Today I chat with Scott Stevenson. In this 2 parter, we cover stretch-mediated hypertrophy and the role of long muscle lengths. And then dig into some changes Scott has made to his training and nutrition over the past decade. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (09:03) Stretch-mediated hypertrophy and Scott's experience (23:41) How to stretch and how to benefit from them? (35:54) Occlusion training (42:54) Individual differences and what makes elites really stand out (50:17) Limitations of scientific stud...
Dec 24, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Menno is back on for a Q&A. Today we cover a bunch of interesting topics and questions from has Menno ever considered steroids, what his thoughts are on the new range of motion literature, his preferred peaking approaches and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:52) Maintaining muscle mass when injured, squats, bench and deadlifts for hypertrophy (05:13) Prefered squatting variations. Stretched mediated hypertrophy (08:34) Are DB flies any good? (13:24) Have new studies about ROM changed...
Dec 17, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Holly Baxter is back on the podcast this time solo to talk about her recent experience competing with the WBFF, lessons and takeaways from that and what are some of the things people don’t see that happen during a contest prep. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:48) Why aren't there many female educators in the fitness space (08:48) Holly's last contest prep (14:10) Judges feedback (19:26) Pressure of going on steroids for females and drugs in the sport (28:31) Calorie ranges (32:49) Intentionally lo...
Dec 10, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Dr Mike is back on the show for a Q&A. We cover how to go about your training and nutrition whilst travelling or being away from home, is latent hypertrophy real and it is why people are looking better post contest and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (04:55) Disagreements with other experts (09:14) DASgym experience (12:47) Travelling, training and gym equipment (20:47) What to do with your nutrition when you're travelling (32:54) Partial ROM (40:46) SFR proxies to guide decisions aroun...
Dec 03, 2022•1 hr 26 min
This week I talk to Dr Pak who has recently worked on a published paper on deloads and what the science say's about deloads. He and the team interviewed 18 high-level bodybuilding and powerlifting coaches on their deloading methods & we did into that in this episode. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (04:37) Who is Pat and what study is he working on right now? (07:59) Deload study design (14:39) Deloads in scientific terms (16:11) What were coaches methodologies of deloads and their definition of a...
Nov 26, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Today I talked to Eric about all things hard gainer from the inability to gain weight to seemingly not responding to training. We talk about being a non-responder vs hardgainer and what to do about it. This is part 2 of the episode with Eric. Go here for part 1: https://youtu.be/LmB4z9zgbHk Timestamps: 00:00 Strategies hard gainers can use 13:18 Misconception around food and what's healthy/good and meal frequency 19:58 Using mini cuts for hard gainers and what surplus might make more sense for a...
Nov 19, 2022•57 min
Today I talked to Eric about all things hard gainer from the inability to gain weight to seemingly not responding to training. We talk about being a hardgainer and how to overcome it, why that might be the case and strategies to overcome these challenges. Timestamps: (00:00) MacroFactor App (08:14) What is a hard gainer (11:13) What leads to a hard gainer? (19:42) Body fat settling point (23:57) What is the dual intervention point model (29:41) Body fat range (37:25) How to identify if you're in...
Nov 12, 2022•50 min
This week I talk to Milo Wolf, ‘the ROM guy’ about Full Vs. Partial Range of motion and the current state of evidence. He recently published his meta-analysis and systematic review which investigated the impact of a range of motion on muscle growth. We did into this and the practical relevance his work has for our training in the gym. The study: https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.198 Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (05:06) Research in and PhD thesis about Range of motion (09:25) What was the pre-bias arou...
Nov 05, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Eric Trexler is back on the show and we’re talking all things Reverse Dieting & metabolic adaptations. This time we're talking about recovering from a diet and the idea of dynamic maintenance. Should you do it? What are the pros and cons? What is dynamic maintenance and much more? If you have ever considered a reverse diet or want to know what to do after a diet, this is for you. This is part 2 of the recording. Listen to part 1 here: https://youtu.be/HKQeUTp9lW4 Timestamps: (00:00) How to k...
Oct 29, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Eric Trexler is back on the show and we’re talking all things Reverse Dieting & metabolic adaptations. Should you do it? What are the pros and cons? What is dynamic maintenance and much more? If you have ever considered a reverse diet or want to know what to do after a diet, this is for you. This is part 1 of the recording and part 2 will be following soon. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:58) What is Reverse Dieting (10:21) What are common misconceptions around Reverse Dieting and what are met...
