Ep.1 S-3: "Natural or Nah w/ Iron Beard Strength"

In the Season 3 debut episode, Travis and Carl are joined by Coach Mario of Iron Beard Strength to talk about tested feds, testing, views on different divisions, and jokes from the other side of the U.S.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Oh no, I didn't even know where my headphones yet. I had definitely had to move mine around. Oh okay. You are not fitting my fucking package, everybody.

SPEAKER_03 0:08

I'm so bad at this. All right, back for season three. I think I think this is episode 27 because we've done 13 episodes apiece. You're still counting episodes? I it okay. So I do I do total episodes because I think it's fun to see how many we've done. Okay, but it also organizes by season so that way I can really confuse myself. Right, and me. Right, because then I'll ask you is this episode 27? And it'll be like the 24th, and then it was two. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's way more it's fun though. It's more fun that way. Sure, sure. All right, this podcast is brought to you by SUPDOG Supplements. Use code CaveCast at checkout to save on your order. Shout out to Rebuild Stronger and Zone Smelling Sarts, our other two main contributors for this season's episodes. And now we kick the podcast off. And all the things that have torn me apart, nothing has made me more whole, covering the good, the bad, and the shit that keeps us going straight from the head direct table. I'm your host, Travis Papa Bear Rogers, and you are listening to a Forest for the Trees, a Cave podcast. Here with not only my absolutely Amish and delightful co-host, Carly Master, we also have a special guest. And I was the one that said we'd never do guests on the podcast. Look where we are. I know. Second guest. Well, first guest of this season. Third. Jess counts. Jess counts. I should probably count my own wife. You should. She'll be there. Mario, can you give everybody your Instagram hashtag? So if they don't know you as Mario, they know you on the internet. Because sometimes when we're doom scrolling, and I'm pretty sure that's how I found you, to be honest with you, doom scrolling through. Uh I started following you. I love some of your content. I thought it was funny, uh, but it was also educational at the same time. And I think that's kind of a hard thing to find nowadays. So why don't you uh kick us off and just tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Uh yeah. So first and foremost, thank you guys for having me on. Uh, I'm really grateful to be a part of this. Uh, but Iron Beard Strength is the handle for Instagram and then uh TikTok Super Barbell Bro. Don't ask me why they're different. I uh I went through like five different accounts on TikTok, so I had to find one that would stick. Um I'm a powerlifting coach, been a coach for the last four or five years, and then been powerlifting for almost a decade now. So been in the game for quite a while, seen a lot of things uh since started back in like 2017 or so up until now. So I've seen everything from like the lifter side from the coaches' side, and kind of just brings me to where I'm at now, where it's just making content about just stuff that's happening in powerlifting.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

Awesome, man. I I really resonate with that too because I'm on my second decade of this and I've been a coach for probably six years now, been a referee for almost seven or eight. Are you counting your years uh programming people as coaching too? No, I don't count years as programming. I there was a there was a time period where I I really like the math and and experimentation of programming, but I hated dealing with people, so I was like, I'll program for you, but I won't coach you.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

I feel that.

SPEAKER_03 3:05

But yeah, man, we're super stoked to have you on the show. Um, and like I said, when I first found you, uh I had no idea, like I didn't know you as a lifter because we hadn't lifted in the same feds before. I hadn't seen you at a meet. Um, I just randomly doom scrolled. I liked your content, and I feel like that's uh not to be that guy, but I was like, all right, that's a compliment for me because I don't like many people's shit. Like I really I don't follow many like fitness content makers, and uh, but I thought your spins on things and what you were talking about, especially like with rule changes, uh Fed violations, like drug testing, all that things, and it was at a time in my period as a meat director where I was also like experiencing maybe not exactly the same thing, but we're seeing a lot of those things inside the powerlifting federations I was working for. So I followed you and I loved your shit, and I think you're funny, uh, not to hype you up too much. Um, so yeah. So when is your do you have a meet picked out? Do you have another meet coming up for yourself?

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Yes, I'll be doing uh USPA ultra nats in May, the last week of May. So I'm like eight week nine weeks out of the week.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

Hey, we're competing too. We're gonna see you there. We're both uh no, we're both so sarcastic. Uh we are both super, super, super not natty. Um, so we will not be at USB A super all nats. Oh, they're doing both. So it's a is it uh uh like a color platform split? Like, oh nice, they're still doing that. That's awesome. That's fucking awesome. That's dude, that's my dream. I wish you're home, dude. I wish all that shit lived like that. That was the heyday, bro. You had the red side and the blue side.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

I prefer to be on the red because it was.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

I mean, we weren't we weren't totally lying. We are competing at the end of at the end of May, but it's just totally not the same thing. Yeah, yeah, that's definitely not.

SPEAKER_03 5:00

So I'm really glad we made that joke and kind of got into it because that really does lead us back into like some of the questions we wanted to talk to you. So, um, and of course we'll all weigh in on this. Um, how do you situate yourself as a mainly drug-free fed consumer speaker and coach? And I say that because uh I'm not a hundred percent familiar with your fan base and your people you coach, obviously, but I assume many of them are populating like drug-tested uh federations. Do you have untested lifters on your roster as well?

SPEAKER_02 5:33

As of right now, I don't. Um, just because personally I don't want to coach anyone uh who's untested when I myself don't have experience being untested, since I know that the programming and coaching for someone who is untested is gonna be vastly different the way they respond to things. I don't want to coach someone like as if they were untested or like as if they were tested and they're not making progress because clearly if they aren't PDs, they're gonna respond very differently. So it's just like I would want to gradually get to that point, maybe get my own experience while being on PDs in the next like couple years. Um, but till then I would I'll leave the untested athletes to those that are more experienced with untested athletes.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Dude, that was like the most responsible answer we could have ever gotten on this podcast. That was legit like the answer a lot. That was that was good, man. Hell yeah. Did you know what I think he cheated? I probably sent him the question, he rehearsed the fuck out of that. Did you how many times did you say that in a mirror before you got on here with us? I like text him, I'm like, hey man, is is 30 minutes good for you? And he's like, Yeah, I'm on my way home. He's like in the rearview mirror, just like practicing talk saying that over and over again.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

How'd you know?

SPEAKER_03 6:40

No, man. No, man, that's awesome, dude. Uh so when you when you say, you know, obviously I we thought that was a really good answer, and you have your your tested which uh which feds do you mainly occupy as a lifter and a coach?

SPEAKER_02 6:56

I mean, I've coached for uh USPA, USAPL, Powerlifting America, uh PLU, uh WRPF once or twice, I believe. And that was about it. I think so.

SPEAKER_03 7:11

And what what do you is there one that you prefer to compete in? Like just as preference or like as certain director? Like, I mean, you could even shout somebody out that you've competed under that you prefer to do their meets just because they're well run or anything like that?

