Barbell Shrugged - Talking Training W/ Crossfit Games Athletes, Strength Coaches & More

Matt Walrath (@groceryninja) blazed the long and difficult trail from a short and skinny kid who rode the bench in every sport to a 2x CrossFit Games Regionals Athlete and All-American Lacrosse player with opportunities to play professionally. CrossFit, nutrition, and personal development were all key pieces to Matt’s transformation. Matt discovered CrossFit back in 2006 and earned his CrossFit Level-1 a few years later, where he earned about the Zone and Paleo diets. Matt’s journey with nutrition coaching started with humble beginnings running 6-week nutrition courses and writing meal plans at Paradiso CrossFit in Los Angeles. Since then, Matt has grown Beyond Macros to a staff of 6 coaches and that have helped over 13,000 people learn how to make sustainable nutrition transformation since 2016.   In this episode Mike and Danny dive into Matt’s story, the development of a coach, why the relational side of coaching is more important than technical knowledge, the biggest challenges of going from an in person t

C.J. Murphy (@tpsmethod) is the owner of Total Performance Sports and the creator of the Total Performance Method and the Total Performance Method for Powerlifting (tpsmethod.com). His gym was featured as one of America’s 20 Best Gyms – twice. Murphy is on the Advisory Board for Men’s Fitness magazine and Muscle and Fitness magazine. C.J. has almost 30 years’ experience as a coach, athlete, and certified nutritionist. Murph is a retired Strongman competitor and former National Powerlifting Champion.   In this episode of Barbell Shrugged, we talk with CJ about the difference between powerlifting federations and the personalities that are attracted to them, the evolution of women in powerlifting, how Crossfit benefited the fitness and strength industry, the benefit of RPR for performance, and why no one cares how much you lift if you’re not a good person.   Enjoy!   - Anders and Doug   Episode Breakdown:  The gift of the coaches eye, gear vs. raw powerlifting, and Crossfit’s advancement of the sport of powerlif

Jöhg Ananda has been described as a “Cultural Revolutionary” by Dr. Chris Ryan. Jöhg is a serial entrepreneur (Healthy Surprise, The Dirt Paleo Personal Care, Jambo Superfoods) and founder of Union Yoga. Jöhg has invented over 50 consumer products, including the subscription snack box category, several guided yoga kriyas and designed a factory.   In this episode, we talk with Jöhg about the monopoly of opioids, the structural realignment of who the experts are, the power of conditioning, how propaganda has made plant based medicine taboo, the power of planning tomorrow at the end of today, and much more.   Enjoy! -Mike Episode Breakdown:   ⚡️0-10: Intro: What is CBD and the monopoly of opioids ⚡️11-20: The structural realignment of who the experts are and bullshit detectors ⚡️21-30: The new frontier of medicine and how propaganda has made plant based medicine taboo ⚡️31-40: Presenting products in holistic ways and why Johg got into the CBD industry ⚡️ 41-50: What gets people to change behavior and the power o

Dr. Theresa Larson (@drtheresalarson) has become one of the healthcare and fitness world’s most sought after experts on movement health. Dr. Larson earned her doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Saint Augustine in San Diego, CA. A former Marine Corps Engineer Officer and Combat Veteran, Theresa also played professional softball in Italy as well as semi-professional softball in the United States, was an All- American Division I softball player at Villanova University, as well as a former Body-for-Life Champion. Theresa founded Movement Rx with her husband in 2013 in order to break free from the limitations that traditional physical therapy puts on practitioners and patients. The result was a company where skilled practitioners can authentically treat patients with the time, care, and movement education they deserve.   Dr. Larson is determined to deliver movement & mindset health to as many people as possible with her team, including adaptive athletes as she is an adaptive athlete herself.

Are you ready for this?! It’s a crossover episode—with Mike Bledsoe, the OG host of Barbell Shrugged and the creator of Strong Coach. He's got a lot to say about, well, just about everything—from entrepreneurship strategies to open relationships and what the future of information looks like (spoiler alert: it features brain implants and the ability to communicate feelings).

