Podcast appearances and mentions of robert santana

Coach and RDN Juliette Gonzalez joins Robert Santana to discuss her fitness journey from Globo Gyms to Starting Strength, becoming a dietician, working as a coach, beauty standards, and more. https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/ Follow Weights & Plates YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Instagram: @the_robert_santana Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com

In this episode, Robert Santana talks about programming for your upper body and how it differs from lower body training. https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/ Follow Weights & Plates YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Instagram: @the_robert_santana Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com  

In this episode, Robert Santana sits down with Gretchen Geist to talk about her fitness journey, how she went from doing Crossfit to Starting Strength, becoming a coach, and exaggerated expectations in the fitness industry.   https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/   Follow Weights & Plates YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-    Instagram: @the_robert_santana    Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com   Follow Gretchen on Instagram: @sofechsogretch    

      Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Follow Weights & Plates  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Instagram: @the_robert_santana Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com   Coach Trent Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com

Many people (most?) get into fitness because they want to look better. At least, that's a primary reason. It's a worthwhile goal -- looking better is a gateway drug to performing better after all, becuase your performance (i.e. your strength and conditioning) drives your body composition. There is a big breakdown in what many people perceive as the ideal or even just good body composition, however, and what is realistically achievable for the average person without PEDs. Social media and pop culture has warped people's idea of what a good physique looks like, and what healthy body fat percentages look like on strong, muscular men and women.   In today's episode, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent attempt to rebalance the scales of body composition, and point out that strong, functional men and women don't have to be (and shouldn't be) lean and ripped to be healthy.     Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Follow Weights & Plates  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Instagram: @the_robert_santana Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com   Coach Trent Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

It's that time of the year again, the uniquely American feast that is Thanksgiving. It's a time of feasting and festivities, but for a lot of people the feasting doesn't end when the holiday is over... it extends over the next five weeks until the end of the year. As Dr. Santana points out, there is some research that shows people tend to gain a few pounds over the holidays, then go back to eating at maintenance in the new year. They end up a few pounds heavier, however, and don't lose it, then repeat the process again the next year, and the next. This checks out with practical experience. Most people get fat fairly slowly, over time.   If you don't want to be a statistic, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent offer a few strategies for planning your eating during Thanksgiving and holiday season. Having a basic plan can help you enjoy the holiday without blowing up your goals.   And for you skinny, underweight lifters out there... this can be a great time of the year to kickstart your gains! Put on 5-10lbs, and watch your lifts take off.   Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Follow Weights & Plates  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Instagram: @the_robert_santana Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com   Coach Trent Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

In today's episode, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss a common mistake lifters make before they begin a set -- the unrack. As Coach Trent says, the set doesn't begin when you descend into your first rep, the set begins when you step on the platform. Getting your mindset right, visualizing a successful set, and unracking the bar with authority and controlled aggression is oftentimes the difference between a successful set and missed reps, especially when attempting a limit set or new PR.   Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Follow Weights & Plates  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Instagram: @the_robert_santana Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/weightsandplates Web: https://weightsandplates.com   Coach Trent Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

Many people who start barbell training say something to the effect of "I just don't want to get hurt" when asked about their fitness goals. It's understandable -- no one wants to get hurt -- but the statement displays some ignorance about the reality of aches, pains, and sometimes injuries that occur during hard physical training. When we train with barbells, we are pushing our bodies to the limit to grow muscle, get stronger, and become more resilient. Even if we aren't great athletes squatting and deadlifting several hundred pounds, improvement requires pushing the limit, and pushing the limit increases the risk of aches, pains, and injuries. Moreover, as Coach Trent points out, life itself is non-zero risk, and many people get hurt without ever touching a barbell. So, the idea that you can control "not getting hurt" is false. You can bend the curve in your favor to reduce the likelihood of tweaks and injuries, but life happens. The best you can do is be strong and resilient so that you can bounce back from tweaks and injuries faster, and develop the mental fortitude to deal with the setbacks they cause.   Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Weights & Plates on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

