Jokes and the Gym with Rudy Tyburczy

Rudy Tyburczy
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Jokes and the Gym is where dumbbells meet dumb jokes. Hosted by comedian, certified personal trainer, and brain tumor survivor Rudy Tyburczy, this show dives into the messy overlap of comedy, health, and resilience. Each week, Rudy chats with comedians, creatives, and other people in his life about late nights, weird gigs, fitness fails, and finding balance when life throws curveballs. You’ll also hear solo episodes with updates from his ongoing brain surgery journey, reflections on recovery, and plenty of ridiculous stories along the way. Expect laughs, honesty, and maybe even the push you need to lace up your sneakers. Think stand-up comedy with a side of lunges—your brain, your body, and your funny bone will thank you.

  1. Ep. 87 - 12 Days After Brain Surgery Quick Check In

    5D AGO

    Ep. 87 - 12 Days After Brain Surgery Quick Check In

    I hopped on the mic for a short check-in—my first episode since coming home from brain surgery. I talk about the scar, my 21 head staples, my wobbly sleep schedule, and share some of what recovery has looked like almost two weeks out. I share updates from my surgeon, my PA Tom (not to be confused with Tommy the Tumor), and the pathology report (grade 2 astrocytoma), plus a bit about what’s next with follow-ups and care. I also thank my mom, friends, and everyone who’s supported me through the hospital and at home—it’s meant a ton. Looking ahead, I’ll keep mixing in solo episodes, interviews, and even some movie reviews while I heal.  And for locals: I’m on a show Saturday August 30th @5pm at Sam Bond’s Garage in Eugene, where I’ll be busting out new jokes, and the producer Leigh Anne asked me if I would feel comfortable being the recipient of the funds they raise - each month goes to a different cause - guess I'm the cause this month! Come by and say hi! I love Sam Bond's! 87 weeks strong. Tommy’s gone, I’m still here, and I’m grateful to be on this side of things. Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    16 min
  2. Ep. 86 - A Letter to My Future Self - Tommy Gets 86'd!

    AUG 19

    Ep. 86 - A Letter to My Future Self - Tommy Gets 86'd!

    Episode 86 – “A Letter to My Future Self” was recorded in the two days leading up to my brain surgery — the one where Tommy the Tumor finally gets 86’d. I look back on the long road to diagnosis, from years of strange symptoms and a missed MRI to finally learning that Tommy had been squatting in my right frontal lobe for who knows how long. I share Jeff’s legendary “table story” from our Korean comedy days, when the mic went out and I laid down on the bar to finish my set, and how it mirrors lying down on the surgery table now. I play voice messages from my friend Sonny Side of Best Ever Food Review Show — part roast, part life lesson — and talk about what it’s like to go through an MRI and fMRI with Jules the tech, Fleetwood Mac MRI remixes, and the hardest challenge of all: trying not to think about anything. There’s gratitude for the gifts, cards, and kindness from friends, family, and the Eugene community, along with some thoughts on advocacy, resilience, and the importance of genuine bedside manner.  It all builds to my improvised letter to future Rudy — a mix of humor, hope, and reminders to prioritize health, relationships, and joy… and to keep the cats out of the surgical incision. Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    1h 9m
  3. Ep. 85 - The Birthday Bingo Brain Tumor Bash - Backyard Live Episode!!

    AUG 12

    Ep. 85 - The Birthday Bingo Brain Tumor Bash - Backyard Live Episode!!

    For my 42nd birthday, I turned my backyard into a live podcast-slash-bingo hall-slash-pre-surgery pep rally. Over 60 friends, neighbors, comedy pals, and YMCA folks showed up to eat, laugh, win creatine, and watch me forget Laura’s name for the eleventy-first time. "Blame Tommy!!" Instead of the full, chaotic raw audio (karaoke mic + summer evening chatter), I pulled some of my favorite moments: Mo’s heartfelt Country Fair story, regular reminders to rest, my brief cryptid-related brain glitch, and a surprisingly tender reflection on what I’ll thank Tommy the Tumor for before we part ways. It was love, laughter, tumor humor, and emotional support friends — a night that made me feel ready for the week ahead (surgery is Wednesday August 13th!), like life had handed me both a kazoo and a parachute. And then I slept for two days. Next week's episode will be recorded before my surgery on Wednesday, and still might have a special guest or two. Feel free to reach out or send good thoughts in the meantime - I appreciate you so much! Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    29 min
  4. Ep. 84 - Birthday Highs and Lows - Ep 84 on 8.4 While Turning 42

