40fit Radio

Coach D and Coach Trent are back (finally) with a new episode, broadcasting from THE Wichita Falls Athletic Club, the home of Mark Rippetoe and the birthplace of the Starting Strength model. Today they discuss the role of the power clean for the Masters lifter -- should you be doing it? Should you skip it? What's the point anyway?   While the power clean is a very useful tool for the young athlete, especially in power-based sports such as football, hockey, or track and field sports, it's application to real life for the older lifter is less obvious. Basically, the clean is a fairly simple tool for the lifter to train power, which is a derivative of force production (strength). By training for power, a Masters lifter can not only improve his performance in sport, he can also improve and preserve his coordination, speed, and agility. These other physical skills tend to decline drastically with age unless you do something. Sports may not be in the cards for these lifters, so controlled gym movements such as the power clean can be a useful way of addressing these physical skills without the unpredictable nature of doing explosive sports.   Andy Baker, a fellow SSC, co-author of Practical Programming and The Barbell Prescription, has also spoken at length about dynamic effort training -- adapted from Westside's conjugate method -- can be effectively used to increase power using the basic compound lifts.   Baker Barbell Podcast on Dynamic Effort training: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/baker-barbell-podcast/id1607570442?i=1000555789213     Email us: info@40fit.com   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

After a several month hiatus, Darin and Trent are back with 40fit Radio!

Coach Darin has said it before, humans like to "complicate to validate." The bigger, faster, more complex, more "science-y," the better! Right? Likewise, the idea that fitness is an intense, all-in pursuit pervades media and popular training programs. Frankly, it's exhausting!   Health and fitness doesn't come easy, and requires hard physical training to obtain and maintain. On the other hand, longevity and sustainability are also part of the game, and demand that you pay attention to your joint and connective tissue health, and spend time pursuing the things that will improve secondary fitness adaptations like balance, mobility, and accuracy. At some level, you also need to have some fun with your training, at least to the point that training is not adding more stress to your life.   Therefore, we preach the path of moderation for your fitness life. We aren't talking about taking the easy road here -- that leads to nowhere! -- but we recognize that training can't always be about chasing numbers and PR's.   We want to hear from you! Send us an email at the address below and tell us about how you've evolved in your training program to achieve moderation in your health and fitness.   Email us: info@40fit.com   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Darin, Trent, and Charity convene for another coaches corner, this time offering some strategies for lowering systemic stress while programming for the intermediate lifter.   The intermediate lifter with some training history on her belt -- we sometimes refer to these lifters as "middle intermediates" -- has a problem when it comes to programming. On one hand, since they are pretty far along the adaptation curve, they need a large amount of stress in the weight room to drive further strength adaptation. On the other hand, too frequent bouts of high intensity (very heavy) sets as well as too frequent bouts of high volume (lots of reps) sets cause become difficult to recover from. These workouts tend to take a few days, if not longer, to recover from, and if done too frequently the lifter may start to experience joint pain. This is doubly true for the master's lifter, who needs to find the sweet spot between just enough stress but not so much that he feels torched for days after a workout.   In this episode, Trent, Darin, and Charity offer a few different models for programming in this phase of training, with the special needs of Master's lifters in mind.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent discuss the most important vitamins you should be getting from your diet and supplements.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D, Trent, and Charity discuss the tendency of strength coaches and athletes to get hung up chasing PR's on the bar, and missing the forest for the trees -- that is, the greater PR's in life such as raising good families, growing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.   You can find Charity on Instagram at: @charity_silverstrength   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

