In this episode we go back over some of the best bits from previous interviews with the common theme of recovery, mobility and what the research actually says about foam rolling & myofascial release.
The highlights feature snippets from Dr. James Hoffman, Dr. Quinn Henoch & Dr. Greg Lehman.
Make sure to listen to the full episode of each of these interviews if you haven't already. Links to the relevant episodes can be found below.
Full show-notes can be found at: www.hpascience.com/episode56
In this episode, David answers some of the common questions submitted by you, the listeners!
Conor asks:
"Is the term metabolism used wrongly by people? What role do slow or fast metabolisms play?"
Karen asks:
"What strategies can be used to increase recovery during intense training cycles?"
Chris asks:
"What should nutrition look like on the day of a meet?"
Eoin asks:
"Is talent genetic? Are certain people at a higher chance of being better at certain sports than others with less favorable genetics?"
Make sure to check out the links in the show-notes at www.hpascience.com/episode55 and get in touch if you have any questions you would like answered in future episodes.
In this episode, David is joined by Bryce Lewis. Byrce is an elite level powerlifter, having won silver in the IPF world championships in 2017 in the -105kg class.
Bryce is also an experienced coach and founder of The Strength Athlete, a premium coaching and education service.
Bryce displays a perfect blend of research knowledge and practical experience.
David & Bryce discuss:
Q1. What type of cues should we use in coaching?
Q2. How important is communication as a coach?
Q3. What methods of goal setting & visualization can be beneficial to performance?
And much more...
For full show-notes: www.hpascience.com/episode54
In this episode, David is joined by the founder of Reactive Training Systems, Mike Tuchscherer. Mike is an elite level powerlifter having achieved gold medal wins in both the world games and IPF world championships, 8 USA national championships and setting multiple IPF world records.
Reactive Training Systems offer elite level powerlifting coaching and education for coaching. Mike’s meticulous approach to coaching has led many of his athletes to outstanding success on the world stage.
Reactive Training Systems are a progressive company and continually innovating through in-house research projects.
For full show-notes see: www.hpascience.com/episode53
In this episode, David answers some of the common questions submitted by you, the listeners!
David discusses;
Topic 1: Weight training belts
What is the effect of belts on performance?
Are they of benefit to a bodybuilder?
Do they alter muscle activation?
What are the common mistakes people make with belts?
Topic 2: Knee sleeves
What is the current level of evidence?
What may be the mechanism by which they benefit performance?
Topic 3: Body weight fluctuations
Why is weight loss, fat loss , and weight cutting very different?
What causes bodyweight fluctuations?
How can we manipulate these factors to benefit in a weight cut?
What common refueling mistakes do people make following weigh-ins?
Full show notes at: www.hpascience.com/episode52
The overall goal of their research program is to discover and evaluate therapies that will enhance muscle function in people with acquired and genetic neuromuscular diseases and mitochondrial dysfunction. They have a particular interest in the potential for exercise, pharmacological and nutraceutical interventions to enhance muscle function and improve muscle mass. Their program spans the research disciplines from cell culture all the way to small-scale clinical trials.
In this episode David & Dr. Tarnopolsky discuss;
What are microvesicles & exosomes?
What are the potential applications of exosomes in:
Clinical settings and disease?
Exercise physiology
By what mechanisms do we believe exosomes are exerting their effect?
What is the potential future research into the area of exosomes going to look like?
For full show notes see: www.hpascience.com/episode51
In this episode, David is joined by Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum. Jordan is an experienced strength coach who is currently finishing up his medical degree. In addition to a laundry list of credentials, Jordan is also an elite powerlifter who has held one of the top 20 totals of all-time.
Dr. Feigenbaum’s professional qualifications include:
David & Jordan discuss:
What rate of injuries occur in competitive powerlifting?
Is powerlifting damaging to the heart?
How does powerlifting compare to other sports in terms of risk?
What impact does weight training have on bone health?
What impact does weight training have on longevity?
How should we alter training for an elderly population? How hard should we push elderly clients?
How to maximise efficiency?
