The Barbell 1 Show

Today Cliff Wilson is back on Coach's Corner, joined by IFPA Pro Natural Bodybuilding Champion to discuss the differences between new competitive bodybuilders and seasoned vets. It is important to tease out these difference so all competitors can gain a better understanding of what it takes to be healthy and competitive for many years should they desire to pursue competitive bodybuilding as a lifestyle.

Ron Williams has won over 200 natural bodybuilding titles including multiple overalls at the Natural Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe. Ron also invented the Iron Chestmaster which adds lateral resistance to make an ordinary pushup more effective. As an author and pastor, Ron offers unique points of view from his year's of experience in this new episode of the Barbell 1 Show. To see the video interview filmed on location at Dialed in Fitness in Sandy Utah, check out the video above.

Philip Ricardo Jr. returned to the natural bodybuilding stage and took home the Natural Olympia title in convincing fashion this November! I was there to see it live - be on the lookout for video footage coming soon. Today I sit down with the champ for a little over an hour to discuss many interesting topics - money in natural bodybuilding, how he prepped, and his tips for having a healthy family life and spousal relationship while pursuing bodybuilding at such a high level.

Today's special guest is the only natural bodybuilder to win these two prestigious world titles in the same year! Tune in to hear about Brian's training, nutrition, lifestyle, and more! Thank you Brian for joining us!  

It seems nowadays everyone who likes to train with weights hates doing cardiovascular exercise. With this has come an emergence of creative forms of resistance training and interval training that more closely resemble the weights we love and the cardio machines many of us hate. We discuss a research study looking at just how many calories weight training burns and discuss pros and cons of doing more weights, less cardio, or keeping some more traditional cardio in our training split. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26314086 .

It seems nowadays everyone who likes to train with weights hates doing cardiovascular exercise. With this has come an emergence of creative forms of resistance training and interval training that more closely resemble the weights we love and the cardio machines many of us hate. We discuss a research study looking at just how many calories weight training burns and discuss pros and cons of doing more weights, less cardio, or keeping some more traditional cardio in our training split. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26466137.

Gabriel Wilson, PhD, brother of Jake Wilson and Head of Science and Innovation for MHP joins me as we give a guest lecture/Q&A to a university class of IFPA Pro Bodybuilder James Perez. We discuss degree programs, getting opportunities for internships and careers and more. Oh and it's the 500th episode of the Barbell 1 Show!

While some people continue to bi**h about high protein diets, others just keep on getting results from them – we discuss another high protein diet study on today's show. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/s12970-015-0100-0.pdf .

In an earlier episode I mentioned a tactic called CEO Workouts to allow a good volume and quality of weight training in a short period of time. When life gets crazy and normal workout don't fit you can usually get a CEO Workout in.

Oftentimes studies comparing different numbers of sets to gauge their effectiveness look at say 1 vs 3 sets. Very few studies go to the extreme and look at something like 8 sets of an exercise. Today's study does with the squat and so we review and discuss. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22158142 .

So although the debate over whether or not just a set or two done with high intensity is just as good as being a volume junky doing tons of sets is largely over – most research seems to indicate more is better to a degree – there are still some that hang onto the idea that volume may in fact be overrated for some people. Again volume means weight times reps times sets or the total amount of work you do in a training session. As I've discussed on the show before there is some research that show some people just continue to activate or turn on more and more muscle the more the keep hitting it, while for others it seems more muscle mass only gets activated during training up to a certain point after which more seems to be perhaps overkill. The tricky part of so many studies which call into question the importance of training volume is that they're typically done on relatively untrained participants and so we are always left with the reality that those result probably apply to people not very trained – of course it doesn't take much to create a response when the body is used to no or minimal training – but what about in advanced lifters who train hard and often – clearly they must need more of a stimulus. Well that was what intrigued me to review today's study on 79 men and women – the participants had been weight training for 4 years on average. We discuss the study and further thoughts on manipulation of resistance training variables. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/James_Steele4/publication/266746184_The_effects_of_low_volume_resistance_training_with_and_without_advanced_techniques_in_trained_participants/links/546b0bc10cf2397f783039b1.pdf .  

