The Breaking Muscle Podcast

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Superheroes in Training: How KidStrong is Turning the Tide of Childhood Obesity Feb 05, 2018

Show notes

It's become reflexive to collectively shake our heads and mutter "kids these days." That trope used to refer to the somewhat innocuous change in culture from one generation to the next, but today it carries a much graver significance. Kids these days are suffering from exponential rises in everything from diabetes to depression, and it all stems from a culture that has abandoned physicality in favor of comfort and convenience.

Matt and Megin Sharp wanted something better for their first daughter. But when they went looking for a place to help develop her physical ability, they weren't satisfied with their options. Undaunted, they decided to create it for themselves. The result is KidStrong, their groundbreaking facility in Lexington, Kentucky, where they're working tirelessly to create a generation of capable, confident, and healthy kids. Their staff of physical and occupational therapists, teachers, physical educators, and exercise physiologists has created an innovative curriculum designed to intentionally develop kids in the exact areas society has chosen to ignore.

The Sharps sat down with me to discuss this incredible program, where they hope to nurture kids who want to move forever, not just while they're in school. We discuss the tragedy of throwing kids with no physical literacy straight into sports, the surge in kids needing occupational and even speech therapy simply because they don't move enough, and the cultural impact of helping kids and parents work out together as a family. Matt and Megin think that movement is the best teacher of character and positive self-talk, and after you hear about what they're doing, I think you'll agree.

Being Fit to be Wealthy with the Tromello Brothers Jan 30, 2018

Show notes

My brother, Daniel Tromello, and I are both in the business of mentoring and helping people be the best they can be. We have always been active and successful in competitive sports but are also able to share our experiences and teaching with trainees of all ages and levels today in our businesses. While I enjoy being a trainer and owning a gym, Precision CrossFit, I would much rather spend time with my kids when I can then try and make more money. So, I think it's interesting to try and explore what that means for everyone.

This is the first podcast Daniel and I have ever done together. We hope it's the first of many to get hosted here on Breaking Muscle. In it, we go over our family's background and how it shaped our own paths from childhood to the present day. I guess you can say it starts with one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, and my favorite quote, "Get busy living or get busy dying." We look at how our decisions impact the way life treats us and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that people are dying because they're just not doing what they need to do to live.

The Science of Strong for Every Athlete with CJ Gotcher Jan 29, 2018

Show notes

What are the stories you've always told yourself about your body? If you're like most people, you either believe you were born strong, or you weren't. The role of genetics in body type, physical capacity, and longevity has been emphasized for so long in the scientific literature and pop culture alike, that a whole lot of people have subconsciously resigned themselves to what they believe is their fate.

But CJ Gotcher never bought into that. After he discovered weight training through his experience with CrossFit at the Naval Academy, he embarked on a mission to find out just how strong he could make his 165lb frame. His exploration of his own performance potential eventually led him to Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength system, and CJ fell in love.

He sat down with me to explore some of the ideas he recently presented in a talk at the Starting Strength Coach's Conference, including what the interference effect is, and how to mitigate it in your training. We also cover how people mangle the idea of sport-specific training, and why strength is your best defense against the effects of aging.

Fight Strength NSFW: Preparation and Exercises for Building Fighters Jan 25, 2018

Show notes

Fight Strength NSFW is back with an episode heavily focused on some of the key strategies and techniques related to building high-level fighters.

This week's show is an "Ask Daru" episode, with a primary focus on what he believes are the important strength training practices to focus on in a fight camp, training methods for fighters with fast and slow twitch muscle fibers, exercises geared specifically for professional fighters, and of course weight-cutting. All of these topics are major facets in preparation leading up to a fight, be it in a cage or a boxing ring.

The American Top Team strength coach also converses with me on ideas for coaching these unique athletes (along with audio from former guest PJ Nestler on the subject), and testosterone replacement therapy in connection with the sport of MMA.

After chatting on those topics, we move on to our weekly "Ask Daru" segment. Our listnener questions include preparing athletes for maximum weight lifting—when they do not have prior experience with it—how much Daru gets involved in his athletes' nutrition programs, and combating imbalances in the legs of pro fighters.

The show is jam-packed with a plethora of tips and ideas for strength coaches of any level and sporting focus.

Run Smart, Run Strong with Rochelle Basil Jan 22, 2018

Show notes

When Rochelle Basil tossed her running shoes to the back of the closet after a collegiate career that nearly broke her, she assumed it was for good. But years later, the marathon came calling, and she had to answer. After an injury ended her first training cycle, she hired a coach. He promptly told her she wasn't to race her first marathon; she would do it as a workout. And work out she did, following his plan to the letter, and turning in a scorching time along the way.

Rochelle is now able to take the lessons from the crucible of her own running career and help her athletes avoid the same mistakes, as a coach for Lift | Run | Perform. She sat down with me to cover her unexpected recruitment from a single road race in New Zealand to a full-ride Division I scholarship in the States. She details the struggles that soon drove her to quit running, tells the story of two very different marathon experiences, and we chat about the magic a coach can add to any training plan.

That magic starts for her runners when she teaches them the difference between junk miles and easy miles. Rochelle strives to coach the intent of each workout, not just the prescribed distances and paces. She touches on the dangers new athletes face trying to emulate the workouts they see from the pros on Instagram, and why consistency trumps everything else over the course of a cycle.

