The Scholars & Iron Podcast

I sat down with high school Spanish teacher and natural bodybuilder, powerlifter and strongman--Mr. Michael Dalton (or if you're not his student, just Dalton). We had a great time talking about his high school powerlifting club and what it's like to teach young adult the fine art of the barbell. Plus, I have some updates for the podcast you won't wanna miss!

The knowledge of using tools is effectively the knowledge of how we extend our bodies beyond are given physiology. Kyle Keough is a powerlifting coach and a student of philosophy, and writes about the barbell in a similar manner. We discussed philosophers like Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Michel Foucault, and what they can tell us about powerlifting and its own evolution.

Continuing on from our previous episode in Iron Sharpens Iron, Part I, Swede discusses his new calling as a Christian and the need to help others. We also discussed faith under quarantine, and why sometimes political divisions need not be so emotionally-charged.

What does it mean to have faith under the bar? And how does Christianity relate to a support where risking it all means injury—if not certain death? I recently had a conversation with Swede Burns, elite powerlifter, father of the 5thSet methodology, published poet, and devout Christian. He told me about his narrative of coming to Christ, what that means for him. We managed to get into the weeds with the topic of allegory in the Bible, to the performativity of the angry lifter—in fact, we got into so many discussions we decided to make this into a two-part series called Iron Sharpens Iron.

How do we view fitness in our lives? Today, there is a small, but significant population who have shirked its hobby-like status and have transformed fitness into veritable outlook on life itself. They seek to embody what writer and journalist Kunitz calls, the practicing life. But is this just another cultish byproduct of late modernity, or does being physically have deeper roots than we might expect? I recently spoke to Daniel, whose book, Lift:  Fitness Culture from Naked Greeks and Acrobats to jazzercise and Ninja Warriors, explores the social dynamics of what it means for humans to be physically fit.

Blaine Dulin is a National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer and a powerlifting coach here in Northern Virginia. He’s trained numerous champs in powerlifting of all ages, and has observed the differences when it comes to gender as well as age. Most of Blaine’s athletes have been trained from the ground up, and understands how some of the bigger factors like age and genetics play. We spoke about those, as well as obesity

Indigenous strength sports have been around for hundreds of years—if not a millennia—with nearly every culture claiming their own. Most, if not all, of these sports are centered on lifting or throwing ancient agricultural equipment, such as stones, oxcarts, and axes. As our modern economy continues to evolve and change, it's worth asking the question—what will become of these ancient sports under a changing and unpredictable economy? I spoke with Maeve Eguzkia, a Basque-American, who’s a competitor in powerlifting, Scottish Highland Games, as well as Herri Kirolak—or Basque popular sports, to learn more about the Basque and their national games.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States today. In 2018, suicide attempts were estimated to number around 1.5 million cases alone. Dr Marilia Coutinho is a member of the Ronin Institute, a Brazilian academic trained in both the natural and social scientists—and she’s also an elite powerlifter. Scholars & Iron had Dr Coutinho on the show in January, and we’re having on her again because she will be releasing a book on suicide and its relationship to lifting, entitled “Lifting and Suicide:  How Lifting and Strength Sports Help the Hopeless” published by the Ronin Institute. The topic itself strikes close to home to Dr Coutinho as a suicide attempt survivor herself, but also for the show, as Mike, one of our original members, is active with veterans struggling with suicide and societal alienation. We discussed Dr Coutinho’s motivations for writing the book, whether or not suicide, as a social phenomenon, is more than just a mental health issue, and how lifting can play a preventive role, but the culture may have some pitfalls for those who are prone to it.

Swede Burns is an elite powerlifter, author of the famous 5th Set, and he is also a published author in his own right, his first collection called “Clues About Ghosts” poems of intimacy and despair”. Swede has been compared poets like Charles Bukowski, touching on the kaleidoscope world of romance, love-loss, miscommunication, in a very contemporary, relatable manner. We discussed cultural divides, poets, and even had him read a few of his poems, one from his upcoming book, The 13th Ghost.

What’s so special about natural training? Is it the mindset? The ethics? Being extremely patient? I spoke to Coach Joe VanCleve, owner of Dedicated Strength, a garage gym located in the heart of DC, where we spoke about nattys, the juice, and training. So let’s get into it.

