Advertise on podcast: Eat Train Prosper

Dynamic Double Progression. A favorite progression model. Here is your short version of it: take standard double progression, where you move up in reps or in weight inside a set range, and lets every set climb on its own instead of forcing them all to move together. Here is the core of it. You pick a weight, you walk up the rep range week over week, and when you top it out you add a bit of load and start the climb again. What makes it dynamic is that your first set and your third set are almost never in the same spot, so you progress each one independently rather than sandbagging an early set to keep the numbers matched. Done well, it lets you hold the same RIR across every set, and it accounts for the fact that some exercises fall off a cliff from set one to set two while others barely move at all. Most of the conversation is about what changes when you run this inside a real nutritional phase, because that is where people get tripped up. In a deficit your progressions dry up on a fairly predictable schedule, so we get into how to read a true stall versus a bad week, when to hold the load as reps slip versus when to pull weight back, and why how lean you already are matters more than how long you have been dieting. In a surplus it flips, and we cover what a realistic rate of progress looks like week to week, why glycogen saturation shows up first, and how much your training age changes the whole picture. We wrap on volume and the sweet spot, strength as the cleanest proxy that growth is actually happening, and the program design details that decide how many sets a given exercise can even support. Covered in this episode What dynamic double progression is, and how it differs from standard double progressionWalking up the rep range, then adding load to restart the climbWhy forcing every set to the same number just means sandbagging your first setProgressing each set on its own path instead of all at onceUsing the model to hold a consistent RIR across every setWhy some exercises drop off hard from set one to set two, and how to set load for itThe question that sparked the episode: eight reps, then no progress the next weekReading a real stall versus a single bad week of sleep or fuelThe indirect factors that stall progress: sleep, fueling, hydration, fasted trainingHow a deficit dries up progressions, and the body mass thresholds where it happensWhether to hold the load or pull it back once reps start slipping in a deficitWhy a deficit behaves like a spectrum and not a light switchHow long progression lasts in a deficit for a natural versus an enhanced lifterWhy how lean you are matters more than how many weeks you have dietedRunning the model in a surplus, and a realistic rate of progress week to weekWhy muscle glycogen saturation shows up before any real strength changeHow training age changes what progression should even look likeLate stage natural progress, and running a movement far longer than you want toVolume, the sweet spot, and why too little is as much a problem as too muchStrength progress as the number one sign that hypertrophy is happeningThe cleaner proxies a natural needs: body weight up, food up, performance upWhen a gaining phase has run its course and it is time to change prioritiesWhy chasing a lean look right now quietly caps your rate of progressProgram design: matching rep ranges and set counts to the exerciseUsing dynamic double progression with as few as two setsTimestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro and updates 00:10:00 - What dynamic double progression actually is 00:11:00 - What makes it dynamic: progressing each set on its own 00:13:00 - Using it to hold a target RIR across every set 00:15:00 - Per-exercise drop-off, and setting load per set from the start 00:17:00 - The question that sparked it: eight reps and no progress next week 00:19:00 - When it's a real stall: indirect factors and the deficit effect 00:22:00 - Dropping reps in a deficit: hold the load or pull it back 00:25:00 - How long progression lasts in a deficit, and why leanness decides it 00:32:00 - Running it in a surplus, and what to expect week to week 00:35:00 - Training age: why late stage natural changes the whole picture 00:38:00 - Volume, the sweet spot, and strength as the proxy for growth 00:43:30 - When a gaining phase has run its course 00:47:00 - Program design: rep ranges, set counts, and using DDP with two sets Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

