Unfiltered Strength

Dr. Dwayne N. Jackson is a dad, athlete, health specialist, medical educator, scientist, and entrepreneur. He has over 12 years of university education in exercise/human physiology, medicine, and nutritional biochemistry. Dr. Jackson holds a PhD in neurovascular physiology and has been educated at some of the top academic institutions in North America including University of Ottawa, the University of Western Ontario, and Yale University School of Medicine. He can be found at: https://drdwaynejackson.com/about/

Today we have one of my absolute favorites on the show, Victoria Felkar. We dive down the hormone rabbit hole. Are you being sold a lie on social media? How many of the fitness influencer are enhanced? Is it a game of telephone where the information is lost along its journey through social media? We talk about performance enhancement, Females and PED's, Hormone replacement therapy, birth control and much more. This is one of my favorite guests to have on the show and she knocks it out of the park as usual. Victoria Felkar is a doctoral candidate conducting interdisciplinary research on women’s health, reproductive function, and pharmaceutical steroid hormones. With a unique background in both the hard sciences and humanities, her work offers a novel and critical perspective into the use of drugs for health and performance purposes within the female athlete population. Victoria’s research has achieved international awards and accolades within both academia and industry. Beyond academia, Victoria is an internationally respected educator and consultant within the fitness, bodybuilding and strength sector. Her unique multidisciplinary background has provided the perfect platform for pioneering work in athlete-centered coaching methods, integrated health-performance methods, and female athlete health. For the past 15 years, she has worked with a wide range of individuals and organizations, including top-level athletes and competitors, special populations, health professionals and strength coaches, and has lectured at events worldwide.Victoria’s professional experience and research are synergistic, providing her with the opportunity to continue to bridge the gap between academia and the industry. Her passion is building and sharing knowledge. Here's the podcast mentioned in the show with Scott & Dr. Scott: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1YF9Uv2x9s&list=PLhB9QHZc60aj2tzC48MmeY03ULd6NUpzi&index=3 SWIS Videos: https://www.swis.ca/ https://www.victoriafelkar.com/ Instagram @victoriafelkar

Tommy is a seasoned powerlifter, that is moving impressive weights with only one arm. He talks about his story, and the highs and lows of getting back into the gym after a catastrophic injury. It’s a great reminder to persevere even when everything changes and the future is uncertain. Tommy can be found on instagram at 1_armed_hercules

Stan Efferding is an IFBB Professional bodybuilder and World Record Holding Powerlifter. He is one of only 10 men in the world to ever total over 2,300 pounds raw in competition. Stan holds the title as the Worlds Strongest Bodybuilder. Stan studied Exercise Science at the University of Oregon and has been training high school, Collegiate, and Professional athletes for over 25 years.Stan conducts seminars all over the country for various sports and nutrition and training techniques. He has appeared in many magazines and writes for Muscular Development, Flex Magazine and Power Magazine.Stan is also a successful Entrepreneur having built three different start-up businesses into multi-million dollar companies. www.StanEfferding.com

Dr. Kristin Lander, DC, CISSN is a chiropractic physician and certified sports nutritionist.  She teaches athletes and people who strength train how to properly fuel themselves to get more out of their training sessions, recover harder, and get stronger faster through utilizing performance-based nutrition and recovery tactics.   Kristin has worked at the intersection of health care, fitness, and sports for 22 years.  In 2015 she founded Fiercely Fueled Nutrition, an online nutrition coaching company and has now coached dozens of athletes who have gone on to win national and world titles as well as set world records in their respective strength sport.   An athlete herself, Kristin has competed internationally in both Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting. She can be found on instagram under Fiercely Fueled Nutrition and under drkristinlander and at www.Fiercelyfueled.com  For a free pre and post training meal guide she has put together a download for the listeners @ https://guide.fiercelyfueled.com/fffm

Today I have a wonderful guest on the pod. 11 time IPF World Champ. Current bench world record holder (320.7), High School teacher (25 yrs).  Mother of two boys. Married 27 years.  HS Powerlifting coach.  Representative for No Kid Hungry.  Jennifer Thompson. She is here to talk today about being a female involved in strength sports, and why mom guilt is not an influence on her trining, and how her athletic goals have helped her family.  She can be found at 132poundsofpower.com The TG Training App  Instagram at jenthompson132 or her podcast, The Strength Academy

