Does the Tag End Direction of a Blood Knot Change Its Strength?
On Knot Wars I test whether a blood knot tied with the tag ends going out the same way is weaker than one tied the proper way with the tags opposite. The improperly tied knot won this round. A How 2 Tuesday tutorial.
How I Manage 10,000 Push-Ups in One Month
I break down how I manage 10,000 push-ups in the month of February — the daily and hourly math, how I front-load and stack reps around meals, how to scale the movement, and how to track every rep. A Physical Friday workout.
John Savage: Lost in the Stream and the Story of Two Fishermen Lost at Sea
Captain John Savage, author of Lost in the Stream: The Miraculous Story of Two Fishermen Lost at Sea, joins Tom Rowland to share how he went from a kid terrified by Jaws to a Virginia Beach mate, and the harrowing survival story that became a book now changing readers' lives.
Safely Beginning Spearfishing with Tony Young
Tony Young joins me to explain how to safely begin spearfishing and freediving, from a level one course to running, nasal breathing, and CO2 tables. A How 2 Tuesday.
Register for the 10,000 Push-Up Challenge
On this special Physical Friday, I open registration for the annual 10,000 push-up challenge starting February 1. Do 10,000 push-ups any way you want — solo, as a team, or fast. Motivation gets you started; discipline carries you to the finish.
Jason Coffrin: A Lifetime of Fishing Adventures and Chasing Dreams
Jason Coffrin, the angler and adventurer behind Mr. Trigger Sport Fishing, joins Tom Rowland to tell stories from a wild fishing life: world records, surviving on the water in Costa Rica and Panama, running the Moab 240, and why he has always chased the dream with a story at the end instead of the dollar.
The Importance of Awareness with Mike Genoun
Captain Mike Genoun returns to explain why awareness, seeing the water in three dimensions and picturing the structure below, makes you a better angler. A How 2 Tuesday.
Getting Started With the 10,000 Push-Up Challenge with Kevin Burns
On this Physical Friday, Kevin Burns — who has done 10,000 push-ups every month since 2021 — shares how to get started: begin on an incline, use bars to spare your wrists, break reps into small sets, and write down every set.
Taylor Sharp & John Zimmerman: Casting for Hope and Fly Fishing as Healing
Taylor Sharp and John Zimmerman of Casting for Hope join Tom Rowland to share how a high school fly fishing tournament started in memory of Taylor's mother grew into a nonprofit that has raised more than a million dollars for women and families facing gynecological cancer.
The Importance of Fundamentals with Mike Genoun
Captain Mike Genoun joins me to break down the fundamentals most anglers skip, from fighting big fish to learning your tackle's breaking point and weakest link. A How 2 Tuesday.
UHP Orlando Seminar: Stretching to Prolong Your Outdoor Career
On this Physical Friday, I share how Joe Hippensteel's Ultimate Human Performance stretching system helped me overcome chronic knee, hip, and shoulder pain, and announce the three-day UHP seminar in Orlando, January 27-29, that I am attending.
Ben Jones (GT Buster): Chasing Giant Trevally in Remote Australia
Australian angler and content creator Ben Jones, known online as GT Buster, joins Tom Rowland to talk about chasing giant trevally on topwater along Cape York and the Great Barrier Reef, surviving remote crocodile camps and tropical storms, and building one of fishing's most-watched feeds.
How Much Does a Wind Knot Decrease the Strength of Your Line?
I measure exactly how much a single wind knot weakens your line, cutting a 12 pound leader from 13.58 to 9.14 pounds, and why you should always retie. A How 2 Tuesday.
Starting the Year Right in the Kitchen
On this Physical Friday, I share how tracking my food helped me lose 20 pounds and keep it off. I cover macros, the Carbon Diet Coach app, easy ways to log meals, and why picturing your intake like a fuel tank or bank account makes it click.
Clint Campbell | The Mental Game of Deer Hunting | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 711
Clint Campbell is a professional deer hunter and host of the "Truth from the Stand" podcast, bringing decades of experience in the whitetail woods to this conversation with Tom Rowland.
How Many Turns Makes the Strongest Spider Hitch?
I test the spider hitch at 5, 10, and 15 turns on 12 pound J-Fluoro to find how many turns makes it strongest, and share a lubrication tip. A How 2 Tuesday.
Setting and Maintaining a New Year's Resolution
On the last Physical Friday of the year, I break down how to set and actually keep a New Year's resolution: write the goal down, attach a real why, and put an intelligent plan behind your discipline so your hard work points at the target.
Jeff Liskay: Great Lakes Fly Fishing for Steelhead and Smallmouth
Great Lakes fly fishing guide Jeff Liskay joins Tom Rowland to break down steelhead and smallmouth on Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, why the Great Lakes fish like inland oceans, and the patterns he has learned over 40-plus years on the most fertile lake of them all.
