Dr. Sean Pastuch returns to share lessons from his career and his new book, Live More, Hurt Less.

Sean joins me to discuss:

• How he defines “Live More, Hurt Less”

• What that philosophy looks like in real life

• Why helping people feel heard can be such an important part of navigating pain and movement limitations

• The three identities Sean believes are relevant to meaningful change

• The “Be, Do, Have” framework

• The difference between confidence and self-esteem

• Why identity work does not need to become vague or “woo”

• What Sean means when he says, “Discipline is not the cause; it’s the effect”

• Why pain itself is not always the biggest problem

• What Sean means by, “Pain is not the problem. The problem is the compromises pain forces you to make”

• The difference between sacrifice and compromise

• Why accepting a smaller life can become normalized

• What Sean means by, “Compromise is the acceptance that living less is reasonable”

• How social permission can make quitting feel acceptable

• Sean’s own turning point with neck pain

• The role of anchors and action in changing behaviour

• How conflicting identities can interfere with progress

• Why analytical people can sometimes think their way into inaction

• Reconciling “It’s never about you and it’s always your responsibility”

• Why commitment can matter more than endlessly trying

• Why meaningful change is supposed to be difficult

• Coaching people who actually fit your philosophy and process

• Sean’s thoughts on influencers, virtue signalling, and online behaviour

• Lessons from marriage, relationships, and communication

• And much more

Follow Sean on Instagram:

@drseanpastuch

CHAPTERS

00:51 Why Sean Wrote Live More, Hurt Less

02:27 The Identity Model for Change

03:36 The Be, Do, Have Framework

06:11 Confidence Versus Self-Esteem

10:11 Why Identity Work Isn’t “Woo”

13:12 Discipline Is the Result

16:43 Pain, Restriction, and Compromise

21:18 Sacrifice Versus Compromise

24:46 When Society Gives You Permission to Quit

29:04 Sean’s Neck Pain Turning Point

31:34 Anchors, Identity, and Taking Action

36:03 Identity Conflict and Behaviour Change

38:18 The Analytical Mindset Trap

40:28 “It’s Not About You” and Personal Responsibility

44:57 Love Languages, Marriage, and Communication

49:53 Stop Trying and Start Committing

56:40 Coaching the Right Clients

58:51 Influencers and Virtue Signalling

01:03:14 Final Thoughts, Resources, and Gratitude

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Emma Storey-Gordon is one of my favourite authorities and communicators when it comes to combining evidence-based fitness and nutrition with practical, real-world application.

Emma returns to share her expertise and discuss her new book, The Fat Loss Coach for Women.

We get into:

• Whether fat loss is fundamentally different for women

• Which differences are physiological and which are rooted more in psychology, lifestyle, and lived experience

• The problems with the phrase “women are not just small men” when it is used to justify unsupported fitness claims

• Why smaller body size can create very real challenges for women trying to lose fat

• Portion sizes, restaurants, and an environment designed around larger energy intakes

• Why menopause influencers often tell women they need to lift exclusively in heavy 3–5 rep ranges

• How that overlaps with hypertrophy influencers claiming everyone should live in the 4–6 rep range

• Why moderate and higher rep ranges remain incredibly useful

• How fear around “stress” in women and “fatigue” in men often reflects the same exaggerated concern about training

• Why confusing fitness messaging can lead people to do nothing at all

• The terrible calorie advice frequently given to shorter women

• What NEAT adaptation actually means during fat loss

• Why magnitude matters when discussing research findings

• What insulin resistance is

• How to coach someone with insulin resistance

• Whether insulin resistance meaningfully changes the fundamentals of fat loss

• Protein and the insulin response

• Why women do not need to avoid coffee on an empty stomach

• Why running does not inherently make women gain fat

• How doing more exercise may actually improve energy levels

• The benefits and limitations of increasing cardio and resistance-training volume

• Diminishing returns and why they do not make additional training useless

• Aging, strength, falls, and maintaining independence

• Emma’s new book, The Fat Loss Coach for Women

• Supplement scams and misleading health marketing

• And much more

Follow Emma on Instagram:

@esgfitness

CHAPTERS

00:49 Is Fat Loss Different for Women?

04:49 Why Fitness Myths Feel True

07:25 Smaller Bodies and Bigger Portion Sizes

10:16 Restaurants, Portions, and Energy Intake

12:37 Supersize Me and Food Culture

15:39 What Training Looks Like in the Real World

19:56 Confusing Messaging Leads to Inaction

23:38 Terrible Calorie Advice for Short Women

26:56 NEAT Adaptation and Misleading Headlines

30:47 Why Magnitude Matters in Research

34:37 Insulin Resistance Explained

35:44 Coaching for Better Glucose Control

36:42 Protein and the Insulin Response

43:29 Does Running Make Women Gain Fat?