​Andy Triana is a world renown private consultant with expertise in cognitive and skill-centric domains. After finishing school and competing at the world level in Strongman, Andy’s desire to help led him to forming The Performance Vibe whose intent was to coach high performing clientele and spread awareness about modern day sports performance. A few years later Andy’s desire to help was only magnified after noticing a massive gap in public knowledge about the relationship between cognition and behavior. Go Super Brain is Andy’s most recent project whose aim is to empower individuals to take control and form a healthy relationship with the “stuff” between our ears. Check him out on Instagram @gosuperbrain

Welcome to the very first episode of Unfiltered Strength Podcast with Zach Price and Connie Nightingale.In this episode, we break down who we are, how we got started in strength sports, and what led us into the worlds of powerlifting and strongman. We dive into our personal journeys, the challenges we’ve faced, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.We also talk about how strength sports have evolved over time from training approaches to the culture surrounding competition and give you a real, unfiltered look at what this space actually looks like behind the scenes.Whether you’re an athlete, a competitor, or just getting started, this episode is all about laying the foundation, sharing our perspectives, and setting the tone for what’s to come.

Today I have on the show Victoria Felkar. As an interdisciplinary researcher and instructor, she works across the fields of kinesiology, medicine, critical studies and the humanities. She studies health, hormones, and the body, and is currently pursuing a doctorate. Her research explores women's health and female hormone manipulation within sport and medicine. For the past decade, she has also been a practitioner, consultant, author, and educator within the world of strength and fitness. Over the years, she has worked with a wide range of individuals and organizations, including top-level athletes, special populations, health professionals, and strength coaches, and lectured at events worldwide. Her specialties include athlete-centered coaching methods, functional health and performance enhancement education. Today I have the opportunity to talk with Victoria about Hormonal Birth Control, Performance Enhancing Drugs and hormones and I cant be more thrilled to have her on the show today. Victoria can be found online at www.VictoriaFelkar.com and also wanted to include a link to the menstrual cycle diaries that can be found here: Menstrual Cycle Diary — VICTORIA FELKAR Menstrual Cycle Diary — VICTORIA FELKAR As always I can be found on Instagram @conniebegonnie and would love to hear your feedback thoughts and opinions. Enjoy the show!

Today I’m going to talk a little bit about easy ways to meal prep and portion control. It’s so much easier to stay on track when you have food waiting for you in your refrigerator. Today I’m going to talk about eating a balanced meal with protein carbohydrates and fat, and also portions. And if you have any questions at all I would love to help you I can be found on Instagram at @conniebegonnie and my website https://thefitfarmingfoodmom.issacertifiedtrainer.com I absolutely love helping people reach their goals and I’m a great problem solver! Do you have an issue or want to find ways to make better choices? I can help!

In today’s episode we talk all about sugar! It’s effects on the liver, insulin, the gut microbiome and so much more! Today’s Guest Dr. Robert Pastore Ph.D completed his graduate education at Eastern Michigan University, majoring in human nutrition with extensive study of biochemistry and genomics, and received the outstanding graduate student award for academic excellence. He holds a PhD from Rutgers University, School of Health Professions in biomedical informatics, nanomedicine and clinical informatics, and received the award of excellence for his outstanding academic performance. He is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Society for Nutrition, the American College of Nutrition, the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi, and Alpha Chi Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Lambda at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Dr. Pastore is also on the Rutgers University School of Health Professions Alumni Association Executive Board. Dr. Pastore has had the distinction of counseling some of the world’s greatest professional athletes and sports teams from the MLB, NFL, NHL and the world of endurance sports. Dr. Pastore consults for professional sports and health care companies. He can be found at www.drrobertpastore.com and on Instagram @drrobertpastore and as always I can be found on Instagram @conniebegonnie and my website https://thefitfarmingfoodmom.issacertifiedtrainer.com

In this episode I talk a little bit about things to avoid when making a New Year’s resolution, and how to set yourself up for success with the goals that you make. I touch on MLM schemes and some different diets and also gym intimidation. I can be found in Instagram @conniebegonnie and my website https://thefitfarmingfoodmom.issacertifiedtrainer.com

Today I’m excited to bring on the show Chet and Natalie Nichols and they are here to talk with me today about red flags and things to consider when hiring a contest prep coach. Chet is an IFBB Pro, Physique Coach, Prep Coach, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist and NPC Regional Judge. Natalie is an IFBB Pro, Physique Coach, Prep Coach, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and NPC Regional Judge. Both specialize in personalized Online Training with Physique Competitors, Powerlifters and General Fitness Enthusiast. Services include Workout Programming, Nutrition Plans, Contest Prep, Offseason Improvement, Posing, Competition Critique, Weight Loss, Muscle gain, Body Recomposition, etc. All programs are customized and clients are monitored on a weekly and daily basis. Chet and Natalie live in Meridian, ID and trains at The Mecca Gym Twitter: @usaphysique FB: @usaphysique IG: @usaphysique Competitor Guidance FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamusaphysique/?ref=share Website: www.teamusaphysique.com

