The Breaking Muscle Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Body Recomposition - Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Simultaneously gaining muscle and losing fat is the holy grail for most gym-goers. It's known in the fitness industry as body recomposition. Body recomposition is a polarizing topic among experts. Some say it's impossible for experienced lifters. Others will tell you it's the best way to reach your goals.

In this episode, I explain that recomposition is possible, but it is extremely difficult, and most people who try will fail.

I explain the five circumstances where recomposition is the best approach for you.

Outside of these circumstances, you can do it, but your margin for error is smaller. If you don't get everything just right, you will almost certainly fail in recomping.

Listen to the episode to determine how the three factors decide if recomposition is an intelligent goal for you.

Once we've established that you are a good candidate for recomposition, I outline the top 10 training and nutrition strategies you must use to maximize your chances of success.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please DM me on Instagram @tommaccormick.

Sleep Is The Body's Most Powerful Recovery Tool Aug 04, 2021

Show notes

Sleep is fascinating. We all know it is good for us, and most of us would like to get more, yet, according to research, 43.2% of adults are sleep deprived. That's almost half the population wandering around like caffeine-addicted zombies with brain fog because of poor sleep.

This sleep deprivation is not normal or healthy!

Reduced sleep duration has been linked to seven of the fifteen leading causes of death in the U.S.

Poor sleep will:

Disrupt hormonal function
Weaken your immune system
Impair brain function
Slow your metabolism
Increase appetite and cravings
Reduce coordination

Essentially, sleep deprivation will hinder every health, performance, coordination, hormonal, and recovery marker.

This translates to you being unhappy, weaker, fatter, slower, and carrying less muscle mass.

In this episode, I cover what the research on sleep shows and provide you with strategies to improve your sleep.

Sleep is your body's most powerful recovery tool.

It's time you started treating it with the respect it deserves. Listen to the show now to find out how.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Building Muscle as You Age Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

It's common knowledge that we lose muscle mass and strength as we age. This is known as sarcopenia.

As someone approaching their 40th birthday, I'm interested to know what the research shows about this syndrome.

So, I dug into the research to see what, if anything, could be done to reverse or at least slow down the physical decline we go through as we age.

What I discovered was fascinating, and I share all of it in this episode.

I'll explain:

Why do we lose muscle and strength as we age?
That this rate of decay in physical capacity is not inevitable.
How you can keep gaining strength and muscle mass up to your 60s.

There is a large amount of research on this subject, and it was eye-opening to dive deep and learn that we are all largely in control of how much muscle and strength we have as we age.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle's channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

A Successful Career In Fitness With Tony Gentilcore Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I'm delighted to join Tony Gentilcore to discuss how he charted his path within the fitness industry and has built a thriving business using coaching, writing, and educating.

Tony was one of the co-founders of Cressey Sports Performance (CSP). Since leaving CSP in 2016, he has been training people at his own studio, CORE, located in Boston, MA.

During our conversation, Tony explained:

Owning your own gym is not the gold standard for success in the fitness industry.
There are other career paths you can follow to have a fulfilling and financially rewarding fitness career.
How he developed his education workshops and has taken them online during the pandemic.
He suffers from imposter syndrome occasionally despite having presented worldwide, training countless elite athletes, and being featured in numerous publications.
And why he rarely gives a single workshop

I had a ton of fun on this interview and have no doubt you'll find tremendous value in Tony's insight and experience.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle's channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The Art of Mini-Cutting For More Muscle Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

A mini-cut is a vital tool in your muscle-building toolbox. Sadly, it is often misunderstood or used recklessly. Used strategically, mini-cuts are one of the best ways to help you build the bigger, leaner body you want.

A properly executed mini-cut is like robbing the fat bank.

You get in, get what you want, and get out before suffering any of the negative consequences of chronic dieting.

In this episode, I break down everything you need to know about mini-cuts.

I cover the following topics:

What a mini-cut is and what it is not.
Why you won't lose muscle while mini-cutting.
The benefits of mini-cuts
How fast you should lose weight on a mini-cut
How to establish your calorie needs
Macro targets
The best food choices
Why nutrient timing can help
How to determine the length of your mini-cut
Training during a mini-cut
Cardio or cardi-no
When to use a mini-cut

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Stress Management and Hypertrophy Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I sat down with my friend and colleague, Tarek Shuhaibar, to discuss the importance of stress management on our overall health, gym performance, and physical appearance. Stress is a taboo subject, especially amongst men who want to be seen as the alpha.

