Iron Radio

Join in for a roundtable discussion with Strength Guild Games competitors. These lifters were feeling rocked but positive about some extreme performances the prior day. In the Topic of the Day, everyone offers insights on event preparation. As the co-hosts gear up for the listener appreciation event, which will ask listeners to offer their own tips, it seemed an opportune time to also ask the coaches and competitors on-hand. This episode was recorded on the road, so again please forgive minor glitches.

After listener mail, the guys talk Autumnal bulking. With the smell of Guinness meat pies and chili in the cool fall air, how can they not? During listener mail, tune in for facts and opinions on using saunas, dietary supplements for older lifters, and more. In the Topic of the Day, everyone offers thoughts on how to take advantage of high calorie foods without simply acquiring a jiggling belly. This week there was a fairly catastrophic tech breakdown, so please forgive the glitches.

This week Iron Radio gets increasingly silly. Some serious listener questions give way to lifter jokes! In the mail, speculation on mixed strength-endurance events brings about some thoughts. Then a British listener comments on the vegan article critiqued on-air recently. Afterward, questions involve bulking, periodization, and cold-hot contrast showers for recovery. The Topic of the Day then gets funny. Learn about such important topics as... How Franco Columbu is a metaphor for life, how to identify a novice bodybuilder, why powerlifting is not a sport, when to call 911 after dieting, why runners waste time, which vegan practices are questionable, and tons more! Finally, note that the fall funds drive is kicking off and the guys appreciate your support. Come on in for Iron Radio's first humor-specific topic.

Jon, Lonnie and Phil cover the usual mail and news, then get sarcastic. In the mail, a vegetarian lifter speaks up. In the news, learn what a Big Mac does to you within an hour. Then the Topic of the Day turns increasingly tongue-in-cheek. If you've ever wanted to stagnate your strength and size gains, the guys are here to help. Find out how to stall your progress in a variety of ways - program hopping, undereating, getting injured, imitating the pros - the list gets long and humorous. Then, since the discussion was brief, stick around for behind-the-scenes bloopers. These reveal the coffee slurping, tired and blunt ramblings of the co-hosts on all sorts of topics over recent months. Brace yourself, some get a little explicit!

News and listener questions get addressed, then the Topic of the Day ensues. News covers curry recipes and vegan bodybuilding, and the listener question is on spinal fusion surgery for young lifters. After the mid-show break, the discussion covers support gear. Questions get answered. When should one use straps? Are belts often used incorrectly? And how do belts get used differently among muscle sports? Why do the co-hosts love sleeves? And what's up with the excessive taping trend? Tune in for facts and opinions. This episode grows into a bit of a variety show, so if you are into sports nutrition, injury treatment, or simple support gear, come on in!

Guest host Jerell Barber joins the guys for news chat and a discussion on the mental side of lifting. In the news, a blog written by Dani Shugart draws listener attention. Then Dr. Lowery offers a random mini-review of modalities that may help with muscle soreness and recovery. There are many and some are better than others, depending on the desired outcome. In the Topic of the Day, everyone looks at the Mnd-in-the-Muscle, or perhaps Mind-in-the-Movement, concept. Is it better to deeply associate with what you are doing or to dissociate? Come on in to get varying perspectives!

Listener Neil Cushnie joins the guys for a discussion on muscle-related news, then has questions for everyone. In the science news and listener mail, expectations of a beefy meal affect fullness, chronic stimulant use gets scrutiny, and seemingly obvious studies are questioned. In the Topic of the Day, Biggest Gainer competitor Neil brings the inquiries. What's the best balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? Why is the overhead press a lost art? And is the deadlift or squat the king of exercises? Sunday is upon us and thus so is Iron Radio!

After some news and chat, the guys interview Gina Tacconi-Moore on soft tissue work for lifters. The news touches on intermittent fasting, and on some pretty mind-blowing generational health implications of one's lifestyle. In the Topic of the Day, Gina - a former sprinter and owner of both CrossFit Lowell and the treatment room in that facility - offers insights. Everyone discusses massage, the intensity of soft tissue manipulations, self treatment, licensure qualifications, referrals, and tons more. For those who ache, have clients with soft tissue injury, or are just curious about what grilled cheese sandwiches have to do with all this, come on in.

Stuntman Cale Schultz joins the guys for a discussion on muscle mass and strength in his industry. Are stuntmen just wild-eyed thrill seekers? How much training goes into what they do? And what strength sports are similar? Stuntmen have to be tough as nails on minimal recovery, so there's plenty to learn. Also tune in for news and opinion on alcohol for bodybuilders, cardiac risk assessment for heavy squatters, and new research on the anti-inflammatory supplement curcumin. Come on in, if you're tough enough.

What's your stance on bodybuilding supplements? Are they a crutch for guys with masculinity and body image problems or can they be used constructively? A psych-related news report brought to the guys by licensed counselor Kelly Lowery sparks discussion. In particular, negative press on mainstream use of whey protein, creatine, and L-carnitine gets dissected. Does one need to be in serious training to justify supplement use? And what are the issues surrounding research reports by potentially biased investigators? Also in this week's episode is a follow-up on the soybean oil-obesity scare and news on a threatening obesity gene that's soon to be targeted by drug companies. Is all this too much to bear? Stay calm and keep on listening.