Ajit Nawalkha came from humble beginnings. Born to a middle-income family in Jaipur, Ajit grew up in an extended family of 23 other people under one roof. Space and money were scarce, and so as a little boy he dreamt of abundance.   Ajit made a decision to plant himself where he could grow. From starting as a trainee in a non-profit, Ajit has since held various roles including CEO of Mindvalley, Co-founder of Mindvalley Teach, Co-founder of Global Grit Institute and Co-founder of EPIC Businesses. He's also an author of the bestselling book, The Book of Coaching. Ajit has poured his heart into his upcoming book Live Big.   In this episode we talk about what a good coach is, why coaches don’t have clients, the principles that make a great group, understanding your dialogue with sales, why the world needs more coaches, how the world is progressing, and much more.   Come join us at www.thestrongcoach.com   -Mike Episode Breakdown:   0-10-  What a good coach is and how getting people the results they want.  Them d

Ryan Fischer’s (@ryanfisch) entire life has always been about fitness. At the age of 12 he was a world ranked BMX racer. In high-school he ran track at just about every distance, played lacrosse, and football at the varsity level since his freshman year. As Ryan grew up he got into skeleton and boblsed and qualified for the US Olympic Team Trials for both sports. Ryan has finished top 5 in the CrossFit Regionals for the past 3 years. Fischer even finished top 20 in the world in the CrossFit Open for the past 3 years also. Fischer went from being homeless, couch surfing, stealing food at Whole Foods, and a stint as a male stripper, to becoming owner of the most successful gym in Orange County, CrossFit Chalk. He also created Chalk Online, a groundbreaking corporate wellness program. Fischer always had a belief that life would work itself out if he kept working hard on his passions. In this episode of Barbell Shrugged Fischer discusses why people respond to false information, how flexible dieting won’t fix your

Sakura Kokumai  is training to become a karate World Champion and to represent USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.   Sakura started karate in Honolulu, Hawaii when she was 8 years old. She started competing internationally at 14, and represented the Jr. USA Karate Team for four years, winning the Jr. Pan American Championships 4 years in a row.   Sakura is currently ranked number 5 in the world! Most recently she won Bronze at the World Championships held in Paris, France, Bronze at the Combat Games in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Gold at the Pan American Olympic festival.   In this episode, we talk about Sakura’s mindset, specifically the night before a tournament and walking into a tournament, the differences in feelings  between winning as a 14 years old and having to win now, different Karate styles and all the meanings behind the kicks and movements and the story behind each one, her rituals to create a presence in martial arts, and much more.   Enjoy! -Mike ---------------------------------------------------

Mike Boyle is one of the foremost experts in the fields of Strength and Conditioning, Functional Training and general fitness. He currently spends his time lecturing, teaching, training and writing. In 1996 Mikel co founded Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, one of the first for-profit strength and conditioning companies in the world. Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning exists for one reason: to provide performance enhancement training for athletes of all levels. Athletes trained range from junior high school students to All Stars in almost every major professional sport.   Prior to Co- founding Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, Mike served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Boston University for 15 years, also for the past 25 years he been  the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Men's Ice Hockey at Boston University. Mike also was the Boston Red Sox strength and conditioning coach in 2013 that won the World Series. In addition to his duties at Boston University and the Red Sox, from 1991

Wade and Matt started their company after enzymes radically changed their lives. They knew the knowledge they were paying $1500 a month to obtain was too great to keep to themselves, so they found a way to spread it to the masses. The result is BiOptimizers: scientifically-backed enzyme supplements that flip the conventional understanding of "health" upside down.   We sit down to talk about our eating styles, our histories in the health and fitness sphere, a lot of nerdy sh*t about how enzymes work and your gut probably doesn’t, why so many people have adverse reactions to gluten and lactose, and how to eat a dozen Sidecar doughnuts in a sitting without dying. You might think you know some stuff about gut health, but these guys are here to break it down (pun intended) for you in ways that are easy to understand and a blast to listen to. Enjoy the ride!   1:00