And a lot of interesting tangents…
Full show notes available at: www.hpascience.com/episode50
In this episode, David is joined by Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition. Danny has a formal scientific background in academia, completing a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork. During this time Danny researched vitamin D, directly under the world-renowned researcher Professor Kevin Cashman.
In addition to that research, Danny took classes in biochemistry, clinical nutrition, micronutrient interactions and physiology. Previous to this Danny also completed a BSc. Degree in biology and physics education and spent a year teaching these subjects.
As well as producing media content, Danny also works as a performance nutritionist to professional MMA fighters, professional boxers and competitive powerlifters. He has consulted several teams in a number of sports. He also has an online coaching service that helps a wide array of clients with nutrition related issues.
In this episode, David & Danny discuss:
Are artificial sweeteners a cause of weight gain?
Are artificial sweeteners bad for our health or gut microbiota?
Is gluten something that should be excluded from our diets?
In this episode, David is joined by Danny Lennon of Sigma Nutrition. Danny has a formal scientific background in academia, completing a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork. During this time Danny researched vitamin D, directly under the world-renowned researcher Professor Kevin Cashman.
In addition to that research, Danny took classes in biochemistry, clinical nutrition, micronutrient interactions and physiology. Previous to this Danny also completed a BSc. Degree in biology and physics education and spent a year teaching these subjects.
As well as producing media content, Danny also works as a performance nutritionist to professional MMA fighters, professional boxers and competitive powerlifters. He has consulted several teams in a number of sports. He also has an online coaching service that helps a wide array of clients with nutrition related issues.
In this episode, David & Danny discuss:
How to know when body-fat levels are too high that a diet is required?
How to diet while minimizing performance decrement?
How to implement an aggressive diet?
How to decide whether a weight-cut is appropriate?
How to implement a weight-cut for same day weigh-ins?
For full show notes see: www.hpascience.com/episode48
In this episode, David answers a listeners question regarding research.
David covers;
Topic 1: Research in the obese and elderly
Why does so much research focus on elderly and obese populations rather than trained and elite athletes?
Topic 2: Trained versus untrained populations in research
Why are the majority of studies conducted in untrained populations rather than elite athletes?
For full show notes see: www.hpascience.com/episode47
Topic 1: Expectations vs. reality of owning a gym or online fitness business
Q1. Do the expectations of owning a business match the reality?
Q2. What unexpected issues arise in the setting up of such a business?
Q3. What is the best way to resolve conflict with employees, who are also friends?
Q4. How important is it surround yourself with people you trust & can delegate to?
Topic 2: Building a positive training environment
Q5. How do we build a positive training environment?
Q6. What unexpected roles do coaches often play?
For full show notes: www.hpascience.com/episode46
Episode 45 - Jordan Syatt – Dogmatic Fitness Trends, Nutritional Tracking, Increasing Your Social Media Following & Networking in Your Industry
In this episode, David is joined by Jordan Syatt. Jordan has been a world record level powerlifter and is currently a coach based out of New York city. Jordan has gained huge exposure as personal trainer to Gary Vaynerchuck and has engineered his social media to accumulate a large and influential following.
David & Jordan discuss:
Topic 1: Dogmatic fitness trends
Q2. What are the emerging fitness trends that could be damaging or dangerous for the industry or for people?
Q3. Is calorie and macro tracking essential for anyone trying to lose weight / gain muscle?
Q4. What are some tips for making tracking easier?
Topic 2: Individualised approach to training clients & assessing bias.
Q5. What screening/assessment systems does Jordan use for clients?
Q6. What questions must we keep in mind when programming for someone?
Topic 3: Social Media - Instagram & Networking
Q8. How important has social media been to the growth of Jordan’s business?
Q9. What are the common mistakes made by fitness professionals who are trying to grow their Instagram accounts?
Q.10 What tips / advice should be people know when trying to build their Instagram accounts?
Q11. What is the best way to network / collaborate with people in your industry?
For full show notes see:
www.hpascience.com/episode45
In this episode, David is joined by Dr. Stephen Patterson.