After sharing news and mail, Phil and Lonnie wrap up the summer's comeback-from-injury theme with Matt Jones. If you've wondered how a lifter deals with the blow to his psyche, this episode is for you. Staying constructive and focusing on the immediate task at hand seems key. The guys also discuss the importantance of participating in your own medical treatment and getting social support from other lifters. Other topics include disturbing news on soybean oil and obesity, as well as comfortable versus perfect form in the squat.

Come on-site to a Division 1 university athletic training center to learn from Coach Bob Lemieux. Bob is the Director of Strength and Conditioning, has graduate training in nutrition and other fields relevant to athletics, and is himself a self-described meat head - at least in part. Dr. Lowery asks plenty of questions. How does university-level strength coaching differ from Internet and magazine bodybuilding? Is muscle hypertrophy the main focus? Which teams and athletes are toughest to train? What can bodybuilders learn from university-level strength coaching? And is Bob, himself inclined toward the mass gain side of the training spectrum? This week we go behind the scenes to better understand the science and art of strength and conditioning.

Phil and Lonnie announce summer contest winners, then answer some mail before sitting down with boxer-lifter Dal Gains. If you've risen from the ashes of serious injury, you'll be inspired by our contest champions. If you've wondered how women undertake a successful bulking phase, listen for the mail segment. Then in the Topic of the Day, you'll hear about boxing myths and traditions, especially regarding resistance training. How might a heavyweight boxer train differently than a middle weight? What's complimentary about explosive lifting for the boxer? And is it possible to stay tight under the bar yet stay loose in the ring? Tune in to fnd out!

Phil and Lonnie share news and answer listener mail before getting to the Topic of the Day. In the news, powerlifting drama unfolds and a discussion of meets and federations ensues. Listener mail is about small-jointed lifters and the day's discussion covers bodybuilding and strength documentary films. Was a spark ignited in you by Pumping Iron? What was its impact on pop culture? And can movies like The Comeback - aka Total Rebuild - equal its passion and motivation? Nearly a half dozen films get discussed and rated from various perspectives. It's time to enter Venice Gold's Gym and start gaining some muscles!

After some news, Dr. Brad Dieter joins the guys to talk about his research on carbohydrates, diabetes, training, and heart function. How do normal healthy people differ from diabetics or those with metabolic syndrome? If YOUR carb metabolism goes bad, what happens to you? And what can you do? With roughly one in four Americans in these categories, carb metabolism matters. The discussion ranges from training programs, to fat loss, to keeping an aerobic base, to changes in heart function. Also tune in for talk on genetics, family history, muscle recovery, slow-versus-fast cardio, and more.

It's a long holiday episode this week! After news and listener mail, Coach Stevens remotely fields a question, then the guys cover the Topic of the Day. The news segment is about new technology that promises fast, visible fat loss. The mail is about grip strength, and the question clip is about hypermobility. After the break, the topic turns to the Clean Eating Spectrum. From a simple variety of healthy foods, how does one progress toward losing fat or even a strict contest diet? Find out! It's time again for Iron Radio!

Drs. Lowery and Mike cover nutrition and supplement news, then turn the mic over to Coach Stevens before the Topic of the Day. The news covers avocados, berberine and coffee. The coaching clip covers exercise addiction. Then, the discussion topic in the second portion of the episode revisits gym etiquette. A recent article in the Huffington Post on unacceptable gym behaviors is the basis for comparisons in hardcore gyms. Are you acting inappropriately in the gym? Find out! Or just roll your eyes and have a good laugh about what's considered acceptable.

With summer conference season upon us and a backlog of listener mail, the guys offer tons of information. Strength meetings and clinics in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kansas are coming up. In the mail section, topics include stem cells, periodization and program design, recovery, DNA testing, real versus bogus nutrition coaching, and more. Also tune in for a review of a pre-workout and recovery product and recent iTunes reviews of Iron Radio. No guests this week. It's time to get back to the usual shop talk format!

Guests Sean Casey, Carrie Hogan, and Korey Van Wyk co-host with Drs. Nelson and Lowery, reporting on the ISSN annual meeting in Austin, Texas. The International Society of Sports Nutrition holds a lay-academic crossover meeting that brings practical, applied lectures alongside more basic science talks with a physique and performance focus. Discussion on several lecture topics includes periodization and exercise programming, adhering to diets, creatine, beta alanine, very high-protein diets, new tech for monitoring progress, antioxidants, and tons more. Knowledge is power. Come get your geek on!

Many lifters struggle with back and joint pain. Strongman and Olympic lifter Mike Walker returns with a story that sheds light on what can be done. It involves stem cell injections for his deteriorating back and what happened. With Phil recovering from a major surgery, this case study is timely and hopeful. Are stem cells becoming a replacement for vertebral fusions in lifters with bad backs? Can they help anything else? How has Mike's training been affected? And what might YOU consider if you suspect slipped discs or degenerated joints, yourself? Also tune in for nutrition news on gut bacteria and food additives, as well as listener mail regarding high volume bodybuilding training and a lean lifestyle. Come on in and get yourself back to training!