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

This week, Ashleigh speaks with the owner of “the world’s deadliest thighs,” Kortney Olson. You may have seen her viral videos, crushing watermelons between her legs and other awesome feats of strength, but there’s more to Kortney than big muscles and a personality to match. Having struggled through disordered eating and addiction, it’s been a long road to acceptance and perseverance for the woman who can now call herself an armwrestling champion, international bodybuilding competitor, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur (she’s the founder of GRRRL clothing). We talk fitness, her explant experience, and how to re-wire our brains and our attitudes for positivity, happiness, and confidence. Oh, and watermelon-crushing, we talk about that too.     Kortney is an Australian Womenʼs arm wrestling champion, Queensland state Brazilian Jiu jitsu champion, three time international bodybuilding competitor, author, TV personality, certified personal trainer and Olympic lifting and CrossFit coach.   If you think youʼve

Coach Kavanaugh’s unique approach to training builds on his experience as both an elite athlete and an athlete who has endured a life-changing injury. His programs build strength, flexibility, speed, and teach proper bio-mechanics to increase performance and decrease chance of injury. After becoming a certified speed coach, he tested, trained and evaluated over 50,000 athletes, including stand-outs such as Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, Kansas City Royals first round pick Eric Hosmer, and Florida’s winningest softball pitcher Stephanie Brombacher. Travis Mash has been strength training for over 21 years and has been working with athletes on their strength, speed, and athletic performance for over 15 years. Travis has worked with athletes and non-athletes of all levels from NFL and Olympic hopefuls, to 7-year-olds just starting out, to a 70-year-old senior seeking increased mobility. Travis is a published author for several strength and conditioning journals and continues to work with several colleges such a

I originally met Alex a few years while he was sponsored by a huge supplement brand called “SHREDZ.” The company sponsored several athletes at the time and in just a short period of time and built them into super stars. It was at that time I started to ask a lot of questions and see what exactly all these people were doing that was giving them the kind of income that had people driving around in Lamborghinis and such. It was a crazy time and I’m fortunate to have known a few of the pioneers like Alex from that time.    In this episode we touch on a little of what makes a solid “influencer” and how training modalities and nutrition has changed over the years. I also ask Alex to share about his own fitness and nutrition regimens that he’s used over the years and what his opinions are on all of them. Lot of great chatter in this one that is sure to get you pumped for the week.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/rc-turner

Kelly Starrett, DPT is a coach, physical therapist, author, and speaker. Along with his wife Juliet, Kelly is co-founder of The Ready State. The Ready State began as Mobility|WOD in 2008, and has gone on to revolutionize the field of performance therapy and self-care. Kelly received his Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2007 from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California.     Kelly’s clients include professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. He also works with Olympic gold-medalists, Tour de France cyclists, world and national record holding Olympic Lifting and Power athletes, Crossfit Games medalists, ballet dancers, military personnel, and competitive age-division athletes.     Kelly is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers Becoming A Supple Leopard and Ready to Run. He is also co-author (with Juliet) of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller Deskbound. His latest book, Waterman 2.0, offers water-sport athletes a comprehensive guide to optimized movement and pain-free pe

In the highly competitive world of strength athletics, a back injury is seen by many as the ultimate career-ender. In truth, if handled properly, it is far from a death sentence. Follow the journey of international powerlifting champion Brian Carroll, who can attest to this first hand. This remarkable athlete went from 1100 lb squats and 800 lb deadlifts to unending pain and disability after a massive spinal compression injury. After a fortuitous meeting with leading back expert Professor Stuart McGill, he reset his training and his life to fight his way back to the top of the winner’s podium.   Glean expertise from McGill and Carroll, both masters in their field, and learn how to orchestrate your own triumphant comeback. Whether you are a former champion yourself who has fallen on hard times, or someone starting a new foray into the world of strength training who wants to avoid injury and maximize training, the wisdom found within these pages is sure to take your resilience and lifts to the next level.   Min

