Hammer and Chisel Performance Podcast

Why Diet Transition Phases are Crucial 17.09.2026 24min

Stop cutting right after you bulk and stop bulking right after you cut! In this week's nutrition rant I talk about why transitional maintenance diet phases are critical.

Ep. 100 | Garrett Walker: Toxic Body Positivty and the Decline of Masculinity 15.09.2026 1godz 5min

Garrett Walker, better known as Runvus Coaching, is a fitness coach and content creator known for his direct, no-BS approach to training, nutrition, discipline, and self-improvement. His content frequently challenges popular narratives in the fitness and wellness space and calling out bad actors in dishonesty in the industry.In this episode, we discuss the body-positivity movement and where acceptance can cross the line into normalizing unhealthy behaviors and the importance of personal responsibility and accountability.We also dive into what Garrett sees as a decline in traditional masculinity among men, the value of strength, discipline, resilience, and doing difficult things, and how modern culture may be shaping men's attitudes toward responsibility and self-improvement.

Eat more to lose fat. Start by building your metabolism. 10.09.2026 31min

Many people want to ultimately get leaner and lose body fat...but they are not consuming enough food to support an effective calorie deficit. Here is the approach I take instead, and how to evaluate whether or not this is the route for you to take.

Ep. 99: Brian Kula | Speed Training 101 08.09.2026 1godz 1min

Brian Kula is a veteran speed and performance coach and the founder of Kula Sports Performance. With roughly three decades of experience developing athletes from the youth level through the professional ranks, Kula has coached National Champions, All-Americans, Gatorade Players of the Year, Olympians, and professional athletes. He is especially well known for his longtime work with NFL star Christian McCaffrey and has also worked with athletes including Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown. Kula's background spans track & field, football, strength and conditioning, and speed development, and he was himself an All-American decathlete at the University of Northern Colorado.Brian gives us a Speed Training 101 look at how he structures an athlete's offseason. We cover acceleration, max-velocity sprinting, mechanics, force production, strength and power development in the weight room, recovery, and how all of these pieces fit together within a complete training week. Kula's approach emphasizes high-quality sprint exposures alongside strength and power work while managing fatigue so athletes can actually perform at high outputs.

