THIRST For More Podcast

Episode Overview:

This episode provides a foundational understanding of macronutrients and their roles in athletic performance and overall health. Brandon Smitley breaks down the three main macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats), explaining their functions, optimal timing, best sources, and practical implementation strategies.

Detailed Show Notes:

Introduction

Episode focus: Macronutrient basics for athletes and fitness enthusiasts

Target audience: Both new athletes and those wanting to understand nutrition fundamentals

Protein Section

Functions and Importance:

Essential for muscle repair and building

Supports strength and power development

Optimizes post-workout recovery

Contains 4 calories per gram

Protein Requirements:

General guideline: 1.2-2g per kg of bodyweight daily

Simple calculation method: Take body weight in pounds, subtract 10%

Example given: 150 lbs → ~135g protein daily

Higher intakes beneficial for strength training and endurance activities

Timing Recommendations:

Pre-workout: 20-30g protein (1-2 hours before)

Post-workout: 20-40g protein (within 3 hours)

Spread intake throughout day (3-4 meals)

Carbohydrates Section

Primary Functions:

Body's preferred energy source

Stored as glycogen in muscles and liver

Essential for high-intensity activities

Contains 4 calories per gram

Best Sources:

Whole grains (brown rice, oats, quinoa)

Fruits and vegetables

Starchy foods (potatoes, legumes)

Timing Strategies:

Pre-workout: 30-60g carbs (1-2 hours before)

During workout: Beneficial for long sessions

Post-workout: Combined with protein for recovery

Fats Section

Key Functions:

Provides long-term energy

Supports hormone production

Essential for joint health

Contains 9 calories per gram

Helps absorb vitamins A, D, and K

Healthy Fat Sources:

Avocados

Nuts and seeds

Olive oil

Balance of saturated and unsaturated fats

Practical Implementation Tips:

For Protein:

Focus on whole food sources first

Supplement when needed for convenience

Plan meals around training schedule

For Carbohydrates:

Prioritize complex carbs for sustained energy

Adjust intake based on activity level

Consider carb cycling for specific goals

For Fats:

Include healthy fats in most meals

Balance different types of fats

Don't eliminate fats when cutting calories

Resources Mentioned:

Reference to previous episode on carb cycling (Episode 41)

Upcoming episode on ketogenic dieting mentioned

Channel Updates:

Long-form content moving to Wednesdays

Exercise index videos continuing (5 per week)

Lecture series to continue bi-weekly

About Brandon Smitley

Instagram: @bsmitley @team.thirst

Subscribe On YouTube!

Website: THIRSTgym.com

Brandon Smitley is a world renowned strength coach and athlete for over a decade. He and his wife, Adrian, own Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) where they work with youth athletes and personal training clients of all ages. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Health and Fitness, and his Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Physical Education and Coaching. Brandon has been awarded Personal Trainer of the Year Awards from Purdue University and Indiana State University as well is the 2020 Reader's Choice for Best Personal Trainer in Terre Haute, IN and the Wabash Valley.

Brandon is a sponsored athlete with Elitefts and NutraBio where as a competitive powerlifter he currently holds the all-time world record squat in the 132 pound weight class, with a 567 pound squat. He also holds a 330 pound bench press, and 510 pound deadlift in that weight class, totaling 1377 pounds, ranking 4th all-time. He provides online coaching and programming around the world, and has personally worked with over 200 athletes in the US, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. Brandon’s been published at Elitefts, Muscle and Performance, and Muscle and Fitness magazine.

He holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level One Sports Performance (USAW), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certifications, and is educated in PRI for Fitness and Performance.

Episode Overview:

This episode provides a detailed exploration of carb cycling, a nutritional strategy that involves alternating between high and low carbohydrate days based on activity levels. Brandon Smitley breaks down the fundamentals, benefits, and practical implementation of carb cycling for various fitness goals.

Key Discussion Points and Timestamps:

Introduction

- Brief overview of the Thirst for More podcast's mission

- Channel updates: Moving to one polished long-form video per week on Wednesdays

- Exercise index videos continuing with five uploads weekly

What is Carb Cycling?

