Body recomposition is a polarizing topic among experts. Some say it’s impossible for experienced lifters. Others will tell you it’s the best way to reach your goals.

Simultaneously gaining muscle and losing fat is the holy grail for most gym-goers. It’s known in the fitness industry as body recomposition.

Body recomposition is a polarizing topic among experts. Some say it’s impossible for experienced lifters. Others will tell you it’s the best way to reach your goals.

Q. What’s the Truth?

A. Spoiler alert: You can do it, but that doesn’t mean you should try.

In this episode, I explain that recomposition is possible, but it is extremely difficult, and most people who try will fail.

I explain the five circumstances where recomposition is the best approach for you.

Outside of these circumstances, you can do it, but your margin for error is smaller. If you don’t get everything just right, you will almost certainly fail in recomping.

Listen to the episode to determine how the three factors decide if recomposition is an intelligent goal for you.

Once we’ve established that you are a good candidate for recomposition, I outline the top 10 training and nutrition strategies you must use to maximize your chances of success.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please DM me on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: 

iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Body Recomposition – Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As someone approaching their 40th birthday, I’m interested to know what the research shows about this syndrome.

So, I dug into the research to see what, if anything, could be done to reverse or at least slow down the physical decline we go through as we age.

What I discovered was fascinating, and I share all of it in this episode.

I’ll explain:

• Why do we lose muscle and strength as we age?
• That this rate of decay in physical capacity is not inevitable.
• How you can keep gaining strength and muscle mass up to your 60s.

There is a large amount of research on this subject, and it was eye-opening to dive deep and learn that we are all largely in control of how much muscle and strength we have as we age.

We Are Largely in Control of How We Age

The importance of healthy habits stacking on top of one another is crucial.

Likewise, the negative effects of bad habits compound very quickly.

I also discovered:

• Why most athletes peak in their 20s, but you can be at your best in your 40s and beyond.
• The key training strategies to implement as you age.
• Why your diet is absolutely crucial to you retaining muscle later in life.

If you apply what the research shows and implement the strategies I give in this episode, you can stay strong, muscular, and lean for decades to come.

You might not be an elite athlete in your 40s but, if you give your body what it needs, you can stay strong, lean, and fit. Doing so will serve you well for many decades and increase the chances of living a long and healthy life.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Building Muscle as You Age appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In this episode, I’m delighted to join Tony Gentilcore to discuss how he charted his path within the fitness industry and has built a thriving business using coaching, writing, and educating.

In this episode, I’m delighted to join Tony Gentilcore to discuss how he charted his path within the fitness industry and has built a thriving business using coaching, writing, and educating.

Tony was one of the co-founders of Cressey Sports Performance (CSP). Since leaving CSP in 2016, he has been training people at his own studio, CORE, located in Boston, MA.

During our conversation, Tony explained:

• Owning your own gym is not the gold standard for success in the fitness industry.
• There are other career paths you can follow to have a fulfilling and financially rewarding fitness career.
• How he developed his education workshops and has taken them online during the pandemic.
• He suffers from imposter syndrome occasionally despite having presented worldwide, training countless elite athletes, and being featured in numerous publications.
• And why he rarely gives a single workshop

I had a ton of fun on this interview and have no doubt you’ll find tremendous value in Tony’s insight and experience.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post A Successful Career in Fitness With Tony Gentilcore appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

A mini-cut is a vital tool in your muscle-building toolbox. Sadly, it is often misunderstood or used recklessly. Used strategically, mini-cuts are one of the best ways to help you build the bigger, leaner body you want.

A properly executed mini-cut is like robbing the fat bank.

A mini-cut is a vital tool in your muscle-building toolbox. Sadly, it is often misunderstood or used recklessly. Used strategically, mini-cuts are one of the best ways to help you build the bigger, leaner body you want.

A properly executed mini-cut is like robbing the fat bank.

You get in, get what you want, and get out before suffering any of the negative consequences of chronic dieting.

In this episode, I break down everything you need to know about mini-cuts.

I cover the following topics:

• What a mini-cut is and what it is not.
• Why you won’t lose muscle while mini-cutting.
• The benefits of mini-cuts
• How fast you should lose weight on a mini-cut
• How to establish your calorie needs
• Macro targets
• The best food choices
• Why nutrient timing can help
• How to determine the length of your mini-cut
• Training during a mini-cut
• Cardio or cardi-no
• When to use a mini-cut

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

If you would like to learn more about Tom’s coaching services or follow him on social media, you can go to his website.