For the first 5 years of Aaron's coaching business he kept a running doc of every question a client ever asked. Hundreds. The single most asked question was a form of: "What actually counts as a training day?" Sounds simple, right up until you have to draw the line. And that line quietly decides whether you run one set of macros or two, and how you feed a surplus, a deficit, and everything in between. The definition we keep coming back to is dead simple: a training day is something you need to recover from. That alone drops a lot of the confusing stuff, big step count days, hikes, a long zone 2 ride, into a gray area, and the call there is about duration and cost, not a hard yes or no. A 30 minute spin is not a training day. A 90 minute zone 2 ride is. From there we run the whole thing through nutritional periodization, because the phase you are in changes the answer. Maintenance, surplus, and deficit each get an argument for splitting your training and non-training day macros, and an argument against. The deficit is where splitting really earns its keep, so that is where most of the episode lives: protecting training intensity as the number one lever for holding onto muscle, pulling food off rest days to hit your target rate of loss, and the psychology of dieting that no spreadsheet ever accounts for. That last part goes deep, from why hard training kills your appetite while rest days leave you bored and food focused, to the counterintuitive move of eating less on training days, to how going bland on purpose and cleaning up your Instagram feed can pull your hunger right back down. We wrap on the constrained energy model and step counts, HIIT versus low intensity cardio, why your wearable's calorie number lies but its trend does not, and the non-bodyweight reasons, stuff like metabolic flexibility and quality of life, that never make the spreadsheet but matter anyway. Covered in this episode: The one definition that cuts through it: a training day is something you need to recover fromWhy needing to recover from something every single day means you are probably doing too muchThe gray area of big step counts, hikes, and long zone 2 ridesWhy a 30 minute zone 2 is not a training day but a 90 minute ride isWhat happens if your expenditure is genuinely too high, and why body weight tells the truthUsing nutritional periodization to decide when to split training and non-training macrosMaintenance: absorbing meals out and protecting insulin sensitivity versus keeping it simpleWhy maintenance is the only phase where letting appetite drive the bus makes senseWhether biasing calories toward training or rest days matters if the weekly total is metSurplus: nutrient partitioning, GLUT4, and intra-workout carbohydrateLoading carbs pre and post workout so 8pm does not become a 100 gram carb problemMonitoring a surplus with photos, performance, and a well-timed DEXAThe build calculus: is the extra muscle from the last six pounds worth dieting it back offDeficit: protecting training intensity as the number one driver of muscle retentionPulling food from non-training days to hit a target rate of loss around 1% per weekBryan's opposite approach: eating less on training days to manage food focusWhy hard training blunts appetite for a couple of hours and rest days do notGoing bland on purpose, and how the Instagram algorithm quietly doubled the hungerThe constrained energy model, step counts, and where movement stops paying offHIIT versus low intensity cardio in a deficit, and why your leg days pay for itNon-bodyweight reasons to split: metabolic flexibility, fat digestion, and quality of lifeHigher carb versus higher fat by phase, and why a deficit favors higher carbWhy a wearable's calorie number is unreliable but its trend is accurate to youConsistent inaccuracy: pick the same food entry every time and let the trend guide youWhy we pull cardio before steps when the rate of loss runs too hotTimestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro and updates 00:05:00 - The six minute cardio ramp, and why lifting isn't a zone 2 substitute 00:09:00 - What actually counts as a training day: recovery as the definition 00:10:30 - The gray area: high step days, hikes, and zone 2 00:13:00 - Nutritional periodization and the maintenance phase 00:17:30 - Appetite blunting, rebound hunger, and the weekly average 00:22:00 - Surplus: insulin sensitivity and nutrient partitioning around training 00:29:00 - Monitoring a surplus: DEXA, and whether six more pounds is worth it 00:31:30 - Deficit: the phase where splitting matters most 00:34:00 - The psychology of dieting and Bryan's opposite approach 00:37:30 - Going bland on purpose: flavor, the algorithm, and hunger 00:42:00 - The constrained energy model, steps, and the Pontzer research 00:47:00 - HIIT versus low intensity cardio in a deficit 00:50:00 - Non-bodyweight reasons: metabolic flexibility and quality of life 00:54:00 - Wearables, the trend over the number, and pulling cardio before steps Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

ETP226 comes from a DM question posed to Bryan wondering whether we have taken the "abs are made in the kitchen" idea too far. That question opened up into a bigger one, and it is the question this whole episode chases: for muscle groups like abs and arms, how much does training them directly actually change your physique relative to the extra time it costs you? We work through it from a few angles. Whether a base of prior ab development carries over through years of compound lifting, how core stability from free weights compares to braced machine work, and where the honest line sits between a six-pack and true influencer-level abs. From there it moves to the more interesting half of the conversation, the arms. The thought experiment at the center of it is a natural lifter who has gotten genuinely strong, think a 200 press, 300 bench, 400 squat, 500 deadlift plus weighted pull-ups and dips, and whether that person ends up with basically the same arms as someone who added years of dedicated direct arm work on top. That leads into some of our favorite tangents: why body fat distribution is largely hormonal and splits so differently between men and women, whether the size you get from direct arm work is real myofibrillar growth or mostly transient sarcoplasmic pump, whether muscle and fat compete for the same space, and Bryan's one arm experiment as evidence. It all ties back to the one question worth actually sitting with, how much optimization is worth pursuing for you, which comes down to what you care about and what your time is better spent on. Covered in this episode The DM that started it: have we taken "abs are made in the kitchen" too far?Why nutrition, not ab training, is what stands between most people and visible absWhether prior ab development is maintained through years of compound liftingCore stability from free weights versus bracing on machinesThe ex-powerlifter example: big lifts leave developed midsections behindDefining the goal: a six-pack versus influencer or Ryan Terry level absThe arms thought experiment: the genuinely strong natural lifterThe strength benchmarks that mean you have put in the workWhy weighted pull-ups and dips matter for elbow flexion and extensionHow execution differences change how much arm you get from rows and pullsBody fat distribution as a largely hormonal, sex-linked patternWhether long term TRT slowly shifts where you store fatSarcoplasmic versus myofibrillar hypertrophy from direct arm workWhy the pure compound-only lifter is a bit of a hypothetical purgatoryThe one arm experiment and what it suggests about transient arm sizeWhether muscle and fat compete for the same spaceWhy more developed abs can actually look worse if you are not leanHow much optimization is worth pursuing, and how that answer is personalThe earlier lifter: get strong on compounds before chasing direct arm workTimestamps: 00:00:00 - Episode Intro 00:02:00 - Have we taken abs are made in the kitchen too far 00:05:00 - Core stability from free weights versus braced machines 00:07:00 - The ex-powerlifter example: big lifts leave a developed midsection 00:10:30 - Defining ab development: a six-pack versus influencer abs 00:12:30 - The arms thought experiment: the strong enough natural lifter 00:15:30 - How execution changes the arm you get from rows and pulls 00:18:30 - Body fat distribution, hormones, and male versus female patterns 00:22:30 - Whether long term TRT shifts where you store fat 00:24:30 - Sarcoplasmic versus myofibrillar hypertrophy from direct arm work 00:27:30 - The one arm experiment and what it suggests about transient size 00:29:30 - Can muscle and fat compete for the same space 00:34:30 - Why developed abs can look worse if you are not lean 00:38:30 - How much optimization is actually worth pursuing 00:40:30 - The earlier lifter: get strong on compounds first Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

