RP Strength Podcast

Dr. Mike Answers Your Biggest Training, Cardio, Diet, and Supplement Questions 01.06.2026 54min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro, Mike's sickness, Nick's shoulder, and training downtime 05:05 Beginner weight selection and progressive overload 06:34 When to switch exercises in a program 10:23 Can lower weight and higher-volume lifting still grow muscle? 13:37 Deep stretch, hypertrophy, and what we know from research 15:29 Adding CrossFit, cardio, or running to strength training 19:02 Bodybuilders, strongman potential, and natural physique limits 20:35 What to do when the same muscle keeps getting injured 23:25 Power work, lifting, and jiu jitsu performance 25:16 Brain fog while cutting and practical diet adjustments 26:36 Carb timing versus total carb intake 28:36 Protein needs while bulking 30:42 Can natural bodybuilders get to 8% body fat? 32:04 Best cardio for fat loss and why steps matter 34:34 Emphasizing weak muscle groups while cutting 35:59 Artificial sweeteners during a cut 38:37 Over-the-counter test boosters 39:48 Peptides, GLP-1s, growth hormone secretagogues, and supplement caveats 44:23 Getting bigger while doing jiu jitsu and managing training tradeoffs 48:26 Sport-specific lifting for surfing and other action sports 53:55 Wrap-up

Why Most Tactical Fitness Tests Miss the Point | Dr. James Hoffman 25.05.2026 59min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. James Hoffmann's Links: Tactical Fitness Guide Instagram: @rpdrjames Military/First Responder RP Discount https://rpstrength.com/pages/military-and-first-responder-discount Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and James' current training 04:59 Memorial Day, Murph, and tactical training 05:43 Why James got interested in tactical populations 10:24 Why common fitness tests can point tactical athletes in the wrong direction 15:00 Body composition, strength, and cardio as prerequisites 18:38 Training cops more like MMA athletes 27:52 Body composition as the first tactical priority 32:52 Periodization and readiness for tactical professions 39:35 Law enforcement KPIs: strength, grip, sprinting, and jumping 46:06 Tactical guides, skills, and job-specific training 53:05 What's in the law enforcement article and upcoming resources

Sleep, Sauna, Massage, and Weed: Dr. Pak Rates Every Recovery Tool 18.05.2026 59min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Pak's Links: Instagram: @dr__pak YouTube: @Dr__Pak Website: drpak.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and Dr. Pak's secret Greek rap career 05:00 Big rock 1: sleep regularity matters more than total duration 12:40 Why dieting and being lean wrecks your sleep 15:05 Big rock 2: stress management and mindfulness 18:35 Big rock 3: managing training load 22:30 Cold water immersion: good for soreness, bad for post-workout hypertrophy signaling 25:40 Sauna: neutral to positive for muscle growth and a better bet than cold 34:00 When cold actually makes sense: in-season athletes on back-to-backs 36:00 Massage: soreness and flexibility benefits but no magic for muscle growth 40:30 Massage guns: mixed evidence, impairs explosive performance if used pre-workout 45:00 Cannabis and alcohol: occasional is fine, daily use is a net negative 58:00 Don't skip the big rocks chasing the gimmicks

Should You Get on TRT? Testosterone Myths, Risks, and Benefits | Dr. Eric Trexler 11.05.2026 1val 5min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Eric Trexler's Testosterone Article: https://rpstrength.com/blogs/articles/testosterone-101 Dr. Eric Trexler's Links: Instagram: @trexlerfitness ResearchGate: Eric Trexler publications Twitter/X: @EricTrexler Timestamps: 00:00 Intro, North Carolina and summer plans 04:27 Why testosterone and TRT have become more common 05:57 What testosterone is, normal male ranges, puberty, and low-T symptoms 10:27 "Optimization" vs medical need: should normal-range men push testosterone higher? 16:11 Why many men stop TRT and why the benefits can feel underwhelming 18:22 TRT vs steroids: what testosterone actually does for muscle gain 23:35 Testosterone in women, perimenopause, and masculinization risks 29:17 TRT adherence, topical vs injectable therapy, and the GLP-1 tangent 35:36 Are men's testosterone levels really plummeting? 46:26 "Natty or not," genetics, and why you can't reliably spot TRT use 01:02:41 How to naturally support healthy testosterone levels: body comp, sleep, training, diet, micronutrients, stress, and alcohol

