Gym Culture w/ Kenny Santucci, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #820
With over a decade of experience, Kenny Santucci has made himself a known as one of New York City's top trainers and a thought leader in the health and wellness industry. Brand ambassador for Michelob Ultra and Fitaid, Technogym Master Trainer, host of the Fitaid Morning Show, Michelob Ultra MOVEMENT Fitness Festival, Model Beach Volleyball, and more, Santucci has established himself as a force within the fitness space. He has collaborated with industry titans across the health, wellness, and lifestyle space such as Reebok, Under Armour, Adidas, ASICS, Rhone, Melin, Cellucor, Bodybulding.com, CrossFit, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Precision Nutrition, Nautica, TimeOut, Gregory's Coffee, and more. Kenny has also shared his training approach and wellness philosophy with features in top health and wellness publications such as Shape Magazine, Men's Health Magazine, Men's Journal, Well+Good, Askmen.com, Reebok.com, and Women's Health Magazine to name a few. Kenny lives his mantra of helping others well beyond the walls of the gym. As the creator of the STRONG New York health and wellness series, he is the heart and leader behind these events that have already raised thousands of dollars and brought awareness to the community around men's and women's health issues, with a portion of the proceeds going to different health-focused organizations such as the Alzheimer's Awareness Foundation, Movember Foundation and Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Kenny Santucci on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
22 Loka 56min
Useful Fitness Standards w/ Dr. Mike Lane, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Coach Travis Mash #819
In this episode, the team breaks down what it means to build and maintain essential fitness, the baseline level of strength, endurance, and resilience every person should strive for. They discuss how to train efficiently using the minimum effective dose, balancing work, family, and recovery while still progressing. The conversation covers the principles behind durable fitness, how to set meaningful performance standards, and why consistency and movement quality matter more than perfection. They also explore the foundations of long-term athletic development and how to build capable, confident humans from youth to adulthood. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Dr. Chris Perry on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
15 Loka 54min
Addiction, Recovery and Building a Life of Value w/ Tim Riley, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #818
Tim Riley is Director of Sports Performance at Kollective in Austin, TX where he trains athletes at the pro, collegiate, and high school level. Most notably, Riley currently oversees and conducts strength and conditioning sessions for NFL, NBA, PLL & AVP athletes. The NFL off-season program at Kollective is one the largest and most respected programs in the country. Riley is also the head strength and conditioning coach for The University of Texas Men's Lacrosse. Riley launched his training career in 2017 after receiving a lifelong training certification through NPTI, under the supervision and mentorship of Professor Dave Boetcher. He then founded Timrileytraining LLC, a training company working with young athletes. Throughout his career, Riley has acquired a plethora of certifications (NPTI, NASM, Precision Nutrition, & USAW among others) to further his education and better serve the training community, while also gleaning wisdom from multiple mentors: Mo Wells, Trey Hardee, Connor Harris, Dr. Pat Davidson, Dr. Ben House, Keir Whenham-Flatt, and Jeremy Hills, to name a few. To date, his professional experience spans across all ages; from high school athletes and collegiate athletes, as well as professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, PLL, AVP, and NBA. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Tim Riley on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
8 Loka 51min
Melanoma, Jungle Gyms, and Strength Tech w/ Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #817
In today's episode of Barbell Shrugged, Anders, Doug, and Travis dive into Coach Travis' recent melanoma diagnosis, how he found out about it, and his recent surgery to eliminate it. We also dive into Anders' quest to build a gym in the middle of the woods where he plans on lifting giant trees and the latest in strength tech with Travis Mash. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
1 Loka 48min
Four Levers of Physiological Flexibility w/ Dr. Michael T. Nelson, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #816
Dr. Mike T. Nelson has spent 18 years of his life learning how the human body works, specifically focusing on how to properly condition it to burn fat and become stronger, more flexible, and healthier. He's has a PhD in Exercise Physiology, a BA in Natural Science, and an MS in Biomechanics. He's an adjunct professor and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr. Nelson has been called in to share his techniques with top government agencies. The techniques he's developed, and the results he gets for his clients have been featured in international magazines, in scientific publications, and on websites across the globe. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Dr. Nelson on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
24 Syys 54min
Four Pillars of Anti-Aging w/ Blair LaCorte, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #815
Blair LaCorte is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging—the world's first biomedical research institution dedicated solely to understanding aging and age-related diseases, and the largest independent scientific institute in the Bay Area. A seasoned leader and strategist, Blair has a track record of transforming companies across five industries, leveraging his expertise in change management to drive operational alignment, scale, and market leadership. Most recently, he led AEye's $1.5B IPO, advancing the company's mission to enable safe, reliable vehicle autonomy. Prior to that, Blair served as Global President of PRG, the world's largest live event technology and services company; CEO of XOJET, one of the fastest-growing aviation companies in history; and Senior Advisor and Operating Partner at TPG, a leading private equity firm managing over $97 billion in global investments. His earlier career includes executive roles at technology innovators such as VerticalNet, Savi Technologies, Autodesk, and Sun Microsystems. Blair is an active board member and advisor to organizations spanning science, business, and education, including the Positive Coaching Alliance, the Kairos Society, the Graduate Business Foundation, and alma maters Dartmouth College and the University of Maine. His leadership has been recognized by Fast Company, Ad Age, NASA, and the ITAS "100 Most Influential Leaders in Transportation" list. His insights have been featured in Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and on major networks including ABC, Bloomberg, CNN, and CNBC. Holding multiple patents across hardware, software, communications, security, and defense, Blair is also an astronaut-in-training and is scheduled to fly with Virgin Galactic. Outside of his professional pursuits, he is a dedicated father to three sons and the owner of a slightly anxious Weimaraner named Bella. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Blair LaCorte on LinkedIn Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
17 Syys 58min
The Path to IFBB Pro w/ Aaron Starker, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash #814
Aaron Straker is a N.A.S.N. Licensed Primary Sports Nutritionist. He prefers a pragmatic approach to nutrition that focuses on simple food selection, the importance of nutrient density, and the importance of objectivity in dieting and reporting. Today on Barbell Shrugged we dive into Straker's path to becoming and IFBB Pro. From injury, setbacks, discipline, and his transparent usage of performance enhancing drugs. He is the cohost of Eat, Train, Prosper podcast with Barbell Shrugged guest, Bryan Boorstein. Operating Straker Nutrition Company, he provides nutrition coaching programs and education on exactly how to leverage nutrition for improving body composition safely and sustainably. Aaron is passionate about providing sound education and information in the fitness and nutrition space and putting nutrition at the forefront for producing optimal health. Work With Us: Arétē by RAPID Health Optimization Links: Aaron Straker on Instagram Anders Varner on Instagram Doug Larson on Instagram Coach Travis Mash on Instagram
10 Syys 55min
