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Tag: low carb

High-Protein Diets: More Than a Tool for Athletes? Part 1

Posted on January 8, 2021January 28, 2021 by mikemurray

While high-protein diets have been a mainstay of athletes for decades, their popularity in the general public has waxed and waned. Could certain populations benefit from mimicking the eating patterns of their healthier peers? In the first installment of this series, we cover the efficacy of high-protein diets for people with type 2 diabetes.

Calorie Cycling to Maximize Body Composition Outcomes for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season

Posted on August 22, 2020August 27, 2020 by mikemurray

Calorie cycling has a rich history in bodybuilding. While current research suggests this may be a useful strategy for fat loss, the jury is still out for muscle building. In this extensive article, I dive into the available evidence and provide recommendations for how to potentially set-up a calorie cycling diet.

The Battle of Biology: Keto Krillin Project

Posted on April 2, 2020June 29, 2020 by mikemurray

For quite some time now, I have been a defender of the ketogenic diet. Not a proponent, but a defender. The reason for this is simply because I am pro-evidence. There are many within the nutrition space who equate nutritional ketosis with diabetic ketoacidosis and as such, announce that the ketogenic diet is not safe… Read more The Battle of Biology: Keto Krillin Project

The Ketogenic Diet is a Fad Diet

Posted on April 1, 2020June 29, 2020 by mikemurray

Part of being a nutrition major is criticizing the way people eat. It doesn’t matter which nutrition class it is, at least once per semester, the topic of fad diets is brought up. This results in a handful of self-righteous nutrition majors scoffing at a variety of diets implemented by the general public, and rightfully… Read more The Ketogenic Diet is a Fad Diet

Too Much Protein is Bad for Your Kidneys

Posted on April 1, 2020June 29, 2020 by mikemurray

The phrase “too much protein is bad for your kidneys” has been handed down for generations. So much so, that it made its way into the brain of a registered dietitian and professor, who then passed it on to a class of undergraduate nutrition students. For many undergraduate nutrition students, the professor’s word is law,… Read more Too Much Protein is Bad for Your Kidneys

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RSS The Muscle Memoirs Podcast

  • #69 Brett Freeman & James Johnson - Lockdown Lessons February 19, 2021
  • #68 Dr. Roy Taylor - Understanding & Reversing Type 2 Diabetes February 12, 2021
  • #67 Dr. Nicola Guess - Low-Carb High-Protein Diets for Type 2 Diabetes February 5, 2021
  • #66 Cody Moxley - Sensation vs. Muscular Tension January 29, 2021
  • #65 John Jewett & Dr. Guillermo Escalante - The Science & Practice of Bodybuilding Contest Prep January 22, 2021
  • #64 Dr. Hana Kahleova - Reduced Meal Frequency & Low-Fat Vegan Diets January 15, 2021
  • #63 Dr. Spencer Nadolsky - Body Size & Health January 8, 2021

Check Out the Video for the Latest Muscle Memoirs Episode!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=830-lZqTnO0&t=0s

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Mike Murray, RDN, LDN, CISSN
A common mistake with the RDL is to finish with lu A common mistake with the RDL is to finish with lumbar hyperextension. Whether it’s in an attempt to get more glutes or as a consequence of poor mechanics, it’s unnecessary. There is no tension in this position. 
 
I’m not saying your spine is going to explode from doing this, but it’s definitely an unnecessary risk. At the very least, you’re moving into an unstable position which will disadvantage the glutes.  
 
Rather than focusing on the bar moving down and up, emphasize hips moving backward and forward. The spine should remain fixed throughout the movement. 
 
To rectify this issue, consider utilizing a band to provide tension in the shortened range. The added resistance at the top will help to facilitate proper execution of hip extension. 
 
Bonus: the band will guide the eccentric by pulling the hips back. Also, you’ll be able to bias the glutes a bit more with this variation. 
 