SPEAKER_02 7:25

Uh, I mean, I'm not really particular as far as federations go, but for sure, as far as meets are concerned for USB, I definitely gotta uh shout out Caesar uh for hosting uh what we call the meet. Like any anytime USB holds the meet, it's usually Caesar who puts that up. So as far as like local competitions are concerned, especially in SoCal, that for me has always been the epitome, just because the quality and the love and care that goes into it is geared towards the lifters and not just for the federation to get money. To where being close friends with him, I'm able to see the process of being a meat director and seeing like all of the work that goes up to it, only to put up one of the best meets that I've seen, like every single time consistently, where everyone has fun, everyone puts up numbers. So for me personally, that's what makes a good meet. It's just the love and care that goes on behind the scenes for the lifters.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

I think that's a really special thing that not a lot of people get to experience being close to somebody who's a meat director and like seeing every every bit of the behind the scenes like prep work going into it, like the week out stuff and like the day before. Um, it's really special to get to experience it. Pulls it pulls a difference out of power lift than not a lot of people see. Who does that that you've seen? Oh, you know, just some some dude that used to run meats.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

Some guy that's been recently told in the last three weeks he needs to start running meats again. Yeah, I don't know how my wife, I don't know how my wife would feel about that. She she per she likes my uh my recently uh six months hiatus right now of not hosting meets and just being a regular lifter. Um I'm a little more sane during those times, I think I feel like. Um but more on that question, um, do you feel like um is there any like conflict or diverse conversations that kind of like come about just because you are more particular to one side for you? Like, I'm sure do you have do you have many friends on PEDs?

SPEAKER_02 9:29

I do actually. Like, I've been since being in powerlifting, I've gotten very close to the full like array of different powerlifters from equipped to untested, tested, no matter what. And I've gotten different perspectives on it to where I personally don't judge anyone for their own decisions to jump on PEDs. It just goes to show how far you can push the human body to be able to get to basically the same goal. And for me personally, I think there needs to be a lot more respect for the untested side for powerlifting, just because what people fail to remember is that that decision is a lifelong decision, and everything that needs to be handled outside of training gets dialed up to 100 blood work, supplementation, food, uh recovery, like an execution of training. Like you can't train like a natty if you're on PEDs, like you need to be constantly pushing, and people fail to remember that and just think, oh, they're on PEDs means they're cheating. No, they're not, they're they're probably doing more work than you are as a natty because you can get away with far more as a natural than you can with someone who's on PEDs.

SPEAKER_03 10:32

Absolutely, man. And uh me and Carl have had this conversation tons of times, man. Uh, even people we used to that you know don't occupy the gym now or used to go to the commercial gyms we would go to before we had the cave here, um, and just like they would tell you like what they're on, or you'd hear about the cycle they're doing, or they'd like kind of like brag about it, and you're like, that guy's on something? Like you can't even know what you can't even tell, bro. Like, and I think that's such a huge misconception, is like you can dump so much money and so much negativity. When I say negativity, I'm not talking like being negative, I'm talking more about like the health not benefits of taking gear and still seeing little results. So you're spending all this money, you're not getting the results you want, you're doing terrible things to your health because you're not keeping any of those in check or putting in the outside work like you were just talking about. And it's like it's such a dangerous game to play if you're not going to take that part seriously. Not only that, in reliable sources, like, hey man, no one wants to shoot Uncle Tom's brother's bathwater he made in the trailer into your butt cheek and like see what happens if it makes you stronger or you die. So, like, I mean, there's always that huge risk, man. There's just a lot more to it than most people give credit for because everyone thinks it's so easy, especially from that natty side, because of, and I'm not saying like, oh, all natties think that way, but I mean, it's like anything else in the sport, including like different divisions, as far as even like equipped lifting goes. It's like if you don't have experience with it or at least heavily be around it, it's like you are more conditioned to have a response that way. Like, oh, well, you know, our side of the gym doesn't do PEDs just like you were talking about. Oh, well, they have it easy, they're just shooting drugs and working out all day and never getting tired. Yep. Which is obviously far from the truth. Far from it.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

So coming up in powerlifting, were you around like uh the the space you trained in? Was that a primarily like uh raw drug-tested gym that you trained in?

SPEAKER_02 12:48

No, I mean I didn't actually start training at a powerlifting gym until maybe 2023 or so. Um, everything else was mostly. Wow. Yeah, it was it was very late in the game. I'm not gonna lie, I was a shitty powerlifter up until maybe 2022, 2023, when I got with my coach. Um, I was self-coached, and you I'm sure you guys probably know like most people who self-coach themselves often suck, unless you're John Hack. But at the same time, like being able to find that outside source and finding those powerlifting gyms completely changed that. And I was around a couple people who were on PEDs, um, but still predominantly tested. And then once I got more and more in depth with it and beating more people, it's like, oh shit, like they're people who are on gear the same as anyone else, they just have to take their health a little more seriously, but they work their asses off. So they're often great people. So I'm like, why are we why are we blown why are we giving them so much grief and so much judgment when we're doing the same sport? I don't I don't I don't understand that.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yeah, it's all lifting weights. It's all lifting weights I feel like um wherever you wherever you come up from like in your sport is where you per particularly like the stick at. You know what I mean? So like you being at a commercial gym and then around primarily like raw lifters, that trying to kind of like railed you towards where you are now. Whereas in like somebody that would train it at an equip gym would be more catered to pushing to the equipped side.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

When you got into equipment, you weren't around you weren't around equipped lifters, you were just around me. I was like this guy, this guy likes to live fucking dangerously. I'm gonna do whatever that motherfucker's doing. Um, so that being said, I really like that follow-up uh from Carl right there talking about it. But like, so we've kind of talked about on the podcast before like some of our influences like coming into the sport, and when me and him were both getting in. Um in SoCal, I'm I'm just curious too, because you've almost been in the sport as far as long as me, maybe a little bit less time. But like I'm curious to see who you were influenced by your first couple years of powerlifting, and because of our age, if it's the same as me.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

So when I first got into the sport, I was heavily following the OG group with Andy Huang, Mason Cervantes, um, Adam, and Steve Dentilli. Like that whole group is what kind of got me into powerlifting, and just like, oh, these guys are huge and they're lifting tons and tons of weight back when like big dogs were the thing, the Kern and all that. And it was like, these are some of the biggest, strongest guys that are just like putting up crazy amounts of numbers. I'm like, oh my heart, my heart, yeah, those are my days, dude. But like that's what got me.

SPEAKER_03 15:33

I know, dude.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

That like that that group, and then slowly finding out about other lifters as well. But that was the core of it, and so like now, like working with Andy and then like meeting some of the other guys, like Mason, and then now I'm like fangirling because they're the ones who got me into the sport, so yeah, they were the main guys.

