Today I am talking with Dr Pak about all things training techniques to maximise muscle growth. He recently spearheaded a paper titled ‘Optimizing Resistance Training Technique to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review’ and we dive deep into that. How much of what you deem as good technique has solid evidence to support it? Find out here Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:24 Definition of what Technique is 06:27 Effects of tempo on hypertrophy 10:46 Fast vs. slow eccentrics 17:23 Where do things...
Feb 17, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 403
Kassem Hanson is back on the show and we dive into a variety of topics ranging from his biggest lessons from 2023, what his goals are for 2024 before a deep dive into things like integrated partials. Lots of gold to be found within. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:07 Has anything changed being 40 08:37 Goals for N1 11:43 What is programming? 15:48 What is optimal volume 20:27 Online vs. offline seminars and courses. What can be learned, partials, practical applications, etc. 38:54 Being a student 44:...
Feb 10, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 402
Dr. Eduardo De Souza is currently a tenured professor at the University of Tampa. Today we are going to discuss things more broadly & look to Understand the Caveats in Training Volume Research for Strength and Hypertrophy before diving into some Practical Recommendations. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:01 Reasons to understand the caveats to training volume in strength and hypertrophy 07:08 Does the research impact practical recommendations? 13:53 Study design and washout period 20:42 Gender dif...
Feb 03, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 401
Today Eric Trexler is back on the show to answer the age-old question “how fast can we diet without risking muscle loss?” As you might expect, there isn’t a simple one-word answer to this. Eric dives into the complexities of this question but not without giving you the practical takeaways to apply to your own fat loss goals. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:23 Risk and fear of muscle loss. How much muscle mass do we lose when dieting? 17:48 Things change with added resistance training. How fast can we...
Jan 27, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 400
Today I talk another time to Mike Murry, who is a writer for examine, an RD and a competitive bodybuilder. This time we talk about training. His take on lengthened partials, advanced training techniques and transitioning into becoming a vegan bodybuilder Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:08 Training at long muscle lengths 11:06 Integrated partials 17:04 Injury risk 22:37 Advanced training techniques 29:22 Using science to confirm your biases 33:50 How to approach training 35:28 Transitioning into becom...
Jan 20, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 399
Josh Pelland is on the show, he is pursuing his PhD under Mike Zourdos & is the co-owner of Data Driven Strength. We dig into his background before diving into the topic of advanced training techniques. What are they? And what does Josh think might be one that isn’t commonly used but could be the holy grail of gains? Find out today. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:12 Who is Josh and what does he train for? 07:44 What got Josh into doing his PhD in exercise science? 14:56 How much time is being sp...
Jan 13, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 398
Jeff at the age of 52 just brought his best-ever physique to stage and came away with a top 5 placing as a pro at WNBF Worlds, the most competitive stage there is. We dig into his season, the highs, the lows and the lessons. As well as a lot of his journey covering his 14 competitive seasons. Lots of nuggets to take away for any competitor, coach or future competitor. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:44 Post-show thoughts and feelings 07:11 What would have made this season a success? 10:20 Pressure of...
Jan 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 397
Brad & Pak are on the show as a duo to go over a recent systematic review regarding bodybuilding case studies & alterations in various measures from calories consumed, hormones & their training. Really valuable insights for any competitors, coaches or anyone dieting. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:21 What was the goal of the paper? 09:50 What were the results and differences observed 19:10 Gender differences 22:08 Losing lean mass 28:55 Conditioning as a genetic trait? 31:09 Hormonal pan...
Dec 30, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 396
Today I talk to Mike Murry, who is a writer for examine, an RD and a competitive bodybuilder. We dig into a bit of his background, his recent competitive season and spend some time walking through nutrition and supplementation considerations around the workout window. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:21 Who is Mike and what brought him to examine 10:00 Sleep impact during prep 15:28 Rationale for competing 20:14 Enjoying stepping stage? 24:20 Methodologies during prep that are based on science? 30:32 ...
Dec 23, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 395
This week Bill Campbell is back on the show to give us an update on his high-carb case study and much more. We delve into the insulin model for why people think this could drive adiposity. Before then moving on to a really interesting study looking at my people stop losing weight; is it a lack of adherence or metabolic adaptation? Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:17 Case study: High carb diet experiment 16:12 Any distinct differences to former dieting phases 22:04 Health markers and testosterone readi...
