Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast

Episoade

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  ERIC HELMS: STUBBORN MUSCLE GROUP MASTERCLASS | VOLUME, EXERCISE SELECTION & SPECIALIZATION CYCLES | EP. 242 17.09.2026 1h 40min

  Why do some muscle groups seem to grow from almost anything you throw at them while others lag behind for years?And when a body part refuses to keep pace with the rest of your physique, is it really genetics, or is the issue more often exercise selection, execution, volume, or the way your training is structured?On this episode of the Chasing Clarity Health & Fitness Podcast, I’m joined once again by Dr. Eric Helms for a deep dive into how to diagnose and bring up stubborn or lagging muscle groups.We start by breaking down what actually qualifies as a lagging body part and why the term “stubborn muscle group” may sometimes oversimplify the problem.Eric explains how genetics, skeletal structure, muscle architecture, biomechanics, and even unrealistic physique expectations can influence how a muscle looks and develops, and why a body part that appears genetically disadvantaged may still have considerable room for improvement.From there, we get into one of the most important parts of the conversation: exercise selection.We discuss why simply performing an exercise that is commonly associated with a muscle does not guarantee that every region of that muscle is receiving an effective hypertrophy stimulus, why biarticular muscles create unique programming considerations, and where isolation work can fill gaps left by compound movements.We also get practical with how to determine whether the target muscle is actually becoming the limiting factor in an exercise using performance, pumps, soreness, drop sets, isolation movements, and other forms of training biofeedback.Then we move into specialization cycles and discuss when it makes sense to stop trying to grow everything equally and deliberately shift more of your training resources toward one lagging muscle group.TOPICS INCLUDE:WHAT ACTUALLY QUALIFIES AS A STUBBORN OR LAGGING MUSCLE GROUPGENETICS VERSUS PROGRAMMING AND EXERCISE-SELECTION PROBLEMSWHY DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE SAME MUSCLE MAY GROW DIFFERENTLYWHY SOME EXERCISES FAIL TO FULLY STIMULATE THE MUSCLE YOU THINK THEY DOCOMPOUND VERSUS ISOLATION EXERCISES FOR COMPLETE DEVELOPMENTHOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE TARGET MUSCLE IS ACTUALLY LIMITING THE SETUSING PUMPS, SORENESS, PERFORMANCE, AND OTHER BIOFEEDBACK INTELLIGENTLYWHY RANDOM EXERCISE VARIATION RARELY MAKES SENSEHOW MUCH EXERCISE VARIETY YOU ACTUALLY NEEDWHEN SPECIALIZATION CYCLES BECOME APPROPRIATEHOW MUCH TO INCREASE VOLUME FOR A LAGGING MUSCLE GROUPWHY YOUR PREVIOUS TRAINING VOLUME MATTERSREALLOCATING VOLUME FROM DOMINANT MUSCLES TOWARD WEAK POINTSWHY EXERCISE QUALITY SHOULD USUALLY IMPROVE BEFORE VOLUME INCREASESBALANCING HYPERTROPHY STIMULUS AGAINST FATIGUE, JOINT STRESS, AND INJURY RISKSETTING REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR PROGRESS AS AN ADVANCED TRAINEEIf you have a body part you’ve been calling “genetically stubborn” for years, this episode will give you a much better framework for determining why it is actually lagging and what variables you can change to get it progressing again.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  DR. TONY BOUTAGY: FEMALE EXERCISE MASTERCLASS — DO WOMEN NEED TO TRAIN DIFFERENTLY? THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFTING HEAVY, BUILDING MUSCLE, HIIT, ZONE 2 & FAT LOSS | EP. 241 14.09.2026 1h 24min

  Do women actually need to train differently from men?Do women need to lift primarily in very low rep ranges to build muscle?Is HIIT uniquely superior for the female body?Does Zone 2 work differently for women?And when fat loss is the goal, should women prioritize intervals or lower-intensity continuous cardio?There has been an explosion of female-specific training advice across social media, and much of it sounds highly scientific.It references hormones, muscle-fiber types, metabolic flexibility, mitochondrial adaptations, menopause, and sex-specific physiology.But one of the biggest mistakes we continue to see is identifying a legitimate physiological difference between women and men and immediately turning it into a universal female-specific training recommendation.In this episode of the Chasing Clarity Health & Fitness Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Tony Boutagy for what I’m calling a Female Exercise Masterclass.Together, we separate social media fiction from the human evidence and discuss what actually matters when programming resistance training and cardio for women.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:DO WOMEN ACTUALLY NEED TO TRAIN DIFFERENTLY FROM MEN?WHICH PHYSIOLOGICAL SEX DIFFERENCES ACTUALLY MATTER FOR PROGRAM DESIGN?DO WOMEN RESPOND DIFFERENTLY TO RESISTANCE TRAINING?THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ABSOLUTE & RELATIVE MUSCLE GROWTHDO WOMEN NEED TO LIFT HEAVY TO BUILD MUSCLE?THE MYTH THAT WOMEN NEED TO TRAIN PRIMARILY IN THE 3–5 REP RANGELOW-, MODERATE- & HIGH-LOAD TRAINING FOR HYPERTROPHYTHE FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY TO BOTH WOMEN & MENWHY SHORT REST PERIODS AREN’T AUTOMATICALLY BETTER FOR WOMENIS HIIT UNIQUELY SUPERIOR FOR WOMEN?WHY HARDER CARDIO DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN BETTER FAT LOSSHOW EXCESSIVE HIIT CAN IMPACT RECOVERY, NEAT & LIFTING PERFORMANCEIS ZONE 2 CARDIO LESS EFFECTIVE FOR WOMEN?THE PROBLEM WITH USING ANIMAL & MECHANISTIC RESEARCH TO CREATE FEMALE-SPECIFIC CARDIO RULESWHAT THE LARGEST HUMAN DATASET SHOWS ABOUT SEX, MENOPAUSE & MITOCHONDRIAL ADAPTATIONSHOW TO COMBINE RESISTANCE TRAINING & CARDIO FOR BUILDING MUSCLE WHILE LOSING BODY FATHOW TO STRUCTURE CARDIO WITHOUT COMPROMISING LOWER-BODY TRAINING OR RECOVERYThe goal of this episode is not to pretend that women and men are physiologically identical.It is to understand when those differences matter, how much they matter, and whether they are actually significant enough to change what we do in practice.Because not every sex difference requires a different training program.For most women, the fundamentals still matter most:Progressive overloadSufficient training volumeHigh degrees of effortAppropriate proximity to failureAdequate recoveryStrategically programmed cardioAnd consistency over timeThis episode gives women and coaches a clear, evidence-informed framework for cutting through the noise and building a training and cardio program around what actually drives results.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  ERIC HELMS: THE PROCESS OF GETTING PEELED: RATE OF LOSS, PROTEIN INTAKE & HUNGER MANAGEMENT FOR MAXIMIZING MUSCLE RETENTION DURING FAT LOSS | EP. 240 09.09.2026 1h 46min

