3 fixes to the most common issues we see with lifters in the gym, and how to turn identity and inspiration into a positive. This week's topics: 1. Making gains with autoimmune flare-ups 14:41 2. Identity & inspiration can be good things 32:20 3. How to know if you train hard enough 47:28 4. Maximise chance of success with a plan 1:01:21 5. How much…

The best lifters continually set goals - here's why, and how. This week's topics: 1. Benefits & pitfalls of motivation 10:25 2. Behaving differently to those around you 22:47 3. The best goals don't have to be huge 30:54 4. What not having a goal costs you 40:30 Strong & Lean in 16: ⁠⁠Claim your spot⁠⁠ Join our community and hang out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Jason has created his next block of training and nutrition - here's a deep dive into his thought process. This week's topics: 1. Considering volume vs. effort 31:38 2. What training split suits your week? 38:35 3. Prioritising certain muscle groups 45:30 4. Deciding cut vs. build calories 51:23 Strong & Lean in 16: ⁠Claim your spot⁠ Join our commun…

Here's our definitive checklist to guaranteeing results - traits, habits and knowledge. This week's topics: 1. The importance of a tailored program 18:12 2. You need to train well & train hard 28:07 3. Creating your own nutrition plan 33:59 4. Which metrics should you track? 43:02 5. Setting your week up for success 49:37 Strong & Lean in 16: Claim…

Freshly diced, tanned and photographed, the boys reflect on what they learned about their capabilities during this cut. This week's topics: 1. What has this prep taught us? 11:05 2. Capable of more than you think 38:12 3. Our favourite moments of the year 48:49 4. What we want more of in 2025 54:50 5. The single best piece of advice 1:02:48 Fat Los…

Jess and the boys discuss what their best athletes do on repeat, as well as what should be avoided in trying to become your best. This week's topics: 1. Training around injury / surgery 25:43 2. What lack of sleep does to you 48:33 3. The factors that dictate success 54:25 4. What lifters need to do more of 1:01:07 5. What they don't tell you about…

From crossfit to powerlifting, to now physique training, here is the mental journey coach Emily has experienced. Emily: Instagram This week's topics: 1. Performance goals vs. Body image 21:13 2. How much to let lifting technique "go"? 24:46 3. The mentality & identity of powerlifting 33:27 4. Learning how your lifter/coach works 51:08 5. Don't unde…

As your physique and strength progress, how should you ramp up your training (and results)? This week's topics: 1. Measurements vs. progress photos 8:13 2. We got sent some "healthy" bars 14:19 3. Best form of cardio for fat loss 44:08 4. How often to change your program 53:43 5. The most fun program 1:08:12 Use code BARBELLS15 for a discount (Not …

What should you prioritise, for bang-for-buck progress in your training session? This week's topics: 1. Does RIR or no. of reps matter more? 17:33 2. How important is soreness? 43:10 3. Should you cut or build first? 53:32 4. The ultimate lifter's proportions 1:07:34 5. Are PEDs too commonly discussed? 1:13:45 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ac…

Both reaching the deep end of their diets, the boys talk lessons learned and mentality developed. This week's topics: 1. The pointy end of a deficit phase 4:26 2. Resilient enough to be adaptable 28:13 3. Staying productive with low energy 41:25 4. Does the training program change? 47:51 5. Up calories by how much post-diet? 1:03:40 Fat Loss Cheat …

What does it take? Who do you become? And what does it make you realise? Matt: ⁠Instagram⁠ This week's topics: 1. From basketballer to bodybuilder 18:06 2. The best training split I've found 34:01 3. What made the Pro card happen? 47:28 4. It's who bodybuilding makes you 1:02:13 5. The wrong way to approach things 1:16:43 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Is the gym a place to ask someone out? How should you compliment them? This week's topics: 1. Everyone smashed the photoshoot 9:06 2. Working through body image issues 22:18 3. How to not compliment in the gym 45:13 4. Approaching someone in the gym? 58:35 5. The Instagram stories game 1:07:52 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Having just gone through contest prep / dieting phases, athletes Jackson and Kayla talk lessons, difficulties, and future plans. Jackson: Instagram Kayla: Instagram This week's topics: 1. What's the hardest part of a prep? 3:13 2. Emotion & community in bodybuilding 15:08 3. Fears & nerves before & on game day 23:43 4. Transitioning nutrition in & …

