The Six Pack of Information: Thought Leaders in Hypertrophy

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This is a series of interviews with some of the leading minds and thought leaders working in the industry today. I am your host, Tom MacCormick, a personal trainer and online coach. A couple of things make these podcasts unique, and I hope they're fun and inspiring: I try to curate the greatest hypertrophy experts in the world. I think we got off to a good start with the following experts.

Second, I work constantly with clients in the gym and online, people who are facing challenges that are unique to them, but all with the common goal of being fit and healthy and showing those results in their bodies. So I have a lot of questions and experiences about the conversations in these podcasts.

All of these podcasts, individually or collectively, represent the very latest in human performance and hypertrophy training. It is based on solid research, extensive expertise, and knowledge gained through real-world training practices.

Get lean, get strong, get results

Mario Tomic's passion for training has taken him on a journey from computer programmer to YouTuber, to coach and to an entrepreneur living the digital nomadic lifestyle.

Mario runs an online coaching service for busy entrepreneurs and professionals to get themselves in the best shape of their lives. In today's episode, we discuss the key habits he has developed to help him transition smoothly through his career.

Some of the most important tips we cover are:

• Protect your time
• A data-driven approach to decision making
• How to build your pain tolerance
• The advantage of doing things that are difficult
• And the most important productivity hack of all

The pros and cons of training to the point of failure

Paul Carter of Lift Run Bang specializes in hypertrophy and body composition. He trains professional bodybuilders and elite strength athletes, and works with some of the most esteemed minds in a strength and body world.

Today's episode came from an exchange I and Paul had about a post I made about training to failure. He disagreed with some of my statements. So I invited him on the show to explain his thoughts. Did we agree, agree, disagree, or did we just start calling each other names? You have to listen to find out.

Training for size, training for size

Bryan Haycock is the creator of Hypertrophy Specific Training, or HST for short. In this episode we dive deep into:

• Exactly what flows in HST including what actually causes muscle growth
• The principles of programming for hypertrophy
• The mistakes most athletes make when it comes to training for greatness
• The misunderstood concept of strategic deconditioning and science prove it 20 years after the concepts behind HST were developed

How to grow like a new lifter after lockdown

Calvin Huynh is a trainer, online coach and author. He is the founder of Awesome Fitness Science. Calvins delves deeply into scientific research and then distills the information into easy-to-understand and actionable guidelines.

His articles teach you everything you need to know to look good naked, live healthy, and act like a beast.

In this particular episode, we discuss how best to approach your workout after being locked. Have pen and paper ready to take notes as you learn how to determine the number of days to exercise, how many exercises to do, what intensity to work at, and how many sets to do have to.

Calvin also identifies the surprising opportunities that arise from time outside the gym and how to use them to make new gains.

If you haven't been to the gym in a while and rely on bodyweight training or minimal equipment during lockdown, this is not to be missed!

Nerding out on muscle growth, strength, and rep schemes

Greg Nuckols is a record-breaking powerlifter, fitness writer, podcaster, and all-round workout nerd owner of Stronger by Science. He wants to help lifters and coaches train smarter.

In this episode we discuss:

• The predictors for muscle potential
• Training guidelines for hypertrophy
• The role of strength in hypertrophy
• Why he doesn't drink the effective repetitions of Kool-Aid

Muscle dysmorphism and building a first class leg set

Adam Bisek is a home trainer both in person and online. He describes his job as an opportunity to change lives. To this end, he also believes that personal training should be exactly as described, in person.

In this episode we discuss:

• How muscle dysmorphism shaped Adam's fitness journey
• How he got perspective and found that his fights were indeed a blessing in disguise
• The importance of intent in achieving success
• How to Build a Premium Leg Set

The reason that keeps you from building muscle

Luke Leaman is a trainer, fitness instructor, and founder of Muscle Nerds, the company he started after becoming angry about the industry and the lack of empathy and science in it.

In this episode we discuss:

• The reason that keeps people from building muscle
• How to Measure Your Overall Health and Stress Status Using Three Simple Metrics
• Why Leas Mode is a Secret to Unlock Your Beast Mode and a lot more

Get bigger, get stronger, get smarter

Daniel DeBrocke is a strength and conditioning coach who works primarily with strength lifters and an educator who works hard to share his knowledge without asking for anything. As a competitive powerlifter, he holds a grand total of 1700 pounds. DeBrocke also wrote: Is lifting heavy weights important to building muscle? among other great articles on breaking muscle.

