The Muscle Engineer Podcast

When Adel, at that time still a physics student in his early twenties, became really interested in resistance training, nutrition and supplementation, there were few unbiased evidence-based sources with information on how to train, eat and supplement on the Internet. So what do you do if no one offers the non-sponsored, impartial, science-based content you'd like to read? Well, Adel decided to create this educative and science-based content himself... And that’s how his blog, SuppVersity (Supplement + University) was born. The idea to review and communicate the latest results from nutrition, supplementation and exercise science is still at the heart of everything Adel does with his blog, the corresponding Facebook Page, during podcast interviews and in his function as a reviewer for Examine.com's Research Digest.

Topics discussed with time stamps:

3:12 Adel’s background and current interests / projects

5:16 Insulin sensitivity - what is it and how can be measured?

8:28 Is daily blood glucose monitoring a valuable tool for dedicated lifters?

15:03 What are the symptoms of hypo- or hyperglycemia?

17:11 Is the inability to go for a semi-extended period of time without food a sign of poor metabolic flexibility?

22:01 The impact of visceral body fat on insulin sensitivity and health

27:45 How can we tell the difference between visceral and “regular”, subcutaneous body fat?

34:00 What are the lifestyle factors that can impact insulin sensitivity - chronic stress, lack of sleep, poor gut health (IBS, SIBO) etc

39:20 High carb, low fat massing – does Adel think it’s a good idea and what should the minimum recommended intake of fat per day be?

48:48 Should fasting periods be incorporated in order to maintain metabolic flexibility on a super high carb diet?

53:46 Glucose disposal agents (berberine; R-ALA, Acetyl-L-Carnitine) – what is their role and are they worth taking for a healthy, active individual?

59:15 Metformin as not only a GDA, but anti-aging “miracle drug” and potential safety concerns

1:02:02 Taurine supplementation and it’s benefits for performance, blood sugar regulation, hearth, gut and brain health

1:13:55 Adel’s definition of success

Further reading

Adel’s article on insulin clearancehttp://suppversity.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-overlooked-impact-of-insulin.html

Jorn Trommelen ‘s Ultimate Guide to Muscle Protein Synthesis

http://www.nutritiontactics.com/measure-muscle-protein-synthesis/

Examine’s Research Digest

https://examine.com/store/erd/

You can find Adel at:http://suppversity.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/SuppVersity/

https://twitter.com/suppversity

https://www.instagram.com/suppversity

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Get all the previous podcast episodes:

http://themuscleengineer.podbean.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 15 of The Muscle Engineer Podcast I’m joined by legendary Norwegian coach and educator Børge Fagerli to discuss his recent Carnivore diet experiment and a variety of related nutritional concepts.

Topics discussed with time stamps:

3:10 What made Børge decide to try this diet and was there a particular scientific reasoning behind this approach when the vast majority of nutrition points in a pretty much opposite direction - plant based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables are what people in the blue zones seem to mostly eat

14:40 What meats did Børge eat? Did he consume any organ meats or eggs? Did he take any supplements with this diet to counterbalance the lack of certain micronutrients and minerals, and was he worried about potential overdosing of iron by consuming large amounts of red meat?

20:46 How long was the adaptation period to this diet, and how were satiety, performance and energy levels throughout the day and what effects did this diet have on his body composition?

24:18 What does he think the inflammation he suffered from before trying this diet was due to (genetics, eating foods that weren’t agreeing with his body)?

28:45 Is he worried that this diet basically starves the gut bacteria, which might be helpful in cases of dysbiosis, but also starves the good bacteria, probably making an individual less tolerant to plant based foods over time? And what does he think about the recommended 10-15 g of fiber / 1000 kcal?

36:10 What were the results of Børge’s blood tests and a discussion around cholesterol levels and their significance for health

42:25 The goals and durations a carnivore diet would be most suitable for

48:24 How would a zero carb, carnivore diet compare to a “regular” high protein diet that also includes some other protein sources and maybe some fruit here and there?

51:16 After finishing the experiment, how should we start reintroducing other foods, particularly carbohydrates?

54:37 Børge’s updated views on timing your carb and overall food intake during the day for health and body composition

58:22 How should we think of seasonal (circannual) rhythms that dictate what we should eat throughout the year and how should we adapt our diet according to that (food selection, overall energy intake and goals). Should we bulk during the summer and cut during the winter?

1:09:22 Does Børge prefer organic produce and what does he think about the sustainability aspect of a long term carnivore diet?

1:14:29 Where can you find Børge online

1:15:15 What is Børge’s definition of success?

