Podcasts have been around for a long time. Over the past 3-5 years there has been an explosion in the amount of fitness podcasts. This is a great way to get information while on the move. Plus, with WiFi and cell service steadily increasing, we can now listen to podcasts anywhere.
If there’s one thing that is important for a good podcasts it’s guests. They can really make or break a show. Combine that with a good host and boom! You’ve got a great show. A good host doesn’t interrupt too often and makes sure that everything stays on track. They don’t have wild tangents about how much they hate or love a certain type of training.
One thing I’ve noticed while listening to a lot of podcasts is that some people are on the “circuit” where they do multiple shows over an extended period. These people are very well-known and love to talk about their specific subject. Two examples of these people are Kelly Starett and Brad Schoenfeld. They’re awesome at what they do, but I can only listen to them 2-3 times before it gets to be too much. I enjoy listening to a broad range of people so I don’t get bored.
I find that podcasts are a great way to learn. I always learn at least one new thing from each podcast I listen to. This can be a new workout plan or how to interpret a scientific study. However, since there are a ton of podcasts it can be hard to know which ones are good or bad. I’ve made a shortlist of my personal favorites with explanations of each one. Hopefully this will help as you determine which one is the best fit for you.
This list is in order of personal preference. You’ll notice it’s not numbered because some of these are impossible to rank against each other because they’re so different. Here is my list of the top podcasts in fitness.
The List
If you read my other posts you’ll know that I’m a fan of Layne Norton’s work. This is his podcast with Sohee Lee. It covers a lot of nutrition topics but they also talk about training well. They debunk a lot of myths that you’ll hear around the gym with evidence. They often get off-track for a few minutes but even that can have great bits of information. Information is all evidence based citing names of scientists or studies as they are mentioned, which enables you to look more in depth if it interests you.
This is one of the more broad podcasts with over 130 episodes. Scott Iardella does a great job interviewing a variety of coaches and trainers. He really focuses on bringing in great guests and letting them speak without interrupting or asking too many questions. The show is also information dense without much back and forth banter. A physical therapist by training – his specialty is kettlebell training, which is a little different than the rest of the people mentioned here. One thing I like about this podcast is the show notes, which has a list of the various topics covered. He also has a short podcast that runs weekly and lasts ~ 10 minutes here: Scientific Strength. This short pod covers a published study in detail and has a good interpretation.
The Strength of Evidence Podcast
Another relatively new podcast with hosts Dr. Jonathan Fass and Dr. Brett Contreras. Fass is a physical therapist and Contreras is a PhD, but is probably most know for his specialty on the glutes. They have ~7 episodes so far with a few good guests. They tend to talk about hot topics and mention the ongoing trends on websites like T-nation.
This podcast is focused on evidence-based fitness coaching much like many others on the list. I don’t know if they have anyone on the cast that has the academic credentials like other podcasts, but that’s not always necessary. The thing that I really like about this show is that they are short (15 minutes). The accents help too. They focus on very specific topics and get straight to the point. They cover topics that you won’t see on other pods with titles like “Should you hire an out of shape personal trainer?” and “How much of a difference do steroids make to a physique?” They are very entertaining too.
This one is relatively new. It’s hosted by Dr. John Rusin who is a physical therapist. He has five shows right now, but he has definitely started out with a bang. It’s hard to tell exactly where this podcast is going to focus because he’s had a strength coach, researcher, powerlifter, and crossfit guest so far. He really let’s people talk while helping to interpret what they’re saying. There are no interruptions or tangents that run the show off the tracks. Overall a very good podcast.
If you just look at the titles you can see that this is one of the most diverse podcasts. It covers everything from nutrition to powerlifting with a good balance of topics. The show notes have times with topics covered which is really nice if you’re looking for something specific. The two hosts relate the topic to others very well and give great examples of how to apply the information.
This podcast has been running for a while and it’s a good resource. Hosted by Steve “The Guerrilla Journalist” Colescott and featuring guest appearances from members of Team Elitefts and others from the strength industry who actually know what they are talking about.
The Muscle for Life Podcast: Build Muscle, Get Lean, and Stay Healthy…for LIFE!
This pod started in 2013 and has come a long way. The show is hosted by Mike Matthews. I think this podcast is great for the average person who just wants to know more about fitness. It’s more general fitness based without diving too much into the science or evidence. That’s not to say Mike isn’t smart, his podcast just does a great job at translating fitness information into layman’s terms.
This was the first fitness based podcast that I listened to regularly. The hosts are hilarious but still relay good information. The focus is mainly on Olympic lifting or Crossfit, but they’ve been branching out a lot in recent episodes. This is also one of the longest running podcasts and is approaching 200 episodes. As I’ve learned more about fitness I’ve started to stray from this podcast because it’s not as dense as others. It still provides very good information but they tend to goof off a bit.
Ben Pakulski Podcast | Muscle Expert Interviews | How to Build Muscle
This is a great pod if you follow bodybuilding. Ben interviews the experts in the field of bodybuilding, strength and muscle hypertrophy. He tries to focus on the practical applications of bodybuilding with a small bit of science interjected. Did I mention he’s a pro bodybuilder? There are only 12 shows as of now and it started in 2013. I’ve noticed that it tends to be produced in spurts with a month or two between shows. These usually run about 1 hour. I’m not completely convinced on everything he says, but I think that the average gym bro can relate.
Joe DeFranco’s Industrial Strength Show
DeFranco is the founder and owner of a very popular gym in Texas. For almost two decades, athletes from around the world have hired Joe because of his remarkable ability to improve strength, speed, power, mobility, agility and sport-specific endurance. He started his podcast this year (2015). Impressively, he already has 31 episodes which generally run for ~ 60 minutes. DeFranco is probably one of the greatest trainers for athletes in the world, but he leaves a lot wanted on his podcasts. He tends to go on rants a lot or get a little bit off topic. He is very strong headed and has opinions on almost everything which is well deserved since he’s so successful. This is by no means a bad podcast, but it isn’t one of my favorites. Some people will love it because of how much passion goes into the show.
I would compare this podcast and host to Tim Ferriss. He’s very smart. Honestly, he may be one of the smartest hosts I’ve listened to. He asks questions that somewhat dig into the guests and how their information can relate to previous podcasts. I wouldn’t exactly call it evidence-based since a lot of the people he brings in do alternative medicine or psuedoscience. I stopped listening to this podcast because I wanted a critical analysis of data and claims. However, it is one of the longest running shows with over 300+ pods and his show notes are way better than anyone else’s. He uses the word “hack” like a 90s computer sitcom. That’s a little harsh I suppose. There are some good bits of information if you wait it out. I still listen to this one however I pick and choose carefully.
Bonus: Personal Trainer Podcast
This one is for personal trainers. It covers everything from client retention to online coaching. There are 23 episodes on the website. I’m sure they’ll run out of content eventually, but this is a great resource if you’re a personal trainer. They’re honest and straightforward. They won’t make your business explode nor do they make that claim. Their focus is on making you a better coach/business.
Conclusion
Podcasts are a great way to learn new information while driving, working out, or walking to class. I’d definitely recommend trying a few to figure out which fits you best and not settling for the first one you find. Remember to research anything you hear yourself so that you can make your own educated opinion about different topics.
Again, this is my personal opinion on various podcasts. Obviously, that doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same opinion as me. I encourage you to listen to a few episodes from each podcast to make your own opinion. There are a lot of shows I left off this list that are very good and even more being created every year.
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