The post The Misunderstood Art of Mini-Cutting for More Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In this episode, I sat down with my friend and colleague, Tarek Shuhaibar, to discuss the importance of stress management on our overall health, gym performance, and physical appearance.

In this episode, I sat down with my friend and colleague, Tarek Shuhaibar, to discuss the importance of stress management on our overall health, gym performance, and physical appearance.

Stress is a taboo subject, especially amongst men who want to be seen as the alpha.

We had an open and frank discussion about this. Throughout the episode, we break down the negative impacts of this on overall health and why this could be the limiting factor to achieving the results you want.

Tarek has built a career helping busy executives in London create lasting change in both body and mind.

This sustainable route to physique transformation has required him to become highly skilled at coaching clients in the gym whilst also helping them manage the countless stresses and strains their hectic working lives create.

If you feel like you are often overwhelmed or struggling to fit your training and nutrition in around work, family, and social commitments, then this episode is a must-listen.

It’s packed full of useful, actionable strategies you can implement to get the most out of your day.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

If you would like to learn more about Tarek’s coaching services or follow him on social media, you can find him on Instagram @the_physique_institute.

The post Stress Management and Hypertrophy appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In this episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Jamie Lewis to discuss the history of strength training.

In this episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Jamie Lewis to discuss the history of strength training.

Incredibly the origins go back a couple of thousand years, and much of what people were doing back then still holds now. So there undoubtedly are many lessons to be learned by doing your history homework.

Jamie describes himself as a cultural history nerd wrapped in tattoo-covered muscle.

He has a passion for history and holds a BA in History and East Asian Studies from the University of Arizona, an MBA from the Vienna University of Economics, and an iMBA from The University of South Carolina.

This passion for history, combined with his love of lifting (in 2012, he set an all-time, all-federation WR powerlifting total of 1,620 for a 181 pounder, making him the go-to guy when it comes to investigating training history.

During this fascinating interview, Jamie displays a near-encyclopedic knowledge of everything training-related from around 1,600 BC to the modern day.

So often, we can learn so much by looking back. This episode will undoubtedly provide you with jaw-dropping stories of how people used to train, the social, political, and economic pressures that drove physical culture at different stages of humanity, and why, with all the advantages we currently enjoy, it’s a crime so many humans are in such bad health.

I had a ton of fun on this interview and have no doubt Jamie’s infectious personality will grab your attention and inspire you to demand more of yourself.

If you’d like to know more about Jamie, look on his website or Instagram

@plagueofstrength.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post A Plague of Strength Is the Best Type of Plague appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Our guest, Yunus Barisik, explains exactly what it takes to produce elite-level athletes for ice hockey in this episode.

He particularly highlights the need for increased strength and outlines exactly how he structures his athlete’s training throughout the year to optimize performance and keep them injury-free.

Our guest, Yunus Barisik, explains exactly what it takes to produce elite-level athletes for ice hockey in this episode.

He particularly highlights the need for increased strength and outlines exactly how he structures his athlete’s training throughout the year to optimize performance and keep them injury-free.

Yunus has personally trained and designed strength, speed, and conditioning programs for 500+ athletes at all levels of competitive hockey, including:

• NHL draft picks from ten NHL teams
• Men’s and women’s national teams
• NCAA D1
• The Finnish elite league
• Ten gold medal winners at four different U18 and U20 world championships since 2016

Yunus has written the book on Strength Training for Ice Hockey. I’m not joking; he literally has. You can get a free copy. You can contact Yunus on his website or Instagram @yunusbarisik.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Strength Training for Ice Cold Athletes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Steve Keane is the co-founder of Kraft Coaching, a coaching service specializing in helping regular people develop incredible physiques. I’m a big fan of Steve’s work and think of him as part coach, part fitness philosopher.

Steve Keane is the co-founder of Kraft Coaching, a coaching service specializing in helping regular people develop incredible physiques. I’m a big fan of Steve’s work and think of him as part coach, part fitness philosopher.

Steve’s coaching journey has seen him pivot from coaching competitive physique athletes to helping general population clients.

In this episode, he explains why this change has increased his sense of fulfillment.

He also describes the similarities and differences between training physique competitors and recreational lifters who want to look great.

