Mark Bell's Powercast

When weight-loss diets work, they work by creating a caloric deficit and not through any other magic. We’ve established that with our experts on the show already. We’ve also established that cutting out a whole category of nutrient --like cutting carbs in a ketogenic diet – can accomplish a calorie reduction. But what if you cut everything but meat? You may be accomplishing the goal of reducing calories, but at what nutritional cost? Jason Phillips joined us to ponder this diet and share thoughts about whether it’s a good idea…apart from whether or not it’s effective. Jason is the founder of iN³ Nutrition and the Nutritional Consulting Institute. Jason has written for several publications including Men’s Fitness and his own book, Macros Explained: Your Ultimate Guide to Macronutrient Prescription for Health, Performance, and Aesthetics and Macros Applied: Bridging the Gap from Science to Application.  Here’s what we came up with on our own: If there’s no real downside to eating vegetables, why not eat them?

No guest for this quick bonus episode. We sat down to brainstorm a little about our mission with this show in light of changes coming to the categories in Apple Podcasts. Our main category “Fitness and Nutrition” is being split up, and “Self-help” -- in which we're also listed -- is going away. Mental Health is being added as well as Self Improvement (under Education). These changes are supposed to occur later in this Summer (2019). That prompted us to discuss what self-help means, and ponder a few other questions: How often the words self-help NOT followed by the word “guru?” If self-help is such a huge category for books, why take that category away from podcasts? We try hard not to take any guru stances, but what are we really? How much of self-help is really mental health self-care, and how much is actually self-improvement (gaining new information or learning new skills)? How do we make the information we provide more findable in this new environment? We also touch on anxiety and depression as they rel

Keto diets have been the new hotness for a while, but do they actually make sense for most people? Is it a better diet for athletes, couch potatoes…or both Jason Phillips joined us to unpack this fat-laden diet choice. Jason is the founder of iN³ Nutrition and the Nutritional Consulting Institute. Jason has written for several publications including Men’s Fitness and his own book, Macros Explained: Your Ultimate Guide to Macronutrient Prescription for Health, Performance, and Aesthetics and Macros Applied: Bridging the Gap from Science to Application hits the market in February of 2019.   Here’s what we came up with on our own: Do people even understand what keto is? How low should carbs really be on keto? Is all that fat really more satiating? Are the arguments for keto largely cherry picked from studies that really aren’t that supportive? Was keto’s popularity driven by a marketing angle? What has inspired keto zealotry? Are there gender differences in how the diet performs? Our ideas start about 11:39. J

VR games are probably never going to replace lifting weights, but could they make cardio more fun…and more likely to get done? Dr. Jimmy Bagley is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, and Director of the Muscle Physiology Lab, Co-Director of the Exercise Physiology Lab, and Research Director of the Strength and Conditioning Lab at SF State. His department has conducted studies using VR games to test how humans respond to exercise performed in virtual reality and augmented reality environments. We got him on the line to run down exactly how those studies worked, but first we took our own stab at this question. Here’s what we came up with: It seems very likely to work, but will this really get people off the couch? How available is this technology? If this really works well, will globo-gyms someday have VR rooms in place of bike/cardio rooms? Do people workout longer when they’re competing against others in a game environment? How similar is it to the recent experience Mike had at local bike gym All City Rid

You often see a disclaimer on a diet article or commercial that goes something like, “Please see a doctor before starting any exercise program.” What are they supposed to be looking for? We often hear about “health markers.” What are they? Bottomline: How do doctors decide if you’re generally healthy? Here’s what we came up with: Is there some standard list of results that matter the most? How important are HDL, LDL, and triglycerides? Are resting heart rate and blood pressure more or less critical?? What other tests might be important in determining whether you’re at immediate risk, or is even possible to know? Dr. Spencer Nadolsky is a practicing board-certified family medicine physician. After a successful athletic career at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, he enrolled in medical school at Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg. He aspired to change the world of medicine by supporting lifestyle over drugs (when possible). He specializes in Obesity Medicine. And yes, he l

