EAA's
I know you just covered BCAAs and their marketing, but now EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) are coming out. What do you think about EAAs like Kion? https://www.getkion.com/ KION AMINOS MIXED BERRY POWDER Supplement Facts Serving Size: 1 Scoop (6.60 g) Servings Per Container: 30 Amount Per Serving %DV L-Leucine – 2,000 mg † L-Lysine HCl – 850 mg † L-Isoleucine – 550 mg † L-Valine – 500 mg † L-Threonine – 475 mg † L-Phenylalanine – 350 mg † L-Methionine – 200 mg † L-Histidine – 71.5 mg † L-Tryptophan – 3.5 mg † † Daily Value (%DV) not established Other Ingredients: Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Malic Acid, Stevia Leaf Extract, Monk Fruit Extract.
Number of sets during an exercise
Hey Tony, I have been running the 4D Athlete program for a couple weeks now, and I noticed that most exercises call for 3 working sets (not counting warmups). Recently, I’ve seen a lot of discussion online suggesting that 2 sets, or even 1 set taken close to failure, can be just as effective for growth as 3 sets. Do you recommend sticking with the 3 sets in the program, or would it make sense to experiment with fewer sets if I’m pushing intensity?
Chipotle vs El Polo Loco
Hello! I absolutely love Chipotle. I think it's great for cutting, maintenance or in a building phase. I have recently been going to El Polo Loco instead of Chipotle... And I feel its better. I find I have more options for any phase I'm in and I get far more protein, for the same calories. What do you think? Thank you!
Fasted workout
I am a mom and a teacher. The only time I have to go to the gym is waking up at 415am and getting to the gym. This leads to fasted workouts. I know fasted workouts aren’t ideal for building muscle. Is there a certain amount of macros that makes a difference? Will a banana suffice?
Helping loved ones get in shape
Hi! I wanna know if you could help me out, my mom (turning 50 this year) has been a victim of yo-yo dieting her whole life. In recent years she got into pilates, but never really stuck with an eating plan. She has agreed to do 2 weight training days with me, along with 2 pilates days a week. So I'm wondering do you have any recommendations as to giving her advice on a meal plan, or some most important guides, as well as what type of exercises do you think would be best for me to show her. Thanks in advance :-)
Daily sweeteners
Hi! I know you have talked about how diet soda is essentially not harmful as the amount of sweeteners in it are too little to be worried about (thank goodness) but I also know that regular use of artificial sweeteners have an impact on our microbiome. How much is too much, then?
HMB
Hi Team. Tony speaks of HMB occasionally. I also train first thing in the morning but only for 2 of my 4 weight training days. The other days I'm lucky enough to be able to train at work so have had breakfast by then. Should HMB be taken daily like Creatine so it builds up or only on those days that I train fasted? Also how does HMB actually work? Is there a dosage that I should be taking? Can it be taken right before I train as I train at home on these days and there would only be 10min max between taking HMB and starting my warm up. Thanks.
functional fitness
If you had a day of training to devote to another type of training other than typical cardio such as tread, bike, running, etc or traditional weightlifting, what would you choose? For example, Pilates, plyometrics, ashtanga yoga, calisthenics (bodyweight moves rather than adding weight), or something else?
Hybrid Training Tips? Cardio Rules!
Hello! I am currently training for a half marathon with the future goal of a full marathon. Obviously with that comes a lot of cardio training but I know strength and mobility training is also SUPER important. Any advice on how to put together a training plan to try and do it all without completely burning out in the process? Thank you!!
Iron
Hey guy! Love the podcast, listening to you has really changed my thinking on diet and exercise. I track my food and noticed my iron is consistently low. Should I be adding in an iron supplement based on that? Is there any other systems that would come with low iron? And on the flip side of this what if you take too much iron and is it easy to take too much? I know blood work is the best way to know my range for sure, just wanted your thoughts on noticing it while tracking food! Thank you!
Steps calories burned
Hey, i know that this will vary based on the individual/intensity but i was wondering how many calories steps actually burn. My summer job was very active and I was averaging about 20k steps a day and lifting about 3-4 times a week. As I start school I plan on keeping the same lifting routine and aiming for about 10k steps a day if my schedule allows. I was maintaining my weight this summer and want to continue to maintain. I’m not sure if I’m thinking too much into this but since I won’t be getting as many steps in I was wondering if I needed to adjust my calories accordingly.