Monthly Q&A Answered: All things diet and training 03.09.2026 1godz 3min

0:00 Intro1:22 How do you integrate eating out into your macros?2:30 Nutrition strategies for appetite when using Adderall or Vyvanse4:32 Do macro and calorie recommendations differ for women?5:07 My experience with retatrutide: benefits & side effects6:45 Optimal body fat percentage for performance & aesthetics7:59 Can you flex your pecs?8:23 How to structure a surplus for a 50kg female9:42 How to combine Olympic lifting with hypertrophy training10:21 Optimal daily creatine dose for muscle & cognitive benefits11:21 How should training change when going from growing to cutting?13:00 How to progress your strict press from 130 to 200 lbs14:03 How would you diet natural vs. enhanced lifters differently?15:12 Fast or slow weight cut for a strength competition?16:21 How many steps should you get while dieting?17:19 Favorite carb sources during a gaining phase18:33 Grass-fed, organic vs. conventional meat: is it worth it?19:13 Genetic limitations for natural muscle gain20:17 How to carb cycle during maintenance20:55 How much pre- and intra-workout carbs21:35 How much fluid should you drink daily?21:58 Does knee bend make an RDL not an RDL?23:19 How long should transitions between diet phases be?23:52 Best post-workout meal one hour before bed24:23 Do high-volume meals before bed affect digestion and sleep?25:06 Thoughts on nutrition & strength coaches without degrees26:20 How much fat should be in a post-workout meal?26:37 What body fat percentage should you start a growth phase at?27:04 My end goals for physique and training28:03 “skinny fat” beginner lifters28:47 Why are your biceps so sexy?28:57 Should you make body composition changes in-season?29:51 My go-to cheat meal31:04 How much fluid is too much during a workout?31:36 TSA with supplement powders32:01 Why almond butter over peanut butter?32:43 My pumpkin pancake recipe33:15 How to increase carbs during a reverse diet33:35 weight loss stall34:36 Best ways to learn strength & conditioning and nutrition35:32 Do natural testosterone boosters actually work?36:26 Will I offer discounts on coaching?36:50 How to foster a lifelong love of physical activity in your kids38:17 How to transition from bulking to cutting and vice versa38:49 Do I love Donald Trump?40:03 How to structure A/B or A/B/C weeks for squats & deadlifts41:14 How to get your first pull-up41:55 Meal timing & frequency for bodybuilding and performance42:45 Downsides of starting a calorie surplus while peaking for competition43:24 Should you log meat cooked or raw?43:38 What nutrition concept should every strength coach understand?44:14 Nutrition tips for very early morning training45:02 How I start a new nutrition coaching client45:49 How to structure pre- and post-workout nutrition47:01 How to transition from a cut into a gaining phase47:16 How much muscle can you gain after 5+ years of lifting?47:55 How much cardio should you do during a gaining phase?48:58 Ideal weekly rate of weight gain during a building phase49:16 How to approach a recomp if you’re “skinny fat”50:19 Am I natural?50:57 How to calculate daily electrolyte needs51:43 Do you like hugs from the right person?52:05 Does my enhancement protocol change when bulking vs. cutting?52:38 Do I have siblings?52:54 Meal plans vs. “If It Fits Your Macros”53:47 Best training split if you can only train 4 consecutive days54:32 Should baseball players prioritize physique or performance?55:05 How many of your daily carbs should be around your workout?55:24 total carbs or net carbs?55:39 How to improve squat, bench & deadlift while running56:20 How long should a building phase last after fat loss?56:47 body fat set point?57:45 How my nutrition & training philosophy has changed over 5 years59:18 How many sets per week are ideal for strength and size?1:00:40 Best barbell-only exercises for quad hypertrophy1:01:24 How should carb cycling change if you’re also running?1:01:58 Carnivore diet

Ep. 98: Maximus McCall, Unorthodox Diets and Supplements 01.09.2026 1godz 39min

Maximus McCall is an Australian nutrition and strength coach. He works with some of the most elite strongman competitors, powerlifters and fighters in the world. Max is highly intelligent and utilizes some unorthodox strategies for dieting, as well as some unique protocols for managing mental issues like addiction and depression. We dive into several of those interesting unique diet and supplementation protocols in this episode and there are some incredibly interesting takeaways from this conversation.

Why SLEEP May Be Overrated... 27.08.2026 21min

In this week's rant, I go delve into a different topic than nutrition and training and talk about SLEEP. And I have an alternative perspective to offer here.

Ep. 97: Stan Efferding | Nutrition, Longevity & Legendary Stories 25.08.2026 1godz 15min

Stan Efferding is an IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, elite powerlifter, coach, entrepreneur, and creator of The Vertical Diet. Known as “The White Rhino,” Stan has spent decades at the highest levels of strength and physique sports while becoming a respected voice on nutrition, metabolism, performance, and long-term health.Beyond his accomplishments as an athlete, Stan is known for his practical, evidence-based approach to improving body composition, bloodwork, digestion, cardiovascular health, and performance. His work emphasizes mastering the fundamentals—nutrition, training, sleep, movement, and health markers—rather than chasing unnecessary complexity.

The Truth About “High-Carb” Foods: You’re Eating More Fat Than You Think 20.08.2026 21min

In this week's nutrition rant, I dive into a huge error that people make when evaluating foods and their diet overall...over focusing on carbs and neglecting to account for the fats they do not realize they are eating!