  Most people think getting shredded is just a matter of pushing the deficit harder and holding on longer. But the deeper you get into a fat loss phase, the more the rules change. A calorie deficit doesn’t just reduce body fat, it actively shifts your body toward a catabolic state by lowering muscle protein synthesis, increasing muscle protein breakdown, and increasing protein oxidation. And here’s the part most people miss: those effects get worse the leaner you get. Which means the strategies that worked at 20% body fat aren’t the strategies that will protect your muscle at 8%. Getting peeled isn’t about enduring more. It’s about knowing which variables need to change, and when.In this episode of CHASING CLARITY, I’m joined again by Dr. Eric Helms, WNBF professional natural bodybuilder, Co-Director at AUT in New Zealand, co-founder the MASS Research Review, and author of The Muscle & Strength Pyramid books. Eric is one of the most respected voices in evidence-based bodybuilding and nutrition, and in this conversation we get into the finer details of what it actually takes to get extremely lean while holding onto the muscle you spent years building.WE COVER:THE RATE OF LOSS YOU SHOULD TARGET WHEN GETTING SUPER LEAN WHY YOUR RATE OF LOSS SHOULD SLOW DOWN THE LEANER YOU GET THE DESCENDING AND DYNAMIC RATE OF LOSS APPROACH I USE WITH CLIENTS AND ERIC’S HONEST TAKE ON IT HOW MUCH FLEXIBILITY EXISTS WITHIN THE 0.5 TO 1% PER WEEK GUIDELINE HOW A CALORIE DEFICIT REDUCES MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND INCREASES BREAKDOWN WHY PROTEIN OXIDATION IS HIGHER IN LEANER INDIVIDUALS THE NEW SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-REGRESSION ON PROTEIN INTAKE AND LEAN MASS RETENTION WHY PROTEIN INTAKE SHOULD SCALE WITH BODY FAT PERCENTAGE WHY I TREAT PROTEIN AS AN INSURANCE POLICY DURING CONTEST PREP EVIDENCE-BASED HUNGER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR DEEP IN A DIET FOOD VOLUME, ENERGY DENSITY, TEXTURE AND EATING PACE AS SATIETY LEVERS PRACTICAL COACHING TAKEAWAYS YOU CAN APPLY IMMEDIATELYIf you’ve ever gotten lean and watched your strength fall off, your recovery disappear, and the mirror stop changing even though the scale kept moving, this episode will show you where the process broke down. And if you’re a coach or competitor who wants to understand not just what the guidelines say but why they exist and when to deviate from them, this conversation gives you the mechanisms behind the recommendations.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  FAT LOSS HUNGER HACKS: THE SCIENCE-BACKED TACTICS THAT BLUNT HUNGER & CRAVINGS DURING A DIET | FAT LOSS SERIES PART 8 | EP. 239 07.09.2026 31min

  Hunger is the number one reason most people struggle to stay consistent during a Fat Loss Phase. In Part 7, I walked you through the six strategic principles that build a diet where satiety is produced by your food choices themselves rather than relying on willpower. But even with that strategic foundation in place, hunger and cravings will still show up, especially in the windows between meals where most dieters actually break their diet.This episode is the tactical follow up to Part 7. These are the specific, in-the-moment hunger hacks I use with my clients to bridge those windows and blunt hunger and cravings without derailing the deficit they’ve worked to create at meals.Here’s what most people don’t realize. The strongest hunger hacks aren’t gimmicks and they aren’t tricks. They work because they manipulate the underlying mechanisms that govern food intake and satiety. In this episode, I break down the nine mechanisms that make hunger hacks work, and then I walk you through the specific evidence-based tactics that leverage them. Some of these you’ve probably heard before but may have been deploying ineffectively. Some you may not have heard before but have substantial research behind them. Either way, you’ll walk away knowing exactly which tactics to deploy for your specific execution gaps.Because once you understand how to manage hunger in the moment, staying in a deficit stops being a battle you fight and becomes a system that works for you.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER: THE NINE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS THAT MAKE HUNGER HACKS ACTUALLY WORK WHY SOLID FOODS BLUNT HUNGER FAR MORE THAN LIQUID CALORIES AT THE SAME CALORIE COUNT THE BARBARA ROLLS RESEARCH ON WHOLE FRUIT VS APPLESAUCE VS JUICE AND SATIETY WHY LIQUID CALORIES FAIL THE SATIETY SYSTEM AND DRIVE OVERCONSUMPTION HOW EATING RATE DIRECTLY AFFECTS HOW MANY TOTAL CALORIES YOU CONSUME WHY HARDER TEXTURED FOODS INCREASE SATIETY AND SLOW YOUR EATING NATURALLY THE SLOWED EATING AND CHEWING TECHNIQUES THAT REDUCE MEAL SIZE THE TWO CUP RULE: HOW WATER PRELOADING BEFORE MEALS REDUCES CALORIE INTAKE WHAT THE SWITCH TRIAL REVEALS ABOUT DIET SODA AND FAT LOSS VS WATER WHY DISTRACTED EATING MAKES YOU HUNGRIER LATER AND HOW MEAL MEMORY WORKS THE PORTION CONTROL AND PLATE SIZE TACTICS THAT REDUCE INTAKE AUTOMATICALLY HOW TO USE COFFEE AND CAFFEINE TIMING TO BLUNT APPETITE BETWEEN MEALS WHY GUM CHEWING BRIDGES THE GAP FOR BOREDOM AND STRESS EATING HOW SENSORY-SPECIFIC SATIETY EXPLAINS WHY THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR DESSERT HUNGER RIDING: THE ACCEPTANCE-BASED SKILL FOR LETTING CRAVINGS PASS THE 10 TO 20 MINUTE PAUSE-AND-ASSESS PROTOCOL FOR DISTINGUISHING TRUE HUNGER FROM CRAVINGSIf you’ve struggled to stay consistent between meals, if cravings and hunger have derailed your Fat Loss Phases before, or if you’ve tried hunger hacks that didn’t work because you were deploying them without understanding the mechanisms behind them, this episode is going to give you the tactical toolkit to blunt hunger, beat cravings, and finally make staying in a deficit feel manageable.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  LYLE MCDONALD: CONTEST PREP USING INTERMITTENT MODIFIED FASTING | HOW TO GET STAGE LEAN WHILE PRESERVING MUSCLE | EP. 238 02.09.2026 1h 41min