45:38 Can More Workouts Give You More Energy?

49:53 Aging, Independence, and Fall Risk

54:56 Diminishing Returns and Consistency

01:03:09 Emma’s Book and Supplement Scams

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Dr. Darren Candow is one of the world’s leading researchers and authorities on creatine and joins me to separate what we know from what is still hype.

Darren joins me to discuss:

• How to sift through the evidence and hype surrounding creatine

• What the research actually says about creatine and brain health

• Whether creatine may have a role in concussion and head-trauma research

• The current evidence around creatine and mental health

• Whether creatine can help mitigate some effects of sleep deprivation

• Creatine and bone health

• How much creatine actually contributes to muscle growth and performance

• Why strength and muscle matter for long-term independence

• How creatine may influence training quality

• Creatine timing and whether the anabolic window matters

• Loading protocols and daily dosing

• Whether creatine may have a role during injury rehabilitation

• How to interpret frightening headlines about creatine and cancer

• Whether creatine has any meaningful role in cancer research

• Creatine safety data, including concerns about kidney health

• Why elevated creatinine does not automatically mean kidney damage

• Whether caffeine interferes with creatine

• The best type of creatine to take

• Why some specialty creatine products may simply cost more without providing additional benefit

• Popular creatine myths

• Microdosing and other exciting areas for future research

• And much more

Follow Darren on Instagram:

@dr.darrencandow

CHAPTERS

00:45 Creatine Basics and Muscle Saturation

04:23 Creatine and Brain Health: Hype vs. Evidence

08:51 Creatine and Sleep Deprivation

13:10 Concussions and Head Trauma

17:51 Creatine and Mental Health

19:47 Safety, Kidney Health, and Creatinine

24:37 Homocysteine, Cancer, and Other Myths

28:37 How Much Muscle Does Creatine Actually Build?

29:27 Strength, Muscle, and Long-Term Independence

30:17 Bone and Brain Health

31:32 Creatine and Training Quality

34:19 The Best Forms of Creatine

37:32 Timing and the Anabolic Window

39:52 Cost, Marketing, and the “Pink Tax”

42:55 The Creatine and Caffeine Myth

45:46 Loading Protocols and Injury Rehabilitation

48:22 Future Research and Microdosing

50:45 Cooking With Creatine and Final Thoughts

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Dr. Tony Boutagy holds a PhD in Exercise and Sports Science and returns to dive into the research on sex differences, muscle growth, aging, cardio, recovery, grip strength, and several persistent myths in the fitness industry.

Tony joins me to discuss:

• Whether men and women need meaningfully different training programs to build muscle

• Relative versus absolute differences in muscle-building potential

• Whether sex-based differences matter more than individual differences between people

• Why training goals should drive programming more than gender

• How personal preference affects exercise selection, adherence, and results

• Bone-health considerations for women

• Why more credentialed professionals are appearing on large podcasts and making unsupported or misleading claims about women’s training

• Whether grifting PhDs and doctors are actually outliers

• Why misinformation can be financially and socially rewarded online

• Whether evidence-based professionals are becoming more willing to publicly challenge bad information

• The role of scientific consensus versus individual expert opinion

• Whether cardio can support muscle growth

• How concurrent training should be considered when hypertrophy is the goal

• Whether recovery from resistance training meaningfully slows as we age

• The relationship between grip strength and longevity

• Why grip strength may function as a broader marker of health rather than a magical intervention itself

• What people actually mean when they talk about “stabilizer muscles”

• Why the stabilizer-muscle discussion needs more nuance

• And much more

Follow Tony on Instagram:

@tonyboutagy

CHAPTERS

04:12 Hormones and Muscle Growth

09:27 Program for Goals, Not Gender

13:20 Bone Health for Women

14:57 Why Misinformation Gets Rewarded

24:43 PhDs, Social Media, and Scientific Consensus

29:38 Cardio and Hypertrophy

35:14 Recovery and Aging

40:18 Grip Strength and Longevity

44:22 Stabilizer Muscles Explained

50:10 Final Thoughts and Resources

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Ben Yanes makes his long-overdue first appearance on the podcast and brings his trademark nuance to assessment, biomechanics, exercise selection, injury narratives, science-based fitness, and what good coaching actually looks like in the real world.

