Last week I joined my friend Chris Price for the inaugural episode of his podcast, PSI Unscripted, where -- as you can guess from the name of the podcast -- our 30-minute conversation was completely impromptu. I was a little apprehensive about not knowing the conversation topics ahead of time, but fortunately, Chris didn't stump me with any tough questions. Over the course of the podcast, we dug into My background as an athlete, trainer, and student The meaning of biomechanics and basic applications to training "Cheating" (an advanced technique to add extra reps to the end of a set) "HIT" (high intensity training) Not having enough time to exercise Hammering the basics, especially bodyweight exercise, as a beginner The pros and cons of Planet Fitness My weekly #FormCheckFriday videos on Facebook Regressing and progressing the deadlift via a dowel rod hip hinge and/or rack pull My e-book I had a great time chatting with Chris. I hope you'll give the show a listen: >>https://goo.gl/xHPMM2

Welcome back for Episode 12 of the Fitness Pollenator Podcast. On this episode, I have on my first repeat guest, Matt Ibrahim. I had Matt about a year ago for Episode 4. If you haven’t listened to that one yet, do it! Matt is the founder of Movement Resilience (formerly Mobility 101), which has a specific mission of helping people build resilient movement and resilient strength to continue doing what they love most: move. He's a part of the sports medicine team at Boston Physical Therapy & Wellness, where he serves as a strength & conditioning coach and physio rehab coach. This July, he will receive his license in massage therapy.  He's also a provider for ClinicalAthlete through founder, Quinn Henoch, which is a team of healthcare professionals bridging the gap from rehab to performance for athletes. Over the course of the episode, we talk shop on the following points: Matt's rebrand from Mobility 101 to Movement Resilience Finishing up massage school, along with how he plans to use his new skills The importance of speaking to the client and not other fitness professionals The screening process and what happens if there's pain "Corrective exercise" Breathing (see this video) And more! We also addressed several questions from the audience, including The best way to gain flexibility after being stuck in bed for a year and being a new amputee Big spoon, little spoon, and movement variability Beer and curls (this discussion point was a little flat, as neither of us are heavy drinkers) Listen to the entire episode on iTunes or click here: https://googledrive.com/host/0BweoQIuhXZAqcVpYLWRPVWJiOUU/ep12mattibrahim.mp3 For more from Matt and Movement Resilience, head over to his website, movementresilience.com, and like him on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Anyone who’s ever spent time around him knows he’s something special. Maybe it's his brilliance when it comes to the human body, or perhaps it’s his unassuming nature. I say it’s both. He might be the smartest guy in the room, but he’d be the last person to tell you so. His name is Barry Fritz, and he's the instructor at the National Personal Training Institute of Philadelphia, the school where I earned my diploma in personal training. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to interview Barry for an article for Muscle & Strength on building muscle. With Barry's 40+ years of experience, it's always a pleasure to hear what he has to say. To read the article, click the following link:  https://www.muscleandstrength.com/content/8-hypertrophy-lessons-veteran-lifter To listen to the complete 50-minute interview, click below to listen to Episode 11 of the Fitness Pollenator Podcast: https://googledrive.com/host/0BweoQIuhXZAqWTBVRlBGWnQ3V2M/ep11barryfritz.mp3 You can also find the transcript to the entire interview below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_YtLzHjhU1xZomEezQNKv3Sq0Yg4T0mMWHP4tDS4qKY/edit?usp=sharing

For Episode 10 of the Fitness Pollenator Podcast, I have a double whammy. That's right -- I have on not one but TWO awesome guests: Eric Bach and Marc Lewis. Eric (left) is a chiseled strength and conditioning coach based in Denver, Colorado. Marc (right) is working on his PhD in exercise physiology at UNC-Greensboro. (He's also chiseled, but you'll have to take my word for it.) In this episode, we run the gamut of topics, including: The biggest differences between training athletes and training the general population What online training is and whom it's for -- beginners or intermediate lifters? Eric's bread and butter: Front squats (!) Marc's bread and butter: Concurrent training (i.e. simultaneous aerobic and strength training) Eric's recent T-Nation article: Shut Up and Get Strong Eric and my recent two-part series: Common Injury Sites And Clever Workarounds: Part 1 – Upper Body Common Injury Sites And Clever Workarounds: Part 2 – Lower Body Marc's upcoming article on strength training for endurance athletes Stay tuned for the link to this one in the coming weeks Listen to the episode now at the following link: >>https://goo.gl/AwUugn And subscribe to the podcast on iTunes if you haven't already. New episodes are on deck for 2016, including the return of Mobility 101's Matt Ibrahim (way back from Episode 4)!

http://www.girlswithmuscle.com/373012/Betsy-Lane In Episode 9 of the Fitness Pollenator Podcast, I'm joined by an amazing guest: Betsy Lane. Betsy is a longtime friend, avid bodybuilder, and soon-to-be doctor of physical therapy (after she passes her boards, of course!). In this episode, Betsy and I discuss Her background, going back to the stroke she had as a kid How she trains around her challenges The interplay between physical therapy and bodybuilding Nutritional secrets Betsy's blossoming writing career Common issues Betsy sees in the clinic And so much more! Watch the episode here: Listen to the episode here: https://googledrive.com/host/0BweoQIuhXZAqWC01aGc3ZzFJUFk/ep9betsylane.mp3 (Or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.) For more on Betsy, check out the Q&A we did last year: http://www.fitnesspollenator.com/2014/02/athlete-spotlight-q-w-figure-girl-betsy.html