You can find Børge at:

https://www.facebook.com/coach.borgefagerli/

http://borgefagerli.com/

https://www.instagram.com/borgefagerli

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Get all the previous podcast episodes:

http://themuscleengineer.podbean.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 14 of The Muscle Engineer Podcast I’m joined by Dr. Scott Stevenson for the second part of our conversation about muscle hypertrophy and the best ways to grow muscle. If you haven’t listened to the first part, make sure to check out episode 13 too!

Topics discussed with time stamps:

1:44 Which is the most important factor for hypertrophy, volume or intensity, taking into account variability in response to training between different people?

18:18 Should you take all sets to failure or leave a couple of reps in reserve, to accumulate more overall volume (work)?

27:10 Switching a mental switch before each training session and using mental imagery to improve your workouts

30:32 Putting things into the perspective of long term sustainability and remaining injury free

35:10 The evolutionary value of being dissatisfied with where you are and using that to move you forward

41:54 Where to find Scott online and closing thoughts

44:54 My top 3 key messages from this episode

You can find Scott at:

http://drscottstevenson.com/

https://www.facebook.com/IntegrativeBodybuilding/

https://www.facebook.com/scott.stevenson.927

https://www.instagram.com/fortitude_training/

https://www.advicesradio.com/tracks/muscle-minds

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Get all the previous podcast episodes:

http://themuscleengineer.podbean.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 13 of The Muscle Engineer Podcast I’m joined by Dr. Scott W. Stevenson, an applied exercise physiologist (PhD from University of Georgia, ACSM and NSCA-certified), licensed acupuncturist (State of Florida) and competitive bodybuilder (four overall titles, including the 2009 NPC Mr. Arizona, and four top 5 national level showings). Scott has over 35 years in the gym and two decades of experience personal training and coaching online.

Scott believes in keeping an open “beginner’s minded” approach to finding what works, while blending his experience, Western science and Eastern medicine. He coaches from the perspective of educator, hoping his clients will eventually move beyond his guidance.  He’s a former college professor (Cal Poly Pomona), academic dean and instructor (ASAOM), columnist for EliteFTS™, and adjunct professor at University of Tampa.  Scott has published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and his lay bodybuilding articles have appeared in Musclemag and Flex magazine.

Scott is also a founding member / supermoderator at IntenseMuscle.com and the author of the bodybuilding training system e-book “Fortitude Training™.”  He is also the former training partner and long-time advisor to IFBB Pro David Henry, and a regular guest / co-host of the Muscle Minds Radio podcast.

Topics discussed with time stamps:

5:15 Scott’s formal education background, training history and a discussion around bodybuilding, self image issues and genetic variation in response to training

17:59 The value of having both scientific AND practical knowledge

26:25 DC training - what it is and what it isn’t; common misconceptions about it and how has it influenced Scott’s training

44:18 Fortitude Training - general outline and philosophies

46:15 Loaded stretching, muscle hypertrophy and muscle hyperplasia – does the latter happen in humans?

1:03:44 What are widow maker sets and how do they differ from muscle rounds, and their benefits for improving mental fortitude

You can find Scott at:

http://drscottstevenson.com/

https://www.facebook.com/IntegrativeBodybuilding/

https://www.facebook.com/scott.stevenson.927

https://www.instagram.com/fortitude_training/

https://www.advicesradio.com/tracks/muscle-minds

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Get all the previous podcast episodes:

http://themuscleengineer.podbean.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 12 of The Muscle Engineer Podcast I’m joined by Ábel Csabai of The Sustainable Self Development Center to discuss ad libitum dieting, or as it’s more commonly known – intuitive eating.

Ábel is the host of The Sustainable Self Development podcast, where he interviews people in fitness and personal development related topics, and puts out a lot of content on topics such as the psychology of dieting, creating a sustainable approach to training and nutrition, and general self improvement.

During our conversation we discuss his experience with macro tracking, why he transitioned into a more intuitive approach, what are the skills you need to have in order to be able to successfully implement this dieting method, who is it for and who is it not for, and much more. Check out the 2 excellent videos Ábel made on the topic:https://youtu.be/nUbHeINM7WI

https://youtu.be/lh_yClvCzLs

You can find Ábel at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzGVKv513I6Zb0u3mLsL_7w

https://soundcloud.com/abelcsabai

https://www.instagram.com/susdvc_abel/

https://www.facebook.com/sustainableselfdevelopment/

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Topics discussed with time stamps:

2:48 Abel’s experience with tracking his food intake and his transitioning into intuitive eating

16:40 What is intuitive eating and how is it different from “listening to your body”?

