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Matt what is your opinion on using “Deadstop” style reps as a method for standardizing form and progression? I’ve noticed with the progressive overload approach, some tend to alter form in order to increase load whether they try to or not. A good way to keep the form standard would be to implement a deadstop style reps, where the form is standardized, but would be there be any negatives to a deadstop style rep by having temporary loss of tension in the muscle? Also your possible thoughts on using deadstop reps as a means for safety, on exercises such as Adductors.
Hey Matt, I’m currently wrapping up a dieting phase and I’m going to be reversing out of it to start my next gaining phase. I am going to incorporate Berberine HCL this time during my push up to experiment and see how it effects my body composition as I gain weight. My current fasted blood glucose levels are around 80. Which of the two scenarios do you think is more beneficial?
- Implementing the Berberine from the very beginning of the surplus in an attempt to keep my already stable glucose levels stable as my calories and weight climb
or
2. Wait until my blood glucose starts to creep up and THEN introduce the Berberine
Hey Matt, I was just curious as to what you believe is the optimal intake of Omega 3’s in a diet plan. I’ve read some research that taking in too many Omega’s can have adverse health effects and was just wondering what would be a good dosage. Also, from your knowledge, is there any difference(s) between the capsule and oil versions of Omega 3’s? I’m currently using Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega but they also sell the oil version.
Matt,
- Thanks for the feedback on the blood sugar/GDA post. I look forward to the video!
- You mentioned above that your current “style” of dieting has been very successful. Is there any way that someone who is in a natural/TRT environment can replicate that style or is it largely due to the GH/other androgens that allow this to happen? In the past during my dieting phases I get into a very bad habit of making a huge adjustment right away and then I feel my metabolism adapts to that rather quickly and I spend the rest of the diet phase dragging calories lower and lower and increasing steps/cardio. I know that refeeds are beneficial but is there any merit for a refeed during a “mini cut – 8 week dieting phase with extreme deficit” phase or is a mini cut more of a “get in and get out” type of scenario? I always feel that having a refeed is a step backwards for me.
Not sure if this is an appropriate place to post this or if you have a seperate section for video recommendations but I was wondering if you could make a video on insulin sensitivity and blood glucose. I was very overweight in my childhood before bodybuilding and I have noticed everytime I go through a bulk/offseason phase I tend to put on a lot of body fat despite slower/more methodical caloric increases. I have never checked blood glucose or implemented GDA’s but it is something I would like to do to experiment and see if it will help me stay somewhat leaner as I push up next time (I have a bro-science theory that my body is genetically good at storing fat from my overweight childhood and now carrying into my bodybuilding years). I’m not sure if you have any recommendations as to how often to test your glucose, best times to check your glucose, what you’re looking for within the reading, what to do if you’re over, etc.
Matt as you go through your training rotations are you trying to progressively overload the isolation movements as well (the Flyes, Laterals, and Pressdowns in the above Push session) or only the compounds?
Super excited for this Matt as it comes at a time where we’re all being forced to get back to the basics, which is a huge blessing in disguise for us: I think it’s easy in the extremities of our sport that we lose focus on the bread and butter of what you’re doing. Are you going to be following a PPL or Upper/Lower split since you’re limited on equipment?
Hey Matt I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on what you think about a safe amount of dietary fat intake. I’m looking to try a different method with my next gaining phase in where I try to keep my dietary fat intake as low as possible and really focus on pushing carbs. I think if you look at the greats like Jay and Ronnie (while they’re obviously genetic outliers) they have both preached the importance of carb intake (Jay specifically) and never talk about Fats, and since success tends to leave clues I thought I’d give it a try. After making a sample diet my fat intake falls around 45 g per day with most of those coming from 3 whole eggs, 1 salmon meal (6 oz cooked weight) and 1 red meat meal (6 oz cooked weight). If I decided to go through with this phase what are some of the signs my body would give me that would lead me to increase my fat intake?
Thank you for the answer Matt. How would you recommend splitting up the dosage? AM and PM or with specific meals?