Why Mindset Alone Is Not Enough to Win | Justin Sua 04.05.2026 1val 5min

00:00 Intro + why Nick wanted Justin on 01:05 What a "process coach" actually is 05:13 Why mindset alone is not enough by itself 07:00 Consistency over perfection: friction, environment, and better systems 12:41 Why you should only change one variable at a time 16:05 Justin Sua's background: baseball, sports psych, and coaching journey 20:22 From coaching to the Browns, WWE, Google, and UConn 29:10 Applying these systems to fat loss, muscle gain, and body composition 41:59 Why advanced people have more flexibility, but beginners need simplicity 50:01 "Are you prepared for this moment?" Confidence, routines, and missed habits 52:40 Building a "feel ready" system with elite athletes 55:52 Why community and masterminds accelerate growth

What's the Best Training Split for Muscle Growth? | Dr. Milo Wolf 27.04.2026 53min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Milo Wolf's Links: Instagram: @drmilowolf YouTube: @DrMiloWolf ResearchGate: Milo Wolf Timestamps: 00:00 Intro + Milo's current split: full body every day 01:18 Why Milo trains full body every day 09:01 Does high-frequency training beat up your joints? 11:06 Do you actually need to warm up for hypertrophy? 15:29 The best training split/frequency for advanced lifters 17:13 How many sets per workout is too many? 24:19 Should you train a muscle if it's still sore? 29:10 How to know if you should train more days per week 38:42 Best split for beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters 44:00 Full body vs upper/lower vs push pull legs 46:25 How specialization changes your ideal split 50:30 Is cramming all your volume into one workout still worth it?

Balancing Music Career Chaos And Fitness With Carter Vail 20.04.2026 55min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Guest Links Instagram: @cartervailmusic YouTube: @cartervailmusic Spotify: Carter Vail Official links: bio.to/cartervail Timestamps 00:00 - Intro and welcome to Carter Vail 01:38 - Entertainment versus education in creator content 08:30 - Nashville engineering job and committing to music full time 16:30 - College football background and moving toward LA 21:22 - Training and diet realities while touring 32:17 - Finding RP content and improving gym approach 38:20 - Managing jiu-jitsu training with a busy schedule 53:50 - Writing the next record and creative process behind new music

Coaching Bodybuilders Better: Corey Lindner on Technique, Division Demands, and Athlete Development 13.04.2026 58min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Corey Lindner's Links: Instagram: corey_lindner OCB Team Page: Team Corey Conditioned Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and first-time guest welcome for Corey Lindner 05:21 Athletic background: track, high jump, and early lifting 10:15 Military and fire department experience 13:45 Transition into bodybuilding coaching 17:45 Going full time into coaching after losing the firefighter clearance 30:03 Coaching client breakdown: 95% female and how that shaped his approach 34:19 Meathead vs science-based: finding the middle ground on load and tension 47:00 How coaching detail changes from novice to advanced athletes 50:30 Why division-specific criteria matter, especially in women's classes 55:30 Where to find Corey and final wrap-ups

Army Dietitian Reveals Why Soldiers Struggle With Nutrition | Gerald Ernat 06.04.2026 58min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Gerald Ernat's Links: Instagram: @geraldernat RP Strength coaching page: Work with Gerald RP article: Inside H2F: How the Army Is Redefining Soldier Fitness Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and April Fool's Day 02:25 Gerald's day job: Sports Dietitian for the US Army 05:54 Common soldier nutrition myths: protein timing, extreme diets, and supplement nonsense 10:50 Why soldiers should NOT show up shredded to basic or Ranger School 25:22 Army Body Composition Program: how soldiers get screened and flagged 32:15 Gerald's backstory: losing 70 pounds after high school and getting into lifting 45:15 How coaching soldiers and online RP clients is similar 48:00 On-the-go nutrition go-tos and the protein-plus-fiber framework 53:45 Client success story and wrap-up

