The Hardest Sport You've Never Heard Of: Tower Running & Time Under Tension with PJ Glassey

PJ Glassey has spent almost 40 years testing what actually works in strength training, and it led him somewhere weird: racing up skyscraper stairwells. In this episode, the founder of XGYM breaks down fast twitch vs. slow twitch muscle fibers, the exact exercise protocol he used to increase a triathlete's stride power, why tower running might be the best cross-training a runner can do, and how to tell a legit study from a bogus one. **We cover:** •      PJ's path from teenage bodybuilder to founder of XGYM's time-under-tension training method •      How to actually evaluate a scientific study — and how to use AI to fact-check one •      Fast twitch vs. slow twitch muscle fibers, explained for runners •      The suspension lunge protocol PJ used to increase a triathlete's stride power •      Tower running: what it is, why it's low-impact, and how it builds hill-running strength •      Ways to replicate tower-running training without a stairwell (Jacob's ladder, stairmaster technique, versa climber) •      Anti-aging: why quad strength predicts your mortality better than grip strength •      Red light therapy: what's real, what's marketing, and how to vet a device *Note: PJ shares a personal VO2 max result from his own training log. It's a compelling anecdote, not a controlled study — worth keeping in mind as you listen.* Connect with XGYM   # Timestamps **00:00**  Welcome & guest intro **00:38**  How PJ got into fitness (skinny kid → bodybuilder → trainer) **07:58**  Why he founded XGYM in 1998 (less time, less injury, less bulk) **11:21**  How to evaluate a scientific study (and use AI to fact-check it) **21:06**  Pivoting to running: what PJ has learned training runners **23:16**  Stride frequency vs. stride length — the only two ways to get faster **24:20**  The suspension lunge protocol (built a triathlete's stride power) **31:24**  Fast twitch vs. slow twitch, explained simply **38:22**  What is tower running, and why is it the best sport you've never heard of **41:07**  Why tower running builds hill strength without the joint damage **47:53**  PJ's VO2 max results from anaerobic training (his own data — not a study) **49:24**  Suffering as a trainable skill (“best at suffering,” not best-conditioned) **51:50**  Replicating tower-run training: Jacob's ladder, stairmaster, versa climber **55:47**  Tower running stories: stairwell hacking, team records, the community **1:01:12**  Anti-aging: comfort zone expansion, quad strength vs. grip strength **1:04:00**  Practical steps for people starting from pain or sedentary life **1:05:12**  Red light therapy: what matters, what's marketing **1:09:34**  Where to find XGYM, the brain type test **1:11:20**  Wrap up Follow on apple, youtube and Instagram @evan\_blakeney on Instagram  Links: Buzzsprout Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Instagram Facebook Guest — XGYM Until Next Time: Just Keep Running