CrossFit Open Prep and Gym Shopping Tips with Mike Tromello Jan 08, 2018

Show notes

Every year as the CrossFit Open approaches, I end up Googling last year's schedule, because I'm convinced it's earlier this year than last.And every year, I'm reassured that the Open starts the same week it always has. It only feels like it's creeping up on us.

On the show today to help us get ready for the 2018 CrossFit Open is our own Mike Tromello, master coach, programmer extraordinaire, and owner of Precision CrossFit in Agoura Hills, California. We cover how he's getting his athletes prepared for this year's CrossFit Games season, how the change to the Regionals format has affected his athletes, and why we probably won't see a week added to the Open.

Then we zoom out and talk about what you should look for if you're shopping for a gym this January, how he brings new members into his fitness family, and what he's learned from the wide variety of coaching certifications he's completed. Last, we talk about the lifelong mentors who continue to shape him as a person and a coach, and why his 2018 goals have nothing to do with the gym.

Time to Bring Back the Seesaws with Philip K Howard Jan 03, 2018

Show notes

This time of year, fitness media is awash in platitudes and memes, exhorting everyone to get in the gym and get after it. But in a few months, another crop of resolutioners will have fallen off the wagon, and Americans will continue their inexorable slide into physical disease and decay.

We at Breaking Muscle, and the fitness industry at large, have done an excellent job of defining the problem, and then preaching to the converted. But the time for incremental gains has long past. What's needed at this point, if we hope to make a substantial dent in the crises that face our population, are sweeping, society-wide changes.

This is a difficult sphere in which to operate for a bunch of meatheads, coaches, writers, and small business owners. That's why this year, we're going to call in the experts. Philip K Howard is a bestselling author and political consultant, and the chair of Common Good, whose purpose is to simplify bureaucratic structures so people can get about the business of getting things done.

Howard has researched and written for decades about the effective role government can play (and most often doesn't) in improving the lives of its citizens. He sat down with me to discuss how our obsession with eliminating risk is stunting the development of our children, and the simple reforms we could enact to regain parity with our European competitors. We also cover the unintended consequences that often result from well-intended regulation, what avenues are available to address standardization in the fitness industry, and where we can expect the revolution to begin.

Always Earned, Never Given with Carleen Mathews Dec 26, 2017

Show notes

It's easy to look through a screen at our favorite athletes and be filled with awe and envy. We tend to tell ourselves that if only we had their genes, or their athletic upbringing, or their sponsors and coaches and facilities, we could be that badass, too. But of course, this is a gross oversimplification of the person on the other side of the glass. Everybody struggles in their own way, fights their own demons, and overcomes their own measure of adversity.

There are few stories that better illustrate this than our guest today, Carleen Mathews. From a history of substance abuse, addiction, obesity, and an eating disorder, Carleen has scratched and clawed her way to the top in CrossFit, appearing three times at the Games. Every inch of her progress has been earned, and while an injury knocked her out of the 2017 Games, it also granted her perspective and strengthened her already stalwart character.

Carleen sat down with me to discuss what she learned from this season, and the obstacles she overcame to become the elite athlete we know today. We also touch on the social stigmas surrounding female athletes, how her life experiences have shaped her coaching, and her incredible efforts to improve her community through a number of outreach programs.

Many top-level athletes end up coaching because it's all they can do when their careers are over, but Carleen overflows with a genuine passion for her craft as a coach and love for her athletes. If you're ever in northwest Oregon, you've got to stop by CrossFit St Helens and experience the community she's helping to create.

The Elements of Garage Gym Success with Jerred Moon Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

If there's one universal truth in the 21st century, it's that life doesn't slow down. For many, the time and inconvenience required to go to the gym have become a barrier to their fitness goals. This has sparked the rise of the home gym, as garages and basements across the country are repurposed from man caves to iron oases.

But just because you've built your own personal barbell paradise doesn't mean you know what to do with it. Enter Jerred Moon, founder of End of Three Fitness. After an injury spelled the end of his career as an Air Force pilot, he dove head-first into becoming a fitness professional, and never looked back. Jerred creates programs to take the garage athlete to elite levels of fitness, without the need for a lot of fancy equipment or excessive risk.

Jerred sat down with me to discuss how he made the transition from side hustle to full-time fitness entrepreneur, where he now helps athletes navigate the pitfalls of working out at home. He talks about how mindset is an integral part of the programs he constructs, and the type of athlete that is most likely to find success in his system. We also touch on the problem of poverty and poor health in America, why programs don't have to be sexy to work, and I get his thoughts about the industry fight to standardize certifications.

The Next Big Wave for Weightlifting with Daniel Bell Dec 11, 2017

Show notes

With the 2017 World Championships and the American Open Finals in our rearview mirror, the future has never looked brighter for Olympic Weightlifting in the US. Records fell, and American lifters took historic podium finishes, capped off with Sarah Robles sweeping the gold medals in her division.

With nine nations banned from competition as a result of sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Weightlifting Federation, these may have been the cleanest World Championships in the modern history of the sport. But we're a long way off from declaring this a post-doping era, and it remains to be seen if weightlifting can recover its image from that of a dirty sport, like baseball and cycling have struggled to do.

National-level weightlifting coach Daniel Bell of Rubber City Weightlifting sat down with me to recap Worlds, talk about the future of the sport in America, and explore the damage that doping culture has had on even clean athletes. We also cover why women are flocking to (and succeeding in) weightlifting faster than men, why it's stupid to have PRs in your assistance exercises, and the dilemma of transgender athletes in competitive sports.

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