It's January, and that means there are millions of people trying to make good on their New Years' Resolutions. For many, this resolution involves losing weight, cutting body fat, and "leaning up." And predictably many resolutioners first instinct is to hit the cardio machines -- treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, etc.   Losing fat, or rather body recomposition as we like to call it, involves more than just losing weight. It also involves gaining muscle mass. Or, for an already trained person, it involves maintaining muscle mass while losing fat mass. Either way, muscle mass -- lean mass -- is the key to the equation.   Cardiovascular training does little to create new muscle mass. For a completely sedentary, untrained individual, jogging around the block likely will build some initial muscle mass, but the results drop off after a few weeks of training. After that, the force production demands of cardio are simply not enough to stimulate growth of new muscle mass. Moreover, certain forms of cardio, in particular long slow distance (LSD) type training, triggers hormonal mechanisms in your body which prevents you from gaining new muscle mass, and may even cause you to lose it. See Dr. Sullivan's exceptional work The Barbell Prescription for details on the AMPK "switch."   So, what is a resolutioner to do? First, you need to strength train, and/or continue strength training. That will ensure that you build and maintain a high level of lean mass, which in turns drives your metabolism up higher. Secondly, you need to eat in a small caloric deficit. You need to eat less calories than you burn. About 10% reduction in calories is usually as much as you need to get this process started -- that's typically only a couple hundred a day, depending on your baseline.   This can be done without doing any cardio at all! Food and lean mass will be the biggest drivers of fat loss in this process.   However, if you begin to stall with your fat loss and you are continuing with your strength training, you may want to add in one to two conditioning workouts each week. Keep these workouts short and intense, as they will give you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to fat loss. Tabatas on the echo bike, pushing the prowler, sprints on the rower -- these are all great choices for HIIT cardio training.   But don't be fooled... cardio is not a magic bullet for fat loss!   Muscle cells crash course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktv-CaOt6UQ&feature=youtu.be   You can find Charity on Instagram at: @charity_silverstrength   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach Charity Hambrick returns to the show to discuss her experience contracting COVID-19 and her slow road to get back into training afterward. Though she contracted COVID back in October 2020, Charity had lingering fatigue and muscle cramps for weeks, and loss of smell that lasted for over three months. Despite the mental blow of losing her training momentum -- she had been setting PR's just prior to getting COVID -- Charity has consistently hit the gym and is regaining her strength levels.   It was easy, though, and required a lot of mental fortitude. The mental game, she says, was the hardest part of restarting her training regime. To get herself into the gym when she really didn't want to, Charity came up with mantras she would say to herself over and over throughout the day. Her favorite is: "I have the power to start this today." During her training, when things felt hard or grindy, she would remind herself "the hard work will pay off."   She also focused on process-oriented goals. Instead of trying to get back to her previous PR levels, or hit a prescribed weight in a certain period of time, she focused on just consistently going to the gym. In other words, she focused on the "doing" of training, rather than outcome of training. This kept her coming back to the gym consistently and building training momentum, as well as confidence for completing a goal.   You can find Charity on Instagram at: @charity_silverstrength   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

The last episode of 2020! Thanks for tuning in, and we look forward to keeping the conversation about health and fitness going in the New Year.   In today's episode, Coach D and Coach Trent discuss the concept of selecting appropriate volume and intensity for a Masters athlete. These are two of the main programming variables, and all athletes need a blend of intensity (heavy-ness) and volume (how many reps) to drive adaptation in their desired physical skill: strength, conditioning, hypertrophy, etc. And in general, both intensity and volume must go up over time to increase the amount of stress and therefore drive more adaptation.   The Masters athlete must walk a fine line, however, between continually driving stress and chasing PR's and allowing sufficient space in their training for recovery, joint health, and simply "feeling good." This means that, for most athletes, there must be times of the year where PR's are NOT the goal, and other fitness goals take precedent.   Thanks again for tuning in. Happy New Year!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

In the strength community, the typical advice about warmups is to start warming up with the first barbell lift you will be performing. For many people, especially novices, this will be the squat, so the warm-up would consist of a couple sets of five with the empty bar, then a few progressively heavier sets until the lifter is ready for his or her working sets. It's quick, efficient, and, prepares most lifters for the task at hand -- squatting. Masters athletes, however, may find that they need more than the barbell to get warm before their workout.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Coach Trent continue the discussion on sustainable fitness by diving deeper on the topic of joint health. As the saying goes, "motion is lotion," but what kind of motion should we be doing in training, and is there such thing as too much? As with many things, moderation is key, and periods of strength training with heavy loads followed by periods of lighter loads with perhaps more focus on muscle hypertrophy or conditioning is an intelligent way to stay strong, muscular, and fit without sacrificing your joint health in the process.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach Charity Hambrick returns to the podcast for a sort of "coaches' roundtable," an impromptu discussion between three coaches talking shop about training, programming philosophy, and long-term health and fitness. As Coach D reminds us, we're all organisms with a certain trajectory. We're born, we grow and develop, we reach maturity, and not long after, we decline into old age and, eventually, death. As coaches, our goal is to help people maximize their time "between the dash" and live productive, useful lives by helping them build foundational strength, sustainable training and eating habits, and a long-term mindset regarding their fitness and health.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

