Peter Ballerstedt is a prominent figure in the fields of forage agronomy, ruminant nutrition, and sustainable agriculture. With a background in forage production and utilization, Ballerstedt has dedicated his career to promoting the importance of forage-based agriculture in supporting healthy ecosystems and livestock production systems. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Science in Agronomy from Oregon State University, and a Ph.D. in...

In today’s episode of Barbell Shrugged, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Coach Travis Mash dive into periodization models and a framework for longevity through the lens of health and performance. Longevity is a common goal. Unfortunately, it is impossible to define. How do you know if you are doing it right? Do you have to wait 40 years to find out all the at effort gave you 10 extra days? Longevity is great what you really want is a long life filled with performance goals that amounts to...

Dan Garner is a co-founder of RAPID Health Optimization which offers high-level, personalized online health and performance coaching for world class results. His coaching resume is second to none having worked with dozens of professional athletes, CEO’s, and Investors. Within his clientele he has worked with three superbowl champions, two UFC title winners, an Olympic gold medialist, two Olympic bronze medalists, three hall-of-fame inductees and two all-time world record breakers. In this...

Dr. Michael Miletic is a former Olympic athlete and a prominent physician specializing in clinical neuroscience and metabolic medicine. Dr. Miletic evaluates the brain, mind, and body and brings the latest science and evidence-based treatments to optimize your health. Specializing in athletes, executives, and adolescents looking to reach their full potential. Dr. Miletic’s comprehensive training and evidence-based research have enabled him to understand something many healthcare providers do...

Phil Heath is a renowned American bodybuilder. He gained widespread recognition in the world of professional bodybuilding, particularly for his impressive physique and numerous accolades. Heath's journey into bodybuilding began during his college years at the University of Denver, where he initially pursued basketball. However, he soon redirected his focus towards bodybuilding and started competing in NPC (National Physique Committee) competitions. In 2005, Heath won the NPC USA...

Dr. Christopher A. Perry, an Assistant Professor at Eastern Kentucky University, began his fitness journey at Penn State University, where he developed a robust background in Strength & Conditioning leading to 17 years in the industry to date. His academic path, leading through a PhD at Arizona State University, deepened his expertise in Exercise Science & Sports, Sleep & Circadian Rhythms, and Nutrition. Chris's current research focuses on sleep, movement analysis, and CO2...

In today’s episode of Barbell Shrugged, Bryan Boorstein is back to discuss Heart Rate Recovery. Heart rate recovery refers to the rate at which a person's heart rate decreases after a period of exercise. It is a crucial indicator of cardiovascular fitness and overall health. After intense physical activity, a healthy individual's heart rate should gradually return to its resting rate within a certain timeframe. Slower heart rate recovery may signify poor cardiovascular conditioning and an...

In this episode, Doug Larson, Travis Mash and Anders Varner catch up on the Olympic trials, international weightlifting meets, and Anders’ pursuit of a 6-minute mile. Coach Travis Mash has been out for a couple weeks as he has traveled the world for international weightlifting meets leading up to the USA Olympic Qualifiers for weightlifting. We initially discuss Anders' pursuit of the 6-minute mile, with training insights, and move into weight cuts, jet lag, performance and recovery, for...

Alan Kenny is a performance nutritionist with over 10 years experience supporting teams, athletes and executives to optimize their health. Holding a degree in Exercise Science and a Masters in Sports Nutrition, Alan has also lectured at University level in Ireland and currently heads a performance lab in an executive medical clinic in Vancouver, Canada. His work here is focused on optimizing health over a person’s lifespan using modern tools such as blood-work analysis, VO2 and DEXA scans. ...

As an Educator and Coach at SH/FT, Emily Hightower leverages her expertise in the neurophysiology of trauma and resilience to help clients master their stress response and improve their quality of life. By combining over 25 years of experience as a breathing expert, yoga teacher, river guide, and wilderness EMT, Emily empowers high performers to disrupt limits, align with nature, and heal their bodies and minds. Emily developed SH/FT’s Skill of Stress course and teaches the N=1 Exposure...

Professor Phillips is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health in Aging. He is a Professor in Kinesiology, and Graduate Faculty in the School of Medicine at McMaster University. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (FCAHS) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). His research is focused on the impact of nutrition and exercise on the mechanisms of human skeletal muscle protein turnover. He is also keenly interested in diet- and exercise-induced...

Pratik Patel is a health and performance coach, speaker, advisor, and consultant to sports teams, startups, and VC groups in the health, wellness, and performance realm. Pratik brings unique perspectives gained from his time in high level elite sport (NFL) to enhance the health and performance of individuals in the real world. Using his internal and external health approach and stress adaptation frameworks along with technology and wearables Pratik helps his clients implement effective...

