Fasting & training
I am entering a period of regular religious fasting, typically a 24 hour period with just water. I have continued to train while fasting in the past, but now that I am trying to focus on recomposition and building strength, I am curious if I should avoid working out on days when I am fasting. I typically train 3-4 times a week, so it is doable to move my training day, just not ideal with my busy schedule. Will it make much of a difference if I continue to train on fast days, or is the difference significant enough to warrant training on separate days?
Warm-up
I was comparing training programs with some of my girlfriends, and we were discussing why we prefer dumbbell, barbell, or machine movements in our training. One of them mentioned that she avoids barbells because it takes too long to warmup and that you don’t need to warmup as much for dumbbell and machine movements in comparison. Is this true? Logically, it doesn’t make sense to me, but is their any truth to this idea?
RDL vs. Deadlift
I’ve been using y’all’s full body for the last few months, and over the last month, I’ve gotten to the U/L split weeks. This new split has made me realize that I’ve been training the RDL and deadlift as essentially the same movement. Do y’all have any tips for differentiating these two movements, and can you share why it’s important to train both?
Metabolic adaptation? How significant is it?
Prior to last summer I was on a cut and had my calories locked in at 2,380. I was roughly 170 lbs at the start and cut down to 160 over 10 weeks. I’m now bulking at about 3,600 calories and if anything I am doing less ‘exercise’, pretty much removing any cardio (bad I know), but keeping my steps and resistance training in line with the cut. I though my bulk calories would be like 3,100 or so, but I have stepped them all the way up to 3,600 over a few months and am just now seeing the scale move (about 2 pounds per month). I have built some muscle, but that’s a pretty wide gap (about 500 calories based on my math), is that within the realm of possibility due to higher TEF/RMR changes? NEAT has been steady, based on step average.
Please geek out on “beginner gains”
Feel free to refer me to the relevant episode if you’ve covered already (or defer it to a microdose episode if it’s a little too big), but I would love to understand more about the science behind the “beginner gains” phenomenon. Do we understand what causes it? Is there simply a time window during which rapid gains occur, or alternately is it determined by one’s distance from his/her genetic potential (sort of like a negative exponential growth curve that flattens out the closer one gets to their potential)? Something else? Or, put more practically: Does it tend to be systemic or specific to a muscle? I.e. if a person were somehow to train perfectly for years except the skipped every leg day ever, would that person experience beginner gains on legs after suddenly incorporating leg training? What about someone who trains in an extremely sub-optimal way for two or three or six years, and then suddenly wises up and gets on a great program? Are there some “beginner gains” on the table for that person, or have they squandered them by f-ing around during some magic time window?
What’s my actual maintenance
Hi guys, new to premium and excited to use your 12 week programs to tone up for my wedding in November. I’m about 5’3 and currently 119. I put on a couple pounds while training for a half marathon since I was trying to fuel my body for that. Now that the half is over I’m trying to focus on lifting and a slight deficit. Your calculator tells me my maintenance is about 1800, but I’m wondering if, given how much I was training for my half marathon and how much I was eating, would my maintenance be higher than that? I was focused on cardio but was also doing strength training up until the last month. ChatGPT says I could be at 2,050-2,200, but obviously I’m not taking that as gospel haha. What do you think? I’m going off your calculator and cutting based on that but I don’t want to cut too much, I also don’t want to cut too little.
What’s my actual maintenance
Hi guys, new to premium and excited to use your 12 week programs to tone up for my wedding in November. I’m about 5’3 and currently 119. I put on a couple pounds while training for a half marathon since I was trying to fuel my body for that. Now that the half is over I’m trying to focus on lifting and a slight deficit. Your calculator tells me my maintenance is about 1800, but I’m wondering if, given how much I was training for my half marathon and how much I was eating, would my maintenance be higher than that? I was focused on cardio but was also doing strength training up until the last month. ChatGPT says I could be at 2,050-2,200, but obviously I’m not taking that as gospel haha. What do you think? I’m going off your calculator and cutting based on that but I don’t want to cut too much, I also don’t want to cut too little.
What’s my actual maintenance
Hi guys, new to premium and excited to use your 12 week programs to tone up for my wedding in November. I’m about 5’3 and currently 119. I put on a couple pounds while training for a half marathon since I was trying to fuel my body for that. Now that the half is over I’m trying to focus on lifting and a slight deficit. Your calculator tells me my maintenance is about 1800, but I’m wondering if, given how much I was training for my half marathon and how much I was eating, would my maintenance be higher than that? I was focused on cardio but was also doing strength training up until the last month. ChatGPT says I could be at 2,050-2,200, but obviously I’m not taking that as gospel haha. What do you think? I’m going off your calculator and cutting based on that but I don’t want to cut too much, I also don’t want to cut too little.
What’s my actual maintenance
Hi guys, new to premium and excited to use your 12 week programs to tone up for my wedding in November. I’m about 5’3 and currently 119. I put on a couple pounds while training for a half marathon since I was trying to fuel my body for that. Now that the half is over I’m trying to focus on lifting and a slight deficit. Your calculator tells me my maintenance is about 1800, but I’m wondering if, given how much I was training for my half marathon and how much I was eating, would my maintenance be higher than that? I was focused on cardio but was also doing strength training up until the last month. ChatGPT says I could be at 2,050-2,200, but obviously I’m not taking that as gospel haha. What do you think? I’m going off your calculator and cutting based on that but I don’t want to cut too much, I also don’t want to cut too little.
Progress markers in a weight-lifting journey
Thank you for making the best podcast of all time! I have a question about progress markers in a weight-lifting journey. What are some realistic or meaningful benchmarks people can use to measure progress over time? For example, I’ve been lifting for about a year, and one personal goal I’m working toward is being able to back squat my body weight as a female. Are goals like this helpful, and what other markers would you recommend focusing on?
Incorporating plyometrics
Hey guys! Im not sure if this is a question that you guys would be able to help with, but I was wondering if you guys had any tips on starting to incorporate plyometrics into my training. It seems challenging and fun, but also a great way to build my athleticism. How can I get started as a total beginner to it, without hiring a coach?
Heart rate (Zones)
I have a question since you are both good at the Oura ring. I have been consistently measuring/monitoring workouts using the oura ring record function. Do you have any suggestions for how I have get my heart rate up? It's been consistently in zones 2-3. For reference, I am trying to gain weight so lifting/rock climbing are more my routine. I go 2-3 times a week to the gym. I work 9-5. I was thinking of increasing my cardio routine or at least implementing it more with my lifting. I try to not spend more than 1.5 hours at the gym.
Boyfriend Gaining No weight for football
Hi tony and marianna, my boyfriend is a defensive lineman, he is 190, doing 2 a days, lifting super heavy, progressive overload, eating like 200g of protein a day and 3,000 calories, and he is just not gaining weight, and his coaches need him to gain weight to move up on the depth chart and its reeally sad to see! He also listens to the pod with me and he would love any input from you guys!
Can warm-up sprints in the workout programs impede on recovery?
if so, how include zone 4-5 cardio in your routine? I love the workout programs, during my deload weeks i ran instead of truly deloading, which led to a sustained low HRV & high RHR state. I've been taking a week off, and looking how to incorporate zone 4-5 into my routine.
Pregnancy
I’ve been a premium member for almost two years now and have completed the glute program and the full-body program, which I’ve had on repeat. Altogether, I’ve lost 30 pounds and learned so much from the podcast—I’m truly grateful for that. I recently found out that I’m pregnant and would love to stay consistent with a structured program. Do you currently offer a pregnancy-safe program, or are there specific workouts you’d recommend focusing on during pregnancy?