Another month, another batch of questions pulled straight from the Instagram audience. This one runs the full range, from how to build a bro split around daily cardio, to the zone 2 discourse currently making the rounds, to a couple of surprisingly good questions from Bryan's nine year old. We take each one in turn and give the honest answer rather than the tidy one. A lot of this episode lives in the nuance. How to read research when you do not have a science background and whether reviews are the better use of your time, whether an 80/20 commitment can really get you to 95% of your muscle gain potential and why the way you define that 80/20 changes the answer, and Aaron's transparent take on TRT after being on it for a while, including what he would do differently if he could start over. Bryan revisits the one arm training experiment and what it actually proved, and we get into practical troubleshooting for the classic wake up after two to three hours sleep problem. Covered in this episode Building a 5 to 7 day bro split that still fits daily cardio for healthManaging beat up legs when cardio stacks on top of lower daysThe Dr. Mike T. Nelson zone 2 discourse and where it actually holds upWhy hard lifting already lives close to zone 2 for a lot of peopleReading primary research versus research reviews as an enthusiastPicking one or two reviewers and knowing your actual goal for readingWhy "more research is needed" is the most common and most frustrating conclusionWhether an 80/20 effort can reach 95% of your muscle gain potentialThe difference between 80% every day and 100% for 80% of the timeHow a 9 year old should train abs, and the minimum to get jacked at pubertyStepping back evenly on reverse lunges, and whether it is worth thinking aboutTraining through pregnancy, autoregulation, and taking advantage of a good dayAaron's honest TRT regrets and what he would do differently starting overWhy buying less TRT content and finding one trusted person beats the noiseWhat the one arm training experiment proved and what comes nextTroubleshooting the wake up after two to three hours, starting with caffeineFood and water timing before bed, and breathing tools to fall back asleepWhat we are currently enjoying and excited aboutTimestamps 00:00:00 - Intro and updates 00:06:00 - Programming a bro split around daily cardio for health 00:14:00 - Dr. Mike T. Nelson and the zone 2 discourse 00:22:00 - Reading research versus research reviews as an enthusiast 00:29:00 - Can 80/20 get you to 95% of your muscle gain potential 00:34:00 - Bryson's questions: training abs and getting jacked at puberty 00:38:00 - Stepping back evenly on reverse lunges 00:40:00 - Training through pregnancy 00:44:00 - Any regrets about starting TRT 00:50:00 - The one arm training experiment, and what's next 00:54:00 - Waking up after two to three hours and can't fall back asleep 00:58:00 - What are you currently enjoying or excited about Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

This week we have a slightly different kind of episode. We talk less about the mechanics of training and more about the benefits of using your fitness out in the world, specifically outdoors. We talk about environment, how the right gym or the mountains can pull effort out of you when your own motivation is low. The back half of the episode revisits the Misogi Challenge and the value of planning something with a real chance of failure, why hard physical challenges reframe everyday life, and how the pursuit of hard things changes from your twenties to thirties and forties. It closes on the big one, using your fitness to buy a longer and more capable lifespan, why your 30s are when the trajectory of your actions starts to show, and why 56 does not look so old looking forward from 44. Covered in this episode Pushing a session to a day you can actually give it a better effortHow environment, the right gym or the mountains, pulls effort out of youThe carryover that lets you hike well even at a heavier body weightAwe as a real mechanism, and why noticing is the key wordDacher Keltner's book on the science of everyday wonderKeeping the mountains from ever becoming just another WednesdayRevisiting the misogi and planning something with a real chance of failureWhy hard physical challenges reframe everyday life as manageableHow the pursuit of hard things changes from 24 to 34 to 44Using your fitness for a longer, more capable lifespanWhy your 30s are when the trajectory of your actions starts to showMountains versus the ocean, and the wildlife you only see out thereTimestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:00 - You don't have to train every day to keep your fitness 00:09:30 - Environment and how the right gym pulls effort out of you 00:13:30 - The benefits of using your fitness outdoors 00:16:30 - Awe as a mechanism, and Keltner's science of wonder 00:20:00 - Revisiting the misogi and planning something hard 00:24:30 - Doing hard things, and how that pursuit changes with age 00:32:00 - Using your fitness for a longer, more capable lifespan Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

