Straight Shot Radio

Ep. 21: Scientific Principles of Training

Creating workout programs is just as much of an art as it is a science. When it comes to being a science, there are some proven systems that we as coaches need to abide by in order to create effective and safe workouts for our clients or athletes. In this episode, I share with you The 7 Principles of Training. These scientifically proven concepts apply to all training programs for better or for worse depending on whether they’re being used correctly or not (that's where the art of coaching comes in). As I go through each, I explain how each of them relates to how I program the workouts in the Straight Shot Training program.

Ep. 20: From The Booth To The Race Course with Pat Mendonca

Being a radio DJ isn’t exactly the healthiest, most active job. You spend hours a day on air in a booth, and then more time sitting at a desk editing audio and writing scripts. Combine that with restaurants donating food constantly for reviews and the ease and convenience of fast food while working long hours, and you can see how someone like this episode's guest can end up living a sedentary lifestyle and struggling with obesity. Pat Mendonca is a radio DJ and just a few years ago weighed 266lbs. After making small changes which turned into bigger changes in both his diet and his exercise, Pat has lost 80lbs and has run in several half marathons, 10 milers, and 5Ks. After getting his own health under control, this November Pat is paying it forward by highlighting men’s health issues on his radio show and his podcast (The Interesting People Podcast). Pat's energy, positivity, and sense of humor shine in this encouraging and informative interview. 

Ep. 19: 200lbs Later with Denise Hanton

Denise Hanton was faced with the seriousness of obesity when she witnessed family members suffering from the effects of diabetes and dying from heart attacks. Knowing that she had to make a lifestyle change to save her own life, Denise sought the help of a dietician and made the commitment to lose weight and get healthy. 2 years later, she’s lost 200lbs and continues to improve her health by eating correctly and exercising throughout the week.

Ep. 18: Donuts With Interns vol 2: The Catch Up

Grab a donut and catch up with Delaney and Brandon now that they've been training for me for a couple of months! We get into how they're enjoying their new jobs as personal trainers after their internship and I answer some questions along with them that I've received recently. We get into foot placement on squats, strategies to get your first pullup, and how to become a personal trainer. We finish with a quick talk about some health and fitness topics that we feel are over and underrated, with some thoughts that may surprise you...All of this with the help of some glazed donuts from Maple Donuts because health and fitness is all about balance! 

Ep. 17: What We Can Learn From Bodybuilders with Ricky Williams

When we talk about functional fitness, we typically mean we’re training movements, not muscles. We’re trying to do things in the gym that mimic things in everyday life outside of it. My goal as a coach for my athletes is to have them moving well and feeling great whether their sport is on a field, in an office, on a construction site, in a classroom, at home, or anywhere else. Bodybuilding takes a different approach to fitness, where the athletes are trying to maximize muscle size and definition, acheive body symmetry, and reduce bodyfat to ultra low levels for competitions. While many sports have their dangers and drawbacks, for some reason the functional fitness world has ALWAYS been at odds with the bodybuilding world. This is where my guest and I hope to serve as ambassadors to find some common ground between the two. In this episode I sit down with my college roommate Ricky Williams to talk about the similar methods that our practices have and what functional fitness athletes and coaches can learn from bodybuilders.

Ep. 16: Rapid Weight Loss, Stand Up Desks, and Testosterone Boosters

In today’s fitness world the lines are often blurred between genuine advice, and gimmicky advertising. That’s why one of the goals of this show is to provide a clear, no nonsense approach to fitness and health. In this episode, I'll answer a few questions that have been posed to me recently regarding rapid weight loss and it's effect on strength, the benefits of stand up desks, and the safety and efficacy of testosterone boosting supplements. 

Ep. 15: Mobilizing: The New Way to Warm Up

For me, warming up correctly has always just felt right. But the more I study various warm up methods and the science behind them, the more convinced I am of the importance of priming the body for exercise. Not only does mobility work help you move in better positions to keep you safe during exercise, it can actually improve your performance. In today’s episode, I want to share with you why I feel this specific warm up strategy is such an integral part of a training program, and how you can implement these tactics into your own workouts to have you moving well, and feeling great!

Ep. 14: How To Teach Yourself...Anything!

Every wanted to teach yourself a new skill, movement, or trick? Here is the method I've used to teach myself backflips, presses to handstand, ring movements, and other gymnastics elements as well as Olympic lifting, juggling, slacklining, and as of this past week, skimboarding. I won’t call myself an expert at any of these movements, and the bruises and scrapes on my legs from the skimboard confirm this, but I love the process of learning new skills. While everyone learns differently, and each skill has it’s own unique set of challenges, this model has helped me as an athlete AND as a coach who teaches others how to move for a living. So hopefully you’ll find some helpful tips along the way and can apply it to learn something cool!

Ep. 13: Deploying Patience

Aristotle said, “Patience is bitter, but it’s fruit is sweet.” We all know being patient is difficult, especially since in today’s society, since it’s not that often that we have to wait for something. When it comes to health and fitness though, there aren't any shortcuts; At least not ones that create any lasting change or actual results. ACSM Personal Trainer and Coach Coach Rebecca Reifsnider (see Ep. 2 for her story) joins me for a conversation about the importance of practicing patience and why consistency over time is paramount to your success. 

Ep. 12: Your Workout Playlist Matters!

If you’re like most gym goers, you’re probably not working out in silence. If you’re ever forgotten your headphones and have had to workout without any music, you know how much it helps and how much you miss it when it’s not there. But have you ever wondered why working out with music is so much better than exercising without it?

I break down a study in this episode that examined music’s effect on exercise performance and offer some thoughts as to why it’s such a potent component of your routine. I also share what goes into designing playlists for my group training sessions, and explain why my own workouts have very different playlists depending on what I’m doing.

Have a favorite artist, album, or song you like to workout to? Comment below so I can check it out!

Ep. 11: Increasing Flexibility and Utilizing Isolation Movements

Flexibility decreases as you age, but you can do something to combat it! I get into detail on this topic along with answering another question regarding flexibility and knee pain, and go into my defense of the proper use of isolation movements in our 2nd Q&A show.

I lay out many of the flexibility and mobility strategies out there and how to use each to keep mobile, get the most out of your workouts, and resolve injuries that come from tight muscles. Some are better than others, so hopefully this will help you figure out which one’s best for you!

I also get into the hot button topic of isolation movements. They get a lot of hate in the functional fitness world, but I think they’re largely misunderstood and underutilized. I explain when and why to use certain single-joint exercises in your program to make you a better, safer mover.

Ep. 10: An Unrelenting Will to Overcome with Jim Salley

Jim was born with a severe vision impairment, but has never let anyone else tell him what he can’t do. He has run over 20 marathons and half marathons and is an active cyclist. At almost 55 years old, Jim decided to switch careers to pursue his passion of helping others and now works as a personal trainer. He truely lives out the “no excuses” mantra on a daily basis and is living proof that if you want something in life, you have to put in the work to make it happen. Jim shares his story with us in this episode, filled with motivation, humor, and honesty.