In this episode we discuss:

• How he went from 165 to 286 pounds
• How beginners can most efficiently build muscle
• How advanced lifters should sequence their workouts to make optimal progress
• Pivot blocks, strategic variations, work capacity development and much more

Control the chaos of training in CrossFit

James Fitzgerald has more than 20 years of experience as a strength coach. He was also the 2007 CrossFit Games Champion and is the founder of OPEX, the education provider for coaches looking for career success, longevity and fulfillment.

In this episode we discuss:

• Control of the training chaos for CrossFit
• Why You Shouldn't Use Energy Systems When You Want To Build Muscle
• The importance of the intestine for muscle and strength growth
• Why a cyclical approach to your trading and diet makes sense

The role of cardio in hypertrophy and why CrossFitters are so jacked up

Kyle Hunt started his fitness journey as an 85-pound kid who wanted to wrestle and now runs an online strength and conditioning consultancy. He takes pride in helping people achieve their goals in the most time-efficient way possible.

In this episode we discuss:

• The role of cardio in hypertrophy
• Why CrossFitter are so jacked up
• How to program cardio when you want muscle mass without getting out of breath and tying your shoelaces
• This is how you periodize both your exercise and your diet for maximum results
• The forgotten training phase that so many people miss

Exercise frequency and stubborn muscle groups

Juma Iraki is the founder of Iraki Nutrition, a Norwegian company composed of sports scientists, athletes, nutritionists and researchers who provide training, nutrition, education and counseling services to businesses and athletes.

In this episode we discuss:

• Training frequency for size and why it's a variable. Many people get the wrong specialization periods for stubborn muscle groups
• How Many Calories Do You Need to Build Muscle Mass?
• How fast you should be gaining weight in bulk
• The two supplements that work and the other two that might work

Three simple changes for strength and growth

Wolfgang Unsoeld from Your Personal Strength Institute is a Stuttgart-based trainer who has worked with top athletes from 20 different sports. However, the vast majority of his business is spent working with customers from the general population with whom he has built a reputation for being the world leader in body transformations.

In this episode we discuss:

• The Similarities and Differences Between Gen-Pop and Elite Athletes
• The main measuring instruments he uses to track progress
• The three simple changes he makes to his clients' exercise, diet and lifestyle habits
• And a popular new fad trend that's little more than an illusion designed to sell programs

Keystone habits of a slim body

Our guest for this episode is Abel Csabai. Abel got into the nutrition and training game as part of his quest for personal growth. He started the podcast "Sustainable Self-Development". Hundreds of hours of podcasting and his own fitness journey gave Abel the opportunity to be mentored and educated by some of the best in the business, which has enabled him to put all of these philosophies together to create his unique view of things.

In this episode we discuss:

• The tough lessons he learned from trying to get big and torn
• The basic habits for maintaining a slim body
• The power of mindfulness
• And realistic body fat percentages for cutting and puffing up

Building muscle whether you have elite genetics or not

Our guest for this episode is Menno Henselmans. Menno is an online body trainer, scientific researcher, and fitness educator who traded his company car for his passion for fitness.

In this episode, go into the following in depth:

• When there are really tough winners
• How to predict your genetic potential for muscle growth
• Realistic muscle growth rates
• This is how you determine your ideal training volumes and frequencies
• The fact that Menno stopped counting how many countries he lived in when he was 50! Yes, 50!

Get your head in the game for muscle building

Our guest for this episode is Valentin Tambosi. Valentin is a Natural Pro Bodybuilder, Prep Coach, and Educator on the Intelligent Strength Coach Program.

His passion for training shows in this episode and you can really feel that he enjoys helping people achieve their fitness goals.

In this episode, we'll go into the following in depth:

• The Mindset Required for Building Muscle
• The intensity of the exertion required
• Creation of the ideal training environment
• The power of visualization
• And we'll go into the nitty-gritty of programming training in order to maximize growth. In particular, the identification of the 3 most important pillars of muscle building

We top off the show with some key chest, biceps, and back training strategies.

Maximize Your Return On Investment In The Gym

Borge Fagerli's background as an engineer and later as an entrepreneur and CEO has enabled him to incorporate his methods into a gradual system that can transform your health, appearance and performance both mentally and physically.

Borge has been in the industry for over 20 years and develops "Myo-reps" – one of the most time-efficient and effective training strategies for building muscle.

As a 45-year-old father and business owner, Borge is an expert on how busy men can achieve exceptional results without sacrificing their lifestyle.

In this episode, we'll go into the following in depth:

• What Makes Muscles Grow?
• Effective repetitions
• Junk volume
• Maximize your return on investment through training
• Myo repetitions

And a shocking revelation about him!

