Iron Radio

Join Coach Stevens and Drs. Nelson and Lowery for the usual news, mail, and a discussion on changing your lifting goals. The science news covers an unexpected link between gut bacteria and your immune system, genetically-modified meat, and -wait for it - protein beer. The topical discussion wrestles with those times when a lifter might think about changing his or her goals or programs. Catastrophic injury or life changes, aging, and reassessment of one's potential are examples. Phil also offers a shout out to a listener and an upcoming seminar, and shares his approach to his recent hamstring tear. Get in on the conversation!

What's your muscle sport identity? Does it affect your consumer behaviors and loyalties? Join Lonnie and Phil as they talk shop with industry veteran Vince Andrich. The guys cover the usual news, then look backward and forward in the bodybuilding, dietary supplement and even publishing industries. Plenty gets covered. Competitive bodybuilding, behind-the-scenes origins of current-day companies and trends, products that get cycled back from marketers as new, and tons more. Also tune in for breaking science on grape juice, eggs, fish oil claims, and even the microbiome of your beard! Come on in!

This week Dr. Nelson interviews exercise scientist, powerlifter and writer Greg Nuckols. Join in the discussion as the two geek out on topics such as rep ranges for hypertrophy, load-volume considerations, the mathematical relationship between size and strength, blood flow restriction exercise, and plenty more. Also tune in for rants and tangents on -optimal- training, hardcore sets, Tom Cruise, Chipotle, incomprehensible work rates, and even spititual enlightenment!

So much news and mail building up! Join the guys, and guest host Mary Catherine Powers, as they tackle several topics. Issues covered include gene doping, supplements in your toothpaste, new gym tech for assessing peak power output, heavyweight boxing, saunas, and plenty more. Then in the gym talk segment, the crew covers grip training, 5-3-1, carb cycling, and upper-lower body programming.

Coach Stevens and Drs. Lowery and Mike are joined by Sean Mohney for mail, news, a new Iron Radio intern segment, and a talk on building a big back. First, a neophyte question asks about timelines for a first competition, then the news covers online media and protein for dieting. Finally, the Topic of the Day takes a three-sport perspective on training some of the largest muscles on the body - lats, traps and all of their supportive structures. Nothing says powerful like a huge back - but there are programming issues for intermediate to advanced lifters! Join in for tips from a powerlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding perspective!

It's episode 350! That's a lot of Iron Radio. Join in for some lighter fare this week. From news, to silly online listener discussions, to the Topic of the Day, the guys laugh, talk shop, and take listeners behind the scenes. Topics include raw beef, the benefits of exercise, Phil-vs-animal deathmatches, and how Iron Radio gets produced. There have been challenges and format changes across the years that may be instructive for those interested in doing their own show.

This week the news, both in sports and in science, drives the conversation. What is a meathead? A PED user? A web-forum-dominant bodybuilder looking for followers? An anxious or suicidal power athlete? There seems to be no shortage of characteristics and behaviors that collectively apparently define this unique aspect of our sports. You may find yourself agreeing with some descriptors and vehemently opposing others. If you're a bearded, bald, bloated, hard-drinking, vain, big-eating alpha male or female, this episode may be for you!

In another fairly long episode, Jon, Phil, and Lonnie tackle news, listener mail, and then the Topic of the Day. Tons of issues get attention. Training special populations, new dietary guidelines, creatine, caffeine gum, genetically modified foods, overstated natural claims, selecting explosive lifts and types of explosive reps. It's another whirlwind of information and fun talk - so come on in!

In an extra-long episode, Drs. Lowery and Nelson cover news, then offer a little lecture of sorts on basic endocrinology. The news covers pros and cons of coffee and energy drinks, along with new products like green coffee flour and even caffeinated peanut butter. Then, in the Topic of the Day, the professors run through a list of major hormones and what they do for lifters. Importantly, practical applications for each of six major glands and their hormones get covered. How does one manipulate adrenaline, thyroid, insulin, testosterone, GH, and cortisol? Tune in and find out! There's something this week for both beginners and more advanced trainers alike.

Phil, Jon and Lonnie review 2015, including predictions made one year ago. Did they come true? Topics include gut bacteria and health, coffee, and extreme diets like gluten-free, IIFYM, GOMAD, and detox. Also reviewed are dietary supplement grants, strict anti-doping regulations, and training trends like daily squatting and eccentric reps. Finally, the guys offer a few sneak peeks and predictions for 2016. Start your new year with a look back and a look ahead!