How Many Turns Makes the Best Bimini Twist?
I test the Bimini twist at 10, 15, 20, and 25 turns on 12 pound J-Fluoro to settle how many turns makes the strongest knot. A How 2 Tuesday knot test.
Keys to Increasing Baseline Dopamine with Zach Fagerberg
The final part of the dopamine series on Physical Friday with Zach Fagerberg. We cover cold water immersion that can raise baseline dopamine up to 250%, avoiding screens from 10pm to 4am, and keeping rewards intermittent — and how it all ties to fishing.
EP705
Captain Blair Wiggins, known as the Mogan Man, is a legendary Florida fishing personality and conservation champion who hosted Addictive Fishing for 25+ years and now produces Blair Wiggins Outdoors.
Fishing the Tamiami Trail with David Graham
I sit down with David Graham to break down fishing the Tamiami Trail on foot, where to find tarpon, snook, and peacock bass, and the simple shiner setup that works. A How 2 Tuesday.
Using Dopamine to Your Advantage with Zach Fagerberg
Part two of the dopamine series on Physical Friday with Zach Fagerberg. We cover how stacking music, pre-workout, and substances on workouts led to apathy, and how removing them lets your baseline recover and teaches your brain to reward friction.
Sam Carpenter: Work the System and Escaping the 100-Hour Week
Sam Carpenter, author of Work the System, joins Tom Rowland to explain how the crisis of running a telephone answering service on 100-hour weeks led him to see business as a set of mechanical systems, and how documenting those processes gave him his life back.
Knot Wars: Non-Slip Mono Loop vs. Perfection Loop vs. Figure 8 Loop
I pull the non-slip mono loop, perfection loop, and double figure 8 on heavy 40 and 50 pound leader for tarpon shock tippet and explain how to choose. A How 2 Tuesday.
Understanding Dopamine for Peak Performance with Zach Fagerberg
Part one of a dopamine series on Physical Friday with wellness coach Zach Fagerberg. We cover baseline vs. peaks, why every high is followed by a crash that creates craving, and how social media, casinos, and processed food drain your drive.
Mick Guthrie: Building CAST Fishing Co. From an Online Magazine to a Global Brand
Mick Guthrie, founder of Australia's CAST Fishing Co., joins Tom Rowland to talk about walking away from a 15-year civil construction career, building a fishing brand that began as an online magazine, world-class remote fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and breaking into the American bass market.
Knot Wars: Perfection Loop vs. Non-Slip Mono Loop
I pull the perfection loop against the non-slip mono loop in 15 and 20 pound J-Fluoro after a listener question, and I was wrong about the winner. A How 2 Tuesday.
EP698
Jameson Reeder is a shark attack survivor who was bitten while snorkeling in waist-deep water at a sandbar in the Florida Keys.
Tom Rowland | Liver King EXPOSED? PEDs, Raw Liver, and Fitness Lies | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 697
The Liver King controversy centered on revelations that the influencer was using performance-enhancing drugs while claiming his extreme physique came solely from eating raw liver and organ meats.
Larry Csonka | NFL Hall of Famer on Championships & Life After Football | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 696
Larry Csonka is an NFL Hall of Fame fullback from the undefeated Miami Dolphins, a 20-year outdoor TV host of North to Alaska, and now an author tying his football and outdoor lives together.
Knot Wars: Double Figure 8 vs. The Improved Homer Rhode
I pull the double figure 8 against the improved Homer Rhode loop knot on 12 pound J-Fluoro after a viewer question, and the result surprised me. A How 2 Tuesday knot test.
Travel Workouts: Two No-Excuses Routines for the Road
I share my two favorite travel workouts on this Physical Friday: a three-mile run paired with 300 push-ups, and a 100-rep, full-body circuit you split with a partner. Both need almost no equipment so you can stay consistent on the road.
David Moss | Fisheries Conservation & What Anglers Can Do | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 693
David Moss is the Florida fisheries project manager for The Nature Conservancy, leading the Deck to Depth descending-device project that helps anglers release snapper and grouper alive.
How Many Turns Makes the Strongest Non-Slip Mono Loop? Knot Wars
I close out the loop-knot testing by finding the strongest number of turns on a non-slip mono loop, my favorite light-tippet loop knot. In 12-pound Daiwa J-Fluoro the sweet spot was three turns, with results of 10.63, 10.11, 9.02, 9.42, and 9.75 pounds for two through six. A How 2 Tuesday tutorial.
