Dr Schwartz and Mr Power

Just when you thought there was nothing left to say about saturated fat; saturated fat seems to be having a moment. Whether it's the carnivore diet or the new US nutritional guidelines, saturated fat has been getting renewed attention. In this episode we go into some of the details on how saturated fats affect your health. Is saturated fat always bad? How much is too much? How much is enough? And...

Are you concerned about strength and performance suffering if you try to reduce your body-fat? Fear not, we've got you covered. Unfortunate, there's still a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation around what it take to maximize strength and power. In part three of the provocatively named "Fat Athlete" series, we discuss how to approach weight loss while preserving performance. Whether you're a...

Super-heavyweight Athletes often have lower work capacity and recover from training more slowly than leaner and lighter athletes. Coaches and athletes often attribute this poor work capacity and recovery to dumb explanations like the "higher absolute weight lifted". Dr. Schwartz and Mr Power offer a better explanation that doesn't rely on hand-wavy nonsense and coaching mythology. Many coaches and...

The so-called "fit-fat paradox" questions the central tenet that obesity is a marker of poor fitness. So, is it possible to be fit and fat? In this episode, we explore the relationship between obesity, fitness, and performance. In addition to reconciling the fit-fat paradox with current understandings of the effects of overweight and obesity on health, we'll push back against the narrative that ge...

It feels like there's two camps in fitness, those who say that age is just a number and those point to inevitable decline once you pass your 20's. But what if they're both right? Is that last sentence click-bait? Your damn right, now listen to the episode! In this episode, Dr Schwartz and Mr Power reconcile the fact that you can still make progress after your 20's with current scie...

Pre-planned reductions in training volume and intensity every month or two, or "de-loads", are popular among many coaches. However, there's good reason to question this approach. In this mini-episode we discuss where the idea of regularly planned de-loads comes from and how it became a staple amongst coaches and trainers when designing programs. Most importantly you'll get advice on if you should...

Accentuated Eccentric Loading: what is it, should you be doing it, and if so how? The unique features of eccentric muscle action were identified as early as 1882; and nearly 150 years later there's still confusion about how to use this information to program your training. In this episode, Dr Schwartz and Mr Power dive into the history, science and practical application of accentuated eccentri...

Is early specialization or later specialization better for athletic development? Scientists, coaches, athletes and parents have been debating about this for decades (at least). We all know examples of top-athletes who famously specialized very early in their careers (Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena Williams), but does that mean it's the best strategy? Specialized sports schools charge top-dollar, pr...

In this idiom-packed episode, Dr Schwartz and Mr Power tackle the low hanging fruit that is the 2026 Dietary Recommendations for Americans. They provide a critical analysis without resorting to the fear mongering and panic. Not only do they discuss shortcomings of the 2026 recommendations, but they expose a geometry conspiracy, propose an antidote for "Liver King" and highlight some interesting fa...

How best to train to induce muscle growth (hypertrophy) has been one of the most hotly debated topics in fitness and strength training. For decades scientist, bodybuilders, athletes and coaches weighed in with their hot-takes on what the best approach was. The two biggest camps were certainly high-volume vs. low-volume training. Today, it looks like the case is mostly closed, with high-volume comi...

Many parents and coaches are still uneasy about introducing strength training to children and adolescents. Myths about stunted growth, high injury rates, and making athletes slower persist. Dr Schwartz and Mr Power explain why these misconceptions are incorrect, and why strength training can benefit people of all ages. Finally, learn how to introduce strength training to young trainees with a focu...

During the holiday season many of us find ourselves drinking more alcohol than usual. This isn't the end of the world, but it's not without its risks. Dr Schwartz and Mr Power discuss how alcohol impact progress in the gym, the health risks of alcohol consumption, and the impact of genetics on those risks. Finally, they'll discuss some of the wackier ideas about alcohol boosting sports performance...

Supplements are frequently marketed as having drug-like effects, promising rapid transformations for your physique and performance. We discuss why they never deliver on these promises, and go a step further to explain that they never will. Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Praxis Strength and Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@PraxisStrengthandNutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don't forget Instagram!: @Praxis_St...

People love to argue about whether bodybuilding is a sport. But in this solo-episode Mr Power argues that the distinction matters. Bodybuilding has had an outsized influence on fitness and sports training, and it hasn't always been a good thing. Learn about the benefits and pitfalls of bodybuildings influence. Bodybuildings can also learn from fully embracing the lack of any real athletic requ...

There's tons of content on optimizing your nutrition for peak performance. But when it comes down to it, do you actually need to be worried about getting everything right? Dr Schwartz and Mr Power discuss how casual fitness enthusiasts and top athletes have surprising similar nutritional requirements. This episode also compares nutrition strategies for training versus competition; how to deal with...

It's become a cliché to talk about GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Zepbound being "game changers" for the treatment of overweight and obesity; but it's true. Unfortunately, the topic has become a target for influencers who rely on fabricated controversies and misinformation. Dr. Schwartz and Mr Power dispel some to the biggest myths around these drugs, such as muscle loss, while giving practical a...

Buckle up and put on your helmets sports fans! Dr. Schwartz and Mr Power discuss concussions in sports. Learn about the long-term risks associated with concussions, who's at greater risk (spoiler it's kids), and what can be done to prevent or reduce exposure. This episode strikes close to home as both Schwartz and Power have had serious concussions in the past (especially Schwartz), and use this l...

When and why to change exercises in a program is one of the basics of program design and management. Dr Schwartz and Mr Power go into the detail of when and why to change exercise selection. Importantly, They also provide valuable insights into when to not change exercises, and common pitfalls such as changing exercises too frequent. Further Resources website: Praxis Strength and Nutrition Neuromu...

The Enhanced Games bills itself as the "future of sport". It boasts that allowing athletes to use performance enhancing drugs like anabolic-androgenic steroids will result in never-before-seen levels of performance. We'll take you through a short history of doping in sport to see if the Enhanced Games brings anything new to sport, or if its all just marketing bluster. Links Visit our website: Prax...

In this episode we discuss the steady rise in childhood obesity and its effects on health. Learn about the disruptive effects on puberty and how this occurs differently in girls versus boys. Finally, we discuss what can be done by parents, fitness professionals, and healthcare providers. Show links: Praxis Strength and Nutrition UNICEF Report: Feeding Profits Predicting Adult Obesity From Childhoo...