The ideal physique is often seen as a product of individual labor, and could be interpreted in some sense as counter-cultural to how most people look today. But did you know that in the 1930s, the US government was actively promoting and shaping the ideal masculine physique? It’s hard to imagine any administration doing such a thing, but according to Dr Rachel Moran, in her book, Governing Bodies, presidents such as Franklin Roosevelt as well as John F Kennedy were spearheading state-wide initiatives to get American men looking lean and strong. I spoke to Dr Moran, who’s an assistant professor of history at the University of North Texas about her book, and some of its key findings.

Joe spoke with one of the strongest powerlifters in Appalachia—Pastor Matt Holbert, of Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmount, West Virginia. Matt is a powerlifting coach and judge for the USPA, and the Good Reverend and discussed everything on the topic of theology of a strong body and Christian powerlifting.

Joe talks with the master of aesthetics himself, Pennsylvania’s own Frank Zane. Zane was crowned Mr Olympia three times—1977, 1978, and 1979, as well as Mr Universe three times, and a Mr World, and Mr America title, respectively. One of the few men to beat Arnold, his generation, the so-called Golden Era, was the last to put a winning premium on the aesthetics of the body, rather than sheer volume that we see today. Frank spoke about his life growing up in Pennsylvania, York Barbell, powerlifting, and spirituality.

They say that faith is heard, not seen. Indeed there is something provocative about the spoken word which can rouse different emotions and thoughts, often simultaneously, or left suspended in the air for the mind to mull over. The human voice is arguably the oldest form of transmitting human knowledge, and it was so revered that even Plato allegedly bemoaned the introduction of written text as the very end of it.

I asked friends and colleagues to record some of their favorite passages in philosophy and literature. The purpose of which is to not only expose these thinkers and writers to broader audiences, but to hopefully bring smile or thought to enrich your day as we make it through the virus. It wasn’t for nothing that during the Great Plague in the early 17th century, Isaac Newton completed his work on calculus, shuttered in his house, left alone with his thoughts. He called it his Annus Mirabilis—Year of Miracles. It’s as fitting a title as any, for this series. Enjoy, and endure!

Justine Beirne is the founder and owner of Immanent Pictures and JumpSmart, LLC, a writer, actress, and semi-pro Lacrosse player. She reads to us from Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet.

They say that faith is heard, not seen. Indeed there is something provocative about the spoken word which can rouse different emotions and thoughts, often simultaneously, or left suspended in the air for the mind to mull over. The human voice is arguably the oldest form of transmitting human knowledge, and it was so revered that even Plato allegedly bemoaned the introduction of written text as the very end of it.

I asked friends and colleagues to record some of their favorite passages in philosophy and literature. The purpose of which is to not only expose these thinkers and writers to broader audiences, but to hopefully bring smile or thought to enrich your day as we make it through the virus. It wasn’t for nothing that during the Great Plague in the early 17th century, Isaac Newton completed his work on calculus, shuttered in his house, left alone with his thoughts. He called it his Annus Mirabilis—Year of Miracles. It’s as fitting a title as any, for this series. Enjoy, and endure!

Kate Spasic and is into co-creating conscious workplaces, transcendental meditation, and bicycles. She reads to us from Rabindranath Tagore’s essay, An Undying Faith of the Infinite in Us.

They say that faith is heard, not seen. Indeed there is something provocative about the spoken word which can rouse different emotions and thoughts, often simultaneously, or left suspended in the air for the mind to mull over. The human voice is arguably the oldest form of transmitting human knowledge, and it was so revered that even Plato allegedly bemoaned the introduction of written text as the very end of it.

I asked friends and colleagues to record some of their favorite passages in philosophy and literature. The purpose of which is to not only expose these thinkers and writers to broader audiences, but to hopefully bring smile or thought to enrich your day as we make it through the virus. It wasn’t for nothing that during the Great Plague in the early 17th century, Isaac Newton completed his work on calculus, shuttered in his house, left alone with his thoughts. He called it his Annus Mirabilis—Year of Miracles. It’s as fitting a title as any, for this series. Enjoy, and endure!

Liz Harvey is the owner of the Burn Factory, a competitive bodybuilder, and an opera singer extraordinaire, who will be reading us a passage by the Belgian philosopher, Luce Irigaray, entitled When Our Lips Speak Together.