Tom Rowland | Physical Friday: Preparing for the 10,000 Push-Up Challenge | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 691
On this Physical Friday I show you how to prepare for the 10,000 Push-Up Challenge — 333 push-ups a day for a month. Start today, 100 to 120 days out, ramp your numbers slowly, and condition your muscles, tendons, and ligaments so February 1 you’re ready instead of hurt.
Tom Rowland | Preparing for the 10,000 Push Up Challenge | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 691
The 10,000 Push Up Challenge is an annual February event where participants complete 10,000 push ups in 30 days—approximately 333 push ups daily.
Steve Huff Double Figure 8 vs. Non-Slip Mono Loop: Knot Wars
I test two of my favorite loop knots on the scale: the Steve Huff double figure-eight and the non-slip mono loop. In 15-pound Daiwa J-Fluoro the non-slip mono loop won at 13.04 pounds versus 8.84, but the Steve Huff pulls straighter for heavy leaders and tarpon flies. A How 2 Tuesday tutorial.
Tom Rowland | Physical Friday: Jenny Resmondo on Hydration for Anglers | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 688
Jenny Resmondo of South Alabama Physiotherapy returns to this Physical Friday to talk hydration for anglers. She covers drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water, choosing electrolytes by taste, urine and skin-turgor checks, and her three keys to a pain-free back: hydrate, move, and strengthen your core.
Tyler Kapela | Hit and Run Charters and a Life of Fishing | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 687
Tyler Kapela is a Tampa Bay fishing guide, owner of Hit and Run Fishing Charters, and a former NBC Sports and Discovery Channel fishing-show host who has fished around the world.
How to Help With Hurricane Relief After Hurricane Ian
I take a break from knots to talk about helping the area hit by Hurricane Ian. After the Captains for Clean Water summit and driving Fort Myers Beach, I share three ways to help: visit and book a guide, donate to the emergency disaster relief fund, and plan a future trip to put money back in the economy. A How 2 Tuesday.
Tom Rowland | Physical Friday: Jenny Resmondo on Avoiding Back Pain | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 685
Jenny Resmondo of South Alabama Physiotherapy returns to this Physical Friday with how to avoid back pain entirely. Her answer is consistency: small, sustainable changes — hydration, proper nutrition, and a daily five-to-ten-minute walk — beat huge goals you can’t maintain.
Dale Beatty | 1st Phorm Elite Athlete Training Philosophy | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 684
Dale Beatty is a 1st Phorm Elite Athlete and bow hunter who balances a full-time job with coaching, sharing the consistency-first training and nutrition philosophy that earned him his spot.
Does More Turns Strengthen a Blood Knot? Knot Wars
I keep Knot Wars going by testing turn count on the blood knot, a leader-to-leader connection I use for trout and saltwater. Tying 15-pound to 12-pound fluoro, strength rose with more turns to a sweet spot near seven, while two turns was weakest and twelve fell back off. A How 2 Tuesday tutorial.
Tom Rowland | Physical Friday: Jenny Resmondo on Diagnosing Back Pain | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 682
On this Physical Friday I talk with physical therapist Jenny Resmondo of South Alabama Physiotherapy, who specializes in helping anglers with back pain. She explains why she starts by getting the whole story, how back pain is almost always multiple factors at once, and the emotional stress component she sees in nearly every case.
Neill Holland | Ocean Conservation Through Trap Removal | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 681
Neill Holland is the founder and captain of Ocean Aid 360, a Tampa Bay nonprofit that retrieves derelict 'ghost' traps and fishing gear through its community Ghost Trap Rodeo tournament series.
Does More Turns Strengthen a Uni Knot? Knot Wars
I keep Knot Wars going by testing turn count on the uni knot, my go-to knot for the whole system. In 15-pound Daiwa fluoro the results were 14.1, 14.45, 10.19, and 13.61 pounds for four through seven turns, and every uni beat the improved clinch. A How 2 Tuesday tutorial.
Tom Rowland | Physical Friday: Maintaining Consistency When Traveling | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 679
On this Physical Friday I share the short workouts I use to stay consistent while traveling. 100 burpees for time, push-ups every minute on the minute, Tabata, and stairwell intervals all take ten minutes or less in a hotel room. The purpose is mental as much as physical: keep the streak alive.
Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler | How Social Media Rewires Your Brain | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 678
Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler is an ophthalmologist, keratoconus pioneer, and author of Influenced and Perceptual Intelligence, exploring how social media reshapes the way we see reality.
Does More Turns Strengthen an Improved Clinch Knot? Knot Wars
I keep Knot Wars going by testing whether more turns strengthen an improved clinch knot. Tying four, five, six, and seven turns in 15-pound Daiwa fluoro, the results were all close: 11.82, 8.87, 11.75, and 11.59 pounds, so turn count barely matters and the knot is not that strong. A How 2 Tuesday tutorial.