Joe DeFranco's Industrial Strength Show
Joe DeFranco's Industrial Strength Show
Joe DeFranco
World-renowned strength & conditioning coach Joe DeFranco shares his thoughts on training for peak performance, mindset, and living your passion. As the founder and owner of DeFranco's Gym, he also provides the business knowledge that helped him turn a 500-square-foot storage closet into a global brand. Each week, Joe will educate, motivate and entertain his audience by answering their questions and/or conducting interviews with top athletes, fitness professionals, entrepreneurs, and other highly successful people.
#582 I Rated EVERY Piece of Equipment in My Garage Gym
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
Jul 16
1 hr 42 min
#581 How Training In My 100-Degree Garage Changed My Body (And My Workouts)
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
Jul 9
1 hr 13 min
#580 Critiquing MY OWN Advice From 20+ Years Ago
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
Jul 2
1 hr 22 min
#579 Why Your Warm-Up Sets Are Making You Weaker...And Other Costly Training Mistakes!
In this episode, Joe D. explains why one of the most common warm-up mistakes is actually making lifters weaker before their work sets even begin. He shares a smarter approach to programming warm-up sets for better strength, more muscle, and improved performance -- while revealing the exact warm-up progression he used before hitting a recent PR with the 100-pound dumbbells. Joe then breaks down the biggest superset programming mistakes that sabotage workouts, along with simple adjustments that can make them more effective. He wraps up the episode with an often-overlooked shoulder health tip that could finally help eliminate those nagging aches and pains. If you've ever wondered why your shoulders still hurt despite doing "twice as much back work," this episode explains what's probably missing from your program -- and how to correct it! *For a full list of Show Notes + Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com.   IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard VIP List Team Forever Strong [1-Week Free Trial]
Jun 25
1 hr 4 min
#578 - I'm Turning 51 This Week: Here's 15 Things I Believe NOW More Than Ever...
This week, Joe celebrates his 51st birthday by sharing 15 lessons, principles, and beliefs that have stood the test of time throughout his life and 30-year coaching career. In this episode, Joe discusses why strength training is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth, why most people need less intensity and more consistency, why joint-friendly training IS performance training, the importance of family and relationships, and so much more! Whether you're 21, 51, or anywhere in between, this episode is packed with timeless advice on health, fitness, longevity, mindset, and life. *For a full list of Show Notes with Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard VIP list Coach CARTright
Jun 18
1 hr 7 min
#577 Sleep Deprived? Don't Skip Your Workout...Change THIS Instead!
We've all been there… You slept like crap, you're exhausted, and you've got a workout scheduled. So what should you do? Skip the workout? Push through as planned? Or modify it? In this episode, Joe answers a listener question regarding the best way to train when sleep-deprived. Specifically, should you reduce volume or intensity when recovery is compromised? Along the way, Joe discusses why relying on stimulants may NOT be the best strategy, the single most important aspect of a "sleep-deprived" workout (and it's NOT what most people think), how to properly warm up when you're running on fumes, what to remove from your workouts when sleep-deprived, and what you should keep in your program - even after multiple nights of poor sleep. If you're a busy parent, athlete, entrepreneur, shift worker, or anyone who occasionally struggles to get enough sleep, this episode is packed with practical, real-world advice you can start using immediately. *For a full list of Show Notes w/ Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS DeFranco's Tyrofeine Lean Bastard VIP List  
Jun 11
57 min
#576 - If I Could Give You Only ONE Training Tip Per Body Part...
What if you could get 30 years of coaching experience condensed into one training tip per body part? This week, Joe takes on a unique challenge from a listener: Give the single BEST piece of training advice for every major muscle group - Chest, Back, Traps, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps, Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves and Abs - in just 2-3 minutes per category. No overthinking. No research papers. No scripts. Just raw, experience-based coaching wisdom from three decades of training everyone from NFL athletes and WWE Superstars to busy parents and everyday lifters. The result is a fast-paced, highly practical episode packed with muscle-building and longevity-focused advice that can immediately improve the way you train. Whether you're looking to build muscle, stay pain-free, or simply train smarter, this episode is loaded with actionable takeaways you can put to use today! *For a full list of Show Notes & Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS DeFranco's Nutritional Supplements
Jun 4
56 min
#575 An Ordinary Guy Who Did Something EXTRAORDINARY...
On this week's episode Joe & Smitty introduce the world to Derek Medeiros, aka, this year's SB911 GRAND CHAMPION! Highlights from this conversation include: Derek's mindset going into the SB911 Transformation Contest; How losing both of his parents affected Derek's life and his approach to fitness; The hardest part of the 12-week transformation challenge; What kept Derek going when motivation disappeared; Besides losing 17 pounds, what else changed in Derek's life; The one change Derek made nutritionally that had the biggest impact on his body composition; The exercise Derek HATED doing the most while on the SB911 program; Derek's favorite exercise on the SB911 program; The most surprising result Derek experienced on the program; Derek's advice to all listeners currently in the same situation he was in 12+ weeks ago...And More! *For a full list of Show Notes and Timestamps, visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS Team Forever Strong [Free Trial] Derek Medeiros Manukora Honey
May 28
1 hr 9 min
#574 I DISMANTLED a Fitness Influencer's TERRIBLE Program...And Showed How To Fix It
On this week's show a listener asks Joe to review a workout that his son got from a popular "fitness influencer"...and Joe does NOT hold back with his critique! After dismantling the program, Joe fixes it and then explains how to spot a program written by a true PRO versus a gym BRO. *For a full list of Show Notes w/ Timestamps visit www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS Lean Bastard VIP List
May 21
1 hr 24 min
#573 Bedtime Snacks That'll Get Ya JACKED (+ Bodyweight-Only Arm/Delt Training & More!)
On this week's show Joe covers 4 topics: 1) How to kill your nighttime cravings WITHOUT killing your gains (Joe shares 4 of his favorite high protein, easy-to-prepare bedtime snacks that'll get ya jacked!) 2) How to train your lateral delts, biceps and triceps with just your BODY WEIGHT! 3) What's Joe currently training for? (The answer might surprise you LOL!) 4) The single most UNDERRATED set/rep scheme for newbies AND advanced lifters...And MORE! *For a full list of Show Notes + Timestamps visit  www.IndustrialStrengthShow.com. IMPORTANT LINKS NEW DeFranco merch! [Order before 5/17!] FREE Live Workshop for Gym Owners! The DeFranco Whey Team Forever Strong [Free Trial] Manukora Honey  
May 14
1 hr 30 min
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