This one came straight out of the DMs. Aaron gets messages from people who are interested in coaching and they usually lay out everything they have been doing and everything they have tried. The same handful of problems keep showing up over and over again, so instead of answering them one at a time, this episode is the full breakdown. The whole thing is built around three buckets. Poor metrics, where the plateau only exists in perception because there was never a baseline, a rate of loss target, or any real objectivity built into the approach in the first place. False plateaus, where the deficit is actually intact but something is muddying the water and making it look like nothing is happening. And true plateaus, where the deficit on paper simply does not match the deficit in reality. If you are coaching yourself through a fat loss phase, this is the episode to have open when the scale stops moving and you are trying to figure out whether to change something or hold the line. Bryan spent a good portion of this one saying he had nothing to add, which is probably the best endorsement it could get. Before that, Bryan talks about the ten day family road trip through the canyons that has him off the mic for the next couple of weeks, and Aaron recaps the boys training trip he put together in Dallas. Covered in this episode Why an emotional goal like fat loss needs objective metrics to save you from yourselfEstablishing an actual baseline before you start, and why "intuitive eating" is not a planThe problem with subjective labels like eating healthy or eating goodDaily weigh-ins as data points, not verdicts, and how to use weekly and seven day moving averagesWeighing under identical conditions so you stop importing noise into your own metricsWhy the mirror is a terrible short term progress toolSetting a target rate of loss, 0.5% to 1% of body mass per week, and reverse engineering the timeline from thereWhy the first week whoosh on low carb is gut contents, glycogen, and water, not fatWater retention and inflammation from hard training, travel, poor sleep, sickness, and menstrual cyclesFat loss is not linear, and what a huge week usually means for the week after itThe gut check question: have my actions actually changed, or am I still running it by the book?Getting leaner makes you more sensitive to stress, sleep, and digestionRecomping as an explanation, and why you probably should not hold your breath on itToo much flexibility and macro Tetris, and why more opportunities equal more errorsWhen to suspect user error versus when to actually go get labsOverconfidence from early success and why the corners you cut early stop working laterInversion of control, or too many meals sourced by hands that are not your ownUntracked sauces, oils, bites, tastes, the mom tax, and the zero calorie spray technicalityAlcohol as its own macronutrient and the weekend pattern robbing weekday progressNEAT quietly dropping the longer you diet, with an important caveat on improving healthMetabolic adaptation, why it is real but often overblown, and Pontzer's constrained energy modelBody temperature after meals as a real time readout of energy availabilitySleep as the unsung hero of fat loss and the one natural cheat code that actually existsBuilding in non-progress weeks proactively because life is going to happenAccepting that rigidity has to increase as your ambition increasesTimestamps 00:00:00 - Intro: Is Your Fat Loss Stalled? Then Do These 00:00:55 - Updates: Bryan's road trip and Aaron's Dallas training trip 00:06:25 - Bucket one: poor metrics 00:07:25 - Establishing an actual baseline 00:10:15 - Weekly averages and seven day moving averages 00:13:40 - Setting a target rate of loss: 0.5% to 1% per week 00:16:45 - Setting realistic goals and running the math 00:19:40 - Bucket two: false plateaus 00:22:45 - Fat loss is not linear 00:26:20 - Too much flexibility and macro Tetris 00:31:00 - Inversion of control 00:32:15 - Bucket three: true plateaus 00:36:20 - NEAT dropping the longer you diet 00:38:00 - Metabolic adaptation: real but often overblown 00:41:20 - Sleep is the unsung hero of fat loss 00:43:30 - Take homes and building in non-progress weeks Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

Episode 222 is our July Instagram Q&A, and per usual the questions did not disappoint. We dig through a big stack covering everything from exercise sequencing and deloads to GLP-1s, telehealth companies, and what we actually learned in our late-stage natty years that still apply. There is a lot of practical programming talk in this one. Where RDLs should actually go in your session, how to build a minimum effective program on three 45-minute sessions per week, the five exercises we would pick if we could only use five for an entire year, and how to structure a four day split when chest and arms are the priority. We also cover softer but equally important stuff: advice for new online coaches, why most people do not actually need a reverse diet, health habits we'll never stop doing, and the best sub $100 purchases that have improved our training. Fun one this month. One quick note: a number of pregnancy and fertility questions came in this round. Those were forgotten. They are getting saved for an upcoming episode so they can get the time and depth they deserve instead of a rushed answer at the end of a Q&A. Covered in this episode: Life updates: Bryan's program drop July 20th, Aaron's boys training trip in Dallas and September Refining Hypertrophy seminar in UtahExercise sequencing for barbell RDLs and whether exercise order actually mattersTRT telehealth recommendations in the US and what to look for in a companyEducational courses vs in-person seminars for coachesTop advice for aspiring online coachesWhy most people think they need a reverse diet but usually don'tHigh protein deficits, low carb diets, and nutrient timing around workoutsGLP-1 use for gen pop: tool or crutch?Current thoughts on deloads now that the dogma has died downLessons from TRT that still apply to natural liftersMinimum effective programming and desert island exercise picksLazy healthy meals, favorite health habits, and best cheap training purchasesTimestamps: 00:00:00 – Intro and life updates: Bryan's travel and July 20th program drop, Aaron's Dallas boys training trip and September Refining Hypertrophy seminar  00:02:30 – Exercise sequencing for barbell RDLs. Why do some coaches program them at the end? 00:05:25 – Where will Aaron get TRT in the US? Any reputable telehealth companies? 00:08:25 – How often do you complete educational courses? Any you would recommend?  00:12:15 – Top tips and advice for aspiring new online coaches  00:13:50 – Can you talk about how people think they need reverse diets but usually don't?  00:18:20 – Does setting deficit macros with super high protein make an aggressive deficit easier to tolerate?  00:20:00 – What is your stance on casual GLP-1 use for gen pop clients struggling with food noise?  00:25:50 – What are your thoughts on a low carb diet?  00:27:25 – The dogmatism around deloads has dissipated. Current thoughts on whether they are necessary?  00:32:20 – Biggest thing you have learned since going on TRT that still applies to natural lifters?  00:37:15 – Is there a point where a trainee should stop focusing on progression by weight entirely?  00:40:45 – Minimum effective hypertrophy program for a busy parent with three 45-minute sessions per week  00:43:00 – If you could only pick five exercises to build as much muscle as possible for a year, what are they?  00:46:25 – Do you still put any value into food timing around workouts?  00:50:10 – What is a health habit you have adopted in the past few years that you will never stop doing?  00:53:30 – Best purchase under $100 that has improved your training the most?  00:55:25 – Favorite lazy, healthy meal when you don't feel like cooking?  00:56:40 – Does the order of exercises matter when training?  00:59:05 – How would you strategize a four day push pull legs upper split to bring up chest and arms? Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

