Strong and Sleek

A lot of templates and programming talk for the advanced lifter out there focuses on competitive lifters, or lifters seeking to become competitive, and competition comes with a few assumptions. One, that getting as strong as possible, and pushing for new 1RM's, is the most important thing in training. Having one clear goal (getting stronger on 1RM's) certainly makes programming easier to talk about, but is that really what the average lifter is concered about?

 

If you're not a competitor, you probably don't need to use the same approach that competitors do to reach your strength and body composition goals. Practical experience has told us that you can achieve fairly high levels of strength and good body composition without using many of the features of advanced competitive training programs: high volume, high frequency, block periodization, etc. The process may take longer, and your overall results may not be quite as good, but you can manage fatigue, recovery, and lower your injury potential in the process --  as Coach Trent says, maintain "momentum" in your programming and keep training fun.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss the value of conditioning in a strength program, and three ways to implement it based on your goals. While the idea that you can "condition" or exercise off excess calories persists (unfortuantely), though we know fat and weight loss are primarily driven by your diet, there is a role for conditioning in the life of a lifter and general purpose athlete.

 

Regular exercise, such as walking, hiking, or riding a bike, increases metabolic rate and improves tissue quality, keeping your joints lubricated and your connective tissue pliable. Luckily, for the lifter, the type of exericse chosen doesn't have to be too specific -- just something that increases the heart rate for a period of time, whether it's a short, intense HIIT workout or a 45min walk at a brisk pace. Any of these conditioning modalities will fulfill the need for basic cardiovascular endurance and increased metabolic rate.

 

For the sport athlete, or a powerlifter training for a meet, the conditioning should be chosen carefully based on the needs of the sport. A powerlifter can benefit from HIIT conditioning that will improve his ability to recover between sets of, say, 5x5 squats during an accumulation phase. On the other hand, that conditoning should be reduced and eventually phased out as he peaks for a meet, since the meet does not have any cardiovascular demands to speak of. 

 

Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss three ways to add conditioning to your program. Two to four session each week, after your lifting, you can do:

Low intensity steady-state cardio (LISS) for 30-45min, such as walking, hiking, or cycling, on natural trails or on the treadmill.

High intensity interval training (HITT), such as prowler pushes, tabatas on the aerodyne bike, or EMOM sprints on a rower

Circuit training, selecting 2-4 movements done for 4-6 rounds, with short rest between rounds or done consecutively, pausing only to rest as needed. These can be bodyweight movements, like air squats, lunges, pushups, chin-ups, or burpees, or they can be light loaded movemnts such as kettlebell swings, weighted pushups, dumbbell curls, etc.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. David Puder, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, athlete, lifter, and fan of the Starting Strength model, joins the podcast to discuss the emotions and drives that underly eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and the subclinical dissatisfaction with food and body composition that we often encounter in the gym.

 

In addition to seeing patients and doing therapy, Dr. Puder hosts a highly successful podcast about psychiatry, psychotherapy, and the broader world of mental health called Psychiatry and Psychotherapy:

https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/id1335892956

 

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The novice linear progression as detailed in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition is attractive to novice lifters for a lot of reasons. It's simple, it's easy to track progress, and most importantly it works extremely well -- every novice has the capacity to add a lot of weight to their lifts in just a few months. Alas, all goods things come to an end, and novice LP is no exception. Many lifters struggle to determine what to do when their novice gains run out, so Coach Santana and Trent discuss the basic concepts of periodization and programming tweaks to keep momentum going after LP.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been said many times on the show, compliance and actually executing your eating plan is the biggest factor in meeting your body composition goals. Many people fall short on meal prep, and tired and exhausted from a long day of work, parenting, and other obligations, end up hitting a restaurant instead of cooking healthy food at home.

 

Some basic meal prep strategies can help you avoid the fast food and restaurants, however. To that end, Coach Trent's wife Jordan joins the show to discuss her tips for building a well-stocked pantry, planning simple and easy meals, and making things more flavorful with a few simple sauces and cooking techniques.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coach Santana and Trent discuss the many reasons the scale is a poor tool for measuring and tracking body composition changes, and can even lead to psychological issues: obsessing over a target body weight number, minor fluctuations in weight day to day. The better tools are measuring tapes, skinfold calipers if you have them, and, most importantly, the weight on the bar! So stop weighing yourself every day, and put your energy and focus into improving your performance in the gym.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

[email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coach Robert and Trent discuss the essence of the novice linear progression, and how this simple model of progressive overload can help a wide variety people with different goals. Whether you are looking to lose weight, gain weight, get leaner, improve your joint function, or become a powerlifter -- the novice linear progression is the best first step you can make and NEED to make in your fitness journey.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

[email protected]

 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Online coaching is a very popular choice these days, for good reason -- the internet allows people who otherwise would not have access to a qualified coach to get regular feedback on their technique, custom programming, and a sounding board for discussing their health and fitness.

 

That said, there are a number of limitations to online coaching that you need to be aware of if you're going to do it. Robert and Trent break down what you need to know to find a competent online coach and how to get the most out of your time and money.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

Email: [email protected]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today Robert and Trent welcome the first guest to Weights & Plates -- Chef Andrea Wild. Drea is a professional chef with a passion for bridging the knowledge gap between professional cooking and good nutrition. She explains the difference between how chefs in a commercial kitchen approach preparing and seasoning food and how the average person at home prepares meals.

 

Turns out, the restaurant is a great place for having an incredibly flavorful experience but a terrible place to get good nutrition!

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

Email: [email protected]

 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Admit it, you like to bro out! You know, catch a pump doing fifteen different types of curls, tricep pushdowns, face pulls... it's ok, we all love to do some curls for the girls. But, it's important we don't confuse fun exercises for productive strength training, which occurs with the big compound lifts: squats, presses, bench press, and deadlifts.

 

That said, is there ever a time for accessory lifts in a strength training program? It turns out... yes! Accessory lifts can be used for a variety of reasons: targeted warmups, rehab, building proprioception and motor skills, and, for the advanced lifter, adding volume and hypertrophy stimulus to a program when the lifter cannot tolerate additional barbell work.

 

If you have to ask about accessories, though... they probably aren't appropriate for you!

 

2022 Wichita Falls Strengthlifting Classic

https://liftingcast.com/meets/meqotq65gjp0/registration

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.