  How do you take a physique athlete from a productive Building Phase all the way to stage condition while preserving as much muscle, training performance and recovery as possible?And does the traditional approach of continually cutting calories, adding cardio and pushing harder as the show gets closer actually make sense?In Part 3 and the final installment of my Intermittent Modified Fasting series, I’m joined once again by Lyle McDonald to take the IMF framework into one of its most advanced applications: contest preparation.We start by discussing something that often gets overlooked before the diet even begins: how to transition intelligently from gaining into fat loss.Rather than treating Building and Fat Loss Phases like an on/off switch, Lyle explains his Pre-Diet or Transition Phase and why temporarily moving toward maintenance, adjusting resistance-training volume and gradually introducing cardio may better prepare an athlete for a longer dieting phase.From there, we get deep into contest prep and discuss how IMF allows us to think differently about where we place the calorie deficit across the week.Instead of simply eating less every day, IMF allows RFL days, maintenance days, training, cardio and carbohydrate availability to be strategically organized around the athlete’s needs.Because the goal of contest prep isn’t simply to lose weight.It’s to arrive stage lean while preserving as much muscle and performance as possible.IN THIS EPISODE:HOW TO TRANSITION FROM A LEAN BUILDING PHASE INTO FAT LOSSLYLE’S PRE-DIET / TRANSITION PHASEWHY JUMPING DIRECTLY FROM A SURPLUS INTO AN AGGRESSIVE DEFICIT MAY NOT BE IDEALWHEN & HOW TO INTRODUCE CARDIOWHY RESISTANCE TRAINING DURING CONTEST PREP SHOULD PRIMARILY BE USED TO PRESERVE MUSCLEHOW LYLE WOULD STRUCTURE A NATURAL BODYBUILDING CONTEST PREP USING IMFHOW TO MANIPULATE RFL DAYS & MAINTENANCE DAYS AS A COMPETITOR GETS LEANERWHY GETTING AHEAD EARLY IN PREP CAN CREATE MORE OPTIONS LATERHOW TO PLACE MORE CALORIES & CARBOHYDRATES AROUND YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TRAINING SESSIONSWHY REFEEDS & MAINTENANCE DAYS BECOME MORE USEFUL DEEPER INTO PREPUSING REFEEDS AS PRACTICE RUNS FOR PEAK WEEKHOW TO DETERMINE WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK YOUR BEST AFTER A CARB LOADWHY PEAK WEEK SHOULD BE PRACTICED RATHER THAN IMPROVISEDTHE PROBLEMS WITH EXTREME WATER DEPLETION & OUTDATED PEAK-WEEK PRACTICESWHY EVERY REFEED, MAINTENANCE DAY & DIET BREAK NEEDS TO EARN ITS PLACE DURING CONTEST PREPThe bigger theme running through this entire series is nutritional periodization.Fat loss still requires an energy deficit. IMF doesn’t change that.What it potentially changes is where we place that deficit, allowing us to push harder when the physiological cost is lower while providing more energy when training performance, recovery and muscle retention matter most.For physique athletes and coaches interested in the finer details of getting stage lean without blindly relying on more restriction, more cardio and more fatigue, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG:https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services:https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail:[email protected]’S NEWEST BOOKS: https://store.bodyrecomposition.comSAVE 20% BY USING CODE: larrywon
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  HUNGER & APPETITE MANAGEMENT MASTERCLASS FOR FAT LOSS: THE 6 PRINCIPLES THAT MAKE STAYING IN A DEFICIT FEEL EASIER | FAT LOSS SERIES PART 7 | EP. 237 31.08.2026 36min

  Hunger is the number one reason most people struggle to stay consistent during a Fat Loss Phase. It’s not that dieters don’t know they need to eat fewer calories. It’s that staying in a deficit feels impossibly challenging when hunger and cravings take over. What I want to establish in this episode is that hunger management isn’t about willpower or about white-knuckling your way through a diet. It’s about understanding the specific principles that determine whether food leaves you satiated or starving, and then building your diet around those principles so the deficit becomes feasible to sustain.In this episode, we go deep on the science of hunger and appetite management and the six strategic principles I use with my clients to make a Fat Loss Phase feel dramatically easier. We cover what hunger actually is and how it differs from appetite, the distinction between homeostatic hunger driven by physiological need and hedonic hunger driven by reward, and the six dietary principles that determine whether your food choices fill you up or leave you fighting hunger throughout the day. Each principle is backed by research and operationally tested across thousands of client transformations.Because once you understand how these principles work and how to apply them, hunger stops being something you have to fight at every meal and starts being something your nutrition is structurally producing for you.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER: WHY HUNGER MANAGEMENT ISN’T ABOUT WILLPOWER OR WHITE-KNUCKLING THROUGH A DIET THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HUNGER, APPETITE, SATIATION, AND SATIETY HOW THE INTERVENTIONS FOR MANAGING WITHIN-MEAL FULLNESS DIFFER FROM BETWEEN-MEAL FULLNESS HOMEOSTATIC VS HEDONIC HUNGER AND HOW TO TELL WHICH ONE YOU’RE EXPERIENCING THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR DISTINGUISHING TRUE HUNGER FROM CRAVINGS WHY HEDONIC HUNGER OVERRIDES YOUR BODY’S TRUE NEEDS IN THE MODERN FOOD ENVIRONMENT PRINCIPLE #1: HOW TO USE ENERGY DENSITY TO EAT MORE FOOD FOR FEWER CALORIES HOW LOWERING THE ENERGY DENSITY OF YOUR DIET REDUCES CALORIE INTAKE BY 223 CALORIES PER DAY PRINCIPLE #2: THE HOLT SATIETY INDEX AND THE FIVE FACTORS THAT MAKE FOOD FILLING WHY BOILED POTATOES ARE 7X MORE FILLING THAN CROISSANTS PER CALORIE PRINCIPLE #3: WHY ANCHORING EVERY MEAL WITH PROTEIN IS THE FOUNDATION OF HUNGER MANAGEMENT THE HORMONAL MECHANISMS BEHIND WHY PROTEIN SUPPRESSES HUNGER AND INCREASES SATIETY THE PROTEIN LEVERAGE THEORY AND HOW IT DRIVES YOUR TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE HOW INCREASING PROTEIN FROM 15% TO 30% OF CALORIES PRODUCES A SPONTANEOUS 441 CALORIE REDUCTION PRINCIPLE #4: WHY FIBER IS THE QUEEN OF FAT LOSS AND HOW IT PRODUCES STRUCTURAL SATIETY HOW INCREASING FIBER BY 28 GRAMS PER DAY CAN SPONTANEOUSLY REDUCE CALORIE INTAKE BY 20% PRINCIPLE #5: MODIFYING FOOD PALATABILITYHOW ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS DRIVE 508 EXTRA CALORIES PER DAY EVEN WHEN MATCHED FOR EVERYTHING PRINCIPLE #6: HOW ALIGNING MEAL TIMING WITH YOUR CIRCADIAN BIOLOGY MAKES FAT LOSS FEEL EASIER WHY FRONT-LOADING CALORIES EARLIER IN THE DAY PRODUCES LESS HUNGER AT MATCHED CALORIE INTAKEIf you’ve been white-knuckling your way through fat loss diets, if you’ve struggled to stay consistent in a deficit because hunger and cravings derail you, or if you’ve never fully understood the science of appetite management, this episode is going to give you the strategic framework to make staying in a deficit feel dramatically easier.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  LYLE MCDONALD: HOW BIG OF A CALORIE SURPLUS DO YOU NEED TO BUILD MUSCLE? HOW TO MAXIMIZE MUSCLE GAIN & MINIMIZE FAT GAIN USING RFL DAYS | EP. 236 26.08.2026 1h 28min