Ep. 96: Dr. Ben Skutnik | Nutrition Made Simple 18.08.2026 1godz 37min

Dr. Ben Skutnik is a performance scientist, educator, and nutrition coach with a Ph.D. in Human Performance from Indiana University. With over a decade of experience in strength & conditioning, sport science, and nutrition, Ben has worked with everyone from collegiate athletes to national-level weightlifters and Olympians. He currently serves as Head of Nutrition Coaching for Power Athlete, where he helps athletes turn evidence-based nutrition principles into practical, sustainable habits that improve health, body composition, and performance.In this episode of the Hammer and Chisel Performance Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Ben Skutnik to get back to the fundamentals of nutrition.With social media constantly pushing new diets, supplements, hacks, and conflicting nutrition advice, it’s easy to lose sight of the things that actually matter. Ben and I break nutrition down to its basic principles and discuss what people should understand before worrying about the more advanced details.We cover the roles of calories and macronutrients, food quality, meal structure, building sustainable eating habits, nutrition for performance and body composition, and why consistently executing the basics will take most people much further than chasing the latest nutritional trend.Whether your goal is to lose fat, build muscle, improve performance, or simply develop a better understanding of nutrition, this episode provides a practical foundation you can actually apply.

The BEST Diet Approach to Gain Muscle 13.08.2026 29min

There is currently a debate in the fitness industry. Is the best way to grow muscle by essentially eating at maintenance and training effectively? Or smashing tons of food and gaining weight? I break down both sides and give MY opinion on the best way to approach this

Ep. 95: Vince Wilkinson, The Art of Locking In 11.08.2026 1godz 21min

Vince Wilkinson is one of the most unique humans alive. He is a strongman competitor, in the Army, has a massive social media following, and has become a huge influencer of men through his conquests in the fitness industry. A truly one of a kind human. LOCK in for this episode

Bonus Q&A with Will Ratelle, 70+ Questions Answered 09.08.2026 1godz 20min

I met up with Will Ratelle at his house in North Dakota. We trained our asses off and answered all of your questions you sent us on Instagram!TIME STAMPS0:00 Intro1:46 Advice for novices to gain as much muscle as possible3:25 Hunger hacks during a fat loss phase4:39 Best way to improve bench with a history of pec pulls/tears6:08 Cutting body fat while running high mileage7:26 Best protein, carb & fat split when cutting8:43 Are Zercher cleans useful for explosiveness and thickness?9:01 Could you guys beat Kane in a fight?9:33 How long to convince Jon to move to North Dakota?10:12 Top set/back-off sets vs. equal-weight working sets12:17 Would you return to strength & conditioning for an NFL head job?14:26 How important is electrolyte supplementation?15:53 How should you track cooking fats?16:26 Thoughts on full-body training for hypertrophy18:34 How to gain 10–15 lbs when training is already on point19:08 How should night-shift workers track calories?20:03 Do you miss college/pro football strength & conditioning?22:21 Reasons and timing for a mini-cut24:37 Should you go straight from a cut into a bulk?25:19 Nutrition, training & sleep: two great, one terrible25:48 Should training change between cutting and bulking?28:03 How lean should a male be before starting a gain phase?29:15 Thoughts on sauna for athletic recovery30:13 Which area of your business would you drop first?31:09 Should you adjust calories based on WHOOP calories burned?32:19 Top 3 protein and carb sources33:47 Does Will still warm up with dot drills?34:09 Diet structure for performance vs. body composition35:20 Minimum calories/kg before starting a cut36:09 Can you improve bench using only dips and behind-the-neck press?36:33 Best frequency and volume for sprint training37:46 What attributes do you like in your clients?40:13 All-time favorite training split42:02 What food scale brand do you recommend?42:21 Is power work and jumping overrated?43:23 Training an obese client with limited range of motion44:12 Hobbies outside of lifting and fitness45:26 How many years to reach your natural lifting limit?45:36 What have you changed your mind on nutritionally?47:30 Can a busy dad get big, strong & capable training 3–4 days/week?50:02 How do you recover after heavy training sessions?52:03 Favorite movies53:19 Could you arm wrestle Devon Larratt?54:29 Best strategies for injury prevention55:43 Does your pre-workout meal change between gaining and cutting?56:05 What do you believe that 99% of the field would disagree with?58:59 How to drink alcohol in moderation while maintaining a healthy lifestyle1:01:27 Can you still make gains while drinking on weekends?1:01:35 How should you adjust calories and training after surgery?1:02:23 Is hunger necessary for a good calorie deficit?1:03:19 How do you stay on plan while traveling?1:05:30 How can you speed up digestion?1:06:02 Accessory lifts improving but compounds regressing during a cut1:06:27 Why are Jon's calves so small?1:07:08 Should you stay in an 800-calorie deficit during a peaking cycle?1:08:17 Most impressive athletic feats1:09:58 Struggling to lose more fat after going from 25% to 13%1:10:46 Athletes you looked up to growing up1:12:10 Is an initial weight spike normal when starting a gain phase?1:12:42 Does undereating your calorie target during a cut matter?1:13:14 What do you think of people who say bulking is dumb?1:14:36 Preferred rep range for hypertrophy1:15:53 Maintenance or surplus on vacation with little exercise?1:16:21 Are barefoot/minimalist shoes worth it for training?1:16:38 What do you do to stay disciplined?1:19:47 Outro