- Definition: A dietary approach alternating between high and low carb days

- Explanation of carbohydrates as the body's preferred energy source

- Storage locations: liver and muscles as glycogen

How Carb Cycling Works

- High-carb days: Designed for intense workout days to fuel performance and recovery

- Low-carb days: Aligned with rest days or lower activity to encourage fat utilization

- Three main approaches discussed:

1. Standard approach (simple high/low alternation)

2. Modified approach (includes moderate carb days)

3. Keto-based approach (6 days low-carb, 1 day high-carb)

Benefits of Carb Cycling:

- Enhanced fat loss potential through improved metabolic flexibility

- Improved workout performance on high-carb days

- Better hormonal balance through controlled insulin levels

- Lifestyle flexibility for social events and personal preferences

Who Can Benefit:

- Athletes and fitness enthusiasts

- Strength sport athletes

- Those with previous nutrition tracking experience

- Not recommended for complete beginners

Important Takeaways:

1. Carb cycling should be tailored to individual activity levels and goals

2. The approach requires experience with nutrition tracking

3. Consultation with professionals is recommended, especially for those with health conditions

4. Success depends on matching carb intake to activity levels

5. This strategy can be used for both weight loss and performance enhancement

Resources Mentioned:

- YouTube channel: bsmitley

- Future detailed video on ketogenic dieting mentioned

- Reference to additional nutrition basics lecture in video description

Notes for Implementation:

The host emphasizes that this approach isn't ideal for nutrition beginners and recommends starting with basic calorie counting and macronutrient understanding before attempting carb cycling. The strategy requires careful planning and should align with both workout schedules and lifestyle demands.

This episode provides a thorough foundation for understanding carb cycling while maintaining accessibility for listeners with some nutrition background. Brandon's practical experience adds valuable context to the theoretical framework presented.

About Brandon Smitley

Instagram: @bsmitley @team.thirst

Subscribe On YouTube!

Website: THIRSTgym.com

Brandon Smitley is a world renowned strength coach and athlete for over a decade. He and his wife, Adrian, own Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) where they work with youth athletes and personal training clients of all ages. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Health and Fitness, and his Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Physical Education and Coaching. Brandon has been awarded Personal Trainer of the Year Awards from Purdue University and Indiana State University as well is the 2020 Reader's Choice for Best Personal Trainer in Terre Haute, IN and the Wabash Valley.

Brandon is a sponsored athlete with Elitefts and NutraBio where as a competitive powerlifter he currently holds the all-time world record squat in the 132 pound weight class, with a 567 pound squat. He also holds a 330 pound bench press, and 510 pound deadlift in that weight class, totaling 1377 pounds, ranking 4th all-time. He provides online coaching and programming around the world, and has personally worked with over 200 athletes in the US, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. Brandon’s been published at Elitefts, Muscle and Performance, and Muscle and Fitness magazine.

He holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level One Sports Performance (USAW), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certifications, and is educated in PRI for Fitness and Performance.

In the 40th episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon sits down on a solo episode and YouTube Masterclass on counting calories. He helps you determine your BMR, TDEE, benefits and pitfalls of counting calories, tip and tricks to get the best results you can from counting calories, and ultimately building long-term sustainability with your nutritional approaches.

About Brandon Smitley

Instagram: @bsmitley @team.thirst

Subscribe On YouTube!

Website: THIRSTgym.com

Brandon Smitley is a world renowned strength coach and athlete for over a decade. He and his wife, Adrian, own Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) where they work with youth athletes and personal training clients of all ages. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Health and Fitness, and his Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Physical Education and Coaching. Brandon has been awarded Personal Trainer of the Year Awards from Purdue University and Indiana State University as well is the 2020 Reader's Choice for Best Personal Trainer in Terre Haute, IN and the Wabash Valley.

Brandon is a sponsored athlete with Elitefts and NutraBio where as a competitive powerlifter he currently holds the all-time world record squat in the 132 pound weight class, with a 567 pound squat. He also holds a 330 pound bench press, and 510 pound deadlift in that weight class, totaling 1377 pounds, ranking 4th all-time. He provides online coaching and programming around the world, and has personally worked with over 200 athletes in the US, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. Brandon’s been published at Elitefts, Muscle and Performance, and Muscle and Fitness magazine.

He holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level One Sports Performance (USAW), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certifications, and is educated in PRI for Fitness and Performance.

In the 39th episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon sits down with Chad Aichs of Courage Barbell. Chad was one of the top multiply powerlifters of all-time. Brandon and Chad discuss conjugate training, the mentality of lifting and training, mental health, and the value of sleep.

Chad is one of the top powerlifters in history. Chad has put up numerous world record lifts in drug free (amateur) and pro (non tested). Chad's best lifts include a 1173lb squat, 821lb bench press, 755 deadlift, and 2733lb total. At one point he was ranked #2 in the world and #1 in the US. Chad has suffered from insomnia and mental health issues and strives to help other lifters in these areas, as well as their technique in powerlifting. Chad also competed in Scottish Highland Games winning amateur caber and weight for height nationals.

