Best Stephankesting Podcasts (2025)

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432 - Hybrid Training 4: Optimal Conditioning for Winning BJJ Tournaments, with James Deirmendjian 57:54

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1h ago57:54

57:54

James Deirmendjian a strength and conditioning coach specialising in combat and tactical athletes who ALSO competes in BJJ, fighting against much younger opponents. As such he was the perfect choice to finish our 4-part series on hybrid training and the science of developing strength and endurance at the same time. In this episode James and I touch…

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431 - Hybrid Training 3: Mixing Ultramarathon and Strength Training with James Pieratt 53:41

8d ago53:41

53:41

James Pieratt from Wild Hunt Conditioning joins us to share what he learned on an expedition in which he ran 802 miles through nearly the entire state of California. James is unique in the ultrarunning community because he also lifts heavy weights and trains in BJJ. We looked at the mindset and philosophy required for ultrarunning, the emotional jo…

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430 - Hybrid Training 2: The Science of Strength, Power and Endurance with Chris Duffin 1:02:26

1M ago1:02:26

1:02:26

Record-setting powerlifter and freak athlete Chris Duffin discusses the intricacies of hybrid training, focusing on the balance between strength and endurance. He shares his unique qualifications, including his experience with elite athletes and his world record feats. Chris breaks down the relative importance of skill, and the mechanical, neurolog…

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429 - Hybrid Training 1: Peaking for Power, Endurance, and Mental Strength with Mike McCastle 1:02:05

1M ago1:02:05

1:02:05

Mike McCastle smashed David Goggins' pullup record by doing 5,804 pull-ups in 24 hours while wearing a 30-pound backpack... and pulled an F-150 pickup truck 22 miles through Death Valley... and flipped a 250 lb tire for 13 miles... and climbed a rope for the equivalent distance of Mount Everest... and has trained MMA fighters, alpinists, and extrem…

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428 - Tom Callos, A Black Belt and Gentleman 1:15:32

2M ago1:15:32

1:15:32

Martial arts pioneer Tom Callos came onto The Strenuous Life Podcast to discuss the California martial arts scene in the wake of Bruce Lee, the importance of taking your training out of the dojo and into the world, how your students can become your school's most effective advertising, being BJ Penn's first BJJ instructor, and his thoughts about BJ'…

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427 - Overcoming Doubt and Anxiety in Competition, with Sports Psychologist Haley Perlis 53:39

2M ago53:39

53:39

Today let's learn from sports psychologist Dr. Haley Perlis, who delves into the competition mindset, developing mental toughness, managing stress, avoiding burnout, the psychology of extreme sports, and how your core values shape your life and sport. Find out more about Dr Perlis at https://drhaleyperlus.com/ And to get a glimpse into the mental a…

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426 - What Needs to Change to Do Jiu-Jitsu after Age 35 56:22

3M ago56:22

56:22

Today I'm joined by wrestler, jiu-jitsuka, and author Chris Jessulat (https://www.thewrongsideof35.com/) to discuss the best practices for staying relevant on the mats as you enter your fourth decade and beyond... 00:00 Training as an Older Grappler 02:48 The Transition from Competitive to Recreational Training 05:46 Physical Changes and Changing t…

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425 - Optimal BJJ Competition Mindset, with Rob Biernacki 1:00:29

3M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Rob Biernacki has some very impressive competition victories, including black belt masters gold at both No Gi Worlds and ADCC. In this podcast episode he reveals... Why people sometimes just don't perform up to their potential and how to fix it, How to reframe tournament nerves, The optimal state of arousal for competition, Building and executing o…

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424 - Writing the Ultimate BJJ Book, with Meerkatsu and Graham Barlow 50:53

3M ago50:53

50:53

It started as an April Fool's joke and then morphed into a BEAST of a book complete with 967 illustrations called "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Ultimate Illustrated Guidebook". In episode 424 I chat with renowned BJJ black belt, illustrator and designer Seymour Yang (better known as Meerkatsu) and his partner in crime Graham Barlow (the creator of the …

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423 - BJJ, Science, and D&D with Bryan Rumble 48:20

4M ago48:20

48:20

Bryan Rumble is a 2nd degree belt and a working scientist. In this episode we start out by talking about BJJ traditions, the depth of the art, and how the scientific method might be applied in jiu-jitsu. Then, at about the 23 minute mark, Bryan and I nerd out SUPER hard on Dungeons and Dragons and how it relates to martial arts training. You've bee…

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422 - How to Condition Yourself to Deal with Adrenaline in Stressful Situations 24:24

