He created YouTube’s first-ever fitness channel and spent decades training pro athletes, now Jeff Cavaliere reveals the truth about creatine, fat loss, and real muscle growth.

Jeff Cavaliere is a renowned physical therapist, strength coach, and founder of ATHLEAN-X, one of the world’s most trusted fitness brands blending science-based training with real-world results. He is also the author of books such as, ‘AthleanX's Train Like an Athlete: Intelligent Training to Build the Ultimate Body’.

He discusses:

The science behind creatine and how it really supports muscle growth and recovery.
Why you’re struggling to lose belly fat, and the simple fixes that actually work.
The most harmful fitness myths that keep people weak, tired, and injured.
Small but powerful changes that help burn fat and preserve lean muscle mass.
Why grip strength predicts overall health and how to train it effectively.
How “nerd neck” and poor posture can destroy your gains, and how to fix it fast.

00:00 Intro

02:16 Jeff's Mission

05:43 Training the World's Best Athletes

06:30 Motivation vs. Discipline

07:57 Advice for People Struggling to Get Started

10:27 What Motivates Jeff's Audience?

14:29 The Impact of Doing Hard Things

17:23 Are There Exercises Jeff Avoids?

18:11 Deepest Motivators for Fitness

21:43 Surface-Level Motivators for Fitness

23:20 How to Look Good Physically

25:07 How to Lose Body Fat and Get Leaner

25:57 Less Obvious Nutrition Offenders

27:40 What to Look for on Food Labels

29:06 What Jeff Eats in a Day

33:50 Getting Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat

38:43 Misconceptions About Abs

40:47 Long-Term Consequences of Steroid and Growth Hormone Use

44:38 Training for Longevity

50:17 Top 3 Overlooked Elements of Training

52:16 Improving Flexibility and Mobility

54:07 Workout Demo: 5 Key Exercises for Longevity

59:24 Ads

01:00:24 Why These 5 Exercises Matter for Longevity

01:03:11 Most Important Functional Movement: Thoracic Spine Rotation

01:11:21 Exercises to Prevent Hunching with Age

01:14:36 Train Longer or Harder?

01:16:32 Importance of Proper Form

01:19:35 What Is Nerd Neck?

01:21:20 Common and Avoidable Gym Injuries

01:24:15 How to Do Less and Achieve More

01:26:54 7-Day Comprehensive Workout Plan

01:30:48 Sets and Reps for These Workouts

01:32:07 Growing Biceps

01:33:57 Grip Strength and Its Link to Longevity

01:39:26 Women's Average Grip Strength

01:41:58 Can Grip Strength Be Trained Individually?

01:42:30 How to Avoid or Improve Back Pain

01:47:58 Jeff's Opinion on Standing Desks

01:52:20 Jeff's Advice on Supplements

01:53:49 Creatine Benefits and Misconceptions

02:01:20 Are Some Protein Powders Better Than Others?

02:02:51 Foods Jeff Would Never Eat

02:03:33 Jeff's View on Melatonin

02:04:29 Is There an Optimal Way to Sleep?

You can follow Jeff, here:

YouTube - https://bit.ly/4mfLt1B

Instagram - https://bit.ly/3YKF58s

Athlean-X - https://bit.ly/4dnOU2k

You can purchase Jeff’s book, ‘AthleanX's Train Like an Athlete: Intelligent Training to Build the Ultimate Body’, here: https://amzn.to/4j6g6Up

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Research document: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DOAC-Jeff-Cavaliere-Independent-Research-further-reading.pdf

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Episode 60: Mini-Series: The CEO factory of India, Management Lessons from Hindustan Unilever