Ask Me Anything

Over training?

Hi Team. This may be to specific for the show but I'm gona ask any way. I'm a Firefighter and work a side job engineering on my days off. I work a 6 day rotation and I'm training to compete the world firefighters combat challenge in October. I'm currently doing your full body programe modified to a 3 day split each session takes me 2 hours with a warm up and a cool down of some stretches. Day 1= Weights in the morning then zone 2 run for 60min in the afternoon. Day 2= VO2 training 30min in the morning then race specific hauling and hose drag traing in the afternoon for 40min. Day 3= Weights in the morning then race specific stairs training in the evening for about 30min. Day 4= Plyometric training 40min & VO2 training for 30min in the morning then race specific dummy drags in the afternoon. Day 5= Zone 2 run for 60min in the morning then Weight session in the afternoon. Day 6= VO2 training for 30min then race specific Keizer training for 30min in the afternoon. Then it starts all over again. Is this too much? Not enough recovery? Is there a smarter way to train for all aspects of the competition? Thanks.

RPE and form

Hi Team. When there is a required RPE of say 8 in your programs is that meaning 2 reps in reserve at perfect form or 2 reps in reserve with form starting to break down? Love your work keep it up I look forward to every Tuesday and Saturday for me for your next episodes. Cheers.

anxiety

I've always struggled on and off with anxiety and its various physical symptoms. Listening to your podcast got me to look into breathwork for anxiety, which has helped quite a bit, as well as to take more notice of my diet. Are there any micronutrients I should be paying more attention to that could help with anxiety symptoms?

Powerlifting vs. Hypertrophy Training

I am new to powerlifting, but know a lot about hypertrophy training. I was wondering if there was a major difference between progressing week to week, rep ranges and rest times. Thanks!

1:6 fasting

Hello, I wanted to ask your thoughts on 1:6 and 2:5 dieting when exercising quite a bit. I’m thinking about trying a 6:1 (or 2:5) fasting approach, where I would eat normally on training days, but cut calories significantly (like 500–700 kcal) on one or two rest days. My weekly schedule is usually three football sessions and two weight training days, with two rest days in between. I figured it might make sense to fuel properly on training days and create a calorie deficit on the rest days instead of maintaining a daily deficit. Do you think this setup could affect my overall recovery or readiness? Any injury predictions? Would it be worth trying as losing a bit of weight is the goal (in preseason)? Also, are there any specific things I should consider to make sure it doesn’t interfere with my training or progress? Appreciate your thoughts on this, love the pod!

are there any plans for a new program soon?

Hi, how do I redeem the $40 discount code for Oura? I checked previous questions but the links don't work or it says "Your discount link is not valid."

Restarting My lifting journey

Hey guys, Before I ask my question, I just wanted to say that I really love your content. It helped me get through a very rough second half of 2025. Now that I’m doing better, I’m excited to restart my lifting journey. It’s been about five years since I’ve trained consistently, and I’m looking to start with one of your programs. I was thinking about running the 4-day upper/lower split. My question is this: since I’ve been out of the gym for so long, should I start at the prescribed intensity, sets, and reps in your guide, or would it be better to begin with fewer sets and reps for the first 3–4 weeks to allow my muscles to adapt again? I know I’ll definitely need to start with lighter weights than I used to use and gradually work my way back up. Thank you so much, and much love. Deven

Creatine degrading into Creatinine in drinks

I recently heard for the first time that creatine turns into creatinine after a certain duration of it being added to a liquid. For example, adding it to a protein shake the night before and after x hours it’ll turn into Creatinine which is a waste product and, while not harmful, is not useful to the body. Also mentioned was that adding it to hot liquids speeds this process up. My questions for you two smarties are: 1) Is this true? 2) have I been an idiot the last 3 years with adding Creatine to my hot coffee in the morning? Thank you for such an incredible podcast, you’re my absolute favorite!

RPEs

If I am doing a set of 3 with an RPE Goal of 9, and for the first set I managed to reach that but for the last set, I only managed to do 5 reps with 1 left in the tank. Does is still count as RPE 9?

Micronutrients for dummies

Hi :) I just listened to your micronutrient episode, loved it like everything else. I know I'm low in a lot of them and I don't want to get overwhelmed trying to cover them at the same time. How do I know which one to start with? Any general guidance? Thank you, keep doing excellent work!