Oct 22, 2022•1 hr 12 min
This week I talk to Ben House. We talk about his recent diet where he’s gotten leaner than ever in his life. Everything from Refeeds/diet breaks to why Ben doesn’t want to step on stage is covered in this episode. Definitely of interest for anyone who has stepped or is going to step on stage or coach that process. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:20) What was the desire to get lean? (05:12) Why not go for the bodybuilding stage? (11:35) Reasons why to do bodybuilding (21:08) Coached by Eric Helms. ...
Oct 15, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Today I chat with James Hoffman. We talk all about the Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio (SFR) and the practical ramifications of this principle of training. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (05:34) James lifting and sciatic pain (09:37) Overreaching for bodybuilding? (14:47) Stimulus to fatigue ratio (20:54) SFR impact on work that requires a lot of stability (28:38) Biofeedback markers for SFR (39:08) Technique and its impact on SFR (43:02) Some muscle don't get pumps (47:22) Ghetto MRV and SFR (53:12) Using...
Oct 08, 2022•1 hr 24 min
Eric Helms is back on the show. We dig into what he’s been up to and his recent training and competitive endeavours before diving into the new literature surrounding training at different ranges of motion/muscle lengths and stretch-mediated hypertrophy. Lots of great information here and practical take homes. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (06:27) Eric's competitive goals. Importance of intrinsic motivation (11:24) Not being elite helped with progress (13:45) Stretch-mediated hypertrophy. What is it ...
Oct 01, 2022•1 hr 26 min
Today I talk to Jacob Schepis a Physique & powerlifting coach & Director of JPS health & fitness. We did into the current state of social media & how we should be digesting information on the platform. The difference between a pseudo expert and a real expert, how to identify them, and much more! Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (05:07) Education online, social media and attention (15:06) How people educate and deliver data (25:43) What are red flags with content (31:25) Amazing for IG (...
Sep 24, 2022•1 hr 10 min
This week I talked to Dr Jacob Templar. We cover off a lot of things thought unsafe in the gym, such as locking out your knees on the leg press. Are they hazardous or can they be safe under certain conditions? Are there some lifts that are simply not worth the risk? We find out today. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:36) Hierarchy of evidence (08:59) Biases in the evidence (14:54) Is locking the knees out dangerous? (18:29) What are things to avoid and who is more injury prone (27:17) Pushing hard ...
Sep 17, 2022•1 hr 3 min
We have the WNBF UK back on the show to talk all things judging. Stef & Andy join me today to talk about judging within natural bodybuilding, why we have judges, what the scoring looks like, how they pick judges and much more. True insights into being a bodybuilding judge. A must listen for any competitor or coach alike. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:06) Why are there judges in bodybuilding? (05:55) Judging criteria (10:08) Judges feedback (15:07) Judging rounds (25:16) What's more important...
Sep 10, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Martin Refalo is on the show. We discuss a recent scoping review he was the head author on ‘Towards an improved understanding of proximity-to-failure in resistance training and its influence on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, neuromuscular fatigue, muscle damage, and perceived discomfort: A scoping review’. We dive into the different definitions of training to failure and what the current consensus is on whether it’s needed for the best muscle growth and if it causes much more fatigue than leaving ...
Sep 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Alberto is back on the show to talk about his contest prep. He’s taking an unconventional route to stage by not tracking certain things from macros, calories and steps. Letting other variables such as the scale, how he’s looking etc. guide the way so he can auto-regulate and manage things with less stress. This is where the power of experience shows! Lots of lessons to take from this chat. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:59) Is natty bodybuilding dying? (06:09) How has this prep been so far? (12:2...
Aug 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Jake is a master of data collection for enhancing your training. With a PhD is sports performance, a master’s in health and sports science, a BA in exercise science and is an NSCA CSCS Jake knows what’s important when it comes to data collection for trainees. He is also the current associate professor at the University of North Iowa, sports scientist for UNI wrestling and volleyball and a coach at Renaissance Periodisation. In today's episode, we explore what data we can gather and utilise as ph...
Aug 21, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Mike is back on the show for a Q&A. This time we answer your questions ranging from the benefits of exercise variation and why seeking optimal exercises isn’t a great idea to how to know whether you should skip social events or not. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:02) Free weight vs machines and the current problem with the biomechanics movement (17:41) Variation, exercise selection and stalling (22:43) Pain, burn and the sensation of the pump (24:00) Does the position of legs and feet on the ...
