The health and fitness show for parents in the trenches.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You’ll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we’ll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let’s grow stronger, week by week.
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Overtraining, Training After 40 & Do You Really Have to Run? (AUA w/ Ben Barker)
Season 4 · Episode 135
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 • Duration 01:04:31
Ben Barker is back for another Ask Us Anything. How do you tell the difference between real overtraining and just being tired and needing to push through? If you genuinely hate running, do you have to do it at all to get the cardiovascular benefit? And should a 46-year-old be running the same program she ran at 30, or is "train differently as you age" an excuse people hide behind?
Jesse and Ben also get into how each of them structures a day to stay productive, and close it out with the worst fitness hype they ever bought into — plus a lightning round on the best movie physique of all time and their biggest gym pet peeves. Two dads, no script, just real answers.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- Body fat percentage beats BMI as a predictor of men's reproductive health
- Oral semaglutide cut heavy drinking days in a new alcohol use disorder trial
- Limiting sugar before age two is linked to a 23% lower risk of dementia
- Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment over 100 times in a heated Senate hearing
- Oura ring data says Saturday — not Monday — is the most stressful day of the week
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Cold Open & Intro
0:57 - The Weekly Health Brief
1:17 - Body Fat % Beats BMI for Men's Health
2:18 - Oral Semaglutide & Heavy Drinking
3:56 - Sugar Before Age Two & Dementia Risk
7:18 - Fauci Takes the Fifth
9:22 - Saturday Is Your Most Stressful Day
11:47 - AUA w/ Ben Barker Begins
16:20 - Q1: Overtraining or Just Tired?
19:33 - Q2: Do I Actually Have to Run?
27:02 - Q3: Should You Train Differently After 40?
34:24 - Q4: How We Structure Our Days
44:43 - Q5: The Worst Fitness Hype We Fell For
49:46 - Lightning Round: Best Movie Physique & Gym Pet Peeves
56:49 - The Stronger Hack: Less Is More
1:03:22 - Top 3 Takeaways & Closing
SPONSORS
- Get nutritional supplements that work as hard as you do: https://www.puristnutrition.com/#strongerweekly
- Build a world-class home gym with Rep Fitness: https://www.repfitness.com/#strongerweekly
- Bulletproof your drinking with Clutch; medication-assisted treatment from Oar Health: https://bit.ly/OarStrength
- Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: https://strongerweekly.com/
______
The health and fitness show for everyday, hard-working people.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You'll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we'll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let's grow stronger, week by week.
Why You're Always Tired (And How to Actually Fix Your Energy)
Season 4 · Episode 135
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 • Duration 28:09
You get seven hours and still wake up flat. Coffee gets you upright, 2 p.m. drops you off a cliff, and then you finally climb into bed exhausted and your brain switches on. Most people assume that's a sleep problem and try to sleep more. When that doesn't work, it's the tell: fatigue is almost never one problem. It's a stack of them, and they feed each other.
This episode breaks down five research-backed drivers of low energy and the specific fix for each — sleep debt and the irregularity that makes it worse, the blood sugar rollercoaster behind the afternoon crash, the cortisol loop that leaves you wired but tired, dehydration plus the caffeine mask, and dopamine overload from screens. A new study found adults sleeping just 78 fewer minutes a night for six weeks gained weight and became measurably more sedentary. The good news is you don't have to fix all five. Pull one thread and the whole knot loosens.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- America's GLP-1 use has nearly quadrupled in just two years
- The FDA approves Lipfendra, the first oral cholesterol drug of its kind
- An oral ketamine drug for depression — without the dissociative trip
- Heavy TV watching is linked to smaller brain structures, but sitting at work isn't
- Heated yoga eases depression, and the benefit keeps climbing the more you go
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Cold Open & Intro
1:00 - The Weekly Health Brief
1:18 - America's GLP-1 Use Quadruples
2:44 - FDA Approves Lipfendra (First Oral PCSK9)
4:17 - Oral Ketamine for Depression
7:16 - Heavy TV Linked to Smaller Brain Structures
Your Fitness Report Card: 5 Tests and the Benchmarks for Your Age
Season 4 · Episode 134
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 • Duration 38:44
Most people have no idea how fit they actually are. They guess, they compare themselves to the guy at the squat rack, or they measure against who they were at 25 — and then coast for years assuming they're fine. This episode replaces the guessing with five real tests exercise physiologists use, plus the exact benchmark you should be hitting at your age.