Three birds one stone. Share it with a friend and help make the world a peachier place 🍑🌎.
Variety is generally considered a good indicator o Variety is generally considered a good indicator of nutritional adequacy; a diet comprised of a wide diversity of foods is likely to contain sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.  
  
However, in the context of energy-dense hyper-palatable foods, variety can also increase the risk of overeating.   
  
A diet consisting of foods varying in both sensory qualities (i.e., appearance, flavor, texture, odor) and nutrient composition, otherwise known as a “cafeteria diet,” reliably induces hyperphagia and obesity in animals.  
  
Similarly, a new meta-analysis assessing the impact of food variety in humans showed that variety had a small to medium effect on energy intake.  
  
This is in agreement with previous work that reported when a single meal contained a greater variety of foods, energy intake increased by ~22% (PMID: 22728429).  
  
Related evidence tends to show that diets limited in food variety are efficacious for weight loss.   
  
Multiple studies have demonstrated the ability of a ketogenic diet to reduce ad libitum intake. A couple of recent trials have showcased the powerful appetite suppressing effects of a low-fat vegan diet as well (we’ll be expanding on these in the Hammer Away Newsletter).   
  
There are other contributing factors to these diets resulting in reductions in ad libitum intake, but a decrease in hedonics is almost certainly playing a strong role. More or less removing an entire macronutrient is one effective strategy to decrease the palatability of a diet and the urge to overeat.  
  
Another is through the process of habituation. Some research shows that consuming the same meal each day can lead to incremental reductions in energy intake (PMID: 21593492).  
  
For fat loss or preventing weight regain, an important dietary component to consider is variety. While it’s encouraged to consume an array of fruits and vegetables and other minimally processed nutrient-dense options, it’s probably a good idea to stick to a narrow selection of meals and foods that you generally enjoy.  
  
TL;DR A boring diet is an effective diet.
How often should you deload? Should deloads be tak How often should you deload? Should deloads be taken as needed or planned? How exactly should the stimulus be adjusted to facilitate recovery? 
 
There are no definitive answers to these questions. A wide variety of factors can influence what type of deload is best at any given period. 
 
Let’s consider some common factors that might influence your decision-making. 
 
Injury prevention ➡️ from my observations and experiences, in the context of a well-designed hypertrophy program with proper execution of exercises, injuries are rare. The evidence seems to support this as well. For these reasons, I tend to err on the side of reactive deloads, as I don’t think injury prevention is the most practical reason to decrease the amount of time spent training hard. 
 
After a week of overreaching ➡️ delayed hypertrophic super-compensation has been shown to occur, but there doesn’t seem to be any evidence to indicate that it augments skeletal muscle adaptations. In the featured study, subjects could have grown just as much, if not more, from not overreaching.  
 
Whether it’s an individual session, or over the course of the week, it’s clear that more volume isn’t necessarily better and can even be counterproductive to the overall goal. As such, I think it’s a good idea to spend more time providing a sufficient stimulus, rather than shortening the average length of a training cycle in pursuit of the purported magical effects of overreaching. 
 
Resensitization ➡️ despite the lack of direct evidence to display this phenomenon, I think it’s an important part of a properly periodized program. With that being said, considering the vast uncertainty in this area, it shouldn’t be assumed that a full week of submaximal training is needed to potentiate adaptations in the subsequent mesocycle. 
 
I may be missing some relevant sectors of the literature, but it seems to me that many of the notions surrounding deloads are based on assumptions rather than objective facts, and I think we should be clear about that when providing guidelines on the topic.
In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I a In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I am joined by James Johnson and Brett Freeman to discuss how the pandemic has altered their training and outlook on bodybuilding. We also dive into some other topics, including the value of having a training partner and off-season body composition.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
05:50 How has quarantine forced you to change your training?
14:00 Training environment considerations
18:35 The value of a training partner
24:30 How has the pandemic affected your outlook on bodybuilding?
32:40 Brett's training and goals - are you a powerlifter or a bodybuilder, bro?
36:00 Off-season approach
44:00 Is a dreamer bulk the key to natural bodybuilding success?
In week 2 of The Hammer Away Newsletter, we covere In week 2 of The Hammer Away Newsletter, we covered a recent study examining the effects of an 8-week ketogenic diet in competitive natural bodybuilders during the off-season. 
 
