The Strenuous Life Podcast with Stephan Kesting

Sticking points and plateaus are inevitable if you train - here are 3 strategies you can use to smash on through to the other side in 2020.

Have a great Christmas and New Year's!

Stephan

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 u…

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 agains…

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 Reten…

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 e…

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 guy…

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 advers…

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 a…

Sparring is just as essential in the striking arts as it is in the grappling arts, but the addition of percussive trauma raises the stakes and makes safety the single most important consideration.  I…

"Survive first, win later" was one of the very first pieces of advice I ever received in jiu-jitsu. It helped me then and it still helps me now, both on and off the mat. I hope this mentality helps y…

I talk with Chris Duffin, one of the most elite powerlifters in the world, about his absolutely inspiring journey from a childhood spent in poverty to becoming one of the strongest men on the planet.…

You can train super hard and kick the crap out of your body but that doesn't make you stronger - it's only after you RECOVER from training that the benefits of training manifest themselves. 

Too many…

How to get more chokes, armlocks and leglocks in BJJ with Rob Biernacki.  We break down a 6 step submission formula that will allow you to hit more submissions on good people, even if they're bigger …

Jessica is the yoga coach to the New Orleans Saints.  She helps NFL players put themselves back together after the relentless abuse of games and training. And she also does BJJ which means she's doub…

BJJ is a fantastically fun sport that's also undeniably hard on the body. Here's my single biggest tip for people in their 30's and 40's who want to keep on training into their 50's and 60's

If you'r…

If you're serious about jiu-jitsu then should you train everyday?  In answering this question I also give some real life examples of how to achieve any large, hairy, audacious goal, be that getting y…