21:57 Requisite skills necessary to be able to implement intuitive eating

25:33 The issues with unrealistic expectations and people’s actions not maching their ambitions

32:21 Who is intuitive eating for and who is it not for?

38:12 Adressing the fear many people seem to have, that if they start eating intuitively they’ll become obese

53:54 Practical tips on implementing intuitive eating successfully both for gaining and losing weight

1:04:03 Ábel’s definition of success

1:06:02 My top 3 take-aways from the episode

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 11 of The Muscle Engineer Podcast I’m joined by Melody Schoenfeld for a science-based, objective analysis of the vegan diet and lifestyle.

Melody Schoenfeld is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the NSCA, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Massage Therapist and a personal trainer with over 20 years of experience in the field.

Melody holds a master's degree in health psychology and writes and speaks both nationally and internationally on a wide variety of health and fitness subjects. She has held state and American records in all three lifts in powerlifting (squat, bench press, deadlift), and competes in powerlifting and strongman.   

In addition to these feats, she is a heavy metal musician and a vegan for over 20 years, and the recent author of the book “Pleasure Not Meating You: A Science-Based Approach to the Vegan Lifestyle (And Some Recipes, Too) “.

During our conversation we both express our dislike for the most common “emotional blackmailing” approach vegans take when trying to convince meat eaters to abandon animal foods and offer a better approach, discuss some of the most common misconceptions about vegan diets and adress the most common nutrients vegans can be deficient in, plus much, much more.

Make sure to stick around until the end if you want to hear what were my top 3 take-aways from this episode.

Buy Melody’s bookhttps://www.amazon.com/Pleasure-Not-Meating-You-Science-Based/dp/151362895X/

You can find Melody at:

https://www.facebook.com/melody.schoenfeld

https://twitter.com/5ftoffury

https://www.instagram.com/5ftoffury1/

https://www.youtube.com/user/5ftoffury1

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Topics discussed with time stamps:

1:57 When and how did Melody get involved with fitness

5:48 When did she decide to adopt a meat free diet and does she eat any animal products at all?

9:23 What does she think about trying to convince people of abandoning animal products by the common “emotional blackmailing” approach. And what would be a better approach?

13:52 The difference between vegans, vegetarian etc

16:12 The distinction between “plant based diets” vs “vegan diets”

17:33 What are the ethical, economic, and environmental considerations associated with the vegan diet?

22:42 Does Melody thinks that false claims (such as the ones being made in What the Health, The China Study etc) and false infographics are actively harming the community?

26:17 What are the most common misconceptions about vegan diets and what are some of the primary nutritional concerns to adress in order to be able to follow a vegan diet without nutrient deficiencies?

39:08 What are Melody’s thoughts on meat substitutes (textured vegetable protein, seitan, mycoprotein, soy etc. ) ? Is soy bad due to it’s phytoestrogen content?

42:30 Does she buy food that is grown locally and does she favor organic or conventional farming when purchasing produce and why?

44:25 Melody’s thoughts on lab-grown meat and other non-conventional protein sources, such as insects

47:22 Melody’s final message with regards to this topic

48:18 “Pleasure Not Meating You”, and why Melody decided to write her book

50:36 Melody’s definition of success

52:43 My closing thoughts and key take-aways

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 10 of The Muscle Engineer Podcast I’m joined by Trevor Johnson, a personal trainer and fitness consultant and overall super smart evidence-based guy to talk about how he overcame alcohol addiction, the diet strategies he used to lose 50 lbs and mistakes people make with high intensity training.

We also touch on other controversial topics, such as sugar addiction and whether it exists or not, how much control do we really have on how much we eat, and much much more.

Topics discussed with time stamps:

2:56 Background on Trevor’s fitness journey and his alcohol abuse issues and how that impaired his phyiscal progress

8:29 How should we think about balancing fitness with alchohol consumption and where is the line between recreational consumption and addiction?

11:00 Why the “just have one every day” advice doesn’t work for some people when it comes to alcohol and food intake

15:05 What Trevor thinks about “sugar addiction” and it being compared to something like alcohol addiction

19:55 The impact of food advertising messages such as Halo Top’s “Save the bowl. You’re going to want the whole pint. “ or “Stop when you hit the bottom. “ on mindful eating and healthy eating behaviours

23:56 Sugar vs food addiction, the impact of different food combinations and advertisements on how much we eat

30:06 Mental conditioning and the importance of reinforcing new behaviours when you want to make a change in your life

37:14 What made Trevor start the fat loss phase he did last year, during which he lost 50 lbs

39:44 What made Trevor decide to follow a super high protein intake and what were the lessons he took from it

49:35 Low volume / HIT training – why does Trevor like it and who has influenced him into adopting this style of training?