Julien Pineau is a Humanist & Movement Specialist and founder of StrongFit . Sports have been a part of Julien’s life since he was young and he’s been a state and national champion in a number of sports including soccer, swimming, and wrestling. As an adult, he really found something he liked with MMA and Jiu-Jitsu and spent time traveling the world to learn from the best in the industry.   The time spent Julien spent with the best made him want to learn more about sport and movement so that he could coach others. In 1993, he began his coaching career as a conditioning and grappling coach for the MMA gym where he trained and in 2008, he opened his own gym that focuses on strongman training. StrongFit was born and has evolved from a single gym to a full education program.   Julien’s brain is wired to see faulty patterns and visualize, in space, how people move. With his knack for diagnosing muscular and strength imbalances, he has developed his own system to identify what issues are and fight the root of th

Jen Widerstrom (@jenwiderstrom) is a personal trainer and fitness model. She is well known for her role of a trainer in the NBC's long-running and hit series The Biggest Loser, replacing Jillian Michaels where she worked as a body coach and guided the participants through a well-planned exercise regime and also provided the required emotional support to them during their journey to a fitter body. Jen worked with the popular faces including Bob Harper and Jessie Pavelka.   In the year 2008, Jen got an opportunity to work in American Gladiators, in the character of the female gladiator Phoenix for its second season. The show helped her to change the course of life. It was an amazing experience which helped to boost the brilliant athlete career. She also got the chance to play crazy games and compete with the other contestants. After she left the show, she again focused her career as a fitness trainer and improved her skills by adding Pilates and CrossFit to her workout.   In addition to her fitness, Jen is devo

Ashley Bledsoe is not only Mike’s wife, she’s a relationships coach, who guides couples to create a powerful partnership.   Ashley also has a master’s degree in Sports and Recreation Management, and has been supporting, coaching and facilitating groups in the fitness industry for the past 10 years. However, over the past three years, she’s been delving into deeper healing work. She’s passionate about coaching female entrepreneurs to forge deeper connections to themselves, each other and creating unique and practical ways to bring that to their businesses.   Ashley is committed to guiding and supporting people to deeply know and love themselves, understanding that this is the way to create powerful partnerships. She came to this realization in her own marriage after eight years of being together. By working on her relationship with herself, she was able to strengthen her connection and bring her partnership to the next level.   In this episode, we talk about relationship and how to make yours stronger, how to

This is a special episode, where Doug Larson (@douglaselarson) and Anders Varner (@andersvarner) talk about the best books on business, why communication is a skill you should constantly be developing, how mindset training is a skill that plays into all of life’s skills, why learning meditation will make you better at everything, and much more.   Enjoy! - Doug and Anders ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Show notes at: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/bbs-brobookclub ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Please support our partners! @drivennutrition: https://drivennutrition.net/shrugged/ to save 20%@bioptimizers: www.BiOptimizers.com/shrugged  “shrugged” to save 37% @organifi - www.organifi.com/shrugged to save 20% ► Subscribe to Barbell Shrugged's Channel Here ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe

It's hard to remember a time before Instagram, but Dennis (@denheen) and Kelsey (@thedailykelsey) built their online training business the old-fashioned way (through Facebook and email). They took a chance, came up with a catchy name, HIIT Burn (@hiitburn), and the rest is laid out in detail for you in this episode. In their case, big risks and some smart marketing led to big rewards—it's a classic tale of entrepreneurship gone right, and you know that's Real CHALK's brand of protein powder.   Picking a great name, staying true to your brand, ad campaigns, the next big social media platform, and why haters should make you happy—if it's business- or marketing-related, we cover it. We also talk about Kelsey's experience with anorexia and how she's using her journey to recovery to help her clients understand the role that mindset plays in living a healthy lifestyle. In an oversaturated market, it's authenticity that draws people to your brand, and it doesn't get more real than this.   We switch to more lighthear

