The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

A fun conversation with BJJ black belt Thomas Lisboa about why testing yourself occasionally in competition gives you things that you just can't get from regular training, how Brazilian black belts use their skills on the mat to emigrate to North America, how to develop your weakest positions, why even advanced students should attend the beginner's class, and much more. If you enjoy the podcast then a rating or a review would be super-useful! If you're not sick of me yet then here are some of my social media links... Tiktok (NEW): https://vm.tiktok.com/QQDSBt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grapplearts Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/stephankesting Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/stephankesting And, most importantly, good luck with your training! Stephan

The guard is the most important position in BJJ, and if you understand the multiple ranges and range battles that occur within this position then your ability to both pass the guard and defend against guard passes will improve exponentially. In this episode Rory Van Vliet explains the different ranges within guard and how you can use them to your advantage. If you found this useful then check out The Guard Retention Formula at https://www.grapplearts.com/guardretention Also if you get the chance please rate, review, or pass this podcast on to friends. That kind of stuff really helps! Cheers, Stephan

The days of learning from just one instructor if you're a serious martial artist are over. Nowadays you need at least four different coaches... Check out my latest BJJ instructional, The Guard Retention Formula, at https://www.grapplearts.com/guardretention

I sit down with Japanese ju-jutsu black belt Alex Kask to discuss the benefits, pitfalls and procedures for training in traditional systems and in modern BJJ at the same time. Both Alex and I have extensive backgrounds in both approaches, although I've done more BJJ and he's done more classical jujutsu, aikido and hapkido. I hope you find this an informative and entertaining chat! Also while I have your attention can I remind you to download the BJJ Master App for iOS and Android? There are more than 500 minutes of free black belt instruction on that app. You can grab it free at https://www.grapplearts.com/masterapp Good luck with your training, Stephan

This was a fascinating conversation with Nick Hiebert who has done a ton of research into the nutrient density of different foods. In this talk we look at the all time greatest, most nutrient dense foods, the ketogenic diet, fats vs carbs vs proteins, and much more. Check out Nick's blog at https://thenutrivore.blogspot.com/ or follow him on Twitter @The_Nutrivore where he spends a ton of time debunking bad nutritional science https://twitter.com/The_Nutrivore And if you're on Twitter anyway why not follow me @stephankesting https://twitter.com/StephanKesting because I'm reasonably active on there and share cool stuff all the time Peace, Stephan

I think you'll like this one, because I share a fighting strategy that comes from Roberto Leitão, the godfather of Luta Livre who has trained fighters like Jose Aldo, Pedro Rizzo and Marco Ruas. I also discuss times when you should use the exact opposite strategy to develop your game! Check out The Guard Retention Formula at https://www.grapplearts.com/guardretention. It's an absolutely amazing instructional that will make your guard much, much, MUCH harder to pass or your money back! Cheers Stephan

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) can seem incredibly complicated when you're first exposed to it. In this episode I explain the positional hierarchy, the underlying logic, and the method behind the madness of what happens when two people are rolling on the ground. I think this'll really help you and I hope you share it with your friends! Download 'The Roadmap for BJJ' in PDF form for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/book And grab 'The Roadmap for BJJ App' for Apple and Android devices for free at https://www.grapplearts.com/roadmap Good luck with your training! Stephan Kesting

In this podcast I answer a question I received on an Instagram Live Q&A about a boxing beating jiu-jitsu in a real streetfight. Then I go on an epic rant about the three specific things most BJJ guys need to do first to make their martial art streetworthy. Follow me on Instagram (@stephan_kesting) and maybe a future podcast episode will be devoted to answering one of your questions! Also go to https://www.grapplearts.com/guardretention to find out more about the upcoming step-by-step formula for stopping your guard from getting passed. I guarantee this instructional will completely change your jiu-jitsu And, as always, good luck with your training! Stephan

Mike McCastle has accomplished some of the most amazing tasks of endurance I've ever heard of. In this episode we go deep into developing mental strength, maintaining commitment in the face of adversity, and dealing with physical and emotional pain. This is an amazing episode and I hope you really like it! Mike's feats of endurance are part of the 12 Labors Project and include setting the world 24 hour pull-up record while wearing a 30 lb pack (5804 pull-ups), pulling an F150 pickup truck for 22 miles through Death Valley, climbing the height of Mount Everest (29,029 feet) by going up and down a 20-foot rope 1,450 times, flipping a 250 lb tire for 13 miles the day after he lost his father to Parkinson's disease, running 20 miles a day for 100 days straight, and more. Follow Mike on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mikemccastle/?hl=en or check out his website at http://www.twelvelaborsproject.com ----------------------------------- Grab my free downloadable guide to learning BJJ fast at https://www.grapplearts.com/book Check out the huge archive of techniques and detailed training tips at https://www.grapplearts.com/articles/ ----------------------------------- Grab the "Grapplearts BJJ Master App" with more than 500 minutes of free black belt instruction here: iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bjj-master-app-by-grapplearts/id1308072068 Android phones and tablets: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grappleartcontainer ----------------------------------- Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting ----------------------------------- And, most importantly, good luck with your training! Stephan

Tristan Connelly, fresh off his absolutely amazing underdog win over Michel Pereira in the UFC, talks with Stephan Kesting on The Strenuous Life Podcast. We went into detail about mindset, strategy and training. I think you'll find this a great episode! Specific topics included, 00:14 A detailed breakdown of his fight with Michel Pereira, 07:00 Weight control for MMA Fighters, 09:23 What quitting fighting will look like, 11:10 On being a chronic trainer, 12:09 Developing fight strategies, 15:10 Taking a fight on short notice, 18:14 What he does for recovery after hard training, 19:46 What the average week of training looks like, 21:56 The factor that set off Tristan's winning streak, 24:07 The effect of your win to loss ratio on your MMA career, 25:00 How to figure out if MMA isn't for you, 29:25 Amateur mistakes Tristan made in pro fights, 37:02 Fighting MMA in Japan, 38:43 Why cornering guys is more stressful than fighting yourself, 41:40 Working as a motion capture model for the UFC game with Electronic Art, 47:37 How to find Tristan on social media. Follow Tristan on Instagram @mmatristan or here: https://www.instagram.com/mmatristan/ Check out his Youtube video on how to set up and finish the guillotine choke at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHrevZDt_4g&feature=youtu.be ----------------------------------- Grab my free downloadable guide to learning BJJ fast at https://www.grapplearts.com/book Check out the huge archive of techniques and detailed training tips at https://www.grapplearts.com/articles/ ----------------------------------- Grab the "Grapplearts BJJ Master App" with more than 500 minutes of free black belt instruction here: iPhone and iPad: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bjj-master-app-by-grapplearts/id1308072068 Android phones and tablets: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grappleartcontainer ----------------------------------- Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stephan_kesting ----------------------------------- And, most importantly, good luck with your training! Stephan