Strong and Sleek

Many people love the novice linear progression because of it's simplicity and the fast results it achieves for those who actually run it as written and do the things necessary for growth outside the gym (i.e. eating and sleeping). But all things must come to an end, including the novice phase of training. The world of intermediate and advanced training is a confusing and complex one, where many lifters spin their wheels without making much progress.

To understand how to navigate this new phase of training, you'll need to know some basic principles of programming. Robert and Trent break down what you need to know as a post-novice lifter.

Sugar has gotten a bad rap the over the last decade and counting, and it's still common to hear diet gurus excoriate the evils of sugar, particularly refined sugars found in processed food in the Western world. As Robert and Trent discuss, the role that sugar, and carbohydrates in general, play in the diet is often misunderstood. While it's common sense that one shouldn't drink a bunch of Cokes every day, many people laser focus on eliminating sugar from their diet, at the expense of missing the bigger macronutrient picture and the very important role that carbs play in athletic performance.

Further reading:

https://startingstrength.com/article/carbohydrates-and-barbell-training

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.

We get it -- training is not always fun, and a big reason you might be training is to get better at your chosen sport or activity. Whether it's BJJ, running, mountain biking, or a team sport like football or baseball, getting stronger is essential to improving at your sport. But you have to practice skills and condition too. Many people make the mistake of trying to get better at everything at once, which never works, but with some basic principles and smart planning you can arrange your training blocks to increase your fitness AND your skills on the field.

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

It's probably the most talked about macronutrient, and almost anyone you ask in health and fitness would say you need a lot of it -- protein. Nevertheless, many myths around protein consumption, timing, amino acid profile, and more still abound. Robert and Trent break down what you need to know about protein, how much you should be eating, and, perhaps most importantly, what you don't need to worry about!

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.

There's a notion among gym goers that one can simply train themselves to a certain level and then simply keep doing the same thing, workout after workout, to maintain what they have. This flies in the face of the principles of progressive overload, the Stress/Recovery/Adaptation cycle, and training in general, and has caused some confusion among people trying to achieve fitter, leaner bodies. In today's episode, Robert and Trent clear the air about the myth of "maintenance" and discuss why it's going to take hard effort and dedicated training -- not exercise -- for most people to achieve their health and fitness goals.

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.

Starting Strength Coaches Robert Santana and Trent Jones discuss how to modify your programming during a cut. A cut implies that an athlete is in a caloric deficit to produce weight loss, and specifically body fat loss. Whenever you put yourself in a caloric deficit, you are essentially under-recovered, meaning that you have less ability to recover and adapt to intense training sessions in the gym.

However, we still want to preserve muscle mass during the cut as much as possible. Consequently, most athletes will have to modify their programming to lower the intensity of their exercises while increasing the volume of the exercises. When and how much the program changes depends on the athlete and their level of training advancement. A novice lifter, for example, may not need to modify their programming at all, especially if they are already overweight. They essentially already have a surplus of resources they can draw from their fat stores, and as a novice, the relative intensity of their workouts is not that high yet.

For an intermediate lifter, it depends on energy levels. As energy levels begin to drop, the program needs to shift toward lesser intensity and greater volume. Santana often shifts the compound lifts from sets of 3's or 5's to sets of 10, which produce a little more hypertrophy due to the longer time under tension during the set.

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.

Let's be real. Most people come to the gym so they can look better naked. For many people -- the so-called "skinny fat" demographic -- that's going to mean gaining muscle mass to improve their figure and lower their body fat percentage. For others that are legitimately overweight or obese, a BMI over 30, they need to also lose bodyweight to reduce their adipose tissue. Strength training is a great start for those folks, but it's not the end, and they need to make dietary changes as well.

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 Santana and Trent Jones are no strangers to the DIY concept, and embrace the idea of learning and trying things for yourself. With any do-it-yourself endeavor, however, you're going to encounter a fair amount of mistakes and setbacks in the process of learning a new skill. Fitness is no exception, and while a few have successfully DIY'd themselves to a high level of fitness, most people fail to achieve their fitness goals, especially over a long period of time (how many people do you know that have lost a significant amount of weight, only to gain it back in a year?).

This is where a coach comes in. Just like any master teacher or instructor, a coach has a solid grasp of a cohesive system or model of training. With this system a coach can effectively evaluate a person and determine their deficiencies, and devise with a plan to address them. A coach has both the knowledge and experience to evaluate an athlete and draw up a training program.

So, if you want to take your fitness to the next level, or have been struggling for years to make progress and achieve your goals, hiring a coach -- even for a few workouts -- can help you figure out where you are going wrong, and what you need to do to correct your deficiencies.

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 role of the back and the trunk musculature in lifting weights and in developing a good physique. As Robert says to all his clients, "your back is never off the clock!" The back and trunk (or core as many people are fond of calling it nowadays) comprise a large part of the body's muscle mass, and are perhaps the most important and least understood of the body's levers.

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.

Today Robert and Trent demystify the nuts and bolts of nutrition for productive training, fat loss, and health.

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.