What if you just don't like exercise? What if you have trouble sticking with anything physically hard? How do overcome these hurdles? Not everyone falls in love with training, and that's OK. You can still enjoy the health and physique benefits of training! Strength coach and accomplished Master's lifter Charity Hambrick talks about some strategies for helping the reluctant trainee integrate training into their life and daily habits.   We have to do many things we don't always enjoy, Charity points out, like going to work, paying taxes, doing yard work. We do these things because we understand that, even though they are unpleasant in the moment, they bring us pleasure or provide some benefit in the future (or at the very least help us avoid negative consequences, like the IRS knocking on your door). We often call these tasks "chores" for a reason.   Fitness is no different. Yes, some people just love to train, and derive a lot of pleasure from the process. But if you're not one of those people, you may not realize that just because sometimes loves training, they don't ALWAYS love training in the moment. Serious athletes are human, too, and have plenty of days they wake up and don't want to. The difference is they have integrated their training schedules tightly into their daily routine, so there are few barriers to doing it anyway, even when they don't feel like it.   One of Charity's goals as a coach is to help trainees weave training into their life in a harmonious way. Training should be something that adds to their life, not distracts. To that end, not everyone needs to be a serious athlete and push their training program to the maximum -- it's perfectly fine to run a modest linear progression, then develop a schedule that gets them lifting, conditioning, and doing fun physical activity regularly. The key is making training part of the daily routine.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Coach Trent discuss the importance of training with a long-term mindset and an eye on sustainability -- training smart now so you that you can keep training for years!   Trent analogizes fitness with cars. If you let a car sit for months, or years, then it starts to deteriorate. A car must run regularly to be healthy. On the other hand, if everywhere you go, you slam on the accelerator and run the RPM's into the red, then slam on the brakes every time you need to stop... well, then your car is going to prematurely break down. The human body is similar. You must train and use your body to be healthy and able, but you can overdo it and damage your connective tissue too.   As always, there is a middle way, in fitness as in life!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

In Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Clearfield, he explains how he "helps the body heal itself" using treatments such as proliferative therapy, joint manipulation, platelet-rich plasma injections, and traditional physical therapy and exercise. Dr. Clearfield also discusses his process for analyzing and diagnosing a new patient.   You can find out more about Dr. Clearfield and his practice here: https://www.motionismedicinedfw.com IG: @motionismedicinesportsmed   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

As we've said many times, training for strength improves tissue quality, flexibility, and joint health, especially for Masters lifters who have accumulated some bumps and bruises along the road of life. However, some Masters trainees find that even after they have acquired a solid baseline level of strength, they have lingering issues such as tendonitis/tendonopathy, arthritis, or limited range of motion that cannot be resolved by strength training alone. Enter Dr. Clearfield, DO, board-certified sports medicine physician, and practitioner of regenerative medicine.   The aim of regenerative medicine is to improve tissue health and function using a variety of methods, ranging from traditional osteopathic joint manipulation (a unique feature of DO medical education) to cutting edge stem cell therapies. Dr. Clearfield works with patients to address problems that have proven difficult to solve by typical medical interventions. As he says, he aims to "find health within the body" and use his range of treatments to encourage the body to heal itself, as opposed to stop-gap solutions like steroid injections or more invasive options like orthopedic surgery.   You can find out more about Dr. Clearfield and his practice here: https://www.motionismedicinedfw.com IG: @motionismedicinesportsmed   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Want to change your body, change your health, change the way you eat and train? It all starts with the habits you cultivate, and your daily routine. Many folks start a fitness program because they have been driven to change. Something has pushed them over the edge -- the way they look, the way they feel, a negative prognosis -- and they want to make a change now. The problem is, motivation only lasts so long. Real change occurs slowly, over time, and the thing which ensures someone will make long-lasting change, and achieve their goals, is the daily routine.   There are two essential elements to developing positive new habits. First, you need a basic understanding of the thing you are trying to change. Do you want to get more fit? Then you need to understand the 10 general physical skills, and how those are acquired. Strength is the foundation of all physical skills, so you need to follow a program which will make you strong. Do you want to lose body fat? Then you need to understand the basic macronutrients and how the body partitions each of them depending on your activity level, the amount of lean muscle mass you carry, and your caloric intake.   In short, you don't need to be an expert, but you need to understand the fundamentals of health and fitness in order to make logical changes to your habits. A little science goes a long way!   Now, you need to act on that understanding. Integrate exercise and good nutrition program into your daily routine. Train 3-4x per week in a lifting program. Eat an appropriate amount of protein every day. Start small! One change at a time. Start by just attending all of your workouts. Even if you feel terrible and need to take some weight off the bar because you have a cold, show up and do the workout. Once you have hit all your workouts over a month long period, then you can start thinking about making the next small change. If you did that for a year, then you would have twelve new positive habits ingrained in your daily routine. Most people try to change twelve things on day one, however, and they burn out by month two or three, if not sooner.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram  

Consistency is the key to progress in fitness and nutrition, and that often means doing the same thing workout to workout (ensuring you have a logical progression built into your training program) for long periods of time. Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint, after all. But sometimes the slow, steady nature of training creates the possibility for creep -- for trainees, technique or "form creep," and for coaches, coaching creep, or simply losing perspective on the goals and programming for the trainee.   So, how do avoid creep in your training? Get a coach, if you don't  have one, even if it's just a one-time session every few months. For those who have a coach, or have been coached in the past, seek out new perspectives from time to time. Coach Darin and Trent often share their experiences in the gym with other coaches, and reach out to their colleagues for help when they struggle. Interacting with other lifters and athletes in the community is not only useful for sharing solutions to training problems, it's fun and helps you to feel connected to a bigger purpose.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram  

