Bull, Steel, and Fang on Table Talk: What the American Gladiators Cameras Never Showed

Bull, Steel, and Fang on Table Talk: What the American Gladiators Cameras Never Showed

Three elite athletes sat down at the S5 Compound and broke down the American Gladiators reboot on Prime Video, including everything the cameras didn't show.

Pat Davidson

The Comical Truth About "Accidental" Muscle Growth

Dr. Pat Davidson breaks down the billionaire myth of accidental muscle growth, the meathead bell curve, and how high-ground training choices change everything for hypertrophy.

Dr Dwyane Jackson

The Neural Gap: Six Training Lessons From Dr. Dwayne Jackson | Table Talk #409

Dr. Dwayne Jackson returns to Table Talk with six science-backed lessons on RPE calibration, auto-regulation, the gym as medicine, and what actually separates lifters who keep progressing from those who plateau and break down.

the sport is dead

Why Modern Powerlifting is Falling Apart

Dave Tate

Dave Tate and a current multi-ply competitor, Bob Merkh, go deep on fractured federations, band shirts, judging inconsistency, and the hidden cost of putting the bar before everything else.

bench press

When Grit Becomes the Enemy

Dave Tate

Swede Burns walked into a Philadelphia meet sick, fifteen pounds lighter, and without his wrist wraps. What happened next took a surgeon and three years to fix.

Nick Benerakis

The Path of Most Resistance: Master the Counter-Intuitive Science of the 800-Pound Bench

Dave Tate

"As much as I talk about the setup being so key for a raw bench, the handoff process is bar none the most important part for a quip bench in my opinion".

 

Pete Rubish

From 920lb Deadlifts to Marathons: 5 Lessons on Extreme Performance and Resilience

Dave Tate

Former powerlifter Pete Rubish discusses his radical transformation into a marathon runner, unpacking the severe health scares that forced him to step away from extreme lifting in pursuit of a balanced life, longevity, and faith.

 

Tim Walsh

The Only 2 Things You Need for a Bulletproof Gut | Table Talk #407 with Tim Walsh

Dave Tate

Tim Walsh drove 12 hours through a blizzard to sit down at the S5 Compound and deliver one of the most practical gut health conversations we've had on Table Talk.

Bob Merkh

The Weight of the Sword: 5 Counter-Intuitive Lessons from the World's Strongest Teacher

Dave Tate

 "I've said you cannot outlift being an asshole, your numbers are going to get you attention, that's not what lasts".

 

stu

Understanding the Foundation of Spinal Health: Movement, Stress, and the Tipping Point

Dave Tate

Every system in the human body... is highly affected by movement and movement has a Tipping Point that is either going to be anabolic or catabolic depending on which side of the Tipping Point you are too much or too little".

Jack Lovett

The Professionalism Crisis: Why Most Coaches Fail and How to Build an Undeniable Culture

 "You learn very quickly that any idiot can get somebody tired, but it takes a skilled, professional coach to get somebody better."

 

Dr bacon

The Recomposition Trap: Why Your Pursuit of the "Holy Grail" is Keeping You Average

Dave Tate

"While a calorie deficit is typically necessary to lose fat, rapid body recomposition—gaining muscle while losing fat—is primarily achievable for beginners, individuals with obesity, those using steroids, or athletes recovering from an injury."

 

WSBB Pod

The 800-Square-Foot Kingdom: Why the Strongest Gym in History Had No Room for Ego

Dave Tate

"Powerlifting is a one-man sport right when you're on the platform, but I think it's the epitome of a team sport because it takes more than just you to get you to that point.

 

allan Bacon

The 50% Testosterone Tax: Why Your "Hustle" is Killing Your Gains

Dave Tate

 Dr. Allan Bacon joins the podcast to debunk pervasive health fads, break down the "unsexy" basics of optimal nutrition, and explain how a lack of sleep can slash a man's testosterone levels by almost 50%.

 Tune in as Dr. Allan Bacon discusses the hidden costs of the daily grind, revealing the truth behind optimal macro tracking, the dangers of viral diet cleanses, and how neglecting your sleep can literally cut your testosterone in half.

Table Talk Podcast Guests

5 Surprising Lessons from World-Class Strength Athletes on the Art of the Pivot

"I really started to lean into like let's be as healthy as we can while we wreck our bodies... and then as I've gotten older and my priorities have shifted, my avatar has shifted with me."

 

The Biological Overhead of the "Enhanced" Era: Why Optimization is a Career-Killer

The Biological Overhead of the "Enhanced" Era: Why Optimization is a Career-Killer

Dave Tate

"If they do all the things exactly as they should which is the most optimized for their own performance from the very jump I think they limit their career."

 

How Nathan Payton Feeds the Strongest Men on Earth

How Nathan Payton Feeds the Strongest Men on Earth

Dave Tate

Elite strength coach Nathan Payton breaks down the hydration and nutrition strategy he uses to peak World's Strongest Man competitors — and why the principles apply far beyond the sport.

Maple Street

Building a Powerlifting Empire: 5 Counter-Intuitive Lessons from the Origins of EliteFTS

The EliteFTS gym evolved from a simple backyard shed used for sled work in 1998 into a world-class strength facility over the course of two decades of growth and warehouse relocations.

 

rossco

The Choreography of Power: Why a Decade of Ballroom Dancing is the Ultimate Strongman Secret

Dave Tate

 Professional strongman Adam Roszkowski reveals how his 11-year career in international ballroom dancing built the foundation of balance, discipline, and deep muscle control that propelled him to success in heavy lifting and American football.

 

zach smith

5 Impactful Lessons from the Frontlines of Powerlifting

Dave Tate

"Powerlifter Zachary 'Zeus' Smith sits down to discuss the gritty reality of strength sports, sharing wild stories of his viral rivalry with Joe Jackson, defending his gym from armed trespassers, and building a fiercely loyal, legacy-driven lifting community."

 

Josh Miller

The Iron Mindset: Navigating the Mental Battlefield of Major Injury Recovery

Dave Tate

Discover the profound mental challenges athletes face when returning from a severe injury and explore actionable strategies to overcome self-doubt, rebuild your identity, and confidently regain your strength.

Mike Brinson

Strategic Insights into In-Season Strength Training and Athletic Development

Dave Tate

 "The most important person in the room is not the athletes, it's the coach, because if the coach is not successful, the kids have no chance of being successful".

 

Joe Jackson

The Iron Paradox: 5 Surprising Truths About Strength and the Self from Joe Jackson

Dave Tate

Joe Jackson argues that modern powerlifting must evolve beyond a niche participant activity by prioritizing compelling storytelling and head-to-head battles that engage a wider audience. He also reflects on the mental demands of the sport, warning lifters that they cannot "out total a bad relationship" with themselves and must separate their self-worth from the numbers on the bar to survive the plateau periods following the initial "honeymoon phase" of strength gains.

 

David Raymond

Finding My Strength: A Powerlifter's Story

Dave Tate

 Emphasizing that he is just "happy to be here" and views the sport as simply lifting weights, powerlifter David Raymond explains why he maintains a positive mindset and smiles even after failing a world record attempt. The conversation spans his decade-long journey, detailing his coaching relationship with Dan Bell and wild personal stories ranging from rating public bathrooms to meeting Muhammad Ali.