One of the interesting consequences of the success of the Starting Strength methodology, and the growth in popularity of strength training in general,  is that genetically average people are lifting weights and sticking with their program for multiple years. No longer are only gym rats and serious athletes dedicating themselves to years of sustained progress in the weight room -- now there are 55 year old moms with 5+ years of barbell training experience under their belts. Most of these people are advanced lifters, even though they aren't competitive athletes. And advanced lifters have different programming needs than novices and early intermediates, especially when they aren't athletically gifted or possessed of a high training drive.   It's important, therefore, to understand what advanced training looks like, not just for very strong, competitive lifters, but for average folks with more pedestrian numbers but similar long recovery windows.     Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Weights & Plates on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

It's almost a cliche now, that a novice trainee running the novice linear progression should "do GOMAD" (drink a gallon of milk a day). This advice is one of the most misunderstood bits of nutrition in the Starting Strength method, but it highlights an important fact -- to gain muscle, most people will need to put on bodyweight while increasing their lifts (a small percentage of very overweight or obese people already have enough excess energy on hand in the form of fat stores to run the program without gaining weight). Muscle doesn't just grow from nothing, their needs to be surplus calories on hand to build new muscle mass and connective tissue while the weight on the bar goes up.    Like anything in life, however, gaining weight is not without risk. For the most part it's very safe, especially since you will be building strength and adding muscle mass which will improve your both your health metrics, function, and your quality of life. There are a few potential problems some people will encounter with increasing body weight that need to be addressed, however. In today's episode Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss those problems, including cardiometabolic health and blood glucose levels, and how to mitigate them during your training journey.   Hint: stop skipping your conditioning!     Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Weights & Plates on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

Testosterone is one of the hottest topics in the health and fitness world these, specifically testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). While there are legitimate medical reasons for TRT, it is also abused by those looking for an edge in improving their strength and physique, and some low T clinics are happy to oblige. Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent Jones share their thoughts on the recent popularity surge of TRT, and when it's appropriate for trainees.   Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Weights & Plates on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

We've talked about how an overweight trainee should approach strength training with an eye toward "recomping," that is, changing their body composition with more muscle and less fat. But what about very overweight or obese trainees? Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss their experiences training obese people wanting to lose weight and get strong in their novice phase of training.   Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Weights & Plates on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

When the upper body lifts stall, the typical programming answer is "add volume." Some do this by increasing frequency -- the number of times you perform the lift each week -- and some do it by adding more sets during each upper body session. Others do both! It's not bad advice for a lot of people coming off of novice upper body programming. Many of these lifters have low press and bench press numbers relative to thier squat and deadlift, so adding a few extra sets during the week, whether it's via introducing a fourth pressing slot or by increasing the number of sets per workout, doesn't add that much systemic fatigue to the workout.   For more advanced lifters, however, especially those with high upper body numbers relative to their bodyweight (pressing at or above bodyweight for multiple reps, and benching well above bodweight), it is less clear that high volume training is necessary to drive strength gains. Maybe what you need at this point is less volume.   Dr. Santana and Coach Trent bust the myth that high volume training is necessary for growing the upper body, and discuss how stress and fatigue play a significant role in upper body programming -- this is not just a squat and deadlift problem!   Online Diet Coaching and Strength Training with Dr. Robert Santana https://weightsandplates.com/online-coaching/     Weights & Plates on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf- Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

Burnout is a common complaint, whether it's from work, family, extracurricular activities, or all of the above. It happens in training too. Train long enough and you'll notice people in the community who were once avid lifters fall off the map. Some quit for good, or only sporadically train, others find different sports and activities to pursue, and those who remain tend to be lifers. Some people who quit barbell training cite burnout as the cause. For whatever reason, training no longer served their needs or fit into their life. Usually, burnout happens because there is a misalignment between lifestyle and goals, and lifters find themselves doing a lot of work they really don't want to do, in order to generate marginal gains that no longer seem to matter much. In short, the goals of the training no longer align with their values and desires.   Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss the ways burnout happens, how to realign priorities when it happens, and get back in touch with the reasons you wanted to train in the first place.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

RP Diet Coach app   RP Hypertrophy App   0:16 Dr. Robert Santana 0:48 Why Mike has no hair 3:36 Advanced dog training 13:15 How hiking cured Roberts knees 17:00 The Phoenix food scene 21:07 Vegas food scene and degeneracy 27:31 How to be the best coaching client 34:40 Dealing with know-it-all clients 39:30 Robert's form checks 44:31 Clients think weight room should feel like cardio 48:26 The grocery store question 52:19 Rapid Fire questions

