Life-Sparring Podcast - Fighting Mediocrity, One Round At A Time
26 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago -Sparring is an important part of martial arts; it is the reality check of your abilities. As Mike Tyson famously said: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Life-Sparring takes the sparring from the ring into real life. Hear Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber punching above his weight, interviewing top experts in their respective fields, trying to fight (his own) mediocrity one round at a time. More on life-sparring.com/podcast
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Episodes
Life-Sparring - Round 19: Fabian - Shadowboxing April/May 2022 - New World Order
May 24, 2022 14:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBShadowboxing rounds are solo episodes where I, Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber share "What's On and Poppin" in my life, what current books provide "Food for Thought," and what else is going on. There are no interviews, just a bit of solo rambling and occasionally some awful singing. This episode is somewhat of a comeback after an almost four-month podcasting hiatus. As it looks, a lot changed, and in the meantime, we entered a new world order. My thoughts on the state of the world and how ...
Life-Sparring Podcast - Round 18: Aiko "Little Hulk" Liu - Bodybuilding 101
January 18, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBFor the last three years, working out during my lunch break with a personal trainer has been one of the few affordable luxuries in my life. Since the summer of last year, I have trained twice per week with Aiko Liu, also known as " Little Hulk, " in Hong Kong Bodybuilding circles and by his 10k followers on Instagram. Aiko has been successfully competing in the amateur bodybuilding circuit in Hong Kong and beyond for the past five years and is working as a coach with several other competiti...
Life-Sparring Podcast - Round 17: David Siu - Food for Thought 2021
December 30, 2021 13:00 - 54 minutes - 37.8 MBBefore I started podcasting and Food for Thought became a regular book review segment in the shadowboxing solo podcasts, it was the title of an annual blog post introducing my top five books I read in the outgoing year. I just published this year’s Food for Thought blog; it is the seventh consecutive year. But since 2021 was the year of the Life-Sparring podcast, it felt unavoidable not to record a Food for Thought Podcast special. To make the best of the audio/video format and to spice t...
Life-Sparring - Round 16: Morten Klingenberg - Big Dog's Backyard and the Ultra Mindset
November 11, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 53.1 MBMiddle of October, I was glued for 4 days to a Facebook Live stream from Bell Buckle, Tennessee, following Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, one of the craziest ultra trail running races in the world. Different from a traditional start to finish race, “Big’s” does not have a finish line. Instead, all race contenders must start a loop of the course at every full hour. If they manage to get around the 6.7056 km / 4 miles 880 feet long loop in less than 60 minutes, the remainder of the hour can be use...
Life-Sparring - Round 15: Henrik Widegren (MD) - Never Google Your Symptoms
August 30, 2021 13:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBI always get real experts in their respective feels to join me in the virtual Life-Sparring ring. However, this time, I hit one out of the ballpark and convinced an actual rockstar of medicine to spar with me. Henrik Widegren (MD) is based in Lund, Sweden, where he works in the university clinic as Otolaryngologist or Ear, Nose & Throat doctor. When Henrik is not seeing patients or is participating in clinical research, he is composing, writing, and performing songs about healthcare and me...
Life-Sparring - Round 14: Jonathan de Potter - Lo and Behold, We talk Plant Medicine
August 16, 2021 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBIn Life-Sparring Round 14, Jonathan de Potter, founder and CEO of Behold Retreats, takes us on a trip far outside my comfort zone and our usual range of topics. Lo and behold, we are talking psychedelic plant medicine! Psychedelics received in recent years a scientific renaissance. Reputable institutes like Johns Hopkins or the Imperial College London are conducting studies on substances like Psilocybin and Ayahuasca, showing promising results in treating addictions, trauma, and depression....
Life-Sparring - Round 13: Prof. Elizabeth George & Prof. Prithviraj “Raja” Chattopadhyay - Identity (Re-)Search
August 01, 2021 14:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBRound 13 of the Life-Sparring Podcast is an ambitious one. With Professor Elizabeth George and Professor Prithviraj Chattopadhyay, I face not just one but two academic heavyweights in the virtual Life-Sparing ring, and our topic is nothing less than the eternal question “Who Am I.” As Professors of Management, both Elizabeth and Raja have spent large parts of their professional lives researching and teaching what makes organizations run. The social and personal identity of employees is a re...
Life-Sparring - Round 12: Fabian - Shadowboxing June/July 2021 - Quantified Starch
July 25, 2021 12:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBShadowboxing rounds are solo episodes, where I, Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber share “What’s On and Poppin” in my life, what current books provide “Food for Thought,” and what else is going on. No interviews, just a bit of solo rambling and occasionally some awful singing. The summer heat in Hong Kong made for a slow summer. What’s On and Poppin’ is all about carbohydrate supplement UCAN SuperStarch, which I have tried for the first time. I also recap a German podcast that I just did, ta...
