Strong and Sleek

Time are... interesting these days, and food is getting more expensive and scarce every day. We all want to stay strong and healthy, but protein and supplements are becoming budget killers for many. So, how much do we really need to eat to sustain a reasonably high performance training program? Robert and Trent offer some ideas about macros, inexpensive foods, and important tools and cookware that can save you money in the long run.

 

Items mentioned in this episode:

• Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy rice cooker: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/nszcc

Berkey water filter: https://www.berkeyfilters.com

Cast Iron -- Lodge makes decent cast iron pots and pans, but old and unused stuff is even better! Clean it up, season it, and give it new life.

 

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.

Robert and Trent discuss the concept of peaking, that is, preparing yourself for a maximum performance or athletic event on a given day, such as a meet or competition. Training involves periods of carefully dosed stress (workouts) followed by periods of recovery (sleep and food), which together create an adaptation (you get stronger, and/or more conditioned). Through this SRA cycle, your fitness and fatigue will oscillate. Peaking for an athletic performance requires you to dissipate as much fatigue as possible so that you feel fresh during the day of the event, while also maximizing your adaptation. It's a careful balance, and a great learning opportunity for athletes.

 

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

If you want to make a positive change in your bodyweight or body composition, it's hard to avoid tracking your macro intake. At some point you've got to understand what you are taking in day to day, to establish a baseline of nutrients from which you can then make changes. It's kinda like a budget -- before you start making changes to your spending habits, it really helps to know where your dollars are already going.

 

That said, macro tracking has its pitfalls, too. The data you need to track macros is notoriously inaccurate and/or hard to measure, and it's possible to chase numbers without focusing on the day-to-day habits. Robert and Trent walk through some strategies for learning to track macros and avoid frustration along the way.

 

As usual -- and this will be a reoccurring them -- restaurants are a trap!

 

 

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.

Robert and Trent nerd out about every lifter's favorite topic -- gym equipment! Bars, racks, plates, accessories... they discuss everything you need to build a simple but extremely flexible and useful home gym where you can make gains for years. As with any of this equipment of this nature, there are certain tips and tricks you learn over years of experience, and Robert and Trent share their thoughts on the best equipment configurations on the market today.

 

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.

It's another New Year, and another chance for millions of resolutioners to finally get fit and lose the weight. Many are destined to fail, as we all know (or may have experienced ourselves), and one of the biggest reasons for failure is part-time dieting. Changing habits to eat less food is difficult, and people often succeed during the week only to come undone on the weekends with restaurant food, alcohol, and various social engagements. Santana offers some strategies to avoid the pitfall of part-time dieting.

 

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.

Anyone who has attempted to lose a significant amount of weight and/or body fat knows that the process is not linear. The first few pounds tend to come off easy, the next few require a little effort and attention to detail... and the last few can be very difficult to lose, depending on how lean you are trying to get. This phenomenon is known as the set point, and everyone has one -- a point at which further progress becomes exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, without chemical assistance. Understanding your set points is important to managing your expectations during weight loss as well as athletic performance.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

It's a busy time of the year. Thanksgiving just happened, and Christmas is upon us. While we are rushing to meet deadlines, wrap up projects for the year, buy gifts, and finalize travel plans, training often falls to the wayside. Sometimes all you can do is turn training into exercise, where the goal is simply to do some work and try to "maintain" (insofar as that is possible) what you have built during the year.

By simplifying your lifting routine and some attention to your general fitness work, or General Physical Preparedness (GPP) as we sometimes call it, you can keep yourself from falling off the wagon and in good enough shape to return to productive training in the New Year.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

It's a modern phenomenon, perhaps the consequence of having an over-abundance of food in the Western world. We like to snack. And snacking often is the difference between gaining weight and losing weight, or maintaining weight. With a little attention and intention, however, you can stop snacking from killing your gains.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

It's a fact of life in first-world countries: we eat out at restaurants, a lot. And we do it for a lot of reasons, besides the delicious food. Restaurants are social gathering places, places to blow off steam with friends after a busy week, to watch the game, or an experience to share with a significant other. Whatever the reason, eating out is a frequent experience for people.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.marmaladecream.com

Starting Strength Coaches Robert Santana and Trent Jones introduce the concept of intermediate and advanced training, and what to expect as you navigate the vast waters of programming therein. Most importantly, as you move further down the road of training advancement, the more carefully you must manage your training time, recovery, and outside-the-gym factors to continue making progress. PR's no longer occur in a linear fashion, and training results become unpredictable. Welcome to intermediate and advanced programming!