Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates #424 Ebenezer Samuel - Is Fitness Media Trending The Wrong Way?
Dec 11, 2025
Ebenezer Samuel, the Fitness Director at Men’s Health and a certified strength and conditioning coach, dives into the evolution of fitness media. He discusses the limitations of solely focusing on hypertrophy and the importance of blending research with real-world experience. They explore the shift towards entertainment in social media fitness content, questioning if useful skills are being learned. Ebenezer also highlights the future of coaching with AI while emphasizing the enduring value of in-person guidance and trust in fitness relationships.
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Hypertrophy Is A Narrow Objective
- Over-focusing on hypertrophy narrows training to an easier, low-bar conversation focused on muscle size only.
- Ebenezer warns we must also train VO2, power, endurance and mobility for truly useful fitness.
Science Guides, It Doesn't Dictate
- Research gives useful ideas but often lacks real-world context and applicability to diverse clients.
- Brad Schoenfeld and others show answers usually are “it depends,” not absolutes from one study.
Choose Programs People Will Actually Do
- Prioritize consistency and adherence over chasing theoretically optimal exercises.
- Choose programs clients will actually do and deliver more than enough stimulus for growth.