Weights and Plates Podcast

By Robert Santana

What's Weights and Plates Podcast about?

Starting Strength Coach and Registered Dietitian Robert Santana shares his knowledge of all things diet, training, barbells, and more.

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Weights and Plates Podcast episodes:

05.03.2024
#75 - Science Is Fake with Stef Bradford, PhD
There's seemingly no end to the "evidence based" coaches out there nowadays making all sorts of claims about you should train, backed up by scientific data. Have you actually read any of the papers they cite to back up their...
04.15.2024
#74 - Training and Diet for Women
To quote Mark Rippetoe, "women are not a special population, they are half the population." In other words, women fundamentally train for strength the same way that men do -- the same principles of progressive overload, using compound barbell lifts...
03.29.2024
#73 - Why You Missed a Rep: Four Questions to Ask
Dr. Santana and Coach Trent wrap up their mini series on post-novice programming with an important discussion on understanding why you missed reps. The novice linear progression cannot last forevever (or else we'd all be squatting 1,000lbs!), and as the...
03.08.2024
#72 - The SRA Cycle and Intermediate Programming
Dr. Robert Santana and Coach Trent explore the Stress/Recovery/Adapation cycle (adapted from Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome) and how it serves as a guiding model for programming decisions in the intermediate phase of training. Weights & Plates is now...
02.23.2024
#71 - Programming After Novice: Making the Weight, and Your Technique, Go Up
The novice linear progression (NLP, or LP for short) is a fun time in the training career of a lifter. Never will you make as much progress -- and as fast! -- as you will during LP. It's also brutally...
02.12.2024
#70 - No Fear, No Gain
For a variety of reasons, the predominant form of exercise in popular culture is endurance training. Endurance is valorized in the media, with sports like swimming and running receiving prime position in Olympic broadcasts. Military films often depict the hero...
02.11.2024
#69 - We Command You to Grow! (With the Barbell)
You've tried the templates in the bodybuilding magazines, from the bodybuilding sites. You've tried lifting like the big jacked, ripped dudes on social media... and it hasn't worked. You don't look like them, and your growth has stalled out. For...
02.10.2024
#68 - The One Thing Your Training Is Missing: Consistency
Happy New Year! To kick off 2024, Dr. Santana and Coach Trent discuss the biggest ingredient to success in achieiving your fitness goals -- consistency. All the talk about programming and training splits and macros is futile if you aren't...
02.10.2024
#67 - Lessons Learned in 2023: Hypertrophy BS, Arm Training, Food Quality, & More
Dr. Santana and Coach Trent share some of the lessons they've learend about training, health, nutrition, and human behavior in 2023. Happy New Year! Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com...
02.10.2024
#66 - What Dogs Can Teach Us About Strength Training
A meandering chat about dog training turned into an interesting idea for strength training. Trainees are not so different from dogs -- they have different personalities, different motivations, and different "drives" -- and therefore they will respond best to a...
11.17.2023
#65 - Do You Need to Do High Rep Sets for Growth? Gross vs Fine Muscular Development
One idea in the fitness community that just won't die is that you need to do high rep sets (10's, 15's, 20's) when the goal is to build muscle. What so many people miss in this conversation, however, is that...
11.05.2023
#64 - Reading vs Doing: Why You Can't Read Your Way to Strength and Good Training Habits
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 Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.jonesbarbellclub.com
10.20.2023
#63 - Diet Deloads: Stop the Non-Stop Dieting
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...
09.29.2023
#62 - Pain, Tweaks, and Injuries: How to Overcome Training Roadblocks
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...
09.16.2023
#61 - Lessons from the Old School Gym
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...
09.04.2023
#60 - The Non-Linear Progression
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...
08.21.2023
#59 - Women and Eating to Build Muscle Mass
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...
08.04.2023
#58 - Bulking, Part Deux
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....
07.23.2023
#57 - Why You Should Probably Be Bulking
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...
07.10.2023
#56 - Summer PSA: Change Your Environment
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...
06.20.2023
#55 - Does Technique Really Matter?
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....
06.02.2023
#54 - All About Abs, and Why You Don't Have Them
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...
05.19.2023
#53 - A Chat with Uncle Rip on Food, The Great Fat Lie, and The Obsession with Leanness
Dr. Robert and Coach Trent recently met up in Wichita Falls, TX, the home of the Starting Strength organization, for a strengthlifting meet at Wichita Falls Athletic Club. While they were there they sat down with the man himself, Mark...
05.06.2023
#52 - Intro to Strength Sports, and Why Training Isn't Competition
For people new to barbell training, it's not uncommon to hear the process of strength training referred to as "powerlifting," or even "weightlifting." And while yes, we are lifting weights, that is not the same thing as weightlifting -- which...
04.21.2023
#51 - Supplements: Are There Any Worth Taking?
Supplements are a huge industry, and showing no signs of slowing down. The idea that a pill, or a powder, or a drink can transform your fitness and body composition is irresistible, it seems, as people continue to pour billions...
04.10.2023
#50 - Stress, Fatigue, and the SRA Cycle
Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss some recent developments in their own training, which prompts a discussion on how stressors affect the SRA cycle, and why advanced barbell training can be deceptively simple. Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana...