Life-Sparring - Round 11 - Sonalie Figueiras - Optimizing for Impact with the Green Queen
June 14, 2021 14:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBAs the founder & editor-in-chief of Green Queen, Sonalie Figueiras is somewhat of a role model for me personally and Life-Sparring. After all, Sonalie turned a personal blog that she started ten years ago, fueled by her search for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle into a sprawling impact media outlet. Today Green Queen generates 7 million-plus monthly impressions, with the mission to inform, inspire and empower. In our discussion, Sonalie tells her story and how she, of all people,...
Life-Sparring - Round 11: Sonalie Figueiras - Optimizing for Impact with the Green Queen
June 14, 2021 14:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBAs the founder & editor-in-chief of Green Queen, Sonalie Figueiras is somewhat of a role model for me personally and Life-Sparring. After all, Sonalie turned a personal blog that she started ten years ago, fueled by her search for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle into a sprawling impact media outlet. Today Green Queen generates 7 million-plus monthly impressions, with the mission to inform, inspire and empower. In our discussion, Sonalie tells her story and how she, of all people,...
Life-Sparring - Round 11: Sonalie Figueiras - Optimizing for Impact with the Green Queen
June 14, 2021 14:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBAs the founder & editor-in-chief of Green Queen, Sonalie Figueiras is somewhat of a role model for me personally and Life-Sparring. After all, Sonalie turned a personal blog that she started ten years ago, fueled by her search for a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle into a sprawling impact media outlet. Today Green Queen generates 7 million-plus monthly impressions, with the mission to inform, inspire and empower. In our discussion, Sonalie tells her story and how she, of all people,...
Life-Sparring Podcast - Round 10: Fabian - Shadowboxing May 2021 - Vaccination with the Wife
June 03, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBFor the May round of Life-Sparring Shadowboxing, I spare you the usual signing. I usually interpret a loneliness-themed song, but this time there is a special feature guest. No loneliness and no singing! You wonder, who that surprising guest is? Well, nobody other than The Wife. Usually, she contributes to the show through constructive or not so constructive criticism, but this time she joins me on the mic. In “What’s On and Poppin’” we recount our experience with moderate side-effects taki...
Life-Sparring - Round 10: Fabian - Shadowboxing May 2021 - Vaccination with the Wife
June 03, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBFor the May round of Life-Sparring Shadowboxing, I spare you the usual signing. I usually interpret a loneliness-themed song, but this time there is a special feature guest. No loneliness and no singing! You wonder, who that surprising guest is? Well, nobody other than The Wife. Usually, she contributes to the show through constructive or not so constructive criticism, but this time she joins me on the mic. In “What’s On and Poppin’” we recount our experience with moderate side-effects taki...
Life-Sparring - Round 9: Fabian Gruber - Shadowboxing April 2021 - The Ring
May 10, 2021 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MBShadowboxing rounds are solo episodes, where I, Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber share “what’s On and Poppin” in my life, what current books provide “Food for Thought,” and what else is going on. No interviews, just a bit of solo rambling and occasionally some bad singing. In this round of Life-Sparring Shadowboxing: truly awful singing and an attempt to explain it, a first review of the Oura Ring health monitor and reviews of Laura Huang’s book “Edge” and the late Clayton M. Christensen’s ...
Life-Sparring - Round 8 - Simon Klaiber - Are you OKR? Objective & Key Results for Personal Agility
April 15, 2021 15:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBOKRs, Objectives and Key Results - After the Life-Sparring Podcast has been heavy on health and fitness topics recently, it is time for an exciting business and personal productivity round. Our guest, Simon Klaiber, is not just a successful business agility consultant and coach from Frankfurt, Germany; he also runs two Podcasts (in German) on business and personal agility. In episode 21 of his Personal Agility Podcast, Simon shared his experience using OKRs for personal goal setting. Intro...
Life-Sparring - Round 8: Simon Klaiber - Are you OKR? Objective & Key Results for Personal Agility
April 15, 2021 15:00 - 54 minutes - 37.6 MBOKRs, Objectives and Key Results - After the Life-Sparring Podcast has been heavy on health and fitness topics recently, it is time for an exciting business and personal productivity round. Our guest, Simon Klaiber, is not just a successful business agility consultant and coach from Frankfurt, Germany; he also runs two Podcasts (in German) on business and personal agility. In episode 21 of his Personal Agility Podcast, Simon shared his experience using OKRs for personal goal setting. Intro...