Also featured is a link to a sensational new article by @Trexlerfitness on the utility of P-ratio, a recent review on the mind-heart-body connection by the American Heart Association, and a quote from one of my favorite philosophers. 
 
In this week’s edition, I’ll be going into detail on why a ketogenic diet might be a suboptimal approach to maximize increases in muscle mass and strength.  

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To deload from my recent mesocycle, I opted to uti To deload from my recent mesocycle, I opted to utilize a brief period with a focus on local metabolic stress (inspired by @coach_kassem and the guys @N1.education). 
 
Each session included a variety of exercises performed for 6-8 sets of 8 reps with 40 seconds of rest between sets. 
 
For reference, I would not recommend trap bar deadlifts for this style of training. Generally speaking, exercises with a resistance profile biased towards the short position will be best, but my masochistic tendencies get the best of me from time to time (I thought trap bar deadlifts would be "fun”). 
 
The goal of a metabolic phase is to challenge the body’s energy production capabilities, improve cardiovascular fitness, and ultimately, potentiate performance in the subsequent mesocycle while resensitizing to a specific stimulus. 
 
In the context of a successful metabolic phase, you should be able to maintain a higher percentage of output for longer and increase your tolerance to volume within a workout. Practically, this might look like being able to accumulate a greater number of reps over multiple sets (and perhaps with slightly less effort).  
 
Regardless of the potential physiological benefits, it can be favorable for the psychology of the athlete to alter the training stimulus periodically. Personally, I really enjoyed embracing a different type of suck the past two weeks.  
 
As I’m wrapping up this phase, I will say this, I don’t think Mike from two weeks ago would have grinded out that last rep on hacks..  
 
The plan moving forward is to transition to a more traditional hypertrophy phase, featuring a slightly higher frequency and geared more towards the metabolic end of the spectrum.
I can understand where the above ideas stem from a I can understand where the above ideas stem from as I’ve stumbled upon some wildly dogmatic practitioners that more or less promote the opposite. But while that might ignite the fire to make an equally polarizing statement, rest assured, it’s just as absurd. Spend a moment reading the relevant literature on the topic, and it becomes blatantly clear. 
 
Meticulously monitoring food intake is associated with disordered eating behavior. It can most certainly worsen one’s relationship with food depending on their susceptibility/motivation for tracking. 
 
For individuals who have attempted weight loss on multiple occasions with little success, an intervention based on the principles of the HAES movement can be exactly what’s needed. Shifting the emphasis away from weight and shape and towards generally healthy behaviors has been consistently shown to improve quality of life. 
 
Failure to acknowledge these possibilities is narrow-minded and a consequence of certain privileges. 
 
Unfortunately, in certain corners of the fitness industry, weight loss is viewed as a simple process backed by the notion that success is inevitable, you just need to “try harder.” This is supported by a culture where disordered eating behavior is so common that it’s considered normal. 
 
When your circle and clientele is comprised of relatively lean, fit people with similar behaviors, personalities, and motivations, it’s easy to settle into these reductionist positions and turn a blind eye to other circumstances. 
 
However, it needs to be acknowledged that these types of claims are not evidence-based in the slightest. They are misleading, fail to appreciate individual differences (education, environment, income, etc., not just differences in energy intake and expenditure), and potentially dangerous. 
 
The solution to misinformation is not more misinformation. All it does is add fuel to the fire, spreading the smoke of half-truths. 
 
If the underlying intent is to truly help others, the quality of information cannot be compromised for the sake of an attractive snippet. It does more harm than good.
In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I a In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Roy Taylor to discuss his research on type 2 diabetes remission, including the etiology of the disease, the personal fat threshold, and very-low-calorie diets. 
 