Join Drs. Nelson and Lowery for listener mail, news and talk of grip training. Adam Glass joins the guys to share insights from the world of hand strength. Grip competitions, hand size, anatomy, and the surprisingly far-reaching benefits of grip strength get discussed. Pull up a bench and get some handy tips!

After a request for more light-hearted fare, the guys have fun answering this-or-that questions about their lifestyle and preferences. Of course the usual news gets attention as well, including information on protein-oatmeal products, sleep and body fatness, a potential new dark side to saturated fats, and micro-RNAs as part of anabolic sensitivity. It's a fun show for holiday listening. Merry Christmas Iron Brothers and Sisters!

During a mid-December lull, the guys just kick back with a little news and gym talk. The news comes from listener mail and a recent review paper. Topics include preserving muscle during immobilization, collagen as a protein supplement, and biceps tears. The Topic of the Day continues the chat with what the hosts are experiencing in the gym. Issues like triceps tenderness, general conditioning, training volume, and the importance of frequency get attention. Pull up a bench and get in on the talk!

With Phil at a meet, Drs. Lowery and Nelson geek out a bit with guest Carrie Hogan. Playing some catch-up with science news, the crew discusses the pros and cons of getting your vitamin D above the normal range, and the ramifications, if any, of using caffeine as a testosterone booster. Then fellow nerd, masotherapist, trainer and nutrition professional Carrie Hogan shares her origin story. How does one become so broadly educated as a practitioner? Then, in the Topic of the Day, Ms. Hogan runs down the gamut of interconnected factors that affect our athletic and even clinical recovery. How does one balance fuel replenishment, the microbiome, inflammation, antioxidant effects, micronutrient provision, soft tissue maintenance and so much more? Tune in to find out.

After some listener mail, join a conversation with innovator and eccentric-isokinetic training expert Keith Norris. His expo events and inventions make for interesting discussion. The mail question involves double-dumbbell rows; the Topic of the Day is almost a news-type of segment and addresses many questions. What new machines and tools exist that involve a fresh approach to eccentric and isokinetic lifting? How do they compare, both pro and con, with traditional eccentric methods? And how do isometric contractions and eccentric microtrauma add to one's toolbox? Pull up a bench and get in on this!

The guys cover the usual news and mail segments, then talk with Olympian skier, Strength Coach and and Crossfitter Eva T. From red meat to back pain, to the lessons of lifting maturity, plenty gets discussed. From the beginning, Eva seemed to fit right in with the Iron Radio crew. Tune in for chat about the three types of fitness identity, the value of experience in a coach, the fitness industry obsession with over-the-top behaviors, and tools that can be used to monitor yourself so you don't end up regretting the passions of youth. Are YOU overtraining? Come on in and find out.

Phil and Lonnie cover news and mail, then talk shop with powerlifter Matt Wenning. The news is about a new way for lifters to look at coffee. The mail addresses prohormones and leanness. Then, in the Topic of the Day, Matt shares his experiences with military and para-military organizations. Have they had the concept of fitness wrong all these years? What can the military learn from strength athletes? And how does military fitness parallel academic fitness? Join in and get the inside scoop. Note: potty-mouth powerlifters at work.

This week, after a bit of Iron Radio listener mail on entry-level powerlifting, the guys discuss how to get competition-lean with Dr. Peter Fitschen. Peter is a natural pro bodybuilder who also holds graduate degrees in physiology and nutrition. Plenty gets discussed. What principle is most important to know when dieting? How long do these extreme diets take? Should a dieter choose multiple shows to enter? And what does a bodybuilder need to look out for in the final throes of a half-year diet? Tune in to find out!

Coach Stevens and Drs. Mike and Lowery cover news, mail, and the Topic of the Day. The news and mail are about red meat, creatine, certifications, and fasting cardio for women. The Topic of the Day is the promised segment that involves listener appreciation. The guys turn to the facebook Listeners Page and offer further insight of their own on traveling to events. Grocery lists, equipment, and last-minute water balance plans get attention. It's time again for your weekly dose of Iron!

This week Dr. L covers news and listener mail, then asks licensed counselor Kelly Lowery to bring some information on the phenomenon of superfans. The news covers paleo diets and a surprising protein supplement. The Topic of the Day covers the super-fan concept. What is a superfan? How are they identified? And how do bodybuilding and powerlifting fans differ from mainstream superfans? Tune in and find out!