Way back in episode 15, we talked to Dr. Jordan Shallow – a chiropractor – about this question. This time we pose it to a physical therapist. We asked Dr. Teddy Willsey DPT for his insight. Dr. Willsey, is a co-founder of Citizen Athletics, a doctor of physical therapy, a strength and conditioning coach, movement enthusiast, and operator of Healthy Baller Physical Therapy in Washington, D.C. He has extensive experience in working with real athletes. Here are some of our thoughts: What’s different about their education? What’s similar about their approaches? What’s different? Which may fit you best? How can you tell if you’re getting scammed? You can find Dr. Willsey on Instagram @strengthcoachtherapy, on his website citizensathletics.com. Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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Stretching is one of those topics that seems to get a major revision every few years. What’s the current thinking? We asked Dr. Teddy Willsey DPT for his insight. Dr. Willsey, is a co-founder of Citizen Athletics, a doctor of physical therapy, a strength and conditioning coach, movement enthusiast, and operator of Healthy Baller Physical Therapy in Washington, D.C. He has extensive experience in working with real athletes. Here are some of our thoughts: Does stretching make any difference to what you’re able to lift? Can you actually hurt yourself by stretching? Are you stretching muscles…or? What’s the difference between static and dynamic stretching? Should you do both? If so, which one when? Can stretching cause permanent changes to your flexibility? You can find Dr. Willsey on Instagram @strengthcoachtherapy, on his website citizensathletics.com. Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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How many times have you felt twinge in your back while lifting – or even doing something that’s not strenuous at all – and thought, “What the hell did I just do to myself?” Since chronic back pain costs the American economy over $100 million a year, we wanted to look at the practical question of how to keep moving and avoid long-term pain. William Richards, of Fitness4backpain.com, joined us to walk us through the process he uses with his clients. William is a trainer who works with people who have finished physical therapy, but want to start – or get back to – fitness activities to promote better back health. His approach is highly practical (and should not be considered medical advice). Here are some of our thoughts: Should you lay in bed, do nothing, and hope to recover? What are some clues that you could be dealing with a bigger injury? What’s the first activity you should try to get back to? Does an ugly MRI mean you’re destined to be in pain? How much does fear impact recovery? Is it specific interventions or a general wellness approach most likely to get you back on your feet quickly…and help you avoid injury in the first place? You can find William on Instagram @fitness_4_back_pain, on his website. Listener deals: Mack Weldon: a premium men’s essentials brand that believes in smart design and premium fabrics. Check the episode for the promo code and get 20% your first order.   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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We’re breaking format to offer this bonus conversation with a trans rights ally about the USAPL and its posture on transgender lifters. If you google “USAPL transgender policy” you’ll get pages of results from tons of mainstream media sites. How did this situation arise, and how are trans lifters pushing back? We asked Maria Rodriguez, CEO of Fear Her Fight Athletics and a trans ally, to give us her perspective on the situation. We attempt to explore multiple sides of this issue, realizing that we ourselves don’t have any concrete answers or solutions. Here are some of our thoughts: Is powerlifting really important enough to have more restrictive standards than the International Olympic Committee? Is the negative publicity worth it? What is the objection actually based on? If there’s no practical way to test for past steroid use, and we know that using steroids can offer permanent advantages to lifters, it that a terribly different situation? Should trans lifters just move on and compete where they’ll be welcomed? How does an ally decide the best ways to help? Maria powerlifts in Tacoma WA. You can find her on Instagram @marialiftstacoma, on her website Listener deals: Away Luggage: For $20 off a suitcase, visit awaytravel.com/facts and use promo code FACTS during checkout! Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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It seems like one of these diet documentaries pops up on streaming platforms every couple of years. Why do people get so upset when they disagree with the basic premise of docs like these? Many of our fitness industry friends are up in arms over claims in the vegetarian/vegan-themed documentary, “The Game Changers.” What’s the real danger if otherwise uninformed consumers actually believe these claims? We acknowledge that cherry-picked studies, anecdotes, and fear appeals are critical components of food docs. Rather than getting caught up in trying to debunk each and every claim, we look at the practical effects of someone believing the claims and acting on them We asked Registered Dietitian Matt McLeod to talk through this issue -- and major elements of this documentary -- with us. Here are some of our thoughts: Does using the performance of top athletes make the results more or less applicable to regular people? Do the studies and informal tests shown in the field reflect reality? Is it likely they short-term diet changes affect your boners? Did any of the athletes shown in the film grow up not eating meet? Is it really an optimal for athletes to not consume animal protein? Does HOW someone implements a vegetarian diet make a difference? If someone switches to a vegetarian or vegan diet based on watching this film, what’s the actual downside? You can find Matt on Instagram @@mattmcleod6, on his website, and on his podcast “More than Fitness.” Listener deals: Molekule.com -- For 10% off your first air purifier order, use our promo code. Warby Parker – Get your home try-on kit today at Warbyparker.com   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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We kick things off talking about the WPO on ESPN and USAPL Raw Nationals. Would some kind of automated system could improve refereeing/judging in sports…or would that take the fun out of it? Here are some of your questions that we tackled: Why powerlifting? Is a well-developed back more important than well-developed legs? How do you train if you have no goals? What percentage should your last warmup be before a PR attempt? What’s the best way to combat self-doubt and negativity? What did we think of the Gamechangers documentary?  Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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A couple weeks ago, Eliud Kipchoge ran a sub-two-hour marathon. The first time a human has ever done that. That got us thinking…what is powerlifting’s nearly unbreakable record? Kipchoge had a number of advantages: running with others who were pacing him rather than running against him; vehicles with lasers discovering the best path to run in; and some special shoes not yet available to the public. Because of these factors, his record is unofficial. Are some powerlifting meets similarly skewed and should we want that for just the spectacle and the accomplishment? We asked Michael Fahey -- director of Westside vs the World and the guy responsible for getting powerlifting on ESPN -- to join us for our full discussion of the broader question. Here are some of our thoughts: Are all the broken records in the past few years the result of a bigger pool of talent? Can training methods make that much difference if there haven’t really been any new innovations in a long time? Are co-efficients really fair comparisons? Who thought 1,000+ pound raw squats would become fairly regular thing? Do tested records mean more or less than non-tested ones? Women have turned in some amazing performances in all the competition formats. Are we even capable of defining the limits at this point? It was difficult to come to any definitive conclusion, but we covered a lot of ground. You can count this one as 100% opinion. You can find Michael on Instagram @westsidefilm. The World Powerlifting Organizations Super Finals (equipped powerlifting) are on ESPN 3, October 28, 2019 at 1pm ET. You can watch at the link below. Link to the WPO on ESPN.(ESPN subscription required) Listener deals: Gainful: Get $15 OFF your first month of personalized protein powder when you go to gainful.com/facts. Candid: Have a “Photo Ready” smile by the holidays with clear aligners from Candid.  Go to CandidCO.com/FACTS and use code FACTS to get $75 off..  Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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So you’ve found yourself in the company of women. What do you say to turn the opportunity into a date? More importantly, how do you avoid being a turnoff? We asked Tripp Kramer to help us help you conquer this issue. Tripp is an internationally known dating coach and founder of Tripp Advice (http://www.trippadvice.com), a men's dating advice company. He is also the creator of the popular YouTube channel "Tripp Advice", which teaches men how to become more attractive to women and host of his own weekly podcast entitled "How to Talk to Girls". Here are some of our thoughts: How do you find the guts not to be a wallflower? What’s a good icebreaker that doesn’t sound…creepy? When in the conversation should you ask for a number? Should you try to give the conversation structure, or just let it flow? How do you know if you’re really making a connection? What should you say to an online match? Is that different? While we focused on the specific question of guys talking to girls, much of the advice fits getting out of your shell and meeting new people period. You can find Tripp on Instagram @@trippadvice Listener deals: Mack Weldon: a premium men’s essentials brand that believes in smart design and premium fabrics. Check the episode for the promo code and get 20% your first order. Gainful: Get $15 OFF your first month of personalized protein powder when you go to gainful.com/facts.   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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Friends, dates, relationships…all pretty essential to most of us, right? But a lot of us suck at finding good places to meet potential partners. We asked Tripp Kramer to help us help you conquer this issue. Tripp is an internationally known dating coach and founder of Tripp Advice, a men's dating advice company. He is also the creator of the popular YouTube channel "Tripp Advice," which teaches men how to become more attractive to women and the host of his own weekly podcast entitled "How To Talk To Girls." Here are some of our thoughts on the question: Are some places too tacky and obvious (meat markets)? Should bars be off your list? Is the gym actually a good place or is everybody too sweaty and gross? Are there activities that are more likely to result in good conversation? Is it better to go where there the MOST opportunities or the BEST opportunities? While we focused on the specific question of guys meeting girls, much of the advice also works for getting out of your shell and meeting new people -- period. You can find Tripp on Instagram @@trippadvice Listener deals: Gainful: Get $15 OFF your first month of personalized protein powder when you go to gainful.com/facts.   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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Injuries can be huge setbacks for competitive athletes. Everyone has a certain window of time in which they can play their best. Time out of competition is time lost that can’t be recovered. For some, they can end a career. The question dovetails well with episode 46’s discussion of workload management, but obviously that’s not the whole story. Dr. Ramsey Nijem gives us insight from his doctoral thesis, as well as his work with professional athletes. There are some great takeaways for coaches, athletes…and even powerlifters. Here are some of our thoughts: What lifestyle factors outside of training might lead to injury? Does drinking or drug use make injuries more likely? How are outcomes and training effects different? Does it help get stronger period, or does it matter how strength is incorporated? How much is controllable? We kick off the conversation by wondering if 25 should just be the legal age for everything? Dr. Nijem earned his Doctorate of Science in Human and Sport Performance as well as Health Promotion and Wellness in 2018. He has published research in top scientific journals in strength and conditioning and is currently investigating injury risk in NBA athletes. He earned his B.S. from UC Santa Barbara and M.S. from Cal State *Fullerton’s Center for Sport Performance (where he studied with Dr. Andy Galpin). After several years as head Performance and Strength Coach for the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise, he recently became the Men’s Basketball Director of Sport Performance for the University of Kansas (KU Jayhawks), one of the top Division 1 college basketball programs. You can find him on Instagram @dr.ramsey.nijem Listener deals: Warby Parker’s Free Home Try-On program: Order 5 pairs of glasses and try them on for 5 days – there is no obligation to buy! Ships free and includes a pre-paid return shipping label. Head to warbyparker.com/FACTS to order your free Home Try-On. Take the quiz to find a pair that is perfect for you today! Gainful: Get $15 OFF your first month of personalized protein powder when you go to gainful.com/facts.   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

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