SPEAKER_03 15:51

Awesome, man. That's good to hear. Uh, because usually when you talk to people, it's like, you know, obviously me and Carl didn't really know you from Adam, which is why I told him, I'm like, we're having a guest on the podcast. He's like, I don't know who this guy is. I'm like, that's okay. We're gonna interview him basically. So it's all good, but um it's nice to know like we have that similar taste, and I think like a lot of newer that's a good question, actually, that I didn't have on the sheet that we can talk about real quick. Because of the influences like that and like how we grew up looking at powerlifting, who do you feel is like setting good examples for the future in the current level of lifting right now? Oh nice.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Uh, I would definitely say on the on the tested side for sure, like Hasu, Soliveras, Russell Ori for sure, um, Elliot Sykes, uh off the top of my off the top of my head, those are the main guys, just because the way they carry themselves is I don't know how to describe it, they have a way of carrying themselves that allows people to feel like they can resonate with them, they can push with them. Um and especially with how social media has grown and has allowed the sport to grow, where now you're seeing a lot more of the personalities of the lifters involved. Whereas I think before social media was just like, oh, look at this guy lifting heavy weights, but you never really got to see and actually like see who they were as a person. Whereas now I feel like powerlifting has allowed us to see the personalities behind the totals and we can actually grow with them, and so people are more inclined to want to be a part of it because, like, oh shit, like I kind of know that guy, but I don't really know him, but he's strong, but I kind of want to be like that. So, yeah, those are the guys from like the top of my head now.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

Nice man. I never I never really reflected on it that way because me as a curmudgeon and always being grumpy as fuck, I kind of reflect on the social media practice of it of like you you I think about the opposite of you do, like I see the personalities. I'm like, I was one of those people that after my first couple run-ins with some of the people I looked up to, I was like the very strict, like never meet your heroes, because a lot of the people I met uh that I liked fucking sucked as a person. Um, and that kind of destroyed that a lot for me. But now that you're talking about like, you know, you get to I like the aspect of growing with that lifter that you look up to and you like. Like, I think that's really cool aspect of it, especially if that person's like very like down to earth. Now, not saying I don't like him, I'm not. Um, but like of course, like I know Russell caught a bunch of shit when all his the gym thing went down. Remember they switched hands and like they lost the gym, the gym in Texas, and they were talking about like a bunch of people had moved down there and then got kind of put out on their ass, and he had hired some people and stuff. So, like, I I mean, of course, like I don't know all the details of that, but it was like I think as far as like looking up to a lifter, I don't know as an older lifter now, like what I look to as someone I like to follow on Instagram because like that that personality type doesn't really resonate with me, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Right.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

So, like Carl, like if you were to look at somebody like let's say you're just like fucking doom scrolling, sure, right? If there was a lifter, you don't have to like name a name, I'm saying like qualities and characteristics of a lifter, like what would you look for in somebody you're like, hey, I want to like actually check this guy out.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Um, I wouldn't say anything too specific. I would look to see like how personal they are on their page, like it's not too commercialized, not all just like throwing supplement brands and like their lifts on their page, it's more like actually them, you know, speaking to the person that's either watching the content or speaking to somebody in comments like that. It adds a very human aspect to it, and I think that carries a long way, especially with today's like raw lifters that are like you know what who who Mario just mentioned, like they're very humanized on the platform, and then they're also in person good people to meet, so it carries forward a lot more.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

Okay, cool, cool. So, Mario, how did you get into doing your whole entertaining bit and like your skits and stuff? Because one of the big things I really like, of course, you do like the back and forth where you pretend to be like different executives and uh presidents and people of different feds and stuff like that, and talk about the rules and make some really entertaining 60-second clips for us. Um, what kind of really like got you into making that sort of content?

SPEAKER_02 20:22

So uh I think it was right before USPA National's last year, where I was gonna stop making content. I had already been making it for like the last three, four years prior, and I was at a down like low point where it's like coaching was at up like lowest point. I wasn't really like loving powerlifting anymore, and the content was just not doing anything. And then one day I'm sitting around and I'm like, I think it was Pinoy Bulldozer, who's another like guy in the in the powerlifting world who was making skits like that at the time, and I was like, I've definitely seen his stuff before, and I was like, wait, that actually checks out, but I was thinking of it from like the like the lifter and coach aspect where like some of the things I've experienced with my athletes, and I was like, I wonder if I can do something similar. I'm a theater kid, so it's like I sucked at sports. I used my other skill of being in theater and made the first skit, and then it popped off the first time, and I'm like, this is a fluke, there's no way this works. Made another one and got even more popular. And then by the time we got to nationals, I had grown to like 10k followers, and I was like, I don't know what that means, but that's cool. And then the one day I was there, got approached by like 20 people, and I was like, This is this is cool but weird. I don't know what this means. And people were just genuinely enjoying the video.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

So I was like, So I know a question I want to ask you in regard to that. So you got approached by like 20 different people and they know you from Instagram for your content. Do they refer to you as Mario or do they refer to you as Iron Beard? Either Iron Beard or you're the guy from the internet. Okay, okay, for everything it's different. So when because that was one of the big things, like when mine blew up after, I blew up after 20 2019. USPA nationals. I got bigger on Instagram. And one of my big things was it always weirded me out when people would like, you forget like people know you from that aspect. So like people would come up and be like, Oh, you're Papa Bear. And I'm like, What? Like no, like, no, I'm Travis, man. What's up? Like, yeah, I that always struck me as weird. And it took me a really long time to like get used to that.

SPEAKER_02 22:24

Yep. I remember the when I met the owner of our gym, shout out to Henry for exceed performance. When I first met him, he comes out of his office and looks at me and he's like, I know you. And I'm like, hi. And he's like, What's your name? Mario. No, you're Ironbeard. Yeah? Yeah, your name's not Mario anymore. I'm calling you. Nice. Yeah. I was like, okay, yeah, sure. Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

Please don't hurt me. I mean, as far as it being your handle, though, there could be worse nicknames. Ironbeard sounds pretty cool just as a nickname. So I mean, I'd be down with that. I was like, okay, sure. If I just started calling you uh Amishbeard, would you be called that? Dude, I'd be pretty pissed. You would be pissed if I changed your nickname to Amisbeard. Not like that too much. Okay. I mean, come on. Uh, so do you consider yourself like a creator influencer?

SPEAKER_02 23:13

For sure, a content creator, I hate being called an influencer. It's a running joke my girlfriend always uh runs with me. She's like, oh, he's an influencer when he tells her friends. I was like, I hate being called an influencer. Like it's just I feel like they're two different sides of the same coin, but being a content creator just really means that I just make videos because I enjoy making videos and I enjoy the impact that it has on the sport. I feel like with influencers, it's more so like the discount codes and the guest appearances and all these like flashy celebrity things that I'm like eh I'm good. I just I just like being able to impact my sport. I just want to lift heavy things and coach my clients and have fun at meets, make sure everyone else is having fun. Um, and that's about it. Like, I would love to get paid to make videos, but the likelihood of that ever happening is very slim to none.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Dude, I would love to get paid to make videos. That'd be legit. I'd like to think that you like when there's a new like dumb rule change in whatever Fed, it's just like a light bulb goes off over the head, like, oh, I can't wait to make a stupid video. Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_03 24:11

I feel like I feel like as dumb, as dumb as our sport is, I feel like you always have like fresh stuff to work with as well as like as long as you think about it that way.

SPEAKER_02 24:20

Oh, trust me, there's been some times where like something will happen or someone will post something about uh whatever's happening in powerlifting, and within three minutes I'll come up with a script, or it'll be just off the dome, and I'll just post it, and then somehow it went in. Like, I think it was the the untested lifter like powerlifters against gear or versus gear or something. That one I did in like three minutes, like it just popped into my head. And I was like, I'm just gonna post it.

SPEAKER_03 24:49

So do you think that you being like a obviously creator is different because you're you know really just being you and like your love of theater, your love of creating, your love of like making videos for you and your sport, um, and the course the joke of being an influencer, but do you feel like those two every like those two things ever kind of shape your ideals for powerlifting? Like, does it change your morals, change your ideals in powerlifting because of kind of like where you've become as that like social aspect of it?