Alberto Nunez of Team 3DMJ and Brian Minor of INOV8 Elite Performance are back fielding a variety of powerlifting and bodybuilding questions as part of a Q&A series from the Team 3DMJ YouTube channel. Thanks Alberto and Brian for sharing with us!  

Alberto Nunez of Team 3DMJ and Brian Minor of INOV8 Elite Performance are back fielding a variety of powerlifting and bodybuilding questions as part of a Q&A series from the Team 3DMJ YouTube channel. Thanks Alberto and Brian for sharing with us!  

For a long time bodybuilders were very concerned about keeping rest periods short and feeling the burn – in fear that not training this way would short change their muscle gains. Newer research tends to challenge this belief and so today we review that research. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/publishahead/EFFECT_OF_DIFFERENT_INTER_SET_REST_INTERVALS_ON.96784.aspx 

Eric Helms is back and talking exercise tempo when weight training on today's continuation of sharing Eric's Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid. Find all of these YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Team3DMJ/videos

Today you will be hearing an interview I did with the Octane Athletic Performance podcast recently in the interview I discuss my own contest prep as well as my overall philosophies on deciding upon the right training and nutrition plan for you. Original interview here: http://octaneathleticperformance.com/58-cutting-weight-and-lifting-heavy-with-john-bosse/

Eric Helms is back and talking rest periods between sets on today's continuation of sharing Eric's Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid. Find all of these YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Team3DMJ/videos

I feel like there's some people who think grunting and making a lot of noise in the gym is only for stupid meatheads. Then there are other people who say grunting is OK, but that lifters don't use it at the right time during a lift. We will discuss a little of all above today. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26270695 .

Eric Helms is back and talking exercise selection on today's continuation of sharing Eric's Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid. Find all of these YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Team3DMJ/videos

Eric Helms is back and talking progression on today's continuation of sharing Eric's Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid. Find all of these YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Team3DMJ/videos

Peter Fitschen and Cliff Wilson discuss natural bodybuilding contest prep. What happens to your testosterone? What is the influence of psychological factors? Are there gender differences? What can be done to minimize the negative effects of extreme fat loss?

Eric Helms of Team 3DMJ discusses the most important variables in resistance training programming - volume, intensity, and frequency and shares a nice compilation of research backed advice on these areas. Find all of these YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Team3DMJ/videos

So now that we have more research that tells us lifting lighter weights can still be good for muscle size gains assuming we accumulate enough volume it's always good to test some of the theories behind why the light training may have benefit. Some would say maybe it is because taking a light set all the way to fatigue may recruit all possible muscle fibers – slow twitch for a while and then finally fast twtitch until the muscle is completely exhausted – but is this just a theory or is there actually sound data to support it – let's check out this new study on the area. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26270694 .  

When I was in grad school studying sports nutrition most people talked about the importance of post-workout carbs and protein in terms of actual physical muscle recovery from exercise. However, we also learned that the immune system is compromised after exercise for a brief period – basically while the body gets its bearings back. Are there any supplements we would take to prevent this or bounce back faster? We review a possible option. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/publishahead/The_Physiological_Effects_of_Nucleotide.96819.aspx .  

Eric Helms, MS - PhD Candidate provides today's guest hosted content in the form of Level 1 of his Muscle and Strength Training Pyramid which helps lifters of all levels gain a better grasp of priorities in trainining programming. Find all of these YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Team3DMJ/videos

Dr. Jacob Wilson seems to have rekindled interest in weighted stretching as a muscle building tactic While we wait for Dr. Wilson's research to be published we review older studies from the 90s on birds that initiated interest in this tactic. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2142581

Personal trainers used to have the job of counting reps, but these days I see more and more counting total time spent training. Is this a valid way to have clients exercise – timing set length and stopping when a certain time count is reached? Let's examine a study. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1691&context=gs_rp  

It seems nowadays everyone is pushing for higher volume, higher frequency resistance training programs. But what about when life, injury, or recovery ability calls for periods of decreased training? Should you fear loss of gains or could you perhaps rely more on nutrition to keep the gain train chuggin. Today we review a research study on this topic and tackle different ways of viewing training and nutrition. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26060092 .

