Hammer and Chisel Performance Podcast Folgen

Weekly nutrition rant! I dive into how I break the year up into a planned series of structured phases to drive physique improvement over time...step one of this process is get lean!

Dr. Emily Dow is a performance dietitian specializing in sports nutrition, body composition, and evidence-based strategies to help athletes and active individuals optimize performance, recovery, and long-term health. Through her work with competitive athletes and fitness enthusiasts, she focuses on practical nutrition approaches that improve training outcomes without unnecessary restriction or fad dieting.

Monthly Q&A Answered from questions sent in to my Instagram! Time Stamps below0:00 Intro1:22 Mobility, soft tissue work & loaded stretching4:34 Full-body split structure6:48 Best workout splits8:27 Training biceps without “training biceps”9:09 Backloading carbs at night10:27 Beginner strongman training12:02 Starting strongman from scratch12:14 Strongman vs bodybuilding for motivation13:14 Transitioning from powerlifting to strongman13:58 Strongman competitors/coaches to learn from14:47 New dad going through a breakup while maintaining progress16:16 Real food vs protein bars and shakes17:42 Starting a cut with too deep of a deficit18:26 Adding quality mass without sacrificing speed20:00 When to increase calories during a gain phase21:41 How to decide whether to cut or bulk23:20 Tracking calories/protein vs all macros24:10 Training day vs non-training day macros26:31 Weekly surplus vs high-day surplus for bulking26:47 How long cut, maintenance, and bulk phases should last28:58 Recomping in-season while a bit too fat30:06 Building muscle and losing fat at the same time31:26 High carbs/protein during recomp with low calories32:27 Loose skin after weight loss33:07 Reverse dieting after a long cut33:57 How fast to add carbs in a reverse diet35:00 Cheat meals/refeeds while reverse dieting37:21 Building metabolism without gaining excess fat37:52 Switching from keto to a carb-based diet38:42 Pre-workout carb amount and simple sugars40:06 Coconut water powder vs regular coconut water intra-workout41:02 Candy/sugar as pre-workout carbs42:05 Best carbohydrate sources43:20 Jasmine rice as a carb source43:29 Where to remove carbs during carb cycling43:50 Swimmer trying to get jacked44:38 Body composition vs performance for explosive athletes45:20 Sport-specific diet adjustments45:48 Electrolytes when introducing growth hormone46:17 Long-term low-dose Cialis for bodybuilders46:49 CoQ10 for endurance athletes47:19 Biggest supplement timing mistakes48:28 Supplements to preserve/build muscle during fat loss49:12 How often clients should get bloodwork50:16 Personal daily caffeine intake51:30 Why fiber is higher on non-training days53:14 Tips for improving gut health55:14 Why dairy has been a positive change56:49 Avoiding digestive issues in a surplus1:00:22 Almond butter vs peanut butter1:01:29 Is a nutrition coach worth it if money is tight?1:03:26 What to look for in a good nutrition coach1:06:28 Biggest client pet peeve1:09:34 Could you collaborate with Tom Brady?1:09:51 Getting someone off the carnivore diet1:12:15 Binge eating after dieting1:14:15 Monitoring fasting glucose and HbA1c with high carbs1:15:37 Plyos/jump training during a bodybuilding phase1:17:04 Eating 50+ grams of protein in one meal1:18:43 Caffeine-free pre-workout for PM training1:19:45 How long to maintain after a cut before growing1:20:28 Fats in the post-workout meal1:22:12 Getting up to 40 calories/kg at lean body composition1:24:24 Carb cycling high days before morning workouts1:26:05 Pec not firing after scapular injury1:27:16 Recovery after heavy sessions and current training split1:29:23 Best advice for a new dad with low sleep and two jobs1:31:17 General strength vs specialization for intermediate lifters1:32:21 Custom meal plans for specific goals1:32:43 Rucking vs running for fat loss1:33:56 Sodium during exercise and potassium post-workout1:34:30 Best nutrition books1:35:50 How to avoid binge eating1:36:48 Nutrition before 4:30 a.m. training1:38:23 Outro