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Doug Larson

@douglaselarson

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1631

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Barbell Shrugged
RAPID Health Optimization
BS and MS in Kinesiology
Jiu Jitsu Black Belt
Diesel Dad to 3 boys 🤨🤓😏

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An incredible trip with my brother Mike to celebrate his 40th birthday, hiking the Milford Track in Fiordland National Park in New Zealand. It’s one of the wettest places on earth, and we expected rain 100% of the time (which is part of the experience as it results in many hundreds of temporary waterfalls falling from 5,000-foot cliffs on all sides for the duration of the four-day hike). However, we were incredibly fortunate and had unrealistically good weather for the entire duration of the trip. It’s truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Overall an extraordinary time seeing my brother. He lives in Melbourne, Australia and in-person time is hard to come by, especially with just the two of us, so this was particularly special to me. Happy birthday brother 🥳 taken in Milford Track, Milford Sound by @douglaselarson

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8 months ago

Half Dome ✅ taken in Summit Of Half Dome Yosemite NP by @douglaselarson

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a year ago

Black belt speech 🤘🏻 taken in Midtown Grappling Academy by @douglaselarson

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4 years ago

I’ve been a fan of velocity-based training since I first experimented with it in 2005. After three four-week blocks, I hit PRs across my weightlifting and powerlifting lifts while really enjoying the training itself. It felt like I was running sprints in the weight room. Full speed, not to failure, full rest. Fun and effective. The work felt easier on my body, yet I felt faster and more explosive than I had before. So getting to sit down with Dr. Bryan Mann, the person who brought VBT into the mainstream, was a conversation I’d been looking forward to for many years.

We talk about where velocity tracking adds value, how the approach can fit different athletes, when it’s useful, when it’s unnecessary, measurement devices, and how to use it for maximum results in strength and power development. I came away reminded why I’ve loved this style of training for so long.

Link in bio, enjoy!

-Doug by @douglaselarson

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3 days ago

#865 - Built to Last: Strength, Recovery, and Return to Performance w/ Brian Newman

Brian Newman joins Doug Larson and Dr. Mike Lane to talk about getting stronger, recovering from hard training, and staying healthy enough to keep doing what you love. Brian spent years working in professional baseball and now leads health, performance, and safety for Fort Worth Fire. He explains how he trains firefighters who don’t have an off-season and might get called out in the middle of a workout. We talk about moving in heavy gear, building a program around the squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry, and why getting crushed by a workout doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting better.

We also get into what it takes to come back from an injury and perform well again. Brian explains why wearable data needs a coach’s eye, how to adjust training when recovery falls behind, and why strength coaches and medical staff need to stay in touch through rehab.

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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11 days ago

Your strength is holding. Is your speed?

Dr. Andy Fry describes studies where sprint performance slowed while maximal strength held up. If your sport depends on speed, the weight on the bar doesn’t tell the whole story.

Track a familiar speed or power test consistently. If performance trends down, review your training load and recovery. One off day does not prove overtraining.

Swipe through, then hear the full conversation on Barbell Shrugged, Episode 864.

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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13 days ago

“Speed is the first thing to go.” -Dr. Andy Fry

When you’re overtrained, speed can drop even while your strength holds up. Keep this in mind if your sport depends specifically on speed.

Doing a daily readiness test, such as a vertical jump, could be a helpful way to detect early fatigue because it may show up days or weeks before you start missing heavy reps.

Hear the full conversation with Dr. Andy Fry on Barbell Shrugged, Episode 864.

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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16 days ago

Ep 864 - Strength and Conditioning Industry Pioneer w/ Dr. Andy Fry

This week on Barbell Shrugged, we welcome Dr. Andy Fry to the show. Dr. Fry is a pioneer and legend in the world of strength and conditioning and someone who helped shape my career long before this podcast existed. He served as an advisor and mentor to both me and Dr. Andy Galpin during our early years at the University of Memphis.