03.24.2023
#49 - RPE and Autoregulation
RPE is a commonly used tool for programming, and has continued to grow in popularity with the rise of barbell training, barbell sports such as powerlifting, and the online coaching industry. It's a novel tool which uses the lifters' perception...
03.07.2023
#48 - Does Getting Stronger Make You a Better Runner? Client Interview with Liv Miller
Robert invites one of his clients, Olivia Miller, onto the show to discuss her training program for a 50k race she ran in February. Liv is a former D1 soccer player now working in the healthcare field. She turned to...
02.17.2023
#47 - Struggling to Get Bigger/Leaner? Strength Is Your Limiting Factor
An impromptu training discussion leads to a whole episode about why strength is limiting factor for the vast majority of people trying to get bigger and look more muscular. Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert Santana on Instagram: @the_robert_santana ...
02.03.2023
#46 - What Now? Getting Lean After Novice LP (Skinny Fat Lifters)
Rounding out the January series on improving strength, muscle mass, and physique for the skinny fat novice, Coach Robert and Trent lay out what the early intermediate phase tends to look like in terms of programming and body composition. After...
01.20.2023
#45 - The Muscle Masterclass: Andy Baker on Hypertrophy, Common Upper Body Mistakes, and the Best Lifts for Growth
On today's show Robert and Trent welcome guest coach Andy Baker, Starting Strength Coach and co-author of Practical Programming for Strength Training, 3rd Edition and The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40. Andy is a master...
01.06.2023
#44 - Get Rid of "Man Boobs" Forever: Advice for the Skinny Fat Male
It's the new year, and a time when many people resolve to work eat, eat better, and improve their body composition. Some guys aim to lose weight, others to gain it, but what about the in-betweener, the guy who is...
12.23.2022
#43 - Setting Goals for Next Year: Process Over Results
Coach Santana (now officially Dr. Santana!) and Coach Trent discuss their approach to setting goals for training, health, and life. It's easy to buy into the idea of resolutions and setting lofty results-oriented goals, and it feels good to do...
12.09.2022
#42 - Liver King, The Limits of Research, and What Actually Works
If you are into lifting and spend any time on social media at all, you've probably heard of, or at least seen, the Liver King. Coach Trent and Coach Santana discuss the recent "controversy" around the Liver King's steroid use,...
11.24.2022
#41 - Thanksgiving PSA: It's a Holiday, Not a Season
To all the folks in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving! Once again we have entered into the holiday season, which for many people involves eating...a LOT of eating! Some amount of overindulgence is kinda the point of feast days like...
11.14.2022
#40 - Coaching Is More Than Just Information
Coach Robert and Coach Trent discuss a misunderstanding that sometimes comes up in a coaching relationship -- the idea that coaching is just a program, or a template, or a set of information that will get you to your fitness...
10.29.2022
#39 - Eating In a Time Crunch
It's that time of year again. The holiday season looms with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, and the inevitable work deadlines and travel stresses that go along with that. When time is short and stress is high, it's easy...
10.15.2022
#38 - Getting Fat to Get Strong? What to Do If You're a Skinny Fat Novice
The so-called "skinny fat" novice may have the toughest road to body recomposition of all trainees beginning their strength training journey. A skinny-fat person is a person of normal BMI and "normal" bodyweight for their height, but a high body...
10.02.2022
#37 - A to Z Accessories for Putting on More Muscle
Yoked, stacked, swole, diced... who doesn't want to get jacked? While the basic barbell compound movements -- the Squat, press, bench press, and deadlift -- are the backbone of any good muscle building program, sometimes certain body parts need more...
09.09.2022
#36 - Alcohol, Body Fat, and Breaking the Bad Habits
Alcohol is fun. We don't need to tell you that. It also tastes good! We all know the reasons for drinking it, but what about not drinking it? Is it possible to drink alcohol and be strong and lean? Coach...
08.26.2022
#35 - Hydration, Halting Deadlifts, and... Booze
After a detour to discuss the merits of halting deadlifts, Coach Robert and Trent explain the basics of hydration and fluid intake and why it matters for lifters in the gym specifically. If you're an early morning trainee, there's...
08.13.2022
#34 - Easy Doesn't Work: An Interview with Stef Bradford (Starting Strength)
Coach Robert and Coach Trent interview the woman behind the curtain at the Aasgaard Company, publisher of Stating Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition (and the popular training method by the same name), Practical Programming, several other books, and thousands...
07.30.2022
#33 - How Much Training Do YOU Need?
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...
07.15.2022
#32 - 3 Ways to Condition, Improve Your Work Capacity, and Burn More Fat
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...
07.01.2022
#31 - The Emotions Behind Eating Disorders, Body Dysmorphia with Dr. David Puder
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...
06.17.2022
#30 - How to Program after Novice LP: Intensity, Periodization, and Nutrition
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 --...
06.03.2022
#29 - Preparing for Success: How to Meal Prep Healthy & Delicious Food
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...
05.20.2022
#28 - Stop Weighing Yourself, and Embrace the Tape (and the Iron)
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...
05.06.2022
#27 - Novice Linear Progression: The Big Picture
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,...
04.22.2022
#26 - How to Get the Most Out of Online Coaching
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...

