*Insert witty description that makes the audience laugh but also peaks their interest in the content of this podcast*

We all remember the glory days of our lifting careers when there were no responsibilities other than getting jacked and staying tan. Your entire day revolved around the gym and you could indulge your muscle's every fantasy with chalk and iron. But what happens when things like your job or family start selfishly taking focus away from the church of iron? Are there strategies for balancing an ever increasing commitment load with a need to be ever increasing your bench load? Sam and Manas address these questions and more on this week's episode of Unsolicited Lifting Advice!

There are many things that come naturally to us meatheads. Things like hitting a double bicep pose in the mirror long enough to mire your gains but not so long that you draw unnecessary attention from the civilians around you who will call you a douchebag, but jokes on them that only makes you stronger. Less natural for us is proper stretching and mobility work pre and post workout. In fact the only thing less natural than mobility work is actually being natural but we digress. In this weeks episode Sam and Manas bring on their good friend Dr. Teresa Berg to explain to us why stretching your hips is good for you and how Manas' lack of soccer defense led to his squat form improving tenfold.

If you can get past the title I promise it's a good episode. Waiting till November to give thanks is cool and everything, but as we sit on the precipice of Hot Boy Summer we felt this was the perfect opportunity to be thankful for the one constant in a world of turmoil. The church of iron was an island of normalcy in the oceans of the pandemic. Our faces were masked but our muscles were free. Our socials were distanced but our sleeves were tight. We braved the indignity of working out without people around to mire our gains and were rewarded for our sacrifice and patience. If the past 14 months have taught us anything it's that the cure for Covid was inside us all along, because this level of D-Ball could bring the dead back to life. We look forward to the months ahead with sleeves off and veins wide open, so let's not forget what kept us going when the going got tough. 

Everybody knows the best part of being a super hero is having access to the coolest gadgets. What would Batman be without his batarangs, Iron Man without his suit, of Captain America without his shield? (Answer: rich, rich, beefcake). The best powers in the world are useless without a cool costume and cooler gizmos, and the gym is no different. This week on the pod, Sam and Manas learn you on the best accessories and assorted gym swag to take your gains from Bruce Banner to The Hulk. 

I thought about making this description an extended parody of Drake lyrics but cards on the table this is a late upload so bear with the lazy description. Enjoy a conversation about knowing when its time to change up what you're doing in your routine by two people who's general attention spans prohibits doing almost anything longer than four weeks. 

Going to the gym is a lot like building a house. You might know what a house should look like and some of the key components, but unless you've gone to house building school you're going to leave out something important like air vents or light switches. The same is true of the gym except instead of building a brick shit-house you're becoming one. Paying someone to do the designing for you is a great option, but what about those DIY-ers among us? Everybody can learn the basics of designing a workout program so that when you go to the gym you have a better plan than using equipment adjacent to the hot girl and hoping she falls in love with your heavy breathing and hilarious gym tee. In this episode Sam and Manas walk through 4 different program splits that will give you the foundations for designing your own workout routine. You wont be able to build an entire house, but you will avoid having to call your dad every time a lightbulb goes out. 

There are few things more important than having a game plan. Whether getting ready for an athletic event, structuring your new business, or preparing for the inevitable collapse of society having a charted course of action is paramount for success. That being said the ability to quickly maneuver in light of new information or a fluid situation is just as important as sticking to rigid predetermined steps. Ok, all our card on the table: we had planned on talking about program design but the fluid nature of the situation dictated that Sam talk about getting his heart broken at senior prom and Manas discusses his preferred method of torturing the MCU writers that did Captain Marvel zero favors. Long story short proper planning prevents piss poor performance but consuming craft cocktails creates conversation changes. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!

What's up fellow former(ish) degenerates! Normally you tune in to hear us give our perspective on the world of fitness and all things swoly, but this week we're throwing a curve ball at you. For those of you who didn't know, we were both bouncers in college and amassed a selection of stories, knowledge, and advice surrounding the bar/bouncer culture we felt it was imperative to pass on to our valued listeners. So whether you're in college and new to the bars, or a seasoned veteran who can belt out Sweet Caroline with the best of them we hope you enjoy this foray into our time as security personnel. We also experienced our first real technical difficulty this episode (milestones!) so please excuse the audio getting a little quiet at some points.  

New Series Alert! Introducing the first of hopefully many to come, this is the Simplified Series, in which we'll lay down the fundamentals of different aspects of fitness. This week we'll be breaking down weight loss as this is a major goal for a lot of people getting into the gym. Lucky for you, Sam and Manas are well versed in the art of repeating things that qualified experts say; a key skill when it comes to simplifying things.