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

In 2004, Jeff and Mikki Martin (@thebrandxmethod) imagined a better future for youth and began working toward that future by developing the original strength-and-conditioning program specifically designed for kids. Almost 15 years later, they continue to do what’s best for kids on a daily basis with The Brand X Method™, the world leader in youth fitness.   The Martins teach and speak all over the world; sit on the boards of fitness industry-leading organizations such as StandUp Kids and TeenLIFT; and are partnering with OPEX Fitness, the International Functional Fitness Federation, and Kerri Walsh’s p1440. They recently launched the first seminar in their new The Art of Growing Up Strong ™ live seminar series. The Brand X Method is currently represented worldwide by dozens of official Training Centers.   With decades of collective coaching experience between them in fitness and self-defense, the Martins have developed a method for optimal youth athletic development that combines state-of-the-art movement skil

Canadian-born Valentine Thomas (@valentinethomas) is a trained lawyer who worked in finance in London for six years before leaving it all to travel the world and spread the word about eating and fishing responsibly. She’s a Freediving Instructor with PADI, professional traveller, accomplished chef, TEDx speaker, entrepreneur and soon-to-be cookbook author.   Learn why a trained lawyer left her cushy job and life in London to live in her car before becoming a freediver, spearfisher, chef, and sustainable fishing and eating advocate. We discuss the risks and joys of working in the ocean; the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated profession; how she got over a near-drowning and subsequent fear of the water by becoming a freediving instructor; tips on how to hunt, shop, and eat sustainably and ethically; and why it’s important to spend your time doing what you love (even if it’s risky).   Episode Breakdown:   4-16 Why Valentine quit her lucrative career to become a spearfisher and free diver, and what i

Mathew Fraser (@mathewfras) is an American professional CrossFit Athlete. With a coined mantra of “Hard Work Pays Off” (HWPO), he has been a dominant force on the CrossFit Games stage since the beginning of his career defining a legacy in the sport. In 2014, his debut year at the CrossFit Games, he claimed 2nd place atop the podium and was awarded Rookie of the Year. In 2015, as the favorite to win, he claimed 2nd place again. Fraser recalls this 2015 moment not as a “win for 2nd” but a “loss for 1st”. In 2016, Fraser hit the competition floor and took 1st place, it was the first historic victory of his career, winning by the largest margin of victory in Games History. In 2017 and 2018 Fraser repeated not only his overall finish but each year has bested his own set record for winning by the larger margin of victory in Games History. In 2016 he led by 197 points, in 2017 he led by 216 points and in 2018 he led by 220 points. Fraser holds accolades in competitive sport before his time as reigning and defending

I'm teaming up with two CrossFit OGs for this episode, comin' atcha from Wodapalooza weekend! As veterans of Regionals, the Games, podcasting in the fitness community, gym-owning, and everything in between, Blair (@morrison_blair) and Ben (@ironmile_ben) need no introduction—which is why they don't get one. We get right down to airing our unfiltered opinions on Sectionals, Ben Smith's post about event programming, Rich Froning's shoes, Jen Widerstrom, and why the CrossFit community brings together the most awesome people.

  Dr. Matt Kreinheder is a transformational healer, speaker, and coach. He has a doctorate in chiropractic, a master's degree in acupuncture and has professionally written for publications all over the globe. Dr. Matt has been trained at the highest level of Network Spinal Analysis and mentored under Donny Epstein, a world renowned healer. Dr. Matt helps entrepreneurs and high performers step into the next level of who their soul is calling them to be.   After 4 college degrees, running his own business and studying some of the most transformational and profound healing work in the world, Dr. Matt came to the realization that something wasn’t working. He was helping people but there was a gap, an incongruity that was both stifling his happiness and his impact on the world. Dr. Matt realized that he was being called to more. In 2011 he realized that he had to get crystal clear on his soul purpose After an intensive writing and self discovery process Dr. Matt found his purpose in helping others become their mor

Jesse Elder’s (@jesseelderlive) own journey to self-mastery unfolded as he grew up in a family of 7. Being homeschooled, Jesse was given the gift by his parents of being largely self-directed in his education and spent hours exploring ideas that interested him. At the age of 9 Jesse was introduced to martial arts. Hitting the mats every week became a passion that would play a powerful role throughout Jesse’s life.   Coming out of his teenage years, Jesse learned that some things in life are too important to ignore and even though it might be uncomfortable, you must do what you think is right. This lesson helped give Jesse the courage to open his own school, which eventually transformed into him realizing that big ideas aren’t just for one person, but for anyone who desires more out of their life. The result of this realization is his website, jesseelder.com, which is a “vault” of mind videos at anyone's disposal.   In this episode we talk with Jesse about unconditional acceptance of self, developing a mindset

Devon Larratt (@devlarratt) is a world champion arm wrestler (in both arms) and received mainstream fame with his YouTube video defeating The Mountain Thor Bjornsson in an armwrestling match. He’s also a twenty-year veteran of the Canadian military, with time spent in an elite special forces unit, and one of the most dedicated athletes on the planet–with a healthy dose of humor, stoicism, and just plain genetic freakiness.   In this deep-dive interview with Devon, we talk about how he found the sport of armwrestling, how he came to dominate the sport–including his training, diet, mindset, and even psychological warfare tactics against his opponents. We also talk about his military service and how he is able to transfer the intensity and stress of that job to help him excel in his chosen sport, and in life in general. We also go on tangents including drugs and drug testing in armwrestling, how women are navigating the traditionally male-dominated sport, and pain and injury management— and how many arms Devon’s