It seems nowadays everyone is pushing for higher volume, higher frequency resistance training programs. But what about when life, injury, or recovery ability calls for periods of decreased training? Should you fear loss of gains or could you perhaps rely more on nutrition to keep the gain train chuggin. Today we review a research study on this topic and tackle different ways of viewing training and nutrition. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2010/01001/Effects_Of_Resistance_Training_Volume_And_Whey.171.aspx .  

Alberto Nunez of Team 3DMJ and Brian Minor of INOV8 Elite Performance are back fielding a variety of powerlifting and bodybuilding questions as part of a 3 part Q&A series from the Team 3DMJ YouTube channel. Thanks Alberto and Brian for sharing with us!  

HMB is a controversial supplement because it is expensive, but in some studies shown to be highly effective. Anytime I see a new study on this supplement I'm sure to review it to update everyone. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/s12970-015-0092-9.pdf .

Because dieting bodybuilders and strength athletes have such high physical performance demands, the implementation of high carb days, cheat days, reefed days, whatever you want to call them seems to make a lot of sense. While these tactics are employed to promote performance and a mental break, there's always debate that remains if adding calories or carbs briefly amidst a general decline in intake when dieting also does some special things physiologically – does it really prevent weight loss plateaus and stalled progress. Many strength athletes and coaches have sworn for years that it does, but research is lacking – also do these tactics even apply to our general population weight loss clients. Well – there was actually a study done! So we review. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4018593/?report=reader .  

Whether in public health announcements or in school – everyone always tell you that you must eat breakfast to be healthy, lose weight, etc. Is this true or is it somewhat of a myth if you keep your calories in check the rest of the day? John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898236 .  

Elite strength athletes are always walking a fine line of exposing themselves to as much training stimulus as possible while not exceeding their ability to recover between training sessions. Today we look at some newer purported recovery modalities and the research behind them. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26154154  .

Coach's Corner guest host Cliff Wilson is joined by Elliot Reimers - Muscle & Strength Author and lead developer of Simply Shredded's new supplement line. Cliff and Elliot discuss numerous philosophies regarding the optimal distribution of protein throughout the day.

There always appears to be disagreement and arguments amongst bodybuilders and the like over if you should do slow controlled movement to really contract a muscle you're trying to grow or instead say do more explosive concentric reps to get some added power or performance benefits from your training. Would doing these faster concentric make muscle sise gains suboptimal compared to a more controlled technique? We go all the way back to 1993 today to look at what research tells us. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/1993/08000/The_Effect_of_Voluntary_Effort_to_Influence_Speed.9.aspx .  

Is red meat going to make you die early or live longer? This is a tough question to answer, but today we review a study that helps shed some light. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/99/4/899.full.pdf+html .

(I do not own the rights to this image - please support the artist) You guys know I love new music for training to so here's some of the recent editions to the iPod that I discuss on the show. Angels & Airwaves - Call to Arms30 Seconds to Mars - Vox PopuliSlipknot - Me InsideFive Finger Death Punch - Jekyll and Hyde Epic Themes Album by London Music Works

If you missed part 1 of this interview be sure to check out episode 75. In today's Part 2, Big J shares old school tactics for growing a gym membership and building a community that still work in the new school! So many valuable lessons can be learned from Big J's old school approach to growing a loyal gym membership which have now been used to build a raving YouTube audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers in just a couple short years. Big J also shares the highest and lowest moments to inspire you on your journey to open your own facility. Finally we dive deep into Big J's behind the scenes life as an international catastrophe response officer and also discuss his knack for bending horeshoes and what the coming decades have in store for him. Big J was an awesome interview and I hope you enjoy his stories and tips as much as I did. To learn more about Big J check out his awesome YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/BigJsExtremeFitness If you enjoyed the show please leave a review under ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thank you for your support!

Today's guest is Jason English, AKA "Big J" of the highly popular YouTube channel and hardcore gym in Texas - Big J's Extreme Fitness. Having served in the US Army and currently as a catastrophe response officer, Big J knows sacrifice for others better than almost anyone in the often selfish fitness industry. Today we get a unique look at what it's like to grow a niche gym while being out of town and in harm's way so often. Big J is old school, but his messages of positivity are timeless.  Also if you ever wanted to be inspired you'll hear Big J's amazing recovery story after being run over by a hum v while in active duty. Enjoy! Oh and if you want to see Big J bending horseshoes for fun check out this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRv7Olo7mSE. If you enjoyed the show please leave a review under ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thank you for your support!  