You'll get your numbers on VO2 max, push-ups, grip strength, the plank, and the wall sit — what each one measures, the research behind why it matters, the target for your decade, and how to train it up. Most require no equipment and the whole battery runs in about twenty minutes at home. A study of 122,000 people found the least fit carried roughly five times the death risk of the fit, and men who could do 40 push-ups had a 96% lower risk of cardiovascular events than those who couldn't manage 10. Every one of these numbers is trainable at any age — but you have to know where you stand first.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- A second death in Manhattan's Legionnaires' outbreak as cases reach 72
- A new body index aims to finally replace BMI — and it works on babies
- An Alzheimer's blood test may predict cognitive decline years before symptoms
- Night owls carry more belly fat and higher metabolic risk on identical calories
- Watching live sports together boosts oxytocin and synchronizes spectators' heartbeats
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Cold Open & Intro
1:07 - The Weekly Health Brief
1:24 - Legionnaires' Outbreak: Second Death
2:50 - The New Body Index Replacing BMI
5:52 - Alzheimer's Blood Test Predicts Decline
We Put 12 People on Creatine for 90 Days — Here's What Actually Happened (with Ashley Boyer)
Season 4 · Episode 133
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 01:02:11
Creatine is one of the most researched supplements on earth — and also one of the most hyped, doubted, and misunderstood. So instead of arguing about it, REP Fitness ran the experiment: they took 12 people who had never touched creatine, held their training steady, and tracked everything for 90 days. This episode unpacks exactly what happened.
Jesse sits down with Ashley Boyer — Editor-in-Chief at REP Fitness, certified personal trainer, and the sports-performance researcher who designed and ran the study — to walk through the whole thing: how she built it, what she measured, and what the data actually showed on strength, body composition, recovery, and focus. You'll hear the standout results, the honest caveats and side effects, and the practical takeaways for anyone deciding whether creatine is worth it. No hype, no sales pitch — just the numbers and what they mean for you.
If you've ever wondered whether creatine actually lives up to the claims, this is the honest, evidence-based answer.
- Get nutritional supplements that work as hard as you do: https://www.puristnutrition.com/#strongerweekly
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at https://basedbodyworks.com/ and use code STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
- Build a world-class home gym with Rep Fitness: https://www.repfitness.com/#strongerweekly
- Bulletproof your drinking with Clutch; medication-assisted treatment from Oar Health: https://bit.ly/OarStrength
FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS
Kids & Screen Time, Intermittent Fasting, & Blasting Lower Belly Fat (AUA w/ Ben Barker)
Season 4 · Episode 132
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 • Duration 55:54
Jesse and Ben Barker are back for an Ask Us Anything, tackling the real-life questions busy parents and lifters are actually asking: how much screen time to allow your kids (now that even the government is warning about it), how to unwind at night without reaching for a drink, how to finally lose the stubborn lower-belly pooch that won't budge, whether the Presidential Fitness Test's return means you should train your kids, the best way to actually track your lifts, how to keep running without wrecking your knees, and the honest truth about intermittent fasting. Two dads, no script, straight answers.
Ben Barker is a returning guest, founder of Ben Barker Fitness, and one of the few voices in this space Jesse trusts to give it to you straight — no sponsored spin, no course to sell. If you want practical fitness and family advice you can actually use this week, this one's for you.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- A 354,000-person study links coffee to dramatically lower risk of liver disease and liver cancer
- US life expectancy hits a likely record high as the death rate falls to its lowest ever
- Medicare covers weight-loss drugs for the first time ever — here's who qualifies for the $50 copay
- Minnesota now forces a mental-health warning every time you open social media
- The Presidential Fitness Test returns to schools this fall — what parents need to know
ABOUT BEN BARKER:
Founder of Ben Barker Fitness. Returning guest. One of the most trusted, no-nonsense voices in the space — and one of the few who doesn't sell a high-ticket coaching package.
Follow Ben Barker: @benbarkerfitness
Hyrox vs. CrossFit vs. Bodybuilding: Which Should YOU Do?
Season 4 · Episode 131
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • Duration 34:26
Should you try Hyrox? Is CrossFit actually good for you? Should you just run a bodybuilding split? With a hundred ways to train and only a few hours a week to spend, the hard part isn't effort — it's choosing where to put it. This episode cuts through the noise.
Jesse grades the biggest training styles — Hyrox, CrossFit, traditional bodybuilding, and hybrid training — with actual letter grades across four things that matter: convenience, building muscle and aesthetics, community, and longevity. You'll learn what each style is genuinely best for, where each one falls short, why over-specializing is a trap, and which approach the longevity research keeps pointing to. Plus a Health Hack on the farmer's carry — maybe the highest bang-for-your-buck move you're not doing.