Matching Training with Your Diet Phase 06.08.2026 39min

In this week's nutrition and training rant I cover how to properly match training cycles with the diet phase you are in. How to approach training while cutting, while bulking, and in transition or maintenance periods.

Ep. 94: Ashley Kowalewski, Unorthodox Training Methods 04.08.2026 1godz 55min

Ashley Kowalewski is a Strength & Conditioning Coach at LSU, where she oversees performance training for the Tigers' volleyball and women's tennis programs. A former Division I javelin thrower at the University of Oklahoma, Ashley has coached at Arizona, Missouri, Michigan, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. Known for her innovative, athlete-first approach, she specializes in developing resilient, high-performing athletes through unconventional and evidence-based training methods.Time Stamps00:00 Intro01:08 Meet Ashley Kowalewski (LSU Strength Coach)07:30 Pull-Up Progressions for Beginners11:42 Ashley's Coaching Journey18:34 Assistant Strength Coach of the Year20:14 Isometric Training Explained24:34 Yielding vs. Overcoming vs. Quasi Isometrics30:09 How Ashley Programs Isometrics38:34 Offseason Isometric Progressions43:23 Sponsor Break / Training Programs45:17 Isometrics for Recovery & Performance46:36 Hotel Workouts with Ratchet Straps50:50 "Train Like an Athlete" Misconceptions56:45 Deep-Tier Plyometrics & Landing Progressions01:01:45 Olympic Lifts: Are They Necessary?01:05:50 Why Athlete Availability Is King01:10:17 Single-Leg Training & Pit Shark Progressions01:18:40 Gamifying Training for Athletes01:28:30 Unilateral Training Philosophy01:36:45 Hold Strong Opinions Loosely01:45:10 Coaches, Social Media & Sharing Knowledge01:54:16 Where to Find Ashley Kowalewski01:55:08 Outro

Q&A Answered! Fat Loss, Carb Cycling, Reverse Diets, Training, Supps and More 30.07.2026 57min

