Find out what's in-store for season 2 of Fit For Thought. 

On this episode of the podcast, Dr. Aaron Horschig and I take an in-depth look at the king of all exercises, the squat. With a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Missouri and over a decade of experience in training and competing in Olympic weightlifting, Dr. Horschig created Squat University.com, an online platform dedicated to helping people rid themselves of pain, decrease their risk of injury and improve their strength and athletic performance. 

What You'll Learn on This Episode

• How to identify movement problems using the bodyweight squat
• How tissue and joint restriction can affect the way you squat
• How to improve tissue and joint mobility
• How to perform a low bar squat
• Whether you should squat below parallel 
• Coaching cues that will help you lift with confidence, power and stability 
• How to incorporate squats into your current exercise routine
• And more! 

Learn More About Squat University

• Squat University Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instragram
• Youtube

Many of us have heard the idea that doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (commonly referred to as fasted cardio) will increase fat loss. It's worth keeping in mind that fasted cardio typically stems from the bodybuilding culture, where bodybuilders have low body fat levels. But for those of us who are neither lean nor overweight, is fasted cardio more effective than fed cardio? By fed, I mean that you're neither in a fasted state, nor still digesting your food.

Today on the podcast, I'll be looking at the work of James' Krieger, who is heavily involved in fitness-research and co-authored a study on the impact of fasted cardio on the body. James argues that in order to increase fat loss, fasted cardio has to do one of three things: increase energy expenditure, suppress appetite or spare protein. Does fasted cardio do any of these things? Tune in to find out. 

What you'll learn on this episode

• The three primary steps involved in fat loss
• How body fat is one of the determinants of whether doing cardio fasted will enhance fat loss
• Whether fasted cardio
  • Increases energy expenditure
  • Suppresses appetite
  • Spares lean muscle mass
• What the 24 hour energy expenditure is and why it's so important

Studies Cited in the Episode

• James Krieger's argument that there is no scientifically based reason why you should perform fasted cardio over fed cardio
  • Fasted Cardio...an Undeserved Good Reputation
• The process of fat loss and how body fat is a determinate of whether fasted cardio will work
  • Fast Cardio and Fast Loss - Q&A
• No difference in energy expenditure between fasted verses fed cardio
  • Effects of post-absorptive and postprandial exercise on 24 h fat oxidation
• When you perform fasted cardio you reduce your carbohydrate store around 18%
  • Exercise Increases 24-h Fat Oxidation Only When It Is Performed Before Breakfast
• Fed cardio suppresses appetite to a greater extent than fasted cardio
  • Appetite, energy intake and resting metabolic responses to 60 min treadmill running performed in a fasted versus a postprandial state
• Examination of protein oxidation rates
  • Effect of muscle glycogen on glucose, lactate and amino acid metabolism during exercise and recovery in human subjects

For Marc Lebert, the road to success has been paved with passion, perseverance and inventiveness. Recognized as one of the top fitness entrepreneurs in the industry, Marc is the owner of Lebert Fitness Inc., a world leader in innovative high performance fitness tools including the Lebert Equalizer, Buddy System, Stretch Strap and the SRT barbell. He's also the co-owner of Fitness nation (a group exercise and training facility in Mississauga and Oakville), a black-belt in Tae kwon do and a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. I've had the pleasure of training with Marc on a number of occasions, and it's a pleasure to collaborate with him again this time on the podcast.

What you'll learn on this episode

• How to turn a fitness-related idea into a business, product or service
• How to build muscle and strength with body weight exercises
• How to use fear-setting to take action and achieve your goals 
• What it takes to become a successful personal trainer

Marc Lebert Resources  

• Lebert Fitness Inc. 
• Fitness Nation
• Lebert Fitness on Facebook
• Lebert Fitness on Instagram

It's great to be back behind the mic! I couldn't be more excited to have Ben Greenfield on the podcast. He's a New York Times best-selling author, fitness coach, speaker, Ironman triathlete, Spartan racer and host of one of the top health and fitness podcasts on iTunes. Ben holds a Master's degree in exercise physiology and biomechanics, as well as advanced certifications in sports nutrition, personal training, and strength and conditioning. His science-based approach to health and performance has revolutionized the way thousands of athletes and exercise enthusiasts live, train and eat. 