Life-Sparring - Round 7: Fabian Gruber - Shadowboxing March - Bring the Heat
April 07, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBShadowboxing rounds are solo episodes, where I, Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber share “what’s On and Poppin” in my life, what current books provide “Food for Thought” and what else is going on. No interviews, just a bit of solo rambling and occasionally some bad singing. In this round of Life-Sparring Shadoboxing: more weather complaints and thoughts on body core temperature as a metric; my first-ever coached session after 30 years of running, two book reviews, and a bit of a teaser of wha...
Life-Sparring - Round 7: Fabian Gruber - Shadowboxing March - Bring the Heat
April 07, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBShadowboxing rounds are solo episodes, where I, Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber share “what’s On and Poppin” in my life, what current books provide “Food for Thought” and what else is going on. No interviews, just a bit of solo rambling and occasionally some bad singing. In this round of Life-Sparring Shadoboxing: more weather complaints and thoughts on body core temperature as a metric; my first-ever coached session after 30 years of running, two book reviews, and a bit of a teaser of wha...
Life-Sparring - Round 6: Dr. Chun Ki Chan - Re(n)al Talk
March 13, 2021 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBDoes your bladder really burst if you hold your pee for too long? Will you get kidney stones if you do not drink two liters of water a day? These are just two of many questions that Urologist Dr. Chun Ko Chan (Kiki) answers in our “Re(n)al Talk” Round of the Life-Sparring Podcast. The urinary system is likely the organ we know the least and have the worst misconceptions about. Reason enough to dedicate an episode to the topic and talk to a re(n)al expert. Will Dr. Kiki Chan be able to add...
Life-Sparring - Round 5: Fabian Gruber - Shadowboxing February - The End is Always Near
March 09, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBShadowboxing rounds are solo episodes, where Life-Sparring host Fabian Gruber shares “What’s On and Poppin” in his life, which current books provide “Food for Thought” and what else is going on. No interviews, just a bit of solo rambling. The winter in Hong Kong ended rather abruptly and muggy spring weather made it rather unlikely that Fabian still will try to improve on his rater embarrassing record for the Translantau 50k trail race. At least gyms are back open in Hong Kong and the first...
Life-Sparring - Round 4: Dena Goldberg aka Dena DNA - Deconstructed Me II
February 17, 2021 13:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBAfter listening to her carrying a few Clubhouse panels on genetics, I somehow tricked the fabulous Dena Goldberg, aka Dena DNA, to jump into the Life-Sparring ring with me to discuss genetic testing for health. Dena holds a master’s degree in genetic counseling from the University of California, Irvine, and is one of 5,000 board accredited Genetic Counselors. She also made it her mission to increase the public awareness of genetic testing for health and created her personal brand Dena DNA a...
Life-Sparring - Round 3: Fabian Gruber - Shadowboxing January: Clubhouse, Keto, Life-Sparring, Urine Analysis
January 26, 2021 13:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBThe first two rounds of the Life-Sparring Podcast were well received, but a few listeners' feedback was that they wanted to hear more from me, the host, and not just from the guests. Be careful, what you ask for, your wishes might come true. Here we go with the first solo shadowboxing round. Topics covered in this round: Story of Life-Sparring, Clubhouse, Urine Analysis, Keto Diet, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. More details on the episode page: life-sparring.com/podcast/2021/...
Life-Sparring - Round 2: Eva Hilf - A Polarizing Discussion of Sales and Wearables
January 11, 2021 14:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MBFor Life-Sparring - Round 2, host Fabian is joined by sales veteran and Managing Director DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) of sports wearable manufacturer Polar Electro, Eva Hilf. After deciding against running a guest house in the Jordanian desert, joining Procter & Gamble instead, Eva made an impressive career in consumer goods' sales & marketing. In our conversation, we dig into Eva's "eternal truths of sales" applicable in all circumstances. With Eva working with Polar Electro for...
Life-Sparring - Podcast Launch Trailer
December 30, 2020 08:00 - 1 minute - 794 KBDon't want to commit to a full episode just yet? Check out our trailer to get an idea of what you can expect from the Life-Sparring Podcast. More on Life-Sparring.com/Podcast !
Life-Sparring Podcast - Trailer
December 30, 2020 08:00 - 1 minute - 793 KBDon't want to commit to a full episode just yet? Check out our trailer to get an idea of what you can expect from the Life-Sparring Podcast. More on Life-Sparring.com/Podcast !
Life-Sparring - Round 1: Vlad Ixel on Running Successfully and Successfully Running a Supplement Start-Up
December 21, 2020 12:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MBLife-Sparring - Round 1 kicks of with trail running heavyweight, Vlad Ixel from Perth, Australia. Vlad has an inspiring story to tell and has three successful careers: a professional trail runner with an insane winning rate, a running coach and fitness influencer with more than 70k followers on Instagram and an entrepreneur who recently started supplement company BIX. We cover all three of Vlad's careers and what becomes very clear during the interview is that despite Vlad's innate athletic...