Say that title 5 times fast!😄

In this episode, we dive into the "pre-prep" phase, the diet before the diet, the unofficial official start of prep or whatever you want to call it for Colby's first bodybuilding season.

If you are unfamiliar with this concept, it is essentially a smaller dieting phase done prior to starting an actual competition prep to be in a better position physically and mentally.

Prep is not easy and if it is your first time, it is important to come into it with all of your tanks filled up to the brim and with the anticipation of things taking longer and encountering some turbulence along the way.

This concept is still relatively new so we thought it would be a good idea to cover why it is important, how to approach it and specifically, how Colby navigated the time leading up to, during and plans for after this phase.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Spotify, YouTube, Myspace, AIM chat and wherever else you are to stay up to date with all things The Training Arc!

Discord server link: https://discord.gg/c5HMDj4tX3

Jake Remmert, PhD(c):

[social media]⁠ instagram.com/jake.datadrivenstrength

⁠[coaching] https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Colby Sousa, PhD:

[social media]⁠ ⁠ ⁠instagram.com/colby.sousa⁠⁠

[coaching]⁠ Message on IG or Email: [email protected]

We often hear that mental health is important but it can feel that the saying just gets thrown around because it is "the right thing" to say.

When it comes down to it, what is mental health in resistance training? Why does it matter? And how can we navigate these complexities in this space that typically rewards action, words, and more that seem to be a step in the opposite direction?

In this episode, we explore some of these thoughts and instances that you may come across in your own journey while emphasizing the importance of putting your mental health first.

Importantly, we are not therapists nor professionals in this field. We are solely speaking from experience and giving our own insights into personal journeys with mental health within the resistance training space!

Discord server link: https://discord.gg/c5HMDj4tX3

Jake Remmert, PhD(c):

[social media]⁠ instagram.com/jake.datadrivenstrength

⁠[coaching] https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Colby Sousa, PhD:

[social media]⁠ ⁠ ⁠instagram.com/colby.sousa⁠⁠

[coaching]⁠ Message on IG or Email: [email protected]

This is an important episode for us because we get to talk about something we are passionate about that many people do not get the opportunity to experience.

Conducting research is a privilege that we are fortunate enough to be a part of; especially since it involves something else we truly love, resistance training.

Whether other researchers are just busy doing research and not on social media, or the content just does not get as much views because it is not "sexy", it can be easy to have misconstrued views of what resistance training science really is.

This is why we felt it was necessary to give some insight into the behind the scenes of research, providing information you may not ever have known unless you have been in the lab yourself.

Importantly, this is not us trying to say "only those conducting research should talk about"; rather, us aiming to potentially help fill some knowledge gaps that may lead to misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the resistance training scientific literature.

If there are other things you would like to know, please send through some comments and we will be happy to dive deeper!

After going over the basics of program design for hypertrophy and strength, in this episode, we go over some additional “advanced” things to consider. Now, the word advanced being used here does not mean that you must fit a criterion prior to using; rather, these are things that should likely be considered AFTER you have the basics down.

You will likely make the majority of your progress by nailing down the basics and giving yourself time to string together consistently good quality training. Once you find that progress may be a bit slower or potentially life has thrown you some curve-balls that force you to navigate training in a less-than-ideal way, then these may be some techniques to consider.

From intensity techniques like super sets, training “beyond” failure with lengthened partials, and even considering training 2+ times per day, we discuss how this may look, who it may be for, and how to execute them properly.

After listening to this episode, you should have a good place to start in designing your own program; however, if you want to expedite that process, eliminate over thinking, and maximize your learning and growth, don't hesitate to reach out to us to explore 1-on-1 coaching opportunities!

Discord server link: https://discord.gg/c5HMDj4tX3

Jake Remmert, PhD(c):

[social media]⁠ instagram.com/jake.datadrivenstrength⁠

[coaching] https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Colby Sousa, PhD:

[social media]⁠ ⁠ ⁠instagram.com/colby.sousa⁠⁠

[coaching]⁠ Message on IG or Email: [email protected]

Building off of our last episode where we discuss the basics of program design for hypertrophy, here we focus on programming for building strength.

From defining what exactly strength means and how that can change your approach, zooming out and looking at your macro cycle (year of training) to help decide what your meso cycles (“block” of training; ~4-8 weeks) will look like, the skill of heavy lifting, all the way to navigating the mental side of it all, this episodes covers it.

After listening to this episode, you should have a good place to start in designing your own program; however, if you want to expedite that process, eliminate over thinking, and maximize your learning and growth, don't hesitate to reach out to us to explore 1-on-1 coaching opportunities!

Discord server link:https://discord.gg/c5HMDj4tX3

Jake Remmert, PhD(c): [social media]⁠ ⁠ ⁠instagram.com/jake.datadrivenstrength⁠⁠ [coaching] ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Colby Sousa, PhD: [social media]⁠ ⁠ ⁠instagram.com/colby.sousa⁠⁠ [coaching]⁠ ⁠ ⁠strongerbyscience.com/coaching⁠⁠

We have all heard of the saying that goes: "fail to plan, plan to fail" and this can be quite accurate for training in the gym.

While you may be able to get away with "doing whatever feels right", that can only take you so far. Plus, if you want to increase your chances of success, putting in some effort on the front end can go a long way.

When it comes to designing a training program, as with most things related to training, there are a LOT of things to consider. For the sake of keeping it simple, we focus on the main points to touch upon in order to build a solid foundation.

From having a clear goal, deciding what training split/weekly set up to choose, and discussing the main variables such as frequency, volume and intensity.

After listening to this episode, you should have a good place to start in designing your own program; however, if you want to expedite that process, eliminate over thinking, and maximize your learning and growth, don't hesitate to reach out to us to explore 1-on-1 coaching opportunities!

Colby is left alone while Jake does real science and data collection as he gets closer to finishing his PhD. After a few hours of crying, Colby finally pulls himself together enough to embark on another filler episode journey.

Trust me, we get it; there is just so much information out there on social media and at times, it can be over/underwhelming.

This may be especially true if you are new to the health and fitness world and you find yourself unsure of who to trust and how to find "good" information in the first place.

Even if you have been in the game for a while, maybe you still haven't found the right home online or continue to struggle with traversing the vast landscape.

In this episode, we talk about how to navigate the fitness content on social media; from how to find good content creators, the importance of critical thinking (as a consumer and creator), and even some advice for those creating content as that itself can be quite difficult.

With the New Year now in full swing, we hope that your goals are off to a

Discord server link:
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Happy new year🥳🎆