Elite Problem Solving for Faster Progress


In this episode of the Flex Diet Podcast, I sit down with Cliff Wilson, coach and founder of Raw Intensity, to talk about what actually separates good coaching from great coaching. Getting better doesn't make hard things feel easier — it makes you capable of doing more.

Cliff shares the mental skills behind elite physiques, why context beats internet absolutes, and how great coaches turn research, experience, and failure into better decisions.

Listen to the full episode here

Episode Timestamps:

02:15 The edited interview begins and Mike explains the unusual opening
02:49 Why 20–50% of physique coaching is impulse control
05:19 Skill levels: learn to dribble before trying to dunk
07:37 Practitioners vs. social media commentators
10:45 Why you cannot sidestep the hard parts of fat loss
12:44 Getting fitter does not make a true max effort feel easier
14:04 Context beats absolutes: 700 grams vs. 50 grams of carbs
19:26 Slow thinking, pondering, and turning information into insight
21:57 Giving clients autonomy dramatically improved results
25:18 Range, cross-domain learning, and better problem-solving
27:03 Using OODA loops to make better coaching decisions
28:24 Why most advanced bodybuilders return to a bro split
31:42 Low-volume training, outliers, and small-sample traps
44:01 A surprising DNA result and the role of elite genetics
48:31 Michael Phelps, elite rituals, and competitive mindset
50:43 Why bodybuilding coaching skill may have declined
53:11 Objectivity, Austin Stout, and the traits of great coaches
01:03:14 Collectors vs. integrators: credentials are not application
01:08:07 Cliff's Raw Intensity app and upcoming book Becoming Unrivaled

If you prefer to watch the podcast, check it out below:

Watch the episode on YouTube

Much love,

Dr. Mike

________

Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance, LLC
Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

Dr Mike T Nelson

Creator of the Flex Diet Cert & Phys Flex Cert, CSCS, CISSN, Assoc Professor, kiteboarder, lifter of odd objects, metal music lover. >>>>Sign up to my daily FREE Fitness Insider newsletter below

Read more from Dr Mike T Nelson

Hola from hot and humid Minnesota. A couple less newsletters than usual this week as I was on the flying germ tube to OH to record an episode of the Table Talk Podcast w Dave Tate! Full details below along with much more from this past week. Newsletters: Creatine Causes Cancer?: A myth-busting look at the latest round of scary creatine headlines, and what the actual research says. Greetings From OH: Table Talk I was super honored to record an episode of the Table Talk Podcast w Dave Tate...

Hola from the flying germ tube at 30,000 feet having just left Columbus, Ohio, where your favorite nerd just checked off a goal so big I had to read the invite three times to make sure my brain wasn't cooking itself on the flight home. Yesterday I rolled into the Elite FTS compound in London, Ohio. Yes, that EliteFTS powerlifting equipment mothership, and sat down as a guest on Dave Tate's Table Talk podcast. Honored is not a big enough word. Let me back up. Twenty-two years in the making...

In this episode of the Flex Diet Podcast, I sit down with Attorney Rick Collins, Esq., NSCA-CSCS — one of the top defense lawyers in the sports nutrition and dietary supplement space. Peptides like BPC-157 and TB-500 are showing up everywhere right now, and Rick breaks down why most of what's sold online as "research chemicals" are actually illegal, and why the FDA's upcoming Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee hearing could reshape the entire gray market. We also get into why the GLP-1...