Timestamps 
00:00 Introduction 
02:40 Defining diabetes remission 
05:30 Twin cycle hypothesis 
11:45 Counterpoint study 
16:15 Personal fat threshold 
23:25 Genetics of fat distribution 
29:25 Maintaining remission: DiRECT and Counterbalance trials 
33:40 Average weight loss to achieve remission 
35:40 How does the duration of diabetes affect the likelihood of achieving remission? 
41:00 Tolerance of very-low-calorie diets 
47:10 Why is it assumed that very-low-diets will fail?  
48:50 Potential benefits to using nutritionally adequate shakes 
50:15 Advantages of losing weight rapidly 
52:25 How to approach weight maintenance 
56:10 How much weight can the average person regain and maintain remission? 
57:30 The role of exercise
Be confident ➡️ tell a simple story➡️ remo Be confident ➡️ tell a simple story➡️ remove all uncertainty ➡️ garner mass interest.  
  
In the current era, it doesn't exactly pay to be rational.  
  
The success of many suspect personalities in the health and fitness industry showcases this phenomenon. These individuals don’t promote nuance - “it depends” is all but absent from their positions. Probably because it’s not an attractive selling point.  
  
“It depends” displays doubt and is usually followed by a collection of details the average attention span couldn’t care less about. People want answers that they can apply right now.  
  
A lack of knowledge surely contributes to falling for quackery, but ultimately, there’s an underlying desire for the claims to be true because it removes the discomfort of uncertainty.  
  
However, the truth does not reside in black and white. It’s ALWAYS somewhere in the gray.   
  
Unfortunately, finding the exact shade can be next to impossible, but you should rest easy knowing that at least being in the right color will get the job done more often than not.  
  
Certainty or robust confidence should make you uncomfortable because science aims to get us closer to the truth rather than provide proof.   
  
Science accepts or rejects ideas based on the available evidence. It is constantly evolving and what is accepted today could be in question tomorrow. For this reason, true experts rarely (if ever) talk in absolutes.   
  
I understand nuance isn’t sexy, but let’s refrain from oversimplifying concepts for the sake of an attractive soundbite. It’s easy to push hot takes. There’s an incentive to do so as clickbait posts shaved of every ounce of nuance are likely to draw more interest (ignorance is bliss, after all).  
  
But succumbing to these trends leaves the industry worse off. The space quickly becomes congested with half-truths instead of evidence-based advice. 
  
As an “expert” there should be a moral obligation to ensure the information presented is sufficiently thorough, free of bias, and based on objective evidence (and if it’s not, that should be made clear).  
  
At the current rate, nuance is at the risk of going extinct. Stop contributing to the cause.
For those who missed the first installment of the For those who missed the first installment of the Hammer Away Newsletter, we covered the dietary patterns and physical activity levels of hunter-gatherers, populations known for their remarkable metabolic and cardiovascular health.  
  
Also within this post, was a really interesting thread from Herman Pontzer comparing the new US Dietary Guidelines to hunter-gatherer diets, a link to Lyle McDonald’s new article on fasted cardio, and a wonderful quote from Alan Levinovitz (who you can expect to see on The Muscle Memoirs in the near future).   
  
This week, I’ll be breaking down a new study that examined the effects of a ketogenic diet on body composition, 1RM strength, and blood parameters in competitive natural bodybuilders.  
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🔨If you’re interested in staying up to date on the latest nutrition and exercise science research and trends, be sure to sign-up to receive the weekly Hammer Away Newsletter (link in bio).🔨
In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I a In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Nicola Guess to talk about a variety of topics related to type 2 diabetes management and remission, including low and very-low carbohydrate diets, high-protein diets, the effects of specific sources of protein, and much more. 
 
Timestamps 
00:00 Introduction 
01:30 Issues with recent reviews on low and very-low carbohydrate diets for T2D 
05:20 The effect of reducing carbohydrate intake on 24-hour glycemic profiles 
09:30 Utilizing different approaches to achieve remission 
16:00 The benefits of a high-protein diet 
21:36 Plant vs. animal sources of protein 
25:01 Best sources of animal protein 
27:36 Fat type and insulin sensitivity 
29:46 Seed oils 
30:46 Flaws with research and bias 
35:21 Time-restricted feeding 
41:16 The problem with overly focusing on one factor 
45:36 Ketogenic diets 
48:46 How do we attenuate the rising rates of obesity and cardiometabolic disease? 
 