  How much do you actually need to eat above maintenance to maximize muscle growth?And once you’re eating enough to support hypertrophy, does pushing calories even higher build more muscle, or simply make you gain body fat faster?In Part 2 of my Intermittent Modified Fasting series, I’m joined once again by Lyle McDonald to move beyond using IMF strictly as a fat-loss strategy and explore how some of these concepts can be applied across different phases of physique development.We start with one of the most debated topics in evidence-based bodybuilding right now: how large of a calorie surplus is actually necessary to maximize muscle growth?Lyle and I break down the research comparing different surplus sizes, realistic rates of muscle gain across different levels of training advancement, the estimated energetic cost of synthesizing new muscle tissue and why simply eating more doesn’t allow you to force-feed muscle growth.From there, we take the IMF framework in a direction I found particularly interesting:Could strategically placed Rapid Fat Loss days be incorporated into a Lean Building Phase to help control fat gain without compromising hypertrophy?We discuss using a 6:1 approach where the majority of the week supports muscle growth while one strategically placed RFL day helps reduce the cumulative weekly surplus, how this compares with simply running periodic mini-cuts, and which individuals might actually benefit from this strategy.Finally, we shift back into fat loss and revisit diet breaks. For years, diet breaks were promoted as a way to “reset” metabolism and reverse the physiological adaptations to dieting. But as more research has accumulated, that explanation has become increasingly difficult to defend.That doesn’t mean diet breaks are useless. Instead, their biggest benefits may come from improving hunger management, training performance, psychological fatigue, adherence and giving someone an opportunity to actually practice eating at maintenance.IN THIS EPISODE:HOW LARGE OF A CALORIE SURPLUS IS ACTUALLY NECESSARY FOR MUSCLE GROWTH?WHY YOU CANNOT FORCE-FEED MUSCLE GROWTHHOW MUCH MUSCLE CAN BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED TRAINEES REALISTICALLY GAIN?WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS ABOUT SMALL VS. LARGE CALORIE SURPLUSESWHY FASTER WEIGHT GAIN OFTEN MEANS MORE FAT GAIN, NOT MORE MUSCLEHOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR CALORIE SURPLUS IS ACTUALLY PRODUCTIVELEAN BUILDING & MINIMIZING UNNECESSARY FAT GAINUSING RAPID FAT LOSS DAYS DURING A LEAN-BUILDING PHASETHE POTENTIAL 6:1 APPROACH: SIX BUILDING DAYS + ONE RFL DAYRFL DAYS VS. PERIODIC MINI-CUTSBODY RECOMPOSITION & WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ITDIET BREAKS: PHYSIOLOGICAL VS. PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITSHOW DIET BREAKS MAY IMPROVE HUNGER, TRAINING PERFORMANCE & ADHERENCEWHY PRACTICING MAINTENANCE MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED BENEFITS OF A DIET BREAKThe major theme running through this episode is that more is not automatically better.More calories don’t necessarily mean more muscle. More restriction doesn’t necessarily mean a better diet. And more complexity doesn’t necessarily mean a better strategy.The goal is understanding which nutritional tool fits the individual, their physiology, their psychology and the phase they’re currently in.If your goal is to build more muscle while minimizing unnecessary fat gain, or to better understand how to periodize periods of surplus, maintenance and energy restriction across a long-term physique transformation, this episode is for you.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG:https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services:https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail:[email protected]’S NEWEST BOOKS: https://store.bodyrecomposition.comSAVE 20% BY USING CODE: larrywon
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  FOOD QUALITY FOR FAT LOSS: WHY THE FOODS YOU CHOOSE MATTER AS MUCH AS YOUR CALORIES | FAT LOSS SERIES PART 6 | EP. 235 24.08.2026 46min

  Calories and macros are the foundation of your fat loss diet. That’s not in question. But the quality of the foods you choose to hit those targets is what determines whether your diet actually produces the body composition outcome you’re working for or whether it produces a smaller, scrawnier version of yourself while leaving you constantly hungry, undernourished, and unable to adhere.Two foods can have identical calorie and macro profiles yet produce completely different effects on your body. The signals each food sends to your physiology, your hunger and satiety hormones, your thyroid function, your metabolism, your training performance, and your ability to adhere to the deficit you need to hit can drastically differ depending on the quality of the foods you select. And the individuals who succeed at long-term physique change aren’t just the ones who get their calories and macros right, they’re the ones who also get their food quality right.In this episode, we go deep on the science of food quality and how it affects every dimension of the fat loss process. We cover the research that establishes food quality as a measurable variable affecting fat loss outcomes even when other variables are matched, the six distinct mechanisms by which ultra-processed foods drive overconsumption, the way food quality affects both sides of the energy balance equation through TEF and metabolizable energy, the satiety framework that determines whether your food choices fill you up or leave you hungry, the micronutrient connection that ties food quality to thyroid function and metabolism, and a targeted critique of the IIFYM approach that explains why flexibility without quality fails for most people.Because once you understand how food quality affects your fat loss outcomes, you can finally address what’s actually been holding you back.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:WHY ALL CALORIES ARE EQUAL BUT NOT ALL SOURCES OF CALORIES ARE EQUALTHE HIERARCHY OF NUTRITION: CALORIES, MACROS, AND FOOD QUALITYHOW FOOD CHOICES SEND SIGNALS TO YOUR BODY AND PHYSIOLOGYTHE KEVIN HALL METABOLIC WARD STUDY ON ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS AND 508 EXTRA CALORIES PER DAYWHY ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE CALORIE DENSITY OF WHOLE FOODSTHE PROTEIN LEVERAGE THEORY AND WHY PROCESSED FOODS DRIVE PROTEIN DILUTIONHOW PROCESSED FOODS INCREASE EATING RATE AND BYPASS YOUR SATIETY SIGNALINGHOW ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS DYSREGULATE YOUR APPETITE AND HUNGER HORMONESWHY WHOLE FOODS HAVE A 47% HIGHER THERMIC EFFECT THAN PROCESSED MEALSWHY FDA LABELING GUIDELINES ALLOW PACKAGED FOODS TO BE OFF BY UP TO 20%THE FIVE DETERMINANTS OF FOOD SATIETY: VOLUME, VISCOSITY, PALATABILITY, PROTEIN, AND FIBERWHY ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION DECREASES EVERY MEANINGFUL MICRONUTRIENTTHE THYROID CONNECTION: WHY IODINE, ZINC, AND SELENIUM ARE CRITICAL FOR FAT LOSSWHY THE OVERFED YET UNDERNOURISHED PATTERN IS SO COMMON IN MODERN DIETERSTHE THREE CATEGORIES OF VOCAL IIFYM PROPONENTS AND WHY THEIR APPROACH DOESN’T APPLY TO MOST PEOPLEWHY PLAYING MACRO TETRIS WITH PROCESSED FOODS UNDERMINES YOUR FAT LOSS PROGRESSTHE 80/90% WHOLE FOODS FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FAT LOSS DIETIf you’ve been hitting your calories and macros but still not seeing the body composition results you’ve been working for, if you’ve struggled to manage hunger and cravings during your Fat Loss Phases, or if you’ve never fully understood why food quality matters beyond just calories and macros, this episode is going to give you the framework to finally address the variable that’s been holding you back.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  LYLE MCDONALD: INTERMITTENT MODIFIED FASTING: A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR FAT LOSS, PERFORMANCE & NUTRITIONAL PERIODIZATION | EP. 234 17.08.2026 1h 31min