Is foam rolling or dynamic stretching before training better? We examine and discuss new research. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26121431.

Many strength athletes are taking omega 3 supplements for the inflammatory benefits, but perhaps some do not understand the potential nervous system benefits as well. Learn more about these benefits as we review today's research article. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/s12970-015-0089-4.pdf .

People give a lot of short term performance rationales about how you should prioritise weight training and cardio – but what about muscle mass gains – does the order make a difference. We examine a new study on this topic in women today. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26020708 .

While nowadays it seems many more bodybuilders are hybridizing their programming with powerlifting, there are still some who do very high rep sets and swear by training for the pump. Today we review a rare find – a study on WELL TRAINED lifters, comparing different rep ranges. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25853914 .  

Check out episode 429 to catch the first part of this episode with special guest hosts Cliff Wilson and John Gorman. Wilson and Gorman are two of the most highly sought after natural bodybuilding and physique competitor contest prep coaches. They share insights on how to properly address the metabolic adaptations that occur from prolonged dieting and how to transition into offseason eating habits with minimal residual effects.  

Pt 2 of the interview started in Episode 77! Mark Bell is an elite powerlifter with best lifts of a 1025 squat, 832 lb bench, and 722 deadlift with a history training under Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell. Prior to powerlifting, he was even a professional wrestler. He is known for his revolutionary product that aids shoulder health and strength in the bench press called the Sling Shot. In today's episode we chat training philosophy, but focus primarily on the launch of his products. Get inspired hearing the trials and tribulations of someone who had a vision and saw his prototypes through to success and be sure to check back for part 2 of this interview soon. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain good video over our connection, but a YouTube episode of this interview containing some of the video of our discussion will also air soon.

Mark Bell is an elite powerlifter with best lifts of a 1025 squat, 832 lb bench, and 722 deadlift with a history training under Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell. Prior to powerlifting, he was even a professional wrestler. He is known for his revolutionary product that aids shoulder health and strength in the bench press called the Sling Shot. In today's episode we chat training philosophy, but focus primarily on the launch of his products. Get inspired hearing the trials and tribulations of someone who had a vision and saw his prototypes through to success and be sure to check back for part 2 of this interview soon. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain good video over our connection, but a YouTube episode of this interview containing some of the video of our discussion will also air soon.

Bodybuilders for years have talked about different squat stances to develop different areas of the thighs is this info for real or just bro science? Research on the topic is reviewed. John always reviews the full-text of every article, but you may view the free abstract by clicking here:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10188748 .  

Today's awesome interview is with Elliott Hulse on the "seasons of life." Elliott has amassed over ONE MILLION subscribers on YouTube, who come eager to learn all his amazing insights on taking the strength training life so much deeper to create the strongest version of oneself on all levels. Elliott shares many "versions of himself" that have evolved over time as the seasons of life have unfolded. Hearing this first hand account, the hardships he's overcome with tenacity, etc. was truely inspiring to be a part of and I am excited for all of you to listen and grow. If you enjoyed the show please leave a review under ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thank you for your support!  

I just got back from the AAU Nationals in Mesquite Nevada and am excited to bring you a very special interview. My guest is the only man to ever total 3,000 pounds in powerlifting, that's right, squat, bench, and deadlift in a meet, totaling 3,000 lbs. In additional to his accomplishments on the platform he is an accomplished inventor and wizard of sorts when it comes to innovative sports therapy techniques - here is part 2 of 2 of my interview with Donnie Thompson - part 1 in 456. .

(photo credit - T-Nation) I just got back from the AAU Nationals in Mesquite Nevada and am excited to bring you a very special interview. My guest is the only man to ever total 3,000 pounds in powerlifting, that's right, squat, bench, and deadlift in a meet, totaling 3,000 lbs. In additional to his accomplishments on the platform he is an accomplished inventor and wizard of sorts when it comes to innovative sports therapy techniques - here is part 1 of 2 of my interview with Donnie Thompson.