CourageBarbell.com

Follow Chad on Instagram:

@chadaichs

Courage Barbell On YouTube

In the 38th episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon sits down on a solo episode and discusses 1 Rep Max Testing for athletes. Is 1RM testing worth it? How should you layout your testing? What are the pro's and con's of 1RM testing? Brandon goes into a deep dive of everything to help you decide if this data is valuable for you as a coach and/or program.

About Brandon Smitley

Instagram: @bsmitley @team.thirst

Subscribe On YouTube!

Website: THIRSTgym.com

Brandon Smitley is a world renowned strength coach and athlete for over a decade. He and his wife, Adrian, own Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) where they work with youth athletes and personal training clients of all ages. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Health and Fitness, and his Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Physical Education and Coaching. Brandon has been awarded Personal Trainer of the Year Awards from Purdue University and Indiana State University as well is the 2020 Reader's Choice for Best Personal Trainer in Terre Haute, IN and the Wabash Valley.

Brandon is a sponsored athlete with Elitefts and NutraBio where as a competitive powerlifter he currently holds the all-time world record squat in the 132 pound weight class, with a 567 pound squat. He also holds a 330 pound bench press, and 510 pound deadlift in that weight class, totaling 1377 pounds, ranking 4th all-time. He provides online coaching and programming around the world, and has personally worked with over 200 athletes in the US, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. Brandon’s been published at Elitefts, Muscle and Performance, and Muscle and Fitness magazine.

He holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level One Sports Performance (USAW), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certifications, and is educated in PRI for Fitness and Performance.

In this month's Q&A and live stream, Brandon Smitley goes over the 2023 year for him and his facility.

In this episode of the THIRST For More Podcast Live, we answer your questions regarding strength, conditioning, and performance. We also discuss how 2023 went, and what to expect for 2024.

About Brandon Smitley

Instagram: @bsmitley @team.thirst

Subscribe On YouTube!

Website: THIRSTgym.com

Brandon Smitley is a world renowned strength coach and athlete for over a decade. He and his wife, Adrian, own Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) where they work with youth athletes and personal training clients of all ages. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Health and Fitness, and his Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Physical Education and Coaching. Brandon has been awarded Personal Trainer of the Year Awards from Purdue University and Indiana State University as well is the 2020 Reader's Choice for Best Personal Trainer in Terre Haute, IN and the Wabash Valley.

Brandon is a sponsored athlete with Elitefts and NutraBio where as a competitive powerlifter he currently holds the all-time world record squat in the 132 pound weight class, with a 567 pound squat. He also holds a 330 pound bench press, and 510 pound deadlift in that weight class, totaling 1377 pounds, ranking 4th all-time. He provides online coaching and programming around the world, and has personally worked with over 200 athletes in the US, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. Brandon’s been published at Elitefts, Muscle and Performance, and Muscle and Fitness magazine.

He holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level One Sports Performance (USAW), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certifications, and is educated in PRI for Fitness and Performance.

In the 36th episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon sits down with Jim Jarvis of Jarvis Performance. They discuss how Jim got involved with strength and conditioning, training for the hockey population, as well as his route into multi-ply powerlifting. Jim uses ideas from the conjugate system to develop his athletes, and they discuss how he goes about that with that particular subset of athletes and how that sport culture is compared to other sports in the US.

In high school Jim played football, hockey, and baseball until his senior year, then focused on hockey and baseball. He went to UW-Eau Claire for his first two years where he played hockey, and then transferred to University of Minnesota-Duluth. He got into strength and conditioning after taking an exercise physiology class while interning at UMD for two years. After graduating he worked at a private gym in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho for a year before moving back to Minnesota, eventually going to coach at the University Minnesota, Morris. After two years at Morris, he moved on to Northern State University. After completing his masters degree and coaching at Northern State he spent a short time at the University of Minnesota, before accepting the Head Strength and Conditioning position at Carleton College. After four years at Carleton he started Body By Jarvis, which then transformed into Jarvis Performance.

He has competed in both Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting. Having competed in Weightlifting from 2007-2009 and having competed in Powerlifting since 2012. He is currently competing in multi-ply after having competed Raw for his first nine years.