    AUG 5

    Ep. 84 - Birthday Highs and Lows - Ep 84 on 8.4 While Turning 42

    Episode 84 Recap: aka 42 is the Answer So, apparently the answer to life, the universe, and everything… is: a brain tumor, a cat named Milk, and a birthday bingo prize basket with Desitin and creatine in it. This wasn’t the morning I hoped for. After months of navigating this whole brain tumor diagnosis, I met with a lawyer and found out I missed the statute of limitations to take legal action by three months. Three months too late to hold the ENT accountable for missing the tumor on my 2020 MRI. It was a gut-punch. Like, you want to scream at the clock. Or at the ENT. Or both. But instead of rage-posting or shutting down, I talked it out.  I recorded a solo pod in my backyard with Milk on my chest and the birds chirping around me. I reflected on: How long I’ve lived with symptoms like constant fatigue, social confusion, and not being able to breathe through my damn nose.How AFib led to a seizure which led to Tommy the Tumor being discovered—a guest who's apparently been living rent-free in my head since at least 2020.How exhausting it is to advocate for yourself in a medical system that expects you to know how to shout through layers of red tape and indifference.And how surreal and infuriating it is to learn that someone saw the mass on your brain five years ago and said nothing. Not even a referral. Just: “There’s not much I can do for you.”Despite all that, I still found some peace in the chaos like Milk sneaking in through the catio to cuddle, birds sounding like tiny cheerleaders, and gearing up to celebrate my 42nd with snacks, bingo, good people, and a live podcast recording in my backyard. This episode is me trying to balance heartbreak with humor, grief with gratitude.  I shout out Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I reflect on why sarcasm never quite landed for me, and I ask some real questions about how to keep going when the world doesn’t play fair. What are your favorite birthday memories? Because even if things don’t go to plan, you still get to celebrate your existence. Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    26 min
  5. Ep. 83 - Preparing for Brain Surgery as a Tired Person

    JUL 29

    Ep. 83 - Preparing for Brain Surgery as a Tired Person

    Hey friends. This one’s coming to you tired. Real tired. Didn’t sleep great, and apparently that hits extra hard when you’ve got a brain tumor named Tommy squatting in your right frontal lobe. But we’re here, we’re honest, and we’re warming up—literally and metaphorically. This week I talk about easing back into comedy after my seizure in June, doing my first set at Bleepin’ Funny and Tim’s birthday. It felt good. Weird, but good. I'm getting ready for my own birthday party and first-ever live podcast on 8/4, and realizing that rest, kindness, and community are everything right now. I also share some reflections on how most comedy sets don’t allow for warm-up time, but maybe life should. Some tumor humor, some thoughts on motivation and adjustment disorder, what it's like to describe your own comedy, and a reminder that being tired doesn’t mean you’re lazy—it might mean you’ve been carrying more than you realized. Got my official craniotomy packet (and yes, there’s a whole constipation protocol section), and I’m just doing my best to stay grounded, grateful, and a little goofy along the way. Thanks for being here. Let’s keep breathing and moving through this together. Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    31 min
  6. Ep. 82 - A Tale of Two Fridays - OCF and AFIB

    JUL 22

    Ep. 82 - A Tale of Two Fridays - OCF and AFIB

    This week, I walk you through two wildly different Fridays: one full of joy, the other full of deflation. First, I reflect on my incredible day at Oregon Country Fair—hosting hip hop acts, crushing a surprise comedy set, vibing with strangers at Spirit Tower, getting clean at the Ritz sauna, and locking eyes with the perfect Phoenix Rising cookie. I was feeling present, energized, and connected to the chaos and beauty of it all. And then… the other Friday hit. I went in for a cardioversion—hoping to reset my heart out of AFib before my upcoming brain surgery—and it didn’t work. They shocked me five times. I woke up with a shaved chest, a bruised ego, and a rhythm that still refuses to behave. I cried a single tear. I felt bummed. But I also clung to a strange little joy: the return of Damian Lillard to Portland. There’s a lot going on. I talk about surgery plans, what I’ve been learning about soft skills in medicine, leaning on community, and preparing for a birthday party/podcast recording on August 4th. If you’re hearing this—you’re probably invited. This episode is for anyone riding the wave of good days and hard ones, still showing up, still asking for help, still trying to find their rhythm.  Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    42 min
  7. Ep. 81 - That’s Fair and Knowing Your No - My OCF ‘25 Recap