While there are many good reasons to lift barbells and get strong, many people are motivated at least initially by the prospect of looking better. Improving their body composition, which means building muscle mass and losing body fat. For the average person, getting strong requires a lot of hard work and dedication, more than most people expect. Achieving above average body composition requires even more work, and ultimately begs the question: are your goals compatible with your lifestyle?   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

In the gym coaching real people, the knowledge and experience gained from years of hard work under the barbell pays off -- a person who has put themself under the yoke and actively learned to troubleshoot problems and adjust training variables is well prepared to help other people do the same. On the internet, however, the biggest total (or the biggest bicesps) wins.    Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent Jones discuss the storm of comments around Dr. Santana's recent instagram post citing various problems with RPE, and note that all of the comments come from powerlifters, that is, people compete in the sport of powerlifting. The message of Weights and Plates is, and always has been, for people interested in strength training, not the sport of powerlifting. It's certainly not for elite lifters at the top of the sport. Although the general public doesn't always seen the difference, strength training has very different goals than powerlifting -- namely, health.   So, be cautious taking advice from the strongest, most jacked guys on the internet. What works for them may not work for you, the average person.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

Strength training demands a lot from a trainee, especially after the honeymoon wears off (i.e. the novice linear progression starts to get hard). It's hard work, short but intense, and involves facing fear on a regular basis. As you advance into intermediate territory, the time between PR's increases, and requires patience and persistance. The stronger you get, the more you have to pay attention to your recovery factors -- food, sleep, and stress -- to properly recover from workout to workout. Strength training is a weed out process, you might say, for those looking for the easy way out. There are many looking for an easy way out that quit when things get hard.   For those who persist, however, strength training offers many benefits beyond the physical adaptations. Strength training teaches patience and perserverance. It teaches you how to face fear by exposing you to gradually more difficult tasks (adding weight to the bar in small, regular increments). If you stick with this process, you can aquire a tough, resilient mindset, and leave behind the quitter's mindset.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

There's seemingly no end to the "evidence based" coaches out there nowadays making all sorts of claims about you should train, backed up by scientific data. Have you actually read any of the papers they cite to back up their claims? It turns out, there are numerous problems with the field of scientific research, from the actual design of the experiments to the reporting of data, the publishing process and peer review, and, last but not least, skewed incentives for the people carrying out research at every level. Dr. Bradford, who earned a PhD in Pharmacology and Molecular Cancer Biology from Duke University in 2004, walks through the problems with the modern scientific process, and why professional research is the not the same as science.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

To quote Mark Rippetoe, "women are not a special population, they are half the population." In other words, women fundamentally train for strength the same way that men do -- the same principles of progressive overload, using compound barbell lifts that target the whole body, and nutritional principles apply. There are a few exceptions, however, and that's what Dr. Santana and Coach Trent address in today's episode.   How Birth Control Can Inhibit Strength and Performance by Lea Genders: https://www.leagendersfitness.com/news/how-hormonal-birth-control-can-inhibit-strength-and-muscle-development   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

Dr. Santana and Coach Trent wrap up their mini series on post-novice programming with an important discussion on understanding why you missed reps. The novice linear progression cannot last forevever (or else we'd all be squatting 1,000lbs!), and as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. This means that at some point, you'll miss reps. What do you do then? Some people have the impression that missing reps means it's time to change the program, and that's not necessarily true. Often there are recovery issues at play that can be addressed, allowing the lifter to extend progress on the novice linear progression with a few simple tweaks. In today's episode, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent walk through the The First Three Questions outlined in the Starting Strength method, and a fourth question, related to the stress/recovery/adaptation model.   In the Starting Strength article The First Three Questions, Rip identifies three important questions to ask yourself when progress stalls: How long are you resting between sets? How big are your jumps in weight between workouts? How much are you eating and sleeping?   The demands of heavy barbell training are high, and many trainees miss the mark on one or more of these questions, especially a few months into a novice linear progression when every lift has become hard. Coach Trent adds a fourth question to the mix: what other stressors are going on in your life? Psychological stress affects physical perormance, especially when it becomes chronic stress. Especially for busy adults with lots of responsibilities outside the gym, you have to account for life stressors in your recovery and programming.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent explore the Stress/Recovery/Adapation cycle (adapted from Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome) and how it serves as a guiding model for programming decisions in the intermediate phase of training.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