Coach D delivers an overview of total joint replacements, their effectiveness, their limitations, and the considerations for training before and after surgery.   Modern medicine has developed artificial joints which can replace damaged or worn out joints in the human body, often with great results. As new materials have been introduced to the protheses, artificial joints have become lighter, more durable, more functional with greater range of motion, and longer lasting. However, they do have a shelf life, and the biological interface of organic human tissue with the replacement eventually fails. Therefore trainees should consider a number of factors before deciding to undergo joint replacement, including whether they are a good candidate for joint replacement (based on their symptoms and current level of strength and fitness), their health and fitness goals, the expected lifespan of the replacement and whether they can or want to undergo a second surgery to replace the artificial joint at the end of its lifespan, etc.   Darin shares some of his 30 years of clinical experience with hip, knee, and shoulder replacements in how to navigate these factors, and what to do after you have decided to undergo joint replacement.   Training and the Artificial Joint by John Petrizzo, DPT https://startingstrength.com/article/training-and-the-artificial-joint   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

In another 40fit athlete profile, Fort Worth Strength member Brad Lamar joins the show to talk about his amazing journey of losing 50lbs and nearly 10in off his waist while getting stronger and leaner than he's ever been.   Brad is a 49-year old IT professional in the healthcare industry who began training with a history of inactivity and back pain. At 5' 11" and 285lbs he was significantly obese. However, he began a novice linear progression with the barbell, lifting 3x per week with the big lifts: squat, press, bench press, and deadlift. As he gained strength, his metabolism increased, and with careful attention to his diet, he began to lose body fat while gaining lots of muscle mass.   After a year of training, Brad had dropped from 285lbs down to 235lbs, and from a 53in to a 44in waist. During that period he halved his body fat percentage as well, from 40% to 20%. Now here's the interesting part. In his second year of training, Brad gained a little weight, up to 240, but his waist remained stable, increasing just one inch to 45in. His body fat percentage continued to drop however, down to 17% by the end of the year. Not surprisingly, he hit all time PR's as well, squatting in the high 200's, deadlifting in the mid 300's, benching 270lbs, and pressing 160lbs.   Like Clif, who we interviewed last week, the key to Brad's success is hidden in his consistency. He rarely misses workouts, and he eats the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. He tracks his food every so often to ensure his macros are staying on target, but by being consistent in his breakfast and lunch habits he has freedom to eat out at a restaurant or participate in his family's pizza Friday (now a family tradition), in which they prepare and bake their own gourmet pizza at home.   It didn't always come easy, however. On two separate occasions, Brad's back pain flared up in a big way, causing severe sciatic nerve pain that made him unable to sit for more than a few minutes at a time. Sleep was challenging as well, as the pain often woke him up in the middle of the night. Brad continued to train, however, while seeking medical advice and an MRI of his back. His surgeon gave him an epidural to relieve a bulging disc in the L4-L5 region, which was pressing on the nerve root. The procedure was successful, and within 6 weeks his pain symptoms resolved and he was able to resume normal barbell training again.   Like Clif, Brad moderates his squat frequency and intensity, back squatting heavy once per week and performing a lighter squat variation on another day (lately a front squat). He also leg presses in the middle of the week to get additional leg work without the added compression force on his lumbar spine that a low bar back squat would provide.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Today a member of Fort Worth Strength & Conditioning joins the show to discuss his journey going from overweight and diabetic to fit and strong with well-managed blood sugar.   Clif Hadley is a 61-year old IT professional with no prior athletic background (well, not since high school at least!) and no background with lifting weights. He found himself in his late 50's overweight with midline obesity, high A1C levels, and poor control over his blood sugar throughout the day. Making some basic dietary changes such as cutting out processed carbs (especially breads) and doing cardiovascular exercise on the recumbent bike helped him lose some weight in the short run, but he still had too much body fat, lacked muscle mass, and, most importantly, had high blood glucose levels.   At Fort Worth Strength he began the novice linear progression, squatting, pressing, benching, and deadlifting three times per week, starting a low, manageable weight and adding 5lbs per workout. After several months he climbed to a 250lbs squat for a double, 260lbs deadlift for three, 100lbs press, and 125lbs bench.   After approximately 6 months of training he developed persistent back pain in his lower back, which did not resolve with training modifications. An MRI revealed he had a cyst in one of his lumbar discs, which his surgeon was able to clear with a cortisone injection. This setback caused him to lose a couple months of training, but as soon as he was cleared by the physicians he returned to training, using partial ROM lift variants to regain strength and mobility in his spine.   Soon he was back to performing the big lifts with full ROM and within striking of his old numbers, when the COVID pandemic forced the gym to close. Undaunted, Clif resumed training when the gym reopened and is currently lifting heavier than ever. To keep his recovery high and his back feeling good, he lifts heavy twice per week, alternating intensity and volume days. In the middle of the week, he performs squat variants that are less taxing on the lumbar spine and spinal erectors such as the leg press. He also uses the mid-week workout for conditioning, during which he alternates between short, intense HIIT sessions on the echo bike or rower and longer duration, medium intensity rows.   Clif is a great example for masters lifters, who may feel that they are too old or too long past their prime to feel strong, healthy and athletic again. By trusting the program, showing up consistently, and working hard, Clif has been able to get strong, lose body fat (he donated 27 pairs of slacks to Goodwill because he kept losing inches off his waist), and manage his diabetes, even with some unfortunate setbacks in the process. His A1c levels have decreased from the high 7's to 6.1, and continue to fall. His lifts are strong for his age group, his back feels great, and he has managed to maintain his waistline for several months.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram  