We have covered volume a handful of times on the podcast — ETP#167 (Personalizing Your Training Volume), ETP#188 (Quality Volume), and most recently ETP#207 (The Training Volume Model). This one comes at it from a different angle: not "what's the right number of sets," but how that number can change over a training career as skill as a lifter improves. The whole thing started with Aaron's quads. They used to be the body part he was almost ashamed of, and now they're on par with everything else. Except he only trains them once a week, six sets, and they're in shambles for five or six days afterward. That low a dose creating that much stimulus had Aaron questioning a lot of things, mainly: what actually makes a lagging body part lag? Is it genetics, or is it that you just haven't figured out how to contract the muscle well enough yet? Aaron's honest belief is leaning hard toward the second one. So we get into the precision side of volume. Why a row isn't always a 1.0 stimulus, why your weak points might not need more sets so much as better execution, how strength curves explain why back and delts get buried under volume while quads light up off almost nothing, and how to actually manipulate all of this with rep ranges and resistance profiles. Plus some personal updates up top, including one of Aaron's that went unexpectedly viral. Covered in this episode: Why volume needs can drop as your precision and skill improve, and the asterisk on "more volume is better until it isn't"Aaron's theory that lagging body parts lag because you haven't learned to contract them well — not because of geneticsThe Kyle Baxter pronation/foot-pressure cue that finally unlocked Aaron's quadsWhy quads hold post-workout stimulus for days when nothing else does (blood flow, lengthened overload, and the fact that we walk on our legs)Strength curve vs resistance curve, and why short-overloaded muscles like delts and back need more volume to reach the same inroadsThe leaning lateral raise trick — disadvantaging your own bad habit to force a better stimulusUsing the 15/10/5 rep scheme to go short on the high-rep sets and lengthened on the low-rep setsPrioritization: deprioritize what's already good and pour the days into what you actually want to bring upHamstrings/biceps vs quads/triceps, the cramp problem, and why some muscles just don't follow the same rulesTimestamps:  00:00 Intro: How Much Is Enough? + The Prior Volume Episodes  01:00 Bryan's Update: 15/10/5 and Why Full Body Is "For the Birds"  03:00 Aaron's Personal Update + The Post That Went Viral  05:00 The 1989 LA Raiders Mug  06:00 The Real Topic: Volume Dose Response Per Muscle Group  07:00 Can Precision Change Your Volume Needs?  08:00 Aaron's Quads: From Lagging to Wrecked on Six Sets  09:00 What Actually Makes a Lagging Body Part?  10:00 Lengthened Overload and Leaning Into the Stretch  12:00 Squat Variables: Stance, Knee Tracking, Foot Pressure  13:00 The Kyle Baxter Pronation Cue  15:00 Aaron's Current Quad Setup (Leg Extension + Squat Pattern)  17:00 Six Sets, Shattered for Days + Repeated Bout Effect  21:00 The Post-Workout Stimulus Window: Quads vs Everything Else  22:00 Double the Chest Volume, Lower the Stimulus  23:00 The "Washing Your Hair" Delt Test  24:00 Splitting Volume vs One Big Day  25:00 Aaron's Theory: Lagging = Not Contracting Well Yet  27:00 The Leaning Lateral Raise (Disadvantaging the Shrug)  29:00 Strength Curve vs Resistance Curve  30:00 Why Beginners Can't Feel Their Legs  31:00 Blood Flow, Bro Splits, and Dispersed Stimulus  33:00 Prioritizing: Deprioritize What's Already Good  34:00 Building a Program Around Your Weak Points  35:00 Aaron's Back Days: High Volume, Still Can't Feel It  37:00 Why Back and Delts Need More Volume  38:00 Manipulating Resistance Profiles Across a Whole Day  39:00 The 15/10/5: Short on the Highs, Lengthened on the Lows  41:00 The Asterisk on "More Volume Is Better"  42:00 A Row Isn't Always a 1.0 Stimulus  43:00 Finding the Rep Range Before Weight Takes Over  44:00 Pausing in the Short Position to Build the Pattern  47:00 Hamstrings, Biceps, and the Cramp Problem  49:00 Biceps Femoris: Pullers vs Pushers  50:00 Why Quads Are Just Different Post-Workout  52:00 Closing: Training Maturity and Looking Inward Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