The Strong Coach: “Guiding Coaches to Their Greatness” Season 2 Epilogue The Strong Coach Season 2 kicks off with an epilogue with head Coach Danny Rios, a recent Strong Coach Graduate April Flaten, and the co-host Doug Larson. April is one of the very first clients to graduate the program and has created a position in the fitness industry that fits her lifestyle and business goals. The core principles we discuss are: Personal Development In this course, we go over how you can become the best, truest version of yourself — and help clients do the same. You’ll learn goal-setting techniques that will promote exponential growth for you and your clients. Language Skills Foster better communication with clients and potential clients by understanding the power of your words. Learn what the best coaches already know to clearly communicate in every moment with confidence. Time & Energy Cultivation Adopt the planning and scheduling formulas that Mike Bledsoe has practiced for years to conquer every single day and a

Matt Gallant is the CEO of BiOptimzers and has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. He’s been a strength and conditioning coach for multiple pro-athletes, a self-defense instructor, and has over 10 years experience formulating supplements. Fun fact: Matt’s been playing guitar and keyboards for over 19 years… and recorded a hard rock CD when he was young and angry.   Wade Lightheart is the president of BiOptimzers, a 3-Time Canadian Natural Bodybuilding Champion, and one of the world’s premier authorities on Natural Nutrition and Training Methods. Having majored in Sports Science at the University of New Brunswick, he has authored numerous books on health, nutrition and exercise which have sold in over 80 countries. Wade is sought out by athletes and high-performance oriented individuals worldwide for his advice on how to optimize their health and fitness levels.   In this episode, we talk about why our culture struggles with digestion, understanding protease and how it helps digestion, what are digestive enzym

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a functional medicine physician specializing in Muscle-Centric Medicine. She leverages evidence-based medicine with emerging cutting-edge science to restore metabolism, balance hormones and optimize body composition.   Dr. Lyon attended the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in Family Practice. She also completed her research fellowship in Nutritional Science and Geriatrics at Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to her foray into medicine, Dr. Lyon was a national semifinalist in Fitness America, a professional fitness model and nationally ranked figure competitor.   Dr. Lyon's ongoing work is focused on metabolism, muscle, and body composition optimization. As a nationally recognized authority, Dr. Lyon is a regular speaker, sought after expert and educator. Dr. Lyon sees patients in New York City.   In this episode of Barbell Shrugged Dr. Gabrielle Lyon discusses why  you should stop focusing on body fat percentage and start building muscle, muscle cen

You might know a thing or two about CBD, but I guarantee you are not on the level with Mike Banhagel, the founder of Seven Points CBD. This guy can define words most people can't pronounce, and he explains CBD from plant to product in a way that's fun and accessible. He answers all the hot-topic questions (drug tests? CBD for law enforcement? FDA regulation? Vaping) and tells consumers what questions they need to be asking in order to find the best products in a saturated market.   This episode is chalk-full of random references (have you seen Waterworld?), all kinds of semi-related stories from Dartmouth grads selling back supports to dogs on the Fourth of July, weird analogies like supermarket orange juice, and some inappropriate jokes about football games. You'll probably learn, you'll definitely laugh, and you'll be able to talk your less-knowledgeable friends off the ledge when they start freaking out about getting popped. Dive in!   Happy New Year! – Ryan ------------------------------------------------

Jess Magic is a heARTist, a soul-stirring songstress, and a muse for today's generation of change-makers. More than a singer, Jess is a musical story-teller who creates compelling opportunities for people to interact with life from an open heart.   In a world where so many are longing for deeper levels of connection, authentic expression and intimacy, Jess weaves a "spell" of love with each song and story to reveal aspects of the human experience that crack open the hearts of those who are touched by her presence.   As an emcee (a.k.a. "Mistress of Ceremonies"), a speaker and a social entrepreneur, Jess Magic uses her voice and charismatic presence to break down barriers between artist and audience, giving people permission to drop the masks and be seen in their most raw, joyful and sincere expression.   In this episode, we talk about how to really feel freedom and fulfillment, how to have songversations, how to have the heart take information and really feel it, singing in public, feeling safe and free while