The novice linear progression (NLP, or LP for short) is a fun time in the training career of a lifter. Never will you make as much progress -- and as fast! -- as you will during LP. It's also brutally hard, especially toward the end. Nevertheless, it comes to an end for every lifter, and people often spin their wheels trying to figure out what to do once the simple A/B program stops working. In today's episode, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss some basic principles of post-novice programming, and point out that at all stages of the game, the main goal is that the weight must go up.   Weights & Plates is now on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@weights_and_plates?si=ebAS8sRtzsPmFQf-   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

For a variety of reasons, the predominant form of exercise in popular culture is endurance training. Endurance is valorized in the media, with sports like swimming and running receiving prime position in Olympic broadcasts. Military films often depict the hero enduring through miles and miles of trackless jungle and urban wastelands. The overarching experience of endurance training is pain, and pain is relatable. Everyone suffers, or will suffer, from pain in their life. It's even in the popular saying: "no pain, no gain."   Strength training, however, does not elicit the same pain response that endurance training does. Strength training does not burn or ache, it is an entirely different experience. Squatting a heavy set of five with a barbell feels like being crushed by a Mack truck; you must overcome an intense amount of pressure in your whole body, while pushing as hard as you can against the weight. Your body dumps adrenaline, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. The set begins long before you step on the platform too. Hours or even days before the event, the anticipation of a heavy, all-out set of squats gives you butterflies. Strength training is, essentially, engaging with and conquering a fear response.   For this reason, strength training is a harder sell in the fitness community. It is socially acceptable to pound a trainee into the ground with endurance training. People will pay dearly for it, in fact! Just look at Crossfit, where they frequently claim "your workout is our warmup." Yet, if you want to build a strong, resilient, muscular body, learning to face your fears and lift heavy barbells is a must. It's a useful skill in the gym, and in life.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com  

You've tried the templates in the bodybuilding magazines, from the bodybuilding sites. You've tried lifting like the big jacked, ripped dudes on social media... and it hasn't worked. You don't look like them, and your growth has stalled out. For some reason we accept that in sports, we shouldn't expect to perform like pro athletes without elite genetics and many years of training, but in fitness, we expect to acheive the look of people with outlier genetics, years of training, and, often, performance enhancing drugs as well. In today's episode, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent explain why basic barbell training is the answer to a better physique for the vast majority of trainees -- and that includes you!   Compound lifts -- the squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift -- work the entire body with very heavy weights if you progressively train them, that is, add weight to the bar on a regular basis. Because they utilize so much muscle mass, they can produce a stimulus for growth that no isolation exercise can match, and many of the best physiques in the world were built, at the beginning, with a lot of basic compound lifts. A solid base of strength in these four lifts forms of the base of the pyramid for body composition. A guy that works hard to get his squat to 315 and bench to 225 will have a decent set of legs and chest! Once that is achieved, he can then bring up his weak points with a small selection of assistance work. The same guy squatting only 185 is wasting his time trying to do any assistance work -- he simply needs to drive his squat up.   So, if you're tired of not having a muscular physique and "looking like you lift," then re-dedicate yourself to acheiving some baseline achievements on the main barbell lifts. Then, when it's time to introduce some additional exercises, you'll have a much better base of strength to perform them with (i.e. you'll be able to do those lifts heavier, and thus get more out of them) and you'll have a much better idea of where your actual weak points are.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream Email: jonesbarbellclub@gmail.com    

Happy New Year! To kick off 2024, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss the biggest ingredient to success in achieiving your fitness goals -- consistency. All the talk about programming and training splits and macros is futile if you aren't taking action consistently to meet your goals. Many people struggle with consistency, however, so they dive deep into the factors that influence consistent action: environment, motivation, and discipline. Dr. Santana points out that every trainee has modifiable and non-modifiable factors in their life, and optimizing the things you can modify, while setting expectations around what you cannot, is important to creating a productive environment.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com  

Dr. Santana and Coach Trent share some of the lessons they've learend about training, health, nutrition, and human behavior in 2023.   Happy New Year!   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com  