SPEAKER_02 25:21

I mean, uh not really. Like, I have always viewed myself as being a nobody in the sport because I haven't achieved anything in powerlifting. I don't have a 2K total, I don't have a 500 dots, I haven't won nationals or worlds. Like, I'm just a dude who likes to train and lift and you know be a powerlifter and be a coach. So for me, whenever I go to meets and everyone's like, oh my god, it's Iron Beard, I'm like, uh, hi, like I'm just here just to have fun. You know, you want to join my rack? Let's let's go. The only time I'll ever abuse that is when I'm in a warm-up area and I need a rack. Like, anytime I go to warm up beard, I'll take a rack. Where is the room? They're like, Iron beard, it's a rack, and I'm like, haha, we're taking that one. That's the only time I'll ever abuse it. So it has its perks. There you go. Outside of that, though, it's a pretty good one. I'm just a dude. I'm just a dude with a beard who likes lifting heavyweights. Like, I I'm a nobody in this sport.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

So what you're saying is they don't give out free stakes at the Texas Roadhouse for having the uh the pool in the powerlifting community?

SPEAKER_02 26:25

No, unfortunately not. I I hate it. I'm like, damn it, I just want the rules.

SPEAKER_03 26:32

Alright, so here's a question for you, and we won't be offended at all. So talk your shit, say your piece. How what are your views on equipped powerlifting?

SPEAKER_02 26:44

Okay, so I'm so glad someone asked me this because there's like a bunch of people who have asked me this very question. I was like, what better way than here? Um, ironically, I have the utmost respect for anyone who does equip powerlifting because what people forget is that with raw powerlifting, it's a practice of skill and it's one plane of motion. It's up and down, no matter how way you fucking look at it. But with equip powerlifting, it's a mastery of skill and a mastery of the equipment. Like, you can't just throw in a squat suit and squat a thousand pounds. That doesn't work that way. You need to understand what the material is that you're using, how to put it on, have a team to put it on, how to execute with it. You still need to understand how to move with your squat raw to be able to squat it in the suit and have the muscle mass to facilitate it. Like, if you don't have those aspects dialed in, you could throw a squat suit on, throw a thousand pounds on your back and snap in half. Like, I don't understand why so many people will give so much grief to anyone who's benching a thousand pounds on bench press but using a bench shirt when they themselves can't even bench 315 raw. Like to be able to hold a thousand pounds in your small hands with even a fucking wrist strap and holding a thousand pounds, like that in itself is impressive. So you need to give credit where credit is due, where equipped powerlifting is still part of powerlifting, whether you want to look at it or not. Untest is the same way, test is the same way. We're all doing the same sport, so we need to show each other that respect of like we're doing the same thing, there's just different divisions and different ways to do it.

SPEAKER_03 28:11

Very well said, man. This is the part where you and me chime in and go, uh, when the guys talk shit and they're like that squat was high, we're like, bro, you couldn't even fucking unrack that. That's where you're picking the bar. That's where the equip side comes in. But the other thing with you couldn't understand the pain in the shirt.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

The issue with with not just equip powerlifting, but with raw, it's more so the judging aspect of it because we have seen like high squats with with equip powerlifting, but we've also seen it with raw powerlifting. Where it's like I think it was like less than two months ago, we saw someone squat over a thousand-something pounds, and it was it was high, but it got white lighted, but that's not the lifter's fault. Like everyone looks directly to lifters like you squatted high. No, he squatted to the depth that he felt was at his lowest point. It was white lighted by the referees. So the people that are upholding the standards are the ones that have to be looked at before you go looking at the lifter. And it goes the same for raw power lifting. We've seen high squats get white lighted, and we've seen to depth squats get red lighted. Like, regardless of the lifter, at the end of the day, it has to come down to the judging.

SPEAKER_01 29:19

Yeah, it's almost like any other sport where like you'll play baseball and the umpire makes a bad call sometimes. I mean, they're not usually going to go back and change the call, it just happens to go one way or the other.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

I think one of the big things too, and we've we've talked about this quite often on the podcast too, me and Carl, with the referee standards, especially when I was like part of a team where I was writing the exams and I was writing the rule books as far as like for the WRPF. Um, I think the I 100% agree with you, like that's the main culprit, both in Raw and Equipped. Um, that there's been such a I think there's been such an incline in the need for referees that at the same time in order to get more employees slash staff into the table, into the game, we've lowered the quality of standards for those referee tests in passing, right? Like we don't have as many practicals, we don't have as many people who are having to shadow in both referees and meet directors. I know tons of meet directors that shouldn't be meet directors that haven't like they might have time in the sport, like competing-wise, but they haven't like refereed enough, they haven't shadowed enough of people who have done that over and over again over a number of years at an elite level in order to understand, like you said, and you've seen all the ins and outs of making those meets happen. So I think once we lowered that standard, um a specific example I could give was the old passing results. Uh, I know when I took my USPA referee for my state referee, you had to pass with a 95%. And when you took your, I want to say your level two, which was your blue shirt, your national level, uh, back then, you had to pass with a 90. And then after you took it, you had to call. Um who was the head of the who was the head of the rules committee at the time? You had to basically have a one-on-one conference with the with the Yeah, before you got your national shirt, like and talk about ones that you got wrong if you didn't like if you pass, but even the ones you if you pass with a high enough score, you still had to call and talk about the ones you got wrong. Like it was a lot higher standards that were in, and that was after I shadowed for a very long time and kept a strict logbook of how many you know flights you had, how many computer hours you worked, how many weigh-ins you did, like you had to have all that available before you're allowed to put in for your national level. Like, there was there was literally levels to it, you know what I mean? And since those have gone down, we're seeing it all over the place in raw, in equipped, and more so unequipped is like I think we have even more access to like very low-level like backyard meats.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

Well, especially in equipped because it's such a smaller scene. It is like everyone knows each other, everyone's you can get away with it more.

SPEAKER_03 32:14

Yeah, I mean, I hate to say it like that, but it's it diminishes it, but like it totally is true. Yeah. Like it's less eyes on you, it's less people to pull strings, it's easier to like. I mean, like, think about it. If I you probably already know what I'm gonna say. What's what's stopping me from running like a super low level like backyard equipped meet in our gym with like 20 of us, people we all know, and we'll squat high as fuck, and it'll still go to open powerlifting. We could totally jam that shit. I encourage it, honestly. I know you do, I know you do. You say fuck it, do it anyway. I'll quarter squad fucking nine. Look at that shit. Like it'll go on open powerlifting the same. And you know what? Everyone will bitch just like the other big meats, and it'll still go there.

SPEAKER_01 33:04

We'll just post it and then take the live stream down, and then it'll get retracted from the slow weeks later.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

Talking about some real shit. That recently happened. Um but that's why when we go to Virginia Beach on May 31st, we're gonna squat to a standard. Yeah, yeah, definitely. At least I try. We'll try. I mean, my suit's gonna be looser, so I'm gonna be definitely getting down there. Yeah, you're gonna be diced for the beach. Yeah, yeah. I'm I'm shredding shredding for beach season, bro.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

Okay, real quick, we haven't announced this on the podcast yet.

SPEAKER_03 33:36

Well, if you announce it, that means I have to do it. Right now, I've just kind of been chilling. Well, if yeah, I'm making you do it. Oh, fuck you. Uh, this is a commitment. So, where are you going to? All right, so my last meet, I competed at 233. It was my first meet in the 242s. Not filled out the weight class, but that was technically my fourth different weight class I've competed in over the last 10 years, plus, 10 years plus, right? So uh I did 181 for like three or four years, I did 198 for the majority of my powerlifting career, I did 220 for the last like three years, and now I am making the decision and the approach and for good health. I am going all the way back to 198.