Throughout this season, the medals have piled up - but this is another level. This week's topics: 1. Photoshoot cut is going well 12:11 2. Team STC powerlifting szn so far 22:30 3. The culmination of years of work 38:44 4. Sometimes it's not about winning 56:42 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our community and hang out:…

Thinking of getting on the stage/platform? This episode is for you. This week's topics: 1. The journey to nationals 15:02 2. From your 1st comp to the next 42:28 3. Pre-requisites before competing 49:07 4. What no one tells you about prep 1:05:14 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our community and hang out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Gym dos & don'ts, exercises to AVOID, mistakes people make with deloading... and more. This week's topics: 1. Different brand socks & shoes? 6:03 2. Should you take pre-workout? 22:17 3. Jason's new favourite gym bag 33:11 4. Gym common courtesy / etiquette 42:12 5. When DON'T you need a deload? 1:06:25 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access here⁠⁠⁠…

Macros, programs, we've heard it all before. But how do you actually put it into action? This week's topics: 1. Dealing with sub-optimal comp days 12:01 2. Your fat loss cheat sheet 39:15 3. Don't underestimate sleep & stress 45:24 4. The last % - Customising your plan 55:58 5. Why people can't stick to diets 1:02:25 Fat Loss Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A…

Jason recaps his physique team's current season, and the boys discuss prep goals, expectations and enjoyment. This week's topics: 1. Getting to the pointy end of a diet 16:34 2. The fun of a first physique comp 28:15 3. Expectations - showing up vs. winning 42:35 4. Getting the itch to compete? 53:55 5. STC powerlifting team update 1:00:49 Winter G…

Training, food, steps, lifestyle... Don't waste time between your first comp and your next comp. This week's topics: 1. Gym etiquette & gym fashion 10:53 2. Experience will build belief 21:42 3. How young for kids to be "online"? 40:58 4. Why the fitness industry is confusing 51:45 5. How many steps is "healthy"? 58:28 Winter Gain Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Acce…

This week on Banter and Banter... shred talk, warm-up talk, and gym social etiquette talk. This week's topics: 1. We're buying our feelings again 8:28 2. Why we currently don't have coaches 29:33 3. There's always more to shred 36:14 4. What's the best warm-up approach? 51:31 5. How social are you at the gym? 1:00:22 Winter Gain Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access …

Are high reps cardio? How much should you cut for a comp? How often should you compete?This week's topics: 1. Body image with bodyweight changes 6:00 2. Are high-rep lifts/sets cardio? 28:20 3. It's more than the actual exercise 39:08 4. When is the weight sacrifice worth it? 49:10 5. How often should you compete? 55:47 Winter Gain Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Acces…

These are the aspects you need to focus on, to push through that next plateau.This week's topics: 1. Ben's newly acquired wound 10:35 2. Difficulty sleeping when dieting? 22:01 3. Why you hate certain exercises 30:11 4. What I've learned by journaling 48:35 5. Mentally locking in for training 53:30 Winter Gain Guide: ⁠⁠⁠Access here⁠⁠⁠ Join our comm…

What do new lifters get wrong? Hell, what do experienced lifters still get wrong?This week's topics: 1. What's the point of ice baths? 33:01 2. Is your training too specific? 42:03 3. More activity vs. Less calories 54:35 4. Bench arch for hypertrophy? 1:06:01 5. Advice for new/young lifters 1:10:26 Winter Gain Guide: ⁠Access here⁠ Join our communi…

Things we regret and would do differently when dieting, recommended types of food and supps, and more.This week's topics: 1. Food review - needs more salt 1:32 2. What makes a great client? 28:11 3. Why your "why" should matter 40:55 4. What would we do differently? 51:03 5. Recommend "diet" food & supps 1:03:28 Winter Gain Guide: Access here Join …

Can you have too much volume? What is length tension? What's the optimal way to poop?This week's topics: 1. The art of gym selfies & posing 17:48 2. Accepting 80% adherence vs. 100% 25:21 3. This is the optimal way to poop 34:59 4. Can you do too much volume? 39:15 5. Why is length tension important? 1:04:02 Join our community and hang out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Cut vs. bulk programs? The best training split? Refeeds - when & how? And more.This week's topics: 1. Fake Jordans, F1 drama & loud noises 6:16 2. How our current diets are going... 21:57 3. When & how to implement a refeed 42:43 4. Cut vs. build - Different programs? 55:12 5. What's the best training split? 1:10:25 Join our community and hang out:…