A meandering chat about dog training turned into an interesting idea for strength training. Trainees are not so different from dogs -- they have different personalities, different motivations, and different "drives" -- and therefore they will respond best to a program that most closely matches their individual traits. An enthusiastic endurance athlete who regularly runs marathons or cycles long distances, for instance, would likely struggle mightilty on a program that calls for them to frequently hit singles or doubles on the big compound lifts. Likewise, an amateur powerlifter probably wouldn't enjoy the burn and sweating of a bodybuilding workout. We could say that in these examples the lifter would be training in inhibition, that is, against the things he enjoys doing.   A better program for compliance (and therefore, better for outcomes in the long run) is one that matches a lifter's natural drive. Endurance athletes still need to lift, but will probably do better with a program focused on 4-5 big compound lifts for sets of 3-5 reps, perhaps only two days per week. Simple and effective for general strength training. This kind of program won't prepare the lifter to hit impressive 1RM's, but it will build muscle, build strength that will carryover to the endurance activities, and won't interfere or take away too much time from the fun endurance training.   If you have big goals, however, you may need to train in an "inhibitory" manner for a while. For the average person, taking your deadlift from 405 to 500 may take a couple years and will definitely require some sacrifice in other areas of physical fitness. You will likely have to cut out all non-lifting sports and physical activites while you train for this, and you may have to gain more bodyweight than you want to for those sports to facilitate the lifting. This is not a bad thing, but you should have an end date if you want to stick to your goals. White knuckling your way through two hard years of training is not going to work for most people.   Understanding your drives can help you setup a program that you will comply with, and because of that compliance, you'll see results and have some fun in the process.     Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

One idea in the fitness community that just won't die is that you need to do high rep sets (10's, 15's, 20's) when the goal is to build muscle. What so many people miss in this conversation, however, is that the context matters. To start with, the lift matters! Squats for sets of 10 or 15 are probably not a productive use or your time, because the fatigue generated from heavy compound lifts usually causes technique breakdown as you approach failure. Lying triceps extensions, on the other hand, can and should be pushed for sets of 10 or more.   Dr. Santana and Coach Trent break down the idea of high rep sets, and discuss when they might be appropriate and how they deploy them. As Santana explains, most of the bodybuilding advice out there about high rep sets is targeted toward fine muscular development -- advanced bodybuilders chasing muscular growth in specfic areas. But most people trying to improve their physique are really looking for gross muscular development, that is, growing the whole body, and that is best accomplished by heavy compound lifts with assistance work peppered in as needed for more advanced trainees.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

    Mark Rippetoe and Marty Gallagher Interview (3 Parts): Part 1: https://youtu.be/siaDQdpQPRQ?si=jBBEqMFP6drd1mKm Part 2: https://youtu.be/TxjibbKJ8UE?si=YilgpD6MG6bxAGZG Part 3: https://youtu.be/RIe_7ODKycQ?si=6t5M2L88a0J7DvGV   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

    Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Pain and "tweaks" are an inevitable part of training. If you live an active life, both in and out of the gym, then you will eventually tweak something and experience pain. You might even (heaven forbid!) get injured, and require rehab. So learning how to deal with pain while continuing to train and get strong is a very important part of the training process.   Pain is a complex experience, as much psychological and emotional as it is physical. Through their combined nearly four decades in the gym, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent have learned how to train around tweaks and injuries, and rebuild confidence under the bar after they happen. One key is exposure without danger. Once you understand that you can still move and do something productive in the gym, even if you are experiencing pain, then you can start to find ways to train at a level that encourages healing without risking further aggravation or injury. And the accumulation of these experiences, of training just at the point of discomfort but not danger, helps you to rebuild trust in your body and train your brain that your body is capable of being strong and functional in and out of the gym.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

