New routine
Hey guys! I’ve been doing a 4 day split with 3 being lower body/glutes focused and one day upper body (includes deadlifts, triceps, chest press, etc.) I’m looking to tone up my arms a little more but also really wanna keep working on my glutes. I’m torn because 4 days is more than enough for me a week. So wondering if making one of my glutes days a mix of upper and lower body? What workouts would you recommend for that? Thanks!!
Go To Pre-Workout Meal
I have been training first thing in the morning recently and have been weighing the need for pre-workout carbs vs stuffing my face first thing in the morning. A slice of toast, banana and honey has been the go to, light and seems effective. Wondering what you have as go to’s?
Dumbbell workout add ons
Most of my training is done at home with dumbbells. I get to the gym for one of my lower sessions each week, which is good because I’ve started maxing out on many of my lifts with the adjustable up to 90 lb dumbbells I have, particularly lower body movements. Are there products to safely add on weight to dumbbells? I thought of 5 lb wrist weights, but figured there might be better alternatives (is this what you use chains for?).
Special occasions while tracking
Restaurants for date nights, a BBQ, any outing where you are really not sure how to track what do you recommend? Just input a high number and move on with it? Leave that day blank? I’ve been slowly creeping my calories up after a long dieting phase, so I’m in a mode where I’m kind of trying to be rigid to learn what my maintenance is, and what my bulk might be.
heated workouts?
hi! are heated workouts/working out in hot temps “better” than working out in the AC? obviously you sweat way more so it may feel like you are working harder, but is there a benefit to training in the heat? hotworx, heated yoga, etc? -sincerely, a girl who sweats a lot regardless of where she works out but doesn’t want to sweat even more if not necessary
Plant-Based Protein Powder Absorption/Quality
Hi Tony and Marianna! LOVE your podcast. I recently switched to Orgain organic protein powder, which is plant-based and is advertised to have better ingredients than many other protein powders on the market. I was wondering how plant based powders stack up to whey/milk-based ones when it comes to the quality of the protein and your body’s ability to absorb it. Can I count on plant based protein powder to help me reachmy daily protein goals? Thank you guys so much! - Karina
AI and Diet
Hey guys! I suffer from IBS and periodically look through literature about different diets that could help (IBS-C is not just as easy as adding fiber!), but found this article about an AI based diet vs low-FODMAP diet I thought Marianna might enjoy (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11365594/) but also wanted to see your thoughts on the future of AI and specific person based diets and diet programming from a fitness standpoint.
Is weight cycling actually bad?
Ive seen some people talk about the dangers of weight cycling (losing and gaining weight over and over) but ive also seen some respectable ppl like Alec Blenis talk about how losing fat (no matter if its down to your ideal weight or not) has huge benefits. I guess weight cycling and fat cycling could be different concepts but im wondering as many of us go through bulks and cuts which will inevitably make us cycle in our bf%. Thanks guys big hug!
Thinking about the eposide in talking to doctors. What about nutritionists? I went to the nutritionist recently, told her my goals of weight loss and musle gain, asking for advice and was tol to track calories and add protein. My daughter went ot another nutritinist to look at lowering cholesteral and was told to track food and increase protein. How do you get the advice you want or even how do you shop for the right person to gain advice to see results?
Thinking about the eposide in talking to doctors. What about nutritionists? I went to the nutritionist recently, told her my goals of weight loss and musle gain, asking for advice and was tol to track calories and add protein. My daughter went ot another nutritinist to look at lowering cholesteral and was told to track food and increase protein. How do you get the advice you want or even how do you shop for the right person to gain advice to see results?
Alcohol cut off time?
I know alcohol can wreck your sleep, but I was wondering if ‘day drinking’ vs going to bed buzzed has been researched. Thinking of this along the lines of caffeine cut offs, and cutting off big meals a few hours before bed. If you’re going to have 2 drinks, would doing so at 3pm have a lesser impact on sleep than doing it at 10pm?
