Zuby | Strength, Faith and Survival Tactics
Zuby (guest), Chris Williamson (host), Narrator
In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Zuby and Chris Williamson, Zuby | Strength, Faith and Survival Tactics explores zuby on viral fame, gender debates, faith, and fearless honesty Rapper and lifter Zuby explains how a satirical deadlift tweet about identifying as a woman and breaking a female record unexpectedly went hyper-viral and transformed his career. He and host Chris Williamson use this as a springboard to discuss biological sex differences, transgender athletes, and cultural pressures to deny objective reality. They explore mob outrage, compelled apologies, and how modern ideological movements can function like religions in the absence of traditional faith. Zuby closes with advice on truth-telling, resisting bullying tactics, and cultivating intellectual humility while staying grounded in personal convictions.
Zuby on viral fame, gender debates, faith, and fearless honesty
Rapper and lifter Zuby explains how a satirical deadlift tweet about identifying as a woman and breaking a female record unexpectedly went hyper-viral and transformed his career. He and host Chris Williamson use this as a springboard to discuss biological sex differences, transgender athletes, and cultural pressures to deny objective reality. They explore mob outrage, compelled apologies, and how modern ideological movements can function like religions in the absence of traditional faith. Zuby closes with advice on truth-telling, resisting bullying tactics, and cultivating intellectual humility while staying grounded in personal convictions.
Key Takeaways
Viral moments only matter if you’ve laid deep groundwork.
Zuby’s nine-second tweet exploded because it sat atop years of training, touring, and content creation; when people arrived, there was substance—music, podcasts, and ideas—so many stayed.
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Biological reality still matters, especially in competitive and safety contexts.
He argues that men’s and women’s physical differences are obvious and ignoring them in sports or contact environments undermines fairness and can endanger women.
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Children should not make irreversible decisions about sex and gender.
Zuby calls medical transition for very young children a form of abuse, stressing that three‑year‑olds can’t meaningfully consent to life‑altering treatments they may later regret.
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Don’t apologize to outrage mobs for things you believe are true.
Using Mario Lopez as an example, Zuby says capitulating to bad‑faith attacks rewards bullying, dilutes important terms like “racist” or “transphobic,” and encourages further ideological terrorism.
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Modern ideologies often fill the same psychological space as religion.
He notes that political causes, identity movements, diet tribes, and even atheism itself can become ‘religious’ in their fervor, dogma, and treatment of heretics, especially in the absence of traditional faith.
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Authenticity means telling the truth—or at least not lying—even when costly.
Echoing Jordan Peterson, Zuby urges people to be honest, resist social pressure to parrot untruths, and accept short‑term discomfort over long‑term entanglement in lies.
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Intellectual humility and error are prerequisites for growth.
He emphasizes that most of what we know comes from being wrong at some point; seeking challenges to your beliefs and updating your views is essential to maturing wisely over decades.
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Notable Quotes
“If you're not wrong, don't apologize, and especially don't apologize to one of these crazy mobs.”
— Zuby
“Most people cannot lift what you just lifted, so most people would not be able to even make that video.”
— Zuby’s friend Jose (quoted by Zuby)
“Two of those lines which are sensitive… one of them is safety and security, and the second line that I draw a hard line at is stuff involving kids.”
— Zuby
“The reason any of us know anything is 'cause we've been wrong in the past.”
— Zuby
“Tell the truth or at least don’t lie.”
— Zuby (citing Jordan Peterson’s rule)
Questions Answered in This Episode
Where should societies draw the line between respecting gender identity and protecting fairness and safety in sports and public spaces?
Rapper and lifter Zuby explains how a satirical deadlift tweet about identifying as a woman and breaking a female record unexpectedly went hyper-viral and transformed his career. ...
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How can individuals maintain honesty about controversial topics without sacrificing their careers or personal safety in a cancel‑culture environment?
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In what ways do modern political and social movements function like religions, and is that inherently good or bad?
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What ethical framework should guide decisions about medical interventions for children experiencing gender dysphoria?
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How can someone practically cultivate the mix of courage and humility Zuby describes—standing their ground while remaining open to being proven wrong?
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Transcript Preview
... on my Twitter account, @zubymusic. I posted up a nine-second video of me doing a deadlift in the gym. I was lifting 230 kilograms. It's actually well below my maximum, but I just, uh, had a clip of me doing it on my phone. And I posted it up with a caption saying, "I keep hearing about how there's no biological difference between men and women in 2019, so watch me destroy the British women's deadlift record without trying." And then I wrote, "P.S. I identified as a woman while lifting the weight, so don't be a bigot." And this tweet caught absolute fire. It went hyper viral. It's got 1.7 million views on the original video. I think it got about 55,000 likes and 20-something thousand retweets. It just went nuts. It went viral in the UK, in Canada, in America, i- in Europe (laughs) , like all, all over the world.
I am joined by the strongest female deadlift champion on the internet. Zuby, welcome to the show.
How's it going, Chris? How you doing?
Fantastic to have you on, man. Recently spoke to Brian Carroll, who is a multiple record holder in powerlifting for men, and now speaking to one for women as well.
That's right, man. Deadlift and bench press, 84 kg weight class. Women's, of course.
How heavy is the squat? What have you got to get your squat to?
Man, I haven't squatted properly for, for ages because of, uh, an injury that's been harassing me for literally about five years now. But, uh, my personal best on the squat is 190 and I believe the women's record in my weight class is about 210, something like that.
A little bit of work and you've got the total as well (laughs) .
Yeah, man. I, I think, I think I could do it. I could def- can completely annihilate the deadlift and the bench press ones.
(laughs) .
But, um, the squat'll take a little bit of work.
I got you. Uh, so for everyone who's listening who doesn't have a clue what we're talking about, can you take us through what's, what's happened over the last few months of your life?
Yeah. The last few months have been quite the whirlwind. So, um, going back to February now, at the end of February, on my Twitter account, @zubymusic, I posted up a nine-second video of me doing a deadlift in the gym. I was lifting 230 kilograms, which is 500 and something pounds. Um, it's actually well below my maximum, but I just, uh, had a clip of me doing it on my phone. And I posted it up with a caption saying, "I keep hearing about how there's no biological difference between men and women in 2019, so watch me destroy the British women's deadlift record without trying." Uh, and then I wrote, "P.S. I identified as a woman while lifting the weight, so don't be a bigot."
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