#357 A 40 Year Strength Vet's Warning... | Chris Vachio
Release Date: 07/08/2025
#384 How to Combine Powerlifting and Running Without Losing Gains | Alex Viada
Dave Tate's Table Talk
Alex Viada is a coach, educator, and founder of Complete Human Performance (CHP). He’s best known for pioneering the modern Hybrid Athlete methodology—training strength and endurance concurrently without tanking either. We dig into programming (MED, stress consolidation), durability for tactical/functional athletes, pain & injury re-learning, and what’s inside his new book, The Ultimate Hybrid Athlete. Alex Viada Links Website (CHP): Instagram: CHP Instagram: Courses/Master Course: Book (The Ultimate Hybrid Athlete, 2025 –...
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#383 A 1200lb Squatter's Guide to Handling Pain & Pressure Under the Bar | John Ruoppo
Dave Tate's Table Talk
John Ruoppo is an elite American powerlifter, coach, and gym owner based in Massachusetts. He’s the All-Time World Record holder in the 308 lb single-ply squat (1,075 lbs) and has posted best competition lifts of 1,201.5 lb squat, 700 lb bench, and 804.7 lb deadlift, for a 2,560 lb total. John co-owns Evolve Fitness & Training in West Boylston MA with his wife Stefanie—an ex-college soccer player and marathon runner. Together they’ve built a community gym that hosts IPA-sanctioned powerlifting meets and develops lifters of all levels. Before...
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#382 NFL Star Exposes The "Godfather" Culture of Early CrossFit | John Welbourn
Dave Tate's Table Talk
John Welbourn is a former 10-year NFL veteran (Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots) turned entrepreneur, strength coach, and performance educator. After retiring from professional football, he founded Power Athlete, a global leader in athletic performance programming, education, and community building. John is also the creator of CrossFit Football, one of the earliest sport-specific training programs to bridge traditional strength training with the CrossFit methodology. As a pioneer in blending field-sport performance with strength and conditioning,...
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#381 WARNING: Your Phone Is Shrinking Your Brain (Neuro-Expert Explains How to Fix It) | Alex Kikel
Dave Tate's Table Talk
In this episode of Dave Tate’s Table Talk, we’re joined by Alex Kikel, also known as The Prep Coach—a leading figure in the world of human optimization, performance enhancement, and health restoration. With a Master’s degree in Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement and a background in Exercise Science, Alex brings a powerful blend of academic knowledge and real-world coaching experience to the table. Alex launched The Prep Coach during his college years on bodybuilding forums and has since grown it into a respected coaching brand, working with a wide...
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#380 5 Weeks on Life Support: How I Survived Total Organ Failure | Jared Maynard
Dave Tate's Table Talk
Jared Maynard is a Canadian physiotherapist, strength coach, and competitive powerlifter who specializes in resilience through strength training. In January 2023, what began as a mild cold quickly escalated into Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and deadly hyper-inflammatory disorder. Despite being strong and healthy, Jared rapidly suffered multi-organ failure, including liver and kidney failure, requiring him to be placed on life support in the ICU for five weeks. Facing fatality odds often described as worse than a coin flip, doctors prepared his...
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#379 The Rise of the "Home Gym Nerd": Collecting vs. Lifting | Massenomics
Dave Tate's Table Talk
We welcome Tanner Baird and Tommy DeFea from Massenomics back to episode #379 of Dave Tate's Table Talk Podcast! Massenomics is known for its lighthearted approach to the strength and fitness industry. Their motto of “Lift Hard. Live Easy.” summarizes how they like to take the lifting journey seriously but still have as much fun as possible. It was started by Tommy DeFea and Tanner Baird in Western North East South Dakota, and they have developed a diehard community of supporters and enthusiasts...online and otherwise. One of the things they are best known for is their podcast, where they...
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#378 "Powerlifting Saved Me From Cocaine Addiction & Foster Care" | Eugene Bazemore
Dave Tate's Table Talk
Eugene “Big Gene” Bazemore is a 32-year-old Army veteran-turned-super-heavyweight powerlifter who clawed his way from orphan shelters in Hampton Roads, VA to a 2,050-lb raw total and an XPC Arnold Worlds title in barely three seasons on the platform. After military service left a competitive void, Eugene discovered powerlifting through Westside vs The World, self-coached his first meet in 2022, and has been stacking 2K-plus totals—and life lessons—ever since. In this conversation with Dave, Gene breaks down the realities of untested lifting, balancing an elite training schedule...
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#377 Hard Work Is The Only Hack: A Celebrity Coach's Guide To Real Results | Don Saladino
Dave Tate's Table Talk
Don is best known for training actors like Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, John Krasinski, Sebastian Stan, Blake Lively, and Emily Blunt for some of the most significant blockbuster roles of the last two decades. He opened his first gym, Drive 495, in New York City 2005. He later transitioned into building a global online fitness business, coaching tens of thousands of people worldwide through digital programs, live coaching, and speaking events. His work has been featured in Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Health, Women’s...
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#376 "Racking the Bar," The Future of Coaching, and 40 Years of Strength Wisdom | Dave Tate
Dave Tate's Table Talk
Get your FREE Copy of Racking The Bar Here: . Tom Sheppard interviews Dave Tate about his observations seen over 4 decades in the strength industry. elitefts founder and strength legend Dave Tate is back with his third book, "Racking the Bar." In this deep-dive interview, Dave reveals the raw, unfiltered lessons from over four decades under the bar—and why the fitness industry is about to be cleansed. Dave holds nothing back, discussing why he believes AI will "eat the lunch" of lazy online coaches, the brutal accountability required to reach your potential, and...
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#375 The Strongman Doc: Why Modern Chiropractic Is Failing Athletes | Dr. Todd McDougle
Dave Tate's Table Talk
Dr. Todd A. McDougle, BS, DC, FICA, is a 25+ year veteran of the chiropractic world and the man behind the McDougle Chiropractic Methods (MCM)—a technique built to keep strength athletes strong, not “sprung.” From backstage at World’s Strongest Man, to consulting for UCLA Gymnastics, USC Swimming, and the LA Dodgers, Todd has spent decades treating the world’s top performers when it matters most—under the bar, mid-contest, and in crisis mode. He’s not just a doctor—he’s a backstage mechanic for the broken, the beat up, and the best of the best. ...
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We welcome Chris Vachio to this episode of Dave Tate's Table Talk Podcast!
Chris Vachio has been training with purpose for over 40 years. A true veteran of the iron game, Chris started lifting in the early ‘80s and hasn’t let up since. He first made his mark in the 1990s, dabbling in both bodybuilding and powerlifting, but it was Strongman that ultimately became his long-term passion.
For the past 16 years, Chris has dedicated himself to competing in and promoting Strongman events across the country. As a competitor, he’s known for his grit, consistency, and old-school training mindset. As a promoter, Chris has earned widespread respect for running top-tier contests that are both lifter-focused and well-organized—helping grow the sport from the grassroots level up.
Check out his Adaptive Strongman competition this October:
America’s Strongest Athlete with Disabilities 2025 https://ironpodium.com/browse/event/america-s-strongest-athlete-with-disabi… – celebrating it's 10th anniversary!
Chris' IG: https://www.instagram.com/vachio/
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