Bodybuilding Down Under

Welcome to Episode 216 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast. This week, the boys put some of the most common contest prep foods on trial. Some are timeless bodybuilding staples. Others are aggressively marketed “diet foods” that may not deserve the reputation they have earned. From chicken and rice, oats and egg whites to FroPro pizza, Ninja Creamis, Pepsi Max and sugar-free lollies, everything...

Welcome to Episode 215 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! We open with an athlete watch, turning the spotlight on a couple of natural competitors who are making some serious noise heading into their upcoming shows. We discuss what's changed in their packages, what's got us excited, and why the standards being set are worth paying close attention to. From there we get into a conversation aroun...

Welcome to Episode 214 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we get into some of the smaller details that actually move the needle. We kick things off with a question around exercise sequencing in prep and whether loading up on isolation work before your compound lifts is a smart strategy or a performance trap, covering where it helps, where it costs you, and how to find the sweet spot...

Welcome to Episode 213 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we are joined by one of Australia's most respected natural bodybuilders and posing artists, Pete Hartwig. A two-time Natural Olympia champion who earned his classic physique IFBB pro card at the Australian Arnold Classic, Pete sits down for a wide ranging chat on a career spanning almost two decades and more than 40 shows. We...

Welcome to Episode 212 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! Before we get stuck into the main event, we take a few minutes to recap the most recent WNBF show in Melbourne, highlighting some standout physiques.  This week we are ranking the most common cable attachments you will find on any gym floor into a full tier list. Off the back of a great listener suggestion, we make our way through the...

Welcome to Episode 211 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! With Season A wrapping up across Australia, we take a deep dive into one of the most challenging parts of competing: the post show period. We break down what prep has actually done to your body and mind, why your brain is in survival mode coming off stage, and why the hunger and food noise you're experiencing is your physiology doing e...

Welcome to Episode 210 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! After a quick catch up we dive into a topic that keeps coming up across the industry: AI in bodybuilding coaching. With AI now baked into everything from MyFitnessPal to check-in software, we debate whether it genuinely threatens coaching or whether the human side of the sport is simply irreplaceable. We cover where AI falls short in n...

Welcome to Episode 209 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! With the final national shows of the season just around the corner, we tackle two of the most common yet least discussed realities of competitive bodybuilding. First up, what actually happens when you overeat on prep. We cover carb blowouts versus high fat binges, how being extremely lean changes the way your body may store excess food...

Podbean Caption: Welcome back to Part 2 of the Comp Prep Playoffs! We pick up right where we left off, diving into the quarter finals, semis and ultimately crowning a winner. The people have spoken and zero cardio has been sent packing, so with the final eight locked in, the bracket really heats up. Refeeds versus coaching, high protein versus low stress, quality training versus the meal plan, and...

Welcome to Episode 207 of the Bodybuilding Down Under podcast! In this episode, we run a contest prep playoffs, putting key bodybuilding strategies head-to-head to determine what actually matters most across a successful prep. We work through a range of common approaches used by competitors and coaches, comparing how different strategies stack up in practice and where they may (or may not) make a...

Welcome to Episode 206 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we are joined by special guest Richard Collins, a coach whose background spans basketball, football and strength and conditioning across semi-professional and professional sport before transitioning into the bodybuilding and body composition world. Richard breaks down a concept he's developed around categorising athletes as e...

Welcome to Episode 205 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week, we are back to break down one of the most talked-about topics in competitive bodybuilding: peak week. The conversation opens with what a good peak week actually looks like and why the goal for most athletes should be a refreshed, recovered physique rather than a last-minute push for extra conditioning. From there, we dive in...

Welcome to Episode 204 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week, we are joined by one of the most respected coaches in natural bodybuilding, Cliff Wilson. With No. 1 and No. 3 in the world at the most recent WNBF World Championships, Cliff's track record speaks for itself. Cliff shares how he got his start in coaching, why he felt disappointed in both the bro science and evidence-based ca...

Welcome to episode 203 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we open with some updates going into season A and what the final weeks of prep really look like from a coaching perspective.   From there, we tackle a listener question: in prep, is it better to run higher calories with higher output, or lower calories with lower output? We break down energy flux, hunger management, step coun...

Welcome to Episode 202 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we are unpacking some of the most common early training mistakes and how their programming has evolved over the past decade. The conversation kicks off with DY's experience training at a new gym on the Sunshine Coast, featuring full Citadel, Strive and Cybex setups, and what it's like to finally get hands on some of the best...

Welcome to episode 201 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! In this episode, we kick things off with a recap of the second BDU Lift & Greet before diving into some talking points.   We explore where the line sits between self-improvement and self-obsession in bodybuilding, what green flags coaches look for before taking someone into a contest prep, and whether flexible dieting has ultimatel...

Welcome to Episode 200 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! To celebrate the milestone, we bring on a very special guest, Chris Black. Coach, exercise scientist, reigning under-90s Queensland IFBB and NABBA Queensland champion, and brand new father. In this episode, Chris breaks down his case for bro splits, using frequency as a tool based on individual physique needs. We get into his relaxed p...

Welcome to Episode 199 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week we are joined by Dr. Martin Refalo, researcher, coach, and new WNBF Australia President for a wide-ranging conversation bridging the gap between science and the stage. Martin shares his own journey from old-school prep in 2016 to evidence-based bodybuilding, and why those two contrasting experiences shaped everything that fol...

Welcome to episode 198 of the Bodybuilding Downunder Podcast! In this episode, we break down how we actually structure a successful contest prep from both a coaching and competitor perspective.  The conversation dives into pre-prep phases, appropriate rates of loss, and the pros and cons of longer versus shorter prep timelines. We also explore when prep truly starts to feel like prep, how athletes...

Welcome to Episode 197 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! In this episode, we take a different direction and explore the psychology behind bodybuilding ambition, unpacking the concept of mimetic desire and how our goals may be shaped more by influence and status than we realise. We discuss whether physique goals are truly internal or socially driven, how social media amplifies comparison, and...

Welcome to Episode 196 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the realities of long-term bodybuilding, including burnout, injuries, shifting priorities, and what it really takes to sustain progress over years in the sport. We discuss the moments where bodybuilding stops being fun, how to adjust training and lifestyle to maintain longevity, and why chasing perfection...

Welcome to Episode 195 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week, the boys tackle some of the most debated topics in bodybuilding and nutrition. We break down which categories are truly the hardest to compete in, the pros and cons of IIFYM versus structured meal plans, and whether tracking macros forever is actually necessary for progress. The conversation also dives into food quality, bui...

Welcome to Episode 194 of the Bodybuilding Down Under podcast! This week, the boys are joined by exercise scientist Dr. Milo Wolf for a deep dive into the latest hypertrophy research. Milo breaks down what the evidence really says about lengthened partials, stretch-biased training, training to failure, volume, recovery, and long-term progress.  From practical programming tips to injury considerati...

Welcome back to episode 193 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast. With 200 episodes fast approaching, the boys take a step back and reflect on where it all began; the very first gym sessions, early training influences, questionable choices, and the moments that shifted bodybuilding from a casual hobby into a long-term pursuit. We unpack our individual journeys into the sport, from backyard worko...

Welcome to Episode 192 of the Bodybuilding Down Under Podcast! This week, we dive into a topic that sits at the core of the bodybuilding experience: discomfort, when it’s necessary, when it’s unavoidable, and when it’s often self-inflicted. The episode opens with a discussion around the idea that bodybuilding should feel hard at times. From brutally demanding training sessions to the realities of...