Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! This episode is a collab episode with with Brandon DeCruz, and you can also find this one over on his podcast, Chasing Clarity . Brandon is a long-time coach with a full roster of clients, strong research background, and someone who stays deep in the education side of this space. We talk about Fat Loss Habits, Hunger, Optimal Body Fat Range and much more We get into training and lifestyle updates, the phases we are both currently in, and how cogniti...
Apr 27, 2026•1 hr 20 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I deep dived into the 7 Reasons You’re Working Hard But Not Seeing Change In Your Body Comp I walk through the most common reasons I see with clients who are putting in the work but not seeing results. From training intensity and poor programming to nutrition mistakes, stress, sleep, and even daily movement, these are the gaps that tend to hold people back. The goal here is to give you a checklist so you can figure out what nee...
Apr 24, 2026•39 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In today’s episode, I have Bryan Boorstein and Jordan Lips back on for another roundtable to talk about Warm Up Sets, Exercise Selection, Rep Ranges, Cardio Recovery and more We got into parenting and how that’s shifted priorities, training adjustments with real life constraints, and a deep dive into exercise selection, home gym setups, and rep ranges. Plus, a discussion about warming up, metabolic phases, cardio metrics, and what actually matters v...
Apr 20, 2026•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I talk about If You’re Above These Body Fat Ranges You Don’t Need A Surplus To Build Muscle or “Reset” Your Metabolism I break down why that approach usually backfires, what actually happens to your body when you keep pushing calories up, and how this can impact your health, performance, and body composition over time. I also go through the most common beliefs I hear from clients and explain what’s really going on behind the sc...
Apr 17, 2026•25 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In today’s episode, I have Lindsay Parker with me, also known as Lifting Lindsay, a coach who helps women over 40 build muscle, strength, and confidence while balancing life as a mom of four, to talk about Body Comp > Scale Weight, Women and Maint Cals, Thyroid Issues, Postpartum and more We get into training during pregnancy, what postpartum recovery actually looks like, and how to know when to push or pull back. Lindsay also breaks down fat los...
Apr 13, 2026•1 hr 10 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I deep dive into Strategies To Keep You Leaner, Stronger, and Feeling Good In Your Building Phase I break down how to approach a building phase so you can actually build muscle without constantly needing to cut again. I go through key strategies around meal timing, training performance, calorie setup, and how to stay lean while pushing progress. I also share what I’m personally doing in my own building phase right now and what’...
Apr 10, 2026•41 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In today’s episode, Garrett Creary joins me to share his full transformation story, What Losing 160+ pounds taught him about health. This one goes way beyond weight loss and gets into what actually happens after the transformation. We get into his experience with gastric bypass, the rapid weight loss that followed, and the long-term consequences that came with it, including hormone issues, gut health challenges, and burnout from lifestyle habits. Ga...
Apr 06, 2026•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I break down How to Actually Approach Body Recomposition I go into what body recomposition really means, the different ways it can happen, and how energy balance, training, and nutrition all play a role. I also walk through real scenarios so you can understand what to expect based on your starting point. So if you want to improve your body composition and stop guessing what to do next, this episode will is a must listen! Let’s talk ...
Apr 03, 2026•40 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I catch up with Dr Eric Helms, a natural bodybuilder, coach with Team 3DMJ, and co-director of a sports research institute in New Zealand, to talk about How to Keep Making Progress During Busy Seasons He discussed his recent competitive season, his new leadership role, and how that has changed the way he trains. We get into auto-regulation at a deeper level, how to train effectively with a busy schedule, and what actually matters wh...
Mar 30, 2026•1 hr 15 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I’m breaking down How Long Should A Training Cycle Be For Muscle Growth I go into how long a training cycle should last, why constantly changing exercises can hold you back, and how to balance consistency with keeping things fresh. I also cover deloads, when they make sense, and how to adjust your program without losing progress. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your training or unsure when to switch things up, this episode will give yo...