  When most people hear “intermittent fasting,” they immediately think about skipping breakfast, eating within an 8-hour window or going extended periods without food.But Intermittent Modified Fasting is something very different.On this episode of the Chasing Clarity Health & Fitness Podcast, I’m joined once again by Lyle McDonald to break down the framework behind his newest book, Intermittent Modified Fasting. This is the first interview Lyle has done since releasing the book. Rather than treating IMF as another fasting protocol, Lyle has brought together concepts from decades of his work on rapid fat loss, calorie cycling, training, body composition and sports nutrition to create a system for strategically distributing energy restriction across the week.And that creates a much more interesting question than simply asking whether fasting “works.”Can we manipulate where we place our calorie deficit to lose fat while better supporting training performance, recovery and lean mass retention?Throughout this conversation, Lyle and I each give our perspectives on how these concepts can be applied in both physique-focused clients and athletes.IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:WHAT INTERMITTENT MODIFIED FASTING (IMF) IS & WHY LYLE DEVELOPED ITWHETHER INTERMITTENT FASTING HAS UNIQUE METABOLIC OR FAT-LOSS BENEFITSWHY INCREASED FAT OXIDATION DURING A FAST DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN GREATER BODY FAT LOSS IMF AS A FORM OF CALORIE CYCLING & NUTRITIONAL PERIODIZATIONHOW TO SYNCHRONIZE CALORIE & CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE WITH TRAINING DEMANDSRFL DAYS VS MAINTENANCE DAYSBALANCING AGGRESSIVE FAT LOSS WITH TRAINING PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY & MUSCLE RETENTIONHOW IMF CAN BE MODIFIED FOR STRENGTH, ENDURANCE & PERFORMANCE ATHLETESHOW TO CREATE THE LARGEST PRODUCTIVE DEFICIT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ATHLETE’S PRIMARY PERFORMANCE GOALThe biggest theme throughout this episode is that the goal isn’t simply to create the largest calorie deficit possible.The goal is to intelligently distribute that deficit in a way that allows us to achieve the desired rate of fat loss while preserving the things we don’t want to sacrifice in the process.If you’re interested in fat loss, physique development, sports nutrition or understanding how to better periodize nutrition around training, this episode is for you.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG:https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services:https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail:[email protected]’S NEWEST BOOKS: https://store.bodyrecomposition.comcode: larrywon20% off until Oct 7
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  RAPID FAT LOSS MASTERCLASS: PSMF, FAST FAT LOSS & WHO SHOULD NOT USE AGGRESSIVE DEFICITS FT. DR. MIKKI WILLIDEN | EP. 233 10.08.2026 1h 33min

  Most people argue about rapid fat loss like the only variable that matters is speed. It isn’t. The rate of loss is downstream of a decision that gets made long before anyone touches a calorie target: who this is being used with.On this episode I’m joined by Dr. Mikki Williden to kick off a new collab series where we both answer the same questions independently and let you see the reasoning on both sides.In this episode we cover:WHAT A PROTEIN SPARING MODIFIED FAST ACTUALLY ISTHE BENEFITS OF RAPID FAT LOSSTHE POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS OF RAPID FAT LOSSHOW WE USE THESE STRATEGIES IN PRACTICE WITH CLIENTSRAPID FAT LOSS DAYS & UNDULATING CALORIE CYCLESREFEEDS & DEFICIT DELOADSTHE POPULATIONS RAPID FAT LOSS IS NOT APPROPRIATE FORIf you’ve ever wondered whether you could get lean faster without losing  your muscle, this episode gives you the honest version: what the research actually supports, where it stops, and why I turn most people away from this approach entirely.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  THE ROAD TO PRO: WES PATTERSON’S JOURNEY FROM NPC COMPETITOR TO IFBB PROFESSIONAL | EP. 232 05.08.2026 59min

  When an athlete earns a pro card, the industry looks at the last 16 weeks. The peak week photos. The stage shots. The condition. And immediately the conversation becomes about prep: how low were the calories, how much cardio and what did peak week look like.Here's the reality. That's the wrong place to look.The card my client Wes Patterson earned this July was won long before the prep that produced it ever started. It was won in the 12 weeks we spent in a Post-Show Metabolic Restoration Phase restoring his physiology after his last show. It was won in the Lean Building Phase that followed. It was won across 50 plus check-ins where I analyzed his data and made strategic adjustments to his programs. The prep didn't build his physique. It simply revealed it.Wes came to me in June of 2025 roughly 9 weeks out from NPC North Americans, and we brought his best-ever look and finished one placing away from a pro card in two separate classes. Then we spent the next thirteen months making sure he would never have to run a prep like that again. This episode is the complete walkthrough of how an amateur who had placed 10th at a national show became an IFBB Professional, told from both sides of the coaching relationship.IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:WHY THE PRO CARD WAS WON IN THE PHASES NOBODY POSTS ABOUTWHAT A NINE-WEEK PREP CAN AND CANNOT ACCOMPLISHTHE METABOLIC RESTORATION PHASE AND WHY MOST COMPETITORS SKIP ITTHE LEAN BUILDING PHASE AND THE BACK SPECIALIZATION CYCLE THAT CHANGED HIS PACKAGETHE DESCENDING AND DYNAMIC RATE OF FAT LOSS APPROACHWHAT GETTING AHEAD OF PACE EARLY ACTUALLY BUYS YOU EXTRA RUNWAYREHEARSING PEAK WEEK INSTEAD OF GUESSING DURING ITWHAT SHOW DAY AT THE UNIVERSE FELT LIKE FROM THE ATHLETE'S SIDEIf you've ever dieted hard, gotten a result, rebounded, and then started over from a worse place than you began, this episode is going to reframe the entire way you think about fat loss. Because what turned Wes into a pro isn't a competitor problem. It's the same principle that governs every lifestyle client, every executive, and every person who has ever tried to change their body: fat loss is a phase, not a lifestyle, and a healthy body is a responsive body.Wes spent the overwhelming majority of these thirteen months not dieting. That's precisely why the prep worked when we finally did it.CONNECT WITH WES:Instagram: @mr.wes_ifbb_proWHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  LIFESTYLE FACTORS SABOTAGING YOUR FAT LOSS SUCCESS & HOW TO FIX THEM | FAT LOSS SERIES PART 5 | EP. 231 03.08.2026 40min