Welcoming Jase back from 3 weeks in the Philippines and Indonesia, the boys catch up on training, world news, and local goings-on.This week's topics: 1. Is not training on holiday bad? 11:52 2. 2nd-screen shows & good gym gear 31:30 3. The rollercoaster of hire cars 41:22 4. Bali is the best place in the world 47:48 5. No reception but lots of kang…

Ben and Jess talk about why they and their clients train, as well as educate us on Aussie cultural fashion.This week's topics: 1. Trackies, socks & 'Black & Blue' Rick 2:45 2. Capitalising on internet fame 31:04 3. Training like a bodybuilder is hard 41:12 4. Why do you personally train? 53:15 5. Why you shouldn't hire a coach 59:55 Join our commun…

Adrian from Grounded Strength discusses with Ben all things bodybuilding mentality, powerlifting mentality, and applications to help you in everyday life. Adrian: Instagram This week's topics: 1. How we text / speak has changed 13:01 2. We still get imposter syndrome 23:50 3. The obsession with video games 31:06 4. Applying sporting mindset to real…

Jess makes a huge call, and we discuss the running craze and training while pregnant. This week's topics: 1. Japan & Korea adventures 9:58 2. Pulling the pin on nationals 19:59 3. It's always better with a crew 43:18 4. Why everybody's running 51:24 5. Training around pregnancy 1:05:42 Join our community and hang out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cl…

The boys tackle rapid-fire Q&A, covering pizza critiques, gym wardrobes, and training plateaus. This week's topics: 1. Pizza, Liquid IV & Milo gains 17:02 2. What's your gym wardrobe? 33:53 3. Expectations from your coach 44:12 4. Have you plateaued in the gym? 53:18 5. Dealing with toxic jobs 1:05:20 Join our community and hang out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Jase recaps his competitors' final peak weeks - mistakes, wins, and thoughts for beginners potentially interested. This week's topics: 1. The boys' partying days are over... 2:01 2. Comp season can get hectic 23:40 3. What it takes to improve each season 38:21 4. First time bikini prep considerations 46:03 5. How to measure training "success" 1:05:…

Jess and the boys chat comp prep, running vs. your gains, and superior eating utensils. This week's topics: 1. What you can / can't control on comp day 11:12 2. More muscle = higher metabolism? 43:50 3. Does running interfere with gains? 53:41 4. Chicken & rice - Spoon or fork? 1:06:00 5. Optimal time for a PL vs. BB prep 1:11:49 Join our community…

Jase and Jess recap recent IFBB and NBA shows, coaching physique clients, and comp prep non-negotiables. This week's topics: 1. Why we're all currently injured 3:20 2. Orthodox Easter & no-phone car trips 17:50 3. It's bodybuilding szn - IFBB & NBA recap 26:19 4. Before you think of competing... 50:35 5. Why people get messed up post-comp 56:27 Joi…

We covered all things PL prep to gym confidence, to over and underrated glute-builder exercises. This week's topics: 1. Shorter vs. longer programs? 20:14 2. How to become confident in the gym 34:14 3. Biggest fears - 1st powerlifting comp 48:12 4. Are hip thrusts overrated? 59:44 5. Can you have too high a BF% to bulk? 1:07:27 Join our community a…

In this week's QnA we tackle targeted muscle gain, living the lifestyle of your goals, and lessons from our training partners' + our experiences. This week's topics: 1. Training with a crew is the best 15:08 2. Fav protein drink & energy drink 24:16 3. Training mistakes we regret 45:05 4. Targeted fat loss / muscle gain? 51:28 5. Lifestyle to benef…

Jason recently trained with an IFBB Pro - here are some thoughts that followed. This week's topics: 1. Best & worst protein drinks? 2:31 2. Benefits of a training partner 27:44 3. When is "feel" a good factor? 38:18 4. Are bodybuilders scientific or not? 45:20 5. What we want to be remembered for 1:05:43 Join our community and hang out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

Here's what over a decade of lifting taught us, in both strength and hypertrophy. This week's topics: 1. Consistency is boring but effective 9:48 2. How to best train if you're time-poor 33:23 3. Progressing less over time is okay 46:25 4. Prepping a P.L. team for nationals 1:00:27 5. Nuances of tested / untested feds 1:16:44 Join our community and…