When to Track - Only in a Cut?
Recently had a week long vacation, I did not even try to track for the week. And wow! I did not realize how badly I needed a break from it after a 3 month period. I’ve heard you say that you shouldn’t be tracking always, and I was really only tracking that long because it was my first time doing it, I successfully cut for 8 weeks and then I was trying to nail down my TDEE for a bit, and then I think I just kind of got stuck. I’m a data guy and having all the weight, calorie, and step count data for months allowed for a lot of analysis I was enjoying. But it is taxing, and I think it may be better to just monitor my weight, and only track calories when in a cutting phase going forward. Thoughts?
Travel Training Routine
For adherence purposes, my normal program is in my home gym, using only adjustable dumbbells, a bench and a pull up bar. I understand there are better exercise programs, but it’s difficult for me to get to the gym consistently, the home routine allows for 99% adherence. When I travel for vacation or work I utilize whatever free gym passes I can find. And once I’m in those gyms I usually try to do the “better” exercises that mirror my program. But recently I’ve been wondering if that’s just a mistake? There are dumbbells available in every gym, should I just be continuing my program? I’ve been altering my workout because there is a “better” version available, but it’s a random week here and there, so the benefit in doing that “better” workout is probably very limited.
Jumping into a Bulk
Coming from a very lean body fat percentage, would it be beneficial to jump into a bulk by going pretty heavy on a bulk for a couple of weeks to boost from the 8-10% range to the 15-17% range and then just maintain? Or is there some benefit to slowly increasing body fat percentage with a leaner bulk?
Creatine Reference Range
I’ve been pushing closer to a 10g serving of Creatine, given some of the newer research supporting cognition/brain health benefits. When I had bloodwork done, my Creatine Kinase levels came back above the reference range, prompting some initial concern. Though, shouldn’t this be expected? I would assume the reference range is set according to the recommended 5g per day dose.
Can someone lose this much muscle in less than a month!?
Hey y’all! Hope you two are well! I have been doing dexascans once a month for a year. I just got one yesterday and it said within less than a month I have loss 5 pounds of muscle. I am 5’8, 170 and previously had 119 pounds of muscle on me. I eat about 145g of protein and all of my other macros are met. I walk 10-13k a day. I also work out 4x a week and am still doing progressive overload. This has happened a couple of times before but I am wondering is that even possible? I am telling myself this is just a marker and it may not be accurate, keep the course but wanted to ask you all. Thanks in advance if you all are able to answer my question.
Help my dad lift with RA and heart issues
Hey you two! Wondering if you can help me with how best to help my 70 year old dad out. He has rheumatoid arthritis as well as heart failure. He had 4 stents put in back in 2019 and then a quadruple bypass in 2022. Each time he went to physio and really enjoyed the weight lifting but once that’s done he struggles to know what to do. He has been doing amazing at daily walks for a year and he just ordered a functional trainer for at home. Do you have any recommendations for online trainers who can write programming for him that is tailored to his very unique situation? I lift 4-5 days per week but I am a fit 40 year old female without RA and heart issues so I am unsure how best to guide him. I tried advising he see a personal trainer or physio but he won’t do it. I think he would consider a remote trainer. If you have ways you could recommend to help search for one I would love that so I could help him more. Thank you!
Activity level, Binging, Calorie range
Hi! I have kind of a specific question, but I think some general advice could come from it too. I’m a 22-year-old woman, 5’2”, 150 lbs. I follow a glute-focused workout 5 days a week and average about 15k steps per day. I’ve found that eating 1,800–2,000 calories feels like a good range for me—when I try going lower, I end up bingeing. It just seems high for a deficit, so I’m wondering if this range makes sense for me?
Exercising to recovery from surgery
Sup dudes, I’m about 4 months post-op from a acl quad reconstruction and meniscus repair surgery. I’m recovering well, doing all my PT and stuff but still got a lot of work to do for strengthening my quad. I’ve heard you guys have had some experiences with surgeries and I was just curious to hear your stories on recovery. Thanks