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Covering everything from training and nutrition, to lifestyle and stress.
Muscle Nerds delve into a variety of topics in their online blog.
Building Muscle in a Deficit
Building muscle while burning fat. Muscle GAINZ while in a deficit. The holy grail. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? In fact, we’ve been told that it’s impossible for decades. What if I told you that it’s in fact NOT impossible and that current research backs it up. ...
Growth In Adversity (Injury as a Blessing)
“OH SHIT” I knew I’d really done it this time. I’d finally hurt myself in an awful way. Over 34 years of lifting and training and I finally did it. I hurt myself in a way that I knew wouldn’t be easy to fix. You see, I had been working around a niggling injury for...
History of the Deep Knee Bend
We’ve all been there, whether it is during the start of the school year, a New Year’s resolution or when working with a coach. It usually goes something like this: “So, what’s your goal?” “Well, I want to (insert goal
Biometrics: Why Taking Blood Pressure Matters
When taking metrics, subjective measurements are important and certainly have their place in understanding peoples’ mindsets. However, subjective measurements should never override objective ones – some kind of quantifiable
Incorporating Carbohydrates into a Ketogenic Diet
A standard ketogenic diet is very high fat (typically 75%), and next to no carbohydrates. There are a tonne of benefits to this diet, especially for people who suffer epilepsy. As a lot of people are starting to adopt
Setting Goals: We Need to Understand the “Why”
We’ve all been there, whether it is during the start of the school year, a New Year’s resolution or when working with a coach. It usually goes something like this: “So, what’s your goal?” “Well, I want to (insert goal
Recommended Daily Allowance: Is it Enough?
Recommended daily allowance of vitamins & minerals: Is it Enough? Most vitamin and mineral supplements come with an RDA – a recommended daily allowance. Is this a good dosage to go off, or should you be taking more or less? As with everything – it depends, and a...
Supporting Health First and Foremost: My Lightbulb Moment
Supporting Health First and Foremost: My Lightbulb Moment Have you ever had a ‘light bulb moment’ when you realised not everything in the world was all it was cracked up to be? I had a big one about the 'health' and fitness industry a few years go. Grab a coffee and...
Optimal VS Practical: When Practical Wins
Optimal VS Practical: When PRACTICAL wins We’re very lucky here in Australia. Our city Councils really look after us, at least I feel they do anyway. Being grateful for them makes me feel okay about paying taxes, so that can only be a good thing, right? One of the...
Workout: Bench Press for Hypertrophy
Workout: Bench Press for Hypertrophy Every day is an International Chest Day! Enjoy this great pec-building protocol, using the concept of Positions of Flexion (POF), with a few added twists. Typically with POF, you would first use a mid-range movement (like the flat...
What is Glutathione?
What is Glutathione? Glutathione is a master detoxifier and antioxidant, and many people are deficient in it! Not having enough glutathione slows down your detoxification system, which is imperative for good health and fat loss. Is it best to take glutathione as a...
What Helps to Reduce Mid-Section Fat?
What Helps to Reduce MidSection Fat? A lot of people have stubborn areas of fat that seem to refuse to budge, no matter what they do. For many people, this stubborn area is midsection fat. Aside from managing your stress levels, what else can you do to reduce love...
Protein: When Does a Lot Become Too Much?
Protein: When Does a Lot Become Too Much? In today's video Luke and Zoe discuss protein - when does the over-consumption of it become an issue? Our Achievements
How to Optimise a Vegan Diet and Improve Health
We are so lucky to live in a society in which we can dictate the type of food we want to eat. We are blessed to have choice, and to be able to consume diets that align with our beliefs and preferences. There has been a…
The Importance of the Sodium Potassium Pump
The Importance of the Sodium Potassium Pump Sodium is so prevalent in a western diet, to the point that our (very important) sodium/potassium balance has been thrown off. What are the health implications of this, and how can we bring that ratio into its optimal range?...
Good and Bad Supplements
Good and Bad SupplementsWhat determines a good supplement? And what determines a bad one? It’s very tough to decide which to purchase if your knowledge on supplementation isn’t vast. We try and touch on this topic, but it runs so deep there was a lot of information...
Should You Follow Calories in VS Calories Out?
Should You Follow Calories in VS Calories Out? Is the Calories in VS Calories Out theory as simple as that? Is there a place for it in your diet and lifestyle? Is it the be-all or end-all of nutritional program design, or are there other factors that should be...
Magnesium: Is it a Sleep Supplement?
