The Absolute Strength Podcast

Shredded, jacked, ripped, or toned, regardless of the terminology used to describe it, most people go to the gym with the same goal; to improve their body composition. The quest to build muscle and lose fat has led to a fascination in the fitness community around measuring body fat percentage. But, is that fascination warranted? Is body fat percentage something you need to track? Sit back, relax, and enjoy! Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

In this episode, Derek and I answer a variety of questions submitted by the podcast listeners. If you have a question you want us to answer on the show, send me an email at kylehuntfitness@gmail.com or on Instagram @huntfitness. Questions on the show: 1. Was there one tweak or change you made to your own program back in the day that proved to be the key to getting bigger and/or stronger? 2. In drug-tested powerlifting, how common do you think it is for lifters to try to "beat the test" by taking drugs outside of competition or taking things that might not be tested for? 3. What are your thoughts on emphasizing complete full range of motion training like Mike Israetel and others promote, and is there ever a case for partial reps?  4. What do your most successful clients have in common?  5. Do you have any tips or tricks to help improve stubborn arms and calves to get them to finally grow?  6. Is there ever a reason or benefit to split up training into two sessions per day? 7. How do you maintain the love for training after 10 or 15 years?  8. What is your favorite Christmas movie?  Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Derek:  https://www.prbreaker.com/ Instagram: @DerekCharlebois   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

In this episode, I answer a variety of questions submitted by the podcast listeners. If you have a question you want to be answered on the show, send me an email at kylehuntfitness@gmail.com or on Instagram @huntfitness. Questions on the show: 1: Hey Kyle, lately when I bench, the bar is coming up uneven. Do you have any tips or tricks to fix it? 2: I know you recommend tracking steps for cardio, but do you ever prescribe traditional cardio as well, in addition to steps? If so, how does that work? 3: If I can only afford to buy one supplement, what is the best one to buy? 4: Hey Kyle, my wife and I are having a baby in early 2021. I’ve heard you talk about it before, but do you have any general advice for me?  5: In the past, I have heard you talk about specialization routines for lagging body parts or lifts, how would you set that up from a volume perspective? 6: What are your current fitness goals?   Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

Bodybuilding has a long history as a physique transformation tool. Tales of Eugen Sandow lifting and flexing go back as far as the late 1800s. You can even follow along throughout history and read about how bodybuilders such as Steve Reeves, John Grimek, Reg Park, Arnold, Franco, Dorian, and Ronnie, trained and dieted. Learning the best practices of each era is fascinating. I would call the past decade the "evidence-based era." As more research around training and nutrition becomes available, it shapes our thought process on what the rules of bodybuilding are. In today's episode, we dig into the new rules of bodybuilding. What are the current best practices for determining training volume, rep ranges, and how often you should go to failure? How important is beating the logbook? What are the best exercises for building muscle, and is there a better way to cut and bulk? Sit back, relax, and enjoy!   Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

In this episode, the topic of discussion is the effectiveness of using a bodybuilding routine for general fitness and the most important variables to track for efficient results in the gym.  When discussing general fitness, first we need to define what that means. Of course, it will be different for everyone, but to me, it comes down to four qualities: body composition, strength, cardiovascular health, and longevity. Is bodybuilding the best method for developing those four qualities? What about other fitness modalities, is there a better way?  We have all heard the expression "what gets measured, gets managed," but when it comes to fitness, what should we measure?  Sit back, relax, and enjoy!    Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

In this episode, I answer listener questions on a wide range of topics. Sit back, relax, and enjoy! Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Questions on the show: What are your thoughts on German Volume Training? Can it be used as part of a bodybuilding style program? Hey Kyle, I am having trouble bracing for squats and deadlifts, what are your favorite coaching cues to help clients improve at this? How do you build a thick neck like a wrestler? Are there any benefits to incorporating speed/power training for raw powerlifters? If someone trains late in the afternoon is there a “minimum effective dose” of caffeine that will allow you to still see some benefits without negatively impacting sleep? Hey Kyle, I’m confused about how and when you should deload in a training cycle? Can you talk about this on an upcoming podcast episode?   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

Patience is one of the fundamental truths of training as a natural athlete. Without the use of anabolic steroids, you have to do a lot of things right, over a long time, to make serious gains. Dedication, desire, and discipline are all prerequisites but alone are not enough. Maximizing progress requires giving yourself every advantage possible. It’s paramount to follow a well-constructed training program, get adequate rest and recovery, sleep eight or more hours per night, and spend as much time in a caloric surplus or at least maintenance as possible. Building muscle is hard. It’s even harder without adequate calorie intake. Luckily, the caloric surplus doesn’t need to be large. The days of “dirty bulking” are over. The truth is, only a few hundred extra calories per day will do the trick, but there are no shortcuts in physiology. Even a small to moderately sized caloric surplus will eventually result in the accumulation of body fat. So, how do we balance building muscle and strength optimally, without getting too fat? And, how do we avoid sabotaging our progress by spending too much time in a caloric deficit? As you may have assumed from the title, this is where mini-cuts enter the picture. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!   Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

Over the years, I find myself thinking more and more about the basics. The truth is if you have been around fitness for a few years, it's likely you know everything you need to know to achieve outstanding results. Even a quick flip through one of my beginner books will provide enough information for years of progress. The problem is, there is a bit of joy in thinking you are not privy to the truth, that a lack of information is what's holding you back. If only you knew about the secret supplement, exercise, or "advanced" training technique. The abundance of information available today plays into this. There are always new podcasts, articles, videos, etc. to check out. It's easy to have fitness FOMO. Look, I love that there is so much fitness information available today. I wish I had access to it when I started. But, the point to remember is, nothing replaces the work. The content most of us should be chasing is how to develop good habits, master the fundamentals, and consistently work hard. If you do that, the results will speak for themselves. Dave Draper has an awesome quote in his book Brother Iron Sister Steel, "The simple and commonplace, due to their ordinary nature, are almost always reduced in importance and misplaced." Brother Iron, Sister Steel is what we are going to talk about today.  In chapter two of the book, he lays out the following six keys. He actually called it the six keys to bodybuilding success, but bodybuilding in a more general sense. All of these tips apply to fitness as a whole. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!   Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

Powerlifting has undergone a tremendous transformation in recent years. When I started lifting weights in the early 2000s, the perception around the sport was incredibly different than it is today. Not only that, how powerlifters prepared was very different as well. In today's episode, I talk about these changes and what you need to do to keep up with the times! Sit back, relax, and enjoy!   Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/

In this episode, I talk about 9 tips for handling your fitness when life gets crazy!  Set a schedule Use "life periodization" Audit your time Prepare and anticipate issues Prioritize and say no more often Follow a structured training program Autoregulate rest days Invest in a home gym Be patient Sit back, relax, and enjoy!   Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/   Connect with Kyle:  http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/ Instagram: @huntfitness YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV   Bodybuilding For Beginners on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3etmDbp   Beginner’s Guide to Weight Lifting on Amazon https://amzn.to/2O1ie4i   Get the OG Absolute Strength Program below: https://www.kylehuntfitness.com/absolute-strength/   Shop other training programs including - Powerbuilding, Meet Prep, Bench, etc. https://kylehuntfitness.shop/collections/programs   Get 10% OFF PR Breaker Materia Pre Workout and Hitpoint Protein: DISCOUNT CODE: “HUNT10” at https://www.prbreaker.com/