Barbell Shrugged

FIT2FAT2FIT to Optimal Health w/ Drew Manning, Anders Varner, Doug Larson and Travis Mash #800 May 28, 2025

Show notes

Drew Manning is The NY Times Best Selling Author of the book, Fit2Fat2Fit, and creator of the hit TV show, Fit To Fat To Fit on A&E. He's been featured on many TV shows such as Dr. Oz, The Tonight Show, CNN, The View, GMA and many more. With over 1 million social media followers, Drew continues on his mission to reshape the fitness industry with an empathy first approach helping people with not only their physical health, but also their mental health. Drew is also a certified breath work practitioner and resides in Hawai'i with his two teenage daughters and is currently enrolled in a Master's program in psychology. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization

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Physiology Friday: [THYROID] Function, Dysfunction, Brain Chemistry, and Autoimmunity w/ Anders Varner, Doug Larson, Travis Mash and Dan Garner May 23, 2025

Show notes

In today's episode of Barbell Shrugged:

The Thyroid's impact on weight gain
What is the function of the thyroid
What causes thyroid dysfunction
The relationship between hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and thyroid
Thyroids role in autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's and Grave's disease
How gut health affects the thyroid
How Vitamin A regulates the thyroid
Parathyroid and thyroid connection
How birth control can affect thyroid function
Thyroid's role in impacting brain chemistry
The thyroid's role in your menstrual cycle

To learn more, please go to https://rapidhealthoptimization.com

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Aligning Actions with a Purpose Driven Life w/ Chris Hoppe, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #799 May 21, 2025

Show notes

Chris Hoppe has spent nearly two decades immersed in the world of coaching — from CrossFit and personal training to recovery support, breathwork, and behavioral health. His approach blends performance and presence, helping clients not just optimize their bodies, but reconnect to their lives in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Chris has guided people at every stage of transformation — from their first day sober to the CrossFit Games floor. Whether he's working with entrepreneurs, athletes, or those navigating major life transitions, his work centers on building nervous system resilience, emotional awareness, and personal agency.

More than a coach, Chris lives his practice. He brings curiosity, groundedness, and heart into every conversation — and creates space for people to be fully human.

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Work with Chris Hoppe

Physiology Friday: [LIBIDO] The Biochemistry of Improving Your Sex Drive w/ Anders Varner, Doug Larson, Travis Mash and Dan Garner May 16, 2025

Show notes

In today's episode of Barbell Shrugged you will learn:

The internal mechanisms that create your sex drive.
How psychological, hormonal, and functional dysfunction impacts sex drive.
The biochemistry of boners
The nervous system's response to sexual arousal
The psychology of porn addiction
Supplementation that can improve your sex drive
Impacts of chronic fatigue on sex drive
How estrogen and testosterone influence sex drive
Hormonal changes during pregnancy that heighten sex drive
How aging affects your libido
They affect of marijuana and alcohol on sex drive
Hair loss medication and erectile dysfunction symptoms

To learn more, please go to https://rapidhealthoptimization.com

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The Truth About GLP-1 Medications w/ Dr. Garrett Butler, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #798 May 14, 2025

Show notes

Garrett Butler, MD. Husband, father, son, friend, and family doc in rural WV. Undergraduate in Physics from Johns Hopkins University. Undergraduate in Molecular and Cell Biology from Towson University. MD from West Virginia University School of Medicine. Family Medicine residency at WVU SOM. Hospitalist at Vandalia Health Davis Medical Center. Outpatient family physician at Vandalia Health Broaddus Family Care. Hospitalist at Vandalia Health Broaddus Hospital. Medical director of Mansfield Place nursing home.

Dr. Garrett Butler - Old Fellow Manor

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Physiology Friday: [NUTRITION 101] The Exact Calories, Macros, and Micronutrients to Fuel Performance and Optimize Health w/ Anders Varner, Doug Larson, Travis Mash and Dan Garner May 09, 2025

Show notes

In today's episode of Barbell Shrugged you will learn:

How to determine total calories for your goals
Why maintenance calories are important for body composition and health
Why calories determine the size of your body
Understanding energy balance and finding your activity multiplier
How to properly increase and decrease your caloric intake to reach your goals
Macronutrient breakdown for aesthetics and performance goals
Why macros determine body composition
How to find the right amount of protein for your goals
Why micronutrients are so easily overlooked and what you are missing
How to get all your vitamins and minerals even if you hate vegetables

To learn more, please go to https://rapidhealthoptimization.com

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Flexible Cardio for People that Hate Cardio w/ Dr. Michael T. Nelson, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #797 May 07, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Mike T. Nelson has spent 18 years of his life learning how the human body works, specifically focusing on how to properly condition it to burn fat and become stronger, more flexible, and healthier.

He's been called in to share his techniques with top government agencies, universities and colleges, fitness organizations and fanatics. The techniques he's developed, and the results Mike gets for his clients have been featured in international magazines, in scientific publications, and on websites across the globe.

Cardio for Meatheads Course

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Dr. Nelson Website

Barefoot Revolution w/ Mark Sisson, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #796 Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Mark Sisson, widely regarded as the forefather of the Primal/Paleo lifestyle movement, is an innovator and trendsetter in the health and fitness world. He has written several best-selling books and a number-one-ranked blog promoting ancestral living.

Mark founded Primal Kitchen foods to introduce healthful options for condiments and sauces to the marketplace for the first time. The brand grew quickly, was acquired by the Kraft-Heinz corporation in 2018, and today is a dominant player in the "better for you" food revolution.

As a lifelong athlete and former elite level marathoner and ironman triathlete, Mark has long been obsessed with optimizing foot functionality and minimizing the chronic pain, injury, and dysfunction caused by traditional athletic and active lifestyle footwear.

Mark was one of the earliest proponents of barefoot-inspired living and the minimalist shoe movement. Alas, despite owning dozens of pairs of minimalist shoes, his frustration grew at the industry's inability to produce a functional, comfortable, good-looking minimalist shoe…

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Peluva Shoe Company

Mark Sisson on Instagram

Muscle Analytics for Human Performance w/ Dr. Doug Goldstein, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #795 Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Founder, Altitude Performance & Measured Motion

Former two‑sport collegiate athlete turned board‑certified orthopedic specialist, Dr. Goldstein blends lab‑grade muscle science with hands‑on care.

After earning his DPT from the University of Colorado and completing both an orthopedic residency and fellowship, he launched Altitude Performance, a concierge practice devoted to sport‑specific rehab and performance optimization.

His newest venture, Measured Motion, pushes the field forward by studying muscle architecture, pennation angles, fascicle length, and refining intramuscular dry‑needling techniques.

As Senior Advisor for Performance & Development at Springbok Analytics, Doug converts 3‑D muscle‑health data into actionable plans for clients across all ages and abilities.

He also shapes the next generation of clinicians as affiliate faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine's PT program and mentor to orthopedic fellows.

Trusted by athletes across the PGA, LPGA, USWNT, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, and MLB, Doug turns research into real‑world results.

Doug Goldstein on Instagram

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