When you start lifting weights you find out right away what strength is and how you compare to others in the gym. Everyone starts at a different level of genetic strength and every will max out at a different level of strength.

We tend to reach peak strength somewhere around our late 20's or early 30's. After which it's not realistic to expect to continue to get stronger.

Depending on your age, genetics, injury history, and activity goals your strength goals will change. There is no single answer to how strong you should be, there is just how strong you can get, and what that strength can do for your individual goals.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

What is the optimal amount of training volume to achieve maximum results? Some bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger advocate for 30+ sets and 2-3 hour workouts. Others like Mike Mentzer advocate for minimal volume suggesting only one working set is needed.

How can we say for certain which training style is better and if there is such thing as unnecessary 'junk volume'.

It would be hard to convince Arnold that he should have done less work in the gym. It would be equally hard to convince Mentzer to do a single rep more that he did.

The reality is there is no scientific way to prove exactly how much volume any given individual will need to reach their goals.

You can only discover this by trial and error starting with some basic principles of weight training and adjusting your volume to fit your genetics, lifestyle, age, goals, injury status and a multitude of other factors.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

Can we spot reduce fat? Do fat cells have memory? Do steroids produce life long muscle gains even after you stop using them? Does working out with weights during teenage years cause more muscle gain than starting lager in life?

In today's episode we discuss each of these topics and speculate that there is likely some truth to all of them, but as of yet there is no good scientific way to prove it.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

In today's episode I share the results of a recent CT Angiogram that revealed a 20% narrowing in one of my coronary arteries. With high Lp(a) and at 50 years old this is not surprising, however it is concerning and I do not want any further narrowing.

We discuss the importance of early screening and testing and what can be done with diet exercise and supplements. I share my plan moving forward and will give progress updates as I move along.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

It’s common to hear the term “functional training” but do you know what it means? Do the people using the term even know what it means?

You can design workouts to optimize for maximum strength, hypertrophy, running, swimming, cycling, climbing, and every other style of movement and sport.

The goal defines the function, and the function defines the workout.

In today’s episode we walk talk through how to define what functional training is and how to think of your goal first and then decide how to set up your workout.

In this episode we answer a the question: Does an Endomorph, Ectomorph, and Mesomorph lose weight the same way. These are descriptive categories that describe general tendencies of fat mass, muscle mass, and overall size.

Ectomorph is the leaner thinner body type that has less fat but also less muscle and smaller bones.

Mesomorph is someone carrying a middling amount of fat and muscle mass without being too big or too small. More muscle and somewhat more fat than an ectomorph, but less fat mass and less muscle mass potential than a true endomorph.

Endomorph is a larger body type with bigger skeletal structure, carry more total fat mass, but also more total muscle mass.

These are not strictly defined categories and we all land on a scale somewhere between these three.

So do they all burn fat and lose weight the same way? Would they all follow a similar diet or exercise routine? If so would it feel the same for all of them? We dive in and give our answer.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

Having visible 'ab' muscles is a goal of many guys who follow a regular workout program. But if you have never got into that condition, do you know what it takes, and will the effort be worth it?

In many cases the assumption is 10% body fat is low enough to reveal abdominal muscles, or the proverbial '6 pack'. But this is not necessarily true. Some people can get into the single digit percentage body fat and still not see any visible ab definition. This is because there is more that goes into it than just losing fat. You also have to develop the ab muscles to the point where they create shape and separation.

In this episode we attempt to answer the question: "Is 10% body fat worth it" and by that we mean, worth the effort it takes to achieve this level of condition. In reality we think the question is about visible ab definition regardless of the % body fat.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

There seems to be a persistent theory that an excess of calories is required to gain muscle. This however has not been shown to be the case.

Most examples of 'bulking' are confounded by anabolic steroid use, genetic outliers, or being at a young enough age where your body is naturally gaining muscle.

Most people who are beyond their late teens or early 20's cannot force their body to gain a significant amount of muscle buy combining intense weight training with excess calories. The result will be excessive fat gain with minimal lean muscle mass gain.

Many guys seem to think this is possible beyond their late teens, or early 20s, however their examples they can point to are usually outliers such as pro athletes or people on excessive amounts of anabolic steroids.

The reality is there is a limited amount of muscle any individual can gain in their lifetime. This is determined by training status, age, genetic predisposition, and drug use (or lack thereof).

Most of us are of average capacity to gain muscle, and we're not likely to ever look like a pro athlete and certainly not a pro bodybuilder.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

Before the internet existed, most of us got our workout and diet ideas from fitness and bodybuilding magazines. And for a long time that seemed to work just fine.

With the advent of the internet there is a virtual unlimited supply of information for exercise and nutrition.

Some of this information is coming from academics and physicians who seemed to have only discovered or accepted the benefits of exercise once they can point to a research paper to prove it.

Do we really need a research paper to tell us that lifting weights will make our muscles bigger and stronger and our bones denser and stronger? Do we really need a research paper to tell us that cutting calories is how you will lose body fat?

It is too easy to get caught up consuming more and more information about exercise, fitness and diet that will do nothing besides leave you paralyzed with uncertainty.

The answers to what works and is most effective was sorted out through trial and error decades ago by bodybuilders in the 60s and 70s.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com

Overtraining is a state where you push your system beyond its limit to heal and recover. If it is severe enough you can end up sick and bed ridden for days.

How do you know if you're truly overtraining and need to take a week or two off. Or if you're just not in good enough condition for the workouts you are attempting? There is a difference.

In todays episode we talk about the signs of over training vs under conditioning and how to assess where you are and what you should do if you feel like you might be pushing too hard.

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WEBSITES

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https://johnbarban.com

https://bradpilon.com

https://www.totaltclinic.com/podcast-contact/

https://eatstopeat.com

https://www.ultalabtests.com