AdapNation: all things Self-Optimisation!

Steve’s 37 and Bryn is 29. Neither are spring chickens, but we still feel like youth is on our side. In part this comes from the actions we take towards health, nutrition and strength, and in part our assumptions of what getting older should ‘feel’ and ‘look’ like.  And given Bryn’s PT practice works with a reasonable volume of ‘older’, say 40-80 years old, we thought it would make for a good episode to discuss the observational and recommendation differences between a young person and someone more mature.  For younger folk, this episode is looking into a crystal ball into the future, and should give you food for thought. And for those in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and older, you should be able to take some comfort, inspiration and practical recommendations from this discussion.    For the first 5 mins, Steve has a quick rant about the amount of accumulated crap in his house they are having to sift through as part of a multi-room decoration effort.   Here’s what we cover:    1️⃣ - Actual Age vs Fitness Age - it’s time to reset your view of what ‘old’ feels like 2️⃣ - There’s a decline in body health and mobility - 40 year olds are coming in riddled with issues 3️⃣ - Body goals morphing from purely aesthetics to including longevity and function as people get older 4️⃣ - Considerations for working on BIG aesthetic goals for the older population 5️⃣ - Muscle building hormonal differences between young and older people 6️⃣ - Bryn’s Top 7 Observations and Recommendations for older clients -    To be clear, this is not an attempt to label a certain age bracket as old. Instead, this guidance is intended to help understand what changes occur as the human body ages in todays day and age, so that you can set the right expectations and train smart.   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you like this and other AdapNation episodes,please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well asleaving a 5 star reviewand letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.   AdapNation Useful Links: ■ AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset ■ AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, that are focussed on helping you thrive ■ Facebook Community - To get into conversation with like-minded folk wanting to be their best ■ #HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos - 8-week training blocks, with video guides and print-outs ■ AdapNation Instagram - To see how Steve uses and progresses in the gym

Step one - lets get the diet in check. Reduce the foods that cause your body stress and amplify all the tasty nutritious food that can have you thrive. Food is powerful stuff, and when done right you can rid yourself of symptoms and diseases, as well as making you feel on fire - ready to own every day. That said, there is a place for Supplementation, to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet, and act as an insurance policy that helps have all your bases covered. Moreover, there are some supplements that provide benefits not easily extracted from common western diets, and as such stand out for their ability to further boost your wellness and vitality.   This episode carries on the conversation from AdapNation Episode 35 (The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Progress Update), as Steve walks Bryn through the Supplement ‘stack’ he takes for optimal wellness, as well as some interesting insights into the global health decline and Steve’s real why behind caring so much about nutrition.   The Supplements discussed are broken down into these categories:  1️⃣ -Supporting Muscle Growth & Performance 2️⃣ - Assisting Rest & Recovery from Training 3️⃣ - Supporting General Wellness  4️⃣ -Boosting Optimal Wellness (the ‘weird’ stuff) 5️⃣ - Supplement-like Superfoods   This is by no means is a prescription of what you should take, not is it an exhaustive list. Instead, you’ll get to understand what Steve takes and why. This may help you better understand the supplementation strategy that’s right for you.    You can check out the list of all the supplements Steve takes in this article - Supplement Pills & Potions - Optimising Health, Energy & Gains.   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.   AdapNation Referenced/Useful Links: ■ Supplement Pills & Potions - Optimising Health, Energy & Gains ■ Steve’s “Awesome” Morning Fuel ■ IIFYM+ Thrive - AdapNation’s Eating Approach for Nutritional Wellness ■ AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Meal ideas that help you Thrive   Third Party Referenced/Useful Links: ▪︎ Muscle For Life Podcast: What can BCAA’s actually do for you? - Great podcast on debunking the value of BCAA's ▪︎ Legion Athletics Supplements - Trustworthy and optimally formulated supplements founded by Mike Matthews ▪︎ Awesome Supplements - A great UK based supplement company that has an incredible Vegan Protein shake. Founded by Ben Coomber ▪︎ Mentioned biohackers - Dave Asprey & Ben Greenfield  