Back pain may be the most common type of pain humans experience, but knee pain is a close second. What do you do if you have painful knees, but still need to train? Coach D and Trent discuss the anatomy of the knee, the various causes of knee pain, and tips for training through knee pain.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Back pain is ubiquitous, and an unfortunate reality of being human. As Darin and Trent described in their four-part series of back pain (see episodes 28, 29, 31, and 33), it is a complex problem with many facets, including structural, psychological, and even social causes. That said, many trainees will encounter back pain during their training, so in this episode Darin and Trent lay out some practical tips for modifying training to accommodate back pain.   As always, we suggest actually doing the program first. Follow the principles of strength training, laid out in Starting Strength, and train the big barbell lifts to built strength in your whole body, especially in the trunk musculature which stabilizes the spine. Often just training your body in a systematic, progressive way -- with good technique, that is critical -- can reduce your pain symptoms by strengthening your tissues, bringing more stability and mobility to those tissues, and training your mind to de-catastrophize the experience of pain while moving.   For athletes that do strength train but still experience back pain that hampers your progress, we have some recommendations for modifying the main barbell lifts, incorporating assistance and/or supplemental lifts, and managing volume and intensity in programming.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent are back after a short break to talk about some trainee's reluctance to increase their calories while barbell training and conditioning. Perhaps driven by a fear of "getting fat," some trainees try to restrict their calories, particularly their carbohydrate intake, during the novice linear progression, frequently causing them to stall early on the program and fail to make body composition changes.   While Darin and Trent have covered the science before in the episodes with Robert Santana, the psychological barrier to eating more calories remains. As Trent points out, once you decide to begin training with barbells, you are no longer a normal person -- you are an athlete. So, you need to eat like an athlete! You can't expect to eat like the people around you who may be sedentary and don't train.   Lift heavy, build strength and muscle, and the body composition will come. But along the way you must eat to fuel the process!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Coach Trent discuss how they modify the barbell lifts and the novice linear progression for trainees with weak, injured, or tight shoulders. As always, they stick by the basic principle of making the lifter adapt to the model and the process, not adapting the process to fit the lifter. Often, simply following the process with attention to executing good technique will solve movement problems related to weakness or range of motion within a few weeks of starting the novice LP.   However, some lifters continue to struggle after following the process, at which point it may be time to modify the movement, the load progression, or change exercises altogether.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Professional hunter, videographer, and host of the show Blue Collar Adventures, Jay Presti, returns to the show to share the progress he's made barbell training during his novice linear progression. After just 12 weeks of training, Jay has increased each of his lifts by more than double, he's dropped his body fat percentage by 6.5 points, improved his focus, and is feeling stronger and healthier than ever.   Jay began the novice linear progression in early March with starting lifts of: Squat - 95x5x3 Press - 65x5x3 Deadlift - 205x5x1   His starting weights on the press and bench were limited by a shoulder injury he incurred in competition as a professional calf roper. Jay has a severely torn labrum, meaning he lacked both strength and flexibility in the joint. He also found the low bar position in the squat rather challenging, so we kept his starting weight artificially low, to allow more time for his shoulder to adapt to loading.   With careful attention to technique and gradual loading (just 5lbs at a time), over 8 weeks Jay increased his numbers to: Squat - 210x5x3 Press - 115x3x5 (we inverted the rep scheme to keep his progress going) Deadlift - 280x5x1   As of the podcast recording, which is approximately 12 weeks into the program, Jay squatted 232.5x5x3, pressed 127.5x3x5, and deadlifted 320x5x1. At this point he is squatting in a heavy/light/medium (HLM) schedule, and pressing five sets of three.   His body composition has also improved notably. Jay had a DEXA scan one week prior to starting LP and measured at 26.5% body fat. At approximately the 10-week mark, he had a second DEXA scan which measured his body fat at 20.0%, a decrease of 6.5%! Here's the interesting part -- during that time period his bodyweight hardly changed, starting at 202lbs and ending at 198lbs. In the process of training, however, he managed to gain 9lbs of lean mass, which accounts for the drop in body fat percentage.   Jay is a walking example of what barbell training in the simple novice linear progression model can do for strength, joint health, and body composition. He did the work, missing only a single workout (he was on vacation, we'll forgive him), ate lots of protein and moderated his alcohol and process food intake, and got plenty of sleep. Jay is a perfect example of what happens when you let the simple process of barbell training do its work!   You can follow Jay at: Blue Collar Adventures Blue Collar Adventures on Instagram Best of the West -- the Long Range Hunting Authority   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent reflect on the recent quarantine and how it has impacted their thinking about health and fitness.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Following Ep. 94's discussion on sets and reps, Coach D and Coach Trent discuss some of the programming changes they make for female trainees during the novice progression and throughout the advanced novice phase.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent discuss the rationale behind the novice linear progression's use of 3 sets of 5 for the squat, press, and bench, and 1 set of 5 for the deadlift. They also discuss how and why these rep ranges can be altered as a trainee reaches the end of the novice phase and transitions through the advanced novice phase into intermediate training.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Where do you draw the line between safety and logic? In today’s episode we discuss the three great “untruths” that pervade American culture.   The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt: https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation-ebook/dp/B076NVFT5P/ref=sr_1_1?crid=556Q9COY5VG2&dchild=1&keywords=coddling+of+the+american+mind&qid=1589741849&sprefix=coddling+of+the+a%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach Darin and Trent discuss how to adjust your program after a prolonged layoff. As the world begins to open up from quarantine, many people will be able to go to the gym for the first time in several weeks. Detraining is an inevitable result of such a long layoff, however, so care must be taken when returning to the gym to avoid extreme soreness, injury, or overtraining.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent have extolled the virtues of lifting barbells for years now. Yet some Masters lifters shy away from lifting heavy in fear that they might hurt themselves, or that it's too tough on their joints. Lifting heavy is not only the best way to build strength, it's essential for building and maintaining healthy joints! Like all things, however, lifting heavy should be done in moderation if health and longevity are the goal.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