Follow Jim on Instagram:

@jarvisperformance

In the 35th episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon sits down with Kevin Cann of Precision Powerlifting Systems. they discuss how Kevin got involved with powerlifting and coaching. Kevin has been influenced by Louie Simmons and Boris Sheiko. Brandon and Kevin discuss everything conjugate, programming design, powerlifting issues and hot topics, and overall development of strength sport athletes.

Kevin holds an undergraduate degree in health and wellness and a master's degree in kinesiology. He was coached by Boris Sheiko for 3 years and has been powerlifting for over 8 years.

Follow Kevin on Instagram:

@kwcann

@precision_powerlifting_systems

In this month's Q&A and live stream, Brandon Smitley breaks down how improve your bench press by addressing weak points specifically where you're having troubles.

In this episode of the THIRST For More Podcast Live, we answer your questions regarding strength, conditioning, and performance. We also will be discussing the bench press and addressing weak points within that lift.

Building The Raw Bench Press by Brandon Smitley on Elitefts.com

About Brandon Smitley

Instagram: @bsmitley @team.thirst

Subscribe On YouTube!

Website: THIRSTgym.com

Brandon Smitley is a world renowned strength coach and athlete for over a decade. He and his wife, Adrian, own Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) where they work with youth athletes and personal training clients of all ages. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Health and Fitness, and his Master’s degree from Indiana State University in Physical Education and Coaching. Brandon has been awarded Personal Trainer of the Year Awards from Purdue University and Indiana State University as well is the 2020 Reader's Choice for Best Personal Trainer in Terre Haute, IN and the Wabash Valley.

Brandon is a sponsored athlete with Elitefts and NutraBio where as a competitive powerlifter he currently holds the all-time world record squat in the 132 pound weight class, with a 567 pound squat. He also holds a 330 pound bench press, and 510 pound deadlift in that weight class, totaling 1377 pounds, ranking 4th all-time. He provides online coaching and programming around the world, and has personally worked with over 200 athletes in the US, UK, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and other countries. Brandon’s been published at Elitefts, Muscle and Performance, and Muscle and Fitness magazine.

He holds his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Level One Sports Performance (USAW), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certifications, and is educated in PRI for Fitness and Performance.

In the 33rd episode of the THIRST For More Podcast, Brandon sits down with Jim Beebe of Unbreakable Athletics Academy. They discuss how Jim took an unique approach to joining the strength and conditioning space from the financial world, CrossFit, and overall athletic development. Jim discusses his plan to also help athletes on the mental approach to playing collegiate sports and beyond.

Jim Beebe (pronounced Bee-Bee) is the Founder and Head Coach for Unbreakable Athletics Academy in Plainfield, Indiana since 2013. Unbreakable Athletics is a local strength and conditioning gym. He has coached over 400 student athletes in college, high school and middle school. More than 10% of his athletes advanced to play in college with more than half of those playing at the Division I level. In addition, he coached over 1,000 adults in CrossFit, strength training, and nutrition. Over the last 10 years, his gym has hosted the most events of any gym in the Midwest. He has competed personally in Strongman, Powerlifting, CrossFit, Olympic Lifting, and obstacle course races. He played racquetball for Purdue University’s travel team where he earned a BS and MS in Finance. He has certification in powerlifting, CrossFit, and strongman.

Jim is also the Founder and Head Coach of Athlete Builder. This is the online coaching service for student athletes. Our goal is to work with 20,000 college athletes and 2 national title winners by 2028. He works with teams and individuals, has his podcast, Athlete Builder, is publishing his own book in early 2024, and travels for public speaking and clinics. He works with high school athletes to maximize their skills in order to play at the highest level and eventually into college. Then he continues to help athletes evolve in order to earn a shot at the pros. Jim’s systematic process advances the athletes in their sports by improving their minds and bodies. He coaches the athletes mind in three areas: their Mindset, their Knowledge of their sport, and how they communicate with all Teammates. He also coaches their bodies in the Training, Nutrition, and Recovery. By getting the athlete to improve each of the six blocks inch by inch, he gets his athletes to win at all levels.

Unbreakable Athletics Academy

• Website: www.unbreakableathleticsacademy

• Facebook: @unbreakableathleticsacademy

• Instagram: @unbreakableathleticsacademy

• X: @UnbAthAcademy

• TikTok: @unbreakableathleticsacad

Athlete Builder

• Website: www.athlete-builder.com

• Facebook: @1athletebuilder

• Instagram: @athlete_builder

• X: @athlete-builder

• TikTok: @athlete.builder