Timestamps Below:00:00 Intro00:52 Carb cycling on week 11 of a cut – training is getting harder03:17 Creatine dosing04:49 How many intra-workout carbs should you use?07:34 My Mount Rushmore of training exercises09:30 Do you take HCG? At what dose?10:11 Can a natural lifter eat 900g of carbs on a high day?11:05 Is 1,900 calories too low for a 220 lb person finishing a cut?12:51 How do you reverse diet and know you're at maintenance?14:36 Macro percentages for bulking vs. cutting16:41 Nutrition after surgery (ACL repair)18:52 How should I structure a reverse diet after fat loss?19:56 My disc injury, rehab, and mental recovery22:31 Do you need a coach for a reverse diet?23:26 How would I redesign collegiate strength & conditioning?25:24 Rest days vs. active recovery26:15 Addressing metabolic slowdown during a calorie deficit27:24 Training program or nutrition plan first?28:07 When should athletes use a weight belt?28:56 Do you live in North Carolina?29:02 Will I ever do an endurance event?29:45 Recomp for a competitive powerlifter?31:03 Do women reach maintenance faster after a diet?32:00 Should you add activity calories to BMR?32:54 Nutrition for early morning training33:44 How do you get your girlfriend into the gym?34:42 Thoughts on designer PEDs35:20 Carb cycling for endurance training35:54 Ending a cut, hunger, reverse dieting & refeeds37:20 One thing I wish I knew before starting my business38:44 Best way to learn the science of nutrition40:13 Coming off retatrutide into maintenance40:43 Is 0.8 g/lb of protein enough naturally?41:14 Balancing lifting with speed & agility41:48 Programming lifting and running together43:13 Can you maximize lifting and cardio simultaneously?44:09 Finger flexor training for rock climbing44:31 Training during cutting and reverse dieting for general population45:06 Choosing a coach when transitioning from natural to enhanced46:20 When is moving to enhanced a good idea?47:33 Thoughts on BPC-157 for strength48:16 Transitioning from a cut into maintenance or a bulk48:49 Nutrition recommendations postpartum49:46 First time I witnessed freakish strength50:49 Could I beat Devon Larratt in arm wrestling?51:41 My current carb cycling approach52:08 Could I beat The Undertaker?52:23 Thoughts on intermittent fasting53:46 Balancing physique and performance goals54:36 When am I dropping merch?55:35 Outro

Ep. 93: Dr. Michelle Gordon, Is Obesity a Disease? Understanding GLP Drugs 27.07.2026 59min

Dr. Michelle Gordon is a board-certified obesity medicine physician with a background in general surgery and lifestyle medicine. After spending years as a practicing surgeon, she shifted her focus to treating obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease, helping patients understand the complex physiology behind weight regulation, metabolism, and long-term health. Her work emphasizes evidence-based care, the science of obesity, and the appropriate use of therapies such as GLP-1 medications to improve health outcomes. Obesity is one of the most misunderstood conditions in healthcare. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michelle Gordon to separate fact from fiction and explore what obesity really is, when it becomes a disease, and why it's far more complex than simply eating less and moving more.We dive into the biology behind weight regulation, discuss the role of genetics, hormones, and metabolism, and unpack the science surrounding GLP-1 medications—including who they're for, common misconceptions, long-term use, and where they fit into obesity treatment. Whether you're a coach, clinician, athlete, or someone looking to better understand metabolic health, this episode provides an evidence-based look at one of the most important topics in modern medicine

Why society treats discipline like its weird 23.07.2026 33min

This week's nutrition rant...Why do people like me get cast out as "the weird one" for adhering to structured nutrition and passing on alcohol? The frustrating backlash we face from society when we have a fitness based lifestyle.

Ep. 92: Joe Pedulla, How to train for SPEED 21.07.2026 1godz 48min

Joe Pedulla is a strength and conditioning coach specializing in sprint development, return-to-play, and athletic performance. He has worked with athletes across multiple levels of sport and is known for his practical, evidence-based approach to integrating weight room training with on-field speed development.How do you actually get faster? In this episode, I sit down with speed coach Joe Pedulla to break down how to effectively program both the weight room and field work for speed development. We discuss sprint mechanics, exercise selection, weekly programming, balancing lifting with sprint sessions, common mistakes coaches make, and how to build athletes who are faster, more explosive, and more resilient. Whether you're a strength coach, sport coach, or athlete, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways you can immediately apply to your training.

Tips for handling your diet while traveling 16.07.2026 38min

In this week's nutrition rant I cover some tips and perspective on how to handle your diet when traveling in various situations