HMB is a controversial supplement because it is expensive, but in some studies shown to be highly effective. Anytime I see a new study on this supplement I’m sure to review it to update everyone. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/s12970-015-0092-9.pdf .
Because dieting bodybuilders and strength athletes have such high physical performance demands, the implementation of high carb days, cheat days, reefed days, whatever you want to call them seems to make a lot of sense. While these tactics are employed to promote performance and a mental break, there’s always debate that remains if adding calories or carbs briefly amidst a general decline in intake when dieting also does some special things physiologically – does it really prevent weight loss pl...
Whether in public health announcements or in school – everyone always tell you that you must eat breakfast to be healthy, lose weight, etc. Is this true or is it somewhat of a myth if you keep your calories in check the rest of the day? John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898236 .
Elite strength athletes are always walking a fine line of exposing themselves to as much training stimulus as possible while not exceeding their ability to recover between training sessions. Today we look at some newer purported recovery modalities and the research behind them. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26154154 ....
Coach's Corner guest host Cliff Wilson is joined by Elliot Reimers - Muscle & Strength Author and lead developer of Simply Shredded's new supplement line. Cliff and Elliot discuss numerous philosophies regarding the optimal distribution of protein throughout the day.
There always appears to be disagreement and arguments amongst bodybuilders and the like over if you should do slow controlled movement to really contract a muscle you’re trying to grow or instead say do more explosive concentric reps to get some added power or performance benefits from your training. Would doing these faster concentric make muscle sise gains suboptimal compared to a more controlled technique? We go all the way back to 1993 today to look at what research tells us. John always rev...
Is red meat going to make you die early or live longer? This is a tough question to answer, but today we review a study that helps shed some light. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/99/4/899.full.pdf+html .
(I do not own the rights to this image - please support the artist) You guys know I love new music for training to so here's some of the recent editions to the iPod that I discuss on the show. Angels & Airwaves - Call to Arms 30 Seconds to Mars - Vox Populi Slipknot - Me Inside Five Finger Death Punch - Jekyll and Hyde Epic Themes Album by London Music Works
If you missed part 1 of this interview be sure to check out episode 75. In today's Part 2, Big J shares old school tactics for growing a gym membership and building a community that still work in the new school! So many valuable lessons can be learned from Big J's old school approach to growing a loyal gym membership which have now been used to build a raving YouTube audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers in just a couple short years. Big J also shares the highest and lowest moments to inspire y...
Today's guest is Jason English, AKA "Big J" of the highly popular YouTube channel and hardcore gym in Texas - Big J's Extreme Fitness. Having served in the US Army and currently as a catastrophe response officer, Big J knows sacrifice for others better than almost anyone in the often selfish fitness industry. Today we get a unique look at what it's like to grow a niche gym while being out of town and in harm's way so often. Big J is old school, but his messages of positivity are timeless. Also i...
Is foam rolling or dynamic stretching before training better? We examine and discuss new research. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26121431 .
Many strength athletes are taking omega 3 supplements for the inflammatory benefits, but perhaps some do not understand the potential nervous system benefits as well. Learn more about these benefits as we review today’s research article. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/s12970-015-0089-4.pdf .
People give a lot of short term performance rationales about how you should prioritise weight training and cardio – but what about muscle mass gains – does the order make a difference. We examine a new study on this topic in women today. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26020708 .
While nowadays it seems many more bodybuilders are hybridizing their programming with powerlifting, there are still some who do very high rep sets and swear by training for the pump. Today we review a rare find – a study on WELL TRAINED lifters, comparing different rep ranges. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25853914 ....
Check out episode 429 to catch the first part of this episode with special guest hosts Cliff Wilson and John Gorman. Wilson and Gorman are two of the most highly sought after natural bodybuilding and physique competitor contest prep coaches. They share insights on how to properly address the metabolic adaptations that occur from prolonged dieting and how to transition into offseason eating habits with minimal residual effects.
Pt 2 of the interview started in Episode 77! Mark Bell is an elite powerlifter with best lifts of a 1025 squat, 832 lb bench, and 722 deadlift with a history training under Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell. Prior to powerlifting, he was even a professional wrestler. He is known for his revolutionary product that aids shoulder health and strength in the bench press called the Sling Shot. In today’s episode we chat training philosophy, but focus primarily on the launch of his products. Get inspi...