  Your nutrition can be dialed in. Your training can be on point. Your tracking can be accurate. And you can still fail to lose fat if the lifestyle variables operating outside of your diet are working against you.These lifestyle variables aren’t peripheral to fat loss. They’re foundational. Your sleep quality determines whether you can manage hunger and appetite during a deficit. Your stress management determines whether your thyroid function supports your metabolism or works against it. Your daily movement determines whether your deficit holds across the week or quietly disappears as your body adapts. And the way you think about progress determines whether you’re actually pursuing fat loss or just chasing a number on the scale that means nothing about your physique.In this episode, we shift into the lifestyle factors and behavioral patterns that sabotage fat loss progress even when your nutrition and training are dialed in. We cover the five most consequential mistakes I see derailing dieters during a phase, plus three honorable mentions that compound the problem when left unaddressed.Because once you understand how these variables affect your fat loss outcomes, you can finally address what’s actually been holding you back.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:WHY YOU CAN BE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT WITH NUTRITION AND TRAINING AND STILL NOT LOSE FATWHY CHASING THE SCALE INSTEAD OF FAT LOSS LEADS TO MUSCLE LOSS AND POST-DIET REBOUNDTHE PROTEIN STAT AND WHY HYPERPHAGIA DRIVES POST-DIET FAT REGAINCOLLATERAL FATTENING AND THE YO-YO CYCLE THAT TRAPS CHRONIC DIETERSHOW WE OVERESTIMATE CALORIE BURN FROM EXERCISE BY 3-4XWHY FITNESS TRACKERS LIKE APPLE WATCH AND FITBIT HAVE 27-93% CALORIE BURN ERRORSTHE BURN AND EARN TRAP AND WHY EATING BACK CALORIES SABOTAGES FAT LOSSWHY YOU SHOULD TURN OFF AUTOMATIC CALORIE ADJUSTMENT IN YOUR TRACKING APPWHY 85-90% OF METABOLIC ADAPTATION DURING A DIET COMES FROM REDUCTIONS IN NEATTHE REGULATED AND NON-REGULATED ZONES OF APPETITEWHY STEP TRACKING IS NON-NEGOTIABLE DURING A FAT LOSS PHASEHOW 2 NIGHTS OF SLEEP LOSS CAN MIMIC AN AGGRESSIVE CALORIE DEFICITWHY SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN INCREASE DAILY CALORIE INTAKE BY 300-560 CALORIESTHE CORTISOL AND THYROID CONNECTION THAT SUPPRESSES YOUR METABOLISMTHE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIETING-INDUCED AND STRESS-INDUCED THYROID DYSFUNCTIONHOW EMOTIONAL EATING DURING HIGH-STRESS WEEKS COMPOUNDS THE CORTISOL EFFECTWHY ALCOHOL, HYDRATION AND MICRONUTRIENT INTAKE MATTER MORE THAN MOST DIETERS REALIZEIf you’ve felt like your nutrition is on point but you’re still not progressing, if you’ve been frustrated by stalls that seem to come from nowhere, or if you’ve never really thought about how variables outside of your diet are influencing your fat loss outcomes, this episode is going to give you the diagnostic framework to figure out what’s actually going wrong and how to fix it.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  FEMALE BODY RECOMPOSITION: WHY WOMEN ARE PHYSIOLOGICALLY PRIMED TO BUILD MUSCLE & LOSE FAT AT THE SAME TIME WITH JEFF HOEHN | EP. 230 27.07.2026 1h 42min

  Most women have been told that building muscle and losing fat at the same time is nearly impossible, and that the best they can do is pick one goal and grind toward it.But here’s what the research and years of real-world coaching actually reveal: women may be some of the best-positioned people on the planet to recomp. In fact, under most real-world coaching conditions, women may have a genuine advantage over men when it comes to building muscle and losing fat simultaneously.In this episode of the CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I’m joined again by Jeff Hoehn, host of the Mind Muscle Connection Podcast, for a deep dive into the physiology and the practical realities behind why women are so uniquely built to recompose their bodies. This is a conversation that reframes what most women have been taught about their own potential, and gives coaches a clearer lens for how to program for their female clients.WE GET INTO: WHY WOMEN MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A RECOMP ADVANTAGE OVER MEN HOW HIGHER BODY FAT LEVELS BECOME A PHYSIOLOGICAL ASSET FOR BUILDING MUSCLE IN A DEFICIT THE GREATER LEAN MASS SPARING WOMEN EXPERIENCE WHILE DIETING (AND THE HEYMSFIELD DATA BEHIND IT) ESTROGEN’S PROTECTIVE EFFECTS ON RECOVERY, MUSCLE PRESERVATION & NUTRIENT PARTITIONING THE SUBSTRATE UTILIZATION DIFFERENCES THAT HELP WOMEN SPARE PROTEIN & PRESERVE MUSCLE WHY SO MANY WOMEN ARE PRIMED FOR DRAMATIC RECOMP THE MOMENT THEIR TRAINING & NUTRITION ARE FINALLY STRUCTURED CORRECTLY THE “PERFECT STORM” THAT HAPPENS WHEN YEARS OF UNDER-FUELING & CARDIO-FOCUSED TRAINING GET REPLACED WITH THE RIGHT INPUTSIf you’ve ever felt like your body wasn’t responding no matter how hard you dieted or how much cardio you did, this episode will help you understand why, and what actually needs to change for your body to start building muscle and shedding fat at the same time.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  MANY LESSONS FROM YEARS OF PODCASTING & CONNECTING WITH THE BRIGHTEST MINDS IN FITNESS FT. SARAH PARKER, BEYOND CONDITION PODCAST | EP. 229 26.07.2026 1h 24min

  Every once in a while you meet someone in this industry who’s building something for the same reasons you are. That’s what this episode is about. On this week’s episode of the CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I’m doing something a little different. This is a collab with Sarah Parker, host of the Beyond Condition Podcast, where we bring our two audiences together, introduce ourselves to each other’s worlds, and get into what years behind the mic have actually taught us.We each walk through why and how we started our shows, the lessons podcasting has taught us about ourselves, and the biggest takeaways we’ve pulled from sitting across from some of the sharpest minds in the fitness space.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER: WHY AND HOW WE EACH STARTED OUR PODCASTS HOW EMBRACING A FEAR BECAME A CATALYST FOR GROWTH THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT OF SHOWING UP CONSISTENTLY OVER YEARS WHAT DR. SCOTT STEVENSON TAUGHT ME ABOUT FAILURE, PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD & LIFE THE GUESTS & CONVERSATIONS THAT SHAPED HOW WE BOTH COACHIf you’ve ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of building a podcast, or you want to hear the lessons that don’t make it into the episodes themselves, this one’s for you.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME: Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/ For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry Email: [email protected] My Reading Recommendations: THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  HIDDEN DIETARY MISTAKES SABOTAGING YOUR FAT LOSS PROGRESS & HOW TO FIX THEM | FAT LOSS SERIES PART 4 | EP. 228 20.07.2026 47min