Stephen joined St Marys University, Twickenham in 2009 and is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology. He graduated with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science from Napier University, Edinburgh (2005) before completing an MSc in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise from Strathclyde University in Glasgow (2006). He then moved to Loughborough University where he completed his PhD specialising on the responses and adaptations to exercise with blood flow restriction.
Stephens’s research fits into two main themes of Health and Sports Performance with significant overlap between the two. His main research focuses on the following:
In this episode David & Stephen discuss:
Topic 1: Blood Flow Restriction Training
Q1. What is the theory behind blood flow restriction training?
Q2. Is there a standardised / optimal "tightness" we should use/aim for when using occlusion training?
Q3. What are the underlying mechanisms that seem to explain the adaptations attributed to blood flow restriction training?
Q 4. What are the practical applications of BFR, who, how, and when should we potentially use BFR?
Topic 2: Ischemic Preconditioning
Q5. What is Ischemic Preconditioning?
Q6. What are the proposed benefits and underlying mechanisms?
Q7. How are the potential practical applications?
Full Shownotes at: www.hpascience.com/episode44
In this episode, David is Joined by Dr. Greg Lehman.
Greg is a physiotherapist, chiropractor and strength and conditioning specialist treating musculoskeletal disorders within a biopsychosocial model.
Prior to his clinical career, Greg was fortunate enough to receive a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council MSc graduate scholarship that permitted him to be one of only two yearly students to train with Professor Stuart McGill in his Occupational Biomechanics Laboratory subsequently publishing more than 20 peer reviewed papers in the manual therapy and exercise biomechanics field. Greg was an assistant professor at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College teaching a graduate level course in Spine Biomechanics and Instrumentation as well conducting more than 20 research experiments while supervising more than 50 students. Greg has lectured on a number of topics on reconciling treatment biomechanics with pain science, running injuries, golf biomechanics, occupational low back injuries and therapeutic neuroscience.
In this episode, David and Greg discuss:
Q1. What is pain? What is the difference between pain & nocioception?. How do we process it? Why is it multi-dimensional? What factors influence our perception of pain?
Q2. What are the common misconceptions around pain and its sources? Why is pain poorly related to damage?
Q3. How do we go about determining the source of our pain and implementing a recovery strategy?
Q4. How much of an impact does our posture have on pain?
Q5. What does the research say about myofascial release and performance?
For full show notes and links see:
www.hpascience.com/episode43
In this episode, David is joined by Dr. Bobby Cheema.
Dr. Bobby Cheema is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Western Sydney University, and an Associate Researcher at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine. He has 25 years of experience in exercise physiology and prescription, and is internationally recognized for the quality of his work. Bobby is also a former elite level ice-hockey player in his native Canada.
Dr. Cheema’s academic background consists of:
David & Bobby discuss:
Topic 1: NCD's
Q1. What is a non-communicable disease?
Q2. What is the current state of public health? What is the current level of Non-communicable diseases?
Topic 2: Exercise / Exercise Physiologists
Q3. Is the role exercise underestimated in the treatment and prevention of disease? Why?
Q4. What role can the exercise physiologist play in disease prevention & management?
Q5. Is there a need for a global shift in our attitude towards healthcare?
Topic 3: Disease-Specific Focus, Exercise and Cancer
Q6. What does the current body of evidence say about exercise in cancer patients?
Q7. Is there a hesitancy about allowing cancer patients to engage in exercise?
Q8. What modalities of exercise appear to be most beneficial?
Topic 4: The Importance of Muscle Mass
Q9. How important is the maintenance of muscle mass in disease treatment and prevention?
For full show notes see: www.hpascience.com/episode42
In this episode, David is joined by Kris Saunders Stowe, the founder of Wheely Good Fitness. The podcast is recorded live at the Fit4All national expo (organized by Cara) in Dublin, Ireland.
Wheely good fitness provides group exercise classes to those with disabilities, in particular wheelchair users.
Kris, who is a wheelchair user himself, set about trying to improve the choices for wheelchair users whilst also changing the attitude towards disability and fitness.
