Our New Co-Host Deadlifts 700lbs with Doug Larson, Travis Mash & Dr. Mike Lane #830
Barbell Shrugged
Doug Larson
4.7 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 7 January 2026
⏱️ 70 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of Barbell Shrugged, Doug Larson and Travis Mash officially welcome Dr. Mike Lane as the show's new co-host. Mike shares his full origin story, from growing up a sports-loving kid in St. Louis, to discovering strength and conditioning in college, to earning his PhD and becoming a professor of exercise physiology. Along the way, he reflects on the mentors who shaped his thinking, including time spent around Westside Barbell, Olympic lifting culture, and elite academic labs that blended hard training with hard science.
The conversation dives deep into the intersection of real-world performance and research. Mike breaks down his work with tactical populations like firefighters and law enforcement, explaining why traditional fitness tests often fail to reflect the actual demands of the job. They explore load carriage, heat stress, aerobic capacity, and why durability, not just raw fitness, determines success in high-stakes environments.
Finally, Mike opens up about his own competitive journey across powerlifting, strongman, Olympic lifting, and Highland Games. From pulling 750+ pounds in competition to learning hard lessons about longevity, ego, and smart training, this episode captures what it looks like to stay strong, curious, and competitive into your 40s. With Mike Lane stepping into the co-host role, Barbell Shrugged enters a new chapter, one grounded in experience, science, and a deep respect for the iron game.
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| 0:00.0 | Shrug family this week on Barbell Shrug, Doug Larson, and coach Travis Mash. |
| 0:06.4 | Last week was my final episode of Barbell Shrug. |
| 0:11.7 | For those of you guys that have been listening for a very long time, this has been the greatest |
| 0:15.5 | opportunity and a true honor to be on this show. |
| 0:20.7 | It's eight years and like 700 hours or something insane like that of being able to be on these microphones. |
| 0:31.6 | We've been through an enormous amount of business and podcasts, and I have met and talked to and shared space and really been at the forefront of strength conditioning, which has been the single thing for the past 29 years of my life that has really guided pretty much everything I've done. |
| 0:50.8 | I came to Barbell Strugge eight years ago and since then with Doug and Travis, we've |
| 0:57.1 | traveled the world, millions and millions and millions and millions of downloads. And this has really |
| 1:02.8 | been an opportunity that when I was 13 years old and started picking up barbells, the fact that I |
| 1:08.1 | could have an actual audience, one that reaches as many people as this does, was never something that I ever thought would be a part of the journey that I have had in Strengthly conditioning. |
| 1:20.6 | I just really want to say thank you to Doug for bringing me on, allowing me to be a part of the show for the last eight years. |
| 1:28.8 | Coach Travis Mash, of course, that's my homie as well. |
| 1:31.5 | Great human being. |
| 1:32.7 | Just loved getting to know his family. |
| 1:35.8 | Great people. |
| 1:36.9 | And all the guests that have been on the show, all my friends that I've been training with |
| 1:41.3 | and doing things with for a very, very long time, well before Barbell Shrugged even had a, was a part of my life. |
| 1:49.6 | And having them on and being able to really have, God, it's like a big family when you have |
| 1:56.2 | all these people that have been recurring guests and the access to the smartest people and |
| 2:01.5 | something that you love is a part of life that I'll always be grateful for. |
| 2:07.8 | Really there's been things in life that have popped up that I am fortunate enough to |
| 2:13.9 | have opportunities that are allowing me to move out of the strength and conditioning world. |
... |
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