Iron Radio

After some dietary supplement and training talk, Drs. Nelson and Lowery and Coach Stevens discuss comparisons. Do you compare yourself to other people in your local gym? Are you motivated by professional bodybuilders or world class lifters? Are you most likely to compare yourself to your own prior best efforts? And how does competition fit into all of this? Also tune in for discussion on neurology, eating decisions, and more. This week we're serving up meatier fare than the usual fitness talk!

In this extra long episode the Iron Radio crew offer gym talk, then come to you on-site from Yokohama Japan. On the lifting front the guys share insights on training while traveling, pre-surgical chores, post-surgical rehab, and more. After the break, the Topic of the Day is a report from the hotel room in Yokohama. Drs. Lowery and Nelson cover the whole experience including new nutrition findings from the Asian Congress on Nutrition. How does physique culture differ in Japan? Why is green tea a big deal? What's the deal with gene clocks and how might they affect you? What meal timing practice can you use to decrease muscle breakdown? There's tons of information you can acquire before it hits journals and textbooks. It's time to journey to the Far East - without the jet lag!

Enjoy this prerecorded episode that includes tech news for listeners who get Iron Radio via our various apps, as well as news and listener questions. This time warp episode covers questions like length of mesocycles to prevent spinning your wheels, changing your long term goals, avoiding career washout, knee pain in the back squat - and how to address it - and tons more. Get in on this!

Dr. Lowery, Dr. Nelson, Coach Stevens, and - wait for it - DOCTOR Jon Mike share news and talk about KSAs. A discussion over what goes on behind the scenes in a PhD dissertation defense leads to a discussion on the different qualities that make someone good in his field. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - KSA - get attention. What goes into acquiring a high level of knowledge? How does knowledge differ from skill? How does a person's ability level relate to these other qualities? And where do YOU rank on each quality? Tune in for insights. Also listen-in for a summer contest, more on Phil's foray into boxing, and new ways to look at vitamin D. Come on in and raise your knowledge level!

After the usual listener mail and news, Phil and Lonnie cover coaching mistakes. What common mistakes do trainers, coaches and nutrition gurus often make? What can you do about it? Tune in for answers. Whether it's the Just-Like-Me mistake or the Muscle-Sport-Judgement mistake or the Body-Part-Split-for-All mistake, these errors mislead fitness clients. Also covered this week are topics like clean mass gain for professional wrestling, whey protein filtration processes, and an apparent cure for prostate cancer! We're in your ears again... hope you enjoy!

What are your favorite memories, gyms, places to ramp up or cool down, foods, etc.? In this episode the intrepid trio share their thoughts. Coach Stevens, Dr. Lowery and almost-Dr. Jon Mike cover specifics like training stories, competition bests, awesome facilities, mass gain foods, and meals for dieting. Also this week, listener mail is about regional body fat loss and crossing over from powerlifting to Strongman. There's a fun learning curve to understand and spouses can certainly join in! If you like good old fashioned gym talk, this episode is for you. Pull up a bench and join the conversation!

The guys cover listener mail and news, then talk with JP Price about his big upcoming meet. In the mail, discussion on calorie balance and nutrient partitioning takes place. In the news, an apology piece written on behalf of science journalists irks Dr. L. Then as the Topic of the Day, JP price - a guy who squats over 900 pounds - shares his thoughts as he peaks for his approaching meet. From training time frames, to mindset, to calling numbers for each attempt, JP pulls no punches. And speaking of punches, tune in to find out why Phil is about to embark on a pugilistic journey that may shock his fellow powerlifters. It's time to get in the ring!

Fortress returns to talk training. After resurrecting a segment on training achievements, Lonnie, Fortress, Mike and Jon take a look at why people differ in training progress. The principle of Individual Differences is at work and it goes beyond genetics. From hormonal concentrations to joint structure to psychology and social support, plenty of factors add up to make us different. Also tune in to hear about Fortress' near tussle in the gym last week, Lonnie's attempts to work around an iffy surgical repair, and what all the guys are dealing with in the gym of late. Pull up a bench and get in on this gym talk!

In this Iron Radio Special, the meat head versus geek pendulum swings toward the academic side. Drs. Nelson and Cotter come to you on-site from the Experimental Biology conference in Boston. There is a TON of new research that can inform your training and eating! Topics include using science as evidence from a lifter's point of view, the difficulties of publishing research, intermittent fasting, protein targeting for fat loss, weight maintenance after a diet, using the widely-accepted 3500 kcal per pound of fat rule, whey protein for dieters, the five percent weight loss standard used in pharmaceutical research, leucine dose and fat loss, unrealistic linear expectations of progress, biological clocks and health, artificial sweeteners and gut bacteria, and plenty more. Much of this information won't see full publication for months. Come along to Boston and feed your inner geek!

Dr. Mike Roussell joins Coach Stevens, Jon Mike, and Dr. Lowery for nutrition news and a talk about dietary fats and meats - as they might apply to lifters like us. In the news, Dr. Roussell shares insider information from a recent NIH feedback session on new dietary recommendations that are underway. Then, after sharing his own roots in bodybuilding and academics, Mike chats with the Iron Radio crew about dietary cholesterol, various lipids, and meats in the diet. Several questions come up. Can you eat too much meat? What, other than carbohydrates, can keep someone out of ketosis? And how do strength athletes differ from the general population regarding nutrition? Pull up a bench and find out!

