Blog | Featured The Crew’s Essential Lockdown Listening

Author / John

8 - 12 minute read

It’s a bittersweet time here at Power Athlete. While it appears that lockdowns all over the world are being extended, we have officially charted on iTunes as a top 200 fitness podcast! To celebrate, and to help entertain you as you do your part to help the world get through the current COVID madness, we are going to list some of The Crew’s top picks of Power Athlete Radio, the premier podcast in strength and conditioning-ing-ing.

Below you’ll find the top 3 picks from each member of the team.

Cali

Cali Hinzman is a Seattle PD police officer, Power Athlete Coach, and producer of Power Athlete Radio.

Ep. 82: Stephen G. Miller

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Web

Dudes. Wrastlin’. Naked. This is where it all began. I’ve always been fascinated by the less obvious reasons people train for sport and why competition seems to be in our blood. The historical theme of this episode really tickled my fancy as I like to imagine a time when athletes had far more at stake during competition than money, endorsements, and hot chicks. Dr. Miller is a professor specializing in ancient athletics and during our conversation with him, he was actually onsite at one of his excavation locales in Greece. Dr. Miller really painted the picture of what it was like to be a competitor as early as 800 BC and it provided the listeners with an appreciation for the sacred traditions of sport. You may think the audio was recorded during the same time period but I think it just adds to the historic feel.

Ep. 128: Tait Fletcher

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Web

Sometimes you’re in the mood for a classy red wine, other times you just want to party and you reach for the Red Bull Vodka with champagne chaser. This episode falls somewhere between those two. Tait Fletcher is one of the most introspective and thoughtful guests that we’ve ever had. His wit and humor is rivaled only by his intellect. This was my first real introduction to his dynamic personality. When I met him in person at the 2018 Power Athlete Symposium and subsequently heard his talk with John, I was blown away. He’s brutally honest and has lived a colorful life doing the unimaginable. He always seems to be proactively evolving into a more zen version of himself while remaining genuine and humble, a quality I deeply respect.

Ep. 233: Dr Stu McGill

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast

The Gift of Injury…ever hearrrrd? The title of Dr. Stu McGill’s book resonated at the time because I’m a sucker for controversial one-liners. Anyone who’s ever attempted something significant, physical or otherwise, has experienced failure. Injury is often the physical manifestation of failure and catches many athletes on their heels. Doc’s perception of injury became influenced by a select group of high level performers that were able to use extreme injury as a catalyst for discipline. In this episode you’ll hear how this newly adopted training discipline ended up propelling them into incredible success with the help of none other than Jedi Master of understanding pain, recovery practices, and biomechanics, Dr. Stu McGill.

Harry

Harry Heptonstall is a full time Creative in Manchester England, and is the man behind the brand at Power Athlete. If it looks awesome, sounds awesome, or feels awesome, Harry had something to do with it.

Ep. 330: Nir Eyal

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Nir Eyal is an investor, lecturer and New York Times best selling Author. He hops on to chat with The Crew to dig into his recent book, Indistractale. I’ve never been a fan of tomorrow-people. You know, the people who always find an excuse not to do something in the here and now. Listen to Nir make it painfully simple to remove the one thing preventing you from quickly and efficiently achieving goals… DISTRACTION.

Ep. 317: Dr. Jannell Macauly

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Jannell Macauly is a human performance consultant, combat veteran and air force pilot. And a specialist on driving performance through mindset. You show me a person who enjoys stress and I’ll show you a sociopath. No normal person likes it, but a life without stress isn’t taking you anywhere worth going. In this episode, Dr. Macauly breaks down how to find your optimum performance point when riding the rails of stress.

Ep. 126: Andy Stumpf

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Web

Andy Stumpf is a former Navy SEAL, public speaker, and long time friend of our CEO John Welbourn. He is an inspiring guy with a killer mindset. His trick…? Baby steps. If you want to achieve something big, simply snap it into stages. Tune in here to listen to how Andy has applied this principle in what some may regard as the highest form of physical and psychological hardship, Hell Week in SEAL Selection.

Luke

Luke Summers is the COO of Power Athlete, a Power Athlete Coach, and the Co-Host of Power Athlete Radio.