  Most people who fail to reach their fat loss goals aren’t failing because of metabolic damage, weight loss resistance, or genetic disadvantages.They’re failing because they’re making specific dietary mistakes that erode the deficit they think they’re in.And here’s the thing most dieters don’t realize. These mistakes aren’t about lacking discipline or willpower. They’re blind spots. They happen unconsciously, they happen to intelligent and successful people, and they happen to coaches and fitness professionals just as much as they happen to the general population.In this episode, we cover the four most common dietary mistakes I see derailing smart dieters — the misestimation patterns, the tracking blind spots, the Weekday Dieter trap, and the restaurant eating discrepancies that erode deficits without dieters realizing it.Because once you understand exactly where the gap between perceived intake and actual intake comes from, you can close that gap and finally unlock the progress you’ve been working for.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:WHY MOST DIETERS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY’RE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT AREN’T LOSING FATTHE RESEARCH ON WHY UNDERREPORTING CALORIE INTAKE IS UNIVERSAL ACROSS ALL POPULATIONSWHY UNDERREPORTING GETS WORSE THE DEEPER YOU GET INTO A FAT LOSS PHASECALORIE AMNESIA AND WHY BITES, LICKS, TASTES AND SIPS DON’T REGISTER AS EATINGTHE FDA LABELING LOOPHOLES THAT LET PRODUCTS LABEL THEMSELVES AS ZERO CALORIESWHY YOU SHOULD COUNT TOTAL CARBS RATHER THAN NET CARBS ON PROTEIN BARSTHE QUEST BAR EXAMPLE AND THE 70-80 CALORIE UNDERTRACKING DISCREPANCYHOW TO TRACK ALCOHOL CORRECTLY WHEN YOUR APP DOESN’T HAVE AN ALCOHOL MACRO FIELDTHE NUTRITION TRACKING AUDIT INTERVENTION I USE WITH CLIENTS WHO HAVE STALLEDTHE WEEKDAY DIETER PATTERN AND WHY WEEKENDS QUIETLY ERASE WEEKDAY DEFICITSDIET PURGATORY AND WHY YOU CAN MENTALLY FEEL RESTRICTED WITHOUT BEING IN A DEFICITWHY RESTAURANT MEALS CONTAIN UP TO 245% OF THEIR STATED CALORIE CONTENTTHE CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATION PROTOCOL FOR TRACKING MEALS AT RESTAURANTSWHY THE FIX ISN’T MORE CARDIO OR FEWER CALORIES — IT’S CLOSING THE TRACKING GAPIf you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things and still struggling to lose fat, if you’ve been frustrated by what feels like a broken metabolism, or if you’ve been stuck spinning your wheels wondering why your progress has stalled, this episode is going to give you the diagnostic tools to figure out what’s actually going wrong and how to fix it.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  DR. MIKKI WILLIDEN: DOES DRINKING ALCOHOL REALLY BLUNT FAT LOSS? SEPARATING THE PHYSIOLOGY FROM THE BEHAVIOR | EP. 227 13.07.2026 1h 12min

  Alcohol might be the most misunderstood topic in all of fitness.On one side, you have people who will tell you that a single drink torches your progress. That one night out shuts off fat loss, kills your gains, and undoes a week of hard work. On the other side, you have people who insist that calories are all that matter, so you can drink whatever you want as long as it fits your macros.Here’s the reality. Both of those are oversimplifications, and the truth lives in a much more nuanced middle.Because the way alcohol actually affects your body composition has very little to do with some magical fat-storing property, and almost everything to do with the calories it contributes, what it does to your appetite and restraint, how it impacts your sleep, and the behaviors that tend to come along with a night of drinking. Separate the physiology from the behavior, and the entire conversation changes.In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend Dr. Mikki Williden, host of the Mikkipedia podcast, who holds a masters in human nutrition and a PhD in public health. Together we break down what the science actually says about alcohol, fat loss, and body composition. HERE’S WHAT WE COVER: WHY ALCOHOL IS THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD TOPIC IN FITNESS & THE TWO EXTREMES TO AVOID HOW ALCOHOL IS METABOLIZED & WHY THE BODY TREATS IT AS A PRIORITY FUELWHY ALCOHOL TEMPORARILY SUPPRESSES FAT OXIDATIONTHE THREE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH ALCOHOL MAKES FAT LOSS HARDER HOW QUICKLY ALCOHOL CALORIES ADD UP & ERASE A WEEK’S WORTH OF DEFICIT WHY POOR SLEEP AFTER DRINKING DRIVES UP HUNGER & LOWERS RESTRAINT THE NEXT DAY WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT HABITUAL DRINKING & BODY WEIGHTWHY WINE LOOKS “HEALTHIER” THAN BEER & WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON WHY LIQUID CALORIES & ALCOHOL LEAD TO INCOMPLETE DIETARY COMPENSATION THE PRACTICAL PLAYBOOK FOR BUDGETING ALCOHOL INTO A FAT LOSS PHASE WHAT TO DO BEFORE, DURING & THE DAY AFTER DRINKING TO PROTECT YOUR PROGRESS WHERE TO CONNECT WITH DR. MIKKI WILLIDEN:https://www.instagram.com/mikkiwillidenWHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  LATEST BODY RECOMP RESEARCH & THE 3 LEVERS I PULL WITH CLIENTS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN | ERIC HELMS FOLLOW-UP | EP. 226 06.07.2026 31min

  Body recomposition is one of the most contested concepts in physique development — and one of the most misunderstood.The traditional dogma says you have to pick a lane. You’re either bulking or you’re cutting. You can’t gain muscle in a deficit. And once you’re past the beginner stage, recomp isn’t on the table.But the research over the past several years has made it increasingly clear that this framing is an oversimplification of how energy balance actually translates to body composition. And there are specific levers that, when pulled correctly together, can drive recomp outcomes in trained individuals who’ve spent years thinking it wasn’t possible for them.On this week’s episode of the CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I’m following up on my recent conversation with Dr. Eric Helms with a solo deep-dive into the two topics we didn’t get to cover — the most recent body recomp research published this year, and the three primary levers I pull with my clients to actually drive recomp outcomes in the real world.This episode is for:Trained lifters who’ve been told recomp is no longer on the tableCoaches who want a clear framework for programming recomp phasesAnyone stuck between cutting and bulking and ready to try a different approachListeners who heard the Helms episode and want the practical playbookHERE’S WHAT WE COVER:A FOUNDATIONAL RECAP OF WHAT BODY RECOMP IS & THE 3 FORMS IT CAN TAKEA DEEP DIVE INTO THE LATEST RECOMP STUDY BY VARGAS-MOLINA ET AL. 2025LEVER 1: DEFICIT SIZE & WHY SMALLER DEFICITS BEAT AGGRESSIVE ONES FOR RECOMPLEVER 2: PROTEIN INTAKE & THE TIERED APPROACH I USE BASED ON BODY FAT LEVELLEVER 3: TRAINING DOSE & THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKING OUT VS. TRAININGWHY MOST LIFTERS HAVE NEVER TRULY TRAINED CLOSE ENOUGH TO FAILURE TO DRIVE RECOMPHOW TO PULL ALL THREE LEVERS IN ALIGNMENT TO MAKE RECOMP HAPPENThis is the practical follow-up to the Helms conversation — the actionable playbook for anyone who wants to take their recomp efforts seriously.If you’ve been spinning your wheels between cutting and bulking without making the progress you want, this episode will give you the clarity you’ve been missing.
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  ERIC HELMS: BODY RECOMP — THE SCIENCE OF BUILDING MUSCLE & LOSING FAT AT THE SAME TIME | EP. 225 29.06.2026 2h 9min

