Brian Degennaro trains and coaches in Manhattan, NY.  In 2014 he won a bronze medal in the Clean & Jerk at the American Open, and he has also won bronze medals in both the Clean & Jerk and the Total at the 2019 American Open Series.  He works as head coach at Manhattan Barbell Club and is an old gym buddy of mine from our days training in Archbold at Syracuse University.  He taught me a tremendous amount during that time and it was my pleasure to have the opportunity to learn from him again after nearly 10 years!  

https://www.instagram.com/brian.degennaro/

http://blackboxfitnessnyc.com/staff/brian-degennaro-coach/

WARNING:  This conversation was held over the phone as I drove home from work...  the sound quality is extremely poor compared to other episodes.  

The Training Talk series are casual conversations focused on training updates between friends.

Bruce Rogers is an athlete training out of Rochester, NY.  The COVID pandemic has thrown racing schedules into chaos but for 2021 there is a chance to compete in both the Chicago and Boston marathon in the same weekend.  Bruce has accepted the challenge and he's not alone-  there are at least 7 other people attempting this feat!  Be sure to check out

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/chicago2boston

and follow Bruce's training at

https://blog.couch2boston.com

Suzanne Grubb is a yoga teacher, former synchronized swimmer, and competitive brazilian jiu-jitsu player who trains out of Northampton, MA.  Some of her recent wins to date include a division gold and open weight class silver at the IBJJ No Gi Pan American Championships, and bronze at the IBJJF Masters World Championships.  Suzanne’s diverse training experiences (including running multiple 100K races, tango dancing, boxing, and lifting) and background as a licensed massage therapist form the perfect foundation for this conversation about yoga.  

I knew NOTHING about yoga and Suzanne was very patient with me.  This is yoga 101 and hopefully someday I can graduate to yoga 102!  

If you are interested in private or group yoga sessions with Suzanne please check out https://www.allegedlyzen.com/ and reach out to her via email! 

Michelle Merlis trains out of Albany, NY.  She is an active runner and coach, competing in numerous races through the year.  We discuss training, trail running, coaching, and racing.   

A few of her recent results include:
2020 Moreau Lake Trail Half Marathon:  1st female & 5th overall 
2019 The North Face ECSNY Half:   1st Female & 7th Overall
2019 USATF National Half Marathon Trail Championship: 10th Open Female

Learn more at http://www.michellemerlis.com/

For coaching inquiries, check out http://www.mntngoatrunning.com/  

Follow Michelle in Instagram @mountain.runner.michelle

Sign up for the Froggy 5 Mile & Hard as Hell Half Marathon HERE and use promo code NEAPODCASTRNR for $5 off registration!   MNTN Goat Running has pledged to match all registration discounts in order to help achieve the Northeast Athlete Podcast’s vision for sponsoring a local Olympic athlete! 

Other race opportunities can be found at 
https://areeventproductions.com/events/areep/#oureventsdiv

Diana Dearden is 29 years old and trains out of Boyertown, PA.  She stands 5’3” tall and weighs in at 117 pounds.  At one time she weighed 72 pounds while aggressively racing  (and winning) in endurance sports. We discuss anorexia and many other topics over the course of this episode.  Some of her competitions include

• Multiple 70.3 triathlons
• Full Ironman
• 2x Boston Marathon 
• Blues Cruise 50K 2017-  1st in age group
• Sanctuary Gallop Trail Race-  1st overall
• Walkway Over the Hudson Marathon 2017-  first place age group
• As part of Diana’s recovery process she has adopted a weight training program and currently squats 5x5 @125.  

In this episode we discuss:

• Fascia (for the first 23 minutes, skip ahead if that’s not for you)
• Injuries
• Soy milk & emotions
• Family impact
• Professional Equestrian 
• Qualifying for Boston
• Goal Setting
• Swimming in triathlon
• Getting out of dark places
• Dealing with injuries
• pH and diets
• Venison
• Nutrition
• Anorexia
• Recovery
• Differences between men and women

Find Diana on Strava or follow her on instagram @ditriing 

Alleister Nash is a professional natural bodybuilder.  He is 27 years old training out of Syracuse, NY.   He stands 6'2" tall and  weighs in at 230 pounds (200 stage weight).    Squats 500, Bench 365, Deadlift 575.  His  is the overall winner of the Mr. Natural Upstate New York in 2018, Ricardo Classic Runner-Up 2019, and Nationals Champion Manchester Connecticut Runner-Up '19...  With fellow Warzone team member winning overall at Ricardo & Nationals!  Alleister most recently competed in the 2020 Mr. America and is spending this year dedicating himself for a return to the 2021 Mr. America.   