Magnesium: Is it a Sleep Supplement?There are so many different types of magnesium on the market, how do you know which one to buy? Also, is it right to be calling it a sleep supplement when it contributes to more than 350 different chemical processes in the body,...
What Are Exogenous Ketones?
What Are Exogenous Ketones? Exogenous ketones - what on earth are they? How do they work? Is fat loss a by-product of ketones, or are ketones a by-product of fat loss? Find out more in this video with Muscle Nerds Luke and Zoe. Our Achievements
How Do You Find Your Ideal Macronutrient Ratio?
How To Find an Ideal Macronutrient Ratio? There are so many ‘ideal’ and ‘optimal’ diets and macronutrient splits, that it’s hard to know which one is going to work for you. In this video, Luke advises us on how to set that split and adjust it accordingly. Our...
How To Use Creatine
How to Use CreatineCreatine is a very common supplement on the market for bodybuilders and there are many health benefits to it. In this video we discuss the benefits of creatine, what it actually is, what to look for and how to best take it. Our Achievements
Should You Keep Fruit In Your Diet?
Should You Keep Fruit in Your Diet?There is a lot of talk of cutting fruit from your diet when you are trying to lose fat. Is this necessary? Muscle Nerds discuss the process that fructose follows in the body, where the stigma came from, why you should consider...
What is Detox?
What is Detox? There is a lot of detox marketing around at the moment, detox teas and shakes are particularly popular. But what is detox? How does the body detox? And is it something you should attempt if you don't understand the process? Our Achievements
Why You Should Consider IV Therapy (Multi-Nutrient Infusions)
Why You Should Consider IV Therapy (Multi-Nutrient Infusions) There are many benefits to getting intravenous multi-nutrient infusions. These infusions mean better absorption, as the nutrients bypass the digestive system, and the ability to take larger doses that you...
Mushrooms for Health and Performance
How Useful Are Mushrooms?Mushrooms have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The cool thing is, it's only been in the last century that they have been able to prove and understand how they work. In this video, Luke and Zoe talk about the health and...
Carbohydrates and the Food Pyramid
Carbohydrates and the Food PyramidThe food pyramid is responsible for much of the over consumption of carbohydrates. Plus the fact that they're cheap, plentiful, and delicious. So how much carbs should people be consuming? Well, as with everything, it depends. In this...
Ketosis: What Is It?
Ketosis: What Is It?What exactly is ketosis? How did it come about, and what are the benefits of a ketogenic diet? Luke and Zoe give an introduction of ketosis to give you a basic understanding of what it is, and how it works.Our Achievements
How Are Different Vitamins Absorbed?
How Are Different Vitamins Absorbed?There are so many vitamins on the market, it can become quite difficult to determine which one is going to be the most effective and do the best job for you. Different supplements do a variety of things – here’s a quick video...
Carb Timing Around Workouts
Carb Timing Around WorkoutsThe majority of people are aware that eating carbohydrates is best to do around your workouts when you are more insulin sensitive. In this video, the Muscle Nerd Luke Leaman explains exactly why that is.Our Achievements
Supplements: For Health, Performance or Physique?
Supplements: For Health, Performance or Physique?The supplement market is incredibly large. Many people opt for purchasing supplements that will help them perform or get results in the gym – think pre, during and post workout, fat burners, protein powder etc. But...
Exercising for Youthfulness
Exercising for Youthfulness "Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty." - Coco Chanel Years ago I attended a couple of American Association for Anti Aging (A4M) symposiums. I knew that anti-aging would become...
Should I De-Load My Training?
Should I De-Load My Training?A de-load during a training program is a programmed period of time where a trainee will reduce training volume so as to increase recovery. Typically it would be used when the client is starting to dip into an over-reaching period. For...
Romanian Rhythm Squats for Physique: An Uncommon Exercise for a Common Predicament
Romanian Rhythm Squats for Physique: An Uncommon Exercise for a Common PredicamentA typical deficiency in physique athletes, especially in the bikini and male fitness categories, is overuse of the commonly prescribed drug, Noassitol. Poor VMO, or poor teardrop muscle...
Steven Horwath: Turning Point Strength & Conditioning
Steven Horvath:Turning Point Strength and ConditioningMuscle Nerds was fortunate enough to be able to stop by and visit a long-time friend and colleague Steven Horwath of Turning Point Strength and Conditioning. Steven trains a ton of pro-athletes, including a large...
Are you a coach looking to write highly specific and individualised programs for your clients? If so, getting as much relevant information upfront is always going to be step one. This is why we have created an intake questionnaire for you to use to with all of your new clients. The information you obtain from this questionnaire will be invaluable to the way you approach coaching them.