are joined by a special guest and founder of the Levels continuous glucose monitoring company, Josh Clemente. With a background in aerospace engineering, CrossFit and a curiosity to improve his own energy levels, Josh developed Levels as a tool for improving metabolic fitness and preventing insulin resistance. The …

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SS 295 - How to Keep Your Muscle When Running More 45:33

5y ago45:33

45:33

In this week’s episode Grant and Heavey answer a question from listener Joe: How to keep your muscle when increasing running. Heavy shares his tips on strength training to maintain muscle mass as well as nutrition strategies to keep that hard-earned muscle. Grant also shares his new infatuation with gaba rice (germinated brown rice) and the boys di…

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SS 294 - Staying Fit When Traveling 45:29

5y ago45:29

45:29

This week the boys are joined by Heavey’s wife and Evidence Based Athlete Coach Nicole to chat about fitness and nutrition on the road. Heavey and Nicole have a dialed-in routine for road trip nutrition and training that has served them well both pre and during the pandemic. Tune in to hear their tips on maintaining fitness while limited on equipme…

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SS 293 - Exercising To Improve Your Mental Game 46:37

5y ago46:37

46:37

In this week’s episode, Coach Heavey shares the research on exercise for improving cognitive function. What exercises are most effective for acute and long term mental acuity? Tune in to find out! And if you enjoy nerding out on health and fitness with Coach Heavey, be sure to check out his main project, Evidence Based Athlete.…

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SS 292 - Case Study: Significant Fat Loss During COVID 1:02:37

5y ago1:02:37

1:02:37

This week on Strength and Scotch, Grant and Heavey are joined by Heavey’s wife and head coach at Evidence Based Athlete, Coach Nicole. Nicole shares a case study on a nutrition client, “Bobcat” who lost 45 pounds over the last 4 months. The trio discusses details on Bobcat’s nutrition coaching as well as his home training program with minimal equip…

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SS 291 - Exercise Tech and Building Your Movement Stack 48:31

5y ago48:31

48:31

In this week’s episode, Coach Heavey dives further into the concept of a movement pyramid, as a tech stack. In the words of Grant: “It’s a good analogy, it’s just really nerdy.” Tune in to build your own movement stack, learn about short vs long scotch fermentation and how chickweed might be your new favorite veggie. If you like Heavey's take on he…

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SS 290 - What Movements Should You Be Prioritizing? 1:03:52

5y ago1:03:52

1:03:52

This week on Strength and Scotch, Heavy breaks down the movement pillar of health in a new way: revealing his pyramid of movement priorities. From low intensity foundations, to mobility, eustress and peaking at reach, find out how you can better optimize your movement for longevity. Grant also shares his 3 favorite summer cocktails and finally the …

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SS 289 - We’re Back Baby… With Strength and Scotch Plus 48:41

5y ago48:41

48:41

We’re back this week with an all-new episode of Strength and Scotch! The boys chat about how to safely return to training after a layoff or injury. They also share a big announcement: The rollout of Strength and Scotch Plus: special bonus episodes, a whiskey club, monthly fitness challenges, and a mastermind braintrust.…

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Nutrition For Fat Loss (Best of Strength and Scotch) 39:01

5y ago39:01

39:01

With all the fad and extreme diets out there, can you guess which is the right one for you? In this episode Grant and Heavey cover nutrition for fat loss. Listen in as they dish out the truth about fat loss nutrition. If you like Heavey's take on health and fitness be sure to subscribe to his weekly emails where he shares his favorite tips and tric…

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How To Train for Size / How to Train for Strength (Best of Strength and Scotch) 33:07

5y ago33:07

33:07

In this episode, Grant and Heavey dive in depth about different training variables and how you can manipulate them for strength or size. Whether you're looking into building size or strength, this is a must-listen! (This is part II of Grant and Heavey's discussion from episode 176) If you like Heavey's take on health and fitness be sure to subscrib…

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How Fast Can You Lose Fat and Keep Your Muscle? (Best of Strength and Scotch) 29:32

5y ago29:32

29:32

Grant and Heavey tackle the best – and safest – rate for fat loss. They dish out information from studies to determine at what rate can fat loss and gaining strength under safe conditions be achieved. Is this something only athletes can do? Listen in to find out! If you like Heavey's take on health and fitness be sure to subscribe to his weekly ema…

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Diet VS Exercise for Fat Loss (Best of Strength and Scotch) 29:56

5y ago29:56

29:56

Grant and Heavey chat about travel, lifesaver watches, and diet vs. exercise for fat loss. Grant talks about what makes the new Apple watch so unique. Hint: it’s now a medical device! (for real!) And onto the main topic, they both discuss the importance of diet in fat loss. If you’re feeling frustrated with how you’ve been working out so hard and y…