If you've ever stood at the gym wondering whether you're training for the right things, this is your roadmap.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- The link between parents' and kids' weight is mostly genetic, a new adoption study finds
- Why men die younger than women — and the "tough guy paradox" that drives doctors crazy
- Harvard links ultra-processed foods to higher rates of cognitive decline and dementia
- A new fentanyl vaccine blocks deadly overdoses before they start
- Scientists found the strength-training sweet spot for a longer life — about 90-120 minutes a week
SPONSORS
- Get nutritional supplements that work as hard as you do: https://www.puristnutrition.com/#strongerweekly
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at https://basedbodyworks.com/, and use code STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
5 Tips to Finally Lose Those Last 5 Pounds (Stubborn Fat Attack Plan)
Season 4 · Episode 130
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 • Duration 35:26
You spent the spring trying to dial it in — then work, stress, and life got in the way. Now summer's here and you're a few pounds short of revealing the work you put in. It happens to almost everyone, and those last five pounds are always the most stubborn. But it is not too late.
This episode is a tight, practical playbook: tighten your calorie deficit (and why you're probably eating more than you think), optimize the all-day movement most people ignore, fix what's in your glass, train with the right mix of strength and cardio, and protect the two silent deal-breakers — sleep and stress. Each tip is backed by science and built to actually execute. Plus a Health Hack on Yerba Mate as a smooth coffee swap and fat-loss helper.
If you've got hard-earned muscle hiding under those last few pounds, this is how you finally reveal it.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
Most TikTok sunscreen advice is accurate — but the misinformation is what goes viral
HHS announces over $700 million to combat mental health, addiction, and homelessness
Millions take calcium and vitamin D for bones — a 154,000-person review finds little benefit
Omega-3 supplements may not improve brain function — there's no pill that replaces the lifestyle
How intermittent fasting may shield the brain from chronic stress
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at www.basedbodyworks.com, and use code word STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
- Bulletproof your drinking with Clutch; medication-assisted treatment from Oar Health:
Do You Need a Dopamine Detox? How to Give Your Brain the Break It Needs
Season 4 · Episode 129
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 • Duration 41:04
If nothing feels satisfying anymore — if you need your phone, your coffee, your drink, and your scroll just to feel normal — your dopamine system may be out of balance. And you're not broken. You're over-stimulated.
This episode separates the real science from the viral nonsense. The dark-room "dopamine detox" is a myth — you can't drain a molecule your brain makes to keep you alive. But the underlying principle, drawn from the clinical work of Stanford psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke, is real: tip your brain toward constant stimulation and your baseline drops, leaving you restless and craving more. Inside, a breakdown of the biggest culprits hijacking your reward system — caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, ultra-processed food, and the infinite scroll — how to tell if you actually need a reset, and a practical, five-step plan to recalibrate. No gimmicks. Just what works.
Plus a brand new fitness tip on why you shouldn't fear the machines at the gym, and a Good Stuff story that will remind you why staying capable matters.
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
The World Cup comes to America for the first time in 32 years — what it is, who's favored, and how to watch
Top OB-GYN group breaks from the CDC with its own maternal vaccine schedule
The largest-ever genetic study on anxiety proves it's biological — not a personal failing
A new study recommends up to one drink a day — and reignites the alcohol debate
Lower dopamine may drive teen risk-taking — and it fades with age
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at www.basedbodyworks.com, and use code word STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
Are You Training Hard Enough? (Hint: Probably Not)
Season 4 · Episode 128
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 • Duration 47:39
The truth most fitness shows won't tell you: we're overestimating both how MUCH and how HARD we train. We think we're training. We're really just moving. Statistically speaking, only 24% of American adults meet the federal exercise guidelines.
This episode breaks down what "training hard" actually means for strength versus cardio, why vigorous intensity is non-negotiable for longevity (a 2018 JAMA study found low VO2 max is a stronger mortality predictor than smoking), the two metrics that reveal whether your training is working (VO2 max and resting heart rate), and the exact protocols to fix it — including the Norwegian 4x4, the most-studied HIIT protocol in the world.
If you ever question whether your training the right way for the long haul, this one's for you.