The fitness world is awash in gurus peddling "the last word" in fitness and health. Even reasonable trainees following time-tested programs can get tunnel vision and fail to address other aspects of their health and fitness. At 40fit, Coach D and Trent believe in a well-balanced approach to fitness driven by the trainee's personal goals. And we temper that approach with an eye on the long game -- that is, training, eating, and living in a manner that maximizes long-term health, not just athletic performance.   RIP Peter Nathan -- coach, athlete, and true Renaissance man. https://www.copelandhammerl.com/obituaries/Peter-Johnston-Nathan?obId=12455931#/obituaryInfo     Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Many of those in the 40fit Nation are in week three (or longer) of city or statewide lockdowns, and dire headlines continue to dominate the media outlets. So Coach D and Trent are sharing today some ways they are staying positive and productive in the midst of the madness.   Be purposeful with your media consumption. Maintain an analytic mindset about the facts, the source of the facts, and be aware when media is making an emotional appeal rather than reporting the facts (which is just about all the time). Make lists of the positive things in your life right now. Spend time in meditation or prayer. Carve out some space and time for quiet, solitude, and study or self-reflection. Maintain your routine. Even if you have to create a new routine, find a schedule that works and stick to it. Be productive. Take up a hobby. Do some yard work or spring cleaning. Read that book you’ve had on your list for a long time. You don't have to be a superhero here, but getting things done brings a sense of accomplishment.   Lastly, give yourself some grace. Some people are suffering more than others right now, and these tips may seem impossible for those most affected by the virus and economic conditions right now. That's ok. We are calling everyone in the 40fit Nation to do their best and stay accountable to each other, but we also need to be kind to ourselves and each other.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