Flu and not losing progress

I recently came down the a pretty good case of the flu. Any advice on bouncing back and not losing what progress I had made while my energy recovers?

Tips on Meal Tracking / Foods that go well together

2 part question. What are some meals/foods matches that you recommend that can help me gain weight. I am struggling balancing protein and carbs/greens. Example. I love rice but pasta / lettuce is hard for me to mix and match. I can't have rice every though. That's part of my issue. 2.) How do you guys feel about the AI meal tracker on the oura ring? Been tracking my meals more to see where the disconnect is. (I'm still a newbie)

Oura readiness and sickness

Hi! I recently got a terrible ear/sinus infection. It's been about a week of antibiotics and zero training. My HRV is slowly improving (yet still very low compared to normal) but my body temperature and RHR remain elevated. Thus my readiness is super low. My question is, how long does it take for the metrics to improve to where I have a better readiness score and at what point should I ignore the data and just get back into it anyways. I don't love the idea of taking weeks off just because the ring tells me too. I also don't want to come back too soon and prolong recovery. Thank you!

Split workout in different days

Hey guys! This past week I wasn’t able to get my full workout in. For example my upper body day I didn’t get to deadlifts or bicep curls, then on a glute day I didn’t get in cable kickbacks. So when I had time on Saturday I completed those workouts. Is that ok to do or is it a waste of time to not do those workouts in those designated workout days? Thanks! Love the show :)

I won the legion giveaway but no access to email

Hey guys, I won the giveaway on 10/17 but don’t have access to the email linked to my account. I just updated the email now. I’ve been trying to get in contact with you guys but didn’t know the best way. Love the pod, thanks!

Episode Idea - Bloodwork

I feel something I and others may benefit from is an episode talking about bloodwork. (Specific tests to request for your blood work, highlighting what are important metrics to look out for and how to interpret them from your results, etc.)

Meal Frequency

What are the pros and cons for eating smaller meals/snacks more often vs less often but larger portions assuming calories are held constant? One of the biggest impacts on my sleep is if I eat a big meal too close to bed. But I find myself happiest with my nutrition when I’m doing small meals and have room to snack in between.

What are your thoughts on calisthenics for strength training?

I know lifting heavy is important for strength and longevity, but is there any value in calisthenics/bodyweight exercises? If yes, how can one progressively overload using just bodyweight? Thanks for everything you do! Appreciate it.

Electrolyte

So what's the deal with people saying lower your sodium intake, but then take electrolytes. I know that electrolytes are not just sodium but it is most of it. I run 3x a week but usually only take electrolytes on long runs during the summer. Should I take more often ( winter?)?

Caffeine Pills

Research on daily caffeine seems a little unclear, what do you think about people who take 200mg caffeine pills every day?

Traveling internationally with creatine

I began taking creatine daily back in April. I know missing a day here or there isn't a big deal but I have two international trips next year, a 5 day and 15 day trip, and would like to continue taking it while traveling. I'm curious if either of you have flown internationally with creatine supplements and how that experience was? Did you fly with powder, capsules, or gummies? I'd also love to hear your honest opinion on what changes I would expect to see if I stopped taking creatine for a 2 week trip and then started again after.

Time travel changes

You have talked about the negative effects of the time changes for daylight savings, and that got me wondering how traveling to different time zones multiple times per year affects our bodies. So many of us travel to different time zones, near and far, multiple times per year; and I'm curious if our bodies are experiencing some of the same negative effects during and after these trips as we do during the fall and spring time changes?

Methylene blue

At the Thanksgiving table methylene blue was brought up and a family member is planning to start taking it. A quick Google search makes it sound promising, but what does the research actually say? For a healthy adult is there research suggesting there are benefits or is it the latest health hoax?

Walking your gains away?

Moving out of a fat loss phase and into a lean build for the first time has been an interesting endeavor. For a while I kept bumping my calories to no avail, stepping on the scale after 2 weeks at my “bulk” calories and finding the same weight in my first 3 jumps. I got my calories up to about 3,500 and then started wondering if maybe it would be better to just drop my NEAT (20k step avg). And it brought me back to wondering - at some point am I walking for the sole benefit of getting to eat more? I don’t mind the byproduct. But walking is time consuming. And I could probably stand to eat less and still be content.