The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

By limiting what you do during training and drilling you become much more precise and will improve much faster in jiu-jitsu. Today's episode is also available in video form at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drqVrn6L6hI Finally, if you found this useful then please share it with a friend and give me a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts from! Cheers, Stephan Kesting

Julie Kedzie is a retired MMA fighter who now works as a fight commentator, interviewer and matchmaker for Invicta Fighting Championships. In this episode she shares her experience of meeting Vladimir Putin, unaffiliating yourself from bad people (like Vladimir Putin), the importance of role models, what drove her to start MMA and how she finally made the decision to retire. As a special bonus you'll learn why from this point forward I want to be referred to as Reverend, Master, Saint, Professor Kesting! "The richer your life is outside of fighting the more meaningful the fighting can become" - Julie Kedzie

To celebrate the launch of the new BJJ for Old F***s instructional (available at grapplearts.com/oldguard) here are some of the most important takeaways for the older grappler. In this episode Rob Biernacki (age 46) and I (age 52) discuss... The two things that change most about your training as you get older How to improve as fast as possible by limiting your training Why base, posture and structure are even more important for older grapplers How to select for techniques that are high percentage at the high level but still work on young whippersnappers How to stay safe on the mat and not get injured Reducing unnecessary movement so you don't get tired How gripfighting and range management will dramatically improve your abilities on the mat  And much more. Honestly, if you're beginning to creep up on the wrong side of 40 then this is a must-listen. If you're interested in the actual BJJ for Old F***s instructional you can check that out at grapplearts.com/oldguard

Lance Gibson Sr made a HUGE impression on me when he KO'd Jermaine Andre in the UFC while partially blind in one eye. That fight was a masterclass in both grit and strategy, so I was thrilled to have him on the podcast.   We talked at length about how training for MMA has changed since the early days, whether you can operate a gym and fight professionally at the same time, what really happened at all those Big Bear training camps back in the day, how to mitigate brain damage and CTE in training, and much more.   Follow Lance Gibson on Instagram, instagram.com/lancegibsonsr and on Twitter twitter.com/lancegibsonsr.   And check out the upcoming Grapplearts instructional 'BJJ for Old F***s" at grapplearts.com/oldguard - it's really good and is currently available for pre-order.   Cheers, Stephan Kesting Grapplearts.com

Kevin Bass has a background in medical anthropology, is both a medical and a PhD student, a grappler, and a weightlifter who has been deep in the trenches of the diet wars.  In this episode we discuss the evidence for keto and carnivore diets, the seed oil controversy, and a tentative protocol to help minimize brain damage from concussive trauma.   Follow Kevin on Twitter at @kevinnbass and check out his informative site at thedietwars.com. Cheers, Stephan Kesting    

I really enjoyed talking with Tyson Larone today.  He's a badass Jiu-jitsu black belt who also teaches Muay Thai and is a certified strength and conditioning coach.     We went deep into effective training methods, how to avoid injury, which experts we should listen to, training against resistance, and how to build a good mix of strength, endurance and flexibility   Follow Tyson on Instagram where is is @stalbertarashido and on Tiktok where he is @thewarriorphilosopher.   Also download my free app The Grapplearts BJJ Masterapp where you can get extensive free samples of all my instructionals. Cheers, Stephan Kesting

Margot Ciccarelli, a multiple time World and European champion, discusses her experience of training nomadically, refining Jiu-Jitsu game for competition, transitioning between gi and no-gi Jiu-Jitsu, and finding optimal training regimens. She also explores the concept of consistency in Jiu-Jitsu training and the development of offensive half guard.

Lowering the cost of failure in your training is the best way to get more reps in against a resisting opponent.  And getting more reps in against a resisting opponent is the best way to get better faster! Check out the Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu book published by Brandon 'Wolverine' Mullins and myself, now available on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Non-Stop-Jiu-Jitsu-Champions-Aggressive/dp/B08CPNPNDD/

How to find the high percentage techniques in jiu-jitsu, false positives and standards of jiu-jitsu evidence, MMA vs gi BJJ vs submission grappling, attribute based techniques, and how to know what the next big thing is in jiu-jitsu, with Rob Biernacki.   Check out Rob's amazing and highly detailed 'Arm Drag Formula' instructional (which is DEFINITELY a high percentage technique) at: https://www.grapplearts.com/armdrag   Check out his online training at: https://www.bjjconcepts.net   And check out his school at: https://www.islandtopteam.com    And finally, the video version of this episode is available here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mshC7cuL3_k   Cheers, Stephan

I'll make some new enemies with this one for sure! Thanks to Rob Biernacki for helping witih this project, and to everyone who contributed to the "If armbar deniers used anti-vaxxer and covid-denier logic to “prove” the armbar doesn’t work" thread on my Twitter. Back to regular programming soon, I promise...   Stephan