In this episode of "Office Hours Live" hosted by Dr. Eric Trexler with guest Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, the experts dive into various topics related to fitness and nutrition. They begin by discussing strategies for recovering from crash diets and addressing relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), including approaches to post-diet recovery and hormone regulation. The conversation then moves to calorie management during dieting, exploring the balance between daily and weekly calorie targets. They address questions about resistance training, including the pros and cons of program hopping and effective strategies for glute hypertrophy. The hosts also provide practical advice for training during heatwaves and discuss the realities of loose skin after significant weight loss. The episode concludes with insights on the validity of using muscle soreness and "pump" as indicators of hypertrophy effectiveness, and an explanation of "beginner gains" in resistance training. Throughout the discussion, the experts offer evidence-based advice and debunk common misconceptions in fitness and nutrition.

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Time stamps:

0:04 Introduction

3:00 Discussion of recovering from crash diets and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). They cover physiological recovery, hormone levels, and different approaches to post-diet recovery. They also address questions about calorie deficits, energy availability, and the differences between low energy availability and being in a caloric deficit

27:37 Discussion on how to handle daily calorie targets versus weekly averages when dieting, and conversation about program hopping in resistance training

38:20 Upper body grows more when skipping legs for a while?

41:42 Is program hopping bad? How do you stop it?

52:14 Recomping after a bulk

56:57 Diet breaks during deloads to facilitate recovery

1:01:15 Volume cycling to re-sensitize muscles to hypertrophy stimulus?

1:05:19 Addressing a question about training the glutes at long muscle lengths, discussing various exercise types and the importance of exercise variety for optimal development

1:12:44 Tips for training during a heatwave, including hydration, timing of workouts, and acclimatization strategies

1:17:26 General weight loss tips

1:20:52 Discussion on loose skin after weight loss and stretch marks, including potential interventions and realistic expectations

1:25:34 Addressing the validity of using muscle soreness and "the pump" as indicators of training effectiveness (for hypertrophy)

1:33:31 Explanation of "beginner gains" and how they can occur even in experienced lifters when targeting previously untrained muscle groups

1:38:29 Closing remarks

Ummah in Motion - Cape Town July 2025