ETP#220 is the part two follow-up to last week's episode, and this is the one we really wanted to get to. We ran out of road last week before doing CrossFit Pacific Beach any justice, so this episode picks right back up there and runs all the way through the rest of the arc: going online, the failed business that taught Bryan everything, the origins of Straker Nutrition, building Undefeated, and Aaron winning his pro card on the first try. The throughline is the same as part one. Spotting the gap in the market before anyone else does, putting in the reps when no one's watching, leaning on the people around you, and making things so simple it'd be unreasonable to screw them up. A lot of what looks like luck in hindsight is really just opportunity meeting preparation, over and over again. Before we get into it, Aaron's got some big news that we're both pretty fired up about. Covered in this episode: Big news: a little baby Straker (a boy) is coming in December, and Bryan's headed to Steamboat to celebrate his wife's birthday, twelve years after the trip that made him want to move to the mountains in the first placeUpdates: new Paragon hypertrophy cycles starting 6/22 with the core challenge, and a reminder on Good Labs (code STRAKER for an additional 20% off the cheapest labs in the US)How CrossFit PB built its reputation as the gym where everyone was actually jacked, and why Bryan refused to just do CrossFit for the sake of CrossFitThe first real business goal: getting to $35K a year each so they could quit their day jobs, and the absolutely brutal 5:30am-to-midnight grind it took to get thereSharing a wall with an urgent care, opening a second location as a safety net, then maxing out bothWhen the love started fading: the CrossFit burnout, the animosity with Anders, the balloon rent payment, and the slow unwindGoing online before it was a thing, building Evolved Training Systems, and spotting the price gap in the marketThe failed business (Active Traveler Network) and why underpricing the market and failing taught Bryan everything he needed to succeed laterJenny's "I'm not rolling any f*****g dice, I'm making this happen" moment and how reframing it took failure off the tableThe COVID inflection point: dumbbell-only programs ready to go the day the world shut down, and why removing everyone's excuses produced better resultsThe origin of Straker Nutrition: spotting the gap between female-led coaching and male bodybuilding prep, and serving the people in the middleBuilding Undefeated around equipment because bodybuilders build better gyms than businessmen doThe pro card: going from "natural Aaron who said he'd never compete" to winning on his first attempt, the TRT goal physique that left him feeling empty, and the pressure Jackson put on himStructuring the prep like a pro, turning the brain off, and the "crack in the dam" philosophyWhy posing is the worst, and using accountability to your circle as the thing that actually drives youClosing thoughts: don't fear failure, expand your network, and drop the ego that keeps you from hiring a coachTimestamps:  00:00 Intro: Chasing Big Goals Part 2  00:55 Updates + Bryan's Big Party Weekend Recap  01:35 Steamboat Springs and the 12-Year Mountain Dream  03:15 Aaron's Big News + Good Labs Reminder  05:05 How CrossFit PB Differentiated on Training  06:50 Bodybuilding First, Metcon Second  11:25 The First Business Goal: Quitting the Day Jobs  13:30 Two Locations, the Urgent Care War, and Maxing Out  14:10 Falling Out of Love: Burnout and the Unwind  16:50 Going Online and Building Evolved  20:00 The Paragon Partnership and the COVID Surge  24:00 The Failed Business That Taught Him Everything  26:30 Jenny's "I'm Not Rolling Dice" Reframe  28:50 The COVID Inflection Point for SNC  33:30 Lockdown Life and Spotting the Software Exit  35:00 The Origin of Straker Nutrition  39:00 Building Expertise (and Hiding in Education)  40:00 Building Undefeated Around Equipment  42:30 The Pro Card: From "Never Competing" to First Try  43:00 The TRT Goal Physique That Left Him Empty  45:30 Deciding to Prep + Jackson's Pressure  47:00 Structuring the Prep Like a Pro  48:30 Making It Too Simple to Fail + The Crack in the Dam  51:30 Why Posing Is the Worst  55:00 Get Your Circle on Your Side  56:00 Closing Thoughts: Network, Ego, and Hiring a Coach Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