For many wheelchair users there are medical issues affecting their lives and creating challenges every day whilst also having to cope with the side effects of medications along with the emotional strain an individuals circumstances can bring. However, overall fitness plays a big part in how we feel, cope with and enjoy life whilst also enabling independence and social interaction. A study in 2010/11 showed that 63% of wheelchair users are not taking sufficient physical activity, increasing their risk of developing certain chronic diseases by nearly 60%.
In this episode, David & Kris Discuss:
Q1. As a coach how do we adapt and approach exercise classes for wheelchair users of ranging abilities and function? What is unique about this style of exercise class?
Q2. Does a stereotype still exist in the general public and fitness industry around wheelchair users and what is "appropriate" for them? Are fitness centres skeptical/hesitant about hosting these classes?
Q3. Can wheelchair users often underestimate or are conditioned to believe they are not capable of engaging in exercise? How have these classes impacted on the lives of clients and their confidence?
Q3. What advice should be given to (i) wheelchair users who want to get involved in exercise and don't think they are able to? (ii) fitness professionals who may want to get involved in running exercise for wheelchair users?
Full shownotes at: www.hpascience.com
In this episode, David is joined by Michael Goulden of Integra Training.
Michael specialises in biomechanics (in particular exercise mechanics) and neuroscience, Michael builds programs that is specific to the clients body, anatomy, training experience and desired outcome.
His master’s degree is in Biomechanics (MSc) and is a Mastery Level Resistance Training Specialist (RTSm).
David & Michael discuss:
Topic 1: Anatomy
Q1. How important is it for coaches / personal trainers to understand anatomy?
Q2. What level of anatomical variation is common between clients & what impact does this have on exercise selection and execution?
Topic 2: Biomechanics & Exercise execution
Q3. How does understanding biomechanics benefit a personal trainer?
Q4. What is the resistance profile & strength profile of an exercise?
Q5 How does one practically apply the knowledge of these profiles to exercise execution? How do we stimulate muscles through their full ROM? How do we customise machine set-up to an individual?
Q6. Why is feeling the muscle not always a good indicator of musle activation?
Q7. Are the compound lifts enough to improve performance? What role do isolation exercises play in athlete development?
Topic 3: Muscular Priming & Rehabilitation
Q8. How can isometrics be used to "prime" the neuromuscular system for strength training?
Q9. What is the best way to treat muscle tightness?
Q10. As a practitioner, how does one deal with clients who want to "rush" or accelerate rehab quicker than possible
Full show notes: www.hpascience.com/episode40
In this episode, David is joined by the founder of Bayesian Bodybuilding, Menno Henselmans.
Menno was once a high-level business consultant who specialized in advanced statistical data analysis. Menno then traded in his business life to chase his passion of coaching.
In this episode David and Menno discuss;
This week David brings you a solo podcast addressing some of the common myths still believed by the general population.
The aim of this podcast is to act as a review session for fitness professionals and an easily understood discussion around some common concerns we see the general population have.
David addresses:
High Protein Diets:
Are they detrimental to our health?
Are they damaging to the kidneys & liver?
Where do the myths come from?
What is the link between high protein diets & cancer?
Creatine:
Is it a safe supplement?
Is it a steroid-like compound?
Where do the myths around creatine come from?
Carbohydrates and Fat Loss?
What does the evidence say about carbohydrate elimination and fat loss?
Is there a metabolic advantage to low-carb high-fat diet?
All show notes and links available at: www.hpascience.com/episode38
In this episode, David is joined by Irish life-coach Sarah Doyle, creator of the Better Life Project.
Sarah and her husband James are well known in the Irish health and fitness industry and spread positivity through evidence-based practice and the advocating of exercise.
In this episode David & Sarah discuss:
Topic 1. Body confidence and body image
Q1. What is the current situation in terms of confidence and body image? Is it a major problem in society presently? Is it something that just affects adolescents as stereotypically thought?
Q2. What are the main reasons for people lacking confidence or having a poor opinion of themselves?
Q3. What role does social media play in the current level of poor confidence and body image?
Topic 2. Public speaking & dealing with negativity.
