The Bone Health Blueprint

The age-old question, how much work do I need to do to achieve the desired result? The goal should always be the least amount possible. But there is so much data out there that supports training to failure every set to get stronger. There is also information out there that shows keeping repetition velocity high throughout working sets is important. So what should you believe? This episode dives into the latest research comparing "reps to failure" to "leaving a few reps in the tank." I think you will be surprised with what the results reveal as it relates to total work done, muscle damage, and repetition velocity between these two scenarios. 

This is a special episode where I sit down with Chad Trudo, Director of Strength & Conditioning and Human Performance for Aurora University. We discuss one of his previous manuscripts covering core strength and ways to assess your core strength. You do not want to miss this one! You will walk away with many applicable training methods that you can try in your own fitness training.

We cover and explain a working definition of the "core." Move into discussion on feasible ways to assess your core strength, followed by details on how to incorporate "core" training into your workouts.

As always, please feel free to leave any comments or ratings for this podcast or episode, as these are so helpful in moving forward to provide the best content possible.

What's more important, the amount of work you prescribe for a workout, OR, the amount of time you rest in between sets? That's a tough question, and my hope is that you're thinking both hold their own weight when gearing up for a workout. We all know the feeling of being exhausted after a set and knowing we need a few minutes to rest before we're ready for the next. But how much time is enough? Because the goal is to come back to the next set as prepared as we were for the first. I hope I've capture you're interest, so tune in for the next 30 minutes and see what the latest research is telling us.

There is a ton of research on this topic of repetition velocity. But what is the consensus? Should you be focused on slow eccentric? Fast concentric? Some combination of both? The article under review for this week provides some excellent insight to both sides of the speed argument, and even dives into separating the repetition all together. This is probably the episode the has the most take away use-able messages that you can apply to your training today to start seeing improvements. As always, I appreciate any reviews or comments you have on this episode or any other you have listened to! Enjoy!

We've previously discussed many ways to improve muscle size and strength, specific to increasing the load and volume and decreasing rest intervals, but what about changing the speed at which we lift objects? How would a faster eccentric contraction compare to a slower eccentric contraction in an exercise like the bicep curl? Obviously a 1 second lowering phase would be easier to complete compared to a 4 second lowering phase, but what goes on physiologically to improve size and strength between the two scenarios? A key phrase to get acquainted with is "time under tension." Tune in for the entire episode to find out which repetition speed you may consider using if your stuck in a rut and looking to enhance your muscle size and strength.

The bicep muscle has always been a prime physique muscle. It is primarily responsible for flexing the elbow, which we all know, is involved in infinite upper body movements. But if we're looking to enhance the size of our biceps, should we focus our efforts on the bicep curl, or some version of a rowing exercise (i.e. dumbbell row)? Previous research has shown that performing only multi-joint exercises compared to performing both multi-joint & single-joint exercises revealed essentially no difference in strength gains between groups. Essentially deeming a diminished need for single joint movements. But what about the specifics to muscle size? Tune in and find out for yourself! Lot's of reading in between the lines in this episode with a few key take-away messages important for your training.

Continuing the theme of bilateral (two-sided) & unilateral (one-sided) training, how might specifically training the step-up exercise differ from the barbell squat? Will overall lower body strength improve either way? Will the squat allow for more strength improvements compared to the step up (and vise-versa)? There is some very interesting findings from this weeks episode as we go further in depth to seeing what actually happens to changes in leg strength between a group specifically training the squat and the other the step-up. I bet you'll be surprised by the results. And if you were really wondering, yes, you should likely doing some variation of each of these on a weekly basis.

What will engage your abs the most? You've likely done this exercise before, but the farmer's carry is one of the absolute best abdominal exercises. But here's the question... Should you carry weight in both hands or just one hand? Think of it this way. You get home from the grocery store and only want to take one trip from the car to the house.  My guess is that you load every bad in one hand while keeping the other hand free to open the door to get in. That's my "teaser" for this episode as there are many highlights discussed and ways to implement this into your own training. Be sure to check out the entire episode!

If you've ever spent any time using a foam roller, you likely established a "love/hate" relationship. However, if you hung with it long enough, you soon realized things transitioned from painful to therapeutic within weeks. But what does foam rolling actually help improve in our physiology? You likely noticed being less stiff and feeling more fluid in your movements, and if you're like me, that's a good thing! In this episode we discuss pre-workout/warm-up routines, describing differences between static stretching, dynamic stretching & foam rolling and provide strategies for you to consider implementing into your own exercise routines. This is a don't miss episode, so tune in and enjoy!

You’ve likely heard many different opinions on how much protein you should be eating, but what does the evidence-based literature show about protein intake? I’ve got a feeling that some information you’ve been told is flawed and likely taken too literal in terms of how much and the timing of when you should be ingesting protein. My goal for this episode is to provide the evidence-based recommendations for: 1. Daily protein intake; 2. The “why” detailing what’s going on with your physiology around protein needs; 3. Strategies for protein timing in relation to exercise timing. With a greater understanding around these three objectives, I’ve got a good feeling you’ll be able to figure out what works best for you.