Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena made his debut appearance on The Joe Rogan Experienceon Friday. Rogan — a comedian, mixed martial arts commentator, and the most popular podcaster of all time — and De Sena had a spirited two-and-a-half hour conversation at Rogan’s studio in Los Angeles. As per usual with Rogan, the conversation was extremely wide-ranging, with topics ranging from nutrition to entrepreneurship to De Sena’s fascinating upbringing.
We couldn’t WAIT to hear De Sena on the podcast, and it didn’t disappoint. Wildly entertaining from start to finish, there wasn’t a dull moment.
Is this your introduction toTheJoe Rogan Experience? Whether you’re a first-time listener or a JRE devotee, we are confident that you’ll find the 10 podcasts below compelling. When you’re finished watching De Sena’s interview, featured above, check out these fascinating conversations with world-class athletes, bestselling authors, innovative entrepreneurs, a decorated war hero, and more highly accomplished figures. Many of these guests have prior ties to Spartan and have appeared on De Sena’s podcast,Spartan Up!.
Put a pot of coffee on, fire up your phone or tablet, plug in your AirPods, find 25 hours of free time, and begin! (We kid: These podcasts aregreatto listen to when you’re exercising, washing dishes, folding your laundry, and handling daily errands.)
Happy watching!
If You’re Fascinated by the Mind-Body Connection, Listen to Ben Greenfield
If You Want to Hear From a World-Class Athlete, Listen to Gabrielle Reece
A true renaissance woman, Gabrielle Reece is a professional volleyball player, announcer, model, and actress. She also owns XPT (Extreme Performance Training) with her husband, surfing legend Laird Hamilton. To hear more from Reece, check our her appearance on the Spartan Up! podcast.
If You Love Kettlebells As Much As We Do, Listen to Pavel Tsatsouline
We know how much De Sena — and all Spartans, for that matter — loves kettlebells, and he has Pavel Tsatsouline to thank for that. Considered by many to be the father of kettlebells, he has shared his training techniques with elite soldiers all over the globe. For more on this innovative training philosophy, and what it can do for you, click here.
If You Love Testing Your Limits Like Never Before, Listen to Wim Hof
Few people have what it takes to try the Wim Hof Method, an exposure to freezing temperatures that this extreme athlete swears by. Do you take cold showers? Multiply that by 1,000, and you're barely scratching the surface of what Hof does. Check out his fascinating conversation with De Sena on the Spartan Up! podcast, and learn why he puts himself through such pain.
If You Live for Entrepreneurship, Listen to Gary Vaynerchuk
If De Sena's two great passions in life are fitness and nutrition — and his lovely wife and four children, of course — a close third is entrepreneurship. So naturally he's drawn to Gary Vaynerchuk, the CEO of VaynerMedia and one of the brightest, most innovative digital marketing and social media minds in the world. He's been a guest of De Sena's on the Spartan Up! podcast, and the two chatted briefly about the current state of the world back in May.
If You Want to Learn From a Decorated War Hero, Listen to Jocko Willink
During Jocko Willink's tremendous 30-year career in the United States Navy, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and served as the commander of SEAL Team 3 in Iraq. He was awarded Silver and Bronze Stars for his heroic service and has co-authored two books about leadership, Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership.
If You've Ever Wanted to Know What It's Like to Live Like a Monk, Listen to Jesse Itzler
If You Want to Eat Like an Elite Athlete, Listen to Mark Sisson
Spartans are believers in the credo "Eat Like You Train," which essentially means that what you put into your body is as important, if not more important, than exercise. (They're both critical!) Mark Sisson — a triathlete, Ironman competitor, and healthy eating advocate — lives by that essential framework. Check out his conversation with De Sena back in 2017.
Senior managing editor of Spartan.com. He previously served as the managing editor of TENNIS.com and has been published over 1,000 times, covering some of the biggest professional sports leagues and franchises in the world. He's written for MLB.com, CBSNewYork.com, TENNIS Magazine, WFAN.com, and AskMen.com, among other major digital outlets