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🔨Sign-up for the free Hammer Away Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest research and trends in the fitness industry (link in bio)🔨
Deloads: a band-aid solution?    A deload is a Deloads: a band-aid solution? 
 
A deload is a period in which training is reduced in some way to allow fatigue to dissipate and restore performance. 
 
Strength athletes will commonly use a specific type of deload (a taper) to maximize performance on a given day. In this setting, volume is typically decreased, proximity to failure is roughly maintained, and intensity is maintained or increased. 
 
On the other hand, the goal of a deload for a physique athlete is to provide a period of recuperation to continue training in a progressive manner. As a consequence of this nonspecific objective, a variety of paths can be taken. 
 
A deload may feature a reduction in training volume, proximity to failure, intensity, frequency, a change in exercise selection, and/or a shift in the stimulus. Typically a combination of the former is utilized, but some prefer to simply take a few days off from the gym completely. 
 
From my perspective, there is no “right” way to deload for physique athletes.  
 
Considering the short duration, losses in strength and muscle size are not a concern. As such, whatever strategy best allows the individual to renew their zeal for progressive training is probably the correct path. 
 
The most thought-provoking article I’ve come across on deloads is by @chrisabeardsley. He suggests that if we are doing a training program that *requires* a deload, it might not have been a well-designed program; a deload is a temporary fix for a larger issue. 
 
While compelling, I am skeptical. 
 
It seems the type of training required to promote muscle hypertrophy in *advanced populations* would inevitably need brief periods to unload physical and psychological stress. 
 
With that being said, I think the best approach to deloads for physique athletes is a reactive one.  
 
How do you like to structure your deloads? 
 
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🔨If enjoy these types of posts on exercise and nutrition science, you'll love the Hammer Away Newsletter (sign-up link in bio).🔨
If you’re serious about optimizing your quadrice If you’re serious about optimizing your quadriceps training, select squat patterns that facilitate the ability to get your butt to your heels (i.e. maximal knee flexion). 
 
If your primary squat pattern features a wide stance and urges you to put your butt into a different zip code to achieve a reasonable range of motion, you might be getting some stimulus for your quads, but you’re really biasing adductors (and glutes). 
 
Outside of exercise selection, it’s important to consider how the movement is being performed.  
 
For free-weight squats, it’s critical to move “straight-up” out of the bottom position. 
 
As a human, you are lazy. It’s much easier to transition to the concentric portion of the lift by allowing your hips and knees to shoot backward, recruiting more musculature to assist in the fight, but shifting the tension away from the quads.  
 
Be strong. Fight against the temptation. Grow some tree trunks. 
 
I’ve seen an increasing amount of leg success stories from ditching the barbell back squat in the physique community. Perhaps this is a testament to the fact that most barbell exercises don’t fit most people well, but I think this also stems from suboptimal set-up and execution.  
 
Most people don’t barbell back squat with the intention of using it to maximize quad hypertrophy. They assume that it’s a quad biased exercise by default, and then arrange their mechanics in a manner that allows them to move the most amount of weight possible with relative comfort.  
 
In this context, even a high-bar position can be more hinge than squat.  
 
Rather than addressing these issues in execution, most will simply move to another exercise whose set-up facilitates proper execution to bias quads without much conscious effort, and voila, superior hypertrophy.  
 
The point being, the exercise might be the problem or it might be you. Always consider the primary goal of the exercise and the type of execution required to maximize that outcome. 
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🔨If you’re interested in staying up to date on the latest exercise and nutrition science, or simply appreciate free brain gainz, sign-up for the Hammer Away Newsletter (link in bio).🔨
As outlined in a couple of recent posts, the speci As outlined in a couple of recent posts, the specific time a meal is consumed, as well as the frequency of meals, has important implications for health and body composition. 
 
