Strong and Sleek

When people hire Dr. Santana looking to lose a significant amount of weight, it's almost certain this isn't their first attempt at dieting. In fact, what Dr. Santana typically finds with overweight and obese weight loss clients is that they have been dieting for years. They are essentially always in weight loss mode. The problem is, they haven't lost the weight, which indicates that their compliance is spotty at best. Dr. Santana also points out that even if compliance is low and they haven't lost weight, there is a psychological toll from constantly dieting.

 

The solution? You need to take breaks from dieting if you want to lose weight and keep it off long term. A diet deload, if you will. Losing weight imposes stress on your body, both physiological and psychological stress, and the fatigue from that stress compounds the longer you stay in weight loss mode. In programming we take deloads to disappate fatigue when it has gotten too high and we risk overtraining, tweaks and form breakdown. The same concept works for dieting. Dr. Santana's recommendation is to limit your dieting to 12-16 weeks at a time, then take a break. During the break, raise your calories and eat at maintenance for several weeks. You'll likely gain some weight back -- at the very least from water weight due to the increased food -- but that's ok. You're disappating stress and fatigue, helping your body feel better, and improving your mental state before the next round of dieting, if you choose to continue.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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

Pain and "tweaks" are an inevitable part of training. If you live an active life, both in and out of the gym, then you will eventually tweak something and experience pain. You might even (heaven forbid!) get injured, and require rehab. So learning how to deal with pain while continuing to train and get strong is a very important part of the training process.

 

Pain is a complex experience, as much psychological and emotional as it is physical. Through their combined nearly four decades in the gym, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent have learned how to train around tweaks and injuries, and rebuild confidence under the bar after they happen. One key is exposure without danger. Once you understand that you can still move and do something productive in the gym, even if you are experiencing pain, then you can start to find ways to train at a level that encourages healing without risking further aggravation or injury. And the accumulation of these experiences, of training just at the point of discomfort but not danger, helps you to rebuild trust in your body and train your brain that your body is capable of being strong and functional in and out of the gym.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.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 something about the vibe of the old school, black iron gym. Whether it's a powerlifting dungeon straight out of the 80's, a bodybuilding gym packed full of machines and dumbbells, or a weightlifting hall with rows and rows of platforms, the single-purpose gym dedicated to training (not merely exercise) is a special place. A place where shit gets done, where hard effort and consistency are the primary currency. These gyms are hard to find, but you know them when you walk in the door. The energy is palpable.

 

In today's world of online coaching and affordable home gym setups, many trainees haven't experienced this sort of old school gym, and they probably should! If you're serious about your training, you owe it to yourself to train at a gym like this. Whether you're a novice struggling to squat 315 (or 200!) or a you've been at it for years and feeling burnt out, training at an old school gym -- even if it's just for a little while -- can ignite some fire and passion in your training program and set you up for success.

 

Mark Rippetoe and Marty Gallagher Interview (3 Parts):

Part 1: https://youtu.be/siaDQdpQPRQ?si=jBBEqMFP6drd1mKm

Part 2: https://youtu.be/TxjibbKJ8UE?si=YilgpD6MG6bxAGZG

Part 3: https://youtu.be/RIe_7ODKycQ?si=6t5M2L88a0J7DvGV

 

Kirk Karwoski squat instructional video (he squats 600x8 beltless at the end!):

https://youtu.be/-hd8mN765KQ?si=PktYt_b5x3Zxo3ac

 

Karwoski 1,000lbs double:

https://youtu.be/Oo1tU1YqPp0?si=xDLu_pO-5jfW0bQq

 

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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

A common frustration for intermediate lifters in their first couple years of training is an inability to maintain their peak strength. Whether it's a 1RM, a 5RM, or even a PR for sets across, for the vast majority of people something will interrupt their strength training progression and knock them off track, and they'll miss lifts they have previously hit. On top of that, attempting new PR's will become more unpredictable, and even if they did everything right, the weight sometimes just won't move. Did they get weaker? Is all their previous work in vain?