In this short episode, Steve updates Bryn on the three week Anti-Inflammatory Diet that Steve, Michelle and the kids are on, in an attempt to reduce systemic inflammation and aid the regression of auto immune conditions and other commonly experienced symptoms.   This diet is simply the total avoidance of Gluten, Refined Sugars & Artificial Sweeteners and Dairy. The idea is that these foods are universally the biggest culprits behind many of the modern conditions, obesity and diseases we suffer with today, as they cause internal inflammation that creates a whole cascade of issues your body has to deal with.    It’s an incredibly hard diet to consider and prepare for (physically and mentally), and getting going is pretty brutal. However, in reality it’s not as bad as it sounds after a few days, and has some tremendous upside for you today, and most importantly your future self.    Steve chats about: 1️⃣ - The challenges of the diet. This will surprise you 2️⃣ - The rewards so far for the whole family 3️⃣ - The mind blowing movements of discovery and experience 4️⃣ - How Steve & Michelle have gamified the experience to make it exciting and enjoyable for their young kids 5️⃣ - The Bigger Why behind this diet for Steve’s kids   If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.   Referenced Links: ■ Tom O'Bryan - Auto Immune Fix - This is the book that gives the why and how for this experimental diet ■ AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on all things wellness, training and mindset ■ AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, that are focussed on helping you thrive ■ Facebook Community - To get into conversation with like-minded folk wanting to be their best

A foundational concept of getting stronger and developing muscle is Progressive Overload.  If this is not respected, that result in the gym will be at best random, and at worst non-existent.    Steve and Bryn have learnt the hard way. Many ways of ‘wasted’ effort and pain in the gym, all for little to no progressive towards the physique goals we had.    So, in the spirit of increasing our Gym IQ, this podcast chat goes into what is Progressive Overload, how to think about it in everyday life, and then on to tall the ways you can think about progressively overloading in the gym.    Before we get into that discussion, for ~20mins, Bryn shares his big-group holiday in Spain - the good, the beautiful, and the stressful. Pretty shocking, and some lessons to take from his experience…   Here’s what we cover on Progressive Overload, with many examples and personal anecdote to help drive the points home:   1️⃣ - What is Progressive Overload? 2️⃣ - How it relates to every day life 3️⃣ - How to make sure you are Progressively Overloading 4️⃣ - The Progressive Overload Formula 5️⃣ - The 6 ways to Progressively Overload from week-to-week   If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.   Useful and/or Referenced Links: #HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos - 8-week training blocks, with video guides and print-outs AdapNation Website - where you will find articles, videos and journals on training AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas, to support your training efforts AdapNation Instagram - To see how Steve uses and progresses in the gym Facebook Community - To get into conversation with folk wanting to build their best body and mind too

There are a few companies exploding at the moment offering entire nutrition in four shakes a day. In what has been a spirited debate on this subject on the AdapNation Facebook Community, it made sense to bring this conversation to the Podcast and get you thinking about both the good and not-so-good aspects of these Food Replacement Shakes.    In this 30-40min chat about the growth and refinement of Food Replacement shakes and companies, we ended up taking a ying and yang position as we both conceded a little but still held on to our very different starting beliefs on man-made shakes replacing real food.   Are they good or bad for individual health and for society at large?   Steve’s Starting Positions: 1️⃣ Total Food Replacement Marketing 2️⃣ Fuelling the decline in Kitchen IQ 3️⃣ Will we become a society or straw-suckers? 4️⃣ What about people with poor food relationship already? 5️⃣ Can the Microbiome thrive without real food?   Bryn’s Balance Perspective: 1️⃣ A great supplement for those with irregular schedules and road warriors 2️⃣ Convenience Food, Time-Poor & Excuses are the causes for Kitchen IQ decline 3️⃣ The industry and products have changed massively since Slimfast. Educating and focussing now on the important of ‘complete’ nutrition  4️⃣ Gut instinct on whether relying solely on these shakes is a a good thing    If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.   Useful and/or Referenced Links: AdapNation Food Diary - 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas AdapNation Website AdapNation Instagram #HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos Facebook Community

Bryn’s currently reading Tony Robbin’s Unshakeable and Steve’s getting stuck into Nelson Mandela’s autobiography (Happy 100th Birthday Madiba!) - thoughts of inspiration and self reflection bubble to the surface and end up owning this engaging conversation.   We love these chats, as you end up walking away with more positivity and enthusiasm to  think or do something that helps you develop and grow. To be a better person. Plus, we get to have a moan - very carthatic! Haha.   What we cover in this discussion:   1️⃣ Tony Robbins - His books, His Life Changing Events, His Brain Tumour, His Power and how he influenced Steve’s life for good 2️⃣ Embracing uncertainty and surprise 3️⃣ Young so-called Life Coaches and Mentors -  We air our frustrations of 21 year olds declaring the answers to all of life’s problems and meaning.  What we admire by these go getters and influencers How Steve thinks they should adjust their messaging and approach - to appeal to ALL ages with humbleness 4️⃣ Your 30’s is when you REALLY get to know who you are - You drop the ego. You stop trying to be right, and make others wrong. Steve’s reflections. 5️⃣ Life Wisdom vs Currency - How older people offer more life experience and universal truths, yet the relevancy of someone younger is vital to knowing how to live in todays modern world 6️⃣ Steve’s most important piece of advice would offer to his younger self (and his kids right now)… 7️⃣ Steve’s insatiable curiosity and how it can be fatiguing for those around him 8️⃣ How there seem to be more Successful Introverts in leadership roles than Extroverts   If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.   Useful and/or Referenced Links: AdapNation Food Diary- 100+ Tasty Healthy Meal Ideas AdapNation Website AdapNation Instagram #HyperWorkouts YouTube Videos Facebook Community