5M ago24:24

24:24

The fight-or-flight reflex is always lurking just below the surface. When things get sufficiently stressful, our hormonal system dumps enormous amounts of adrenaline into our bloodstream, and—BOOM—suddenly we’re ready for action. That adrenaline serves a purpose: it elevates your heart rate, makes you much stronger, more pain tolerant, and able to …

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421 - BJJ Training and Conditioning Myths, with James Deirmendjian from Fit Fight Training 1:00:11

6M ago1:00:11

1:00:11

Three time IBJJ World medallist James Deirmendjian joins me to discuss optimal training methodologies and the science behind strength and conditioning for sport. We cover hacks to improve recovery, debunk common myths in the Jiu-Jitsu community, and go deep into the need for a more scientific approach to training and nutrition. Follow and get in to…

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420 - Braving Polar Bears, Facing Off Against the Columbian Military, and Team Dynamics with Frank Wolf 1:02:35

6M ago1:02:35

1:02:35

Frank Wolf is an explorer, a writer, and one hell of an adventurer. In this episode we cover what he learned about endurance and survival during his travels in the Arctic, Central America, and Antarctica. Check out his fantastic book Two Springs, One Summer anywhere you get books in including Indigo and Amazon. https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/two-sprin…

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419 - Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic (Audiobook Format) 45:05

7M ago45:05

45:05

I've got something special for you today: a true adventure story set in the Far North featuring that I underwent a few years ago after a kidney transplant. I ended up learning a LOT about mental toughness, resilience, and strategies for making progress when I was absolutely at the end of my rope, lessons that I think are universally applicable. The…

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418 - Spartans, Samurai and Ninja with BJJ Black Belt Jeff Nelson 1:07:22

7M ago1:07:22

1:07:22

I was thrilled to have Jeff Nelson on the show to talk about Spartans, Samurai, Ninja, developing confidence through jiu-jitsu, fight scenes in movies that drive us crazy, and pro-training at some of the best BJJ schools in the world. Follow Jeff on Instagram (@thoughtandmindjj) and check out his book Ninja Punks, @*&% OFF! on Amazon! Also check ou…

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417 - Can You Get Your BJJ Black Belt Without Affiliating with a Specific School? 1:25:42

7M ago1:25:42

1:25:42

Paul Kindzia describes himself as a "homeschooled, non-denominational, it takes a village black belt" and had a very unique route to getting his BJJ black belt. He was a ronin, training at different schools and did a lot of his training in his home dojo. This paid off because he was a top IBJJF Masters competitor at blue, purple, and brown belt, be…

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416 - How to Climb Everest, with Extreme Alpinist Jost Kobusch 36:43

8M ago36:43

36:43

Jost Kobusch is just back from Everest, where he is doing a multi-year project to climb the tallest mountain in the world... by himself... without oxygen... up the incredibly difficult West Ridge route in the middle of winter. In winter, the effective altitude of Everest is over 9,000 meters, and the winds can reach 250 km/hour (155 mph). And - on …

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415 - BJJ and Self Defense, with Tyson 'The Warrior Philosopher' Larone 1:58:09

8M ago1:58:09

1:58:09

Tyson Larone is a BJJ belt, a Muay Thai teacher, TEDx speaker, and a strongman competitor. In this episode he and I dive deep into exploring how BJJ can be used for self defense, including how context changes everything in self defense… adaptations that women and smaller people need to make… the problems with the one time self defense seminar model…

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414 - Optimized BJJ Training for Non-Athletic Grapplers, with Jesse Walker 54:30

9M ago54:30

54:30

The standard BJJ approach of throwing newcomers to the wolves may work for young and talented athletes, but it's definitely not optimal for most older, non-athletic, or female grapplers (otherwise known as the vast majority of people). In today's episode I'm joined by Jesse Walker from Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky, to discuss the trainin…

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413 - Strongman Training Secrets, with Kalle Beck 1:14:50

10M ago1:14:50

1:14:50

Kalle Beck has competed, coached and commentated in Strongman events and has helped thousands of people become much, much stronger. Here's how some of the lessons learned from Strongman apply to other sports... Check out Kalle's site at https://startingstrongman.com/ and the Facebook group he runs (the biggest strongman community in the world) at h…

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412 - Eco-Adjacent Training and How to Do It Correctly, with Rob Biernacki 1:02:20

10M ago1:02:20

1:02:20

One of the biggest trends in BJJ right now is the so-called "ecological approach." In episode 412 of The Strenuous Life Podcast I'm joined by renowned coach Rob Biernacki to discuss the do's and don'ts of game-based training. Check out Rob's instructional BJJ Games here https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-games/ for more information.…