What's Weights and Plates Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Weights and Plates Podcast episodes:

#75 - Science Is Fake with Stef Bradford, PhD

#74 - Training and Diet for Women

#73 - Why You Missed a Rep: Four Questions to Ask

#72 - The SRA Cycle and Intermediate Programming

#71 - Programming After Novice: Making the Weight, and Your Technique, Go Up

#70 - No Fear, No Gain

#69 - We Command You to Grow! (With the Barbell)

#68 - The One Thing Your Training Is Missing: Consistency

#67 - Lessons Learned in 2023: Hypertrophy BS, Arm Training, Food Quality, & More

#66 - What Dogs Can Teach Us About Strength Training

#65 - Do You Need to Do High Rep Sets for Growth? Gross vs Fine Muscular Development

#64 - Reading vs Doing: Why You Can't Read Your Way to Strength and Good Training Habits

#63 - Diet Deloads: Stop the Non-Stop Dieting

#62 - Pain, Tweaks, and Injuries: How to Overcome Training Roadblocks

#61 - Lessons from the Old School Gym

#60 - The Non-Linear Progression

#59 - Women and Eating to Build Muscle Mass

#58 - Bulking, Part Deux

#57 - Why You Should Probably Be Bulking

#56 - Summer PSA: Change Your Environment

#55 - Does Technique Really Matter?

#54 - All About Abs, and Why You Don't Have Them

#53 - A Chat with Uncle Rip on Food, The Great Fat Lie, and The Obsession with Leanness

#52 - Intro to Strength Sports, and Why Training Isn't Competition

#51 - Supplements: Are There Any Worth Taking?

#50 - Stress, Fatigue, and the SRA Cycle

#49 - RPE and Autoregulation

#48 - Does Getting Stronger Make You a Better Runner? Client Interview with Liv Miller

#47 - Struggling to Get Bigger/Leaner? Strength Is Your Limiting Factor

#46 - What Now? Getting Lean After Novice LP (Skinny Fat Lifters)

#45 - The Muscle Masterclass: Andy Baker on Hypertrophy, Common Upper Body Mistakes, and the Best Lifts for Growth

#44 - Get Rid of "Man Boobs" Forever: Advice for the Skinny Fat Male

#43 - Setting Goals for Next Year: Process Over Results

#42 - Liver King, The Limits of Research, and What Actually Works

#41 - Thanksgiving PSA: It's a Holiday, Not a Season

#40 - Coaching Is More Than Just Information

#39 - Eating In a Time Crunch

#38 - Getting Fat to Get Strong? What to Do If You're a Skinny Fat Novice

#37 - A to Z Accessories for Putting on More Muscle

#36 - Alcohol, Body Fat, and Breaking the Bad Habits

#35 - Hydration, Halting Deadlifts, and... Booze

#34 - Easy Doesn't Work: An Interview with Stef Bradford (Starting Strength)

#33 - How Much Training Do YOU Need?

#32 - 3 Ways to Condition, Improve Your Work Capacity, and Burn More Fat

#31 - The Emotions Behind Eating Disorders, Body Dysmorphia with Dr. David Puder

#30 - How to Program after Novice LP: Intensity, Periodization, and Nutrition

#29 - Preparing for Success: How to Meal Prep Healthy & Delicious Food

#28 - Stop Weighing Yourself, and Embrace the Tape (and the Iron)

#27 - Novice Linear Progression: The Big Picture

#26 - How to Get the Most Out of Online Coaching