Dr. Christopher A. Perry, an Assistant Professor at Eastern Kentucky University, began his fitness journey at Penn State University, where he developed a robust background in Strength & Conditioning leading to 17 years in the industry to date. His academic path, leading through a PhD at Arizona State University, deepened his expertise in Exercise Science & Sports, Sleep & Circadian Rhythms, and Nutrition. Chris's current research focuses on sleep, movement analysis, and CO2...

In today’s episode of Barbell Shrugged, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis sit down with Anders coach, Dr. Mike T. Nelson. For those that have followed the show, you know Anders has been in pursuit of running a sub-6 minute mile at the age of 40. Dr. Nelson is the coach Anders hired to help with that goal. In this episode the crew walks through program design, initial intake, and execution of how to build cardiovascular fitness. You will learn performance tests used to design Anders...

In today’s episode of Barbell Shrugged, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis dive into the thought process and strategies we use to build a positive conversation around fitness and nutrition. We dig into the proper framing of how to eat, the benefits of specific foods, and the steps we take to ensure our kids are eating well. We also discuss the steps we take to ensure our kids see fitness as a healthy part of life by being outside, seeing us train, and celebrating an active lifestyle. ...

Juliet Starrett and Dr. Kelly Starrett are pioneers of mobility. They’ve spent decades working with athletes of all types, teaching them how to move better to reach peak physical performance. Their revolutionary teachings on movement and the body present an easily achievable roadmap, which they have outlined in their new book Built to Move. Kelly and Juliet teach audiences how to seamlessly implement ten essential mobility habits that can be worked into even the busiest of schedules to...

Jason Phillips is the founder and CEO of Nutritional Coaching Institute. NCI’s mission is to empower and inspire a global community of health and wellness enthusiasts, with the goal of positively impacting the lives of 1 billion people. They are dedicated to equipping nutritional coaches with cutting-edge knowledge and resources to transform lives through optimal nutrition and holistic well-being. Drawing upon their extensive expertise amassed over the years, they have become renowned for...

Alex Auerbach is a counseling and performance psychologist currently working as an executive in professional sports.  He has been fortunate to work with the best athletes in the world in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and Olympians, as well as high-performers in other domains like elite military units, Fortune 5 companies, and venture-backed start-ups. In addition to his training as a psychologist, Alex is a former college football coach and NFL employee. I've been a part of several venture-backed...

Eric Helms PhD, CSCS is the Chief Science Officer of 3DMJ. He helps the team members play to their strengths, stay up to date with best practice, and acts as a science communicator, helping lifters find sustainable pathways to high performance.    Eric is the chief author of the Muscle and Strength Pyramids, a founder of and reviewer for Monthly Applications in Strength Sport, and is a research fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand at Auckland University of...

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.   Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003 and was dubbed by The M.I.T. Technology Review as, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Bloomberg Businessweek wrote, “Nir Eyal is the habits guy. Want to understand how to get app...

Michael Ruscio is a DC, clinical researcher, and author working fervently to reform and improve the fields of functional and integrative health. With his clinical and research teams, he scours existing studies to inform his ongoing clinical research, patient care, and guidance for health seekers and fellow clinicians around the world. His primary focus is digestive health and its impact on other facets of health, including energy, sleep, mood, and thyroid function and optimization.  Dr....

In this episode of Barbell Shrugged, Dan Garner and Travis Mash discuss the relationship between blood work and high performance. In this episode you will learn: How to find internal stressors that hold back performance Where to unlock performance gains by improving energy Locating stressors and how to manage cortisol How to build a better relationship with your athletes through blood work How to adjust training programs based on blood work   Travis Mash on Instagram Dan...

Tommy Wood is a Senior Fellow in the Pediatrics Department at the University of Washington, and Chief Scientific Officer of Nourish Balance Thrive, an online-based company using advanced biochemical testing to optimize performance in athletes. Tommy was born in the US to Icelandic and British parents (which means he has three passports in two different names). He was predominantly raised in the UK, but also spent periods of time at school in Iceland, Germany, and France. Tommy received a...

Ashleigh is an author, speaker, podcast host, health coach, and leading authority on understanding the nutrient density of animal protein: she’s the author of one of the only nose-to-tail, organ-meat centric cookbooks in existence, called It Takes Guts. Her latest cookbook, co-authored with Beth Lipton, is called Carnivore-ish. She is the co-host of the Muscle Science for Women podcast with Rachel Gregory—with more than 1.5 million downloads— where she interviews some of the leading minds in...