Starting Strength Coach and Registered Dietitian Robert Santana kicks off the Weights and Plates Podcast with an episode charting his journey through the jungle of fitness and nutrition information. Though he's taken a number of wrong turns along the way, Robert's journey has taught him the value of some basic principles for fitness and body composition. Robert is joined on the podcast by Starting Strength Coach Trent Jones.   First, those guys and girls on the fitness magazine covers that look "ripped" and "toned" have more muscle mass than you do, and they're probably stronger too. So, if you want to look better -- leaner and more muscular -- then you need to get stronger, and heavy barbell training is the answer.   Second, you can't ignore the influence of genetics and steroids on the looks that bodybuilders, fitness models, and today's celebrities achieve. Genetics play a big role in how a person looks, from their bone structure to their muscle insertions to their natural propensity to store body fat and where that fat is distributed. In other words, if you're a hard gaining, skinny ectomorph, don't expect to look like The Rock after training for a year. You can look good, but you can't fundamentally change your genetics.   Stay tuned for more episodes of Weights & Plates. In the meantime you can find Robert at the links below:   Weights & Plates: https://weightsandplates.com Robert's Instagram: @the_robert_santana   Trent Jones: @marmalade_cream https://www.marmaladecream.com