We cover the differences in:

1. Training
2. Diet
3. Mindset

We also delve into how his coaching practices have evolved and enable him to get the best from his clients.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can find out more about Steve and the Kraft Coaching crew by following him on Instagram @steve.kraftcoaching.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Helping Regular People Build Incredible Physiques appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In this episode, I explain what diet periodization is, why you need it to take your physique to the next level, and the three simple questions you need to answer to design the perfect diet for your goals.

Your training and diet should reflect your goals.

In this episode, I explain what diet periodization is, why you need it to take your physique to the next level, and the three simple questions you need to answer to design the perfect diet for your goals.

Your training and diet should reflect your goals.

Your workouts and nutrition choices should work synergistically to help you reach those goals. It seems obvious, but many people fail to do it.

But with just a bit of planning, you can avoid this common mistake. Synching your diet and training together isn’t complicated. By assessing your goals and what they require, you can set up a successful diet and know how to adjust it as you progress through different training phases.

When it comes to body composition goals, there are three traditional phases of training:

1. Mass Gain—Building
2. Fat Loss—Cutting
3. Maintenance—Solidification

These phases matched up with the right eating plan should maximize your results. Build a diet plan that works synergistically with each phase of training.

Start by asking yourself these three questions:

1. What’s my main goal?
2. What type of training is best for this goal?
3. What type of nutrition plan supports this type of training?

Once you answer these questions, everything begins to crystallize, and a framework of dieting becomes obvious.

From here, it’s just a case of fine-tuning the details to best suit you. Let’s go over each phase.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at

tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

Please like & share the podcast and feel free to give us a 5-star review (other reviews are available ;))

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post How to Utilize Diet Periodization for Maximum Muscle appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

In this episode, I’m delighted to welcome Rick Howard to the show. Rick is an expert in Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD). He wrote the paper on the subject by writing the NACA’s position stand in LTAD.

This interview was truly eye-opening, and Rick shattered many of the misconceptions people (myself included) have about LTAD.

Whether you are a parent, work with kids, coach adults, or want to develop and maintain your athleticism throughout your entire life then, this episode is packed with wisdom and principles you can apply.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

Please like and share the podcast and feel free to give us a five-star review (other reviews are available;))

You can find Rick on social media @rihoward41 and get access to the NACA LTAD SIG Facebook group here at FB/NSCA.YouthSIG.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Better Athletes: From Cradle to the Grave appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Mike Tromello is back on the show, and in this short, sharp, content-packed episode, he explains:

Mike Tromello is back on the show, and in this short, sharp, content-packed episode, he explains:

• What your redline is
• How to train yourself to withstand staying near or on top of your redline state in a workout
• Why all athletes (even bodybuilders and powerlifters) need conditioning work
• The various heart rate zones you need to train to develop well-rounded conditioning.
• The difference between VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold
• How to program conditioning work to complement your training goals, whether that be CrossFit, sports performance, gaining strength, or muscle mass

If you’re uncertain what role conditioning plays in meeting your goals, or you’re confused about how to program it effectively, then this is a must-listen.

If you have any questions or comments about the show, please email me at tom at breakingmuscle dot com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

Please like and share the podcast and feel free to give us a five-star review (other reviews are available;))

You can find contact Mike Tromello on Instagram @mtromello.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post How to Redline for Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Most people train their asses off but build very little muscle. This result is because they are fighting only half the battle.

While they focus all their energy on the training front, they get blindsided by the diet.

I made this mistake myself, and my results improved dramatically when I fixed it. I’ll share how you can do the same and start to see far better results in this episode.

I outline how quickly you can build muscle, determine the number of calories you need to gain lean muscle, and pinpoint the two nutritional factors that deliver 80% of your results.

I also identify the hierarchy of needs when it comes to nutrition for muscle gain, and I take you step-by-step through each of these in order of importance:

• Total calories
• Macronutrients
• Nutrient timing
• Micronutrients
• Food composition
• Supplements
• Nutritional periodization

By the end of this episode, you will have all the information you need to plan out your muscle-building diet plan.

These are the exact nutritional principles I use in my diet and those of my clients.

If you have any questions or want guidance on your nutritional regimen, please email me at tom@breakingmuscle.com or drop me a DM on Instagram @tommaccormick.

You can also find this podcast sitting on top of all my other Six Pack of Knowledge podcasts (curated discussions with the greatest hypertrophy experts on the planet).

Or look for Breaking Muscle’s channel and podcasts on the following services: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, PlayerFM, PodBean.

The post Nutrition for Building the Most Muscle Possible appeared first on Breaking Muscle.