SPEAKER_01 34:20

Which means I can finally take home a first place in the class.

SPEAKER_03 34:24

Yeah, it means Carl will not be doing a 220s battle against me on equipment.

SPEAKER_01 34:29

I I love taking second place, but first place sometimes feels better.

SPEAKER_03 34:33

Carl's favorite is when he he gets a national record, and then I take it from him 30 seconds later because I'm directly behind him in the flight. The first one hurt, the last five were okay. This one isn't the first one that leaves the lasting impression. No, but I I am all the way down to uh I was 233 uh like around December, and I am all the way down to 210 right now. So I I need about I need about five more pounds. So I usually for my 198 uh cutting weight, I usually walk around at like 205 to 206, and then I'll do water manipulation my last week, which I'm super duper used to, so I'm not I'm not even worried about that part. But should be a fun time. It'll it'll feel like uh the glory days, man. So yeah, I'm I'm really hoping for uh a 21 plus at 198. So that'd be awesome. That'd be a big deal. Yeah, yeah. Can't wait to see that.

SPEAKER_01 35:32

That's I just can't let you outbench or squat me.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

Yeah, yeah. If you if I outbench you at two weight classes down, you're gonna be real sad, dude. It'll be the saddest car ride home. Yeah, it'll be a long, it'll be a long car ride home.

SPEAKER_01 35:49

So, no, go ahead, man. So, Mario, I had a question for you. When you are uh approaching like lifters going into meets like that you're coaching, and they have to do uh cuts, do you plan that out like weeks and months ahead? Or do you do what Travis does and does like a water cut a week out? Do you which one would you program for?

SPEAKER_02 36:07

I am thoroughly against uh water cuts or any type of weight cut before a meet, um, especially for like the newer lifters. I've done the 20-pound water cuts and that almost like caused me a bomb out at Nationals like two years ago. Um, that was a whole thing. And I'm like, I'm not gonna put anyone else through this because this was a really stupid. And I did it just for experimental reasons. Like, I need to feel what that's gonna feel like so that when my athletes are going through it, it's like, yeah, I know what that's like, but I don't want anyone to do it. Like either go up a weight class or go down during the offseason. Like, don't don't put yourself in a position where you're gonna fuck yourself up by doing a weight cut like that, unless you're experienced with it and you've you've done it for years and you understand like the detriments that it can have to you and you know how to refuel yourself for it. But 95% of lifters have no idea how to fucking recomp. And it's like there's no point. If it's a local meet, there's no point. Um, so that's just me though. Totally agree.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

I agree with that.

SPEAKER_02 37:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:03

No, I mean, and as a coach myself, I'm always the first one to tell you like, dude, do not water cut, do not do what I do. Um, but if you are super hard headed and want to do it anyway and will not listen to me, Carl, or Coach Mario, uh, you can always go on Elite FTS and look at one of my many published articles on there, one of which will tell you how to uh sacrifice your body for the good of the sport and lose all the water. So for the greater good. And it does come with a uh with a uh for it does come with a forewarning on it. So again, we do not recommend this, but if you're gonna do do it anyway, there are some guidelines that may help you. Travis is making you sign waivers before you read articles. Yeah, sign my waiver before you read my articles on Elite FTS. Um, but yeah, so I will I will be making that that hot sauna tent slash tub exploration here. And I'll be sitting next to you wiping your glasses if you watch TV. Defog, defog in my glasses. Um, but what Carl what Carl's truly not ready for, and we talked about this yesterday. He is not ready for this refeed. He has not seen me do a 198 refeed in many, many years. Refeed of the center. He is he is not ready for me to weigh in at like 197 and then walk on the platform the next day at like 215. You gotta weigh more than me the next day. Yeah, that's that's really cool. It will blow your mind, dude. That's terrible. That'd be incredible. Yeah. What what did you say you're experimenting with right now? It's pasta, right? Yeah, dude. I'm all right.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

So tell Mario your theory right now. Okay. So uh I'm not known for my conditioning.

SPEAKER_03 38:39

Wait, what is this statement?

SPEAKER_01 38:40

You're not known for your conditioning? I'm not known for my conditioning. All right. Um, and then every single time we come around to like a big squat day and I have to wrap my knees, I have the hardest time, and I usually have to grab somebody to wrap my knees for me. Um, the last time I was squatting, I had a great time wrapping my knees. I didn't feel like shit. I could bend over for a long period of time and just you know, do what I need to do, make it tight, and uh had a really good squat day. So this time around, this coming week, I'm gonna do the same thing where I have a nice pasta dinner right beforehand. What kind of pasta was it though? Oh, I had uh chicken alfredo. Okay, so there's there's with some lemon cello shots.

SPEAKER_03 39:16

Carl, you you neglected to tell me the lemon shot the lemon jello shot work. That that's your fucking that's your strategy for wrapping your knees better the night before. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 39:27

A lot of chicken parm. The lemon cello shot. So if that goes well this week, here's my thing. I will have to carry this into the meat the whole way through.

SPEAKER_03 39:37

Are you really gonna make jello shooters to take to the hotel room? I might have to. Oh my god, dude.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

That's cool. Once you find that thing that like gives you that momentum or like that mental boost, you gotta run with it until until it doesn't work anymore.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

Yeah, and I I honestly this goes back a long time for me because I was even like in little league playing baseball. You took jello shots before you should be able to get a big thing. No, dude, no, no, mental league, totally different. Different, you animal. No, before I would like have like a game or something like that, I would have like tuna or some sort of fish, and then I'd like perform really well in the game, like I hit a home run or some some bullshit like that. So now I just gotta find that here, and I think I found it with my pasta and lemoncello. As a are you a superstitious lifter by any chance? Do you like have any weird rituals that you do before you're going into things?

SPEAKER_02 40:26

Uh somewhat. I'm pretty neurotic when it comes to my training. Uh, for sure. Like before deadlifts, I have to have a burger the night before. Like this, I don't know why. If I don't, like deadlift session will always go to shit. I I don't know why. Uh squat, not so much. It's more so just like letting my neuroticism and tourette's take over and just let it happen. Uh bench, not so much. Bench is just like, just don't die for the most part.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Bench is the buffer between the two cool lifts. I get it. It is. I hate bench.

SPEAKER_03 40:56

Oh, dude, we should we should ask him that.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

What the yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:00

All right, Mario, real quick. So we would usually ask this at the end, but I know damn well I'm gonna forget it if I don't ask now. Um fuck Mary kill SBD.

unknown 41:10

Go.

SPEAKER_02 41:11

How did I know this was gonna happen? Um fuck uh fuck squat, Mary deadlift, kill bench.

SPEAKER_01 41:19

Alright, you gotta give some reasons.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

A little bit of reasoning, a little bit of reasoning.