  Body recomposition — the process of building muscle and losing fat simultaneously — is one of the most contested concepts in the entire fitness industry.The traditional dogma says you have to pick a lane. You’re either bulking or you’re cutting. You can’t gain muscle in a deficit. And once you’re past the beginner stage, recomp isn’t on the table.But that framing is built on an oversimplification of how energy balance actually translates to body composition. And the research over the last several years has made that increasingly clear.On this week’s episode of the CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I sat down with Dr. Eric Helms — competitive natural pro bodybuilder, founder of the MASS Research Review, co-author of the Muscle and Strength Pyramids, and one of the most respected researchers in the evidence-based community — to break down the science, the physiology, and the real-world coaching application of body recomposition.This episode is for:Trained lifters who’ve been told recomp is no longer on the tableFemale clients who’ve been spinning their wheels with cardio and over-restrictionCoaches who want to understand the research backing the recomp conversationAnyone tired of toggling between bulking and cutting without making real progressHERE’S WHAT WE COVER:THE THREE FORMS OF BODY RECOMPOSITION & WHY MOST PEOPLE DEFINE IT TOO NARROWLYWHY THE “YOU MUST BE IN A SURPLUS TO GROW MUSCLE” DOGMA IS AN OVERSIMPLIFICATIONFAT LOSS AS AN ENERGY-DEPENDENT PROCESS VS. MUSCLE GAIN AS A SIGNALING-DEPENDENT PROCESSWHY TRAINED LIFTERS CAN STILL RECOMP ️ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAINING AGE AND TRAINING ADVANCEMENTHOW PRE-SHOW BODYBUILDERS EATING UP INTO A SHOW CAN PRODUCE DRAMATIC RECOMP OUTCOMESWHY WOMEN MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A PHYSIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE OVER MEN WHEN IT COMES TO RECOMPOSITIONWHAT ENHANCED ATHLETES TELL US ABOUT THE NATURAL LIFTER’S PHYSIOLOGICAL CEILINGTHE MINDSET PIECE THAT DETERMINES WHETHER EVERY OTHER VARIABLE ACTUALLY WORKSThis is one of the most thorough conversations on body recomposition we’ve done on the show  bridging cutting-edge research with real-world coaching application.If you’ve been stuck spinning your wheels, this episode will bring the clarity you’ve been missing.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  CARDIO, STEPS & DAILY MOVEMENT STRATEGY FOR LOSING FAT & KEEPING IT OFF | FAT LOSS SERIES PART 3 | EP. 224 24.06.2026 27min

  Most dieters think more cardio equals more fat loss.And most of them have spent years stacking HIIT classes, bootcamps and spin sessions on top of their training, assuming the intensity of those workouts is what drives the result. But the data tells a different story. The variable doing the most work for your daily energy expenditure isn’t your formal cardio sessions. It’s your non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT — the daily movement you do outside of structured training.In parts one and two of this Fat Loss Series, I broke down the nutrition strategy that creates the deficit and the training strategy that preserves your muscle. In this episode, we shift into the third lever of the fat loss process, your energy output. We cover where cardio actually fits into a fat loss phase, why HIIT isn’t the superior fat loss tool most people think it is, why NEAT and daily movement are the most powerful and most sustainable energy expenditure levers you have, and why your step count is one of the most important numbers you should be paying attention to if you want to lose fat and keep it off.Because the dieters who actually succeed long-term aren’t the ones doing the most cardio. They’re the ones who built daily movement into their lifestyles and used cardio strategically rather than as their primary tool.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:WHY ENERGY BALANCE HAS TWO SIDES AND WHY MOST DIETERS ONLY FOCUS ON ONETHE HIGH ENERGY FLUX MODEL AND WHY MOVING MORE LETS YOU EAT MORE DURING A CUTWHAT METABOLIC ADAPTATION ACTUALLY IS AND WHERE THE 500 CALORIE DROP COMES FROMWHY 85-90% OF METABOLIC ADAPTATION DURING A DIET COMES FROM REDUCTIONS IN NEATTHE 2,000 CALORIE NEAT VARIABILITY BETWEEN PEOPLE OF THE SAME BODY WEIGHTWHY BMR ONLY VARIES BY 5-9% BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS BUT NEAT VARIES BY 2,000 CALORIESTHE ROLE OF CARDIO IN A FAT LOSS PHASE AND WHY MOST DIETERS GET IT WRONGWHY YOUR TRAINING COMES FIRST, STEPS AND NEAT COME SECOND, AND CARDIO COMES THIRDTHE RESEARCH ON HIIT VS STEADY STATE CARDIO FOR FAT LOSS OUTCOMESWHY HIIT BURNS FEWER TOTAL CALORIES THAN STEADY STATE DESPITE FEELING HARDERWHY STEADY STATE AND LISS ARE THE SMARTER MODALITIES FOR MOST DIETERSTHE FOUR COMPONENTS OF METABOLISM AND WHY NEAT IS THE LARGEST LEVER YOU CAN CONTROLWHY STEP TRACKING IS NON-NEGOTIABLE DURING A FAT LOSS PHASETHE RESEARCH ON STEP COUNT THRESHOLDS FOR EXERCISE TO ACTUALLY BE METABOLICALLY BENEFICIALTHE STEP COUNT DATA ON SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS MAINTAINERSHABIT STACKING TACTICS FOR BUILDING MOVEMENT INTO YOUR EXISTING ROUTINEWHY POST-MEAL WALKS REDUCE POST-MEAL BLOOD GLUCOSE BY OVER 50%WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDShttps://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw
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  CAN YOU ACTUALLY RECOMP? DEFINING BODY RECOMPOSITION & THE 5 POPULATIONS WHO CAN BUILD MUSCLE & LOSE FAT AT THE SAME TIME WITH JEFF HOEHN | EP. 223 22.06.2026 1h 43min

  Body recomposition — the process of building muscle and losing fat at the same time — is one of the most contested and most misunderstood concepts in physique development.The conventional view is that recomp is reserved for two specific groups — beginners and individuals with excess body fat. And while those populations do see the most dramatic outcomes, that framing leaves out several other groups who can absolutely still recomp under the right conditions.On this week’s episode of the CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I’m joined by Jeff Hoehn for Episode 5 of our monthly collaboration where we break down topics that bridge evidence-based research with real-world coaching application.In this conversation, we go deep on what body recomposition actually is, the three different forms it can take, and the five populations of individuals who can realistically expect to recomp when their training and nutrition are properly structured.HERE’S WHAT WE COVER:WHAT BODY RECOMPOSITION REALLY MEANS & WHY THE SCALE OFTEN MISLEADS YOU THE 3 FORMS OF BODY RECOMP & THE PHASES WHERE EACH ONE SHOWS UP FAT LOSS FOCUSED RECOMP, BUILDING FOCUSED RECOMP & SIMULTANEOUS FAT LOSS WITH MUSCLE GAIN WHY NEWBIES & INDIVIDUALS WITH EXCESS BODY FAT SEE THE MOST DRAMATIC RECOMP OUTCOMES THE MUSCLE MEMORY ADVANTAGE FOR DETRAINED INDIVIDUALS RETURNING TO TRAININGWHY TRAINED LIFTERS CAN STILL RECOMP & THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAINING AGE & TRAINING ADVANCEMENT THE LATEST RESEARCH FROM VARGAS-MOLINA ET AL. ON RECOMP IN TRAINED INDIVIDUALS WHAT ENHANCED ATHLETES TELL US ABOUT THE NATURAL LIFTER’S PHYSIOLOGICAL CEILINGIf you’ve been spinning your wheels between cutting and bulking, or if you’ve ever wondered whether recomp is even possible for you — this episode will give you the clarity you’ve been missing.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: [email protected] Reading Recommendations:THE MUSCLE & STRENGTH PYRAMIDS https://getdpd.com/cart/hoplink/25469?referrer=1l54og96lf1ccw