Dr. Jordan Shallow (@the_muscle_doc) is a chiropractor and a competitive powerlifter who champions getting movement right, from the outset. Jordan's patients range from world-class athletes to 9-5 weekend warriors. Understanding the needs of each individual and subsequent demand of each of their lifestyles is the cornerstone on which his clinical practice is built. In this episode of Barbell Shrugged,  we talk to Dr. Shallow about research clickbait, the 3 pillars of evidence based research, why he thinks the hip thrust is BS (@ Bret Contreras), taking ownership of your healthcare, why learning terrifies people, and much more.   Enjoy! - Anders and Doug   Episode Breakdown: ⚡️0-10: Sliding into the DM’s and the hip thrust vs. front squat controversy ⚡️11-20: Research clickbait, the 3 pillars of evidence-based research, and why Dr. Shallow thinks the hip thrust is B.S. (yes, he and Bret Contreras have talked) ⚡️21-30: Injury risk management, the problem with the T-bar row, and knowing why you’re doing specific

Chandler Smith (@blacksmifff) is making a name for himself in the fitness world while holding it down in the Army—except for one time he got his finger chopped off. (You bet that story is included in this episode!) But he's fine, and crushing it on the Misfit team at Wodapalooza.   What does it take to be an athlete with a brand? We talk about the way the game has changed, being competitive while working a day job, and how sometimes you just need to fail until something works. Chandler gives us a glimpse into the influence Army training has had on his fitness career, and tells us what's next for him.   It may not always love us back (injuries, bad judges, the new Games qualification format) but we've got a lot of appreciation for this sport and all the crazy people we get to do it with. Whether you're a failed athlete in another sport, or you peaked and needed a new outlet, or you're just a savage addicted to the pain cave, there's room for you.   Now get out there and kill it! -Ryan   1:00 How the game has c

Max Shank (@maxshank) has written 3 books and taught over a hundred courses in countries around the world. These experiences have allowed Max to help 10's of Thousands of people across the globe improve their lives through physical fitness. Max has also had the pleasure to operate one of the best gyms in Encinitas, CA called Ambition Athletics, where hundreds of people get better every day. Max likes to experiment and explore the human condition. He believes that there is so much joy to be had from taking great care of your body and enjoying humans ability to navigate the world in a limitless variety of ways. If you get the wild idea to take up tennis, kickboxing, wakeboarding, or gymnastics in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, Max wants to make sure you can do it-- without the fear of getting injured.   In this episode of The Strong Coach, Mike and Danny talk with Max about how to adopt the craftsman mentality, why humans need challenge to evolve, the power of taking care of the individual to preserve the commu

Conner Moore (@connerwanders) has spent years working with individuals and groups. The experience of reaching so many people led Conner to notice that everyone has an undeniable urge to connect to others with purpose and confidence in their contribution. Conner started to seek an understanding of what keeps us from accessing the fundamental human desire to be seen and understood. He became obsessed with removing what was limiting us from tapping into the most full and expressive versions of ourselves.   Conner’s obsession started a journey that led to the creation of The Realness and The Lifestyle Design Coaching programs. Sharing these experiences is Conner’s passion and he is incredibly grateful to work with others to take genuine ownership of their lives. Conner also created The Realness Podcast and Realness Retreat Costa Rica to further his ability to create connection and understanding for others.   In this episode, we talk with Conner about the 10 year challenge, frat life, finding your way through dark

Dr. Sean Pastuch (@drseanpastuch) is a doctor, coach, educator, coach to athletes, and founder of Active Life Rx, which he founded with a belief that the world deserves better solutions than the current modern medical model. Active Life Rx is the only company in the world helping thousands of people to get out of pain without going to the doctor or missing the gym. They also educate health care providers and fitness professionals on how to provide solutions to their clients the way we do for ours. In this episode of Barbell Shrugged,  we talk to Dr. Sean Pastuch about developing professional coaches, why clarity of vision is the most important conversation you will have in any relationship, finding your niche, and how to create space for mentorship both for yourself and those you are developing.   Enjoy!   - Anders and Doug   Episode Breakdown:   ⚡️0-10: Why the fitness industry is failing coaches ⚡️11-20: The system Dr. Pastuch has created to develop better coaches and why you should have a target audience ⚡

Armen Hammer and I go way back to the early days of throwing barbells around. We've both been through some major transitions and seen a ton of changes happen in the CrossFit space. It's been a couple years, so we had a lot of catching up to do when we met up in Florida during Wodapalooza weekend.   After leaving the Wodcast Podcast, Armen worked for FloElite until they downsized. He saw an opportunity and set out to become the SportsCenter of CrossFit. You need the new format explained in layman's terms? Armen's your guy (there's another Waterworld reference here, so it's obviously important and if you haven't watched it by now, stop what you're doing and MAKE IT HAPPEN). And because he's not affiliated with CrossFit, he can curate his content however he likes, with complete unfiltered creative freedom. There's at least one perk of landing yourself on HQ's bad side.   We talk about social media, what the different platforms are ideal for, how Twitter should just die already, and what my MySpace looked like ba

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