SPEAKER_01 41:22

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 41:23

So squat is like it can be a hit or miss for me. Like, I don't mind just like going tapping it a couple times, and then sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I can rely on it where it's like, cool, we're good, we good, okay, cool. You can head out the back door, and then bench, bench, fuck no. Like, I'm very grateful that my benches got to where it's at right now where I'm closing in on 405 bench, but still I hate it. Like, I am dog shit at third attempt benches. I choke every single time, so you can go fuck yourself. And then deadlift has become like my ride or die for like the last like couple years. Like, even though I injured my back on it in my last prep, it was my fault. Like, it doesn't do me dirty. My buddy actually pointed out, he's like, Why are you why are you so dog shit at can at reps for squat and bench, but you can bang out reps on deadlift like no other? And I'm like, hook grip? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 42:17

Just blame it on the leverages. I just blame it on the leverages, dude.

SPEAKER_03 42:20

I wish somebody had told me if you lose like fucking 20 pounds, like I know my strength went down, but it evened out with my leverages, and now I feel better on deadlift than ever.

SPEAKER_01 42:30

So, what you're saying is gonna break the the 10-year deadlift.

SPEAKER_03 42:33

I'm not saying all that. I'm not saying yeah, it's not 10 years, man. I'm over exaggerating, I know. 10 meets maybe? 10 meets is definitely realistic 100% for me. I so there's a running joke between me and Carl. I am always good, no matter what condition it is, to pull a 700 dead on the platform, and that's fucking it. I'm good for a seven and then nothing else. So, like, I will take my token seven every meet. So, this meet I've strategically planned it where I'm gonna go eight, six, seven. And then if I do it that way, hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised and pull more than seven. It's a sneak attack.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

It's a good, it's a good deal. Like, I mean, it's not a bad idea for you. I still think you're baby in the squat way too much.

SPEAKER_03 43:20

You think I'm baby in the squat? Yes. Bro, you're a baby. You're a giant baby. You look like a giant baby.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

You can't make it too easy for me, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 43:29

You gotta put a little like, you know, do you really want to take it seriously and also outsquat you at two weight classes down?

SPEAKER_01 43:36

I I'm sorry, I want some competition in here. I'm sorry. This month or five.

SPEAKER_03 43:42

Don't we don't what do we have? We have chain squats this weekend, right? Yeah, we got chain squats. Don't we had a squat like nine plus? Yes. That sucks. Yeah, you can't do it. This is so much fun, dude. I can't wait. Yeah, can't you count out the days, aren't you? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Can't wait to have all these really plain rice cakes on Saturday nights. To fuel up for my really heavy squat.

SPEAKER_01 44:03

Oh yeah. Don't you love going max effort on a cut? Dude, it's instead of three rice cakes, you can have five.

SPEAKER_03 44:08

Bro, oh my God. I'm I am straight spackling right now. I'll be have I'll have my chicken parmer for suck all the seasoning off of barbecued almond. Just be cute. Dude, instead of ammonia capsules, I'm gonna keep like a slice of pizza in a Ziploc bag. And like right before I go to the bar, I'm like my new shit.

SPEAKER_02 44:35

Yeah. What'd you say? We should ask oh, we should ask Zone to make a pizza scent selling uh smelling salt just for you.

SPEAKER_03 44:43

I was just about to say the same thing. Well, Liam did me a solid and made me root beer once because root beer is my favorite drink, but we should do a so you got your one though. You can't ask yeah, I don't know. If well, no, I didn't post it on my story today, but I I'm in the middle of drawing him a new logo right now. Oh, nice. Yeah, we got Tom Seeker. New Zone releasing you already here first, um, some new cool bottles of Is this public information yet? Uh no. But I mean he sponsors the podcast, so okay. So I mean, um if you want your uh Wiffies with your sniffies, we got some new ones coming your way. Definitely not pizza. It's it's not, it's really not pizza. That would be probably a terrible decision. Like, could you imagine all the people who like get nauseous or nervous before you hit the platform and then hit a big hit of like fucking yeah, no way? Like we're sniffing like a giant pepperoni, yeah, yeah, pepper Italian song, man. All right, so let's move on to this next question because we got way off topic, but it's fine. That's what this podcast is. This is for Mario, it's not for you, Carl. In case you were wondering, I don't have any questions for you. Nobody wants to talk to you. Um is it exhausting staying up to date on tested drama, big meets, and what rules are being debated by tested feds?

SPEAKER_02 45:57

Sometimes it can be, to be honest, but the thing is, like most of us are on social media pretty often to where it's pretty easy to find that access to when things are happening in real time. Um, the only time where it becomes kind of daunting is like if I'm in prep, like right now, when it gets closer and closer to the meat, the last thing I want to do is make a skit when I just like did an RP nine squad or something, or there was a hard session or I failed to lift. It's like I hate everything right now. Like, I don't want to do this damn skit. Um but at the same time, it's like I love making content, so it's never a thing I have to drag, I have to drag ass for. It's more so just like, dude, it's it's there, it's right in front of you. Like most of the time, IPF has low-hanging fruit for me. So I was like, okay, thank you. I'm gonna make it up, I'll make a video about this. That's totally true.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

I fuck up enough, it's gonna be easy to talk about something.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

So, and that's the thing, right? Like, a lot of people will think, like, I hate I hate IPF. Like, I don't hate them because they've never done anything to me. It's just when you make that many mistakes compared to every other federation, like you make it too easy. Like, no other federation is doing it. Like, I look at every single Fed and I'm like, what else is everyone doing? Like, no one else is doing anything that's remotely funny compared to like what IPF does. Like the new singlets that A7 came out. I'm like, guys, come on, what even is that? So, yeah, it's just it can be a little bit more than a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 47:22

Are you talking about the uh star spangled ones?

SPEAKER_02 47:24

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_03 47:26

I better get two stars on my ass cheeks if I'm gonna get that damn singlet. Yeah, dude, there's I mean, like are they really doing that? No, they made like an American flag single. They're fucking I mean, like, I'm also supporting your country, but like, bro, they're fucking hideous. They're bad. No, no, no. They're like, if you wanted to feel like you got selected for team USA, but you wanted the team version of it, they printed you one, but for not a teamu price. Right, right. Yeah, you it's not a teamu signal singlet, you're just the teamu lifter that got it. Yeah, it's really bad. Yeah, so I still I still got it. So uh okay. I mean that makes sense, man. I was always thinking that because like one of my biggest things too is like it I always felt like it was super hard to like come in and train and do your best training-wise and give your best to the people around you and your your gym members and your training partners. Um when I was you know at the heart of my meet directing when I was running a lot of meets, and I always felt like because of all the rule changes, the Fed drama, like it always felt so zapping in that aspect of it that when I actually got in here, like some days I just felt like I didn't have anything left, man. Like the last thing I wanted to do was like I've talked about and debated like really minute bullshit other people's fault powerlifting all day, and now I gotta walk in here and actually power lift. Like it was it kind of takes it out of you.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

I'm tired of the sport before you even start.

SPEAKER_03 49:02

Yeah, yeah. You're tired of the sport before you even do the sport at the for the day. Yeah. I mean, to be honest, most of the mentality is like this is gonna be a hot.

SPEAKER_02 49:13

Say that one more time. You broke up a little bit. Oh, sorry. All I was to say is just like at the end of the day, what people need to remember is that it's just powerlifting. Like, no matter how serious we take the sport, and no matter how much drama happens or what rule changes happen, it's just powerlifting. Like, we're we're lifting heavy weights, we're having fun, we're doing the thing, you know, matter if you're tested, untested, or or equipped, it doesn't matter. We're all doing the same sport. Just just have fun. Like stop, stop with the rule changes and everything. Um, the drama, it usually comes internalized from very specific people, so let them hash it out, and then no one else is to get involved. We're just there to train.