In this episode we cover:

• Traveling to big shows
• Quality of the 2020 Natural Mr. Olympia show
• Mentality when training
• Results and reflections
• Genetic potential
• Longevity
• Powerbuilding 
• Staying injury free
• Maintaining strength up to competition
• Eating habits
• BCAA's
• Dairy
• Best set/rep/exercises for putting on mass
• Warzone Fitness
• Future goals

Check out Warzone Fitness at 
https://www.facebook.com/TheWarZone315
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoLL28a6X9sHB2yfOidc93g/featured
https://www.instagram.com/warzonefitness/

Gary Alvarez Jr. is in a league of his own.  His personal career highlights include being an International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Worlds silver medalist, IBJJF PAN bronze medalist, and IBJJF American national champion.  He has won an IBJJF gold at every belt white to brown, and has victories in weight divisions from light feather (-136 lbs) to ultra heavy (222+).  

As an instructor at Team Link Northampton Gary has coached multiple masters world medalists, PAN champions, and 35+ different IBJJF medalists.   Link Northampton possesses arguably the best women's BJJ program in the Northeast.  He is also the coach of the "Warrior Princess" Jeileen Alvarez (see episode #16).  

Gary is the co-owner and founder of the Deep Roots Invitational featuring the best BJJ fighters in the Northeast including world champs, PAN champs, F2W Pro champs, and may more.  The next show is on May 2nd, check it out on facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/DeepRootsInvitational   and be sure to "like" for updates.  

Follow Gary on Instagram at @garybjj

SUNY Cortland's head strength and conditioning coach Phillip Wiltshire sits down to talk training, check out his online coaching platform at https://phillwiltshire.com/resume/  and follow on social media

IG:  @coachphillwiltshire
         @cortlandstrength
Youtube:  SUNY Cortland Strength and Conditioning
Facebook:   Coach Phill Wiltshire

Phill Wiltshire began as Cortland Athletics' strength and conditioning coordinator in 2018. Wiltshire is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and also holds a USA Weightlifting (USAW) certification, USTFCCCA Track and Field Strength and Conditioning Certification, and is a CPPS Football Specialist.

Wiltshire earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cortland in 2011 and a master's degree in exercise science from Cortland in 2016. A native of Apalachin, N.Y., he graduated from Vestal High, where he competed in track and field, cross country and football.

Wiltshire earned All-America honors twice at Cortland as a member of the 4x400-meter relay teams at the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships and 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships where they placed 4th. He also was a member of two winning 4x400-meter relays at the ECAC Division III Championships and four victorious 4x400-meter relays at the SUNYAC Championships. Wiltshire captured the 400-meter hurdle title at the 2011 outdoor conference meet and is a member of the school and conference record setting indoor and outdoor 4x400-meter relay teams.

Wiltshire has previously served as an assistant coach with Cortland's track and field teams from 2015-2020 serving multiple roles coaching sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, and multi-event athletes. He also was an assistant coach at Carthage College in Wisconsin during the 2014-15 school year and was a member of the coaching staff at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia in 2013-14.

Hillari Sahm is a young woman training out of Central NY with a passion for the outdoors.  Competing in snowshoe races, paddling events, and trail running Hillari uses her athleticism to contribute to quality causes and the greater good.   Her 120 pound weight loss and journey of self-love is the perfect companion for this show's topic as she, bodybuilder Josiah Waggoner, and our chronically over-trained host talk about the darker elements of fitness and competition.   

The Training Talk series are casual conversations focused on training updates between friends.  

After a record year in 2019 with personal bests at the Chicago Marathon and Barrelman 70.3 triathlon, Bruce Rogers took 2020 to become a more well-rounded athlete by taking a serious plunge into strength training.  In this episode we discuss his experiences squatting, deadlifting, and executing his 8 week plan  (5x20 week 1, 5x10 week 2, 3x8 week 3, 5x5 week 4, repeat to week 8).   Be sure to check out his blog couch2boston.com for his homemade rack setup, as well as the technology additions that allowed him to watch live footage of his lifts from multiple angles.