 

Of course not. What these trainees experience is the difference between building strength and expressing strength. Learning to manage your expectations over the long haul is an important part of training for life. You won't always be at your peak (after all that's what makes a peak, a peak), but if you pay attention to moving up your floor over time, then new, higher peaks will eventually come. In the meantime, learn to set reasonable expectations, understand what's happening when you stall out, and set yourself up for success by committing to the process, rather than hanging your enjoyment solely on PR's.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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

Dr. Robert Santana and Trent Jones address the topic of eating to gain muscle mass for women. While the physiology of bulking, as described in episodes 57-58, is no different for women than it is for men, the degree to which women need to eat for muscle mass and the total amount of muscle gain possible is different. In general, women are not able to convert surplus calories into muscle mass as efficiently as men, so Robert and Trent advocate for a slower rate of gain for women trying to build muscle and get stronger. Additionally, women are not able to take advantage of increased leverage from gaining weight as much as men can, due to different fat distribution patterns, therefore women won't typically gain as much total weight as men (when comparing men and women of equal height).

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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

Dr. Robert Santana and Starting Strength Coach Trent Jones continue their discussion on bulking, including favorite foods for amassing calories, how fast you should gain weight, and why the weight on the bar should be the main metric of progress.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.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 a common debate in the Starting Strength world and the world of lifting and aesthetics in general -- do you have to get fat to build muscle? Dr. Robert Santana and his co-host Trent Jones, SSC tackle this question and explain why, if you're a male looking to improve your physique, you probably need to bulk to gain muscle, drive your barbell lifts up, and later, cut body weight to lose the fat. So, to answer the question more directly: do you have to get fat? No, but you're gonna gain more fat than you want to, and there's going to be an uncomfortable period where you're fatter than you want to be. Just understand that's it's necessary to get strong, and getting strong is how you will eventually get the look that you want!

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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

We know it's summer, and your busy. Kids are home from school, you're going on vacation, having cookouts... and we hope you enjoy these things! However, as a diet coach, Dr. Santana has observed a few common problems people have when trying to lose weight. One of those is snacking. Inevitably, people who keep a lot of snacks in their pantry end up overeating them and gaining weight when they're trying to lose.

 

There's an easy solution to this, however. Throw them out! If you want to change your food habits for the better, you have to change your food environment. Throw out the snacks, and only keep food that requires preparation to eat. If you make it harder to obtain snack foods -- as in, you have to go to the store to get them -- then you'll be less likely to eat them. It's those daily habits that add up over time toward the body composition you want or extra bodyfat you don't want. So, simply changing your food environment can stop the grazing and little bites that add up day after day.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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

It has become popular in the last few years for coaches in the strength and fitness world to question the concept of "technique," that is, that technique matters when it comes to getting stronger, building muscle, and injury risk reduction. One claim is that certain standardized technique hallmarks such as squat depth definied as the "hip crease below top of patella" are arbitrary, and that one could strong squatting deeper or higher than that. Others claim that certain techniques such as lifting with a rounded back, while inefficient, do not increase the risk of injury during training.

 

Dr. Santana and Coach Trent attempt to wade through the bullshit, find the nuggets of truth in the claims, and discuss whether technique really matters"when it comes to getting stronger and more muscular. They also offer tackle the misconception that lifters must have "perfect" technique before adding weight to their lifts, and where their personal line in the sand is for technique quality.

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.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 nothing more elusive and coveted in modern fitness and aesthetics than visible abs, the "six pack." For many, it's the holy grail of aesthetics. Many people, however, fail to achieve a six pack even after shedding a lot of body fat. How do you get them, then? Is it even possible for most people?

 

Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent break down the mystery of "abs," discuss the relevant anatomy, anatomical variation in the population, and why most people need to worry about building muscle mass, not losing body fat.

 

Tendinous Inscriptions of the Rectus Abdominis (check out the cool pics!):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6173272/

 

 

Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com

Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana

 

Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream

https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com

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