This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. For a limited time only, they are offering our listeners an entire Month for FREE! Check out the Entrepreneur’s Tool Kit. It’s a great fit for the topic of this episode. Start your free month trial today using our special URL: Thegreatcoursesplus.com/FACTS Episode Notes: Many of you have probably dreamed about being your own boss. Maybe even opening your own gym. We pose that question to a guy who’s done it…and succeeded. Mike shares his first experiences with starting businesses, and how opening a gym didn’t go as planned. Here are some additional factors we talked about: How much does location matter? Where are your members/clients going to come from, and how will you reach them? How broadly (or narrowly) should you be defining your target membership? What kinds of costs do you need to think about related to opening the business and the facility? What are you willing to risk in order to start a brick and mortar business like a gym? Can you afford to kee

This episode is sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. For a limited time only, they are offering our listeners an entire Month for FREE! Start your free month trial today using our special URL: Thegreatcoursesplus.com/FACTS Episode Notes: Say you don’t have access to the kind of gym you want to lift in, or any gym period…but you have a garage (or something similar)? What’s absolutely essential to making a home gym work for you, and about how much money would you need to spend? Here’s what we came up with: Spend as little as possible…or as much as possible? What’s the minimum equipment you need? Are dumbbells and specialty bars necessary? Is flooring a critical element or a luxury How much is a decent power rack? How do you keep from busting up the floor? Alan Thrall joins us with his experienced take on this topic. Alan is the owner of Untamed Strength, a strongman/powerlifting gym in Sacramento, CA. (The term we were looking for about Alan’s service as a Marine was “body bearer.”)  Alan makes some specific

It’s a BONUS episode! And there are SPOILERS! Obviously, we wanted talk about the end of Game of Thrones. It’s not that we’re terribly upset about it, but wow there’s a lot of pissed off people on the internet. Beyond that, it got us thinking about our personal stories, about beginnings and endings, and how difficult it might be to tell the true story of someone’s life in a film or TV show. Here’s what we came up with: What did we love and hate most about the way the individual stories played out at the end of the show? To what extent do each of us plot out our personal stories in our heads before we make big decisions?  If we know where we want to end up, how do we choose our steps along the way? How much impact do comments from people on YouTube and social media about the decisions we’ve made (that affect who we work with and the content we produce) have on us? How is storytelling different in fiction vs documentary/real life? We’re joined on the panel in the first segment by Connor O’Neal who produces th

Seems like we’ve been hearing about the dangers of too much salt for decades because of its effect on blood pressure, but lately we’ve seen recommendations about adding salt to your diet for better performance. Is salt really dangerous? Does it actually help you perform better? Here’s what we came up with: Does salt always affect blood pressure? Why would additional salt improve performance? Are some kinds of salt better or worse for you? Why have always been told to avoid? Do powerlifters need sports drinks like Gatorade? Dr. Spencer Nadolsky is a practicing board-certified family medicine physician. After a successful athletic career at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, he enrolled in medical school at Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg. He aspired to change the world of medicine by supporting lifestyle over drugs (when possible). He specializes in Obesity Medicine. And yes, he lifts. Our ideas start about 11:20. Dr. Nadolsky joins us about 19:00. He outlines the situa

This episode is sponsored by Green Chef. Use our link for $50 off your first order: greenchef.us/facts Episode notes: Nutrition coach Jason Phillips joins us for this episode. Serious strength, aesthetic, and health goals can seem to require very different nutritional strategies, but what are the things they have in common?  Here’s what we came up with: How often do strength athletes use their goals as an excuse for bad eating habits? Is it food choice or food quantity that matters most? Do carbs and aesthetics really not go together? What role do performance enhancing drugs play in these goals? How is “health” defined?   Our ideas start about 8:40. Jason joins us about 16:50. We kick off the episode talking about neglecting Instagram, Black Mirror, and gore porn. Here’s one of the first projects that we worked on together. Jason Phillips is the founder of iN³ Nutrition and the Nutritional Consulting Institute. Jason has written for several publications including Men’s Fitness and his own book, Macros Expl