50:51 The value of logbooks and tracking your workouts

55:20 Do people run themselves into the ground by constantly trying to beat their past performance?

59:02 Issues around the definition of “low volume training” and the dose response relationship between volume and muscle growth

1:08:52 Trevor’s definition of success

1:10:21 My closing thoughts and main take-aways from the episode

You can find Trevor at:

https://www.facebook.com/HighIntensityFitness/

https://www.facebook.com/trevor.johnson.1989

https://www.youtube.com/user/trevor1787

 Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Brandon Roberts to discuss some concepts related to periodization and various methods of implementing it for bodybuilding.

Brandon has a PhD in Muscle Biology and is currently a Postdoctoral, with research interests that include the molecular pathways that are involved in muscle regeneration and resistance-exercise adaptations.

Aside from being a peer-reviewed research, he has written articles for Stronger by Science and Alan Aragon’s Research Review (AARR), among many others.

In addition to his academic pedigree, Brandon works as the Director of Research & Education and as an online coach for The Strength Guys, a well known and respected online powerlifting and bodybuilding coaching company and also competes as a natural bodybuilder.

During our conversation we go into the history and development of periodization, the most commonly used periodization models and lay out various practical ways of implementing periodization into your own bodybuilding routine. We also discuss the recent method of increasing number of sets during an accumulation phase, as popularized by Mike Israetel, as opposed to a more traditional method, and I give out my top tips on how to maximize arm growth while keeping your elbows healthy.

Greg Nuckols’s FANTASTIC periodization review articlehttps://www.strongerbyscience.com/periodization-data/

The meta-analysis we’ve mentioned during the episodehttps://peerj.com/articles/3695/

A recent systematic review of periodized versus non-periodized approaches for muscle growthhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0765159717302137

You can find Brandon at:

https://www.facebook.com/B.Rob21

https://www.instagram.com/brob_21/

https://twitter.com/brob21

http://www.fitnessandphysiology.com/

Brandon’s Researchgate profile

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brandon_Roberts5

Apply for coaching with Brandon https://thestrengthguys.com/coaching/

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Aaron Horschig, a physical therapist, strength & conditioning coach, speaker, writer and the founder of Squat University, who now works at Boost Physical Therapy & Sport Performance in Kansas City Missouri.

Aaron’s background includes being involved in the sport of olympic weightlifting as an athlete and coach for over the past decade.

During our conversation we discuss a variety of topics related to squatting for phyisque development, including the influence of bar position, stance width and depth on muscle recruitment, the impact of anatomy on how your squats will look, the importance of ankle mobility for an efficisent squat and a very in-depth biomechanical breakdown of knee vs hip dominant squats and why categorizing certain squat variations as either one of those might be misguided. Plus much, much more.

If you’re interested in having bigger, stronger legs, then this episode is a must-listen! Stick around till the end to hear some of my take-aways and a bit of nuance around some points that I didn't fully agree on with Aaron

You can find Aaron at:

https://squatuniversity.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SquatUniversity/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyPYQTT20IgzVw92LDvtClw

https://www.instagram.com/squat_university/

Aaron’s ankle mobility screening tool

https://squatuniversity.com/2015/11/05/the-squat-fix-ankle-mobility-pt-1/

Buy Aaron’s Squat Bible

https://www.amazon.com/Squat-Bible-Ultimate-Mastering-Strength/dp/1540395421/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515054495&sr=1-1

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm joined by Eric Trexler to discuss the origins of the Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI) and some of the issues with the Kouri et al paper, the common belief that a 25 FFMI is the highest you can achieve naturally, the results of Eric’s FFMI paper and how you can use your own FFMI to determine how should you approach your muscle gain periods, plus much, much more.

Eric is a PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill, under Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, with a research focus on how exercise and nutrition affect metabolism, performance, and body composition. Eric comes from a background in natural bodybuilding, powerlifting, and strength coaching, and currently holds certifications in sports nutrition (CISSN) and strength and conditioning (CSCS).

Greg Nuckols’s FFMI article

http://gregnuckols.com/2016/12/11/ffmi/

Greg Nuckols’s article on assessing your muscular potential

https://www.strongerbyscience.com/your-drug-free-muscle-and-strength-potential-part-1/

Eric’s FFMI paper

https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=27930454

You can find Eric at:

https://www.facebook.com/eric.trexler

https://twitter.com/erictrexler

https://trexlerfitness.wordpress.com/

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eric_Trexler

Get in contact with me:

https://www.instagram.com/szotaktme/

https://www.facebook.com/szotaktme

https://www.facebook.com/szotakandras

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.