The Training Arc

We basically have instant access to whatever information we could want at our finger tips. At first, this sounds great and it certainly can be; however, information and action are far between. Further, there can be a point of information overload leading to confusion and paralysis. This frustration is completely justified and honestly, both sides of the party (creators & consumers) are likely...

The Training Arc crew receives more letters to add at the end of any and all social media! More specifically, Jake has officially and successfully completed his PhD🥳🎓 The PhD endeavor is anything but an easy one; however, as we know from Full Metal Alchemist, the law of equivalent exchange exists, meaning, Jake has received much in return of all the time, effort, and tears. Many, many tears, fro...

All the training, dieting, cardio, the highs and the lows all come down to one day; more specifically, only a few minutes. The work has been mostly done, though, you must now execute both in mind and on stage, to proudly showcase what you were able to  accomplish. Sharing this time with others who have embarked on their own journey is very special and together, everyone gets to celebrate. It is ve...

It is difficult to accurately explain how prep feels to those who have not experienced it themselves. This is not a form of gatekeeping or sense of superiority, rather, it’s one of those things that is better felt than said or heard. Not only are you trekking through unknown territories, but it all comes at you with greater intensities. This causes some to crumble while others, to evolve. Of cours...

*insert witty comment about not calling it a comeback and/or never leaving + a dash of "we are back bayyyyybeeeee"* After being recruited to slay the dragon deep in the belly of the mountains of Academestria, Jake has returned with not only the head of the beast, but wealth beyond measure in many a form. Oh yeah, and also a really cool sword that like, cuts anything and has a cool hilt!...

*sniff, sniff* Do you smell that? Yup, smells like a masterpiece in the oven crafted only by the finest and highest quality ingredients. All of the flavors are getting to know each other in the oven which only enhances the aroma, desire, and inevitable delectable encounter that is about to ensue. Oh, wait, you though we were talking about cake? Or perhaps some other delicious food? Nope, sorry, bu...

With Halloween just around the corner (wait... what... how is it actually that close? THAT is actually scary), we find it fitting to tackle our fears head on. A common fear that people tend to have is that they will lose all their gains when/if they have to do some traveling. The thought alone is indeed scary but, does is really need to be? Is this fear warranted? Or is it misplaced energy and can...

Okay, maybe suffering is too strong of a word, or for some, not strong enough. That ambiguity is exactly why we decided to talk about this interesting topic essentially exploring "why people do hard things", from the lens of bodybuilding. When you take an honest look at bodybuilding, its brutal; however, once you peel back the layers and examine just how much you can gain from such a tra...

I can't believe it, we are actually talking about the "C" word on a podcast episode... Yup, all lifters sworn enemy, cardio *audible gasps fill the air* 😱 All jokes aside, while the memes may be strong with cardio, it is still a vital piece to the overall health and fitness journey. In this episode, we discuss our views on cardio, how we implement it in our own/clients training and...

In this episode, we talk about the simple gesture of "just ask". Whether it be a question, being curious about opportunities, seeking direction or simply just sparking conversation, so many great things can come from such a simple action. We talk about some general ideas of this concept and then go into depth of our own journeys and how great things have stemmed from asking. Here are som...

In this episode, we go over the topic of autoregulation and how to practically apply it to your own circumstances in a simple and effective manner. Here are some of the topics we cover: What exactly is autoregulation; embracing uncertainty in life and training The importance of monitoring not only performance, but all aspects that may influence outcomes: nutrition, sleep, stress, excitement, etc.;...

In this episode, we give some tips and guidance on how to actually measure your progress. Knowing what to do is important, but making sure you are on the right path and actually making change is important too! Here are some of the topics we cover: Understanding progress in training: what are we actually trying to measure; what is the end goal? Embrace the process, yes, but increase chances of succ...

In this episode, we give an update on how our own journeys are going; specifically, related to post and pre bodybuilding prep. Here are some of the topics we cover: Jake gives an update on how his post show improvement season is going ~5 months after competing for the first time; specifically, navigating weight regain, nutrition, and training Discussion on having the right mindset is coming off a...

In this episode, we talk about why mistakes are important, how to navigate them, and give plenty of examples of mistakes we have made from our own experiences: that way, you don’t have to make them😊 Here are some of the topics we cover: Mistakes are part of the process; embrace them How to reflect on mistakes from a place of kindness Jake’s “Inception” style, meta-take, on one of his biggest mist...

After setting you up with a foundation of knowledge to start dieting in the last episode, we dive into the applicationand execution side of things. While it is important to have some plan of attack, it won’t do you any good if you don’t turn that into action; importantly, CONSISTENT action over extended periods of time. While the past two episodes may seem “basic” for some, when looking at the pil...

*sniff sniff* Do you smell that? Ahhh, the smell of the salty sea is in the air and creeping closer. Yup, that's right, summer is right around the corner! This is often a time where people start to consider losing some body fat to get ready to hit the beach and/or just be outside more. If that is the case, you want to make sure you give yourself more than enough time to get to your desired wei...

Say that title 5 times fast!😄 In this episode, we dive into the "pre-prep" phase, the diet before the diet, the unofficial official start of prep or whatever you want to call it for Colby's first bodybuilding season. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, it is essentially a smaller dieting phase done prior to starting an actual competition prep to be in a better position physical...

We often hear that mental health is important but it can feel that the saying just gets thrown around because it is "the right thing" to say. When it comes down to it, what is mental health in resistance training? Why does it matter? And how can we navigate these complexities in this space that typically rewards action, words, and more that seem to be a step in the opposite direction? In...

This is an important episode for us because we get to talk about something we are passionate about that many people do not get the opportunity to experience. Conducting research is a privilege that we are fortunate enough to be a part of; especially since it involves something else we truly love, resistance training. Whether other researchers are just busy doing research and not on social media, o...

After going over the basics of program design for hypertrophy and strength, in this episode, we go over some additional “advanced” things to consider. Now, the word advanced being used here does not mean that you must fit a criterion prior to using; rather, these are things that should likely be considered AFTER you have the basics down. You will likely make the majority of your progress by nailin...

Building off of our last episode where we discuss the basics of program design for hypertrophy, here we focus on programming for building strength. From defining what exactly strength means and how that can change your approach, zooming out and looking at your macro cycle (year of training) to help decide what your meso cycles (“block” of training; ~4-8 weeks) will look like, the skill of heavy li...

We have all heard of the saying that goes: "fail to plan, plan to fail" and this can be quite accurate for training in the gym. While you may be able to get away with "doing whatever feels right", that can only take you so far. Plus, if you want to increase your chances of success, putting in some effort on the front end can go a long way. When it comes to designing a training...

Colby is left alone while Jake does real science and data collection as he gets closer to finishing his PhD. After a few hours of crying, Colby finally pulls himself together enough to embark on another filler episode journey. In this episode, he addresses a concept near and dear to him; the idea that we ourselves are the the ones actually holding ourselves back from our goals. While there are cer...

Trust me, we get it; there is just so much information out there on social media and at times, it can be over/underwhelming. This may be especially true if you are new to the health and fitness world and you find yourself unsure of who to trust and how to find "good" information in the first place. Even if you have been in the game for a while, maybe you still haven't found the right...

With the New Year now in full swing, we hope that your goals are off to a great start! If you haven't thought or acted on them, that's also okay because it is never too late to start👍 Coaching and personal training is so prominent around this time so we decided to give some insight into what coaching is and isn't. From how to go about choosing a coach, how everyone can benefit from one (yes, even...