Brains and Gains with Dr. David Maconi
On the Brains and Gains podcast, Dr. David Maconi discusses all things exercise science, nutrition, health, and personal development. Every week, Dr. Maconi invites health experts and thought leaders to share their expertise. Each episode ends with a charity donation to the charity of the guest's choice.
Latest episodes
Mar 16, 2024 • 1h 18min
Alex Leonidas - Bro Splits, Going Vegan, Calisthenics
0:00- Intro0:30- Progression in the natural community 4:00- Shifting training routines and priorities8:00- Issues with “optimal” biomechanics training17:00- Specific exercises26:00- Lifting with Mike Israetel and Jared Feather40:00- Perception when shredded vs bulked44:00- Calisthenics58:00- Bro splits 1:06:00- What’s next for Alex?1:09:00- Vegan diets / health
Mar 9, 2024 • 1h 9min
Aaron Straker + Bryan Boorstein - Aaron Jumping On Testosterone, Sudden Gains, Blood Work
0:00- Intro1:00- Aaron going on TRT9:00- What has Aaron noticed on TRT so far?25:00- Focus on health31:30- Reasons for going on TRT37:30- Placebo vs real results39:30- Blood work44:00- Bryan’s cardio kick47:30- 10 Exercises for Life52:30- Placebo anecdote54:00- Feeling better with age56:00- Experimenting when on TRT1:01:00- Aaron’s calf training
Feb 24, 2024 • 58min
Abel Csabai - Fake Relationships, Pull Up Strength, Gains with Poor Sleep
Fitness expert Abel Csabai discusses inauthentic relationships on social media, comparing pull up strength when heavier vs. lighter, tips for looking bigger in person, strength training for older lifters, and making gains with poor sleep.
Feb 3, 2024 • 1h 11min
Jeff Alberts + Geoffrey Verity Schofield - Health Detriments to Bulking, Volume Extremes, Balance
0:00- Intro 1:30- Temptation to try other methods of training 8:30- Volume per exercise and per week 20:30- Is cheat form necessarily wrong? 33:00- Sports background relating to training ideologies 37:00- Can we be confident in what worked for us? 47:00- The utility and health of bulking up 58:00- Balancing life and lifting
Jan 27, 2024 • 1h 13min
Alberto Nunez + Steve Hall - New Volume & Failure Data, Bodybuilding vs Powerlifting, Advanced Gains
0:00- Intro1:30- Eric Helms’ progress7:45- Can advanced bodybuilders detect progress without being contest lean10:45- Competing next12:45- New failure data22:00- Bodybuilding vs Powerlifting27:30- Natural lifters taking advice from enhanced lifters29:00- Reps in Reserve / deloads36:00- Advanced training progress44:00- Would you avoid TRT to stay natural?54:00- Finasteride 58:20- Recent data on high volume 1:05:30- What are we looking forward to in the new year
Jan 20, 2024 • 1h 49min
Omar Isuf + Eric Helms - Bigger Than Ever, YouTube Fitness, Strength to Size Potential
Two fitness influencers discuss YouTube collaborations, MMA fights, pull-ups, bulking challenges, bone density in MMA, and the philosophical dimensions of fitness. They reflect on their fitness journeys, personal growth, and the challenges of content creation in the lifting community.
Jan 13, 2024 • 1h 13min
Basement Bodybuilding - Powerbuilding, Flawed Progressive Overload, Fitness Debates
0:00- Intro 1:30- Road to 18in arms 9:30- Injuries 13:40- Comparisons for progress 18:30- Powerbuilding is an abomination 27:30- Progressive overload flaws 37:30- Importance of exercise selection 40:00- Home gym 52:00- Revival fitness vs GVS 1:01:00- Call out culture in the industry 1:08:00- Where to find Landon
Jan 6, 2024 • 55min
Brian Carroll - Sam Sulek, Starting PEDs EARLIER?, Biomechanics for Back Pain
0:00- Intro 1:00- Sam Sulek and other newer influencers with rapid popularity 11:00- Ronnie Coleman and other bodybuilders aging 13:00- Athletes not able to retire 20:00- Would Brian change his PED past? 25:00- High volumes for strength and hypertrophy 34:00- Back issues among lifters and laypeople 42:00- Back and muscular fatigue 45:00- Nerve pain 48:00- Biomechanics mattering for back hypertrophy and injury risk
Dec 24, 2023 • 1h 35min
Alex Bromley - Carnivores vs Vegans, Unified Theory of Training, Obsessive Striving
0:00- Intro 0:40- Alex’s recent growth 5:00- Different training and nutrition camps 19:00- Alex’s unified theory of training 25:30- The importance of loving training 28:30- What I’ve found to work 33:00- Connecting progress and positive feedback 35:00- Guilt and obsessiveness over responsibilities 43:00- Are our perceived goals really what we want? 48:00- Is being content actually a good thing 50:30- Being content vs continuing to strive 55:00- Changing training with ages 1:09:00- John Jaquish and Liver King 1:17:00- Calling people out online 1:25:30- Marvel
Nov 25, 2023 • 1h 31min
Eric Helms - WNBF PRO, On Stage vs Instagram, Extreme Calf Study Update
0:00- Intro 1:00- Eric’s bodybuilding season 14:00- Eric’s competition history 19:00- Non-competitors in the fitness scene 23:00- The importance of marginal gains in competition 30:00- The importance of variable progress measurements 39:30- Stage vs Instagram 46:30- Off season weights 48:30- Calf study update 58:50- Peak Week 1:02:40- Psychology of getting smaller 1:06:00- Pro standards 1:11:00- Difficulty of recent and past preps 1:21:00- Extreme low calories 1:25:00- Different clothes for different periods of gaining 1:30:00- Where to find Eric