We had an open and frank discussion about this. Throughout the episode, we break down the negative impacts of this on overall health and why this could be the limiting factor to achieving the results you want.

Tarek has built a career helping busy executives in London create lasting change in both body and mind.

This sustainable route to physique transformation has required him to become highly skilled at coaching clients in the gym whilst also helping them manage the countless stresses and strains their hectic working lives create.

If you feel like you are often overwhelmed or struggling to fit your training and nutrition in around work, family, and social commitments, then this episode is a must-listen.

It's packed full of useful, actionable strategies you can implement to get the most out of your day.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

A Plague of Strength Is the Best Type of Plague Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by Jamie Lewis to discuss the history of strength training.

Incredibly the origins go back a couple of thousand years, and much of what people were doing back then still holds now. So there undoubtedly are many lessons to be learned by doing your history homework.

Jamie describes himself as a cultural history nerd wrapped in tattoo-covered muscle.

He has a passion for history and holds a BA in History and East Asian Studies from the University of Arizona, an MBA from the Vienna University of Economics, and an iMBA from The University of South Carolina.

This passion for history, combined with his love of lifting (in 2012, he set an all-time, all-federation WR powerlifting total of 1,620 for a 181 pounder, making him the go-to guy when it comes to investigating training history.

During this fascinating interview, Jamie displays a near-encyclopedic knowledge of everything training-related from around 1,600 BC to the modern day.

So often, we can learn so much by looking back. This episode will undoubtedly provide you with jaw-dropping stories of how people used to train, the social, political, and economic pressures that drove physical culture at different stages of humanity, and why, with all the advantages we currently enjoy, it's a crime so many humans are in such bad health.

I had a ton of fun on this interview and have no doubt Jamie's infectious personality will grab your attention and inspire you to demand more of yourself.

If you'd like to know more about Jamie, look on his website or Instagram @plagueofstrength.

Strength Training for Ice Cold Elite Athletes Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

Our guest, Yunus Barisik, explains exactly what it takes to produce elite-level athletes for ice hockey in this episode.

He particularly highlights the need for increased strength and outlines exactly how he structures his athlete's training throughout the year to optimize performance and keep them injury-free.

Yunus has personally trained and designed strength, speed, and conditioning programs for 500+ athletes at all levels of competitive hockey, including:

NHL draft picks from ten NHL teams
Men's and women's national teams
NCAA D1
The Finnish elite league
Ten gold medal winners at four different U18 and U20 world championships since 2016

Yunus has written the book on Strength Training for Ice Hockey. I'm not joking; he literally has. You can get a free copy. You can contact Yunus on his website or Instagram @yunusbarisik.

Helping Regular People Build Incredible Physiques Jun 05, 2021

Show notes

Steve Keane is the co-founder of Kraft Coaching, a coaching service specializing in helping regular people develop incredible physiques. I'm a big fan of Steve's work and think of him as part coach, part fitness philosopher.

Steve's coaching journey has seen him pivot from coaching competitive physique athletes to helping general population clients.

In this episode, he explains why this change has increased his sense of fulfillment.

He also describes the similarities and differences between training physique competitors and recreational lifters who want to look great.

We cover the differences in:

Training
Diet
Mindset

We also delve into how his coaching practices have evolved and enable him to get the best from his clients.

How To Utilize Diet Periodization For Maximum Muscle Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, I explain what diet periodization is, why you need it to take your physique to the next level, and the three simple questions you need to answer to design the perfect diet for your goals.

Your training and diet should reflect your goals.

Your workouts and nutrition choices should work synergistically to help you reach those goals. It seems obvious, but many people fail to do it.

But with just a bit of planning, you can avoid this common mistake. Synching your diet and training together isn't complicated. By assessing your goals and what they require, you can set up a successful diet and know how to adjust it as you progress through different training phases.

When it comes to body composition goals, there are three traditional phases of training:

Mass Gain—Building
Fat Loss—Cutting
Maintenance—Solidification

These phases matched up with the right eating plan should maximize your results. Build a diet plan that works synergistically with each phase of training.

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