Ben joins me to discuss:

• Why “a vast majority of the assessments you’re doing are a total waste of everyone’s time”

• Why skilled coaches are continuously assessing clients during actual training

• How training itself can function as an assessment

• The relationship between science-based and anti-science fitness communities

• Why the two tribes often rely on each other to create content

• What actually qualifies someone as “science based” or “anti-science based”

• Why nuance rarely performs as well as certainty on social media

• The different camps that emerge around fitness information online

• How people can rewrite the story they tell themselves about lifting

• Common “bro biomechanics” misconceptions

• What Ben means when he says, “Exercises don’t have a purpose, only people have a purpose”

• Why exercise selection needs to begin with the goal of the individual

• Why muscles respond to tension rather than knowing the name of an exercise

• How biomechanics, physics, and subjective experience can coexist

• The panic that sometimes develops around exercises like preacher curls

• Why blaming an exercise for an injury can create misleading narratives

• What Ben means by asking how “f#@kupable” an exercise is

• Why load management and respect for an exercise matter

• Why anterior pelvic tilt is not automatically something that needs to be fixed

• The problems with quick-fix diagnoses and corrective-exercise identities

• How diagnostic labels can influence someone’s perception of their own body

• Why good coaches need to become comfortable operating in uncertainty

• And much more

Follow Ben on Instagram:

@ben_yanes

CHAPTERS

01:32 The Evolution of Fitness Social Media

02:18 Why Most Assessments Are Overrated

05:21 Training Is an Assessment

07:56 Science-Based Versus Anti-Science Fitness

16:07 Why Nuance Loses to Hot Takes

20:01 The Three Fitness Camps

25:21 Stereotypes and Exercise Selection

27:20 Rewriting Your Lifting Story

29:42 Bro-Biomechanics Myths

30:20 Exercises Don’t Have Goals—People Do

33:34 Muscles Respond to Tension

34:47 Where Physics Meets Feel

37:47 The Preacher Curl Panic

38:18 The Trap of Blaming Exercises

41:25 Load Management and Respecting the Exercise

44:39 The Anterior Pelvic Tilt Myth

47:38 Quick Fixes and Coaching Identity

50:31 Diagnosis and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

52:38 Coaching Through Uncertainty

54:59 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Ben

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Max Aita is an elite strength coach and accomplished competitor who joins me to share lessons from decades of training, coaching, and studying some of the most influential strength systems in history.

Max joins me to discuss:

• The history of the Bulgarian, Russian, and American strength-training systems
• How the three systems differ in philosophy and application
• The foundational coaches and figures behind each system
• Bulgarian training and the pursuit of extreme specificity
• Soviet and Russian approaches to variation, volume, and long-term development
• The evolution of American strength training
• How culture and athlete-selection systems influenced what appeared to work
• Why talent funnels matter when evaluating successful training systems
• How steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs complicated our understanding of older training methods
• The best principles Max takes from each strength system
• How he blends those principles into his own coaching
• What everyday lifters and non-strength athletes can actually learn from elite systems
• Balancing specificity with exercise variation
• How to add variety without creating random, chaotic programming
• Periodization and autoregulation
• Identifying whether strength or technique is the limiting factor
• Why great coaching depends heavily on communication
• How Max’s coaching philosophy has evolved with experience
• The difference between coaching fame and coaching skill
• How bad science, viral content, and dishonest influencers distort training information online
• AI-generated content, dopamine traps, supplements, peptides, and the modern fitness landscape
• And much more

Follow Max on Instagram:

@max_aita

CHAPTERS

00:57 Stories From the Juggernaut Era
02:38 The Three Major Strength Systems
04:01 Soviet, Bulgarian, and American Training
07:23 Culture and the Talent Funnel
10:30 China and Athlete Selection
16:15 Key Coaches and the Conjugate System
19:04 Influencers of the Early Internet Era
22:58 Coaching Fame Versus Coaching Skill
25:44 An Example of Viral Fitness Fraud
27:08 Building an Influencer Career on Lies
27:52 Supplements and Peptides Everywhere
29:47 AI Creators and Dopamine Traps
31:47 Why Bad Science Goes Viral
34:08 Bulgarian Versus Soviet Training
36:49 Sustainable Programming Principles
39:03 Exercise Variety Without Chaos
43:36 Coaching Is Communication
45:20 Periodization and Autoregulation
49:46 Strength Versus Technique Bottlenecks
53:39 Final Thoughts and Resources

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Strength and conditioning legend Christian Thibaudeau returns to share advanced training strategies for building muscle, improving performance, and programming with greater intent.

