#816: Nsima Inyang, Mutant and Movement Coach — True Athleticism at Any Age, Microdosing Movement, “Rope Flow” as a Key Unlock, Why Sleds and Sandbags Matter, and Much More

Nsima Inyang (@nsimainyang) is a strength
athlete, movement coach, and co-host of Mark Bell’s Power
Project, one of the top fitness podcasts in the world. He is also
one of the most freakishly athletic humans I’ve ever met. He’s a
black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a professional natural
bodybuilder (placed top five in the world), and an elite-level
powerlifter (750-plus-pound deadlift, etc.)—but what sets him
apart is how he blends all those worlds with unconventional
training tools like kettlebells, maces, sandbags, and rope flow.
Nsima is also the founder of The Stronger Human,
a growing online community focused on strength, movement, and
resilience.


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Watch the interview on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/mLGqrlxofXA


Nsima's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/nsimaInyang


The Stronger Human:
https://www.skool.com/thestrongerhuman/about


The Stronger Human Store:
https://thestrongerhuman.store/


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Timestamps:


[00:00:00] Start.


[00:07:57] Defining powerlifting and Nsima’s elite totals.


[00:10:30] Nsima’s first video that grabbed my attention.


[00:11:26] Serge Gracovetsky and The Spinal Engine.


[00:12:18] How Nsima avoids the distinctive plane-bound movement
of many bodybuilders.


[00:16:45] My tango struggles and coping with the “waist of a
chicken.”


[00:18:12] Intro to rope flow and David Weck.


[00:20:15] Rope flow benefits, mechanics, and efficacy as an
internal martial art.


[00:35:21] Minimum effective dose rope flow.


[00:37:37] Rope flow equipment and costs.


[00:39:31] Bill Maeda and movement as daily practice.


[00:42:38] How my three years of chronic pain and movement
limitations might have been solved by breathing properly.


[00:48:53] Lower body training: unilateral before bilateral,
sandbags vs. barbells.


[00:52:29] Box squats and safety: managing compression
sensitivity and range of motion.


[00:58:37] Set rep programming for non-elite powerlifters.


[01:05:12] Eschew the monotonous. Embrace the exercise that
inspires you.


[01:09:39] Caution: don’t train your way into adopting a
sub-optimal gait.


[01:12:04] Sumo deadlifting technique, Colton Engelbrecht, and
Nsima’s meaty hands.


[01:20:49] Ed Coan: the greatest powerlifter and his anatomical
advantages.


[01:24:31] Staggered stance deadlifts: alternative approach
relating to natural movement patterns.


[01:26:08] Bang-for-buck exercises: kettlebell swings and sandbag
training benefits.


[01:29:54] Cossack squats and adductor training: addressing weak
links in movement.


[01:33:27] Ankle mobility, Ben Patrick, and ATG methods.


[01:38:18] How regression solved Nsima’s chronic knee injury
pain.


[01:40:19] “Scale it down” philosophy: the importance of ego-free
progression.


[01:47:37] Microdosing movement: small daily doses vs. intensive
sessions.


[01:52:12] Placing equipment strategically for daily use.


[01:58:41] Calisthenics and body weight strength: why barbells
don’t equal body control.


[02:05:27] Rock climbing inspiration: 70-year-olds outperforming
younger athletes.


[02:08:20] Non-negotiable lifts: sled work as the foundation
movement.


[02:21:42] Kelly Starrett and soft tissue work fundamentals.


[02:26:28] Self-massage tools and techniques: from Gua Sha to
Body Lever to tennis balls.


[02:33:38] Evidence-based fitness limitations: not waiting for
papers to validate effective practices.


[02:38:13] Nightly protocols, acupressure, and Andrii Bondarenko.


[02:45:17] Learning to heal yourself: developing internal
reference points for soft tissue work.


[02:46:15] Back buddies and medicine balls.


[02:49:11] Nordic curls challenge: beating Tyreek Hill’s record
through systematic progression.


[02:55:26] Bone density fundamentals: compression, tension,
impact, and rotation stressors.


[02:58:02] Jumping and rebounding: why we stop jumping and how to
regress back to it.


[03:06:02] What Nsima hopes to convey to his audience online and
where he can be found.


[03:07:53] Gratitude: how this podcast influenced Nsima’s
learning journey from age 20.


[03:09:00] Micro-progressions, sustainable movement practice, and
parting thoughts.


*


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