There's something about the vibe of the old school, black iron gym. Whether it's a powerlifting dungeon straight out of the 80's, a bodybuilding gym packed full of machines and dumbbells, or a weightlifting hall with rows and rows of platforms, the single-purpose gym dedicated to training (not merely exercise) is a special place. A place where shit gets done, where hard effort and consistency are the primary currency. These gyms are hard to find, but you know them when you walk in the door. The energy is palpable.   In today's world of online coaching and affordable home gym setups, many trainees haven't experienced this sort of old school gym, and they probably should! If you're serious about your training, you owe it to yourself to train at a gym like this. Whether you're a novice struggling to squat 315 (or 200!) or a you've been at it for years and feeling burnt out, training at an old school gym -- even if it's just for a little while -- can ignite some fire and passion in your training program and set you up for success.   Mark Rippetoe and Marty Gallagher Interview (3 Parts): Part 1: https://youtu.be/siaDQdpQPRQ?si=jBBEqMFP6drd1mKm Part 2: https://youtu.be/TxjibbKJ8UE?si=YilgpD6MG6bxAGZG Part 3: https://youtu.be/RIe_7ODKycQ?si=6t5M2L88a0J7DvGV   Kirk Karwoski squat instructional video (he squats 600x8 beltless at the end!): https://youtu.be/-hd8mN765KQ?si=PktYt_b5x3Zxo3ac   Karwoski 1,000lbs double: https://youtu.be/Oo1tU1YqPp0?si=xDLu_pO-5jfW0bQq     Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

A common frustration for intermediate lifters in their first couple years of training is an inability to maintain their peak strength. Whether it's a 1RM, a 5RM, or even a PR for sets across, for the vast majority of people something will interrupt their strength training progression and knock them off track, and they'll miss lifts they have previously hit. On top of that, attempting new PR's will become more unpredictable, and even if they did everything right, the weight sometimes just won't move. Did they get weaker? Is all their previous work in vain?   Of course not. What these trainees experience is the difference between building strength and expressing strength. Learning to manage your expectations over the long haul is an important part of training for life. You won't always be at your peak (after all that's what makes a peak, a peak), but if you pay attention to moving up your floor over time, then new, higher peaks will eventually come. In the meantime, learn to set reasonable expectations, understand what's happening when you stall out, and set yourself up for success by committing to the process, rather than hanging your enjoyment solely on PR's.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Dr. Robert Santana and Trent Jones address the topic of eating to gain muscle mass for women. While the physiology of bulking, as described in episodes 57-58, is no different for women than it is for men, the degree to which women need to eat for muscle mass and the total amount of muscle gain possible is different. In general, women are not able to convert surplus calories into muscle mass as efficiently as men, so Robert and Trent advocate for a slower rate of gain for women trying to build muscle and get stronger. Additionally, women are not able to take advantage of increased leverage from gaining weight as much as men can, due to different fat distribution patterns, therefore women won't typically gain as much total weight as men (when comparing men and women of equal height).   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Dr. Robert Santana and Starting Strength Coach Trent Jones continue their discussion on bulking, including favorite foods for amassing calories, how fast you should gain weight, and why the weight on the bar should be the main metric of progress.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

It's a common debate in the Starting Strength world and the world of lifting and aesthetics in general -- do you have to get fat to build muscle? Dr. Robert Santana and his co-host Trent Jones, SSC tackle this question and explain why, if you're a male looking to improve your physique, you probably need to bulk to gain muscle, drive your barbell lifts up, and later, cut body weight to lose the fat. So, to answer the question more directly: do you have to get fat? No, but you're gonna gain more fat than you want to, and there's going to be an uncomfortable period where you're fatter than you want to be. Just understand that's it's necessary to get strong, and getting strong is how you will eventually get the look that you want!   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

We know it's summer, and your busy. Kids are home from school, you're going on vacation, having cookouts... and we hope you enjoy these things! However, as a diet coach, Dr. Santana has observed a few common problems people have when trying to lose weight. One of those is snacking. Inevitably, people who keep a lot of snacks in their pantry end up overeating them and gaining weight when they're trying to lose.   There's an easy solution to this, however. Throw them out! If you want to change your food habits for the better, you have to change your food environment. Throw out the snacks, and only keep food that requires preparation to eat. If you make it harder to obtain snack foods -- as in, you have to go to the store to get them -- then you'll be less likely to eat them. It's those daily habits that add up over time toward the body composition you want or extra bodyfat you don't want. So, simply changing your food environment can stop the grazing and little bites that add up day after day.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

It has become popular in the last few years for coaches in the strength and fitness world to question the concept of "technique," that is, that technique matters when it comes to getting stronger, building muscle, and injury risk reduction. One claim is that certain standardized technique hallmarks such as squat depth definied as the "hip crease below top of patella" are arbitrary, and that one could strong squatting deeper or higher than that. Others claim that certain techniques such as lifting with a rounded back, while inefficient, do not increase the risk of injury during training.   Dr. Santana and Coach Trent attempt to wade through the bullshit, find the nuggets of truth in the claims, and discuss whether technique really matters"when it comes to getting stronger and more muscular. They also offer tackle the misconception that lifters must have "perfect" technique before adding weight to their lifts, and where their personal line in the sand is for technique quality.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