Boone was just a normal high school athlete playing a regular football game when his life changed in the blink of an eye. He was 16 years old and a junior in high school and while playing football he broke c4 and c5 vertebrae in his neck which resulted in a spinal cord injury and left him paralyzed from the neck down. His injury has not stopped Boone from setting goals for himself. He recently just graduated from Boise State, and is improving himself for the better daily. It’s clear, while talking to Boone that his attitude towards life,his positive mindset and his great sense of humor is going to be taking him places! I so enjoyed my talk today on the podcast and I’m sure you will too! If you wanna share in his journey find him on Instagram @boone_bartlome and on Facebook at Boone Bartlome and as always I can be found on Instagram @conniebegonnie enjoy the show!

AMY Y. IS A WOMAN WHO TRULY WALKS HER TALK. AS A MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH AUTISM, SHE HAS EXPERIENCED LIVING A LIFE IN CRISIS AND WORKING HER WAY THROUGH THAT TO LOVING AND THRIVING IN LIFE. She has helped hundreds of parents through similar challenges and struggles and she has an innate ability to teach and share her expertise in both new and traditional therapeutic modalities. Amy’s quest to understanding her son’s core issues has been one filled with tears of sorrow and tears of joy. Through this, she has created her own community of support and learning – not just for her child but for herself. Amy’s passion is helping people understand the importance of a balanced body and a balanced life and bringing them ideas on how to make that happen. Amy has guest blogged for The Thinking Mom’s Revolution and Fearless Parent and she has authored a chapter in TMR’s soon to be released book on Autism and Puberty. Today Amy talks a little bit about her journey with Spencer her autistic son. The show talks about The gaps diet, the learning curve that came with that and being a parent of an autistic child and what we can do to make small changes in our life that will ultimately lead to better health and well-being. Amy can be found at www.navigateyourhealing.com and on Facebook at navigate your healing. As always I can be found on Instagram @conniebegonnie

Today I’m going to have on the show Kara Kilian Lazauskas. Currently known for her appearance on the Titan games and being an elite athlete with one lung. However that’s not where I know her from. I know of her because of her story, and her openness to share it , good times and bad. This is an awesome story of her journey to self acceptance. She also talks about other current things going on in her life and her research she is doing that is going to be a huge benefit to the fitness industry. Kara is a coach and can be found on IG @kilerk0 and her website is www.karakilian.com she can also be found on Facebook at Kara Kilian Lazauskas

If you could change something in your life that would lower your risk of chronic disease, help you lose weight, and make you feel happier and more energized, would you do it? What were about to talk about today is your DIGESTION. Today I am inviting on the show, Kerri Danielson She is a functional Nutritional Therapy practitioner and a restorative wellness solutions GI practitioner with a passion for helping people restore their gut health. She talks about how our digestion is a north to south process and how it all starts with stress and our eating habits. I am so excited to Have Kerri on the show and I can’t wait to share with you how your digestion can either trigger or Prevent inflammation. We also discuss the topic of leaky gut and ways to mitigate it and start your healing journey. Today we learned about stomach acid do you have enough? Poor nutrition? Stress? We’re going to dive in to all of these topics that affect our digestion! If you like this episode please don’t forget to share it and leave a review! Sharing is caring! Kerrie’s Instagram is @luv2lift7 and her Email is karriedanielson@gmail.com and as always I can be found on Instagram @conniebegonnie