Ep. 341: Ben Crookston

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Ben Crookston is the cofounder of TrainHeroic, our partner in delivering our online training plans to thousands of phones around the globe. And because of this, I get to talk with Ben almost every other day. Ben is, in my opinion, an archetype of a thought leader, and if this episode doesn’t make that abundantly clear, then I don’t know what your expectations of a thought leader are. Listen in as we explore the origin of the name TrainHeroic and how Ben’s team has created a mobile training app that goes beyond sets, reps and binary code, to bring you a remote training experience that is unmatched in the space.

Ep. 276: Lindsey Mathews

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Lindsey is the founder and CEO of BirthFit which is a movement empowering mothers across the globe. This episode hit me at the right time in my life. It was 3 months after my wedding and 10 months before the birth of my daughter and first child. It was everything I needed to hear about a woman’s experience with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum to prepare me to be the best birth partner I could be for my wife. I enjoyed this discussion so much that my wife and I actually hired Lindsey to be our Doula, and she did not disappoint one bit. Ready or not, here it comes. Lindsey does an amazing job uncovering the entire pregnancy and birth process for the uniformed (aka future first time moms and dads). But the big win is learning why training mindset, a supportive community, continual movement and exercise, and the support of the birth partner are all pivotal areas of focus for a positive birth experience.

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Ep. 266: Allen Gannett

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Allen Gannett is the author of The Creative Curve and founded a company called TrackMaven. Allen’s passion is creativity; something that you can quickly recognize whether you read it, hear it, see it, or even taste it. But you might have trouble explaining exactly why something’s creative. We found an instant parallel to athleticism, another trait that is easy to recognize but hard to explain. Many think you either have these traits, or you don’t; that they are a God given gift. Well, that’s only partly true. They can also be learned. We’ve proven that at Power Athlete with athleticism, and now thanks to Allen, you can learn how to unlock your highest expression of creativity.

Tex

Tex McQuilkin is the Director of Training and Education at Power Athlete, a Power Athlete Coach, and the Co-Host of Power Athlete Radio.

Ep. 312: Mike Hill

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Coach Hill is the Director for Sports Performance at Georgetown University and the man who gave me my first opportunity to coach at the collegiate level. Mike and I have shared many conversations ranging from weight training to the art of interrogation and body language. In this episode we were able to explore Mike’s journey that led him to G-town and shape his character well enough to answer emails from wanna-be coaches aiming to kick-start their career in the Iron Game. Grateful to share with you flat-earthers what normal conversation Mike and I share looks like. Of course, this episode went into the weeds when Mike broke out his latest takeaways on vibrating auras from his infamous book club. Never fear, naturally, we were able to bring everything back to empowering performance.

Ep. 272: Donnie Maib

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Web

Coach Maib is the Director of Performance for Olympic sports at University of Texas at Austin. We are fortunate to have Donnie so close to Power Athlete HQ, he came up for a morning lift before sipping brew with the Crew and podcasting. Donnie and I connected in 2013 when I took on an internship with Texas Football, and this episode took place five years after having the opportunity to work with Donnie. The conversation explored the strength coach profession and all the possibilities available for coaches, as long as they know what to look for and how to connect with the right mentors. A notable takeaway from the show is the current atmosphere surrounding an athlete in the age of social media. There is no one better in the business of coaching, leadership, and mentorship than Donnie. So pull out your notepad for this one.

Ep. 314: Nicole Davis

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Nicole Davis is a two time Olympic medalist, National and World Champion volleyballer turned mindset coach. This conversation turned into a playbook for competitors to create an identity outside of their sport. Nicole left no stone unturned sharing her athletic climb to peak competition and the search for meaning that followed. As two guys half-jokingly still clinging to their sport identities, High School football State Champ (Luke) and DIII lax bro (me) were taken through a world-class athlete’s psyche and her current mission as a mindset coach. If you’re looking to mold young minds, create bullet-proof tigers and develop high performing cultures, tune in now. And feel free to fast forward through the easily forgettable, one time joke that never resurfaces in any future episodes, boat-shoe shtick….

John

John Welbourn is the founder and CEO of Power Athlete, a 9-year NFL starter, and the featured guest of Power Athlete Radio.

