
The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting
What is it that allows some people to push themselves beyond their limitations? Why can some people survive situations others do not? On this podcast we try to find out the answers. Stephan Kesting, is a lifelong martial artist, BJJ black belt, career firefighter, and outdoorsman. Join us as he talks to fighters, adventurers, competitors, coaches, firefighters, trainers and other people living the strenuous life.
Stephan also runs Grapplearts.com, where he has published many hundreds of martial arts videos, articles and tutorials.
His free guide to learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, A Roadmap for BJJ, has been downloaded more than 10,000 times and has become a foundational text for the art.
Latest episodes

Sep 16, 2022 • 51min
375 - How Skill, Athleticism and Rank Correlate in BJJ, with Rob Biernacki
00:29 - Is technique enough by itself? 04:47 - Is Jiu-jitsu for everybody? 09:59 - Skill vs athleticism vs rank 22:43 - The resurgence of guard passing 25:34 - Intensity in training and belt promotion 32:43 - Hobbyist vs competitor training. 37:47 - The most effective takedowns for jiu-jitsu 39:12 - Training strengths vs working on weaknesses BJJ FOR OLD F***S, THE GUARD PASSING GAME Check out the latest Grapplearts instructional featuring Stephan Kesting and Rob Biernacki here: https://www.grapplearts.com/bjj-for-old-fs-guard-passing/ Good luck with your training, Stephan

Aug 25, 2022 • 1h 48min
374 - Adam Shoalt’s Amazing 3,400 km Solo Journey to the Arctic
Explorer Adam Shoalts is fresh off a 3 month, 3,400 km solo trip to the Arctic. It’s an amazing story, and he shares a TON of tips for travelling in the wilderness 00:32 Adam’s 3 month, 3,400 km solo journey to the Arctic 31:20 On Staying Safe in the Wilderness 38:42 On Food and Calories in the Wilderness 50:57 How to Run Whitewater Safely on an Expedition 53:07 Medical Emergencies and Safe Drinking Water 1:05:41 Dealing with Black Flies and Mosquitoes 1:11:57 Dealing with Bears in the Wilderness 1:20:51 Staying Warm in Wet and Cold Weather 1:27:45 Intuitive Navigation vs GPS Navigation 1:34:45 Trip Planning 1:39:10 Dealing with Loneliness on a Solo Trip 1:43:41 Adam’s Books Follow Adam at Instagram @adam_shoalts and check out his website at adamshoalts.com Please share this episode with a friend or two if you liked it - it's how we grow! And check out the video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/m3srgJEDZH0 on the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube! Cheers, Stephan Kesting

Aug 12, 2022 • 1h 6min
373 - Alex Jones, Alt Right Hippies with Guns, and More with Derek Beres from Conspirituality
Derek Beres is an author and co-host at the Conspirituality Podcast. He joined me today to talk about the recent Alex Jones verdict, anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories, conspirituality and his predictions for the future. Check out Conspirituality on every podcast platform, hosted by Derek Beres, Julian Walker and Mathew Remski. It's amazing! And if you want more of Derek and I check out Cults and Conspiracies in the Yoga, Wellness, and BJJ Communities which was episode 291 of The Strenuous Life Podcast and/or Conspiracy Dojo, episode 106 of Conspirituality. Keep on fighting the good fight my friends! Stephan

Aug 4, 2022 • 9min
372 - How to Come Back After a Training Layoff!
0:37 Why layoffs are inevitable 1:39 Loss of endurance 3:36 Loss of sport-specific strength 5:46 Loss of timing 7:19 How to minimize the loss 7:40 How long does it take to come back Please share this episode with a friend or two if you liked it - it's how we grow! And check out the video version of this podcast on the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxFCWZJbnlRyhw3vmDx0Rlg/videos Cheers, Stephan Kesting

Jul 26, 2022 • 1h 5min
371 - Battling Bullshit in the Martial Arts and Everywhere Else, with Phrost from Bullshido
From Steven Segal getting choked out on set to health influencers and how to develop information literacy I think you'll like this conversation with Phrost. Follow Bullshido on Twitter @bullshido, Phrost @@Phrost, and/or the original Bullshido site at Bullshido.net. Please share this episode with a friend or two if you liked it - it's how we grow! And check out the video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/fwLPR7VJ8O8 on the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube! Cheers, Stephan Kesting