SPEAKER_01 49:49

Yeah, very true, man. I think it's also important a lot of people forget and it's overlooked that the only people that care about powerlifting are other powerlifters. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, no Joe Schmoe on the street's gonna know like squat records for so and so.

SPEAKER_03 50:03

I'm like in food line, someone's like, that guy's fucking top 10. Like nobody doesn't happen. It never happens. No. Do you guys ever do that? That's what I do. I just walk down the aisles. I'm like, get the fuck out of my way. I'm here to get bread. You know who I am. Um, all right, so this will be a little bit of a hot button topic, but I'd love to talk to you about this. Um, because this has obviously been on and off, especially a lot there's this year, and with the release and popularity of a lot of like SARMs and uh more so peptides this year. Peptides have really been booming this year. Um, I'm a huge peptide supporter, obviously. Once I've had multiple like super hardcore surgeries, um, I was a huge abdicate for BPC 157 and TB500. Um, they both helped me a lot getting back to ligament health and you know, restoring uh my quad tendons and my elbow and lots of other shit I've fucking tore pretty much off the bone. Um but with um how what do you how do you view the idea of cheating on drug tests? I mean like besides are like yeah, it's wrong. Pretty obvious answer, yeah. No, it's wrong.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

Drugs bad. So, like I said before, I don't have anything against anyone who's running peptides, PEDs, or anything. The issue I have is when it's marketed and becoming super accessible to to younger lifters, like anyone under the age of 25, and like even kids are getting on SARMs and peptides and stuff like that. Because like even nutrition stores are are carrying them like on the shelves, and these kids are getting access to it with no like like how old are you, no identification or anything. They're just giving it to them, and it's like, no, guys, like you don't have to take that to be a good power lifter. You can be a good power lifter by just eating enough food, training hard, and then putting in the the years to it. But as far as like cheating drug tests, if if you're an untested lifter, just compete untested. Like you can't like most often, like if you're like most untested lifters who compete in tested federations, they often suck. So it's like you're not gonna get popped anyways because you're not strong enough to get popped, which can kind of show you like how trash you actually are. Uh so it's like the lifters who are actually on gear are gonna be normally competing tested or untested, I'm sorry. So it's like you can kind of see where that line, that line kind of like divides, where it's like if you're a good untested lifter, you're gonna compete untested. If you're a trash untested lifter, you're you're gonna compete tested because you're trash.

SPEAKER_01 52:45

It comes back to the thing where we said earlier where it's like you're taking X, Y, and Z and you're not even good enough to place on a tested meat. You know, we couldn't even tell by looking at you.

SPEAKER_03 52:55

Yeah, no, that's that's very true. So what percentage or like roundabout? I mean, I'm not asking you to like pull out a fucking like statistic uh statistic chart or graph for me right now or anything like that, but like what kind of percentage do you think or guess of athletes that are natty are actually like taking illegal substances and then coming off in time before a comp?

SPEAKER_02 53:21

In the tested world, I'm gonna say it's under 50%, but it is a good chunk. Um, I'm not gonna out people, but it it's it's definitely very prominent, and it really does suck because a lot of these lifters are very young and they're prominent figures within powerlifting. And for any federation to call themselves the the highest standard of drug testing, but allowing lifters to not only be on gear and even allowing one left lead to be on trend for three years and potentlene, allow them to podium, but not pop them, um, it it's it's actually a much bigger number than people realize, and it really sucks. And it's pretty embarrassing for any tested lifter who is on peptides or SARMs. Like, if you are one of those lifters, just admit that you are and then compete tested. Like, you're not fooling anyone by by being on gear and then taking or and then cycling off. Like anyone who's been on gear long enough, understand how that process goes, and it's probably a little bit easier with SARMs or peptides because it flushes out probably a little bit easier. But if they want to cheat the system, go for it, but it just makes you look like an idiot in the in the grand scheme of it.

SPEAKER_03 54:37

I think uh like what I always say too is like, and I've told I think you've heard me say this a thousand fucking times, and I say I say this at Meets, I say this in like Meet Director Discord, as far as like when we used to run tested and untested meets together, like the one you're talking about doing when you're gonna do your USPA meet in the end of May. Um, nobody cares that you're on stuff, no one gives a shit that you're doing gear, right? What we do give a shit about is if you're on gear and you're trying to compete against people who aren't on gear. So, like, as long, like you said, as long as you stick to your respective divisions, right? Like, if you're on gear no matter what it is, do fucking untested and call it a day. Like, nobody's fooling anybody. I think one of my biggest things I always remember, like my first, like, not personal experience with it as a meet director, but as a younger lifter. This and this always impacted me, even though I wasn't like a big fan of her or anything, dude. I remember when Danalyn Bailey stopped bodybuilding and then did like some fucking tested meets, and I was like, but bro, she was like on the Olympia stage, like she's been on gear for years, years, and now she's competing tested, right? And I'm like, when I saw that and I was like, and people were letting that fly. I mean, obviously there's a lot of social commentary about it, but like the fact that she was doing it and the feds were like, Yep, like that always like I really took that to heart, and I was like, why would somebody fucking do that? And it wasn't like she was weak. I was gonna say, like, were there big lifts put up, were their records broken? I can't remember to be honest with you off the top of my head, because that was all I was focused on. I just I'd never seen something like that before. Yeah, like where somebody could just do that, and everyone was like, besides for like again, social media commentary on it, like nobody was like, Whoa, whoa, what are you fucking doing? Yeah, like and I and I think like uh Mario was saying, like, because of people who are bigger and they let it slide, and like again, like you said, you had an athlete that was on fucking trend for three years and podiums, like because of who you are, like some people will let that slide. And unfortunately, even in the best tested federation, it pays to know people. Yeah, it matters who you are, unfortunately, and it shouldn't, but it does.

SPEAKER_01 57:07

I saw recently there was an athlete, I think he competes in the IPF, and he was on that list, you know, where they like they can go contact you to get a random drug test any time of the year.

SPEAKER_03 57:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:17

And then he didn't respond to an email.

SPEAKER_03 57:20

Yeah, yeah. I'd say if you want, let Mario talk about this. He probably knows more about it.

SPEAKER_02 57:26

Okay, so first and foremost, this is a message to IPF. Stop emailing Gen Z's, any Gen Z lifter, they don't respond to emails, they don't even respond to DMs. Or actually, they might. Um, but yeah, that was a whole thing. That so, like, no hate to the athlete. I think he's phenomenal. But to not respond to an email, number one, come on, dude. Like, you're a top-level athlete, they're gonna be keeping an eye on you, you're part of the Adams list, like they're gonna have to test you. Number two, uh yeah, it was uh that, and then uh he messed up some information on his like form or something, like he misspelled something on his name, and so they they docked him for that, which I think is stupid. Then they tried getting access to his dorm, and they couldn't get access to it, so they docked him for that. So all three of that, like, yeah, on the IPF side, that was stupid, or Wada's side that was stupid, but also for the athlete themselves, like you are also an adult and you need to be able to handle your shit like as needed. Uh, because there's times where like Russell Ori will get uh tested like at 9 p.m. at night, they'll come to his apartment and be like, hey, you gotta you gotta get drug tested right now. But he'll tell them ahead of time, like, I'm gonna be home for you to come and like test it or test me. So they have to schedule these things in advance. So if you know in advance that you're gonna get tested and you've you failed to to show up for three times, then clearly you're hiding something. So yeah, that's a good point. You have the responsibility as the athlete, like Wada's not just gonna come to your doorstep and be like, hey, we gotta we gotta test you. It's like no, you they're scheduling this and they have to know your schedule ahead of time for them to come and see if like you're available for that. And if you're not there, then they're gonna dock you, and then eventually you're gonna get popped. Not you without even having getting tested. He's still gonna get tested, but like now at this point, it's like okay, now just filter everything out, and then you know, I can't say he was or wasn't, but you know, it doesn't look good.