The COVID-19 pandemic has gotten many people thinking about their immune system, and how well equipped their body is for fighting pathogens. The body's immune system, of course, is the complex integration of multiple body systems (circulatory, lymphatic, integumentary, etc.) which collectively fight and protect against foreign antigens and pathogens in our bodies. In today's episode, Robert Santana (PhD, dietitian, and Starting Strength Coach) returns to the podcast to discuss ways that you can build a more robust immune system.   As Coach D and Trent have mentioned numerous times on the podcast, training and genetics influence ALL of the body's processes, and the immune system is no exception. Some people have more robust immune systems than others due to their genetics, but even those with suboptimal genetics can optimize the expression of their genes through physical training. Nutrition and lifestyle also play a crucial role in fostering a healthy immune system.   It's common sense, but a diet rich in whole foods helps build a strong immune system. As Robert explains, whole foods -- particularly fruits, vegetables, and grass-fed beef or wild-caught fish -- contain anti-oxidative micronutrients which keep inflammation at bay. The typical American diet, on the other hand, which is full of processed, pro-inflammatory foods, creates a drag on the immune system, leaving it less able to fight off foreign bugs... like COVID-19.   Eating a serving of fruit or vegetables with every meal (3-5 times per day) will ensure you have adequate vitamins and minerals and maintain healthy balances of pro- and anti-oxidative nutrients. Healthy fats are important, too, as the hydrogenated oils used in many processed foods have an abundance of pro-inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids. Highly quality meats, fish, and nuts or seeds are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, on the other hand, so eating a lot of these foods ensures a healthy Omega 3 to 6 ratio.   Lifestyle is another important factor. Getting enough sleep and avoiding psychological stressors helps manage cortisol levels, which in turn influence inflammation in the body. Of course, in these times of great societal disruption it's difficult NOT to be stressed, but doing what you can to eliminate unnecessary stressors -- excessive use of cell phones and digital media, social media consumption, etc -- can help.   If you need help dialing in your nutrition, you can consult Robert via his website Weights and Plates. You can also follow him on Instagram @the_robert_santana.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent talk with hunter, marksman, and former professional cowboy Jay Presti about beginning strength training to stay strong and healthy for his high country hunts around the world. Jay and his partner Crystal operate Blue Collar Adventures, a television show on the Pursuit Channel that showcases their exotic hunts.   Jay frequently hunts in remote locations with difficult terrain and high elevations. In addition to hunting gear, he carries cameras, batteries, and the other equipment needed to film his show -- all of which adds up to a heavy pack! Clearly, developing a higher strength base would make the logistics of navigating his hunts much easier.   So, Darin and Trent will be coaching Jay to lift barbells and get stronger over the next three months in preparation for Jay's 2020 hunting season. We'll be documenting the process, so stay tuned for a follow up episode in a few months!   In the meantime, you can find Jay at: Blue Collar Adventures Blue Collar Adventures on Instagram Best of the West -- the Long Range Hunting Authority   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

The world is on lockdown at the moment as we deal the COVID-19 pandemic, and that means many are stuck at home without access to a gym. We're not letting that slow down the gainzzz train though! Today Coach Darin and Coach Trent discuss ways to keep training and stay fit, with little or no equipment.   Our thoughts are with everyone in the 40fit Nation that is struggling during this time, and we urge everyone that is able to keep training and stay strong. We hope that your workouts can be a sanctuary and a positive time of your day.   We will be posting 20 "quarantine fitness" workouts you can do at home via the 40fit Newsletter. So if you're not signed up yet, head over to www.40fit.com and sign up for the newsletter there!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Coach Trent discuss the current panic over COVID-19, a novel coronavirus which was recently declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.   World Health Organization WHO - Current Stats CDC CDC - Disease Burden of Influenza   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Today Coach D and Trent discuss how to train and program around a sport or other recreational activity, such as mountain biking, running, rock climbing, etc. And the short answer is... it depends!   There are many variables to consider when programming around a sport or activity, especially when that sport or activity has high physical demands. We only have so much recovery resources in the bucket, so to speak, and while we can make the bucket bigger over time though training, recovery is a finite resource. Both training and sport/recreation will draw from the bucket, so you have to program intelligently to do both at the same time.   Two broad training models, first elucidated by the Soviet master coaches in the late 70's and 80's, can be used to structure a program: the conjugate and concurrent models.   The conjugate model refers to training for one adaptation at a time, with the goal of tying together multiple blocks of training which gradually become more specific to the sport or activity in question. Block periodization, which is popular among advanced powerlifters, is one example. A powerlifter would start a training cycle with lower weight, high volume strength training, perhaps with some light conditioning to improve work capacity. The goal during this block is hypertrophy (muscle growth) and work capacity (improved conditioning and recovery so you can do more stuff in a workout). The next block will have the lifter pull back on the volume a bit and increase the weight, with the same overarching goal but starting to get more specific toward developing force production (max strength). In the final block, the lifter will significantly increase the weight, lower the volume, and the goal of the block shifts toward maximum force production -- in other words, a goal that is specific to his sport, which is lifting as much weight as possible for a single rep.   In contrast, the concurrent model aims to train multiple adaptations simultaneously. An athlete training concurrently will often train strength, conditioning, and perhaps skill work all within the same mesocycle. This models allows the athlete to maintain a high level of ability in several areas, but requires the coach and athlete to walk a tight rope in terms of managing recovery and overtraining. Professional crossfitters are perhaps the ultimate concurrent athletes, as they must be strong, highly conditioned, and posses a wide base of gymnast skills when they walk onto the platform at the Games. However, even most high level crossfit athletes train in a conjugate model during their offseason, furthest out from the games.   Most people are probably best off training in a conjugate style, developing their general strength with the main barbell lifts while they are furthest out from their sport season or event (like a race or powerlifting meet). Then moving closer to the desired adaptation as they move closer to the event.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D discusses four elements of fat loss that he considers when helping trainees lose body fat.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Today we welcome Willie Villareal back to the podcast and join him for a deep dive into testosterone, normal levels we should look for, the pros and cons of TRT, and how training, nutrition, and lifestyle habits drive our hormone and testosterone levels.   You can find Dr. Villareal at his practice in Conroe, TX (Houston area) Core Sports Health. He also performs online consultations via BodMD.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