Remain open, but skeptical in order to achieve elite performance

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Andy Galpin. Andy is a professor at the Center for Sports Performance at CSU Fullerton. He is a pioneer in the field of human performance education and has his finger on the pulse of all innovative modalities with which you can improve your sports activities.

In this episode we deal intensively with muscle building. Andy channels both his inner brother and inner nerd to give you a variety of golden nuggets to take with you and use to improve your results.

The number 1 factor that will determine if you build muscle, strength, and strength

Dr. John Rusin is one of the leading experts in the fitness and athletic performance industry on the painless performance training model that combines the world of strength and conditioning with clinical movement-based diagnostic medicine to provide the ultimate results-based methodology.

In this episode we discuss red flags that may be holding you back, the 6 basic movement patterns and how to develop strength in them, how to bulletproof your body, and why strength is never a weakness.

The difference between discipline and motivation at JC Deen

Our guest for this episode is JC Deen. JC has been in athletics for over a decade and now works as a fitness advisor to fitness enthusiasts and athletes around the world.

He gets people in shape and helps them learn how fitness can complement their life rather than rule it.

In this episode we discuss the importance of having a mentor. The psychology to achieve your goals. The lessons he learned were torn up for the first time. How to develop positive habits and rituals, a surprising fact about your past, and more.

Increase the ROI of your diet and exercise with Eric Bach

Eric Bach describes himself as a bacon, bourbon, and coffee connoisseur and an over-invested sports fan. He has been helping high school, college, and professional athletes for a decade. Helps guys build confident, strong, and athletic bodies. Works both in person and online.

Eric has tried all of the BS gimmicks in the industry. Discovered that they didn't work and reduced his training to this motto: "Success is in relentlessly pursuing the fundamentals."

Below we discuss the basics of building an athletic and aesthetic body, key muscle building habits you need to know, common mistakes most lifters make, how fast you can realistically build muscle, and much more.

The thin advantage with Brad Borland

Brad Borland started out as a skinny 125-pound kid at the age of six feet and two inches and began weight training at the tender age of fourteen. A few years later, he became a competitive, drug-free, natural bodybuilder weighing 220 pounds. Now, armed with knowledge and muscles, he has helped countless people at home and abroad.

Brad is also a senior lecturer with a Masters degree in Kinesiology and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

We discuss a wide range of topics including why people use genetics as an excuse, realistic win rates for a natural lifter, how to filter the information overload that bombarded the modern lifter, and Brad's preferred way of exercising if you want to build muscle as quickly as possible.

Strategies That Can Take You From Good To Great In The Gym

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Joel Seedman. With over 15 years of experience in personal and team training, strength training and nutritional counseling, Joel works with a wide variety of clients.

To maximize performance and health, Joel focuses on improving his clients' muscle function and movement mechanics. In this way, all characteristics of performance, fitness and health improve – regardless of the athlete or training goal.

In this episode, we dive into the causes of muscle growth, the role of genetics in muscle and strength gains, the benefits of eccentric isometry, factors that could stifle your progress, and Joel is the most interesting man on the planet.

Re-igniting the passion – lessons from a world champion

Our guest for this episode is Damian Lees. Damian is a personal trainer, online prep coach and WNBF Pro Natural Bodybuilder. At the world championships, he took second place. In the interview we go into in depth how you can apply the principles and strategies he has learned from years as a competitive natural bodybuilder to your own training at the highest level. These tips will help you maximize your results.

We discuss the mistakes he has made in the past balancing family, work, and social life with elite accomplishments that keep people from making the advances they are capable of, a home gym equip and much more!

How to get recklessly efficient in the gym

Our guest for this episode is Michael Goulden. Michael is a personal trainer and founded his training facility Integra in 1997. Since then he has integrated exercise mechanics into neuromuscular preparation to develop a uniquely sustainable approach to health, fitness and performance. In addition, he has become one of the UK's leading fitness educators.

In this episode we delve deeply into all things exercise mechanics. In conversation we discuss:

• The importance of exercise mechanics for training efficiency
• Considerations for customizing the process
• Active V passive
• Align exercises and programs with goals
• And a complete challenge to the muscles in the area of ​​contraction range

Feedback welcome

If you enjoyed these podcasts and cared about them, rate and rate them so we can get the word out and motivate and inspire others to take their performance to the next level.

If you're interested in working with me or learning more about my approach, follow me on Instagram @tommaccormick or visit my website tommaccormick.com.