SPEAKER_01 59:26

I saw a lot of people I saw a lot of people saying that he's got like what is it, like an 18-month ban or something like that. Uh I don't I'm not sure how long I think it was something like an 18, not a not completely two years, but close to it. And people in the comments were saying like they just gave bro a free pass to blast gear for like 10 months, yeah, and then go off.

SPEAKER_03 59:43

Dude, one of my one of my favorite drug test stories, this is from a meet I was directing, yeah, right? Uh, it was Richie. So this was back before me and Richie were super tight and he hadn't trained with me much. So I think it was Dover. It was a meet we did at Dover. Um it was it was outside. It was the it was it was the tented meat. Yep, I remember. It was outside, it was hot as fuck that day. Ed took his practical. We had to wear sunglasses all day, and he got fucking super sunburned on his bald ass head. That's that beat gray shirt that I have. Yeah, the one that the fucking chickens are wearing on. Can't even see. Yeah, yeah. Um, good times, good times. Anyway, so I had told everybody, I'm like, hey, like you're there's a high chance you're gonna get called to get drug tested. Those of you who signed up for your drug tested division, make sure you have to if you have to pee when you're done lifting, you try to hold it because if you get called, you're gonna have to pee. Richie had done like a whole jug of water. He had pissed like two minutes before we did awards, right? While we were calling. And I remember sitting in the fucking bathroom with him for like an hour, and I'm like, Richie. And there's like two other guys around me that I'm doing drug tests for the three of them. And I was like, all right, here's the deal, boys. If you hold me for 20 minutes, I'll be okay. If you hold me for 30 minutes, I'm gonna get a little sour. If you hold me for 45, I'm gonna drop beads of my sweat into your peacock, and you're all gonna get banned and piss hot. It's a$500 fine. I was like, it's been hot outside. I've been given practicals in the sun. I'm definitely on trend right now. You will all fail this test. And believe it or not, everyone went pee on time after that conversation. Crazy stuff, man. You scare it out of them. That's I it's it's either that, it's either threatening with that, or like, I'll squeeze you like a tube of toothpaste and just wring you out like a sponge, bro. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:35

You gotta go. I think uh I just thought of another funny story uh talking about like pee tests and drug tests. Remember, Kevin came in here and he was like, dude, oh poor Kevin, I've held it for like three hours. Can I please go pee in my cup? And the meat hadn't even started, it was the day before.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:49

This was this was Wayne's. It was his very first meet, and he thought he had to pee before like for a drug test before the meet to make sure he was drug free. And he had been holding a piss for like a two-hour car ride, and he's like, I'm gonna die. And I'm like, bro, what are you doing? And he's like, Are you serious? I'm like, I really thought that like went without saying.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:08

Poor guy, man. His bad bladder was gonna explode. Not only did he have the wrong day, but it's also it was his first meet, and he wasn't putting numbers up where he would be like called to get drugs. Right, right, yeah, yeah. But he didn't understand that quite yet, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:20

One of the one of my favorite like newbie lifter things I've seen. Tell me you're green at powerlifting without telling me. That's it right there. Yeah, when you've been holding your piss for two hours before the way ends. I guess I guess he expected to walk through the door and I was just like kick him into the bathroom and be like, all right, dude, let's make it happen right now. Like, here's a cup. Yeah, like snatch him out of his seat belt and make him pee immediately. Um, all right. Well, that's all about all time before we wrap things up. Mario, did you have any questions for me or Carl?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:51

I don't think so. I think I I think I'm good.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:57

Also, um, I know when I contacted you, like I had been following you for a little while and like liking your videos and stuff. Did you have any idea who I was? Yeah, like did you think I was just some random ass dude reaching out to you? No, I had been following you.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:12

Oh shit, okay, yeah. Yeah, I've been following you for a while. I've always loved like watching you lift and everything, especially overcoming the injuries. Like, it was extremely inspirational. Every time you would go through like a tear or anything, you just continue to prove that even in amidst adversity, you can still bounce back up and keep pushing and not make excuses for yourself. Like one of the things my coach always told like tells us is to be a fucking dog. And so you always like show that where you didn't make an excuse, you continue to push every single training session. So it's like, if this guy's able to tear a quad, but the hamstringer, whatever the case may be, you can push through a fucking discomfort, you can push through knee pain, you can push through whatever externals you have going on. So definitely one of the people that I follow where I was like, Yeah, he's one of them. He's one of the he's one of the dogs.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:02

I appreciate that, man. Thank you. You hear that, man? I'm a dog, and there's two in me, and one of them's going blind, and the other one's filled with lots of metal parts. Those are my dogs inside of me, bro. I got the dogs right here, my guy. That's right, that's right. I love those are like my favorite memes. It's like the two wolves, and one of them's like, oh, he's got like his tongue hanging out. I love that. I'm I'm gonna have to redo one with my face like graphed on the wolf, and one of them's got sunglasses on, and the other one's got like a metal arm. That'd be sick. All right, Mario. Man, thank you so much for being part of our podcast in the opening episode of season three. Um, once again, can you shout out your uh Instagram so we can tell people where to follow you at, Mario?

SPEAKER_02 1:04:44

Yes, so Instagram is ironbeard strength, iron underscore beard underscore strength, and then tick tock super barbell bro. Um, so feel free to follow if you guys want to. If not, that's totally fine. I still love you guys.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:57

We're also gonna tag him in our stories and stuff, and also on our upload and invite him to be a collaborator. So if you can't find him, you can always click on that and then go towards his TikTok and his Instagram. Um we're gonna be updating everybody on meet prep. We're gonna be talking about lots of fun stuff this season. Uh, probably have uh one or two other guests this season. Um, but once again, appreciate everyone uh tuning in. Mario for coming on here at such a short notice. And you got anybody you want to shout out?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:28

You can shout out me. I can shout you out. Yeah, shout out my coach Grumpy Bear. Yeah, bro. He puts out some good programs and makes people make people strong and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:36

Yeah, because I got that dog in me. Two dogs, two dogs, two dogs. Um, also, uh Mario didn't want me to say this out loud, so I'll say it to uh a forum. Um, Mario's a great coach. He says uh if you're brand new to lifting, know absolutely nothing, you're gonna ask way too many questions and want way too much money. He wants all of those kinds of lifters directed right towards him. He said, are you a pain in the ass? I want you. Yes. All right, man. Thank you so, so much for being on here with love and grumpy paws. We are out of here.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:11

Alrighty, guys. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:15

Absolutely, dude.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:17

Later, guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:18

We are stuck.