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Exactly How to Calculate Your Macros For Fat Loss (Best of Strength And Scotch) 37:41

5y ago37:41

37:41

In today’s episode, Grant and Heavey specifically teach you how to count your individual macros if you’re trying to lose fat. How is macro counting applicable to other diets? Lastly, they factor in non-intentional physical activity into the equation (which could very likely be the cause why people are not achieving the amount of fat loss they want …

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The Small Things That Lead to Big Results (Best of Strength and Scotch) 48:11

5y ago48:11

48:11

For the 4th year celebration of Strength & Scotch, Grant and Heavey take on listeners’ questions. Nate is asking for steps to help people get on track to a healthier lifestyle. Today, Grant and Heavey answer Nate's question walking through each of the 5 pillars of health.By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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Can You Boost Testosterone Naturally? (Best of Strength and Scotch) 31:45

5y ago31:45

31:45

Grant and Heavey discuss a number of ways you can increase your testosterone levels outside of the illegal and doctor-prescribed stuff out there. Plus, did you know that the most expensive bottle of scotch sold at a whopping $1.1 million? Talk about investing in scotch!By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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Do You Need to Add Muscle to Get Stronger? (Best of Strength and Scotch) 32:08

5y ago32:08

32:08

In this top 10 episode, Grant and Heavey answer a question from a listener about whether it’s possible to increase muscle strength without necessarily gaining muscle size. Heavey gives his take on this, specifically explaining a few of the many factors that can influence muscle strength.By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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Does Apple Cider Vinegar Actually Do Anything? (Best of Strength and Scotch) 23:50

5y ago23:50

23:50

In this top 10 episode, Grant and Heavey investigate whether apple cider vinegar really does have health benefits. So many good things have been said about apple cider vinegar, but are these claims backed by science? Tune in to find out!By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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SS 288 - The End of the Strength & Scotch Podcast 42:44

5y ago42:44

42:44

Grant and Heavey have done almost 300 episodes now for 6 years. It has been a good run and today marks the last episode. They talk about their takeaways through the years – on life, friendship, nutrition, health, exercise, and of course, scotch!By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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SS 287 - Is Alcohol Healthy or Unhealthy? 38:49

5y ago38:49

38:49

Grant and Heavey talk about whether alcohol is healthy or not. What are its benefits? How much should you be drinking? Does it affect your gains and performance in the gym?By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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SS 286 - Which Joint Supplements Work? 37:22

5+ y ago37:22

37:22

Grant and Heavey walk through the different supplements for joint health. Know more about what type of person can expect them to work, and finally, some food sources where you can get some of those nutrients. Have you hit a plateau in your training? Go to strengthandscotch.com/coaching to see if Heavey and his team at Evidence Based Athlete can hel…

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SS 285 - The Health Benefits of Getting Outdoors 36:55

5+ y ago36:55

36:55

Grant and Heavey chat about the benefits of getting outdoors, particularly in nature. What effect does nature have on our health? If you like Heavey's take on health and fitness be sure to subscribe to his weekly emails where he shares his favorite tips and tricks.By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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SS 284 - Shin Splints 38:24

5+ y ago38:24

38:24

Grant and Heavey tackle a question from listener Danny on how to avoid shin splints. Joining in for today’s episode is Heavey’s wife and head coach at Evidence Based Athlete, Nicole. Feel like you’re plagued by injuries? Head to strengthandscotch.com/coaching to see if one-on-one individual coaching can help you navigate those obstacles with a stru…

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SS 283 - Essential Oils Listener Question 36:50

5+ y ago36:50

36:50

Grant and Heavey talk about essential oils. Do they really work? Or are scented oils just a part of a massive MLM sham? If you like Heavey's take on health and fitness be sure to subscribe to his weekly emails where he shares his favorite tips and tricks.By Brandon Heavey - Strength and Conditioning Coach & Grant Fowlie - Scotch Connoisseur

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SS 282 - Fermentation Fun with Mark McTavish of 101 Cider 53:23

5+ y ago53:23

53:23

Grant and Heavey talk with Mark McTavish from 101 Cider House about the best ciders out there! They are all-natural with lots of probiotics and zero sugar. Learn about their fermentation process and what makes them special. Plus, they have a new product line that is wilder and gives you all the booze you need, minus the unwanted calories. If you li…

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SS 281 - Does Consuming Fat Get in the Way of Post Workout Gains? 31:25

5+ y ago31:25

31:25

Grant and Heavey take a listener question about whether you should avoid fat post-workout. While we’re on this topic, find out the effects of protein, fats, and carbs right after working out. Should you worry about consumption post-workout all together? What would be the best combination? Or do you even need to consume any of them right after worko…