Fit to Transform Podcast with Coach Nikias

In the second and final part of this interview with Dr. Eric Trexler, we discuss: Which micronutrients do vegans need to worry about? Which supplements does Eric recommend for general health and training performance? How can soy affect your sex hormone levels whether you’re cisgender or gender-diverse? Resources: Stronger by Science: http://strongerbyscience.com/ MASS: https://www.strongerbyscienc...

This episode is the first in a two-part interview with Dr. Eric Trexler, Director of Education for Stronger by Science, co-author of MASS (Monthly Applications in Strength Sport), and co-creator of the diet app MacroFactor. In Part 1, we’re doing a deep dive into protein for vegans and vegetarians who want to get lean and jacked. Resources: Stronger by Science: http://strongerbyscience.com/ MASS:...

Following up on my interview with Steve Hall on massing phases, in this episode I aim to bust some myths about this type of phase, give you more realistic expectations, and share some mindset tips to help you maximise muscle growth and minimise fat gain when massing. Resources: “Is an Energy Surplus Required to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Associated With Resistance Training” by Slater et...

Today I interview Steve Hall on the fundamental principles of a productive massing phase, also known as a “bulking” or “muscle-building” phase. Steve is the founder and co-owner of Revive Stronger, an online coaching company specialising in bodybuilding and physique development. He’s also the co-host of the Revive Stronger Podcast, a competitive natural bodybuilder who placed second at WNBF Worlds...

Today I’m discussing my step-by-step process to plan a client’s fat loss phase. Tune in to learn how I balance time spent in a caloric deficit with diet breaks in order to ensure consistency; how long I tend to recommend my clients diet for depending on their goal; and how fast I usually aim for them to lose fat on weekly basis. Resources: Blog article – “A Comprehensive Guide to Your First Cut”:...

How can hormone replacement therapy impact the health of a gender-diverse person? How do you know whether to use female or male reference values to calculate your caloric needs and other nutritional needs? Which nutritional principles would you benefit from basing your diet on as a gender-diverse or cisgender person? Dr. Whitney Linsenmeyer, a Registered Dietician, an Assistant Professor at Saint...

Questions covered: I’m struggling with sticking to a diet because “I like to eat”, and I’m always hungry/snacky. What can I do? Do you need to track all of your macros? How do you eat more protein as a vegetarian/vegan? How can you eat more fibre? Resources: Blog article – “Macros 101”: https://www.fittotransformtraining.com/blog/macros-101   Blog article – “Vegetarian-Friendly Protein Hacks”...

In episode 8, Dr. Eric Helms explained the relationship between volume (the number of sets you do per body part per week) and hypertrophy. However, not all sets are created equal. To build muscle effectively, you need to make each set hard enough to stimulate the target muscle. But how do you know you’re training hard enough? Today’s episode is jam-packed with practical takeaways that you can appl...

Dr. Eric Helms is the Chief Science Officer at 3DMJ, an online coaching company for strength and physique athletes, and a research fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand at Auckland University of Technology, with a PhD in strength and conditioning, a Masters in nutrition, and a second Masters in exercise science and health promotion. He’s also a professional bodybuilder, a...

If you’re serious about building muscle, you can’t rely on an effective program alone. While a well-designed program is fundamental to accomplish this goal, you also need to know what to focus on in every single session in order to maximise your gains. That’s exactly what I’m going to cover in this episode. Resources: Follow me on Instagram @nikias_fittotransform http://instagram.com/nikias_fittot...

It’s high time I introduced myself and my own fitness journey. Today I tell you my own story, in which gender identity and fitness intertwine to shape the person and the coach that I am today. I’m going to have a very honest and open conversation about my childhood and teenage years, during which I developed an eating disorder due to gender dysphoria. I’m also going to share how I was able to turn...

Important announcement! Sign-ups for Transformation Kickstart close this Friday August 19th. Read more and sign up here: https://www.fittotransformtraining.com/group-coaching.html Welcome to my first ever client interview! In this episode, my one-on-one online coaching client Corey, a transgender man from Brighton, UK, shares his story, including: How he struggled with body image from an early age...

In the second part of this episode, I focus on realistic expectations: how much weight you can expect to lose; how “perfectly” you need to nail your calories; whether you’re going to lose weight eating the same calories for your entire diet; and more! Resources: Follow me on Instagram @nikias_fittotransform http://instagram.com/nikias_fittotransform/ Visit my website: https://www.fittotransformtra...

Dieting successfully takes time and effort, but, with an effective long-term perspective, you can enjoy the process and finally achieve the results you deserve for your hard work. In this episode, I discuss what you need to know to adopt this effective perspective. Resources: Follow me on Instagram @nikias_fittotransform http://instagram.com/nikias_fittotransform/ Visit my website: https://www.fit...

This episode covers everything you need to know to start your fat loss diet: your fat loss priorities (calories, protein, steps, cardio, etc.), why they’re important, and how to set your own starting targets. I also want to give a shoutout to Sloane, a client and listener of the podcast, for letting me know that the volume of the previous two episodes was a little low. I tried to turn it up for th...

When I was trying to use SMART goals at the beginning of my coaching career, they weren’t enough for my clients to achieve their physique goals, be they fat loss or muscle gain. Since implementing a more effective goal setting method, I’ve seen huge improvements in their motivation, discipline, and commitment, which in turn has increased their success rate tenfold. In this episode, I’m doing a dee...

What makes your mindset ineffective for fat loss? And how can you retrain your mindset for long-term success? The aim of this episode is to empower you with the answers to these questions. Resources: Follow me on Instagram @nikias_fittotransform http://instagram.com/nikias_fittotransform/ Visit my website: https://www.fittotransformtraining.com Sign up for the No Quit Kit email series: https://mai...