Alyssa believes, Love can be to anyone and everyone, including yourself. Myself. Self love. Are we more prone to giving love to another or ourself? For me, my goal is to shower others in love, to help them feel needed and important. To show them Gods love. But when did we forget to remember our own souls? Our own bodies? Alyssa’s story, Three years ago I lost a tremendous amount of weight- granted my body adjusted to my activity level of intense running. It was all new. At first I didn’t notice how much of a transformation had been made until I weighed myself on the scale: an unhealthy 104lbs. I had the body I dreamed of. To be “skinny” and to fit into any piece of cute clothing or swimsuit I wanted to. I knew I couldn’t lose anymore weight, so I made sure to replenish myself right after each hard workout with a protein bar and believed this was enough. I even thought sometimes it was “too much “. I let this take over me mentally. It was acceptable. It was the “runner’s” body. I was supposed to look like this. This was the image everyone expected. I even expected it. I began to run faster, run more, becoming obsessed with fast paces, more mileage, and not being mindful of my teammates. But, I began to win, I began to lead my team for every race my junior XC season. This was what I wanted. Fast forward to the present, As a female distance runner it is the “norm” to lose your menstrual cycle. I experienced this for the 3 1/2 years I was a collegiate distance runner. I was aware it wasn’t right, but again I had learned it was common and it was “okay”. To me I didn’t care, I was fine not dealing with Mother Nature every month. Little did I realize that highly restrictive eating, binge eating, pounding my body with miles upon miles, and the loss of a cycle would spiral into the repercussions I now face. I have found I have low levels of SHBG, (sex hormone binding Globulin) a protein whose job is to bind androgen and estrogen together. Because my levels are low, the free testosterone in my body increases: a hormonal imbalance. A reason for levels being low may be due to insulin resistance which is also linked to PCOS(polycystic ovarian syndrome). Symptoms I am experiencing are related to these issues I have developed. Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes. I have been undergoing blood tests recently and have more to come in the near future. I have had 3 stress fractures including the one I am in the process of healing now in my L5 vertebrae and sacrum. I am only recently accepting these facts about myself. I used to turn my family and friends down each time they mentioned my weight in a negative demeanor. I argued with them and shut down. Unknowingly hurting myself, all because I wanted to look a certain way. I obsessed and became addicted to how I ate and looked. I vividly remember multiple instances where I was alone craving junk food. I ate and ate, felt like shit after, said I’d never do it again because I would gain “30lbs”. I’d do any exercise I could right after to “burn off” any calories I could. But repeatedly it happened. I remember even a few times gagging myself to throw up after eating. I was miserable. This is not how I want to live. I am aware now. I am alive. I am surviving. I have fallen apart at times before, and it is hard not to now. I am overcoming. Eating disorders are REAL. And I am still not finished with this journey. God wants us to be happy in our bodies. They were made in His image. We are on Earth to do His works. We are enough for God our Father. He is guiding me. He can guide you. Find her on Instagram @lyssa.ann and her whole story at https://aharmonblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/love/ she is an incredible individual and I’m so excited to have her on the show. Please as always if you like this episode share it with your friends and give it a rating on iTunes! I can be found on Instagram as well @conniebegonnie

Totally impromptu episode this morning, as I had my headphones on and I was getting after it in the gym I had some pretty deep thoughts about myself and how I identify as an athlete. Thoughts about how I had gone through such a dark time after the last bodybuilding show I competed in, and how because I was patient with myself things have completely started to turn around. I thought it was pretty deep that we identify ourselves with a stinking trophy, and how are momentarily when I decided I may not get on stage again I felt like everything had been stripped from me, when that was not even close to true! Also how as moms we tend to lose ourselves a little while taking care of everybody else and so we all need to find that release somewhere that can help us be who we really are. Also lots of thoughts about how nothing is permanent! We sometimes tend to get stuck on the small things that drag us into this slump when in reality it’s just a temporary thing that’s going to go away eventually. So we can choose to wallow in self pity... or we can choose to change our attitude about things and tell ourselves nothing is permanent it will change and to keep working towards our goals and our dreams. If I hadn’t of been patient all this time I totally could’ve just stayed in this dark place instead I have encouraged myself every step of the way telling myself things will change by spring I’m going to be a whole different person and etc. and now all of that is starting to manifest! When I look at myself in the mirror I can see how much of a metamorphosis I have gone through mentally and physically and it makes me happy that I stuck with it, even on the really hard days. I hope you enjoy my ramblings on as it is legitimately post workout ramblings... I would love it if you would reach out to me on Instagram with your thoughts @conniebegonnie also please please share my information with all your friends I would love to get it out there that we’re all human and we all have struggles and life is just not perfect and we have to use those imperfections to help ourselves grow. Enjoy the episode.

Today on the show I’m going to talk about ways you can make prepping food fit into your schedule. Also how you can make clean eating work for you. Prepping food actually saves you time! You don’t have to spend time after you have worked all day cooking, you can just come home and have it there waiting! Also so awesome to set a great example for you children and our peers! Mindfulness while eating is also very empowering, make that meal , set the table and enjoy family time! It’s so valuable in so many ways! If I can help please find me on IG @conniebegonnie and I would appreciate if you like and share this episode and please review it on iTunes and Apple podcasts because it will help others find it. Thanks so much for tuning in!