Q4. What is the best way to become confident in public speaking?
Q5. How do we overcome a negative mindset? How do we develop a more positive outlook?
For full show-notes: www.hpascience.com/episode37
This week David is joined by Dominic Munnelly, a Dublin-based personal trainer who has successfully been working in the industry for over 20 years. Dominic has a degree in sports and exercise sciences and is co-owner of one of Irelands largest training facilities.
In this episode David & Dominic discuss:
Topic 1: Crossfit
Q2. What common misconceptions of CrossFit people have?
Q3. As a coach how do you decide when someone is capable of progressing to Olympic lifts?
Q4. As a coach how to you deal with people who want to progress quicker than they are able to and neglect the basics?
Q5. What are most common negative aspects of CrossFit we see?
Q6. What advice would you give to someone who is considering opening their own facility?
Topic 2: Sports science and continued education
Q9. How valuable has a degree in sports science been?
Q10.How valuable continued and on-going learning?
Topic 3: Negative relationships with food
Q11. What are the most common mistakes people make in terms of their nutrition?
Q12. Is the food prep culture something we should encourage?
Full show - notes: www.hpascience.com/episode36
This week David is joined by Steve Hall, founder and owner of Revive Stronger, a UK based online personal training business. Revive Stronger is one of the leading and fastest growing personal training companies in the UK. Steve is also the host of the successful "Macros, Bodybuilding & Powerlifting Podcast."
David and Steve discussed:
Topic 1: Online coaching as a business idea.
Q1. What attracted Steve yto working solely as an online coach rather than a traditional gym based PT.
Q3. What level of people respond best to online training? How important has client screening been to Steve?
Q4. What level of service can we give to our clients online? How do we keep the “personal” element in online PT?
Q5. What advice would Steve give to someone who wishes to begin an online coaching business? What in hindsight would you (Steve) say were the biggest mistakes you made when starting the business?
Q6. What are the best tools Steve would recommend for increasing efficiency in your personal training business?
Q7. How does Steve decide when it’s time to expand the business? What attributes does Steve look for in a prospective coach?
Q8. How difficult does Steve find it to delegate?
Topic 2: Evidence-based practice.
Q9. What does evidence-based practice mean to Steve?
All show notes and links can be found at: www.hpascience.com/episode35
In this episode David is joined by Professor Martin Gibala of MacMaster University.
Professor Gibala's research examines the regulation of skeletal muscle energy provision and he is particularly interested in the potential for exercise and/or nutrition to induce metabolic adaptations at the molecular and cellular levels in humans. In addition to basic, mechanistic studies, he also conducts applied research that examines the impact of exercise training and dietary manipulation on sport performance. Recently the work in his laboratory has focused on two main areas:
(1) Metabolic adaptations to low-volume, high-intensity interval training, with an emphasis on the regulation of oxidative energy provision.
(2) The potential for alterations in nutrient availability to impact the acute or chronic adaptations to exercise training.
David and Professor Gibala discuss the following:
This week David had the pleasure of being joined by Omar Isuf.
Omar is a successful fitness entrepreneur who transitioned from a personal trainer to a full-time YouTuber, with a current following of approximately 600,000 subscribers. Omar provides evidence-based content for his followers and regularly collaborates with world-leading experts. Omar used his influence to launch his own apparel company, Raskol apparel.
David and Omar discuss:
In this episode David is joined by Dr. Llion Roberts. Llion began his research training at John Moores University, Liverpool, UK; before moving to The University of Queensland in 2011 to undertake his PhD in sports physiology. He specifically examined the physiological, mechanistic and applied effects of cold water immersion after strength exercise; and the acute Vs chronic implications of its use.
His research interests lie with understanding the basic physiological and mechanistic responses to exercise bouts, and how they can be manipulated to maximize training adaptation per se, and in athletes. After his PhD, Llion has continued this line of research, examining the mechanistic, physiological and applied aspects of recovery and intervention therapies including heat, nutraceutical supplementation; and more recently, blood flow restricted exercise.
David & Llion discuss:
For full show-notes see: www.hpascience.com/episode32