Christian joins me to discuss:

• Whether he feels pressure to remain visible and relevant on social media after a legendary coaching career

• How experimenting with long-duration isometrics changed his training

• What isometric training is and why it can be useful

• The difference between overcoming and yielding isometrics

• How to use overcoming isometrics in your own training

• How to use yielding isometrics and loaded stretches

• Applying isometrics safely and effectively with clients

• Using pre-fatigue to improve muscular recruitment

• Whether the eccentric phase is as important for muscle growth as we have been told

• What newer research may suggest about eccentric training

• The ideal tempo for productive training repetitions

• Extending eccentric work beyond concentric failure

• The tradeoff between muscle damage, recovery, and training stimulus

• How eccentric overload can be misused

• What training complexes are and how to program them

• Using complexes to develop sport-specific qualities

• How sled sprints can improve acceleration

• What cluster sets are and how they can support muscle and strength gains

• Overspeed drills, plyometrics, and the stretch reflex

• Why every training method needs a clear purpose

• And much more

Follow Christian on Instagram:

@christian.thibaudeau.thibarmy

CHAPTERS

01:11 Staying Relevant Online

04:00 A Breakthrough With Long Isometrics

07:18 Pre-Fatigue and Muscular Recruitment

12:01 Isometric Training Explained

15:03 The Benefits of Overcoming Isometrics

18:32 Yielding Isometrics and Loaded Stretching

25:21 The Hypertrophy Plant Analogy

32:29 Eccentrics and Chin-Ups

34:09 Revisiting the Eccentric Research

41:07 Finding the Ideal Rep Tempo

44:51 Eccentric Training Beyond Failure

46:53 Muscle Damage and Recovery Tradeoffs

48:50 When Eccentric Overload Goes Wrong

51:34 Training Complexes Explained

55:57 Complexes for Sport-Specific Skills

01:01:05 Sled Sprints for Acceleration

01:07:31 Cluster Sets for Muscle Growth

01:09:16 Overspeed and Fast Training Drills

01:14:01 Programming With Intent

01:17:04 Plyometrics and the Stretch Reflex

01:19:01 Final Thoughts and Current Projects

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Jason Brown returns for a nuanced discussion about Zone 2 cardio, walking, conditioning, stress, recovery, and how cardio should fit into an individual’s life.

Jason joins me to discuss:

• Whether Zone 2 cardio is actually overrated

• How much of Zone 2’s benefit comes from simply getting people moving

• The value of reducing sedentary time and increasing daily activity

• The relationship between Zone 2-style activity, NEAT, and mental health

• Why getting outside and moving can provide benefits beyond fitness adaptations

• Looking at cardio and all training through the lens of nervous system regulation

• Accounting for the total stress already present in someone’s life

• Why cardio recommendations should begin with the individual’s available time and capacity

• The nuanced debate around whether walking counts as exercise

• Why sprint training should not be treated as Zone 2 cardio

• Why average heart rate during lifting or high-intensity training does not prove someone received a Zone 2 stimulus

• The difference between cardiovascular strain and sustained aerobic work

• Why exercise labels matter less than matching the activity to the person’s needs

• Jason’s thoughts on the current state of online coaching

• And much more

Follow Jason on Instagram:

@jasonbrowntraining

CHAPTERS

01:04 Setting Up the Zone 2 Controversy

01:59 Who Is Zone 2 Cardio For?

05:05 Social Media Hot Takes

07:02 The Benefits of Sustained Aerobic Work

10:41 Andrew’s Questions About Zone 2

14:45 Mechanisms and Aerobic Adaptations

21:13 Time Constraints and Effective Dosing

29:07 Does Walking Count as Exercise?

30:53 Walking as Therapy

33:20 Regulation Matters More Than Debates

34:09 Plug-and-Play Training

35:40 Why Speed Training Is Not Zone 2

37:35 The Limits of Heart Rate as a Proxy

39:39 Genetics and Individual Cardio Needs

44:08 Making 30 to 60 Minutes Count

47:21 Assessments and Coaching Standards

50:40 The Reality of Online Coaching

54:49 Aerobic Training Requires Time

55:45 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Jason

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Dr. Austin Baraki joins me to challenge the popular narrative that testosterone levels are collapsing across society and to examine what the available evidence actually shows.

