Matt and Scott chat with the uber strong yet humble Mike Cordova. Mike is top competitor in strengthlifting and boasts personal bests of 672lb squat,  255lb press, and 701lb deadlift, all while standing at 5'9" and weighing around 230lbs. Mike shares his story about discovering the iron, meeting his close friend and training partner Clint Case, and talks about working with Matt to prepare for the USSF Nationals Meet.

Matt and Scott revisit the concept of minimum effective dose, elaborating on this bedrock concept of strength development for novice lifters and beyond. The minimum effective dose, as it relates to strength training, fulfills both the "simple" and "effective" conditions of the simple/hard/effective philosophy of training. Why do more in the gym, if less will drive progress?

Matt and Scott talk to WFAC wunderkind Chase Lindley. When he's not gracing Rip's videos on the Starting Strength youtube channel, Chase trains and coaches at Wichita Falls Athletic Club. Having just turned 20, Chase boasts a 600+ squat and deadlift, and a 330lb press. Chase shares his story today of joining WFAC as a shy 12 year old, and growing into a strong, confident, and promising lifter and coach.

Matt and Scott talk about the day that you've been training so hard for... meet day. This is the day where all your hard work comes to fruition, distilled into nine attempts on the bar. Having handled dozens of lifters in numerous strengthlifting and powerlifting meets, Hambrick and Reynolds know a thing or two about squeezing the most out of a lifter's performance. Today they touch on developing a positive mindset, managing arousal during the meet, nutrition, and equipment and clothing considerations.

In the 50th episode Reynolds and Hambrick talk about www.intellectuallinearprogression.com, Scott’s online great books project. They discuss why people should read the great books, what the process does for the reader and how to stay on task.

Matt and Scott walk through the preparation for your first strengthlifting or powerlifting meet. Once you've paid your membership dues and registered for the event, it's time to think about equipment, tapering for the meet, selecting your attempts, preparing yourself mentally, and more. Tune in for everything you need to know about your first competition.

In the second episode with Robert Santana, Matt and Scott interview the man about his history with strength training, how he started studying nutrition, and becoming a Starting Strength Coach.

Matt and Scott talk nutrition with Registered Dietician and Starting Strength Coach Robert Santana. In the first of a two-part series, Robert lays out the basics of nutrition for barbell trainees. Robert talks about his philosophy for nutritional intervention, including the importance of habits, incremental changes, and the role of various macros in driving results.

Matt and Scott catch up with Tom Campitelli during the inaugural nationals meet for the US Strengthlifting Federation. The USSF is a new lifting federation hosting competitions in the squat, overhead press, and deadlift, with some notable rules deviations from traditional powerlifting meets. Tom talks about creating the USSF, his background as an early Starting Strength Coach and longtime staff member, and his many extracurricular pursuits, including photography and playing in the hard rock band Crysknife.

By now we're familiar with the Novice LP as used by rank novices. But does the usefulness of LP end there? Hardly! Today Matt and Scott talk about the effectiveness of LP beyond the initial novice phase, including rehabbing from injury, sickness, and significant time off, increasing loads following a form breakthrough, and programming for older lifters that detrain quickly.