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Physique Competitor - whether it be pure curiosity or a personal interest? How people get into it, what the training looks like, the food, the posing, and generally how these guys run their life to looking the way they do?   If so, then this raw, honest and incredibly insightful interview with James Anagnostopolous is well worth a listen. James is an amateur Physique competitor.    James is a normal guy holding down a career in the Corporate IT Software industry in New York, who just so happens to have a hidden surprising side to his personality and life. Being a life-long runner and lover of hard gruelling physical activities and competitions, James decided to throw himself into he deep-end and put himself into the foreign world of Physique Competing a couple years ago.    With three NPC Physique competitions under his belt from a standing start, he’s learnt a great deal on what it takes to build your very best body and compete against other highly focussed athletes. Most importantly, he’s been on this journey whilst still being a dad, husband and successful corporate professional. It’s encouraging to hear that physique competing is accessible and open to all, if you’re willing to put in the work.   This is what we discuss through this engaging interview:   1️⃣ - Who is James. Interests, Family, Passions, Work… 2️⃣ - Life previously as a serial Marathon runner and Triathlete 3️⃣ - Why did James decide to get into Physique competing? How did his wife respond? 4️⃣ - What does Training, Nutrition, Supplementation and Rest look like? 5️⃣ - Discussing the painful and fatiguing 2-week pre-competition period called ‘Peaking’ 6️⃣ - Embarrassing Posing and Bronzing stories pre-show 7️⃣ - Experiences, nerves and lessons learnt from the three competitions, and being back stage with ‘the circus' 8️⃣ - What about the Bodybuilding space? Is it full of narcissism and orthorexia? Can you have a healthy relationship with the sport and have it be a force for good?   INFO ON JAMES ANAGNOSTOPOLOUS: LinkedIn Profile -  1st Competition (2016) - On stage pic 2nd Competition (2016) - On stage pic & Lineup 3rd Competition (2018) - On stage pic & Lineup   USEFUL LINKS FROM PODCAST: Info on the Importance of Creatine Info on Importance of Magnesium Steve’s Supplement Stack for Body & Nutrition Importance of Adequate Rest & Recovery Shredding those extra pounds ahead of starting your physique body sculpting AdapNation Phased Annual Training Programme - #HyperWorkouts   AUDIO QUALITY:James’ audio quality for a minute or so throughout the whole interview gets a little crackly. The joys of internet calling! Hopefully it’s not too distracting.   If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

GO ON ENGLAND!!!! At the time of this recording, The England national team just progressed to the quarter finals of the World Cup 2018 Soccer tournament. By the time you read this - I’ll be excited to watch the semi finals or will be licking my wounds…   Naturally, we spend some time talking about the World Cup - but it’s not the typical lads chat about specific players, tactics and pub banter. As fitness professionals, we detour - covering our perspective on the coaching, the team vibe, some of the BS in football, reminiscing about our childhood years playing football (Steve was rubbish!), and covering both the physique and performance of the average world class footballer.   We then hit what ends up being a provocative question, that has Bryn and Steve go at it from differing points of view and beliefs - “Is it possible to beneficially train the same muscle group everyday and get bigger and stronger?”   For context, there are individuals in the fitness domain that have tried the 90 Day Squat Challenge and reported strength and muscle gains. Then you have world-class CrossFitters who train multiple times a day and are some of the fittest people on the planet. How are they making training EVERYDAY work for them?   It’s an energised debate with lots of knowledge offered, whilst confessing to not fully knowing the answer to the question. For that reason, Bryn is up for trying a 90 Day Bench Challenge in the few weeks, and we can take theatrical discussion to actual facts! Here are some fo the areas we touch on:   Are We Able to Strength Train Everyday and Make Positive Progress? 1️⃣ Training for competition, performance, physical improvements or overall wellbeing - you have to choose 2️⃣ Frequency is important - 2 bench days are better than 1 a week. 3 is better than 2. However… 3️⃣ The importance of Progressive Overload - Volume = Sets x Rep x Weight 4️⃣ The importance of Rest & Recovery, General Adaptation Syndrome and Super Compensation -  5️⃣ What the overtraining impact can be OUTSIDE of muscle development 6️⃣ Can you train and super compensation daily, if you keep the dose low enough to speed up recovery? What is the right dose to thread this needle? 7️⃣ Train for you Personality Type - Our long-term growth minded at all costs, or are you more motivated to feel good in the moment   REFERENCED SHOW LINKS & RESOURCES: JUN-18 #HyperWorkouts  Understanding the General Adaptation Syndrome, Super-compensation and Exhaustion  #26: Identifying When You’re Exhausted From Training Or Life & Collecting Random Crap   If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.