Larry Gaier is an Active Life 1 on 1 coach who you have heard from before (in episode 3). Brittany is the reason why we do what we do at Active Life. In this episode you are going to laugh, you are going to learn, and you might even cry.  Brittany came to us 2+ years ago and we failed her, we didn’t get her to buy so we couldn’t help. When Brittany came back a year later, she needed surgery and was unfortunately outside of our scope. The third time was the charm, six months after her SECOND surgery, Brittany was back on the phone with me, audibly crying through the phone. Her life had been turned upside down from the pain her shoulder was causing her. Her job was in doubt, her identity was stripped, her workouts were non existent, she couldn’t put deodorant on, and her marriage was in doubt from all of the depression and anxiety she was suffering from. Things were bad. What happened next? Well, you’re going to have to listen. Bring tissues.  Minute Breakdown: 0-10 - What happened at the Boston workshop... 11-

“Metabolic Mike” Mutzel is a leader in the fields of ketogenic eating and fasting, but there’s more to his story (and yours) than food. Ashleigh and Mike dive deep into the importance of mindset and mindfulness around eating, and how the way you think about your food literally effects your metabolic response to that food. Mike talks about how health and fitness saved him from a troubled childhood; he discusses some of the recent research around the benefits of fasting, nutrient timing, seasonal eating, and an overall focus on mindfulness over an obsession for the “perfect” diet.       Guest Bio:   Mike Mutzel, MS has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Western Washington University, a   Masters Degree in Human Clinical Nutrition from University of Bridgeport and is the author of   Belly Fat Effect. He makes videos and podcasts to help everyday people around the world learn how   to stay lean and metabolically healthy. Learn more at highintensityhealth.com     Minute Breakdown:    4 - 21  Intro

Phillippe Tremblay is the owner of Stronger Experts. Jae Edwards is the owner of of Spry Training Systems in Kingston Jamaica. Together, through a rare work trip to Westside Barbell, combined forces to create the fastest humans in the world. Their impact is more than athlete development. They are empowering the youth of today with the tools they need to make it in strength and conditioning. In this episode, the Shrugged crew digs into the vision of Stronger Experts, finding the fastest athletes in the world, Yohan Blake, and more. Minute Breakdown: 1-10 Increasing resources for young athletes in Jamaica 11-20 Why Jae believes you have to lead through education 21-30 Creating Spry Training Systems 31-40 Bringing strength and conditioning to Track and Field in Jamaica 41-50 Taking a long term approach to athlete development 51-60 Youth development and strength for younger athletes 61-70 - Sport psychology and how the best in the world win Connect with Phillipe Tremble Connect with Jae Edwards Anders Varner on I

Jared’s story is pretty crazy. Although most of us know him as the really strong dude with the beard who went to the CrossFit Games... He was also a strongman competitor at a body weight of 305lbs and at a height of just 5’6”. He talks about a particular time in his life where he even lost almost 100lbs in a 3 month window to start his CrossFit journey. An insane feat of his that I feel is rarely ever touched on.    Beyond his oscillating competitive endeavors, I talk to Jared about his opinions on CrossFit, what’s important to him at this very moment, and if he has aspirations of competing at the games again anytime soon.   Did I mention that he also goes over some of his favorite training cues to get better at Olympic lifting as well!? May want to tune in just for that!   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/rc-enderton ------------------------------------------------------------------------------   ► Subscribe to Shrugg

He’s back everybody! M.D.V (Matt DellaValle) is a seasoned guest and co-host of the Business of Fitness Podcast. MDV is the Chief Fitness Officer at NCFIT, managing all fitness, coaching, and programming operations worldwide for the company. Over the past decade, MDV's journey has taken him a few different directions—coaching at some of the best gyms in the biz (CFNE, Reebok CrossFit ONE, CrossFit ONE Nation & NCFIT), leading seminars as part of CrossFit HQ Staff, and managing fitness partnerships for Reebok INTL. Before all this fitness stuff, MDV earned his law degree from William & Mary Law. He is passionate about coaching, fitness, and American traditional tattoos.    Today is all about coach retention and best practices for staff satisfaction. From paygrade and bonuses/incentives to creating culture and building rapport, today’s episode shares what we’ve learned about employee gratification over the last 11 years at NCFIT. Fitness aside, anyone in the service industry has a takeaway or two from t

