The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

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!

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    

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  

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.