Caffeine, Tolerance, and Getting Your Pre-Workout to Work Again with Dr. Eric Trexler 30.03.2026 54min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Eric Trexler's Links: RP article: Caffeine, The Double-Edged Sword Stronger by Science: The Lifter's Guide to Caffeine Instagram: @trexlerfitness ResearchGate: Eric Trexler publications Twitter/X: @EricTrexler Timestamps: 00:00 Eric and Nick's BEEF 🥩 06:53 Caffeine's prevalence in fitness 09:10 Eric's caffeine research background 11:04 Daily caffeine intake (1g/day of caffiene safe?) 17:30 Effective dosing by bodyweight and when high doses backfire 22:30 Tolerance and habituation: why your caffeine stops working 30:15 Caffeine withdrawal: symptoms, timeline, and how bad it actually gets 41:30 Caffeine sensitivity and genetics 44:00 Practical upper limits and sleep tradeoffs 48:00 Strategic caffeine use, deloads, and re-sensitizing 50:15 Different delivery forms: drinks, food, pills, and gum 53:45 Does caffeine Dehydrate you? Wrap-up and where to read more

The Science of Knowing When NOT to Train Hard (HRV) with Dr. Mike T. Nelson 23.03.2026 52min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Mike T. Nelson's Links: Website: https://miketnelson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmiketnelson/ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro - What brings Dr. Mike back? 01:20 Dr. Mike's background and how he landed in HRV research 05:45 What HRV is in plain language 09:06 How training stress changes HRV acutely and across recovery 16:00 Deload timing: proactive blocks vs reactive adjustments 26:55 Athlete vs lifestyle stress: using HRV to decide when to push or pull back 39:30 Aerobic base, breathing rate, and resilience 43:45 Supplements and what actually matters 49:00 Device accuracy, nightly measurements, and low resting HR caveats

Training Past Failure for Muscle Growth: What Actually Works With Dr. Milo Wolf 16.03.2026 1val 3min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Milo Wolf's Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrMiloWolf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmilowolf/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Milo-Wolf Timestamps 00:00 Intro,Wolf call, s**ty weather 02:35 Why training close to failure generally improves hypertrophy 05:05 Reactive vs planned deloads and fatigue trade-offs 12:29 Injury risk perspective: failure training in context 15:42 Study breakdown: failure vs past-failure training 33:53 Three ways to train past failure: partials, drop sets, and cheat reps 38:45 More stimulus > less volume 47:09 Minimal training dose: how little time can still work 53:36 Escaping all-or-nothing thinking in fitness 59:12 How to track progress when using failure and beyond-failure methods

The Truth About Body Fat Myths with Dr. Pak 09.03.2026 53min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Pak's Links: https://www.instagram.com/dr__pak/ https://www.youtube.com/@Dr__Pak 00:00:00 - "The Pakman's" Greek heritage 00:06:25 - Myth 1: Can you actually measure body fat accurately? 00:10:45 - Why body fat tests vary so much (Dexa, Bod Pod, BIA) 00:15:30 - Waist circumference as a better health predictor 00:21:10 - Myth 2: Does high body fat prevent muscle gain? 00:27:30 - The challenge of maintenance 00:33:00 - Defining a healthy body fat range for men and women 00:37:45 - Visual body fat charts and why they are unreliable 00:44:00 - How lighting and social media distort our expectations

Fasted Cardio, VO2 Max & Building a Better Fat-Burning Machine With Dr. Mike T Nelson 02.03.2026 1val 9min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Mike T. Nelson's Links: https://www.instagram.com/drmiketnelson/ miketnelson.com 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:45 - Dr. Mike T. Nelson's background 00:07:20 - Defining metabolic flexibility and fuel switching 00:09:00 - Genetic components of metabolism and the Pima Indian studies 00:15:30 - Training your body to become more efficient at burning fat 00:20:15 - Why carbohydrates are the preferred fuel for high-intensity power 00:29:48 - The truth about fasted cardio for physique athletes 00:39:21 - Using HRV to gauge recovery and cardio volume 00:41:28 - High protein diets (1.5g+ per lb) and hunger management 00:53:37 - NEAT and the subconscious reduction of movement during dieting 01:04:07 - The importance of VO2 Max for recovery in the offseason

Ethan Suplee: 300 lbs Lost & 5 Years of Maintenance - What No Diet Book Tells You 23.02.2026 1val 7min