ETP#219 (Part 1) is all about chasing big goals. If you've listened for a while you know we talk a ton about training, a decent amount about nutrition, and honestly not enough about the prosper side. This episode leans into that third pillar. Between the two of us we've moved across the country (and the world), changed careers, built gyms, build successful coaching and training businesses, and turned pro. With plenty of wins and a fair share of losses along the way. And the behind the scenes of how those things actually came together is where the real value is. So we each break down the foundations we've used for deciding if a big goal is actually worth the time, energy, and relationship cost it's going to demand. Because it will demand it. Your life is already full, and you cannot just stack a big goal on top of a full life without trading in the pursuit of a new big goal. We got deep enough into the examples that we ran out of time before giving CrossFit PB the conversation it deserves. So that story, plus the pro card win and the Paragon origin, is coming next week in Part 2. Covered in this episode: Updates: new Paragon physique cycles starting 6/22 with a six-week abs challenge, and Bryan digging further into his kidney labs (cystatin C, UACR, urinalysis)Aaron officially partnering with Good Labs, the best priced blood work in the US by a wide margin (code STRAKER for an additional 20% off)Why a big goal needs deep personal relevancy, and why purely money-motivated goals fall apart fastGetting goals out of your head and into spoken words, and why "word is bond" means being really selective with what you commit toSupport systems and accountability, and the reality that we've let ourselves down hundreds of times but never someone elseGoing into business with friends versus going solo, and why it's better for good business partners to become friends than good friends to become business partnersBeing honest about the trade-offs, including Aaron telling Jenny "I'm going to be really selfish for the next five months" before prepSimplifying execution down to daily chunks so small it would be unreasonable to screw them upDiscipline turning into motivation turning into obsessionWriting the CrossFit PB business plan in coffee shops, and dealing with the friends who don't believe in youBryan cashing out the Amazon stock he bought at 13 (at a loss) to fund his San Diego moveThe weekly master plan meeting Aaron and Jenny have kept every single week since 2018Timestamps: 00:00 Intro: Chasing Big Goals 01:20 Updates: Paragon Physique Cycles and Abs Challenge 02:55 Bryan's Kidney Lab Deep Dive 06:00 Aaron's Good Labs Partnership + Coaching Opportunities 08:25 How We Laid This Episode Out + Our Examples 12:50 Deep Personal Relevancy 15:00 Speaking Goals Into Existence 16:05 Support Systems and Accountability 17:25 Business With Friends vs. Going Solo 21:30 Being Honest About the Costs and Trade-offs 23:50 Simplify Into Daily Action Chunks 25:30 Bryan's Foundations: Passion and Obsession 28:55 Discipline to Motivation to Obsession 30:30 Writing the CrossFit PB Business Plan 32:30 Buy-In From Your People and Handling Doubters 36:20 No Solutions, Only Trade-offs 39:05 Moving Across the Country: Our Two Stories 43:00 The Master Plan: Weekly Planning Meetings 46:00 Separation of Duties and the Undefeated Build 50:45 Why CrossFit PB Deserves Its Own Episode (Part 2 Teaser) Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

ETP 218 is all about progression models. The whole conversation starts from one non-negotiable idea: eventually there has to be real, tangible progression. Most of the "models" people get excited about are really just different ways to make the process less mundane than running linear or double progression forever. And to be clear, LP and DP are still the GOAT. They're proven, time-tested, and they work. We break down what they actually are and why they've earned that status. The catch with all of these models is that they live and die by consistent form. Heavier weights or more reps with execution falling apart isn't progress. A big reason we like employing these models in the first place is that they tend to produce more consistent output and execution than LP/DP, where the only thing you're chasing is weight and reps. That consistency is a lot of why they're effective. From there we walk through the models we actually use and where each one fits. Covered in this episode: Why LP and DP are the proven foundation, and why everything else is built on top of themWave loading, including the 4/3/2 strength model and the 4-3-2-1-0 weekly RIR approach Bryan often runs, where the goal is to beat the same week in sequence so progression plays out over a five to six week windowBryan’s current favorite: 2-week microcycles, alternating an intensity week (2 x 5-8 to 0-1 RIR) with a volume week (4-5 x 5-6 at 85-90% of the prior week's load)Rep goal progression, basically a more fun spin on double progression, hitting a total rep target across your sets before adding loadReverse pyramid and top set plus back-off work, where progression is driven mostly by the top set and the back-offs chase stimulusVolume progression, the original RP model, where workload climbs week to week before load goes up across the mesoDensity progression, doing the same work in less time, plus Aaron playing devil's advocate on whether efficiency gains actually confirm strength or hypertrophy progress or just imply itLoad cycling across longer time frames, meso to mesoMyo-rep and rest-pause progression, beating your total rep count session to sessionTimestamps: 00:00:00 Episode Introduction and Personal Updates 00:13:41 Refining Hypertrophy In-Person Seminar 00:14:41 Goodlabs Discounted Private Bloodwork 00:15:10 Diving into Progression Models 00:22:39 Waveloading and Its Applications 00:29:22 Set Structures and Rep Ranges 00:31:44 Microcycle Training: Balancing Intensity and Volume 00:34:28 Understanding Reps and Volume in Training 00:36:45 The Benefits of Volume Weeks 00:38:14 Rep Goal Progression: A Fun Approach 00:39:19 Top Set Back Off Set: A Popular Training Method 00:43:32 Exploring Pyramid Training: A Classic Approach 00:47:54 Volume Progression: Pros and Cons 00:52:31 Density Progression: Efficiency vs. Effectiveness 00:58:08 Load Cycling: A Structured Approach to Progression 01:02:38 Myo Reps: Time-Efficient Training Techniques Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

ETP 217 digs into effort, and the notion that many overestimate their effort relative to their goal. We've observed a flip over the last decade. Rewind 10-12 years to the CrossFit era and the information was mostly bad, but the effort was 10 out of 10 across the board. Now we have the opposite problem. Quality information is abundant, but the effort has quietly slipped. And that will hold you back. The other half of this is likely misapplication of the supported evidence. Research that holds true for a natural at 4% body fat gets applied to someone dieting from 15% to 11%. Case studies on enhanced open class bodybuilders get applied to naturals. The context gets lost and the takeaway has significantly less risk or benefit. So we break down where the evidence actually applies, where it doesn't, and why your effort might matter more than your protocol. Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

