MASS Office Hours Episode 1 (RPE, Carbs, and Applying Research)

In the inaugural episode of MASS Office Hours, Dr. Eric Trexler is joined by Dr. Mike Zourdos to discuss evidence-based fitness strategies and answer questions from listeners. They begin by discussing new research about primates’ propensity to develop obesity, then they answer listeners’ questions about cardio duration, maintaining testosterone levels, carb recommendations for lifters, recommended RIR and RPE ranges for strength trainees, what to do when you aren’t able to get a pump in the gym, protein supplementation, rest-pause training, and much more.

The MASS crew goes live for Office Hours every Wednesday night at 7pm eastern time. Be sure to join us for a future episode!

Time stamps:

00:00:00 Welcome to MASS Office Hours

00:04:12 Do humans get uniquely obese, or is it just a primate thing?

00:14:56 If you’re trying to accumulate a certain amount of weekly cardio for health benefits, is there a minimum duration you need to hit in each individual session?

00:23:42 When do male testosterone levels start to drop? What can we do to keep them high?

00:28:33 How many carbs should lifters be eating?

00:38:08 If you’re interested in strength, what RIR or RPE range should make up the bulk of your training?

00:45:36 An intermediate lifter is progressing well in terms of performance, but they aren’t getting a pump or experiencing soreness after workouts. What do you do?

00:57:46 Meta-analyses suggest that natural lifters should eat around 1.6 g/kg/day of protein to support muscle growth. What about lifters who aren’t natural?

01:02:17 Is it bad to rely on protein supplements for a large portion of your daily protein intake?

01:06:48 Should people with altered kidney function avoid creatine supplementation?

01:11:31 Is rest-pause training more effective than traditional sets for muscle growth?

01:15:57 Discussion about how to apply concepts from research

01:26:10 Wrapping up