Mar 27, 2026•33 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I’m joined by Laura Savino, founder of EPN Nutrition and The Practical Athlete, who brings a ton of real-world experience in both performance and body composition to talk about Managing Fat Loss During Performance Training, SIBO and more We get into what it actually looks like to balance fat loss while training for something demanding, and why that combination is harder than most people expect. Laura shares her current prep for a mu...
Mar 23, 2026•1 hr 8 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I break down the Fat Loss Plateau? Here Is The Decision I Use With Clients. If your weight has stalled and you are tempted to immediately cut calories, there are a few things I look at first before making that move. I walk through the exact decision tree I use with coaching clients when fat loss slows down. We cover how to confirm if it is a real plateau, the biggest adherence mistakes that stall progress, and the adjustments I...
Mar 20, 2026•35 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Brandon Cruz, a seasoned coach, fitness enthusiast, and host of the Chasing Clarity podcast, with over 20 years of experience in training, nutrition, and metabolic health to discuss about The Benefits of Eating At Maintenance We talk through why maintenance is often misunderstood and why spending time there can be one of the most powerful tools for improving body composition including the difference between maintenan...
Mar 16, 2026•1 hr 41 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I break down Cardio For Lifters Over 30 (Benefits, Splits, Progressions) I go through the biggest mistakes lifters make with cardio and how to structure it so it actually improves your training. We talk about progressive overload for cardio, how to track progress, and the difference between interval and steady-state work. I also explain how to periodize cardio during building phases and fat loss phases. Cardio is one of the most und...
Mar 13, 2026•36 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I deep dive What Causes Cravings + How To Manage Them. Cravings are something almost everyone struggles with, especially during fat loss phases so today I walk you through the three different types of hunger, how hormones like ghrelin and leptin play a role, and the biggest factors that increase cravings. We cover things like low protein intake, poor sleep, high stress load, inconsistent calorie intake, ultra-processed foods, m...
Mar 09, 2026•28 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I break down How Nutrition And Body Comp Add To Your Stress Load. I walk through how stress impacts body composition, recovery, and performance and why fat loss gets harder when total stress is too high. We go through the eight major stress buckets, with a deeper dive into dieting stress specifically. I cover chronic energy deficiency, poor meal structure, blood sugar volatility, low micronutrients, eating in a sympathetic state, ca...
Mar 06, 2026•34 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In today’s episode, Dr. Peter Tierney joins me to talk about Resting Heart Rate, Alcohol and HRV/RHR, How to Speed Up Recovery. Dr Peter is a sports scientist and performance coach who has worked in elite rugby, football (soccer), and endurance sport, blending real-world coaching with applied data and research. We dig into recovery, stress load, resting heart rate, HRV, caffeine, alcohol, and what actually moves the needle. We talk about why you nee...
Mar 02, 2026•1 hr 3 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I give you an Update On My Health/Fitness/Bloodwork I break down how I structure my nutrition without obsessively tracking, what my current training split looks like, and what my labs revealed about stress, recovery, testosterone, thyroid markers, and overall health. I also explain how I interpret blood work patterns instead of fixating on single numbers, and how recovery, sleep, and fueling are playing a bigger role for me rig...
Feb 27, 2026•36 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In today’s episode, I sit with Brandon Cruz to deep dive about What Needs To Be Dialed In Before Fat Loss, Under Recovery, Training at Night and more We talked through metabolic health markers, fasting insulin, and what actually needs to be in place before starting a fat loss phase. We broke down the volume debate, recovery, soreness, late-night training, and how to take better progress photos. We also covered what separates high-quality supplements...
Feb 25, 2026•1 hr 35 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I dive into Finding the Body Fat Range Where You Feel and Perform Your Best I walk through healthy body fat ranges for men and women, the real tradeoffs of getting very lean, and why staying shredded year-round can quietly hurt your recovery, hormones, and performance. We talk about how lifestyle, genetics, and training history all play a role in where you feel best. I also explain why building muscle and periodizing your nutri...
