The Improvement Season Podcast

We're back with another episode talking about negative effects of dieting and everything that comes with it. Hope you enjoy the episode! Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:18) Steve's current prep situation (09:22) Emotional changes and behaviour (16:18) Socialising during a diet (22:56) Negative effects of dieting (27:28) Peeing lots (29:56) Food habits (32:01) Highly tasty foods while dieting? (33:38...

We're back with another episode talking about conditioning, transformation pictures and client number, prep and the question of are refeeds worth it. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:09) Steve's current conditioning (10:03) Refeeds and their setup (15:24) Connotation of refeeds & are refeeds worth it? (22:36) Changes to the prep and incorporating caffeine more (29:43) Enjoyment of prep and gratitude...

We're back with another Coaching Corner. This time I'm joined by our coach Harry Smith and coach Ryan Solomon. We're talking about if socialising and making progress is still possible Timestamps: (00:00 Intro (11:29 Is socialising while making progress possible? (20:54) How to explain that socialising can possibly be detrimental to the goals (25:14) What if people feel peer pressure to behave a ce...

We're back with another episode and we're happy to announce that Steve has for the first time won a bodybuilding show. We're going to talk about what it feels like winning a bodybuilding show, posing, gratitude, progress and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:03) Thoughts and recap of Steve's first time winning a bodybuilding show what it feels like winning a bodybuilding show (09:11) Doing...

We're back with another episode. Steve is about to do his second show and we're talking about peak week eating, diet break, irritability during a diet and digestive issues in a cutting phase Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:10) Irritable during a diet (09:35) Digestive issues in a cutting phase (15:18) Peak week approach and eating behaviour (29:16) Comparing yourself to your past self (35:26) Follow...

We're back with another Coaching Corner. This time I'm joined by our physio Mike Challis and coach Jess Terrier. We're talking about educating yourself & your clients. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 08:11 Relationship with food and gaining experience 11:44 Purpose of physique pictures in a gaining phase 19:02 Maturing with how to eat 22:24 How to communicate of what to do 28:31 Educating yourself & your...

Another episode, another week. This week we're talking about Steve's first show & how muscular & lean do you need to be for a bodybuilding show Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:59) Recap of Steve's first show this season (16:40) Competitive spirit (20:52) Level of conditioning (26:00) Refeeds (30:37) What has changed that sleep isn't negatively impacted (33:48) Personal analysis: Strength/Weakness (4...

This time we're going to talk about Steve's current prep what Bodybuilding as a lifestyle really means, what love for the sport is and much more! Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:53) Steve's current prep (05:41) Surprise comp this last weekend (09:55) True warm-up show (16:02) Maturing over years (18:01) What Bodybuilding as a lifestyle really means (29:05) Why dieting becomes easier over time (34:59...

We're back with another episode. This time we're finally answering questions such as how to get a great mind-muscle connection, simplistic questions to gauge your progress, powerlifters and bigger chest and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:35) Lower rep range and worse mind-muscle connection (14:26) Asking yourself simplistic questions for the best progress (18:25) Powerlifter and wanting...

We're back with another episode talking about why you are stressing out too much about training & nutrition, mentality during prep, survivorship bias and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:53) Feeling good in a prep (05:22) Mentality during dieting (09:48) Survivorship bias (17:35) Stressing too much about training and nutrition (24:07) The journey brings happiness (26:45) Is suffering neces...

We're back with another episode talking about one of the latest posts by Team3dmj and the question if a competitor can be ready too early or not. Team3Dmj's post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRj_dhrg7oa/ Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (08:37) Post from Team3dmj, unsolicited feedback (13:09) Self-righteous behaviour (21:01) Can you be ready too early? (25:22) It isn't easy to nail the timing of a prep (...

We are back with another Coaching Corner. This time I am joined by Coach Harry and Coach Ryan to talk about pre-workouts and how low you can go with calories. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (08:52) Prep talk (24:14) Alternatives to macro tracking (33:17) How low can you go with calories (43:09) Do anyone take pre-workouts (51:32) What is your favourite Dragonball Z saga Thanks, please comment, like and...

We're back with another episode talking about fighting hunger may not be the solution. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (04:13) Is football coming home? (11:00) Steve's prep update (12:29) Adding variables during a cutting phase (16:40) How to adjust the programme when fatigue is high (19:31) Reduce calf/ab work during prep? (24:12) Is the evidence-based community guilty of not focusing enough on recover...