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411 - Smashing the Mental Barriers Holding Back Your Jiu-Jitsu 1:32:04

11M ago1:32:04

1:32:04

Erin Herle is a BJJ black belt under Cobrinha and is a certified Mental Performance Consultant. In her work she uses an evidence-based approach and has a master's degree in sport and performance psychology. In this episode we cover overcoming the biggest barriers holding you back from performing to your potential, dealing with burnout and overtrain…

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410: How B Team Prepared for ADCC and CJI, with Chris Wojcik 59:05

12M ago59:05

59:05

Would you like a behind-the-scenes peek at what really goes on at one of the most successful grappling teams in the world as they get ready for ADCC and CJI, the Olympics of grappling? Today I'm joined by Chris Wojcik, a standout grappler and the author of The Grappler's Diary, and we cover... The qualifying process for ADCC, the Olympics of Grappl…

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409 - Denis Kang, From Underground Bareknuckle Fights to the Biggest MMA Stage in the World 59:19

1y ago59:19

59:19

Denis was one of the top MMA fighters in the world with wins over Minoru Suzuki, Murilo 'Ninja' Rua, Akihiro Gono and Marvin Eastman. In this interview he opens up about the mindset shift that took him to a 22 fight undefeated streak... how he dealt with the death of his fiance while competing for the biggest MMA organisation in the world... how fi…

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408 - Ramsey Dewey on Effective Combat Sports and What Self Defense Experts Get Wrong 1:30:57

1y ago1:30:57

1:30:57

Ramsey Dewey is an MMA coach now based in Shanghai, China. I really enjoyed our conversation which included... How wearing headgear in sparring actually makes things WORSE for your brain His controversey with Master Wong Why China could take over MMA What self defense 'experts' get wrong What happens to martial arts that don't spar Ramsey's experie…

Stephankesting Podcasts

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The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Stephan Kesting

1
432 - Hybrid Training 4: Optimal Conditioning for Winning BJJ Tournaments, with James Deirmendjian 57:54

1
431 - Hybrid Training 3: Mixing Ultramarathon and Strength Training with James Pieratt 53:41

1
430 - Hybrid Training 2: The Science of Strength, Power and Endurance with Chris Duffin 1:02:26

1
429 - Hybrid Training 1: Peaking for Power, Endurance, and Mental Strength with Mike McCastle 1:02:05

1
428 - Tom Callos, A Black Belt and Gentleman 1:15:32

51
427 - Overcoming Doubt and Anxiety in Competition, with Sports Psychologist Haley Perlis 53:39

51
426 - What Needs to Change to Do Jiu-Jitsu after Age 35 56:22

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425 - Optimal BJJ Competition Mindset, with Rob Biernacki 1:00:29

1
424 - Writing the Ultimate BJJ Book, with Meerkatsu and Graham Barlow 50:53

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423 - BJJ, Science, and D&D with Bryan Rumble 48:20

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422 - How to Condition Yourself to Deal with Adrenaline in Stressful Situations 24:24

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421 - BJJ Training and Conditioning Myths, with James Deirmendjian from Fit Fight Training 1:00:11

1
420 - Braving Polar Bears, Facing Off Against the Columbian Military, and Team Dynamics with Frank Wolf 1:02:35

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419 - Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic (Audiobook Format) 45:05

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418 - Spartans, Samurai and Ninja with BJJ Black Belt Jeff Nelson 1:07:22

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417 - Can You Get Your BJJ Black Belt Without Affiliating with a Specific School? 1:25:42

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416 - How to Climb Everest, with Extreme Alpinist Jost Kobusch 36:43

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415 - BJJ and Self Defense, with Tyson 'The Warrior Philosopher' Larone 1:58:09

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414 - Optimized BJJ Training for Non-Athletic Grapplers, with Jesse Walker 54:30

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413 - Strongman Training Secrets, with Kalle Beck 1:14:50

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412 - Eco-Adjacent Training and How to Do It Correctly, with Rob Biernacki 1:02:20

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411 - Smashing the Mental Barriers Holding Back Your Jiu-Jitsu 1:32:04

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410: How B Team Prepared for ADCC and CJI, with Chris Wojcik 59:05

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409 - Denis Kang, From Underground Bareknuckle Fights to the Biggest MMA Stage in the World 59:19

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408 - Ramsey Dewey on Effective Combat Sports and What Self Defense Experts Get Wrong 1:30:57