Feb 23, 2026•43 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I break down my thoughts on How Many Sets For Muscle Growth + What Impacts This I talk about how to define volume, why quality matters more than just piling on sets, and what the research says about high vs. low volume. I also explain why recovery, time, and training skill often matter more than chasing an arbitrary number of sets. If you’re over 30 with a busy life, this conversation will help you stop overthinking and start focusi...
Feb 20, 2026•28 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In today’s episode, I have Dr Mike T Nelson with me to talk about Progressive Overload for Cardio, High VS Low Carbs, Human Dynamic Range and more. Dr Mike has years of experience in the fitness industry, is known for his work in HRV and physiologic flexibility, holds certifications in metabolic flexibility and cardio for meatheads, and hosts the Flex Diet Podcast where he interviews top experts in performance physiology. We break down how to apply ...
Feb 18, 2026•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I break down When Carbs Help With Recovery and When They Don’t I walk through how overall stress load impacts recovery first, then explain when adding carbs can genuinely lower stress on the body, like during prolonged dieting, low energy availability, or high training demands. I also cover the other side of it, including metabolic health, insulin resistance, lifestyle stress, and poor sleep, and how simply adding more carbs in thos...
Feb 16, 2026•27 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I’m diving into 45% of Active Women May Be Underfueled. Here’s the Real Fix I talk through the real reasons so many active women feel run-down, struggle with performance, or can’t seem to recover even when calories look okay on paper. We cover how stress, micronutrient gaps, lifestyle load, and poor recovery habits can all play a role. And I share how I coach women through this without defaulting to “just eat more.” This is a very i...
Feb 13, 2026•43 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode, I’m joined once again by Brian Boorstein for a deep dive into Bro Splits, TRT, Tracking Blood Glucose and More We talk about Brian’s return to a bro split and why it’s working for him right now, including how he’s programming around recovery, cardio, and training intensity. He also shares updates on his experience with TRT specifically how it’s impacted his HRV, glucose tracking, and sleep quality. We wrap up with some great insight...
Feb 11, 2026•1 hr 3 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I’m walking you through Circadian Rhythms 101 for Body Comp, Health and Performance. We’ll cover the basics of how your circadian system works, why things like morning sunlight and consistent sleep-wake times matter, and what actually happens to recovery, performance, and even appetite regulation when this system is out of sync. I also go over the biggest mistakes I see with clients and how to correct them without trying to be ...
Feb 09, 2026•22 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I talk about Artificially Low Maintenance Cals + How To Increase Your Maintenance Cals I cover what actually can happen when you’re at maintenance (spoiler: it’s more than just maintaining your weight), and what likely won’t happen no matter how dialed in you think your calories are. I also walk through the top factors that impact your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), why some people unintentionally under-eat, and what to...
Feb 06, 2026•35 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this episode titled “Circadian Rhythms Explained: Light, Food Timing, and Metabolism,” I’m joined by Dr. Alan Flanagan, a postdoctoral research fellow and the founder of Alinea Nutrition. Dr. Alan’s work centers on circadian rhythms and chrono-nutrition, and he’s also a frequent contributor to the Sigma Nutrition podcast. We cover a wide range of practical topics like meal timing, how light exposure affects sleep and metabolism, what recent resea...
Feb 04, 2026•1 hr 8 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! In this solo episode, I’m breaking down Intermittent Fasting 101 For Body Comp We’ll go over the real reasons fasting can work for some people, and when it’s more likely to backfire especially for those with high stress, heavy training loads, or a history of chronic dieting. I’ll also share why I encourage most clients to aim for a consistent 10–12 hour fasting window, how to avoid common mistakes with performance timing, and why longer fasts aren’t...
Feb 02, 2026•27 min
Welcome to the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast! Carbohydrates have always been one of the most debated macronutrients in the fitness world, which is why I wanted to share some updated thoughts in this solo episode - Why Carbs Are Different For Everyone I break down the five key takeaways from the new research and explain what they actually mean for real-world performance, metabolism, and health. Then I walk you through the exact variables I use to determine a client’s carb needs and why one-size-...
Jan 30, 2026•27 min