    JUL 15

    Ep. 81 - That’s Fair and Knowing Your No - My OCF ‘25 Recap

    Hey everybody, welcome back to Jokes and the Gym. This week’s episode is all about my Oregon Country Fair 2025 adventure. This year was the full Fair experience: beautiful, chaotic, exhausting, magical. I went in prepared—literal farmer’s carries all year to get ready to haul my gear—and even that didn’t cover everything. It was full of those human moments: old friends pitching in to carry bags, new friends chatting over tofu breakfast, kids laughing at my name because of Ice Age. Sharing a laugh in a nude sauna. I got to host shows at Spirit Tower, introducing amazing hip-hop acts in 90-degree heat. Told some jokes amidst poets. But it wasn’t all smooth. Friday I crushed it, but by Saturday I hit the wall. Less than five hours of sleep, the heat, meds, the brain tumor making sounds physically hurt—it was too much. Had to call it. That was hard. I love hosting, love showing up for people. But the Fair community had my back. My understudy stepped up. The crew listened. Our stage lead told me: Go home. Rest. See your cats. This year’s big lesson for me? The Sacred No. Even at a place that’s all YES YES YES, sometimes you have to say no. Fair will be there next year. So will I. Hopefully rested, healthy, and ready to do it better. Thanks for listening. Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. Say yes when you can, but don’t be afraid to say no when you need to. Love ya. Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    1h 33m
  8. Ep. 80 - Oregon Country Fair and Procedure Prep (And a movie review!)

    JUL 8

    Ep. 80 - Oregon Country Fair and Procedure Prep (And a movie review!)

    Hey friends! Welcome to Episode 80 of Jokes and the Gym—80 weeks straight, baby! Can you believe it? Well, do. This one’s a check-in about life lately. (And a bonus movie review!) I talk about navigating my AFib (cardioversion coming up where they’ll zap my heart back into rhythm) and this new brain tumor diagnosis—good ol’ Tommy the Tumor hanging out in my right frontal lobe. Turns out a lot of my struggles with fatigue, mood, and focus might not just be “getting older.” Thanks, Tommy. It’s wild learning this stuff and trying to give myself some grace. I also talk about the sleep struggles that forced me to cancel some Sunday clients (my favorite training day!), even though I hate bailing. Trying to practice what I preach: listening to my body. On the lighter side, I chat about getting blood work done (shoutout to my popcorn-loving phlebotomist), prepping for Oregon Country Fair this weekend (hydrate, rest, corn on the cob, see Reggie Watts), and just aiming to take it easy and have fun. Oh—and after the main pod, I pop back on for a quick Jurassic World Rebirth review with a cat on my lap. Saw it with my mom. Fun to share that little Mondate. This episode is just me being honest about the ups and downs while staying joyful and connected. Thanks for listening and being here. Take care of yourselves. See you at Fair! Let’s have a ball. Find me, Rudy Tyburczy, on TikTok @jokesandthegym Youtube @jokesandthegym www.rudytyburczy.com ig @jokesandthegym and @rudytyburczy and @rudyandthecats Facebook, Twitter, they also exist. I’m on them too. Email any questions or jokes or gyms to: jokesandthegym@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Jokes and the Gym is where dumbbells meet dumb jokes. Hosted by comedian, certified personal trainer, and brain tumor survivor Rudy Tyburczy, this show dives into the messy overlap of comedy, health, and resilience. Each week, Rudy chats with comedians, creatives, and other people in his life about late nights, weird gigs, fitness fails, and finding balance when life throws curveballs. You’ll also hear solo episodes with updates from his ongoing brain surgery journey, reflections on recovery, and plenty of ridiculous stories along the way. Expect laughs, honesty, and maybe even the push you need to lace up your sneakers. Think stand-up comedy with a side of lunges—your brain, your body, and your funny bone will thank you.

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