How do you push on when you get red-lighted for 5 of your 9 lifts? This week's topics: 1. Bodybuilding & tripods are life 9:43 2. Jess' eventful powerlifting comp 37:27 3. Performing regardless of conditions 53:32 4. Focusing on processes & capability 1:06:38 5. Competing for the right reasons 1:13:01 Get the Sleep Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Joi…

This week, we fired through some questions surrounding physique-specific training and nutrition. This week's topics: 1. Formula 1 Melbourne update 12:56 2. Heavy low reps vs. Light high reps 24:20 3. Effects of running on your gains 31:12 4. Relationship / partner red flags 49:25 5. Do you need to track calories? 1:02:23 Get the Sleep Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠C…

This week's Q&A revolved around maximising muscle gain, through workout fuel, cardio and frequency. This week's topics: 1. Sir Google, tight clothes & diet foods 4:56 2. What to eat / drink pre-training 39:37 3. Muscle groups: Weekly frequency? 51:35 4. Lose fat & gain muscle at once? 1:01:45 5. Cardio can help with hypertrophy 1:06:57 Get the Slee…

Warming up for strength vs. hypertrophy, cutting weight, and the nuances of wearing music merch... This week's topics: 1. Is it OK to wear band/sports merch? 1:55 2. Our powerlifting girls smashed it 19:08 3. Training, dieting & life updates 29:35 4. Trust in the cutting process 45:26 5. What to think about for warm-ups 56:17 Get the Sleep Guide: ⁠…

Struggling with wanting to eat more? Here are some of our favourite methods to a successful gaining phase. This week's topics: 1. Our fav ways to get protein in 15:29 2. Gaining & keeping muscle ain't easy 30:11 3. Best bang-for-buck warmup exercise? 49:38 4. How our current programs look & why 56:37 5. Flipping the "dieting" mental switch 1:06:52 …

Some things that are ACTUALLY worth your time / money... and some not so much. This week's topics: 1. Good barbers & babysitting duties 00:00 2. How meal plans can be helpful 21:55 3. Is there a time for ice baths? 46:45 4. Impacts of over-eating & alcohol 55:44 5. Under-rated supplements 1:09:39 Get the Sleep Guide: ⁠Click here⁠ 8 week Complete Co…

Here are some immediate fixes you can apply to your sleep routine, for even better gains. This week's topics: 1. Bad chicken & tongue tie gains 13:33 2. Deadlift warmup - bar leaving hips? 25:39 3. Observing odd behaviour in the gym 33:27 4. Effects of sleep you didn't know 53:45 5. The sleep hygiene checklist 1:09:09 Get the Sleep Guide: Click her…

Here are our thoughts on the importance of "feeling" your muscles working, and being sore after a set/workout. This week's topics: 1. The best hot cross bun flavour 7:01 2. Returning to high rep training 18:34 3. The ways we'd spend our money 31:45 4. You can't out-cue poor positioning 43:24 5. How important is D.O.M.S.? 59:33 8 week Complete Coach…

Are you getting the absolute most out of your training sessions, and programs? This week's topics: 1. Who wins? Old school vs. New school 10:04 2. Using RPE vs. RIR vs. Percentages 28:48 3. What if you don't follow a scale? 48:07 4. Should you get your bloodwork done? 53:43 8 week Complete Coaching giveaway: Enter here Join our community and hang o…

It's not just about eating more - it's the lifestyle changes, feeling sluggish and slow, and seeing numbers go up. This week's topics: 1. Struggles of getting more food in 8:31 2. People who don't put weights away 18:48 3. A lot of food is great, until it's not 31:46 4. Feeling lethargic & bloated 41:36 5. Tips for a more tolerable surplus 50:56 Gr…

Dad life, bad genetics, gyms banning tripods, and rapid fat loss protocols... and more. This week's topics: 1. Adjusting to dad life 4:14 2. What makes a "bad" bodybuilder? 21:47 3. Should tripods be banned in gyms? 30:13 4. How quickly can you lose body fat? 43:51 5. Which supps are a waste of money? 52:00 6. Dealing with low testosterone 59:40 Jo…

Protein, veggies, water - the standard, boring stuff.... But here is our best recipe for nutrition success. Work with nutrition coach Annie: Apply here This week's topics: 1. What it's like working with fighters 8:28 2. Why you should start at maintenance 24:16 3. Dealing with tempting "trigger" foods 39:43 4. Meal plans aren't a bad thing 59:01 5.…