As you would have seen, earlier this month in June, the JUN-18 #HyperWorkouts released - an 8 week intermediate lifter training block as part of Steve’s personal annual phased training programme. You can find details of this Training Block below.   You can train wrong and ineffective in MANY many ways. But when it comes to doing it right, it’s pretty straight forward. Training guidance at a generic level should be free as it’s nothing novel, and that is what we intend do here at AdapNation - take the cost out of generic guidance.   So, this Episode has Bryn and Steve walk through the underlying design principles for Resistance Training Programming. These are the foundations you need to know to have a safe, effective and progressive workout plan. You’ll get a ton of value from this discussion, and will have a well-rounded understanding of programme design for the beginner/intermediate lifter.    We talk about understanding your goals, the rep range spectrum, how to warm up, getting in some mobility and priming work, sequencing your strength and hypertrophy work, sequencing whole body vs isolation exercises, cardio-based finishers and the importance of rest, recovery and nutrition.   But first, Bryn has just come off his 44h fast! Let’s find out how he feels and what it was like. We get into he health and wellness benefits and how to consider using a fast as part of an overall fat loss strategy.    REFERENCED SHOW LINKS & RESOURCES: JUN-18 #HyperWorkouts - https://adapnation.io/2018/06/15/jun-18-hyperworkouts-8-week-training-programme/ Fasting Masterclass Podcast - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/5-a-fasting-masterclass-our-instagram-fun/id1330791049?i=1000401095574&mt=2 Understanding the benefits & consequences of Stress & Recovery - https://adapnation.io/2018/05/22/chronic-exercise-life-fatigue-are-you-gasd-out-not-making-progress-or-stressed-part-1-of-2/ How to get an amazing Sleep & air Training Recovery - https://adapnation.io/2018/02/19/top-10-sleeping-hacks-care/ Getting Your Nutrition on point - For Fat Loss - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/13-losing-body-fat-for-good-part-1-of-3-steve-finds-meditation/id1330791049?i=1000407607242&mt=2 To Thrive (IIFYM+ Thrive) - https://adapnation.io/2018/06/08/iifym-thrive-adapnations-approach-to-nutritional-wellness-part-1/ If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.  

WOW, this conversation took a sharp left and didn’t return! But in a really good way. We had other plans for todays Episode, But… it… got... interesting!!    It would have been wrong to not this conversation unfold in the random direction it took. So, here’s a mash up of topics as we get super reflective on life following Bryn’s return from his 3-week Honeymoon. Here’s how the conversation went down:   Starts by Steve’s mentioning his bulking plateau, feeling good but getting reflective… 1️⃣- Having meaning for life and a purpose to drive intent to our actions and goals 2️⃣- Getting numb from successes. Needed a stronger and stronger stimulus 3️⃣- Bible & Faith - Gods punishment was to make us self-conscious. The good and bad of faith - life rules, lessons, dogmatism  4️⃣- Does Steve have a scale intent behind his mission, or can making a small difference to just a few be enough? 5️⃣- Wedding reflections - The transition from Boy to Man. Realisation of selfishness. Mitigating the 7 year itch. Being brutally honest 6️⃣- Honeymoon reflections - Can we have the tribal care and community of a third-world country and yet met our business and financial goals? 7️⃣- Steve’ massive pendulum swing from hyper-career focussed to family and passion first. Is it creating an internal conflict? Feeling less significant? 8️⃣- You can’t have true balance - some things need to sacrificed so you can build momentum in areas you care about. Then reprioritise. 9️⃣- Steve’s positive experience with Binaural Midday Napping and how he is now getting two mornings. 🔟- Controlling the Social Media life hijack by abstaining from Social until 10am. Steve reading a book instead first thing in the morning…    If you like this and other AdapNation episodes, please don't forget to subscribe to the channel, as well as leaving a 5 star review and letting friends and family know of this Podcast on Social Media.