Sleep quality
Having trouble getting to 7 hours of sleep, falling mostly in the 6:15-6:45 range but getting 1.5 hours each of REM and Deep. If I try to go to bed earlier I just wake up earlier too. Would you be concerned with the lack of overall sleep quantity, or does the presence of good quality sleep make this a non issue?
Protein in a lean bulk phase
I know the recommendation is to just set your calories and protein where recommended and then split the remainder to carbs vs fats based on preference. But what if your preference is really for high protein? Are you leaving a lot on the table in regards to energy demands for lifts by spamming protein (and sacrificing the bump in carbs you’d usually get in a bulk)? After a long cut I have so many high protein tools in my belt that it’s a breeze to hit 1g per LB and I feel like I have to make a noticeable change to my diet to hit my macros now. It’s somewhat exhausting, and I eventually end up just shoveling rice or beans at some point every day.
High Steppers - NEAT vs Overall Health
Recently I’ve boosted my steps from the 15k to 25k range on average. It’s clearly boosted my TDEE. I don’t mind the extra wiggle room with my food intake. But at some points I can’t help but wonder “am I just walking for an extra hour and a half so I can eat more?”. Are the overall health benefits to ‘high stepping’ capped at some point?
Tracking a NYC Slice
This might sound like a silly question. How do you go about tracking foods for which the info is just seemingly not available? I work in the Mecca of pizza and I can’t seem to find one place that stakes a nutritional info claim. Sushi is another tough one. Chinese, etc. I’ve thought of one option as looking up the info at a chain and assuming close enough. But the pizza at Sbarro’s definitely doesn’t taste the same!
Progressive overload in aggressive deficit - is it possible?
Hey, So I’m in a calorie deficit and I wanted to ask, is it possible to do progressive overload in an aggressive deficit? For example, I’ve been including lunges in my leg days recently and they’re really challenging for me. I can barely get to 8 reps on my first set and I don’t seem to be progressing at all. I’m hitting my macros, staying consistent. Will my glutes get stronger even though I can’t progress with any weight and is there any hope for me lol? Hope that makes sense (: I’m also from the UK and wanted to ask if I am still able to enter the giveaway as I know shipping costs are crazy! Love u guys <3
Splitting my Workouts
Hey! I go to the gym really early in the AM. However, sometimes I run out of time and have to leave for work before I finish my entire workout. Am I ruining my progress and making it harder on myself if I go back to finish after work? (My goal is weightloss) For example: I do push, pull, or legs, and then I do core and cardio. It can take me 1.5 or longer depending on the day and how busy the gym is.
New study on erythritol
I saw a new study "The non-nutritive sweetener erythritol adversely affects brain micro vascular endothelial cell function" published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. I was curious what Mariana's take is on this and similar studies. I know you guys have talked about studies covering artificial sweeteners in the past and how they're safe, but just wanted to get another perspective on this study since you're more talented at dissecting what they mean in real life. I'm a coke zero and diet coke diehard and rarely go a day without drinking one or the other.
Omega-3s for Vegetarians
In this week's episode you talked about heart health and how most of us aren't getting enough Omega-3s and could benefit from supplementing with a fish oil supplement. I'm wondering if you have any recommendations on what to look for in a vegetarian Omega-3 supplement?
Where is the best place to start?
Hi All! I am a fitness beginner and am wondering which program from your list I should start with to begin my fitness journey. I love the layout of the programs I’ve looked at, but I don’t want to get in over my head or waste time doing a program that’s out of my league starting out. Any insight would be helpful, thank you!
7 Hours of Sleep
Finally got serious about my sleep and am using a sleep tracker and for the first time in my life I no longer need an alarm clock. Up in the same 30 min window everyday. Unfortunately, that lands me at about 6.5 hrs of sleep on average. I know 7+ is heavily supported, but do some people just run fine on less? My REM and Deep are both good.