Eat Train Prosper #216 is our May 2026 Instagram Q&A. We have 15 questions. Notable questions of likely interest are: a framework for peaking a physique for a photoshoot, Zone 2 cardio before resistance training producing better sessions (question mark), and how much of an effect on gains would being vegan/vegetarian have when done right? A big thank you as always to all of you who provide us great questions for these episodes. Timestamps: 00:10:04 - For DB Shoulder press, any advantage to the bench with a shorter back rest?  00:12:29 - What is the general framework to PEAK someone for a photo shoot?  00:20:18 - Having a hard time finding the literature on appropriate maintenance volume. Lifted 15 years and getting into BJJ at age 36. Want to maintain 3-4 lifts a week with 3 BJJ sessions  00:25:27 - I work in an office and don’t have time to cook eggs in the AM. What are some good breakfast options for meal 1?  00:28:33 - Thoughts on purely frontal plane adduction movements when programming for lats? 00:32:25 - What is the hardest part of moving back stateside for Aaron? 00:35:56 - Is Bulking and cutting really necessary? Seeing lots about recomp and no need to bulk…  00:40:25 - Loved the episode with blood test results! Have you guys looked at AM cortisol? How does stress impact eating and training and physique? How can you improve the impacts of stress? 00:46:20 - I know there is a threshold of hunger regulation around 7k steps per day, but is there another threshold? I often hear about marathoners gaining weight but then often see triathletes or Ironmen racers losing weight despite eating everything. Could it be genetic?  00:49:21 - I’ve been messing around with 6x/week torso/limbs split with 1 set to failure (6 sets per session). Seems to be making good strength gains, but wonder if 2x/week frequency (vs 3x per area) with higher volume per session would be better for hypertrophy? Thoughts? 00:54:10 - Been starting workouts with 20-30 min of Z2 before lifting and surprisingly feel I perform better, counter to what you always hear to do lifting THEN cardio. Have you ever tried this?  00:58:00 - Eric Trexler recently spoke on RP pod about how muscle gain on TRT can be underwhelming. Can you perhaps share your own experiences around these statements? 01:06:18 - Do you (Aaron) think you’d ever bring on an assistant coach? 01:08:42 - How much of an effect on gains would being vegan/vegetarian have when done right? 01:11:15 - Full time dad, work 50+ (hours), never done a show. What is the best way to mentally block out hunger noise? Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

Eat Train Prosper 215 picks up after our longest hiatus ever while Aaron was transitioning back to living in the United States again. Episode 215 covers numerous insights from Bali Pro Camp 3 and an April recap of what we have been focused on during our recording hiatus. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome Back and Relocation Updates 02:15 Challenges Adjusting to New Environment 04:24 Settling into Salt Lake City 07:21 Weight Fluctuations and Training Adjustments 10:10 Insights on TRT and Body Composition 14:33 Training Progress and New Workout Strategies 18:02 Pro Camp Experience and Training with a Mr. Olympia 34:19 Strength Training Insights 38:23 Training Techniques and Strategies 42:01 Adapting Training Styles 47:30 Overcoming Mental Barriers 51:22 Reflections on the Bali Chapter Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST

In ETP#214 we are bringing back the Training Series with a dedicated deep dive on lateral deltoids. We covered shoulders back in episode 138 in December 2023, but the lateral delt segment got squeezed into the final 10 minutes. A long-time listener called that out and requested the full treatment, so here it is. Covered in this dedicated lateral delts training episode: Why the lateral delt deserves its own episode and what we missed in ETP#138Aaron's favorite foundational cuing for lateral delt stimulationDumbbell variations: seated, incline, sideways, standing, leaning out, leaning in, upright row/high pull, face pull, and Y-raiseCable variations by height and orientation: dual behind the back, dual in the scapular plane, single arm, lying Y-raise, and the case for a bottom ROM focusDedicated lateral raise machines, what to look for in the design, and why the Gymleco Standing Side Lateral stands outShort vs. lengthened pairings and why we are big fans of same-muscle-group supersets for lateral deltsTimestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and Updates 00:05:47 Transitioning from Bali: Reflections and Changes 00:09:46 Understanding the Challenges of Training Lateral Delts 00:11:44 Exploring Dumbbell Variations for Lateral Delts 00:17:26 Innovations in Lateral Raise Techniques 00:23:26 Short vs. Lengthened Movements for Lateral Delts 00:29:00 Eccentric Loading and Joint Integrity in Training 00:31:48 Mastering Lateral Raises: Techniques and Variations 00:39:09 The Power of Using Cables in Your Lateral Delt Training 00:54:24 Better and Worse Machines for Lateral Delt Development 01:00:32 Same Muscle Group Supersets: Maxing the Lateral Delts Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️ https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bio Paragon Training Methods Programming ⬇️ https://paragontrainingmethods.com Follow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️ https://evolvedtrainingsystems.com Find Us on Social Media  ⬇️ IG | @Eat.Train.Prosper IG | @bryanboorstein IG | @aaron_straker YT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST