#584 My 6-Month Obsession: The Full Story Behind "Lean Bastard"

In this episode, Joe breaks down his tried-and-true principles for in-season strength training. He discusses Charlie Francis' famous "Fill the Glass" concept, reveals the two biggest in-season training mistakes he sees coaches and athletes make, and then takes you inside the exact program he's using with his daughter during her high school soccer season. Joe shares her complete full-body strength workout - exercise by exercise - including her warm-up and a new "Step-Down Matrix" that has quickly become one of his favorite lower-body warm-ups. He also reveals her mid-week "neural primer" and the full-body mobility routine she uses throughout the week when needed. Joe wraps up with a quick review of his in-season training template for football players before teasing his upcoming "30 Days of Delts" challenge, which he'll be sending FREE to his email subscribers this Friday! If you train athletes — or you're an athlete trying to stay strong, healthy and explosive throughout a long season — this episode is for you. *For a full list of Show Notes with Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS Team Forever Strong [1-Week FREE Trial] Get on Joe's email list!  

This week, Joe explains why strength training should be viewed as a "retirement plan for your body" and breaks down the "Strength Training Snowball Effect" — eight positive adaptations that build upon each other to help you become stronger, healthier, leaner, and more capable as you age. He also reveals one of the most overlooked tools in the average person's training — long-duration isometric holds — and explains their unique benefits for strength, hypertrophy, identifying weaknesses/imbalances, joint health, and recovery. Finally, Joe discusses why exercises like band pull-aparts, face pulls, Y-Handcuffs, and scap push-ups still have an important place in a well-designed program — even if they don't score high on the "loadability" scale. He explains why every exercise does NOT need to be heavy or progressively overloaded, and why the best programs include the right mix of high, moderate, and low-intensity movements. All this plus more in another information-packed episode of the Industrial Strength Show!   IMPORTANT LINKS DeFranco's Nutritional Supplements Iron Business Mastermind Weekend  DeFranco-designed training programs Joe D's Instagram  

Has full range of motion training gone too far? This week, Joe questions whether the fitness industry pendulum has swung too far — from half reps and poor mobility to forcing extreme ranges of motion that we don't actually have the strength or control to own. He explains the difference between accessing a position and actually owning it, why more range of motion isn't always better, and how to safely expand your ROM without sacrificing joint health and longevity. Joe also covers two other training topics: 1) How long should you rest between sprints when training for speed? 2) The subtle technique adjustment that will instantly make your chest-supported rows more effective! *For a full list of Show Notes w/ Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com.   IMPORTANT LINKS Hill Sprint workout Manukora Honey

In this episode, Joe exposes what he considers one of the fitness industry's biggest coaching scams: influencers who train a celebrity or pro athlete ONE TIME, film the workout, snap a picture — and then portray themselves as their "coach." Joe explains why "putting someone through a workout" and actually COACHING them are two completely different things. From long-term programming and problem-solving to managing injuries, plateaus, recovery, and real-world setbacks, you'll learn what separates an experienced coach from a great content creator. If you've ever purchased an online program — or hired a coach based on their social media following — this is an episode you'll want to hear! *For a full list of Show Notes + Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com.   IMPORTANT LINKS Iron Business Blueprint [APPLY NOW]

In this week's Q&A episode, Joe answers three listener questions covering sport-specific strength training, how to train someone who hates working out, and the ultimate push-up progression. Joe explains why strength training shouldn't look like your sport, shares his approach for creating the perfect workout for someone who has anxiety around training (or simply hates the gym), and breaks down his 5-phase push-up progression designed to take someone from ZERO push-ups to 40+! Whether you're an athlete, coach, or just looking to get stronger, this episode is packed with practical, real-world training advice you can put to use immediately. *For a full list of Show Notes w/ Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard [LAST CALL!] Manukora Honey   

It took Joe six months to create a program that only lasts nine weeks. In this episode, he explains why. Joe pulls back the curtain on the creation of Lean Bastard, sharing the behind-the-scenes decisions, setbacks, rewrites, and coaching philosophy that turned this project into a six-month obsession. From scrapping an entire finished program and starting over, to explaining why he chose full-body workouts, zero barbell work, and six unique performance standards, this episode reveals the thought process behind what Joe believes is the best representation of his 30+ years of coaching and problem solving. If you've ever wondered what goes into creating a truly results-driven training program — this is an episode you won't want to miss! *For a full list of Show Notes & Timestamps goto www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com.   IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard program & recipe guide DeFranco's Nutritional Supplements Joe D's new website

Joe is back from vacation and he's got a lot of catching up to do...but he's only got an hour to do it! He kicks off this fast-paced "return episode" with a vacation recap and a Lean Bastard update before diving into today's main topic: The 5 Blood Markers That Every Lifter Needs To Understand. If you lift weights regularly, certain blood markers can become temporarily elevated after a hard workout, making it appear as though something is wrong when, in reality, your body is simply recovering and adapting. In this episode, Joe breaks down the five blood markers that are most commonly affected by strenuous workouts: ALT & AST (liver enzymes), Creatine Kinase (CK), Creatinine/eGFR, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and White Blood Cell Count. He explains what each marker measures, why intense training can affect the results, and what you should do before your next blood draw to ensure your labs reflect your true baseline health. Whether you're a competitive athlete, recreational lifter, or simply someone who trains hard and values your health, this episode could save you from unnecessary worry — and help you have a more informed conversation with your doctor. *For a full list of Show Notes w/ Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS Follow Joe D. on Instagram

After receiving many requests, Joe finally opens the garage doors and gives listeners a complete rundown of the equipment in his home gym. But this isn't just another garage gym tour… In this episode, Joe rates every major piece of equipment in his gym - from his EliteFTS Collegiate Half Rack and Freemotion Dual Cable Cross to his Technogym BioStrength Chest Press, Arsenal Reloaded Incline Fly, EliteFTS Signature Seated ISO-Row, Nautilus Glute Drive, NÜOBELL Adjustable Dumbbells and more. Along the way, he shares what each piece costs, whether it's actually worth the money, what he'd buy again (and what he wouldn't), plus the specialty bars, accessories and "hidden gems" that have earned a permanent spot in his training over the years. Whether you're building your own home gym, looking to make smarter equipment purchases, or you're just interested in knowing more about Joe's home gym - this episode is a MUST-LISTEN! *For a full list of Show Notes with Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com.   IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard VIP List [LAST CHANCE!] Elitefts Collegiate Half Rack Free Motion Dual Cable Cross Lite TechnoGym Biostrength Chest Press Aresenal's Reloaded Incline Flye Elitefts Signature Seated ISO-Row Nautilus Glute Drive Nuobell Adjustable Dumbbells Elitefts 0-90 Incline Bench

After training in his 100-degree garage gym for weeks, Joe decided to do something he hadn't done in over 25 years — join a commercial gym. What happened next completely caught him off guard. In this episode, Joe shares how one air-conditioned workout turned into an accidental self-experiment that changed the way he thinks about heat acclimation, conditioning, and recovery. He explains the science behind why training in the heat may improve your body's cooling system, lower your heart rate during exercise, and help you recover faster between sets — all in easy-to-understand language. He also discusses why years of free-weight and bodyweight training made machine exercises feel surprisingly easy, and why he still believes that transfer doesn't work nearly as well in the opposite direction. Whether you train in a garage, a commercial gym, or somewhere in between, this episode is packed with practical lessons that may change the way you think about your workouts. *For a full list of Show Notes with Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com.   IMPORTANT LINKS FREE Live Workshop for Gym Owners [Save Your Seat!] Team Forever Strong [Free Trial] Lean Bastard VIP List

A longtime listener recently dug through his collection of Joe's old Ask Joe Q&A's, T Nation articles, and EliteFTS posts from over 20 years ago… and he challenged Joe to critique his own advice! In this episode, Joe revisits five classic topics - including box squats, vertical jump training, free weights vs. machines, strength vs. hypertrophy principles, and full-body training splits - to answer one simple question: "Would 2026 Joe D. give the same advice as 2006 Joe D.?" Some recommendations stood the test of time almost exactly as Joe originally taught them… while a few have evolved after two more decades of coaching thousands of athletes, lifters, and everyday clients. It's an honest, entertaining look at what experience reinforces, what research has refined, and why the best coaches are never afraid to re-evaluate their own beliefs. *For a full list of Show Notes with Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com   IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard VIP List DeFranco's Nutritional Supplements