Bodybuilding Down Under

Welcome to Episode 212 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast!

Before we get stuck into the main event, we take a few minutes to recap the most recent WNBF show in Melbourne, highlighting some standout physiques. 

This week we are ranking the most common cable attachments you will find on any gym floor into a full tier list. Off the back of a great listener suggestion, we make our way through the lot, from the humble straight bar and the trusty D handle to ropes, mag grips, the cuff, the Vulcan strap and of course the most controversial attachment in BDU history finally getting the ranking it deserves.

It is a light one this week with some real practical value thrown in to help you get more out of your next session. The full tier list will be going up on our Instagram so you can see exactly where everything landed.

Enjoy!

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/?hl=en

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to Episode 211 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast!

With Season A wrapping up across Australia, we take a deep dive into one of the most challenging parts of competing: the post show period. We break down what prep has actually done to your body and mind, why your brain is in survival mode coming off stage, and why the hunger and food noise you're experiencing is your physiology doing exactly what it was designed to do.

We cover redefining success post show, why chasing scale weight close to stage is a trap, and how the language around progression and regression needs to completely flip in the recovery phase. 

Enjoy!

Prep Seminar Tickets: 

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/?hl=en

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to Episode 210 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast!

After a quick catch up we dive into a topic that keeps coming up across the industry: AI in bodybuilding coaching.

With AI now baked into everything from MyFitnessPal to check-in software, we debate whether it genuinely threatens coaching or whether the human side of the sport is simply irreplaceable. We cover where AI falls short in niche areas like peak week and show day decisions, why low-effort and cookie-cutter coaches are most at risk, and why the coach-athlete relationship during a deep prep is something no algorithm can replicate. We also share practical ways coaches can use AI as a tool for efficiency, from mapping out prep timelines to building custom check-in apps, without losing what actually matters.

Enjoy!

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/?hl=en

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to Episode 209 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast!

With the final national shows of the season just around the corner, we tackle two of the most common yet least discussed realities of competitive bodybuilding. First up, what actually happens when you overeat on prep. We cover carb blowouts versus high fat binges, how being extremely lean changes the way your body may store excess food, and how we handle these conversations with our athletes when it happens.

From there we shift into the post show recovery phase, covering common coaching mistakes, how to set recovery macros, why framing recovery as an extension of prep rather than the start of the off season makes a huge psychological difference, and the importance of celebrating small wins over chasing perfection.

To wrap up, we each share out top practical tips for getting through post show, from swapping intra workout carbs for more food volume to the simple advice of just being kind to yourself.

Enjoy!

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Podbean Caption:

Welcome back to Part 2 of the Comp Prep Playoffs! We pick up right where we left off, diving into the quarter finals, semis and ultimately crowning a winner. The people have spoken and zero cardio has been sent packing, so with the final eight locked in, the bracket really heats up.

Refeeds versus coaching, high protein versus low stress, quality training versus the meal plan, and carb loading versus food noise control all go head to head before the semis deliver some genuinely tough calls. There are some interesting tangents along the way, including how low protein would need to drop before you accept higher stress, whether food noise actually changes outcomes for disciplined athletes, and whether a great coach essentially renders every other variable redundant.

We also celebrate 4 years of BDU, a massive milestone and one we certainly don't take for granted. Thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride. Enjoy!

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to Episode 207 of the Bodybuilding Down Under podcast!

In this episode, we run a contest prep playoffs, putting key bodybuilding strategies head-to-head to determine what actually matters most across a successful prep.

We work through a range of common approaches used by competitors and coaches, comparing how different strategies stack up in practice and where they may (or may not) make a meaningful difference.

Each matchup is assessed based on real-world application, coaching experience, and overall impact on physique outcomes.

This is Part 1 of the playoffs, we move through the opening rounds and quarter finals, with the remaining matchups and final decisions to come in Part 2!

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to Episode 206 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we are joined by special guest Richard Collins, a coach whose background spans basketball, football and strength and conditioning across semi-professional and professional sport before transitioning into the bodybuilding and body composition world.

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Richard Collins: https://www.instagram.com/richard_collins_coach/

Welcome to Episode 205 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast!

This week, we are back to break down one of the most talked-about topics in competitive bodybuilding: peak week.

The conversation opens with what a good peak week actually looks like and why the goal for most athletes should be a refreshed, recovered physique rather than a last-minute push for extra conditioning. From there, we dive into the key loading strategies, front load, mid load, and back load, covering the pros, cons, and trade-offs of each, and how your condition heading into the week should dictate which approach you deploy.

The discussion also explores how the level of detail in a peak week should match the athlete in front of you, from first-time bikini competitors keeping things simple to advanced bodybuilders tracking sodium and potassium to the milligram. We also get into check-in frequency during peak week, how to read tightness and fullness in real time on show day, and the subtle adjustments to carbohydrate and sodium dosing that separate a good peak from a great one.

To wrap things up, each of us shares our number one piece of advice for aspiring coaches, from being a good human to finding your unique voice, to spending real time in the game before opening up spots.

Enjoy!

Instagram Handles:

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to Episode 204 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast!

This week, we are joined by one of the most respected coaches in natural bodybuilding, Cliff Wilson. With No. 1 and No. 3 in the world at the most recent WNBF World Championships, Cliff's track record speaks for itself.

Cliff shares how he got his start in coaching, why he felt disappointed in both the bro science and evidence-based camps early on, and why he eventually stopped debating and decided to let results do the talking. From there, the conversation dives into common contest prep mistakes most coaches don't talk about, the gas pedal analogy for managing intensity across a prep, and why letting bodybuilding consume your entire identity is one of the biggest risks to your success on stage.

We also get a detailed look at Cliff's famous rapid backload protocol — how it was born, how it's evolved, and why peak week is far more individualised than most people assume.

The episode also covers Cliff's experience coaching Will Tennyson to his pro card, working with Doug Miller, and some incredible stories from the most stacked lineups he's ever witnessed. To wrap things up, Cliff shares his philosophy on handling wins and losses across a career, and why emotional regulation is the mark of a true champion.

Enjoy!

Instagram Handles:

Cliff Wilson: https://www.instagram.com/cwteamwilson/

Bodybuilding Down Under: https://www.instagram.com/bodybuildingdownunder/

Jack: https://www.instagram.com/jack.radfordsmith/

Daniel C: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.chapelle/

Lawrence: https://www.instagram.com/general.muscle/

Daniel Y: https://www.instagram.com/dy.fit/

Welcome to episode 203 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we open with some updates going into season A and what the final weeks of prep really look like from a coaching perspective.

From there, we tackle a listener question: in prep, is it better to run higher calories with higher output, or lower calories with lower output? We break down energy flux, hunger management, step counts, diminishing returns, and why athletes almost always choose more steps over less food. We also look at the other side of the coin, losing appetite during a gaining phase. Is it a red flag or just the cost of doing business? 

To close out, we run through a full bodybuilding supplement tier list from S to D.

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