Is deadlifting bad for your back? w/Squat University’s Dr. Aaron Horshchig  IF you heard this deadlift episode last week under the title “Why do people think squats are bad for your back?” go back and re-download that title and you’ll get the correct episode on squatting. ____ How many times have you heard someone say they don’t want to deadlift because they’re afraid they’ll hurt their back? Too many.   Neither of us have had back pain issues caused specifically by deadlifts, so we tried to think of reasons that people might actually believe this. Here’s what we came up with: If your back rounds when you pull, are you more likely to get hurt? Will improving your form protect you from injury or should you just “pull how you pull?” What about people who don’t pull with good form and never seem to get injured? What role do your spinal erectors play in the deadlift anyway? Aren’t your hamstrings more at risk anyway when you pull? Our ideas start about 17:00. Aaron weighs in at about 24:00 with some wisdom from

Is it an old wives tale that squatting is bad for your knees? Or is there actually data behind it? Here’s what we came up with: Maybe there’s a body type that’s bad for squatting? Is the leg press somehow better? Does it possibly cause tendonitis/tendinopathy? How did this whole thing get started in the first place? Is it bad if your knee get too far over your toes?   Our ideas start about 9:58. Eavesdrop on our candid conversation with Aaron starting at 17:27 on continuing to learn and challenge yourself while working in your field. Immediately after, we transition to this episode’s main question. He explains how a theory about “stretching tendons” from a man named Karl Klein, and a subsequent 1962 article in Sports Illustrated, led to squatting being banned all over the place. We discuss arthritis, genetics, and how stimulus + recovery = adaptation should always be considered. As a physical therapist, Aaron works with Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, Cross Fitters, international level soccer players,

So many people are focusing on building personal brands or becoming “influencers”--  often through social media, YouTube, podcasts, etc. – but has the time already passed? Will it still work if you start today? We asked our good friend Omar Isuf for his perspective -- and advice -- relative to this question. Omar is a successful YouTube content creator from Canada, a partner with Silent Mike and Bart Kwan on Kizen Training, as well has pursuing other business ventures. He's also a keen observer of media. Mike kicks off the discussion with the theory that hitting it big in social media is becoming as rare and unlikely as making it in the NBA. Eventually the real question comes: can you actually make a living through these avenues if you didn’t start five or ten years ago? We talked through a number of factors: Is it harder to stand out now…or actually easier? What’s possible now that didn’t used to be? Is it too late to make money on YouTube through “easy” monetization? Does taking “cheap” sponsorships impact

We had some fun with this episode by breaking format and having an extended conversation with our good friend, Omar Isuf. Omar is a successful YouTube content creator, a partner with Silent Mike and Bart Kwan on Kizen Training, as well has pursuing other business ventures. He's also a keen observer of media. We talked about a variety of topics, but one central theme was effective storytelling in popular culture: Can’t anybody make a movie that’s not about a superhero anymore? Why do some stories resonate more than others? How does a good story cause you to suspend disbelief? Does the kind of story you enjoy reflect how you think about yourself? Here’s a link to the Star Wars line that Mark Hamill refused to say.  (Yes, we discussed Avengers: End Game and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.) In our next episode, we get down to business and tackle the question “Is it too late to get a huge following on YouTube and social media?” You can find Omar on his hugely successful YouTube channel. And on Instagram as @o