Austin joins me to discuss:

• Whether men’s testosterone levels have declined dramatically in recent decades
• Where the testosterone-decline narrative originated
• Why viral claims often move faster than the evidence
• How obesity, alcohol consumption, sleep loss, and socioeconomic deprivation can affect testosterone
• Whether pesticides, fluoride, plastics, deodorant ingredients, seed oils, or polyester clothing meaningfully affect testosterone
• The relationship between red meat, cholesterol, saturated fat, and testosterone
• Why many environmental and lifestyle factors matter more for overall health than for testosterone specifically
• How the testosterone conversation also applies to women
• Whether differences within the normal physiological testosterone range meaningfully affect muscle growth or health
• Why temporary hormonal increases after strength training do not necessarily produce more muscle growth
• Acute changes in testosterone, growth hormone, insulin, and cortisol
• When someone should consider having their testosterone levels checked
• Which health conditions should be evaluated alongside possible hormonal concerns
• Why laboratory results need to be interpreted alongside symptoms and clinical context
• Why testosterone replacement therapy can be both overprescribed and underprescribed
• And much more

Follow Austin on Instagram:

@austin_barbellmedicine

CHAPTERS

02:10 The Testosterone Decline Myth
06:37 Breaking Down Viral Claims
08:03 An Evidence-First Framework
11:15 Sponsor: Active Life
12:26 Rapid-Fire Testosterone Villains
16:24 Saturated Fat and Testosterone
20:06 The Real Risk From Plastics
21:52 Sponsor: MacrosFirst
22:55 Seed Oils and Testosterone
33:08 The Health Factors That Matter Most
35:15 Obesity, Sleep Apnea, and Testosterone
36:47 Alcohol and Lifestyle Evaluation
37:44 Sleep Loss and Testosterone
38:46 Extreme Diets Versus the Big Levers
40:35 Optimization Versus Real Life
42:07 Symptoms and Clinical Probability
44:28 Specific Versus Vague Symptoms
46:57 Misdiagnosis and Proper Medical Workup
49:50 Hormonal Responses to Strength Training
55:10 Why Laboratory Results Need Context
01:01:44 Women and Testosterone Therapy
01:06:31 Why TRT Is Mis-Prescribed
01:09:32 When to Test Your Testosterone
01:11:31 Final Thoughts and Book Recommendation

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Q Willey is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach who joins me to discuss barbell training, back pain, injury risk, metabolic health, rehabilitation, and the way strength training is often portrayed online.

Q joins me to discuss:

• Why no existing studies show that squats or deadlifts cause back pain

• Whether barbell lifts are inherently riskier than other forms of exercise

• How the loadability of barbells can get some lifters into trouble

• Why training systems matter more than individual exercises

• Load management, fatigue, and individual capacity

• Why pain can feel random even when contributing factors exist

• How sensational injury stories shape public perceptions of lifting

• The self-driving-car metaphor for anecdotes about barbell injuries

• Why lifting is often demonized more than other physical activities

• What imaging can and cannot tell us about back pain

• Spine surgery, structural findings, and pain

• The value of physical therapy beyond simply “fixing” injuries

• The relationship between metabolic health, obesity, pain, and rehabilitation outcomes

• How to discuss body weight respectfully in a clinical setting

• GLP-1 medications and a physical therapist’s professional scope

• And much more

Follow Q on Instagram:

@coach_q_physio

CHAPTERS

00:19 Meet Coach Q

01:08 Do Squats Hurt Your Back?

02:48 Load Management Basics

06:57 Why Pain Can Feel Random

10:45 Sensational Stories About Injury Risk

13:24 Spine Surgery and Medical Imaging

17:43 Why Lifting Gets Demonized

20:21 Barbells Versus Training Systems

30:37 The Value of Physical Therapy Beyond Fixes

37:22 Metabolic Health and Pain

42:38 Discussing Body Weight Respectfully

51:33 GLP-1 Medications and Professional Scope

55:33 Where to Find Q

56:54 Final Thanks and Wrap-Up

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If this episode helped you think differently about barbells, injury risk, pain, or rehabilitation:

• Subscribe and check out more episodes

• Share the episode on social media and tag @andrewcoatesfitness

• Send it to someone who is afraid that squats or deadlifts will automatically damage their back

FOLLOW ANDREW COATES

Instagram: @andrewcoatesfitness

https://www.andrewcoatesfitness.com

PARTNERS AND RESOURCES

RP STRENGTH APP

Use code COATESRP:

https://www.rpstrength.com/coates

JUST BITE ME MEALS

Use code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS for 10% off:

https://justbitememeals.com

MACROSFIRST — FREE PREMIUM TRIAL

• Download MacrosFirst

• Begin setting up your account

• When asked, “How did you hear about us?” enter: ANDREW

KNKG BAGS — 15% OFF

https://www.knkg.com/Andrew59676

VERSA GRIPPS

https://www.versagripps.com/andrewcoates

TRAINHEROIC — FREE 90-DAY TRIAL

• Visit: https://www.trainheroic.com/liftfree

• Reply to the email you receive or email [email protected]

• Let them know Andrew sent you

L1 BIOMECHANICS AND ASSESSMENT COURSE

Use code COATES:

https://pro.activelifeprofessional.com/assessmentworkshopevents