Hey Matt, I recently got a container of Redcon1 RPG for free at work. I’ve never used GDA’s before and since I got this for free I decided to give it a try. I’ve been using 4 caps (the serving size) with each carb meal over 50 g of carbs and it may be purely placebo but I really feel like I’m able to eat more carbohydrates and stay tighter and less bloated because of the GDA. I’d like to continue to use a GDA as I continue to press forward with my offseason but using 4 caps with each carb meal is going to get expensive very fast. Do you think that using Berberine as a stand-alone will be sufficient for my GDA needs, or do you think there’s a better option (maybe using 1/2 a serving with each meal or not using it with each meal to make my money stretch longer, etc.)
Hey Matt, training question:
I switched to a lower volume, higher frequency, progressive overload-focused training split about 2-3 years ago. Easily the best decision I’ve ever made and I’ve made a ton of progress on all my lifts. When I look back at where I was 2 years ago vs. where I am today the weights are much heavier and my physique has changed to reflect that. However, my strength on my isolation movements – like cable flyes, leg extensions, laterals, etc. – isn’t much heavier.
I’ve found that if I try to get as strong as possible on movements like extensions/laterals/flyes my joints have become more sore: aiming for leg extension PR’s each week destroyed my knees, etc. I know it is obvious that we MUST be progressively overloading our compound movements over time, but should we be doing the same with our isolation movements? Is there really merit to moving max tonages with a Cable Fly vs. using a lighter weight and focusing on more metabolic stress?
What I have been doing the past few weeks is logging my weights and reps with my compound movements and as long as they are increasing week to week I am content with that. When I move on to the isolation movements I don’t track weight and/or reps and I just focus on causing as much “pain” and metabolite build-up with them. I still use a low volume approach and use methods like Rest/Pause over drop sets to keep the load as heavy as possible, but I am not actively looking to get as strong as possible on these movements: (not sure if you’re familiar with myofibril vs. sarcoplasmic hypertrophy but I feel like this approach allows me to work on both in each session).
Matt, is the Pomegranate Juice for the benefits that Dante Trudel highlights, or for Fructose intra workout? I remember reading about what is referred to as a “Multi-Transportable Carbohydrate,” where Dextrins and Fructose consumed together increase the uptake of the carbohydrates.
Hey Matt, this question may be a bit personal so if you don’t want to answer it publicly then I completely understand, but I would appreciate some feedback either way. I am wondering if bodybuilding (whether it be coaching or competing) has ever caused any major issues/arguments between you and your wife. My girlfriend and I butt heads sometimes because of how much effort I put into bodybuilding. She doesn’t bodybuild (or even go to the gym and work out, for that matter) so it’s hard for her to grasp how much time is needed to be put into this. As of now, I am looking to do my first show in late 2020/2021 and so I’m taking this offseason period very seriously. Don’t get me wrong: we eat out at least once a week and spend a lot of time in each other’s presence (watching movies, going on walks, etc.). but she frequently tries to make me feel guilty about spending time at the gym, cooking and preparing meals, etc. saying it’s taking time away from her. I am doing as best as I can to try and reach my goals while still spending time with her, as I know that BB is a selfish sport and I don’t want it to be something that makes our relationship worse, but I am also very determined to do well in this sport. I spend most of my free time watching videos, reading logs, and other things to improve my knowledge as I also want to get into coaching, so I put a lot of time into this. I still make it a huge priority to do things with her but I still don’t think she understands how much I love this. I know that your wife as at one point a competitor so she was more than likely understanding of what needed to be done to accomplish the goal at hand.
Excited to see this unfold. If you could, I’d be interested to hear about your time with Justin Harris and how you liked his nutritional approach. His carb-cycling approach is something that seems really great to me at first glance but I also get a “too good to be true” type of vibe from it, especially when he talks about his mega-High days where athletes are eating 1,000 grams + of carbs and not storing any as body fat. I know you worked with him for a long time so any details on your experience with him would be appreciated!
Hey Matt, not sure if you are familiar with Justin Harris (he used to train with Steve Kuclo and was one of Dante Trudel’s old clients), but he is a big advocate of the Carb Cycling approach prior to a contest. From what I’ve heard, Carb Cycling is simply an adherence tool to help people adhere to a diet, but there are people who swear by physiological differences (improved metabolism, etc.). Just wondering what your opinions are on Carb Cycling and whether you do/have used it with clients before.