Can people really just “suck it up” and stay disciplined and motivated? This question was prompted by a recent episode of the Joe Rogan experience.    Some of our thoughts on this question: If you choose a particular diet or workout because it’s easier for you to stick to, are you making a smart move or showing your lack of discipline? How much of a role does your self-created identity play in maintaining your motivation? Why do some people have all the discipline they need to accomplish whatever they want while others struggle?   Dr. Johnson draws on his experience working with athletes and executives to offer observations about what makes high performers tick, and strategies to help the rest of us. We jump right in with our ideas. Matt starts sharing his insight at around 15:00. You can find Dr. Johnson at his website drmattjohnson.com   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Jose

Seems like a lot of lifters we know are always complaining about “tendonitis,” so we asked physical therapist (and founder of Squat University) Dr. Aaron Horschig the help us straighten out our understanding of what they’re really talking about – and potentially how to fix it. As a physical therapist, he works with Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, Cross Fitters, international level soccer players, MLB and NFL athletes. He’s currently working with our friend, powerlifter J. P. Price. Here’s what we came up with: When people talk about “inflammation” in their tendons, is that what it actually is? Is tendonitis even the right term? If there is pain, where is it actually coming from? What works to heal/repair tendons that cause pain, but are not torn through? IFG-1?   Our ideas start about 9:22. Aaron starts dropping knowledge starting at around 19:20. You can find Aaron at his website Squat University, on Instagram @squat_university, on YouTube Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmc

For a lot of athletes, physical recovery from injury is only half the battle. How long does it take to learn to trust your body again?  Does the mental aspect affect everyone or are some people just immune? How do you keep the mental in line with the physical? Are you prone to pushing too hard, not hard enough, or some of both? How do you deal with setbacks? What approaches do professional athletes take to get their heads back in the game?  Dr. Johnson draws on his experience working with athletes and executives to offer observations about what makes high performers tick, and strategies to help the rest of us. We jump right in with our ideas. Matt starts dropping knowledge starting at around 17:20. You can find Dr. Johnson at his website drmattjohnson.com   Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

Not all exercises are created equal. That much is certain. But are any of them at best a complete waste of time, and at worst, damaging? Some of our questions were: Does anybody need Jawzercize? Do hip thrusts really do anything for powerlifters? Behind the neck presses? Those have to be bad, right? Or is everything useful in the right context? Dr. Jordan Shallow is a chiropractor and competitive powerlifter. He gives us his take on the utility of a number of exercises, and makes some important points about the need for strength versus the need for stability. Our ideas start at about 5:00. Jordan starts dropping knowledge starting at around 14:30. It was great to have Jordan on the show. You can find him on Instagram: @the_muscle_doc and his website at pre-script.com Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

Dr. Matt Johnson, a Certified Sport Psychology Consultant (and former Notre Dame quarterback), joins us to discuss a fundamental question about performance under pressure. Our thoughts: Are some people just born to be gamers? To perform at a high level in the clutch? Can regular people learn to handle pressure situations better? Is visualization important to improving performance? Do high performers think about everything at once? Or just ONE thing? What role does being in a “flow state” play? Dr. Johnson draws on his experience working with athletes and executives to offer observations about what makes high performers tick, and strategies to help the rest of us. Our ideas start at about 9:00. Our expert joins us starting at around 25:00. You can find Dr. Johnson at his website drmattjohnson.com Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.

We’re committed to having a physical therapist join us in the future, but THIS time we’re talking to a chiropractor. Our questions: What’s different about their education? What’s similar about their approaches? What’s different? Which may fit you best? How can you tell if you’re getting scammed? Dr. Jordan Shallow is a chiropractor and competitive powerlifter. He helps us sort through these questions, and he gives his view on which differences matter and which don't. Our ideas start at about 12:00. Jordan starts dropping knowledge starting at around 24:00. It was great to have Jordan on the show. You can find him on Instagram: @the_muscle_doc and his website at pre-script.com  Hosted by Mike Farr (@silentmikke) and Jim McDonald (@thejimmcd). Produced by Jim McDonald Production assistance by Connor O’Neal. Theme by Aaron Moore. Branding by Joseph Manzo.