Ep. 152: Peter Ballerstedt

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Web

This podcast came at a pivotal time as I was working on a blog post on how to eat a high quality protein diet on a budget. I first heard Peter speak at the 2011 Ancestral Health Symposium at Harvard. His research as a Forage Agronomist as it relates to the qualities of meat from ruminants was very compelling. Up to that point, I had been spinning the narrative that animals raised exclusively on grass were healthier than those raised on grass and grain. The misconception that some ruminants are raised entirely on grains was false. This podcast altered the trajectory of my thinking on red meat as it relates to grass-fed vs grain-fed vs grain finished.

Ep. 208: Dr Fred Hatfield

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast

Dr. Fred Hatfield needs no introduction. They don’t call him Dr. Squat for nothing. He was one of the first men to squat over 1000 pounds in competition and was a pioneer in strength training. Many of the principals you see in Power Athlete came from Fred Hatfield. I credit his theory on compensatory acceleration, which was taught to me as a young man, as a reason I was able to play 10 years in the National Football League. His book, POWER, is required reading and this podcast was the last recorded interview with Dr. Hatfield. He passed away a few months thereafter. I feel very lucky to have been able to preserve his words and call him my friend and mentor.

Ep. 200: Robert Alden Welbourn

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Web

This one podcast I cherish above all others – yet I have never gone back to listen to it. My Mom and Dad came to visit and we coaxed my dad into jumping on Power Athlete Radio. I had warned Luke and Tex many times that my dad liked to tell long stories and I wasn’t sure if we had enough tape to catalogue them all. So they would have to keep him on task. If we did that I would greenlight him as a guest. The week we recorded my parents came to visit to celebrate my son’s birthday and it was the last time I saw my dad healthy and full of life. Next time he came to visit in October he wasn’t doing well. A few months later he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away Feb 28, 2018. A few days shy of one year after we recorded episode 200. It has been over 2 years and I still find myself picking up the phone to give him a call on Saturday mornings.

By The Numbers

It comes as no surprise to us that our tastes don’t align directly with our audience’s. The task of limiting our selection to 3 was a daunting one; so many of these discussions have influenced the way we live our everyday lives.

Without further ado, we present the top 5 downloaded episodes of Power Athlete Radio of all time as of April 2020.

Enjoy.

#1 – Ep. 260: John Welbourn

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

John Welbourn should need no introduction. He is the founder and CEO of Power Athlete and on episode 260 Luke and Tex treated him like a legitimate guest instead of a co-host. This episode was one for the record books.

#2 – Ep. 202: Jocko Willink

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Web

Jocko Willink is a retired officer of the United States Navy, who served in the Navy SEAL teams, an author, and a podcast host. And let’s be honest if you’ve never heard of him it’s a damn shame.

#3 – Ep. 339: James Fitzgerald

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

James Fitzgerald is the founder of OPEX and one of the original CrossFit legends who was crowned Fittest at the CrossFit Games in 2007. He has a burning passion to understand optimal individual fitness through assessment, testing, research, and programming.

#4 – Ep. 286: Stan Efferding

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Stan “The White Rhino” Efferding is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder and a powerlifter and the founder of The Vertical Diet. If Stan isn’t crushing meals and weights, he’s working with some of the most accomplished athletes in the world.

#5 – Ep. 292: Josh Bridges

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Web | iTunes | Google Podcast | Spotify

Josh Bridges is best known for continuously crushing souls as a six time CrossFit Games competitor, for proudly serving his county as a former Navy SEAL, and finally for the glorious hair garden on his upper lip that most would call a mustache. Recently, he’s hopped into caffeinating hard chargers like YOU with his new coffee start up, Good Dudes Coffee Co. Josh is on a mission to dominate the fitness space, not just as a competitor, but as a coach and mentor to up and coming athletes.

SOURCES

Tagged: Cali / James FitzGerald / JOCKO Wllink / John Welbourn / Josh Bridges / Luke / Podcast / Power Athlete Radio / Stan Efferding / Tex

AUTHOR

John

John Welbourn is CEO of Power Athlete and host of Power Athlete Radio. He is a 9 year starter and veteran of the NFL. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and for starter for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his career, John has started over 100 games and has 10 play-off appearances. He was a four year lettermen while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. John has worked with the MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympic athletes and Military. He travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition and records his podcast, Power Athlete Radio, every week with over 800 episodes spanning 13 years. You can catch up with John as his personal blog, Talk To Me Johnnie, on social media @johnwelbourn or at Power Athlete Radio.