He's one of the most impressive scientists in the industry, with approximately 300 research papers produced by him and his teams over the years, all dedicated to learning what really works to improve human performance. He's done more than almost anyone on the planet to push the industry forward. He's a true professional, an excellent scientist and educator, an overall great guy, and someone for whom I have an enormous amount of respect.

If you're curious about where the science and practice of strength training started and how it has improved and evolved over the years, this episode is for you. Enjoy the show!

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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18 days ago

#863 - From Competitor to Recreational Athlete w/ Gini Grimsley (@ginigrimsley)

Former Division I and professional basketball player Gini Grimsley joins Doug Larson, Travis Mash, and Dr. Mike Lane to discuss one of the hardest transitions in fitness: going from competitive athlete to normal life without losing the identity, structure, and physical capability that sports provided. Gini explains why former athletes often struggle to stop comparing themselves to their younger selves—and how the desire to prove what they can still do can lead to unnecessary pain, injury, and frustration. The team explores how athletes can redirect their competitive drive, establish new performance goals, and build a training routine around who they are today.

Gini also breaks down her current approach to lifelong athleticism, including strength training, conditioning, plyometrics, unilateral movements, rotational work, and reactive activities such as pickleball. She explains how modifying exercises can preserve intensity while reducing orthopedic stress, why adults should rebuild tissue tolerance before jumping into races or high-volume programs, and how smart assessments can prevent trainers from overwhelming unprepared clients. Whether you are a former athlete or simply want to remain strong, fast, and capable as you age, this episode offers a practical framework for training hard without allowing your ego to destroy your body.

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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25 days ago

Ep 862 - Coaching Behavior Change w/ Cody McBroom

Cody McBroom (@codymcbroom) joins Doug Larson, Coach Travis Mash, and Dr. Mike Lane to break down what separates a list of exercises from real coaching. As a strength coach, online coaching business owner, and host of the Choose Hard podcast, Cody works with “advanced general population” clients who have tried to train and diet but still cannot connect the dots. The crew gets practical about why many people fail to progress: they are training too far from true effort, cutting ranges of motion short, or following a program without understanding how hard the work should feel. Cody explains how thoughtful exercise selection, rep ranges, video feedback, and clear progression can help online coaches create programs that are harder to misinterpret—and more likely to produce results.

The conversation then moves past macros and reps into the real challenge of coaching: behavior change. Cody shares his framework for helping clients build self-control, self-discipline, self-belief, and ultimately self-respect by tying health goals to their core values and creating evidence through small, kept promises. They unpack how to handle all-or-nothing thinking, why accountability has to lead to a specific action plan, and how coaches can ask better questions instead of settling for “I’ll try harder.” Whether you coach athletes, general-population clients, or yourself, this episode offers a sharper way to turn good intentions into lasting habits and sustainable results.

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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a month ago

Ep 861 - From Paralympian to 10-Time CrossFit Games Champion w/ Thomas Miazga (@tommiazga)

In this episode, 10-time CrossFit Games champion Thomas Miazga joins Doug Larson, Coach Travis Mash, and Dr. Mike Lane to share the extraordinary path that took him from a childhood shaped by cerebral palsy to the Paralympic Games, elite adaptive CrossFit competition, and beyond. Tom reflects on discovering freedom and athletic identity in the water, qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics just 18 months after returning to competitive swimming, and how a devastatingly close miss for the London Games eventually led him toward coaching, CrossFit, and a new definition of what was possible.

The crew also digs into the practical side of training an adaptive athlete: building strength around the individual, managing high upper-body training volume, using stable equipment to create safe loading opportunities, and prioritizing training economy over unnecessary technical complexity. Tom explains how CrossFit transformed his independence in daily life, helped him become a 10-time Games champion, and continues to fuel his pursuit of HYROX, Ironman racing, and long-term health. Most importantly, this is a conversation about refusing to let a diagnosis, a scoreboard, or someone else’s expectations define your potential.

Link in bio to listen 🎤 by @douglaselarson

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a month ago

My favorite video from our trip to Olympic National Park earlier this summer 🦌🦌🏔️☀️ taken in Olympic National Park - Hurricane Ridge Lookout by @douglaselarson

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a month ago