Ethan's Links: Podcast + More Weekly Lives: https://2way.tv/ethansuplee/ Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. 00:00 - Intro & Welcome Back (5.5 years since last episode) 06:16 - Ethan's Backstory: First Diet at Age 5 09:00 - Hitting 536 lbs: The Freight Scale Story 15:50 - "Just Don't Eat Bread" 22:55 - Discovering Dr. Mike's TEDx Talk: Ethan hates it 😂 40:10 - The Maintenance Revelation: Harder Than Dieting? 51:15 - GLP-1 Discussion: Why Ethan Hasn't Tried Them 52:30 - Treating Weight Like a Chronic Condition (Sobriety Parallel) 59:15 - The Future of Dieting: Hunger as a "Solved Problem" 01:05:45 - Closing: "Life is Not Really a Struggle Anymore"

Do Partial Reps Build More Muscle? (Lengthened Partials Explained) | Dr. Milo Wolf 16.02.2026 1val 4min

00:00 - Intro: Is Milo Batman or Robin? 01:00 - How he finished a PhD young (23 YO BABY 💥) 06:30 - Why Milo chose to study exercise physiology 11:49 - What got Milo into lifting? 16:30 - Bulking mistakes: why big surpluses usually mean mostly fat gain 26:30 - How Milo started studying ROM as it's related to hypertrophy 38:45 - Not all partials are equal: stretch-position vs squeeze-position 44:30 - How Milo feels being assigned "The Stretch Guy" 49:50 - Milo's principled protocol for max hypertrophy 56:00 - Rep standardization: partials vs full ROM; Tempo and injury prevention

How to Lift With Cerebral Palsy (And Still Get Jacked) With Will Glasser 09.02.2026 57min

00:00 - Intro 00:00:51 - Will has cerebral palsy: what it actually looks like day to day 00:02:57 - Growing up with CP, how Will started lifting, and what early training looked like 00:15:08 - Gym confidence, feeling judged, and pushing past the "new guy" phase 00:19:11 - Exercise selection: why barbell squats are tough (and what he does instead) 00:33:24 - Machines, imbalances, and unilateral work 00:38:20 - Should you compete? Dieting realities and expectations 00:40:50 - Bulking: eating enough, high protein, and making it work in real life 00:54:49 - Advice for lifters with disabilities

Dr. Pak: The Truth About Volume Wars and How Little You Need to Grow 02.02.2026 59min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. 00:00:00 - We've got PhDs at home - the PhDs at home: Dr. Pak 00:02:00 - Dr. Pak's educational background 00:06:04 - Starting out for free: building experience in research and coaching 00:10:04 - Minimum effective dose and "volume tribalism" 00:20:45 - The "3-5 must-haves" for training: effort, enough volume, long-term consistency 00:23:30 - Setting realistic physique expectations 00:27:50 - The illusion of optimal 00:34:10 - Exercise selection flexibility + why titles/thumbnails look "absolute" but content is nuanced 00:42:10 - The "52 sets" misconception: specialization phases, tradeoffs, bad extrapolations 00:50:00 - Dr. Pak's current training, strength numbers, and bulking history

What It Really Takes To Be An Elite Athlete with Dr. Eric Trexler 26.01.2026 1val 6min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. 00:00 - Intro 03:20 - Is the 10,000-hour rule a myth? 07:15 - Specializing too early 13:43 - Why Doing Multiple Sports Can Make You Learn Faster (and Win More Later) 24:29 - The Hidden Cost of Early Specialization: Burnout, Injuries, and Quitting the Game 28:08 - What Makes Kids "Great" Often Fails at the World-Class Level 31:13 - Youth Stars Rarely Become Adult Legends: The 90% Turnover Reality Check 35:32 - How Sticking With It Paid Off for Nick and Eric 48:00 - When It's Appropriate to Specialize | Limitations of Specializing 59:35 - Practical Playbook: The 4 Takeaways You Can Apply to Training, Parenting, and Progress

The Truth About Science Based Lifting w/ Dr. Milo Wolf and Dr. Pak 19.01.2026 56min

Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. 00:00 - Intro 01:15 - How Milo and Pak found RP 05:10 - Milo and Pak's lifting > research arc 18:30 - How "evidence based" fitness has changed over the last 10 years 23:35 - What does "evidence based" actually mean 37:30 - How science is being misrepresented 49:15 - Looks ≠ Expertise 52:50 - Upcoming research and projects