You asked for equipment talk... so today we're talking equipment. Everything you need for barbell training, basic conditioning, and more!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Nation 40fit Radio on Instagram

Conditioning is not a magic bullet. It's just a tool. And like all tools. it works best when used for the right purpose. Nevertheless, we receive a lot of questions about conditioning, and have noticed some persistent myths and misunderstandings about it. Today Coach D and Trent put on their mythbuster hats and discuss the correct application for conditioning for a well-rounded athlete and person.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

It's inevitable... someday you're going to miss a rep. What then? One of the most common questions we get is what to do when you fail to complete all your working sets during the novice linear progression. First of all, don't panic! It's bound to happen. In this episode, Coach D and Trent walk through some practical tips for evaluating where you are in the novice LP and how to handle your workouts going forward.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

There's so much to talk about when it comes to health and fitness, but we don't want to just spout off anything. We want to hear from YOU. What do you want to hear in 2020? What topics do you want us cover, what are you curious about?   Send us an email at info@40fit.com with your suggestions, comment on Instagram @40fitradio or Facebook 40fit Nation, and we'll make sure 40fit Radio is putting out what you want to hear!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

It's time to change the story you tell about your health and fitness. New Year? New you narrative!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Happy New Year folks!   We LOVE the big compound lifts, but sometimes you need a little more in your training. Or maybe you need a little extra recovery between heavy bouts of training. In both scenarios, accessory lifts can be used to fill the gaps, increasing the volume of work you're performing each training cycle without dipping too far into your recovery resources.   There are 1,001 accessory lifts we could talk about, so today's episode focuses on the reasons you should incorporate accessory lifts into your training, how to program them, and a few of our favorite accessories.   Remember, accessories are just that... accessories! They should be used to support and augment the compound lifts, not as a substitute for them! The majority of your strength training career (like 75-80% of it) should focus on mastering and executing the Big Lifts.    Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent wrap up their discussion of the compound lifts with the Bench Press -- sometimes included in the Big Four compound lifts, although we consider it more of an optional Big Lift. To be sure, the bench press is an important upper body lift, and everyone who can do it should do it! The bench does come with some caveats, however, when it comes to shoulder mobility and health that Masters athletes need to understand when programming.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

From the beginning, man has had a need (and a strange desire) to pick stuff up and put it back down again. It shouldn't be a surprise then that the deadlift is one of the Big 3 compound lifts that should make up any good training program.   Despite the growing popularity of Crossfit, strongman, and powerlifting in recent years -- all of which feature the deadlift as a core element of programming and competition -- the deadlift has a negative reputation. This is a shame, because the deadlift is perhaps the most "functional" of all the lifts. Humans have to lift things off the ground all the time, and a properly performed deadlift trains this movement pattern and strengthens the musculature of the back and hips in a safe manner.   The key is properly performed. Unfortunately people do injure their backs doing deadlifts, and inevitably it is because they deadlift with poor mechanics, poor programming, or both.   Coach D and Trent discuss the importance of good deadlift mechanics, walk through the foolproof 5-Step Deadlift Method, and discuss the little details to help you build a stronger back and a more functional body!   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent explain why the Press is the most important upper body lift you'll ever do.   Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram

Coach D and Trent kick off their deep dive into the compound lifts with an examination of The Squat (that's right, capitalized) and why it's the mother of all lifts. If you don't have squats in your exercise program... you don't know Squat!     Connect with 40fit Radio 40fit website Facebook 40fit Masters Community 40fit Radio on Instagram