Mark Bell is an elite powerlifter with best lifts of a 1025 squat, 832 lb bench, and 722 deadlift with a history training under Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell. Prior to powerlifting, he was even a professional wrestler. He is known for his revolutionary product that aids shoulder health and strength in the bench press called the Sling Shot. In today’s episode we chat training philosophy, but focus primarily on the launch of his products. Get inspired hearing the trials and tribulations of so...
Bodybuilders for years have talked about different squat stances to develop different areas of the thighs is this info for real or just bro science? Research on the topic is reviewed. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10188748 .
Today's awesome interview is with Elliott Hulse on the "seasons of life." Elliott has amassed over ONE MILLION subscribers on YouTube, who come eager to learn all his amazing insights on taking the strength training life so much deeper to create the strongest version of oneself on all levels. Elliott shares many "versions of himself" that have evolved over time as the seasons of life have unfolded. Hearing this first hand account, the hardships he's overcome with tenacity, etc. was truely inspir...
I just got back from the AAU Nationals in Mesquite Nevada and am excited to bring you a very special interview. My guest is the only man to ever total 3,000 pounds in powerlifting, that’s right, squat, bench, and deadlift in a meet, totaling 3,000 lbs. In additional to his accomplishments on the platform he is an accomplished inventor and wizard of sorts when it comes to innovative sports therapy techniques - here is part 2 of 2 of my interview with Donnie Thompson - part 1 in 456. .
(photo credit - T-Nation) I just got back from the AAU Nationals in Mesquite Nevada and am excited to bring you a very special interview. My guest is the only man to ever total 3,000 pounds in powerlifting, that’s right, squat, bench, and deadlift in a meet, totaling 3,000 lbs. In additional to his accomplishments on the platform he is an accomplished inventor and wizard of sorts when it comes to innovative sports therapy techniques - here is part 1 of 2 of my interview with Donnie Thompson....
So unlike many people who just blindly accept that they should always be striving for deeper squats, I am just always striving to understand what happens at different depths and also trying different variations – all with the goal of trying to find movements I can do safely and with sufficient range of motion to get the muscle development I want. This research study is along those lines – and it’s on women! John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by...
Like any topic – say volume means the most gains, or undulating perioidization always means better gains, I think the biggest proponents of these stances would lead you to believe there is no debate and all strength and conditioning professionals agree. I like to show studies like today where there are some people that continue to challenge the “accepted” conventions. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih....
With a movement like a leg extension it’s pretty straight forward, either your quads are strong enough to move the weight or they’re not. However, with something like a squat, it’s much more complex. To achieve a certain range of motion takes coordinated expression of strength from multiple muscles across multiple joints. Today we try to gain a little insight into some subtleties that may help with achieving a deep squat safely and strongly. John always reviews the full-text of every article, bu...
The smith machine is always bastardized as being sub-par or below free weight variations of exercises performed on it. Does it deserve this bad rap, or is there research to show it can have its place? We review a study from 2010 on the ability of the smith machine to activate the pressing muscles compared to a barbell bench press. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20093960 ....
Let’s discuss the importance of dietary protein for anyone wanting to keep their muscle as long as they can. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/05/27/jn.114.204925.abstract .
Ever wonder what John does in a typical day? What he has up his sleeves for this summer? All of the above are discussed along with a transition to a 3 times a week show having reached our 450th episode.
Some people like to train in the morning and some like to train in the evening. There’s even some people who prefer to train fasted. Regardless of which seems to work best for you, there seems to be a common mediating factor – people are trying to master the amount of meals they consume before training that feels best for them. I thought it was pretty cool to find a study on this topic. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http:...
With bodybuilders branching out into powerlifting training splits there are so many splits to choose from these days, but is there any research on which one actually builds the most muscle over the long term? Today’s research study is on just that! John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://journals.humankinetics.com/ijsnem-in-press/ijsnem-in-press/effect-of-two--versus-three-way-split-resistance-training-routines-on-body-compo...
In this episode I share some nutrition, training, and lifestyle related productivity hacks that have helped me balance my bodybuilding lifestyle with everything else I have going on both now and in the past.