There's nothing more elusive and coveted in modern fitness and aesthetics than visible abs, the "six pack." For many, it's the holy grail of aesthetics. Many people, however, fail to achieve a six pack even after shedding a lot of body fat. How do you get them, then? Is it even possible for most people?   Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent break down the mystery of "abs," discuss the relevant anatomy, anatomical variation in the population, and why most people need to worry about building muscle mass, not losing body fat.   Tendinous Inscriptions of the Rectus Abdominis (check out the cool pics!): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6173272/     Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Dr. Robert and Coach Trent recently met up in Wichita Falls, TX, the home of the Starting Strength organization, for a strengthlifting meet at Wichita Falls Athletic Club. While they were there they sat down with the man himself, Mark Rippetoe, author of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition and many other books and articles, to chat about how much the food landscape has changed in his liftetime.   They also touch on the obsession with leanness in modern popular media, and how the average individual can look much better in a t-shirt with proper strength training, but not random trips to the gym to catch a pump.   You can find Rip and all his books, articles, videos, podcasts, and more at the mainsite for Starting Strength: https://startingstrength.com     Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

For people new to barbell training, it's not uncommon to hear the process of strength training referred to as "powerlifting," or even "weightlifting." And while yes, we are lifting weights, that is not the same thing as weightlifting -- which is the sport of Olympic weightlifting, a barbell sport involving the snatch and clean and jerk. Likewise, while strength training involves the squat, bench press, and deadlift (and press), powerlifting is actually a sport in which the squat, bench, and deadlift are performed for a single rep under the rules and judgment of a federation.   So, if you're unfamiliar with the strength sports of powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting, today's episode explains how these sports work, and why strength training is a very different thing from competition -- even if they look the same to casual bystander!   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Supplements are a huge industry, and showing no signs of slowing down. The idea that a pill, or a powder, or a drink can transform your fitness and body composition is irresistible, it seems, as people continue to pour billions of dollars into the supplement industry. Do any of them actually work though? And if so, which ones?   Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent Jones wade through the most popular performance enhancing supplements, and offer an opinion which runs counter to what most will tell you: most of them DON'T work, and if you aren't training hard and cultivating healthy daily habits, NONE of the will work! For those of you willing to do the hard work, however, there are a couple supplements which might help you gain a little edge in the gym. But you probably didn't need it anyway.   Cylce for Pennies Condensed Article: http://doggcrapp.blogspot.com/2006/11/cycle-for-pennies-condensed.html?m=1   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss some recent developments in their own training, which prompts a discussion on how stressors affect the SRA cycle, and why advanced barbell training can be deceptively simple.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