Another important factor to consider in this equation is regularity - the consistency of meal timing and frequency from day to day. 
 
It’s increasingly apparent that current lifestyle has resulted in more erratic eating patterns. More meals are being skipped, consumed outside of the family context, on-the-go, later in the day, and over a longer duration. 
 
Irregularity of food intake, defined as food eaten in varying amounts throughout the day and at different times from one day to the next, has emerged as a potential risk factor for cardiometabolic complications. 
 
Observational research has shown that greater irregular energy intake at breakfast, lunch, and between meals (i.e. snacking), is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.  
 
There is a lack of randomized controlled trials on the topic, however, there are a few studies available. Each of them utilized a crossover design consisting of two 14-day phases.  
 
In one phase, subjects consumed a regular meal pattern of six meals per day. During the other, meal frequency varied on a daily basis (irregular meal pattern), featuring anywhere from 3-9 meals. 
 
Overall, these investigations reported that an irregular meal pattern led to a higher fasting lipid profile (total and LDL-cholesterol), reduced insulin sensitivity, and decreased dietary-induced thermogenesis. 
 
Many metabolic processes follow a circadian pattern, and the timing and frequency of meals can influence physiological responses. 
 
The body is constantly adapting to its surrounding environment to improve its ability to cope with future stress. It thrives on consistency, and as a consequence, a refined eating pattern is beneficial for improving multiple outcomes 
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🔨If you enjoy these types of posts, you'll love the Hammer Away Newsletter. You can sign-up through the link in my bio or head over to hammerawayfitness.com🔨
In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I a In this episode of The Muscle Memoirs Podcast, I am joined by Cody Moxley to discuss exercise selection for hypertrophy training, the mind-muscle connection, sensation vs. muscular tension, and much more.

Cody Moxley is a coach and project manager at N1. He is also a certified sports nutritionist.  

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
3:00 Where does exercise selection rank in the hierarchy of factors to consider for hypertrophy program design?
5:10 How would you respond to those who state "stop overthinking exercise selection and stick to the basic free-weight movements"?
9:30 Why doesn't N1 program many barbell exercises?
11:56 Issues with the barbell row
13:30 Pressing exercises and picking the right machine
16:00 Smith machine squats
19:00 How important is the mind-muscle connection?
24:55 Feeling triceps in a lat pulldown
25:25 Taking the mind-muscle connection too far - sensation vs. muscular tension
29:50 Feeling the traps in a lateral raise
32:00 Let your body move naturally
33:40 How has your training evolved since becoming a N1 coach?
36:50 Supersets for the same muscle group
40:45 Equating volume between stimuli and exercises
43:15 Being evidence-based
46:10 Lessons from the Moxy Monitor
49:45 Shoulder flexion in the biceps curl
Protein is awesome.    My hypothesis (or perha Protein is awesome. 
 
My hypothesis (or perhaps bias) is that if the average person consumed more lean protein, our world would be a significantly healthier place. 
 
While high-protein diets have been a mainstay of athletes for decades, their popularity in the general public has waxed and waned.  
 
A high-protein diet possesses a variety of potential benefits, and not just for those who are concerned with maximizing body composition and performance.  
 
In this new article (link in bio), I examine the prospect of high-protein diets for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes. 
 
P.S. I also briefly address a few common claims regarding the ill effects of a high-protein diet on different facets of health (I’m looking at you, Jillian Michaels..)
🔑Execution keys for the chest supported neutral 🔑Execution keys for the chest supported neutral grip lat pulldown🔑  
  
🔨Stay within YOUR active range of motion for the lats, i.e. the point before your shoulder rolls into internal rotation as you reach forward and up.  
  
🔨Drive the elbows down towards the hip, not back. The upper arm should not finish past the torso.  
  