I asked several friends and colleagues to record some of their favorite passages in philosophy and literature. The purpose of which is to not only expose these thinkers and writers, but to hopefully bring smile or thought that helps enrich your day as we make it through the virus. It wasn’t for nothing that during the Great Plague in the early 17th century, Isaac Newton completed his work on calculus, shuttered in his house, left along with his thoughts and works. He called it his Annus Mirabilis—Year of Miracles. It’s as fitting a title as any, for this series. Enjoy, and endure!

Today, my buddy Mike and I read a passage from the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling.

What's so "Alpha" about wolves anyway? I recently spoke with fitness columnist James Fell (BodyForWife.com) where we discussed being alpha, BS Instagram influencers, and bogus diets. You don't wanna miss this!

You asked for it, and you got it:  a longer S&I episode! In this one, I went down to Richmond, VA to Sean Murphy's Mayhem Fitness where I spoke with strength sports preservationist, Chad Clark. Chad has been supporting the growth and spread of indigenous and ethnic strength games in the US and abroad, from Scottish Highland Games to Mas Wrestling. I also sat down with Darryl Aldridge of Silverback Strong, who transitioned from powerlifting into strongman, and is even putting on a meet of his own this year!

Can powerlifting be used as a tool to liberate and build strong identities? Dr Marilia Coutinho thinks so, and built a strength gym in one of São Paulo's biggest slum. But corruption, mafia-like violence on the part of a well-known international powerlifting organization challenged her project. Marilia spoke about the her time organizing in Brazil, as well as her fascinating concept of what she calls "body alienation". You won't want to miss this one!

Dana is an impressive powerlifter from New Jersey, a former judge for the USAPL, and a member of an expanding and diverse group, the Sisters of Powerlifting. I spoke to Dana about the rise of the #melaningang and what's in store for her in the new year.

French philosopher René Descartes once suggested that the earliest conceptions of the gravity stemmed from our understanding of the soul. And for the powerlifter, this connection between the mind and gravity ought to give us some pause—it certainly did for JM Blakley. Many know Blakley for his impressive records he held while an elite bench presser at Westside Barbell. He’s a PhD, coach, and ordained reverend, who has his own unique brand of metaphysical insight. Joe speaks to JM about the mind and body, Eastern philosophy, what grad school was like for him, his critique of conjugate training, and his own personal theology. Season 2, Episode #14 is one heavy-hitter!

Soviet conjugate training, the Bulgarian method...two systems of strength training which yielded incredible results, ultimately toppling the American dominance over the sport of weightlifting for over a decade. I spoke to veteran Olympic weightlifting coach and author Andrew Charniga (sportivnypress.com) about the decline of American weightlifting, the Soviet and Bulgarian system, steroids, and even got in a few good Ivan Abadjiev anecdotes!

In ancient Greek mythology, Hephaestus is the God of Fire. Powerful, clever, he also walks with a limp, disabled since childbirth. Mocked by some, revered by others, his ability to achieve greatness in spite of his disability inspires others. James Norris of Handi-Capable Fitness does just that—inspires others like him, to get themselves strong and confident. In Episode 11, I spoke to James about his life with Cerebral Palsy, ableism, and his message for those in his community, and beyond.

I recently spoke to Heather Squire, an activist and Muay Thai fighter based in Philadelphia, whose own journey from being fearful to conquering herself, manifested in more ways than victory in the ring. We spoke about her training, her political beliefs, and what lay in store next for Heather, as she ventures into Thailand to take her skills to the next level.

Joe talks with James Robinson, PhD candidate in History at Northeastern University, whose dissertation uncovers the forgotten narrative of working-class and leftist athleticism in the 20th century. Unions, it turns out, did more than just fight for wages and better working conditions—they also hosted sporting events and even had their own teams. Could this bright example of history repeat itself in the future?

In the third installment of a special series, THE SANCTUARIES OF STRENGTH, Joe sits down with Frank Peffer, of Peffer Athletic Club in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Frank talks about his passion for inventing unique exercise machines, his ideas of training, and how his gym is seen more as a family in contrast to commercial gyms. As the first and oldest running gym of its kind, Peffer Athletic Club is truly a gem in Northeastern Pennsylvania, with everyone from Frank Zane to Jim Williams having trained there.