PLUS, THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- How Big Tobacco helped shape the design of ultra-processed foods (and why you can't stop eating chips)
- Your gut microbes determine how many calories you absorb — up to 150 per day from the same food
- Alcohol linked to higher cancer risk even below one drink per day — the safe threshold is zero
- 1 in 5 teens now turn to AI chatbots for mental health advice — and most keep it secret from parents
- Sleep + vigorous exercise = 39% lower risk of depression and anxiety in middle age
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at www.basedbodyworks.com, and use code word STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
Fitness for Busy Parents, Talking Nutrition with Kids & Real Supplement Stacks (AUA w/ Ben Barker)
Season 4 · Episode 127
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • Duration 58:28
Jesse and Ben Barker are back for an Ask Us Anything together, tackling listener questions on how much time busy parents really need to train (the realistic minimum), how to talk about nutrition with your kids without giving them food complexes, what's actually in their supplement stacks (no sponsored answers), how much weekly time it takes to check every fitness box (strength, muscle, cardio, mobility), whether you really need to squat-bench-deadlift to get strong, how to know if you're training for the wrong thing in a Hyrox-and-CrossFit world, what really works to drop the last five pounds, and how to navigate a spouse who thinks your training is excessive.
Ben Barker is a returning guest, founder of Ben Barker Fitness, and one of the few voices in this space Jesse trusts to deliver straight answers. If you want practical, honest fitness advice from two dads who actually train—this one's for you
PLUS THIS WEEK'S HEALTH & FITNESS NEWS
- Ebola is back — WHO Director-General heads to Congo as cases climb
- New hepatitis B drug from GSK wipes out all signs of the virus in some patients
- Mosquitoes are learning to love DEET — your bug spray may be losing its edge
- The Enhanced Games promised a PED revolution — delivered surprisingly ordinary results
- Do lying children grow up to be criminals? New study tracked 1,100 kids for 24 years
- Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: https://strongerweekly.com/
______
The health and fitness show for everyday, hard-working people.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You'll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we'll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let's grow stronger, week by week.
7:30 - Night Owls, Belly Fat & Meal Timing
9:19 - Watching Live Sports Syncs Your Heartbeats
10:57 - FEATURE: Your Fitness Report Card
13:19 - Test 1: VO2 Max (Your Aerobic Engine)
19:29 - Test 2: Push-Ups (Relative Strength)
24:30 - Test 3: Grip Strength (Raw Strength)
29:43 - Test 4: The Plank (Core Endurance)
32:26 - Test 5: The Wall Sit (Lower Body)
36:06 - Top 3 Takeaways
37:19 - Closing Quote & Sign-Off
SPONSORS
- Get nutritional supplements that work as hard as you do: https://www.puristnutrition.com/#strongerweekly
- Build a world-class home gym with Rep Fitness: https://www.repfitness.com/#strongerweekly
- Bulletproof your drinking with Clutch; medication-assisted treatment from Oar Health: https://bit.ly/OarStrength
- Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: https://strongerweekly.com/
______
The health and fitness show for everyday, hard-working people.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You'll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we'll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
- Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: https://strongerweekly.com/
______
The health and fitness show for everyday, hard-working people.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You'll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we'll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let's grow stronger, week by week.
SPONSORS
- Get nutritional supplements that work as hard as you do: https://www.puristnutrition.com/#strongerweekly
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at https://basedbodyworks.com/ and use code STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
- Build a world-class home gym with Rep Fitness: https://www.repfitness.com/#strongerweekly
- Bulletproof your drinking with Clutch; medication-assisted treatment from Oar Health: https://bit.ly/OarStrength
- Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter: https://strongerweekly.com/
______
The health and fitness show for everyday, hard-working people.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You'll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we'll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let's grow stronger, week by week.
- Build a world-class home gym with Rep Fitness: https://www.repfitness.com/#strongerweekly
- Bulletproof your drinking with Clutch; medication-assisted treatment from Oar Health: https://bit.ly/OarStrength
- Take 30% all Batch THC/CBD edible products at http://hellobatch.com/STRONGERWEEKLY and use code word STRONGERWEEKLY at checkout
FOLLOW US ON ALL PLATFORMS-
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4at8Yhn-
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
______
The health and fitness show for everyday, hard-working people.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You’ll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we’ll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You’ll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we’ll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You’ll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we’ll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You’ll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we’ll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let’s grow stronger, week by week.
- Upgrade to natural, high-quality male-grooming products at www.basedbodyworks.com, and use code word STRONGERWEEKLY for 20% off
Each week, we break down the health and fitness headlines that matter and translate them into clear, practical action. You’ll also hear conversations with trusted experts in strength training, longevity, mental health, nutrition, stress management, and parenting.
Hosted by Jesse Carrajat — USMC veteran, fitness coach, healthcare executive, and father of three.
Give us 45 minutes a week, and we’ll help you train smarter, eat better, manage stress, and build a stronger body and mind for the long haul.
Let’s grow stronger, week by week.
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