Jim Wendler is the creator and author of the 5/3/1 Training Program. This program has been used by millions of athletes and lifters of all ages and abilities. Jim played football and graduated from the University of Arizona where he was a three-time letter winner. He went on to squat 1000 pounds in competition and is an accomplished Elite Lifter with a 2,375 pound total. He has coached high school athletes, collegiate athletes, trained general populations and spoken globally on the topics of strength training, conditioning, fat-loss, performance and program design. However, his greatest success is his ability to simplify the complexities of strength training into program variations so that anyone can apply them and achieve their goals.   Jim Wendler on Instagram   Travis Mash on Instagram ------------------------------------------ Please Support Our Sponsors Savage Barbell Apparel - Save 25% on your first order using the code “BARLIFE” Organifi - Save 20% using code: “Shrugged” at organifi.com/shrugged ------

 Dr. Ray is the director of staff at Active Life. He works with one on one clients and is responsible for coaching the staff. If you have heard of the Active Life Immersion program, Dr. Ray runs that too. The dude is a stud!   Knees hurt when you squat? It’s been like, three years and it seems like you just have to deal with it now? Your friends are getting all swole and shredded and you’re getting dad bod with a side of scaled workouts? Yea, this episode is for you.    In today’s episode with Dr. Ray, Dr. Sean discusses how all of the things mentioned above can be resolved, and way faster than you think.   Minute Breakdown:   0-10 - Are you in the cycle of re-injury? 11-20 - How does exercise selection affect tendon health? 21-30 - Where is the line between Physical Therapy and Active Life 1 on 1? 31-40 - Why are squats an anterior chain exercise if they work the glutes? 41-50 - Lunges are a bilateral exercise. 51-60 - Results so good that you sign your staff up to learn to coach like Active Life Staff. Wor

Dr. Anthony Jay is well known for his book Estrogeneration: How Estrogenics Are Making You Fat, Sick, and Infertile, all about a class a class of chemicals that appear almost everywhere in our daily lives (from skincare to food to water and beyond) and how these unconscious daily exposures can cause weight-gain, depression, infertility and many other exploding health problems, as well as how we can address this systemic problem.   Today, though, Ashleigh and Dr. Jay will mostly be talking about his work with DNA consulting, and how he can interpret the results of simple saliva DNA tests to tell you much more about your physiology than any of those generic website-based programs will. They talk about the confluence of genetics and epigenetics (how lifestyle factors can alter genetic expression), why they’re both important, and how you can empower yourself with information to customize the ideal diet, lifestyle, and workouts for your own optimal health and longevity. We also talk about some of his super cool wo

Russ Green is the Director of Government Relations and Research at CrossFit, Inc. His tenure at CrossFit started at the original CrossFit gym in Santa Cruz, CA where he admits he did not get along or care for Greg Glassman. He stuck around, continued to grow, and is now spearheading CrossFit’s defense against some the largest companies in the world in CrossFit’s efforts to raise awareness for health, longevity, and the benefits of functional fitness.   In this episode, the Shrugged crew digs deep in to the current state of CrossFit, Greene’s history with the company, moments where the company was under attack, and the future was uncertain.   Minute Breakdown:   1-10 What is the Director of Government Relations for CrossFit 11-20 Getting a luck break to work at CrossFit 21-30 is CrossFit the best methodology for training with all the new methodologies 31-40 Controversies in the CrossFit Community 41-50 Legally, what is CrossFit and battling for the trademark 51-60 The Russels and the final chapter of Russ Berg

Jordan just happens to be the trainer for one of the biggest social media beasts on the planet, Gary Vhee. Not only that, but he also happens to have one of the most informative and hilarious instagrams I have ever seen in my life. He’s obviously learned a thing or two from being around someone like Gary and I am here to integrate him about all that he’s learned while simultaneously trying to catch up with him and see what he’s been up to personally these days.    We both have very similar vibes, so getting the two of us together on an episode was just a great experience and I’m excited for all to listen. Enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Show notes: http://www.shruggedcollective.com/rc-syatt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ► Subscribe to Shrugged Collective's Channel Here http://bit.ly/BarbellShruggedSubscribe