With these points in mind, you should be able to recognize a number of faults in the video on the right. Overall, the main issue is that I’m trying to maximize the range of motion, but in the process of doing so, I’m significantly reducing the amount of tension on the muscle of interest (the lats).   
  
Range of motion is context-dependent. It should be specific to the individual’s unique structure and mobility, and cater to the goal of the exercise. More range of motion is not always better, especially with this movement.  
  
In the pursuit of optimal strategies to augment muscle size, exercise selection, range of motion, and execution are as important as any other variable. In actuality, these factors should be nailed down before anything else.  
  
It makes little sense to obsess over nuances such as periodization, volume progression, and twice-daily training, without paying meticulous attention to the former.
I see many who try to boast that not only are they I see many who try to boast that not only are they a seasoned iron gamer, but they also don't encounter plateaus and are always improving.  
 
At its core, this possibility is almost certainly false. The advanced stage is characterized by mind-numbingly slow progress - adding 2 lbs of muscle in a year, adding 5-10 lbs to a lift over a 16-week training cycle, etc. 
 
If you're making significant gains in a relatively short period, you're either by definition, not advanced, or dramatically shifting the stimulus each mesocycle. The latter may drive the perception of progress, but in reality, you're probably just spinning your wheels. 
 
It's okay to not be advanced. That doesn't diminish your knowledge or ability to help others achieve their performance and body composition goals, but you can't have it both ways.
In two separate experiments, participants with > 1 In two separate experiments, participants with > 1 year of resistance training experience performed knee extensions to either momentary task failure (MF) or self-determined repetition maximum (sdRM).     
 
▶️sdRM refers to set termination when the subject *predicts* that they would not complete the next rep if they tried.   
 
▶️MF refers to set termination when the subject attempts to complete a rep but is unable to do so.   
 
🔨Design 🔨 
 
▶️Four exercise trials separated by at least 48 hours (2x sdRM & 2x MF)   
▶️Preceded by either a baseline 1RM test (experiment 1) or maximal voluntary contraction at the beginning of each exercise trial (experiment 2)  
▶️Each session featured one set of knee extensions at 70% 1RM    
 
🔨Results🔨   
 
The authors reported that the change in design for experiment 2 was due to high variability in performance. Basically, the number of reps completed at 70% of initial 1RM was significantly different from session to session due to fluctuations in preparedness (i.e. stress, sleep, muscle glycogen).
 
In aggregate, the results showed that the subjects performed 2 more reps on average during the MF condition.  
 
🔨Thoughts🔨 
 
This study serves as a nice reminder of the value of auto-regulation. Preparedness is a dynamic state. As such, the demands of a training session should be matched to the day, rather than a dogmatic scheme such as “add 5 lbs to the bar each session.” Hence, the utility of metrics like RPE and RIR.   
 
Also, unless you have trained to true muscular failure, you’re probably ending sets with more reps in reserve than you think.   
 
Keep in mind, an individual’s ability to gauge how close they are to failure is likely more accurate with single-joint than multi-joint exercises.  
 
Knee extensions were used in this study and the subjects’ perception of “failure” was still off by 2 reps.   
 
It’s probable the degree of inaccuracy would increase with a squat, where a variety of factors other than fatigue in the targeted muscle will influence the desire to end a set.  
 
For lower body exercises, unless you fail in the middle of a rep, it’s likely there’s at least another rep in the tank.
I’m a big advocate of consuming a broad spectrum I’m a big advocate of consuming a broad spectrum of colors. On a weekly basis, the aim should be to eat a full rainbow, featuring a fruit and vegetable from each category.

The color of a plant is indicative of the unique phytonutrients it contains. For example, blue and purple plants tend to be rich in anthocyanins.

The compounds found within each color possess a distinct and beneficial effect that can help protect against chronic diseases. As such, a balance of all colors is important to optimizing the healthfulness of your diet.

In order to leave no stone unturned, and ensure I’m giving my body the nutrition it needs, I make sure to apply this principle to all foods, including desserts…

But in all seriousness, eat a greater quantity and diversity of plants. A few macarons won’t hurt either.
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