What you'll learn on this episode 

• What form of exercise can make you smarter
• How sound affects your brain 
• What and when to eat post-exercise
• If Ben could self-quantify with any one variable on a daily basis, what would it be and why
• Safe and effective ways to detox
• Decision making skills to help you focus, reduce stress and be happy

Ben Greenfield Resources

• Website
• Podcast
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instragram

Many people believe there is a window of time about 30 - 60 minutes after you exercise in which your body is primed to utilize protein and stimulate muscle growth. This period is referred to as the anabolic window of opportunity. in fact, some have claimed that when you eat is more important to muscle growth and adaptation tan how much you eat. But is you miss this window, does that mean your workout was for nothing? In this episode of the podcast, I look at a new and compelling study co-authored by Brad Schoenfeld Ph.D. (a leading authority on muscle building and fat loss) thats puts that anabolic window of opportunity to the test and shows that the window of time may not be as narrow as we think.

Study

Pre- versus post-exercise protein intake has similar effects on muscular adaptations 

Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Jesse Bruce is one of the most decorated obstacle course race winners in Eastern Canada, including the 2015 Canadian Male Spartan Race Champion. In addition to his success on the course, and in the gym where he trains some of Canada's most elite performance athletes, Jesse found the strength to overcome his struggles with depression and addiction. I've had the distinct pleasure of training with Jesse, and in doing so, I was able push harder than I ever thought I was capable of. 

Jesse Bruce

• Facebook
• Instagram
• One Transformation Academy - Coming Soon!

Obstacle Course Racing (OCR)

• OCR World Championships
• Spartan Race 2017

Muscle gain — for some, the struggle is real! On this episode of the podcast, I talk about a challenging yet effective way to put on muscle mass.

Last week, I had my follow-up fitness nutrition consult with macro strategist Lindsey Bethke. We talked at-length about the ups and downs of my maintenance period, and then decided I should move into my bulking phase of my program, which essentially means that I have to increase my calories, which will help me to put on size.

It's no coincidence that this change in nutrition coincides with a new training protocol that I'm experimenting with.This protocol isn't for the faint of heart. It requires commitment, dedication and a mindset to push through how boring it can be. Sounds enticing doesn't it? In all seriousness, it's taxing on both the body and the mind, but the results are amazing. 

The system originated in Germany in the mid-70's through the work of Rolf Feser, who was the National Coach of Weightlifting at the time, but it came into prominence in 1996 when Charles Poliquin published an article Muscle Media 2000 on German Volume Training (also referred to as GVT or the 10x10 method). What it comes down to is selecting a large movement for a given muscle group and performing 10 sets of 10 repetitions with a 60-90 second rest between sets.

Here are some of the basic rules of GVT.

Nutrition:Consult with your health care practitioner and trainer to make sure you're eating enough calories to support your body throughout this program. Trust me, maintenance calories are not enough.

Volume: Can be defined as the number of repetitions x sets x weight lifted. The basic volume protocol for GVT is 10 x 10, meaning you would do 10 reps of a certain exercise ten times. This type of volume targets a group of motor units and exposes them to an extensive volume of repeated efforts. This will cause the muscle cells to grow and increase in size.

Weight: Approximately 65% of your one rep max (1RM). For instance, if your 1RM for back-squats is 100lbs, then your starting weight is 65lbs.

Tempo:For long-range movements like a squat, it's recommended that you use 4 to 0 tempo. Count to four on the eccentric (i.e., lowering) phase, and once you hit your desired depth, power up through the concentric phase.

Rest Intervals:60 - 90 seconds.The rest intervals are extremely important. Give your body a chance to rebuild its energy stores.

Overload Mechanism: Once you're able to get through 10x10 at your starting weight, increase the weight by 4-to-5%.

Resources

• Charles Poliquin's Website
• Intro to GVT
• FAQs

 Special Thanks

• TJ Alston - co-producer and audio engineering 
• Ross Newton - user experience designer 

Two weeks ago fitness enthusiasts and macro strategist Lindsey Bethke was on the podcast to talk about an approach to food, commonly referred to as flexible dieting or if it fits your macros, that calculates and monitors an individuals macronutrient intake based on their lifestyle and fitness goals. During the latter half of the show, Lindsey walked me through my very first fitness nutrition consultation. We talked about my background, lifestyle and personal fitness goals and came-up with a plan for me to track my macros. Today, Lindsey and I are together again for a follow-up consultation. What you can expect is an open, honest and very personal account of my macro tracking experience thus far: the pros, the cons, the up and the downs, we're putting it all on the table. 

Lindsey Bethke

• Instagram

• Facebook 

Tracking Tool

• My Fitness Pal App

Special Thanks

• TJ Alston for production assistance and audio engineering

• Ross Newton for graphics