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50% Facts with Silent Mike & Jim McD

Life’s too short to be half right! Veteran podcasters Mike "Silent Mike" Farr and Jim McDonald try to answer a single question. Any question is fair game, but most involve health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, culture…even sex. They examine common misconceptions and then try to get to the correct answer -- often with the help of subject matter experts. They walk away with a better sense of the facts…and so do you.

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Recent Episodes

Sept. 18, 2024

50 PF 9-17-2024 C-1

Sometimes, we need to take a minute to look at what people outside of powerlifting think about the sport. We take a look at a powerlifting quiz published by a fitness site. Some questions were easy, and others…a bit harder e…
Sept. 11, 2024

A shocking loss for powerlifting

We were saddened to learn of the accidental death over the weekend of Kim Tran AKA Kim Valentine. We discussed some of her accomplishments on the platform and the role she played in bringing women and Asian lifters into the …
Sept. 4, 2024

Why isn’t there an apples-to-apples way to compare deadlifts?

You probably think that pulling sumo is the biggest variation between deadlifts, but there are many more. It can even be challenging to tell the conditions of a particular lift, let alone compare them. Is it wrong to “game” …
Aug. 28, 2024

CrossFit athlete association demands assurances of safety and change

Understandably, the fallout from the death of CrossFit Games athlete Lazar Đukić is far from over. We discuss some posts and articles about the private meetings held at the Games concerning whether to continue and the demand…
Aug. 21, 2024

Gen Z is showing up in record numbers at the gym. Does the "no show” business model still work??

Zoomers are making gyms the “third space” of their generation. We see it in our gym, but it’s happening everywhere. How are gyms that have been designed to accommodate far fewer members than they’ve sold memberships to going…
Aug. 14, 2024

CrossFit tragedy: Who is responsible for athlete safety?

The unthinkable happened. CrossFit lost an athlete during the games. Without having all the answers yet about exactly what happened when Lazar Đukić drowned, clearly sufficient safety measures were not in place. Athletes hav…

About the Hosts

Mike Farr Profile Photo

Mike Farr

Co-host

Mike Farr, aka Silent Mike, has dedicated his life to supporting others in their goals and to building community. After spending over 15 years playing and coaching basketball he switched gears into the weight room. Over the last decade, he focused on helping thousands of athletes around the world with their strength and fitness goals. Powerlifting is considered an individual sport but Mike has found his role in helping others through education and entertainment using the barbell as his vessel.

Jim McDonald Profile Photo

Jim McDonald

Creator and Co-host

Jim left the corporate world behind a couple of decades ago and became a consultant in IT and healthcare marketing. In the early 2000s, he discovered powerlifting and began to document its training and some of its greatest performances as an early YouTube fitness creator. He focused on visuals that helped the audience understand not only the technical aspects of powerlifting but also the emotions that drive lifters to lift. Eventually, he created a chart-topping podcast along with Mike Farr… just before the worldwide explosion in podcast listenership. His role at 3SB is both administrative and creative, and he’s finding the balance between those a day at a time.