Jul 15, 2022 • 1h 10min
370 - Inclusive Jiu-Jitsu, with Erin Wedekind
Erin teaches jiu-jitsu in Appleton Jiu-Jitsu. In this episode we have a great discussion of trans athetes in jiu-jitsu and a little bit of polite debate about trans athletes competing in elite sport. I found this a very informative conversation and gained some valuable perspective on the science of transition. More about Erin at metricsbjj.com

Jul 5, 2022 • 1h 14min
369 - How to Add Judo Takedowns to Your BJJ Game, with Chris Round
Chris Round is a Judo black belt under Jimmy Pedro. In this episode we talk about how to add Judo throws to your BJJ arsenal, old school vs new school Judo training methods, Kosen Judo which focuses very heavily on groundwork, gripfighting, leg grabs, belt grabs, crazy Eastern European throws, and more!

Jun 20, 2022 • 1h 6min
368 - The Red Flags That Indicate You're Dealing with Pseudoscience, with Jonathan Jarry of the OSS
Being able to tell the difference between real science and pseudoscience has never been more important, especially given the staggering amounts of misinformation and disinformation being circulated on a daily basis. In this episode I talk with Jonathan Jarry, a scientist who works for McGill University's Office for Science and Society, which uses the tagline 'Separating Sense from Nonsense'. We cover some of the most blatant red flags that you're dealing with pseudoscientific claims, charlatanry, grifters, and fake experts. I hope you find this useful! Stephan Kesting P.S. This episode is also available on the Strenuous Life Podcast Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/-FrIVWasO8M Give us a follow on Youtube if you would please!

Jun 10, 2022 • 1h 7min
367 - Crashed Civilizations and Lost Human Lineages, with Patrick Wyman
Patrick Wyman from the amazing Tides of History Podcast joins us today to discuss Large civilizations that disappeared (12:22) The human evolutionary family tree and paleogentics (17:41) The explosion of agriculture on different continents (28:16) Different species of hominids (40:20) 40 years that shook the world (43:57) The pivotal role of the printing press (48:30) Patrick's involvement in the MMA world (52:27) Why nerds lift weights (1:01:37) And more! Follow Patrick on Twitter @patrick_wyman Please like and subscribe - that stuff REALLY helps! And check out the Strenuous Life Podcast channel on Youtube while you're at it! Cheers! Stephan Kesting

Jun 1, 2022 • 1h 21min
366 - Covid is Airborne, Here's What to Do About It (with Epidemiologist Dr Colin Furness)
Covid is Airborne, So What Can We Do About It? No, the answer is NOT lockdowns. In this interview University of Toronto epidemiologist Dr Colin Furness, PhD, goes into detail about Covid transmission, the debilitating (and mostly denied) effects of Long Covid, and simple mitigation measures that don’t require billions of dollars. Specific topics include… - The evidence for Covid being airborne - How common is Long Covid, what are the three types of Long Covid, which organ systems are affected, whether vaccination helps, and whether mild cases initial respiratory Covid can lead to severe long covid - Other viruses with long term effects that don’t become evident for decades - The real reason that first responders should be vaccinated - Why we’re seeing so many new variants - What is wastewater testing, and why is it one of the most useful leading indicators for strain on the healthcare system - What governments have done to take Covid off of everyone’s mind. - Why the only lockdown that made sense was the first one, and why every lockdown since then has been the result of a failure to act earlier with less severe measures. - Why you should put away the hand sanitiser and the plexiglass. - A simple 3 step approach to keeping public spaces safe (ventilation, filtration, and CO2 detectors) - When is masking appropriate? - How the removal of masks on planes led to many thousands of cancelled flights and a synchronisation of Covid waves across the entire USA. - How vaccination keeps other people safe - Arguments for and against mandatory vaccination for first responders, and strategies that don’t involve mandates - The death of expertise and moving forward in a post-truth world - Monkeypox - should we take it seriously? - How we might successfully deal with the next big plague Dr Furness works in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at University of Toronto. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FurnessColin Cheers, Stephan Kesting P.S. You can also catch the video version of this conversation on Youtube at https://youtu.be/fHa0akoLDPQ