We're back with another episode talking mainly about binge eating, diet breaks and being a bit more like a bro. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro and bodyfat/estimated stage weight (05:34) Natty look (09:32) Uncertainty about shows (16:39) Is football coming home? (19:47) Diet break during a deload (22:49) Curiosity and questioning yourself (26:00) How to be more aggressive with a deficit (30:00) Eating t...

We're back with another episode talking mainly about preps, mentality and offseason progress. Timestamps: (00:00) Weighted apparel (11:14) Uneventful cuts (14:48) Not training during holidays (21:01) Whey consumption when traveling (24:30) Activities while cutting (30:34) Steve's prep update (34:23) Reverse into shows? (40:27) Expectations for bodybuilding shows and mentally maturing (46:20) Stres...

We're back with another episode. Steve is finally on his feet again and talks a bit about his experiences. Furthermore, we talk about what to do when you're struggling to feel your back with an exercise and much more. Timestamp: (00:00) Update (06:35) Steve is back at it (10:06) Weighted Vest update and supplements (19:52) Vegan products and do you need to worry about amino acid profile? (27:13) M...

We are back with another Coaching Corner. This time I am joined by Coach Harry and Coach Jess to talk about dealing with stress & disruptive times. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (06:32) How to deal with disruptive & stressful times (16:59) Organising and being overwhelmed (26:41) Self-employed and stress (36:47) Financial uncertainty (47:02) Nothing really matters (50:14) Summary Thanks, please commen...

We're back with another episode. This one was recorded last minute because Steve got severely sick and managed to record the episode right before the release. We talk about contest prep and what a severe sickness means for Steve's prep Timestamps: (00:00) Steve's current situation (10:42) What is the plan moving forward? (15:47) A case for longer preps? (22:37) Work ethic of Steve (25:05) Back at...

We're back with another episode. This time we're talking about severe setbacks, contest prep, deload with novel exercise and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Steve's contest prep update (06:59) Severe illness (15:38) Irony of trying to be healthy (20:54) Pressure of being a self-employed coach (25:42) Gyms going to reopen in Germany (29:50) Having a hard time-consuming food (40:52) Deload with novel...

We're back with another episode. This time it's with coach Jess because Pascal is severely sick, talking about wearing a weighted vest for contest prep, 3 tips you'd give your younger self and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:51) Ulnar nerve surgery (07:45) Adjusting to injuries (16:30) Polygraph testing and drug testing in general (24:23) Bodybuilding is a selfish sport (32:13) 3 tips you...

We're back with another episode talking about wearing a weighted vest for contest prep, specialisation phase, back movements, and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Weighted vest for contest prep (12:52) Pascal's current plan (18:56) Push push push (25:24) Do you feel miserable cutting? (27:34) How can you progress? (30:25) How to go back after a resensitisation phase (44:09) Is a specialisation phase...

We are back with another Coaching Corner. This time I am joined by Coach Harry and Coach Jess to talk about Fatphobia and the fear of gaining fat. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (06:38) What does Fatphobia mean to us? (12:48) Have we dealt with Fatphobia and how to cope with it (21:02) Practical applications (29:02) What type of people often deal with fatphobia (34:16) Social media and its psychologica...

We're back with another episode talking about being back in the gym, vegan/vegetarian diets, education for online coaches and much more. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:30) Deload weeks (06:00) Being back in the gym (08:10) How many gyms didn't survive in London (10:22) Home office in the UK (13:41) Pascal's Holiday (18:29) Deload and current training setup (20:19) How we plan doing check-ins (23:33...

We're back with another episode talking about baseline strength for bodybuilding, educating yourself as an athlete and personal trainer and newbie gains. Timestamps: (00:00) Baseline strength for bodybuilding (12:37) Educating yourself (21:00) Why is nobody eating pork meat (25:35) Momentary muscular fatigue vs. training to failure (29:12) Newbie gains (35:01) Prioritising muscle group Thanks, ple...

We're back with another episode in which we talk about extending mesocycles, gyms reopening, Steve starting his prep and autoregulative deloads. Timestamps: (00:00) Vaccination (09:33) Extending mesocycles (14:22) Autoregulative deloads (20:45) Cable station for at home (24:20) Gyms reopened (27:56) Leg training at the gym and Squats vs other movements (36:25) Steve starts prep and WNBF update Tha...