RPE is a commonly used tool for programming, and has continued to grow in popularity with the rise of barbell training, barbell sports such as powerlifting, and the online coaching industry. It's a novel tool which uses the lifters' perception of their effort (RPE stands for rate of perceived exertion) on a given set, on any given day, to influence programming decisions. It's an innovative way to approach programming, and certainly convenient for online coaches that don't have the benefit of watching lifters perform in real time, but is it actually useful? Coach Robert and Coach Trent debate the merits of RPE, and discuss the related concept of autoregulation, in today's episode.   Usually RPE is assigned to a set and rep scheme, such as "perform a single at RPE 8," and the lifter will choose the load depending on their perceived exertion level. If the lifter is feeling fresh and full of energy, they will go heavier; on the other hand if they go into the workout fatigued and low energy, they will go lighter. In both cases, the perceived exertion is the same. This is a form of autoregulation, an important aspect of programming for advanced trainees in which the programming must adapt to the fatigue level of the trainee from workout to workout. Performance becomes more unpredictable the more advanced a trainee becomes, and autoregulation is important to avoid injuries and overtraining during periods of high fatigue, as well as take advantage of good days when energy is high and the loads are moving fast.   For a novice trainee, however, RPE and autoregulation can be a minefield. Novices by definition lack the experience to understand what their level of exertion is on any given set, relative to what their total capacity for exertion. The process of linear progression, in fact, retrains the mind about what is possible as the lifter continually tackles heavier and heavier weights, often well past the point they thought they could go. Even for intermediate trainees, using RPE prescriptively to determine working loads can result in undertraining, or trainees spinning their wheels, if their weight selection does not involve regular progressive overload.   So... is RPE bullshit? Not quite. It can be a useful tool for the right lifter, but that lifter is probably fairly advanced and has accumulated a lot of time under heavy weights. For most people training in the gym, who are novices or perhaps early intermediates, it's not a great way to approach programming. At least Coach Robert and Coach Trent don't recommend it.   RPE Chart -- Reactive Training Systems https://articles.reactivetrainingsystems.com/2017/12/05/how-to-use-rpe-in-your-training-correctly/   Mike Tuscherer Interview with Mark Rippetoe https://youtu.be/PTCFaEPBWJQ     Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Robert invites one of his clients, Olivia Miller, onto the show to discuss her training program for a 50k race she ran in February. Liv is a former D1 soccer player now working in the healthcare field. She turned to running after graduation as a way to keep herself physically challenged, and to stave off some of the boredom and stress of the COVID lockdowns in 2020. A natural competitor, Liv excelled in running and began training for longer and longer races, with her recent 50k being the longest.   Several months ago she sought out a coach through Rennaissance Periodization to help her improve her strength and nutrition. After a few months of dedicated strength work, in which she incorporated the basic barbell lifts -- squat, press, deadlift, and bench press -- into her program for the first time since college, she asked Robert to program her running as well. He did, gradually ramping up her mileage after the strength phase and maintaing her strength in the weightroom with an RPE based loading scheme. The approach worked, and Liv hit some PR's while feeling noticeably stronger and more resilient during the race, and with less aches and pains durign the training process as well.   You can follow Liv's running on Instagram @livimillr   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

An impromptu training discussion leads to a whole episode about why strength is limiting factor for the vast majority of people trying to get bigger and look more muscular.   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

Continuing the discussion from last week, Andy interviews Starting Strength Coach and nutrititonist Robert Santana about the effect of low carb diets on training and fat loss. They also discuss the role of insulin sensitivity in training, particularly for endormorphic body types, and how carb intake can be manipulated to keep energy in the gym while producing weight loss for "hard losers."   Weights & Plates Podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weights-and-plates-podcast/id1557830248 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ChDOVS5Hmm9Uu0hOiEp3i?si=350bb32050e443b4   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana Articles and Videos for Starting Strength: https://startingstrength.com/author/robert-santana     Join the Baker Barbell Club Online for just $27/mo: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning

This week we're flipping things around and inviting Dr. Robert Santana, Starting Strength Coach and PhD Nutrition, onto the show to talk about all things nutrition, diet, and macros as they relate to training for strength and physique. In addition to his extensive academic training, Dr. Santana has spent over twenty years in the weight room and over a decade as a strength coach.  Thousands of hours of practical experience getting people strong, muscular, and lean have given him a unique perspective on the things that actually work for average, natural (no steroids or other PEDs) lifters as well as the limitations of scientific research.   This interview is broken into two parts. In Part One, Dr. Santana answers the age old question: how much protein do we really need? He breaks down the thinking behind the standard one gram per pound of bodyweight protein recommendation, and discusses whether protein timing is important for optimizing muscle mass. He also discusses the role of carbohydrates in fueling performance and building muscle.   You can follow Dr. Santana and the Weights & Plates Podcast here:   Weights & Plates Podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weights-and-plates-podcast/id1557830248 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ChDOVS5Hmm9Uu0hOiEp3i?si=350bb32050e443b4   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana     Join the Baker Barbell Club Online for just $27/mo: https://www.andybaker.com/landing-page/   Andy Baker Blog: www.AndyBaker.com IG: @bakerbarbell Owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning

0:25 Dr. Robert Santana intro 6:22 Working with clients in person vs online 10:42 Varying degrees of learning curves between clients 23:23 Holiday eating troubleshooting 31:20 Pizza hut pizza 33:06 Saving calories for other meals 38:18 Consistency with meals 42:21 Importance of momentum 47:04 Hitting PRs 53:10 Advantages to hiring a coach