Dec 16, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 394
Dr Helms is back on the show but not for his usual scientific insights into all things bodybuilding, but to talk about his own bodybuilding journey. We dive into his early motivations and how they developed over time. How competing has been a springboard for other success in life. And finally what it means to have turned pro within the WNBF, a lifelong goal that wasn’t guaranteed. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:01 Eric's bodybuilding journey 10:21 First and worst bodybuilding experience 17:10 Intrin...
Dec 09, 2023•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 393
Mike Israetel is back on the show and we dig deep, I mean really deep into his experience at the Olympia and also what he thought of the results. Will Cbum ever be beaten? What’s it like being famous? Why doesn’t anyone talk about Phil Heath's training? All questions were covered and much more! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:19 Perception of time and public appearances, commercials and changes in marketing 17:13 Mr. Olympia 2023 and being famous 31:58 Talking to people, introverts vs extroverts, fam...
Dec 02, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 392
Jacob is back on the show to bust some more myths about injuries and the like. Also to discuss some of the changing in his own personal programming & discussing how people often underestimate what they can recover from. Lots of practical takeaways and interesting pieces to be taken from today's discussion. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:40 Transition from powerlifting to bodybuilding. How much volume can you recover from? 09:18 When and how to take a deload 12:38 Is there a reason for the change...
Nov 25, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 391
This week we have a fantastic roundtable episode with Brad, Milo & Pak. We dig into the recent high-volume study that kicked up a storm on social media. Everything from was the measurement of hypertrophy legit to whether junk volume is a myth? And much more before leaving you with the practical take-homes. Sponsor - https://saga.fitness/ Get 20% off with code ‘ReviveStronger’ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:46 Study summary and is two 2 weeks even enough time? 13:00 Ultrasound measurements 2h pos...
Nov 18, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 390
This week I talk to Astrid Naranjo who is a registered dietitian and a coach at Team Biolayne. She has a really interesting background which we dig into and expand on some of her knowledge surrounding emotional eating, body image disorder and coaching. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:26 Being a practitioner and online coach 09:09 How to help people 14:13 What lead Astrid to become a registered dietitian 24:42 Anti-diet dietitian 37:14 When to be "on" when to be "off". Control food 44:47 Working with ...
Nov 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 389
Today I talked to Lauren Colenso-Semple who is currently undergoing her Ph.D. in Integrative Physiology & is part of the MASS research review team. We dig a bit into her background, research & interests, covering topics such as syncing one's training to their menstrual cycle and much more. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 13:25 Own athletic and coaching background 17:01 Physique sports for females 23:24 Periodising around menstrual cycle 29:56 Does it even make sense? 40:44 Hormonal fluctuations ...
Nov 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 388
Eric is back on the show and we’re talking about his recent life changes, he’s back in the lab and then cover questions from rep ranges for hypertrophy, deloads and his views on the literature on range of motion and the role it plays for hypertrophy. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:11 Life update on Eric 09:25 What's compelling about doing research? 12:41 What Eric wants to research 20:16 What is the optimal rep range 26:16 Using arousal in order to increase performance 33:01 Anything beneficial to g...
Oct 28, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 387
Today I talked to Menno and we dug into the idea of losing muscle if you’re not gaining strength during a diet, is this really true? Before digging into Menno’s preferred approach to mini-cutting and how fast we can lose fat before risking muscle loss. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:35 If your strength is stable while cutting, you're losing muscle mass 07:45 Risk of muscle loss, how likely is it 09:45 Does leverage change impact the strength much 18:26 Recovery as a culprit of muscle loss and perfor...
Oct 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 386
Brandon is back on the show to give you the low down on NSAID’s, do they help or hinder muscle growth? If you want to maximise your gains but have pain, how should you navigate use of NSAIDs? And what can we do to mitigate pain outside of using these drugs? Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:27 Anything changed to training and applications with new research? 08:20 Any new exciting findings? 11:07 The impact of NSAIDS and pain medication on muscle growth 14:48 Are there benefits for recovery? 18:22 Does ...
Oct 14, 2023•55 min•Ep. 385
James Hoffman is back on the show & we get a life update on him. He explains his recent TRT use, why & the benefits he has seen. Before we dive into his new thoughts surrounding stress management & some practical tools you can use from today, to be less stress & more productive. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro & Sponsor 04:59 How to deal with sciatic pain 07:41 What exercises help with sciatica 14:19 Going into TRT - what led to going down that direction? 22:03 Injections or gel? 23:...