Aug 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Menno is back on the show for the 16th time. We go over your questions including; over and underrated exercises for hypertrophy, high protein refeeds and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (09:00) How to deal with severe injury and general injury advise (15:36) Exercise selection: Overrated vs. Underrated exercises (20:21) Overhead pressing any good? (23:40) Deadlifts for hypertrophy (30:38) Aren't there any muscle groups being trained enough or are not worth it? (41:31) Is it possible to grow...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 8 min
This week I talk to Jeff Alberts from 3DMJ. We dig into his current contest prep and plans before talking in-depth about how he has made progress as a very advanced lifter. Lots of practical takehomes from this episode, you don’t want to miss it. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:34) Mindset of a contest prep (07:10) Progress in the Offseason (11:21) Competing at a higher age (13:57) The impact of social media on bodybuilding (21:23) 36 years of bodybuilding (30:31) Injuries and technique (36:19) Tr...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Dr Bill Campbell is back on the show. This time we’re digging into a fresh off the press study on diet breaks. For the first time they’ve been used on lean, resistance-trained individuals to see if they help retain more FFM and abate RMR losses when dieting. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:08) Body By Science (07:48) Evidence-based practice (12:05) Diet breaks and study (19:40) Study design, diet break structure and results (29:54) Training design (32:55) Individual responses to diet breaks and ow...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr
Bret and Kas come on the podcast to discuss their differing opinions on how best to grow the glutes. Lots of interesting discussion and lessons for coaches and trainees alike. I will also give you my thoughts at the end of each episode to help give you some takeaways. Timestamps: (00:00) Banded work (11:04) Pelvic tilt and hip extension (19:27) Sumo vs narrow stance (24:27) Scientific evidence for lengthened positions (37:37) Frog pumps, mechanics of hip joint and feet positioning (49:25) Opposi...
Jul 18, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Bret and Kas come on the podcast to discuss their differing opinions on how best to grow the glutes. Lots of interesting discussions and lessons for coaches and trainees alike. I will also give you my thoughts at the end of each episode to help give you some takeaways. Timestamps: (00:00) Hip abduction (06:16) Line of pull vs. moment arm (11:10) Critique of Kassem's content (32:32) What makes a good exercise (41:41) Further discussion on glute activation (52:50) Rotation and muscle activation an...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Bret and Kas come on the podcast to discuss their differing opinions on how best to grow the glutes. Lots of interesting discussions and lessons for coaches and trainees alike. I will also give you my thoughts at the end of each episode to help give you some takeaways. Timestamps: (00:00) Importance of exercise selection (08:19) Is stretch under load one of the most important metrics to look at when choosing an exercise? (12:41) Current scientific evidence on stretch-mediated hypertrophy (16:53)...
Jul 04, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Martin is back on the show after a 2-year hiatus. Martin is a Clinical Performance Nutritionist and CEO of www.Mac-Nutrition.com, a nutrition consultancy company. A family man, joker and he even dabbled in bodybuilding in his younger years with some trademark muscle groups including calves and triceps. He holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and a postgraduate degree in Sports Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition. He is the founder of Mac-Nutrition Uni an evidence-based online nutrition course ...
Jun 27, 2022•55 min
A family man, joker and he even dabbled in bodybuilding in his younger years with some trademark muscle groups including calves and triceps. He holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and a postgraduate degree in Sports Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition. He is the founder of Mac-Nutrition Uni an evidence-based online nutrition course www.Mac-NutritionUni.com. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (14.15) What is MNU about (19:50) Walking the walk (23:23) On/Off Training (30:58) How much do genetics play a ...
Jun 20, 2022•1 hr 5 min
WNBF Pro Brett Freeman aka Baftub aka Walnut butt is back on the show. We dig into his plans for this season, goals, changes he’s made and some other fun topics you don’t want to miss. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (08:55) What it takes to be a pro natural bodybuilder (12:41) Offseason approach (21:45) How to manage stress better (29:04) Being coached to stage and training approach (32:44) What does digging look like? (36:38) Refeeds and dealing with satiety (40:11) Offseason weight (49:16) What's t...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Eric is a natural bodybuilder with pro cards with the INBA and IFBB. He has over 17 years of experience as a personal trainer and owns his own facility Flex Level Fitness. We dive into his experience using weighted apparel to get shredded for the stage. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (06:08) Evidence-based practice during a show (08:49) Turning IFBB Pro (14:41) Drug testing protocol (19:24) Three goals for pro debut: The professionalism of being prepared (24:30) Drinks, Social life and other activiti...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min