Joe Gigantino Jr. has been a leading entrepreneur since his arrival in the Silicon Valley. After playing Division 1 football at Fresno State, Joe received a BS degree in Business Marketing.   Joe started his first business soon after graduation. Results Marketing was formed to help athletic facilities incorporate EFT transactions into their billing procedures.    In 1992, at the age of 25, he merged his business with a small athletic club in San Jose, California. Within 30 months, Joe grew the combined business to the 6th fastest growing private company in the Silicon Valley, as stated by the San Jose Business Journal. He was selected by the same publication as one of the top 30 executives under the age of 30 in the Valley. In that same year, Joe was chosen as 1 of 50 from a pool of 1,000 applicants, and the youngest to participate in the MIT “Birthing of Giants” Program. Joe sold his interest in the business in 1995 to a firm who took the chain public.    In 1997, Joe purchased his first athletic club buildi

Jim Wendler is the creator and author of the 5/3/1 Training Program. This program has been used by millions of athletes and lifters of all ages and abilities. Jim played football and graduated from the University of Arizona where he was a three-time letter winner. He went on to squat 1000 pounds in competition and is an accomplished Elite Lifter with a 2,375 pound total. He has coached high school athletes, collegiate athletes, trained general populations and spoken globally on the topics of strength training, conditioning, fat-loss, performance and program design. However, his greatest success is his ability to simplify the complexities of strength training into program variations so that anyone can apply them and achieve their goals.   Minute Breakdown:   0-10 – How Jim found the barbell and strength training 11-20 – Battling Grave Disease  21-30 – Training at Westside Barbell w/ Dave Tate 31-40 - Equipment vs. Raw powerlifting and reshaping the sport of powerlifting 41 -50 - Totaling elite in his first pow

Dr. Bo Babenko has been in the CrossFit world for over a decade as a gym member, a coach, a manager of a gym in Dubai, and most relevantly to this show, as a physical therapist. Bo has a unique ability to merge his analytical approach with a human impact for his clients and he is a massive asset to the Active Life 1 on 1 staff.    Sheila Rixon is a current Active Life 1 on 1 client who exemplifies exactly the type of clients who we are privileged to help. She had spent over $1000 in physical therapy, and years in a CrossFit gym to improve her aches and pains to no avail. She went all in with Active Life and got the life she longed for back.     What would you do if the gym, and your activities of daily living stopped being fun, and started being too painful to perform. You stop seeing your friends as often, you stop getting that emotional release, you lose part of who you are. This is essentially where Sheila found herself. The frustration was at its pique, and she decided to go all in. Find out what happened

Turns out you can have it all – if you’re intentional and mindful about what that means to you! Speaker, consultant, coach, and all-around superwoman Kristin Rowell chats with Ashleigh about her trajectory from lawyer to marathon runner to professional bodybuilder – and succeeding at all of them simultaneously –and how her unique mix of Type A personality and meditative mindset enabled her to find joy and health within a very busy lifestyle. They talk about the myth that you can’t train for endurance and strength at the same time; the myth that you can’t compete in bodybuilding and have a healthy mindset; and of course, the myth that only dudes like meathead things! This is a great discussion about the power, happiness, and self-discovery that can come from being truly intentional with your plans: creating and achieving goals that you set for your own intrinsic reasons, not for external validation.    Kristin helps lawyers, doctors, dentists, CEOs and other professionals maximize their time and energy.  Durin

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 has a PhD in Exercise Physiology, a BA in Natural Science, and an MS in Biomechanics. He’s an adjunct professor and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine.   He’s been called in to share his techniques with top government agencies. 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.   Minute Breakdown:   1-10 The truth behind CBD 11-20 Dosing CBD, costs, and delivery 21-30 Metabolic Flexibility 31-40 Is CBD actually beneficial 41-50 Does CBD neutralize the affects of THC 51-60 Importance of heart rate and HRV 61-70 HRV standardization and what is missing in measuring HRV 71- 80 Increasing aerobic capacity for HRV   Connect with Dr. Michael T. Nelson   Anders Varner