Oct 07, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 384
This week I have a roundtable with Joe Jeffery & Calum Raistrick, both top UK bodybuilding coaches with a tonne of experience. We dive into how the pro’s really train & diet & what lessons we can draw from that. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:16 Is there a general pattern that makes a pro? 10:22 Do pros need as many deloads and fatigue management 13:35 Terminology and methodology of pro bodybuilders training 16:51 How to structure training and how to get them to make changes 22:56 What c...
Sep 30, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 383
This week Dr Alex Kolliari-Turner is on the show after a 4 year hiatus, where he’s published his exciting study looking at muscle memory, the impact of steroids & more. We dive deep into the outcomes of that, the implications for drug tested sport & much more! Timestamps: 00:00 03:31 Revisited what the study of anabolic steroid use was about and how it was conducted 06:43 What is the muscle memory effect and is it impacted by earlier steroid use? 18:18 Does past anabolic steroids use imp...
Sep 23, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 382
Unsure if you should be training to failure or not? Or if leaving some reps in the tank now and then could lead to better results? Well look no further as today I am talking to three leading authorities on the topic; Mike Israetel, Eric Helms and Zac Robinson. We cover the advantages of going to failure but also the shortcomings, whether or not the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio differs depending on the context for proximity to failure and finally giving you some practical advice on how to manage pro...
Sep 16, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 377
This week I talk to Layne Norton, we catch up and talk about his recent powerlifting competitions before digging into his time coaching, developing a flourishing business and much more. Timestamps: 00:00 03:16 Update on Layne's situation as an athlete and in general life 08:39 Is Layne still coaching and professional career 13:52 How Layne was able to make his information mainstream 20:56 Is the athlete or businessman more important? 23:56 Home gym vs. commercial gym 27:58 Training to failure, h...
Sep 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 380
In today's episode, I talk to Scott Stevenson and we dig into his updated thoughts on the research coming out on training at long muscle lengths. Everything from the mechanisms behind the growth, whether it applies to you the listener and how maybe to go about incorporating lengthened partials into your own training. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:14 Trophies and satisfaction after competitions 07:13 Dog talk 14:15 Lengthened partials and new evidence 26:17 Eccentric, concentric, velocity and effort...
Sep 02, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 379
Mike is back on the show and we dig into his recent competition prep, the lessons, takeaways and what he will do in future. Before talking about social media and receiving and giving feedback to others and how to approach this. London tickets: https://revivestronger.com/london-23/ https://www.youtube.com/@MikeIsraetelMakingProgress/featured https://www.instagram.com/drmikeisraetel/ https://www.youtube.com/@RenaissancePeriodization This podcast was sponsored by Caldera + Lab, but the opinions are...
Aug 26, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 378
Today I am talking to Dr Peter Fitschen and we did into his recent competitive season, what was different to previous seasons and why. Before digging into questions surrounding offseason length & the impact of generics as it relates to bodybuilding. https://www.instagram.com/fitbodyphysique This podcast was sponsored by Caldera + Lab, but the opinions are my own. Get 20% OFF with our code REVIVE at calderalab.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:41 Peter's last competition 05:38 Settling points/in...
Aug 19, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 377
Dr Pak is back on the show and this time we talk a lot about science, it’s use, miss use and actually whether it has use at all for an advanced bodybuilder. You don’t want to miss this! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:16 Ignoring new evidence and discounting science 13:34 Strawmanning what science is 16:59 Social media and clickbait titles on the effects on how science is interpreted 19:48 Danger of misinterpretation and different interpretations of the results of scientific studies 28:49 Practical a...
Aug 12, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 376
Today I have Daniel Plotkin on the show, he recently headed up a study that looked at the differences between squats and hip thrusts for hypertrophy and various other outcomes. We dig into that, the practical take homes and much more. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 08:07 What was the study about? 15:03 EMG results in studies? 18:20 Does sensation correlate with EMG activation? 21:33 Stretch-mediated hypertrophy 23:52 What is a multichip? 29:28 Matching variables in between partials vs. full ROM studies...
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 375
Greg Potter is back on the show and we’re talking about everything from how to maximise your sleep when it’s hot to whether or not you should concern yourself over your biological age. As always a super in-depth and interesting discussion to be had with Greg. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:53 Saunas as an alternative to cardio? 12:45 Differences in Sauna and body temperature 19:27 Wearing additional clothing in the gym 21:47 Heat and its Impact on sleep 39:57 Sleep stages and tracking/optimising the...
Jul 29, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 374