First the guys answer some listener mail, then they talk with strength coach Jerell Barber. Listener questions include a new mindset certification and how to use lifting belts properly. The Topic of the Day includes discussion on balance drills, getting into position, tempo, the necessity of repetition, and how much weight to add and when. If you're curious about the Olympic lifts, how they differ from powerlifting, when to include them in your sessions, and how to get started, this episode is for you. Come on in!

After some listener mail and news, Nick Tumminello returns to talk shop. In the mail and news, topics range from flavor enhancers to the Arnold Fitness Weekend. When discussing his origins and projects, Nick talks about his early exposure to sweat and iron, as well as recent articles. Then in the Topic of the Day, Nick calls for some definitions and context regarding core training and functional fitness. What do we mean by core? What do we mean by functional? Tune in to get some insights. Also in this episode are issues like education, originality, conference attendance, and tons more. Pull up a bench and join the conversation!

In this special episode, the guys cover listener mail and news, then offer recordings from last week's strength workshop in Topeka, Kansas. The listener mail addresses coworkers and gym trends. The news covers Crossfit controversies, the Arnold Fitness Weekend, and a newly discovered hormone that mimics exercise. Then, as the Topic of the Day, the strength workshop audio samples range from a seminar on the gym floor, to athlete interviews, to an on-site workshop on cafeine. Tune in to go on-site for an exclusive event!

First there's some positive listener mail to discuss, then some news, then of course the Topic of the Day. The mail is about a veteran, a comic strip, big gains, and identifying with a variety of muscle sports. The news relates in various ways to dieting and body fat - from ketone bodies to the relative permanency of obesity. The day's topic follows up with a discussion on why we're obsessed with body fat. Should the focus of novice exercisers simply be muscle and strength gain? Why is it a better initial choice? And how does a lifter transition into tackling diet and body fat once his or her lifestyle gets established? Tune in to find out!

Fortress returns for a meandering conversation about industry news and the perceptions of family and coworkers. What does YOUR family think of your bodybuilding, powerlifting, or other strength sport endeavors? Topics in this episode include an Ironman magazine reboot, yet another supplement line debut, fitness trends, and tales of how families respond to non-mainstream muscle sports. Join the conversation!

Prepare for glory! It's a milestone in the long history of Iron Radio - Episode 300! First, Dr. Lowery and Jon Mike cover a variety of news, then Coach Stevens joins in for the Topic of the Day. The topic, squat variations, covers high- versus low-bar squats, foot placement, bar types, and other variations. The news covers intermittent fasting, the demonization of dietary cholesterol, and the gap between the lay public and scientists on various medical and food issues. Also tune in for a drawing in which Fortress and the guys will give away copies of the 300 DVD. Only the hard and strong may listen to this episode. Only the hard. Only the strong.

After answering a complicated listener question, Drs. Nelson and Lowery talk with Jason Cholewa. As a sports nutrition professor, powerlifter, and former bodybuilder, Dr. Cholewa shares insights on a flexible approach to educating and feeding collegiate athletes. Can a straight-forward balanced diet benefit team athletes and independent lifters alike? Can one eat healthy on campus? And what does Jason's research reveal about the connection between body composition change and performance enhancement? The day's topics range from metabolic damage, to overcoming dietary obstacles, to the simple pleasure of eating, to what constitutes a fitness expert. Come on in, class is in session!

How does one get into Strongman competitions? Join Coach Stevens, Dr. Lowery and Jon Mike as they sit down with strongman Kalle Beck to find out. From finding the right contest to choosing a weight class, to how often one should undertake skills practice, there's plenty of good info. to be had. Also, in the news, the World Anti-doping Agency is under fire from the scientific community. Will new attention to their policies blow the lid off the prevalence of drug use? Everyone gets in on this testy topic. It's time to lift your knowledge base to new heights - if you've got the stones!

With Dr. Mike Nelson in the Third Chair, the intrepid trio cover news, then get into the Topic of the Day - training oddities. The news ranges from clueless thieves to blood sugar tattoos. The topic covers all the weirdness that can surround lifting. Oddball gym members and lifting customs, weird equipment, bizarre lifts, strange facilities, and unusual gym policies. What oddities have YOU seen in YOUR lifting career? Finally, check out the Iron Radio Listeners Page to get information on the end-of-February bootcamp that the Iron Radio hosts will be attending. It's time to tune in and swap lifting tales with the Iron Radio crew!

After some news, the guys cover all manner of doses regarding common nutrients, supplements and drugs used by strength athletes. The science news involves a potential off-label use for a bladder drug, of all things. Event news covers the recent NSCA Coaches Conference, and Iron Radio-specific news brings an announcement of an upcoming weekend workshop! After the break, the dosing of select compounds gets discussed. There is still some confusion surrounding several substances. From anti-inflammatories to anti-catabolics, from caffeine to creatine, from DHA to Depo-testosterone, plenty gets discussed. Come on in and get your weekly dose of Iron - Radio, that is!