In this episode, Andrea, Brad, and Alberto sit down for another community-sourced Q&A session. The questions discussed in today’s episode span a variety of topics, including: fat loss, muscle growth, muscle and strength maintenance, and balancing resistance training with cardiovascular training.
What is the coaches’ recommended length for a cut? If someone’s primary goal is hypertrophy, is doing a mini-cut prior to summer okay or will that negatively impact their progress? Is it possible to maintain your muscle mass with only fifty percent of your usual volume? For someone who needs to consume a lot of calories per day (4,000+), how should they setup their diet in regard to their protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake?
Check out the episode for the coaches’ answers to these, plus many more questions.
Timestamps
2:49- What is the coaches’ recommended length for a cut? What’s the longest someone should cut for?
11:54- If someone’s primary goal is hypertrophy, is doing a mini-cut prior to summer okay or will that negatively impact their progress?
16:46- How much volume is required to maintain strength and/or muscle mass?
33:55- In regard to resistance training, how does 3DMJ program for athletes who do a seasonal sport or perform a high-level of cardiovascular activity?
43:46- For someone who needs to consume a lot of calories per day (4,000+), how should they setup their diet in regard to their protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake?
51:48- What are the coaches’ thoughts on 24-hour versus 48-hour refeeds?
Selected Links From This Episode
3DMJ Case Study Q&A Submission Form- https://3dmusclejourney.com/case-study-app/
Sign Up For The 3DMJ Monthly Newsletter- https://3dmusclejourney.com/newsletter/
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR SHOW
Over 95% of what Team 3DMJ publishes is completely free to the public. If you enjoy this podcast, our articles, our videos, or our courses, please consider becoming a patron of our work.
Donate as little as $1 per month at this link : https://www.patreon.com/team3dmj
To be notified of future episodes, please feel free to sign up for our email list newsletter here – https://3dmusclejourney.com/newsletter/
Hello 3DMJ team,
My questions : (All related to Flexibility and Range of Motion)
1.How does range of motion effect the overall strength performance of an individual?
2. If someone increases their range of motion will the increase effect (either positively or negatively) their competition lifts?
3. Will a reduced range of motion make the lifter more susceptible to injury?
4. How do you assess an individual’s range of motion to minimize the risk of injury in the 3 powerlifting lifts and the standing overhead press?
5. If there is a deficient range of motion what do you recommend (Technique, Time, Frequency) to increase their range of motion?
I have been trying to dive into to efficacy of different forms of stretching (Static, Dynamic, and PNF) and/or “mobility work” (Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) using devices such as foam rollers) into my weekly routines. I know there is little evidence to show that the acute effects of any of these techniques is correlated to injury prevention and some forms of stretching prior to exercise is shown to decrease muscular performance.
What I am trying to understand is how I should recommend stretching/SMR to people who are getting into lifting and asking me questions. Also I would like to know your recommendation as well.
I know that it is irritating to get questions that are properly researched. So I have done my homework and found a lot of conflicting studies. Many studies done in strength or speed bias sports say that stretching is ineffective or will lower performance. Other studies that are either done by general health practitioners, sport specific practitioners (Like yoga), and endurance practitioners say that the benefits of stretching are numerous and the effects of not stretching is detrimental to your health and performance.
Anecdotally (A.O. pronounced Aay OHH!!) I would think that increased range of motion can reduce the chance of injuries such as sprains and strains under heavy loads. (When I feel flexible the bottom of my squat feels better.) However hyper-mobility could increase the risk of injuries such as dislocations. I don’t think the effects of stretching have an acute impact on injury prevention but ensuring that your joints can handle loads through your sport specific movements is the only limiting factor. (If you can hardly bend to sit down your injury risk is much higher in the squat )
As far as assessment goes:
I like to use Greg Nuckols’ “Breathing Paused Squats” with about 30% of my 1rm for 10 full breaths to assess and increase my mobility in the squat.
I do not have enough wrist or forearm range of motion to execute a front rack position for the front squat but I would like to know your recommendation on how to obtain the range of motion I need to get into that position.
I do no flexibility or mobility work for my bench press but I go through great lengths to try to make sure the strength in my back and rear delts are balanced with my bench press. Same goes for the overhead press.
For the Deadlift as long as I can do 80% or higher 1rm in a 1-2 inch deficit without rounding my back I think that my range of motion is good.
I have been listening to your podcast for about 2 years now and I really appreciate the sound evidence based approach you balance with actual experience and practical application. Keep up the good work.
Thanks
Richard, let me see if I can help!
1. You can only express strength in the range of motion you have, if you can’t squat to depth for example, in a powerlifting meet, it doesn’t matter how much you can squat above depth, until you get the range of motion to squat to depth, you are essentially squatting zero weight, because you’ll bomb out. That’s about the extent that range of motion affects strength: strength is always expressed through a movement in a practical setting (in a lab we can test isometric strength, which is no range of motion, but that’s not relevant), so you need the range specific to that movement to express strength in it.
2. See number 1, but you only need the range of motion you need. Having or not having additional range of motion likely won’t significantly impact your strength. You don’t want hyper-mobility, and you also don’t want to barely have the needed range to do a lift so that you are maximally loaded at end range of motion, you want to ideally have the full range of a given movement pattern, pain free.
3. There is no evidence to suggest that having more than needed ROM or just the needed ROM impacts injury risk.
4. You don’t. You just make sure you have the range of motion to complete the movements. If you don’t have the range, you probably shouldn’t load the portion of the range you don’t have by “forcing it”, but rather, work on getting that range passively first, then unloaded second, then once you have that range, loading it in a graded exposure, pain free fashion.
5. Any and all stretching forms are useful for the specific goal of increasing range of motion/flexibility. Static stretching, foam rolling and dynamic stretching all serve that purpose, but there is no strong evidence to suggest they are injury prevention tools. Prior to exercise, there is some evidence that dynamic stretching – in so much as it serves to warm up your body, can potentially enhance performance and prepare you for loaded movement.
I think this video, its from series SAWEH (pronounced “sayyyy whaaaa??” the precursor to AO), I made on this topic will help you further understand these concepts and there are references at the end if you want further info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1PsQgCUp5w
With all that said, I’m not an injury prevention, management or treatment specialist, and I would direct you to check out the content from our very own Nick Licameli who is the team specialist with his doctorate in physical therapy, definitely google him and read his articles. I’d also recommend all the content from Dr. Quinn Henoch of Clinical Athlete. Good luck!