In Episode 8 of the Fitness Pollenator Podcast, I welcome Dr. Chris Leib. I met Chris about a year ago at a workshop he did at our mutual friend Tom DeVietro’s gym. (As an aside, Tom happened to be the very first guest of this podcast, so if you haven’t listened to episode 1, you should!) Not only is Chris a doctor of physical therapy, but he’s also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. While at Chris’s workshop, I was completely blown away by his hybrid approach to training, in which he fuses physical therapy, CrossFit, kettlebells, and more. As I’ve gotten to know Chris, one of my favorite things about him is his voracious appetite for learning and assimilating new information. Lately, he can be found splitting his time between the physical therapy clinic, the personal training setting, and writing about exercise. In this episode, Chris and I talk about... What drew him to CrossFit originally, and why he keeps coming back How he integrates diverse mobility approaches like FMS and Mobility WOD Scientific vs. anecdotal evidence PT and S&C scopes of practice The Power-Strength-Endurance (PSE) Method Continuing education His upcoming Movement Education Series And so much more! Watch the episode right here: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, or listen to this episode through the following link: https://googledrive.com/host/0BweoQIuhXZAqOTJrS2g5M25oZjg/ep8chrisleib.mp3 For more on Chris, visit the following links: Website Facebook YouTube

By day, Jason Helmes is just a regular guy. He teaches math to middle schoolers; he has a wife and two kids. He is exceptionally tall (6 feet, 8 inches), but we won't hold that against him. By night, he's the boss at Anyman Fitness, an online community for people "who want to learn to lean out, live well, and improve themselves permanently." To date Jason has helped thousands of people reach their goals, and it's no wonder, given his teaching background and incredible ability to simplify fitness and nutrition. He's also a really nice guy, which probably helps. I was fortunate enough to get Jason on for Episode 7 of the Fitness Pollenator (Video) Podcast. Over the course of the episode, Jason Helmes and I discuss How he went from jock to jiggly to jacked again The availability bias and the difference between popular and evidence-based fitness  Making fitness a lifestyle and how anyone can do it The importance of meal planning How being both a teacher and mathematically-minded helps Jason as a coach His eight month diet in preparation for a summer photo shoot Whether or not "bulking" and "cutting" cycles are necessary Why being bodybuilder lean is neither healthy nor sustainable The advantages and disadvantages of being an exceptionally tall lifter Avoiding "lifestyle bloat" Jason's secret for building a successful (online) business And more This is one you absolutely do not want to miss! Watch the episode on YouTube or right here: You can also listen to the audio HERE. For more on Jason and Anyman Fitness, download his e-book (Livin' The Dream) off his website, www.anymanfitness.com. Be sure to follow Anyman Fitness on Facebook, as well.

Curious what it's like to be a TWO-TIME finalist in the Men's Health Next Top Trainer search? How about being selected as one of Women's Health Magazine's Ten Insanely In-Shape Male Trainers? Meet personal trainer Kevin Mullins In Episode 6 of the Fitness Pollenator (Video) Podcast, I chat with personal trainer Kevin Mullins of Washington, DC, and get answers to the above questions and so much more, including How Kevin came to be a personal trainer and strength coach The biggest mistakes trainers and coaches make Why habit-based nutrition trumps a cut-and-dry diet plan How Kevin became active in the fitness blog-o-sphere What supersets are and how best to combine exercises Which of Kevin's many continuing education certifications he finds the most useful Watch the episode on YouTube or right here: To listen to just the audio from this podcast, click here. For more on Kevin Mullins, head over to his website, www.kevinmullinsfitness.com, and follow him on Twitter (@FFTrainingKevin).

Robbie Farlow showing off his chesticles. Side Quest Fitness's Robbie Farlow and I had such a marvelous time chatting on his podcast last week that we decided to get together once again (virtually) for an episode of the Fitness Pollenator Podcast! In this episode, we discuss all your and my burning questions for Robbie, including How Robbie went from theater major to meathead trainer Why Robbie started the Side Quest Podcast (the Unofficial Podcast of Fitocracy) What Fitocracy is Robbie's favorite Side Quest Podcast guest Robbie's biggest training influences The connection between fitness and marriage And much, much more! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhgolMLU72k) For just the audio version of this podcast, click here. In case you missed my interview with Robbie for his podcast, you can listen to it out here: http://www.sidequestfitness.com/podcast/2015/3/29/interview-with-travis-pollen I also recommend subscribing to the Side Quest Podcast on iTunes here so you can listen to the great new guests he has on every week!

For this episode of the video podcast, I have on Matt Ibrahim of Mobility 101 to talk all things -- you guessed it -- mobility! Matt's mission is to bridge the gap between the worlds of rehabilitation and performance. He's an up-and-coming expert with an extensive résumé that includes three years of clinical experience as well as internships at some of the best strength and conditioning facilities in the country. Matt is currently in the process of applying to school for his DPT (doctor of physical therapy) degree. In this episode, Matt and I discuss... What exactly mobility (101) means, why it's important, and how we can improve it Hip flexor stretch Thoracic spine mobilization "Flow" (for hip mobility) How Matt uses mobility as an umbrella for improving qualities like posture and performance The role of self-empowerment in relation to mobility Matt's go-to experts in the field ...and much more. Trust me -- you don't want to miss out on this episode! I, for one, had my mind blown about a dozen times. Click to watch. To listen to the audio version of the podcast, click here. For more from Matt, hit him up on his blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube: http://mobility101blog.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Mobility101 https://twitter.com/Mobility_101 https://instagram.com/mobility101/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkU4ohyN8VMn8UhJ8aeZFAQ